Outdoor Guide Magazine March/April 2018

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HUNTING FISHING CAMPING BOATING OUTDOOR TRAVEL

Year of the Deer...............Page 20

Record Hog Sucker..........Page 25

Wild Turkey.....................Page 27

Trail Cameras...................Page 28

North Fork..........................Page 36

Niagara, More than a Honeymoon....Page 37

Urban Rifle......................Page 39

Missouri - Illinois - And Other Exciting Outdoor Destinations

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Outdoor Guide

March-April 2018

Words of Wisdom

Some of my friends have become grumpy old men. As I have aged, and they with me, I think I understand it.

When we’re older and wiser, it becomes harder and harder to suffer foolishness and immaturity. Hours and minutes become more precious.

It occurred to me, we are lucky and blessed to know men with such wisdom.

So I polled some of our senior writers. I asked them: “In three short paragraphs, tell me your words of wisdom to the world. What have you learned about life, and what has made you so wise?”

Following, slightly edited, are the responses from these learned men. Each has made a significant contribution to conservation and the great outdoors.

BILL SEIBEL I met Bill back in the early ‘80s. He was the outdoor editor of the St. Louis Globe Democrat, and I have learned much from him over the years.

Whether you live in the country or the suburbs or the heart of the city, find a quiet place for a few minutes. Feel the breeze on your cheek, listen to the patter of rain on the summer leaves, see and feel the change in the air of spring or fall, experience the total silence of a winter snowfall.

Then, simply say “THANKS!”

JOHN SLOAN I met John only months ago at a writers conference at Kentucky Lake. He became an immediate contributor to the magazine.

I don’t think I have gotten particularly wise, but I can say I have learned something. And I can be quite succinct. A few years ago, I learned that I was not in charge, God was. I learned I was not running the show making the decisions, He was. And, perhaps of most benefit, was understanding if there is nothing I can do about a problem, I could just turn it over to Him and move on.

JOEL VANCE Joel was one of my original mentors. He helped form the Missouri Outdoor Communicators decades ago and has been a writer for Outdoor Guide since its beginning.

I have been accused of being a wise guy, but that’s light years away from being wise. If I’ve learned anything at all in 83 years, it is that even another 83 years would not begin to let me experience all the things I would want to know and that I should know.

Anyone who loses the desire to do better at whatever he or she tries has lost the one essential trait for success – and success does not equate with great wealth or anything insubstantial.

Success is never accepting “good enough” as good enough.

Above all, avoid hypocrisy. You’re not nearly as good as you think you are. What you want inscribed on your gravestone is, “He did the best he could,” not “He wasn’t nearly as good as he thought he was.”

BRENT FRAZEE Outdoor Editor for the Kansas City Star for 36 years, Brent started writing for us a couple years ago and currently is president of the Missouri Outdoor Communicators.

Man often boasts of his conquest of the wild world, but it is false bravado.

Nature is in charge, and I have come to accept that. A man may catch a 10-pound bass one day and proclaim that he has it all figured out, but the fish will surely humble him the next day.

That’s the way it works in nature. She is a fickle character, full of mystery and intrigue. But that’s what I love about her.

As I advance to my golden years, my body is showing wear and tear, but my spirit remains young. I always come back to see what the wild will present me the next time out.

DARRELL TAYLOR Darrell has written for Outdoor Guide since its start in the early ‘90s. A past president of the Association of Great Lakes Outdoor Writers (AGLOW), he has done much to help young outdoor journalists over the years.

We are a product of the people, places and events that surround us from the day we are born. I was fortunate to grow up in northeastern Missouri on small farms where hard work and low incomes were a way of life.

Because of that, we made good use of the land and what it produced for food. At a very early age, I learned chores came first, then hunting and fishing.

I’ve often said, “I wouldn’t trade the way I grew up for anything, but I would never want to live that way again.”

JIM CASADA Jim just started writing for Outdoor Guide. Nationally known, Jim exudes wisdom, and he is not bashful in telling you what he knows.

I’m not at all sure I have any words of wisdom (some who know me might well suggest that wisdom and yours truly are rank strangers), but here are some thoughts.

Time has taught me to savor the moment, revere the past, and be ever mindful of the fact that in the school of the outdoors, there is no graduation day.

Any wisdom I may have learned is the product of having had enough sense to listen to my “mountain smart” paternal grandfather as a boy, having been blessed with a stern but loving father who was an avid outdoorsman and a fine amateur naturalist, and growing up with a veritable host of honorary aunts and uncles, black and white, who took me in to raise.

I’m sufficiently long in the tooth and sparse in the hackle to realize that mine has been a marvelous life, and much of that derives directly from the fact that it has been lived close to the good Earth – hunting and fishing, walking and wandering, gardening to grow much of what graced the family table, and generally trying to achieve something approaching oneness with the natural world.

THAYNE SMITH Thayne is my original mentor in the outdoors industry.

We met at a SHOT (Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trades) See WISDOM page 38

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March-April 2018

Smile, Sweet Molly, Smile

Photo and Text

By BRENT FRAZEE As I reflect on one of my best fishing trips in recent years, I think about the day I got Molly to smile.

I mean, really smile.

Molly is a teenage neighbor who is about as sweet as

anybody I’ve met. But she is extremely shy. You can hardly ever get a word out of her.

To me, she didn’t seem like the type of young lady who would desire to be an avid fisherman. But her dad, a good friend of mine, told me that they were both getting started in fishing, but they had yet to

catch many fish.

I had made promises to take them fishing on our subdivision lake before, but I had never followed through. Too busy. But when I heard about Molly’s desire to become a fisherman, I knew it was time to get dad and daughter out.

We got out at dawn the next day and I took my neighbors to one of the spots where I had been catching bass. Molly listened silently as I instructed

her where to cast. She tossed her plastic worm right where I had told her, felt a tap and set the hook like a pro.

The bass at the end of her line fought hard and even put on a few acrobatics before it came to the boat.

First cast of the day, a 3-pound bass. And a huge smile on Molly’s face.

I couldn’t have choreographed it better if I had tried.

We caught many other bass

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that day, but Molly’s catch, which she released, was the biggest.

TWO REELED IN I knew right then that I had hooked and reeled in two new fishermen that day – a beginner and her dad, who had fished earlier in his life but had been away from the sport for years.

It was a great feeling, recruiting some new blood into the sport I love so dearly.

I have followed the normal progression as a fisherman.

When I started, I was merely looking for a few bites. As I got more experienced, I wanted a lot of bites – and a full live well. And as I approached middle age, I became a trophy fisherman.

But as I get into my late 60s, it’s no longer about me.

I’m out to “reel in” as many beginners as I can.

Fishing has been good to me. Now I want to be good to fishing.

I am a big believer in the 3Rs – recruit, retain and reactivate – a program the fishing industry and many state fisheries departments are emphasizing these days.

When I was young, fishing didn’t have much competition for the interest of my generation. Today, there are video games, computers, sports camps, busy schedules, you name it. Kids are getting away from the outdoors, and that worries me.

BOOMERS AGING As the Baby Boomers age, I wonder who will be there to replace us? Many in the fishing industry and state fisheries departments see the same challenges.

Missouri is one of the national leaders in recruiting and retaining fishermen. The Department of Conservation has many programs aimed at getting kids and adults alike involved in the sport.

But really, what it comes down to is us. No longer can we afford to sit back and watch someone else take the lead in getting the state fishing.

If we really care about the future of the sport, we have to get families out on the bank or in a fishing boat.

EVERY EVENING It’s a lot more fun than you might imagine. Last year, I got my neighborhood fishing.

I took my neighbor, who is in the military, and his 6-yearold son fishing for the first time and we had a great time.

I took another neighbor who hadn’t fished in years out for some bass and crappie fishing, and I created a monster.

He now fishes from the bank almost every evening after he is off work.

I bought a high-dollar rod and reel for one neighbor to lift his spirits when his wife was going through cancer treatments. She has since recovered, and he went out and bought a pontoon boat just like mine.

I took both of my granddaughters on guided fishing trips and watched how excited they got when they caught fish. And I followed up, taking some of those groups out again.

Now I am looking forward to another season of introducing more beginners to the sport I love. I want to do my small part to keep America fishing.

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Molly Van Buskirk smiled as her dad, Eric, displayed one of the crappies she caught.

March-April 2018

Outdoor Guide

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March-April 2018

Three Visionaries Started Missouri High School Bass Fishing

By MARC ROGERS

As competitive high school fishing grows in Missouri, it is easy to forget its humble beginning. Several years ago, making fishing a high school sport in Missouri was only an idea in the mind of an outdoor writer from Lake of the Ozarks.

J o h n N e p o r a d n y J r. watched as competitive bass fishing quickly grew in

Illinois. After covering the Illinois High School Association’s bass fishing championship at Carlyle Lake in 2008, Neporadny decided to bring a similar program to Missouri students.

Neporadny was confident there was enough interest in the southwest Neporadny

M a r c h - A p r i l

and central regions of Missouri. However, he also knew he would need help from people familiar with the school systems.

“Jim Huson was the first person I contacted about getting the movement s t a r t e d b ecause I knew he had an outdoors class Huson

at Republic High School,” Neporadny said. Huson had already been involving some of his students in competitive fishing. He had paired students with local pros in the southwest Missouri region exposing them to real-life tournament fishing situations.

“While trying to get the Missouri State High School Activities Association to recognize fishing as

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Outdoor agazine Guide M H U N T I N G F I S H I N G C A M P I N G B O A T I N G O UT D O OR TR AV E L

Volume Twenty Six, Number Two Published Six Times A Year Office: 505 S. Ewing, St. Louis, MO 63103 Office/News Department — 314-535-9786 www.outdoorguidemagazine.com e-mail: ogmbobw@aol.com Cover Photo by the late Ron Kruger.

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In Memoriam — Jared Billings • Charlie Farmer • Richard Engelke • Mark Hubbard Spence Turner • Hank Reifeiss • Bill Harmon • Barbara Perry Lawton • Danny Hicks • Ron Kruger

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Kenneth Kieser Gerald Scott Russell Hively Roxanne Wilson Gretchen Steele Jo Schaper Jed Nadler

Don Gasaway Terry Wilson Barbara Gibbs Ostmann Tom Uhlenbrock Michael Wardlaw Larry Potterfield Tom Watson

a sanctioned activity, Jim Huson was instrumental in attending the meetings in southwest Missouri,” Neporadny said. Attending the meetings included speaking to the Activities Association members and sharing the thoughts and opinions of those students, parents and volunteers who wanted fishing clubs at their schools.

The next person Neporadny contacted was Don Berry, owner of the Ozark Mount a i n Te a m Berry Trail and Don Berry’s Fishin’ Radio Show. “I contacted Don next because I knew he was a former school principal and superintendent, so I thought he would know the inner workings of schools and how to get new activities started,” Neporadny said.

Berry attended Activities Association meetings to promote the high school fishing movement. “Don also promoted the movement on his radio show in Springfield, Mo,” Neporadny said.

“Jim Huson and Don Berry are the reason why there are so many high schools with bass clubs around the Table Rock and Springfield area,” he added.

A FACEBOOK PAGE As Facebook began to gain popularity, Doug Vahrenberg started the page, Supporters of Missouri High School Fishing. This page helped to spread the word about the effort and offered tips for students on how to approach their school officials to express interest in a program.

Neporadny got more help when the website MissouriHighSchoolAnglers. com was launched in 2009.

This site was used to share information on starting a local club and still has a lot of good information specific to Missouri.

He recruited more volunteers to attend Activities Association meetings throughout Missouri. Due to their efforts, the Association decided to put bass fishing on a ballot so schools could vote on it as an emerging

activity. The schools then voted in favor of bass fishing as a club activity.

NATIONAL YOUTH FISHING ASSOCIATION In 2015, Teen Anglers Inc. was established in Springfield to help students fish competitively and represent their schools regardless of the schools’ level of involvement. Teen Anglers, Inc. became known as the National Youth Fishing Association in 2017.

As the popularity of high school fishing grew, Neporadny, Huson and Berry shared the responsibility of promoting high school fishing with others. However, none of the three have entirely left this great program.

Jim Huson is instrumental in getting students at Republic High School involved in the great outdoors. Don Berry is still producing Don Berry’s Fishin’ Radio Show and promoting high school fishing at every opportunity.

Neporadny has been covering the Teen Anglers and Youth Fishing Association tournaments for the past two years, writing tournament reports and capturing the events on camera to share with the media.

A NEW WEBSITE In 2016, Neporadny had another great idea. He noticed a lack of internet coverage for the high school fishing industry and solved this with another website.

HighSchoolBassAnglers. com was launched that July, collecting student blogs, videos, news and photos, covering high school fishing on a national level.

As high school fishing continues to grow in Missouri, others have become involved. Corporate sponsors including Bass Pro Shops and Lew’s are providing prizes and scholarship money for winning teams.

I think I speak for most students, parents, boat captains, coaches and all involved with high school fishing in Missouri when I extend a special thank you to Neporadny, Huson and Berry for the hard work and dedication each has put forth in promoting high school fishing in Missouri.

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Outdoor Guide

Doing Battle with Foolish Rules

By GERALD J. SCOTT Like Don Quixote, I sometimes get an irresistible urge to do battle with a windmill. Admittedly, actual windmills – especially operational ones – are in short supply these days. Proverbial windmills, on the other hand, still dot the landscape.

For example, The Wildlife Code of Missouri – which, as a whole, is quite w e l l written – contains several regulatory windmills more than worthy of any knight errant’s lance.

This year, the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) has invited the state’s citizens to make recommenda-

Guest Editorial

The regulation offers no advice on how to write all this information on a crappie’s scales or a quail’s feathers. tions about how the regulatory code could be improved.

To get the conversation started, here are a few of my pet peeves.

One way to decide if a regulation needs to be skewered is to see if it’s all but universally ignored by otherwise law-abiding outdoorsmen. Missouri’s bevy of regulations that ban all forms of party fishing or hunting are a textbook case in point.

For the record, in states where party limits are legal (Iowa is one), all properly licensed members of a group of fishermen or hunters who are obviously working in concert may continue to catch fish or shoot game until the entire group has reached its combined daily limit.

In the Show-Me state, each angler or hunter may not exceed his or her own daily limit, regardless of how the rest of the other members of the group are faring.

Furthermore, his or her fish or game must be kept “separate or readily identifiable” from fish or game taken by any other member of the group. If that doesn’t sound like an example of what a former Wyoming Game Warden friend of mine called “a regulation solely intended to enhance citation revenue,” I don’t know what does.

WRITING ON FEATHERS Speaking of citation revenue enhancers, it’s legal to share fish and game with your compatriots at the end of the day.

However, “Any wildlife given to another ... shall be labeled with the full name, address and permit number of the taker, species and the date when taken.” The regulation offers no advice on how to write all this information on a crappie’s scales or a quail’s feathers.

Don’t think you’re off the labeling hook if you keep the wildlife you legally harvested. “All stored wildlife except deer and turkeys...shall be labeled with the owner’s full name, address and

permit number, species and date placed in storage.”

Deer and turkeys have to be labeled “with the owner’s full name and address, the date taken, and the Telecheck confirmation number of the deer or turkey.”

I can’t decide if those requirements are inherently asinine or merely outdated. An angler or small game hunter’s Conservation ID Number is sufficient to give an agent access to all of the other required information except species and date of storage. The Telecheck confirmation number supplies all of the required information about deer and turkeys.

In at least one instance, a regulation discriminates against tax-paying resident recreational anglers in favor of for-profit corporate entities, most of which are based outside of Missouri. I’m referring to the common practice known as culling or upgrading.

The regulations specifically prohibit any such nefarious activity by Joe Citizen. However, “participants in a bona fide (emphasis in regulation) fishing tournament may upgrade their catch throughout the day so long as there are never more than one day’s legal limit of fish in the angler’s live well at any one time.” I can’t say any more about that one or I start spitting nails.

ANTLER POINT RESTRICTION According to the agency, the MDC’s newest sacred cow, the Antler Point Restriction (APR) has public support.

Be that as it may, in my opinion, APR discriminates in favor of that subset of hunters who measure a buck’s worth by its antlers at the expense of the much

One way to decide if a regulation needs to be skewered is to see if it’s all but universally ignored by otherwise law-abiding outdoorsmen. larger subset of hunters – many but by no means all of whom are relative newcomers to the sport – who consider any buck to be a legitimate trophy Again this is my opinion, but I believe APR also discriminates in favor of bucks which take the longest to grow legal racks and against those whose superior genetics allow them to develop legal racks when they’re 18 months old. Even someone like myself who has no personal interest in so-called trophy hunting can see the regulation’s inherent irony.

On an even more personal note, I’m a bowhunter. My fellow bowhunters and I killed a statistically negligible number of antlered bucks prior to APR. Since I was never part of the alleged overharvest of young bucks in the first place, I resent being forced to become part of what is, at best, a theoretical solution.

Assuming that past is prologue, the MDC really does listen to what the state’s citizens have to say. Let them know your opinion on these and other current or proposed regulations by visiting the agency’s web site at mdc.mo.gov.

March-April 2018

— Random Shots — Birds Back from the Brink

By JOEL M. VANCE No one really knows, but estimates are that between 100 and 1,000 species become extinct every year. Could be more, but probably not less.

Many are insects, never seen by Man. But some are very visible, like the clouds of passenger pigeons that once darkened the sky. No more – the last pitiful pigeon died in the Cincinnati Zoo. But several other well-known birds are around today because they were jerked back from the brink of extinction by the heroic efforts of wildlife conservationists.

In the early 1900s the woodcock and wood duck were given up for lost. Today both are widespread and out of danger and hunted, although woodcock have had their troubles.

GEESE & SWANS Likewise, the giant Canada goose, Branta maxima, actually was considered extinct until a remnant population surfaced at the Mayo Brothers’ clinic in Rochester, MN. Today they have become so numerous that they’re a pest on golf courses, in people’s gardens and even as traffic hazards, so much so that there are early hunting seasons to help thin the population. The Mississippi Flyway alone has a population now exceeding half a million autumn birds with an annual production of a quarter million (led by Minesota’s 150,000 in the fall – a legacy of the Mayo Brothers).

Trumpeter swans also had their toenails over the edge but have been brought back, although without the thumping success of the Giant Canadas. From a central United States population that was essentially extinct by 1960, restoration efforts (trap and transplant) have brought the largest of waterfowl back to a Central, Mississippi and Atlantic Flyways population of nearly 10,000. The flock has been increasing by about 16 percent annually in recent years.

THE SURVIVORS Woodcock, among the most popular upland game birds, rebounded from that expected extinction a century ago to a fairly stable and huntable population today. But the overall population, estimated at 5 million birds, has seen a decline of about 1 percent annually for the last four decades. It is a creature of moist sprout and sapling woodlands and doesn’t thrive in open agriculture or mature woods. Today’s prime woodcock covert is tomorrow’s barren honey hole when the vegetation grows out of woodcock favor.

The wood duck, argu-

ably the most beautiful waterfowl, once headed for extinction, now is a commonly hunted duck. The Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 ended unrestricted market hunting, and the bird began its retreat from the brink.

Wood ducks nest in tree cavities but rely on finding holes excavated by woodpeckers or other causes. Conservationists have boosted nest success by installing nest boxes, which have a high success rate, both of occupancy and brood rearing.

Wood ducks have rebounded so dramatically from that dire prognosis in the early 1900s that today, they’re second only to mallards in numbers taken by hunters. Assuming no unexpected catastrophe, the wood duck is back to stay and never again will teeter on the brink.

TOO MUCH MAN While those four species are a triumph of wildlife management, other species once so numerous they couldn’t be extinguished—or so everyone thought—are gone or in danger of being gone.

Passenger pigeons are the most dramatic example of a species gone extinct, but the Attwater prairie chicken, once the most numerous game bird on the Gulf coast, now is down to a few birds, and those either are stocked from captive flocks or the progeny of stocked birds.

Except for the greater sharp-tailed grouse, all the grassland grouse are declining and with extensive oil and gas exploration, pipeline construction and other intrusions, none have much chance of rebounding. Columbian sharp-tailed grouse, sage grouse and prairie chickens all are suffering from too much Man.

March-April 2018

Outdoor Guide

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March-April 2018

Scouting’s Not Just Looking

Photos and Text

By JOHN L. SLOAN Southern Editor at Large It was a cool, blustery day.

Too early for turkeys, too windy to fish. Perfect for scouting for next season’s deer. In my 20

years as a professional deer hunter and guide, I scouted over 150 days a year. Every year. The other 40 years of my hunting career, I scouted a little less.

I was doing a seminar in Michigan when a hunter asked, “When is the best and worst

times to scout?” From my point of view, the answer was easy.

Best time to scout is as soon as you stop hunting. Worst time to scout is the week before you are about to start hunting.

But there is far more to it than that. A vast majority of hunters are starting to think that looking at pictures on a trail camera is all there is to scouting. I will out-hunt those guys every time.

Scouting, actually, is a never-ending process for me.

It never stops. Scout as you walk in. Scout as you walk out. But what is post-season scouting? Quite simply, it

is finding where a deer has been and translating that into where he is going to be. It is in the post-season when I find trails I did not know about, scrapes, rubs and fence, road or stream crossings, secluded food sources.

My constant companions are a camera, binoculars, notepad and pen. Post-season scouting is about travel. Preseason scouting is about food.

The two are vastly different.

You see, I don’t hunt farmland.

I hunt large tracts of hardwoods – no crops, no food plots, no feeders and no cameras.

A signpost rub such as this one may provide a lot of information. By summer, it may go unnoticed.

POST-SEASON FINDS I look for five main things in the post-season: • Trails that can be identified

by signpost rubs that I did not know about. These are trails primarily used by bucks and only once the pre-rut starts.

Most of the year, they are invisible. They can be found in post-season and then recorded precisely in my notes and by camera. I may even annotate a stand location.

• Aggressive scrapes, the small ones, tucked away in thick cover, usually with a rub and a licking branch. Again, in my notes.

• New places where deer deal with structure, structure being a fence, a road, a stream, a downed tree – anything that alters their travel.

• Sign-post rubs, the rubs that provide information, not only for the buck but for me.

Especially important is the traditional signpost, the one that appears in the same place year after year. When I find one of those, I make notes on stand location.

• Possible, preferred food

sources. In this category are fruit trees I did not know about – persimmon or crabapple, usually, and berries and oak trees.

Everything a deer does is governed by only four factors – food, cover, terrain and structure. Only in arid regions or exceedingly dry years does water figure in. In the postseason, I can nail down three of those factors. Only food remains to be locked in. And

food is the catalyst. Food is what makes deer move.

HOW THEY MOVE How they are going to move is what I determine in postseason. I hunt the traveling deer, the vulnerable deer.

All of these things are easier to see when the woods are naked. Let the leaves get on the trees and most are invisible.

I can see the terrain features, guess as to how a deer is going to travel. That is why careful, accurate note taking is so critical. Yes, GPS coordinates are a help. But I am old-fashioned. I can get more info on a notepad than I can on a GPS. I want to know what my impressions were, not just where I was.

Post-season scouting is the basis for all other scouting.

It is what “plugs you in” for hanging pre-rut stands, early season stands and maybe most importantly, late season stands.

In late summer-pre-season scouting, you are looking almost totally for one thing. The preferred food source. What is going to be the food source the deer prefer on opening day?

That will vary from location to location. But that is another complete article. How they get there is the key.

If you have hunted the same, small woodlot for ten years, probably you don’t need to scout. But each year, I am invited to hunt new property.

That means each year, I am out scouting for the season, still six months away.

It is among my most enjoyable times.

This trail, easily visible in the snow, would be almost invisible in pre-season.

Outdoor Guide

March-April 2018

Page 11

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Outdoor Guide

Page 12

March-April 2018

Developing Pups into Confident Sport Dogs Photo and Text

By PURINA PRO PLAN

Spring is here, and as the ground thaws and flowers bloom, you may be thinking about getting a new puppy to accompany you in future hunting seasons to come.

Once you choose a breed that will facilitate the type of hunting you’re looking to do and is compatible with your lifestyle, then find a reputable breeder and select a puppy, you can

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begin to shape that well-bred pup into a confident, wellmannered hunting dog.

A solid foundation is key to developing a puppy into a hunting dog that’s enthusiastic and eager to please.

“For puppies that are future hardworking hunting dogs, start by building a physical and mental foundation,” said James L. Cook, director of the Comparative Orthopedic Laboratory at the University of Missouri.

“This includes building muscle and ‘concept training’ to introduce the dog to the idea of hunting. Don’t do too much too soon, because the musculoskeletal system is not mature until dogs are 10 to 18 months old, depending on the breed. Rather, early training should focus on core-strengthening activities that promote muscle and nerve development and control.”

SOCIALIZE, SOCIALIZE A major part of early training is socialization.

As a trainer, your job is to shape your dog’s unbridled passion and natural instinct to the desired behavior of a confident, mannerly sporting dog. Therefore, a dog must be receptive to the trainer and the act of being trained.

Socialization occurs during the first six months and involves exposing pups to people, other dogs and situations to which they will later be exposed. Dogs that aren’t well-socialized can misinterpret situations and can forever lack proper social skills.

Spend a good amount of time playing with your pups, letting family and friends handle them, introducing them to game and taking them on walks and car rides.

These techniques make for a well-rounded dog.

ENCOURAGE PREY DRIVE A young dog should be given the opportunity to develop his or her inherent prey drive through exposure to game. This can be accomplished during the imprinting stage, or the first 6 months of life, when a pup’s primal desire for game is awakened, and he or she becomes enthusiastic about game. Missing this window of opportunity for building prey drive to a pinnacle before a dog reaches one year of age can result in a dog that is never able to reach his or her potential.

Once a dog begins to excitedly find and chase prey, you can properly introduce the sights and sounds of what the dog will later experience in a hunting scenario.

A dog exposed to game, new grounds, new situa-

tions and new noises such as clapping and whistling will train more readily than a pup denied these exposures.

CONDITIONING REGIMEN When your pup matures into a young adult dog, with a fully developed musculoskeletal system, you can safely begin a conditioning program. Cross-training and core-stabilization exercises help build the strength and endurance needed for hunting and reduce mental and physical fatigue.

Focused exercises such as leg lifts, cavaletti movements and figure 8s on an incline, combined with cross-training, such as running, weight pulling and swimming, are good examples.

“Most importantly, to prevent injuries, remember to always warm up a dog before exercise, allow time for recovery between highintensity training and hunting trips, and cool down a dog after exercise,” Cook said.

TRAINING TIPS • Build Trust – Your dog should know you’re the pack leader. A dog that respects your dominance will trust you, which helps develop his or her natural ability.

• Keep Your Dog Happy – Keep training fun because a dog that enjoys training is more likely to succeed. A happy dog wants to please you.

• Customize Training – Realize that each dog has a distinct personality and responds differently to training. As a trainer, you have to treat them as individuals. Spending time with a particular dog will help you read and determine what works best.

• Praise Your Dog – When your dog performs well, reward him or her at the moment of accomplishment.

Always praise your dog for a job well done and be sure to end each training session on a positive note.

NUTRITION FOR PUPPIES It’s important to provide your pup with complete and balanced nutrition, part of the foundation of optimal performance and recovery.

The Purina Pro Plan FOCUS Puppy Formulas are designed to meet the nutrient requirements of growing puppies, while the Purina Pro Plan SPORT All Life Stages Formulas, suitable for puppies and adult dogs, will help sustain your dog’s energy needs and help keep him or her properly conditioned. For more information, go online to proplan. com/dogs.

Outdoor Guide

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Page 13

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Outdoor Guide

Page 14

March-April 2018

The Master Gunsmith

Mounting a Scope How to See Trees, Not the Forest

By JED NADLER Master Gunsmith Mounting a scope on a rifle seems like an easy task in overview. Just screw it on.

If you take that long “forest view” and attempt the task, some will find they can see neither the forest nor the trees, let alone the target.

But it is a manageable job if you know what’s important

to get right.

THE BASICS A couple of typical parts are involved besides the scope itself. It is usually held by what are called rings. (Rings are a common method of holding on to something dear to you.)

The other common part is a “mount,” a device designed to mate with the

receiver below and the rings above. Since the top of a rifle’s receiver can be flat or curved, high in the back, low, tilted, etc., mounts are frequently created to match a specific gun.

Some mounts accept only rings by the same manufacturer. More universal mounts have a Picatinny or Weaver “rail” on top, a surface to which rings and

other devices attach. Mounts can be one or two pieces.

Rings come in low, medium, high and extra-high.

The larger the diameter of the scope, the higher the ring needs to be for the scope to clear the top of the rifle.

Always choose the ring that sets the scope closest to the rifle as possible. With boltaction rifles, the bolt must still operate without running into the scope. Many times, the bolt handle is modified to permit the scope to mount lower. Some rifles will eject their empty shells at such an upward angle they run into the scope. A gunsmith can adjust ejection angle to some degree.

THE FIRST GOTTA-GET RIGHT First, and unmistakably important, is getting the scope on the gun parallel to the bore and centered left to right. For guns drilled and tapped from the factory, all’s well. But if one hole is just 0.010” inches off center, the crosshairs will be 12” off center at 100 yards. (Ain’t trigonometry wonderful!?)

If you can drill straight up and down, there is a device available to help with centering. Williams makes a Scope Mount Drill Fixture (Part 36898) for about $100. It’s considerably less expensive than the vertical milling machine we use here ($4,500).

WHERE’S YOUR EYE? Scopes have only a small distance behind the eyepiece (ocular) which gives a clear image (called “eye relief,” usually about 2-4”). When you lift the rifle to your cheek, you must put your eye into the zone of eye relief.

Hold the scope alone up to your eye, moving it forward and back until you get a good clear view of the ring inside, around the front lenses. Measure from the scope to your eye at this position. For the sake of an example, say 3”.

Now shoulder the rifle.

Measure from your eye forward to some fixed point

on the receiver. Say 5”. If the scope is to be at 3” from your eye, it has to be 2” back from that fixed point. See Figure 1.

LAY IT OUT Lay the gun down on its side. Position the mount above it, aligning its holes with the receiver holes.

Gently attach the rings to the scope so that they will easily slide. Position the scope where it needs to be (2” back from the fixed point you used.)

Rings can only attach to the mount in fixed places.

See if the rings will find places on the mount that will allow the scope to be in position.

If not, you may need what are called “extension” rings, a cantilever mount or you will have to hold your eye a little forward or back.

Finally, lightly attach the rings to the mount and set the assembly close to the gun to make sure the bells of the scope (ocular and objective) clear the barrel in the front and hammer/bolt in the back. If not, you’ll need taller rings.

If all that works right, screw it together.

THE SECOND GOTTA-GET RIGHT Did I just say screw it all together? Wait. Don’t.

Not yet.

Clean and degrease the screws and screw holes with rubbing alcohol. Use a DROP of “Blue” Loctite Medium Strength (#242) thread locker. (Do not use “Red” Loctite or you’ll need a torch to get the screws out later).

Do not over-tighten the See GUNSMITH page 38

Outdoor Guide

March-April 2018

Page 15

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Outdoor Guide

Page 16

March-April 2018

Wildlife Wrangling and Outdoor Ramblings

Battling Prehistoric Monsters

By RANDALL P. DAVIS

It was late summer. I gazed from the deck at thick fog in the low areas. Air was so dense, one would nearly drown taking in a deep breath. The day’s heat had a head start, just waiting for the sun to stoke the intensity.

It’s easy to imagine this is what the Jurassic Period must have been like. And I wondered just how it would have been to wrangle some of the smaller dinosaurs.

From the morning’s still, I fully expected the quiet to be split by the screaming roar of a tyrannosaurus. But instead, our three-legged cat looked up at me, meowing incessantly for a handout. I kind of hope the velociraptors are on duty this morning to squelch the annoyance.

But then I looked down. Another aspect that fit into the morning’s age-of-dinosaurs ambiance was this plague of insects and arachnids.

ANT INVASION I’d been fighting an ant invasion. Tried all the baits, bombs, sprays, powders, salves, folklore remedies, even a few witchery spells. The results were only temporary. I was close to going to the zoo and commandeering a couple of anteaters.

Finally, I found the nest under the air conditioning unit ... 60 feet from where they entered the house. I meted out

chemical justice.

But the insect pestilence had not been without painful consequences.

I was washing dog pens when a demure object flashed down and then delivered not one but two searing doses of venom to my forearm.

After an impromptu “Watusi with the Wasp” number and accompanying blue monologue, I charged the beasts with the concentrated stream from a hose nozzle. All were sent to

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But two days later, my right arm was bloated from armpit to wrist, like a gangrenous coil of intestine. Perhaps I should have stopped, trudged to the house, found some form of medication, administered said medication, then had a cup of tea, meditated … blah, blah, blah.

But guys don’t do that. Guy Rule Number One: If we aren’t bleeding profusely, don’t have a broken bone, or aren’t on the verge of blacking out from head trauma, we forge on.

Might pay for it later, but we complete the job.

I wish I hadn’t followed Guy Rule Number One. My arm ached like I had pitched a major league no-hitter and my hand was so stiff I had to brush my teeth – and most of my face – left-handed. Easily, a mannequin had more dexterity.

NOT MUCH SYMPATHY After such events I get little sympathy from wife or daughter (because I followed G.R.N.O.) Sometimes I think they use hindsight more and more as a learning tool for me.

Trouble is, I never get it.

The prehistoric brethren demonstrated a prime example.

About 2:30 a.m., I was lying on my stomach, half awake, trying to determine if Nature’s Call was really worth the effort, when I felt the run-pause, run-pause of tiny legs across my bare shoulders.

No amount of caffeine (or even a cattle prod) can jolt you awake any faster than a spider scurrying across your body … in bed … in the dark.

I flipped the sheet over and back onto itself, hoping to trap the arachnid. I slipped out of bed and went around to my wife Lola’s side. I touched her and brought her out of soft, rhythmic breathing.

“Whhaaat, whhaaat’s going on?” she groaned, trying to figure out why I was standing there like a three-year old having bad dreams.

“Don’t move,” I said.

“There’s a spider in the bed.

Take the covers and fold them toward the center, then slide out.”

FIGHT TO THE FINISH By the time I finished saying “spider,” she was fully conscious and extremely alert.

She did as I said. We flipped on the light. Nothing.

I took the top cover into the living room to shake it out.

Lola remained to watch the bed. As I was unfurling the cover, looking for what had to be a steroid-filled, Jurassictype tarantula, I heard loud, guttural grunts accompanied by a solid THUMP, THUMP, THUMP from the bedroom.

It sounded like she was armed with a ball bat.

“GOT HIM!” she declared as triumphant as David over Goliath.

When I returned she displayed the remains – a tiny smear, small as a pea, results from an authoritative bludgeoning by the palm of her hand.

“House spider,” she said.

“All clear.”

“House spider?” said I. “It sure felt like one of those camel spiders ... the size of a camel, stampeding over me.

Besides, I could have handled the beast if I weren’t so incapacitated by wasp venom.”

My mate wasn’t impressed.

But hey, I was saved from the horrors of being webentombed and becoming food for baby spiders by the wife’s deadly karate chop. That’ll show ‘em who’s boss (I probably should keep this in mind, though).

On the bright side, this is about as large a prehistoric beast as I want wrangle.

Also, the wasps had been put in their place. The ants were wishing the anteaters had showed up instead of the spray gun. The spider community has since refused to enter the house, fearing becoming part of a Kung Fu movie, and I still carry the natural tattoo marks from initiation into the wingedhellion strafing target club.

Yep, a typical start to, typically, a non-typical day.

Outdoor Guide

March-April 2018

Page 17

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By THAYNE SMITH

March-April 2018

But Which One to Choose?

The selection and purchase of a recreation vehicle is much like buying a home or vehicle.

With an RV, you are in a sense getting both. In all likelihood, it will be your home on the road, and it definitely will include some type of motorized unit.

Many factors enter the picture. With due consideration, they should include research, investigation, soul-searching, budget considerations and many others, regardless of whether it involves an individual, couple or family group.

How well it meets the needs of the buyer is also of prime consideration, along with intended use.

It’s a decision that buyers should not hurry, regardless of whether it be a “first time” purchase or an upgrade to a larger or better unit.

RV manufacturers, industry officials and dealers alike encourage shoppers to study extensively, ask questions galore and take considerable time in making a decision. It matters not whether they covet a unit that offers basic shelter or a top-notch luxury lodge on

wheels, there is a unit that can satisfy virtually every want and wish.

Affordability is the leading factor in any purchase.

Next, primary and intended uses of the unit come into play. Finally, desire is also a consideration.

THE SLIDE-OUT In addition, developments in recent years enter the picture in a big way. The so-called “slide-out” is definitely not new to RVs, but it has been highly promoted and incorporated in the lines and designs

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want of users, and to say the RV buying public has accepted it is an understatement. Truly, it has been utilized to make virtual homes of trailers and motorhomes.

Aslide-out can be employed to enlarge and enhance almost any area of an RV and it definitely becomes a factor when living quarters and quality are considered.

Another relatively new and popular feature is the “widebody” design, applied first to motorhomes and now to all types of units. It became a viable concept in the 1990s for enhancing and expanding storage and living space. Most boast living space widths of 100 inches, and overall widths of 108 inches, the maximum allowed under vehicle construction standards of most states. (This includes 18-wheel and larger tractor-trailer rigs.)

It remains, however, that lengths, sizes and weights of recreation vehicles are under control of the individual states, and they vary greatly.

BASEMENT SPACE Along with the widebody feature came another called “basement storage.” I have used several units with this feature. They are ideal for dedicated hunters, anglers, snowbirds (those fortunate folks who live in the north but venture south during winter climes) or full-timers who need to transport most of the necessities for the tasks they endorse.

It appeals, also, to those who want to carry large numbers of craft items and tools or trinkets

to what are called flea markets, swap meets and craft shows or stack in a batch of coolers to be filled with fish or game.

They are most desirable, too, for those RVers who collect rocks throughout their travels.

THE TOYHAULER Now, the development and addition of a cargo area to the rear of many units presents an entirely new dimension.

It ranks as one of the most viable, usable and versatile features to be added to RVs in the last couple of decades.

It came with a rush at the turn of the 21st century and is now offered under various names, with “toyhauler” a favorite.

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Some are even large enough for a fully equipped boat, with outboard engine.

Space in many of the rear cargo units can also be utilized for bedrooms, dining rooms, sitting rooms or combinations, adding to the overall living accommodations at the front of the unit. Some are equipped with drop-down beds, foldingleg tables, overhead cabinets, couches and lounges. All can be lowered easily with the push of a button when the ramp is extended and the space is emptied of its cargo.

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Outdoor Guide

March-April 2018

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March-April 2018

It’s Always the Year of the Deer Photo and Text

By TED NUGENT Deer. Those, beautiful, spectacular, always fascinating deer. I have a funny feeling that if you’re reading this that you and I share this quality of life, stimulating relationship and admiration for our brother the deer.

I love deer.

And though the role they play in our lives is powerful and moving, just to keep things in perspective and avoid anything that could be misinterpreted as psychoobsession, be it known that God, family, country and freedom (and rock-n-roll) do indeed eclipse our love affair with deer.

But these wonderful critters do rank right up there just behind those primo priorities, that’s for sure.

I doubt there is any other organism this side of cancer cells that has been more exhaustively investigated, analyzed, studied or probed than the deer of North America.

We could talk all day long about their beauty, habits, mysticism and scientific significance, but ultimately I think we can all agree that our brother the deer could very well be our canary in the coal mine of happiness and life.

Surely, as goes deer, so

goes our environment, and as we hunters dedicate ourselves to the welfare of deer and all wildlife, the condition of our world can be thoroughly monitored and accurately evaluated as we walk the wild ground as one with God’s creatures.

CONSERVATION ETHIC As reasoning predators always honing and upgrading our level of situational awareness, our conscience and hearts dictate a conservation ethic and responsibility that is at the core of America’s unprecedented wildlife success story.

To kill them and grill them is to love them, and respectful, hands-on value wise use conservation drives our relationship with the beasts.

Those of us so very fortunate to grow up in hunting families may tend to take this pure, primal urge for granted, but I’ve been blessed and privileged to introduce, guide and hunt with many hunters who came to this greatest sport later in life and have shown their immediate grasp and celebration of this perfect tooth, fang and claw nature lifestyle.

I have witnessed so many times where citified individuals who have been hammered

by the tsunami of animal rights and anti-hunting fake news their entire life have come to grips and sincerely embraced the perfection of the hunting, sustain-yield, wildlife conservation science and logic within minutes of

Even on those rare days when bad weather shuts down my hunt, I still find myself sipping coffee, staring out the window of our farm or ranch looking for deer.

Cruising down the highways and bi-ways of America, I am constantly reminding myself to keep my eyes on the road and do my best to ignore the surrounding landscape for deer sightings.

ODE TO DEER I simply love deer! Genuinely, passionately, sincerely love them!

I love to know they are around even when I don’t see them.

I love to witness their beauty and grace and miraculous sense of elusiveness.

I love to watch them stand, to walk, to feed, to groom, to stare, to frolic, to run and jump, to fight and breed.

I actually love to watch them figure out my best attempt at ambushing them and mysteriously evade me.

I love to occasionally outwit them, though it is usually more a result of dumb luck than any real killer skill.

I love to kill them, track them, gut, skin, hang, butcher and I love to eat them.

I love to stroke their beautiful hide, look into their eyes and fondle their amazing

sharing a campfire with me.

As hunters, our radar is better tuned and our eyes pick up the image of distant critters whether we are on the hunt or just driving to the store for milk and bread with the family.

antlers as I accept the gift from the Great Spirit for a job well done.

I love to share their lifesustaining protein with family, friends, soup kitchens and homeless shelters.

I love to share sacred ground with them, and I love doing everything in my power to ensure their healthy, thriving condition.

WORD GETS OUT I am able to spread these self-evident truths and wildlife love, fascination and logic far and wide with the incredible advantage of social media technology, and the good word gets out there on my Facebook on a daily basis to many millions of non-hunters and die-hard rock-n-rollers worldwide. And they like it!

So as we wrap up an amazing 2017 and move into 2018, thank God the deer season throttles on for many more days and even months in some parts of the country.

I, like so many of you, will still be out there with the deer as we jettison into 2018.

I wish you well, good hunting and good luck, and may your deer dreams glow forever.

Ted Nugent’s blogs can also be found at deeranddeerhunting.com. This one is #227.

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Outdoor Guide

Page 22

Gravel Bar Gourmet

It’s Time for Hiking and Fishing the River Photo and Text

By BILL COOPER

The March and April period is one of my favorite times of the year. Winter has been long and cold. Cabin fever has dimmed my senses and atrophied my muscles.

March brings warming temperatures and warming waters.

Fish go into feeding frenzies as their metabolism speeds up.

And I go into fishing frenzies as my metabolism picks up. I always knew I was a bit of a cold-blooded creature.

Hiking is another of my favorite outdoor activities during the transition months of March and April. Temperatures are climbing out of the frigid stage and approaching those magical 30- and 40-degree temperatures that are perfect for hiking.

It is at this magical time of year when I combine hiking and fishing. I live very near the upper Meramec and can quickly be in quality smallmouth and trout waters.

Most often, I make a long day of such adventures. A hearty breakfast washed down with several cups of Thomas Coffee stokes my fires for a fun-filled day of hiking down the river and stopping at my favorite honey holes to do battle with the big smallies and rainbows that I know live there.

LOST IN THE MOMENT It amazes me how quickly time flies by when I’m on the river. I become lost in the joy of the moment and the pursuit of the finny creatures that call the Meramec home. The magic has not diminished in the nearly 50 years I’ve been plying my trade on this river.

I still go at it hard enough that I don’t take a break until my belly begs me. Casting and wading burn up a lot of energy, but I don’t give up fishing easily. It is when I feel my energy levels plummeting that I stop to take rest break and have something to eat.

I’m not a big fan of simple munchies for outdoor meals.

Granted, I do utilize them on occasions, particularly if I have a younger buddy along who insists on pushing on down river.

When the fishing slows down, it’s time for cooking.

I enjoy taking the time to break my backpacking stove out of my day pack and making something hot to eat and drink.

Hot tea fortified with a little honey and lemon provides a real boost to my mental and physical state.

QUICKER OR BIGGER? If the fishing is great, I opt for a cup of hot soup as well.

Packaged soups are one of the simplest of meals to prepare on a gravel bar. There seems to be an endless variety of soup mixtures available these days. However, old-fashioned chicken noodle remains one of my favorites.

If the fishing is mediocre (it’s never poor), I take a little longer and prepare a more elaborate gravel bar meal. Most often, under such circumstances, I heat up packaged soups that have more body to them.

Chicken and wild rice, chicken Alfredo, chunky potato, and clam chowder are among my favorites.

In addition to the soup, I break out sliced salami, cheese and raisins or sliced apples.

It can’t be argued. There is no dining room comparable to a gravel bar along a free-flowing Ozark stream.

March-April 2018

Now Is the Time for a Scouting Trip Photo and Text

By RON BICE

Gaining ground on a whitetail with the purpose of realizing a deer’s behavior and pattern enhances the entire experience. An opportunity is upon us to do just that.

The remains of winter offer a great time to get back in the woods for a quality spring scouting trip. Winter snowfall and the hard frost have helped mat down the forest floor, revealing last fall’s secrets.

A blueprint has been created.

You can see exactly what your deer did last fall, and what happened last fall will most likely happen again this season. Once spring greenup starts, this canvas will be washed away and this chance will be gone.

Well-defined deer trails will be quite telling. Primary

scrapes revealed will be reactivated again in mid September.

The newly discovered buck rubs will add insight. Bedding areas will be easier to decipher.

A HEAD START The information gained will provide a big head start, ensuring a successful season.

You might just gain the missing piece to the puzzle and maybe find a new stand location or two.

I once discovered a new bedding area that held several good-sized rubs. I figured this was the core area of the buck I’d hunted for two years. This missing link was the one factor I attribute to my success that fall.

It’s a great time to get back in the woods. You’ll be ahead of the game by taking advantage of this fleeting opportunity, and now’s the best time to take a peek.

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March-April 2018

Video and Book Reviews — By BILL SEIBEL

Title: NATURAL WONDERS OF THE WORLD

Author (Editorial Consultant): Dr. Don E. Wilson Publisher: DK, in association with the Smithsonian Institution, 345 Hudson St, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10014

Hard cover, $50; 440 pages with color photographs, graphs and drawings. ISBN: #978-1-4654-6417-0

Outdoors folk – hunters, anglers, hikers, campers, bird watchers and those who simply enjoy the fresh air and beautiful scenery of our world – almost always develop a natural curiosity about the places they’ve been, hope to visit, dream about or maybe never heard about before. From America’s Rocky Mountains to Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, this book takes its readers to 240 natural wonders, with another 230 described in a directory.

The Rockies are so fascinating because many of us have visited at least portions of them. On the other hand, I’ll never get to the Great Barrier Reef, although my late father-in-law George W. Carson did – chasing giant black marlin with the late Morton D. (Buster) May. And I got to interview Mr. May about his catching a record 1,380-pound marlin on 85-pound-test line many years ago.

The descriptions of the reef, along with 3-D drawings, in this book have increased both my fascination and understanding of that amazing wonder and helped me understand why these two great men were so enamored with this special piece of our world.

Many of the places we read about – from the Everglades to the Kalahari Desert – are sources of unanswered questions and curiosity. In these pages, readers can discover answers and details, taking them far beyond normal consideration and comprehension.

This book, if it sold by the pound, would be too expensive for most of us. It is big – coffee table or library sized – and heavy.

Much of the weight is not in simple pounds, but in information we and our families can enjoy and consider in wide-eyed wonder for many years.

Title: JOURNEY, AN ILLUSTRATED HISTORY OF TRAVEL

Author (Editorial Consultant and Lead Contributing Author): Michael Collins Publisher: DK, in association with the Smithsonian Institution, 345 Hudson St., 4th Floor, New York, NY 10014 Hard cover, $50; 440 pages with color and black-andwhite photographs, color prints of carvings and paintings illustrating historic points. ISBN: 978-1-4654-6414-9

In this day, perusing this book boggles one’s mind. I must admit that I haven’t read it all. It probably will take years to read and comprehend. The news release about this work starts out, “For some 60,000 years, humans have explored the world out of necessity and curiosity.”

Contemplating how that was accomplished in those early years, and even just a couple of hundred years ago, boggles the mind when compared to today.

The Table of Contents breaks this stellar work into seven major periods or categories: 1) The Ancient World; 2) Trade and Conquest; 3) The Age of Discovery; 4) The Age of Empires; 5) The Age of Steam; 6) The Golden Age of Travel; and 7) The Age of Flight. And within those are about 140 topics.

Have you ever wondered why people travel? Is it to find food? Or for trade and profit? To make a religious pilgrimage?

To migrate to a different place? Or maybe, especially for those of us who have made the out-of-doors a part of our lifestyle, to find new adventure?

As many have, I’ve been privileged to travel many places using many modes of travel – on horseback, on foot, in cars, on water in craft ranging from kayaks to large ships, by rail and in a variety of aircraft.

But reading some of the accounts of the various methods of travel and the reasons for it down through the ages, as pulled together by authors Michael Collins, Andrew Humphreys, Simon Adams and R.G. Grant, one can only wonder and marvel at the obstacles overcome and the feelings those involved must have experienced.

The patience of those who traveled just 100 years ago must have been great. The courage of those who traveled 1,000 years ago defies comprehension.

This is a great book for anyone who has traveled for any reason, and even greater for every parent or grandparent to make available to the young people in their lives.

Outdoor Guide

Page 23

Family Adventures Planned at Webb Creek Park

Ellington, MO, officials and the Ozark Heritage Project are working together this year to provide new outdoor opportunities for families at Webb Creek Park and the Clearwater Lake campground near this Reynolds County town in the Ozarks, at highways 21 and 106.

Building upon story-telling and craft demonstrations offered last summer, guided nature walks will be added.

Participating children will be given magnifying glasses and

printed guide/activity books.

“Treasures” will be listed in these books and clues given to their location along the trails.

Parents will be encouraged to accompany their children, especially with the smaller ones, but not required for the older ones. Both animal and plant exhibits will add to the fun and educational walks.

Lessons in survival skills, such as fire-building and emergency shelters, are also planned, along with programs natural remedies

that sustained our ancestors in pioneer times. Another program will focus on making ornaments with such native supplies as vines and pine needles.

“We wish to make Ellington and the surrounding area even more attractive for families,” said Christy Roberts of the Ellington Chamber of Commerce. “There will still be the weekend story-telling and free T-shirts for those helping to police litter. These new activities will add a little

more fun, and several will be directed at younger children.

Many will take place during the week.”

Scout and church groups may arrange individual programs by calling the Chamber at (573) 663-7997 or the Ozark Heritage Project at (573) 663-2269 or send email to emansfield2004@yahoo. com. Also check Facebook pages of the Ellington Chamber of Commerce, Stewards of the Ozarks or Rick Mansfield.

Outdoor Guide

Page 24

March-April 2018

Paddle Power

Paddlin’ High, Low and Sideways

Graphics and Text

By TOM WATSON

Typically, when paddling a kayak forward, we want to do so with speed and/ or power, or we are merely content to cruise along at a leisurely pace across the water.

A “high” paddling stroke puts the shaft and blade more perpendicular to the surface and the sweep of the stroke closer to the gunwales.

This is a power stroke – the full face of the blade grabs the water and pushes the kayak forward. It’s a preferred stroke when you need to move the boat quickly and forcefully.

High stroke paddlers tend to prefer a shorter than average paddle length. However,

the surface area of the blade is typically a bit larger than average.

LOW STROKE A “low” stroke, sometimes referred to as a “cruising” or “touring” stroke is meant to keep the boat moving forward at a steady but more relaxed, gliding pace. The paddle is held lower and more parallel to the surface.

Once the kayak is at the desired cruising speed, the paddler maintains a relaxing, almost effortless cadence. Longer shafts are preferred for this low brace style as the reach is longer and the angle of entry with the water is more acute.

This style also works well in the wind or rougher

seas where you are in a better position to do a supportive brace stroke should your boat start to tip.

Other low-angle paddling strokes are used to sweep an arc across the water to push the bow or stern around or to extend bracing strokes to maintain balance.

SCULLING Sometimes we want to move our boat sideways, either to or from a dockside entry or perhaps to re-position the kayak that’s drifted sideways. A sculling stroke is the classic side-toside stroke.

The paddler uses a very high/vertical stroke, slicing

the blade through the water in a zig-zag pattern while pulling against the paddle to cause the kayak to slip sideways. If you imagine yourself leaning over and grabbing the water to pull yourself more to the right or left while in your boat, you get the idea of the sculling technique.

If you think of the paddle shaft as an extension of your arm, and the blade as your out-stretched palm, you’ll discover many ways to maneuver your kayak in any direction. Learning variations of paddling techniques and how to employ them can help you become a more efficient kayaker.

Outdoor Guide

March-April 2018

Page 25

Hunters: Ask Landowners If You Can Help Photo and Text

By CRAIG ALDERMAN I have been seeing the flood of hunters heading to the fall woods for the annual challenge of deer hunting. Loaded with the latest gear and the most decked-out UTVs I have ever seen on their trailers, heading to their secret, favorite spots for the hunt.

New memories are created; old memories are gladly exaggerated. Hunting camp is a sacred place, steeped in tradition, with untold generations of stories, whether it be a cabin, old barn, tents or sleeping in the trucks (done that).

Fireplaces, campfires or fire pits will light the souls and faces of millions of hunters, as it should be. Enjoying a time out of reality, stupid politics and the life-long challenge of the “job.”

If we are truly lucky, our kids and grandkids will be in camp and undergo the “passage” of the deer camp. There should be a patch or something, maybe a coffee mug.

Mind you, political challenges will find resolution at camp. They will not be politically correct and would never work for any politician, but they do allow a venting of frustrations with no judgment.

So how can we as hunters help after the hunt is over, knowing that 95 percent of all the land is privately owned to ensure that this tradition and the inner happiness it brings continue?

THE THREE WORDS The answer is just three words – “ask to help.” The landowner can always use a set of hands after the hunt is over and before the next one.

Of course the old rule applies – always, always leave the land cleaner and better than you found it. No trash of any sort is left behind, and if you find some from others, pick it up How else can we help, and help the wildlife, too? Bring the kids!

• FIRST – Meet with the owner and offer to help clear boundary lines and mark or post them. Donate the signs and load up those fancy rigs with chain saws, pole saws and safety equipment. Put the signs on boards and mount the boards to the tree (with permission) using aluminum screws. The board keeps the growth of the tree from splitting the signs. The aluminum screws won’t harm a chain saw.

• SECOND – If the owner has fences, most likely they will need repair, especially if they go through wooded areas where limbs and windfalls create a lot of extra work.

Have your own tools, staples and clips so you don’t borrow his. Keep a few T-posts on hand and yep, keep the chain saw handy.

• THIRD – Make the boundary line roads along a fence a project (with permission).

Scratch ‘em up in the spring and plant green browse on them for the critters. Note to the landowners: This will draw them away from any crops or gardens.

• FOURTH – Offer to help put in fire break roads – the access roads around the property that are deer magnets if done right. Planting them again attracts them away from crops or gardens and let the owner know access roads improve land values about 15 percent,

Winona Man Gigs Record Northern Hog Sucker

Richard Bradshaw of Winona became the newest Missouri fishing record-breaker when he gigged a northern hog sucker on the Current River in Carter County Jan. 27.

The sucker weighed 2 pounds, 12 ounces with a length of 18.6 inches, breaking the previous state record by 4 ounces.

Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) staff verified the northern hog sucker’s weight on a certified scale in

West Plains. It was the first state-record fish of 2018.

Missouri state-record fish are recognized in two categories: pole-and-line and alternative methods. Alternative methods include throwlines, trotlines, limb lines, bank lines, jug lines, spearfishing, snagging, snaring, gigging, grabbing, archery, and atlatl.

For more information, go to the MDC website at mdc. mo.gov and select “trophies and certificates” under “fishing.”

Richard Bradshaw with his record-breaking northern hog sucker.

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• FIFTH – If he has a predator problem, you might just get another hunting opportunity.

You will not know until you ask.

• SIXTH – If you are a member of the Quail and Upland Wildlife Federation, we have member liability insurance for helping with habitat work such as fencing and road work. Let the owner know.

We can issue certificates if need be.

The two biggest two

DON’Ts I can think of are: • Don’t bring others with you the landowner has not approved. That is an insult to the landowner’s permission and just may cost you access.

• Don’t do anything on the land without permission and prior approval of all the details.

Craig Alderman is a biologist, forester and director of the Quail and Upland Wildlife Federation. He has over 40 years of wildlife habitat planning and works it yearround.

Posting signs is one of the jobs hunters can do for friendly landowners.

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Outdoor Guide

Page 26

March-April 2018

Turkey Hunt Brings Together Young & Old Eight turkey hunters had a meeting of generations and learned something about each other.

By BILL COOPER The diminutive pink bird point brought a trickle of blood as I pressed it a bit too hard into my palm. Perhaps this tiny arrowhead had pierced the heart of a wild turkey gobbler some 5,000 years ago as a Late Woodland Indian flung his hand-crafted arrow and stone point at a strutting gobbler.

Fast forward to Devil’s Backbone Outfitters, 1,700

acres in McDonald County, Missouri, in the spring of 2017. Outdoor legend Ray Eye held a media turkey hunting camp there. Our small group of outdoor writers enjoyed the hunt, the drama, the passion, and relived the necessity of the hunt much like our ancient ancestor.

Thousands of years later, the innate desire to hunt coursed through our veins, connecting us to our ancient past. Unlike our ancestor who

hunted primarily to feed his physical body to survive, our hunting party ventured into the rugged hills to fulfill our connection to the past and release the essence of our inherited DNA. We are hunters.

RECORD FLOODS Record floods ripped at the North Fork River valley as we prepared our hunting camp. A cozy cabin overlooking the valley gave us a safe vantage point to watch the destructive

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Turkey hunters (from left to right) are Melissa Girdley, Ray Eye, Tim Kjellesvik, Joe Hollingshad, Mark Strand, Bill Cooper and Chance Hollingshad, at Devil’s Backbone Outfitters in McDonald County.

We whiled away the mornforces of Mother Nature. I silently wondered if our brother ing telling old hunting tales from the past had huddled in and reliving the past, pausing a cave or under a rock shelter only to listen to the occasional far-off gobble. Laughter and witnessed the same.

Members of our turkey- rocked our blind, but we felt hunting camp spanned gen- certain turkeys couldn’t hear erations, bringing together a us over the howling wind. We virtual cornucopia of outdoor saw one lone hen all mornexperience. Ray Eye, Joe ing.

We picked up Chance and Hollingshad and I, collectively, represented almost two Tim. Their immediate ruse of teasing us old-timers about centuries.

Tim Kjellesvik, Chance using horse liniment for sore Hollingshad and Melissa muscles failed to distract Joe Girdley were far younger, and me from the obvious fact representing a generation, that those boys had not seen which, for the most part, or heard a turkey all morning. does not understand ours and Camp bravado had begun and often makes fun of our lack rivalries arose.

Melissa, Ray and Mark of electronics skills. They do, however, like to hang around had not fared any better. us to listen to our endless However, they had obviously supply of hunting stories and had an enchanting morning as descriptions of places we have Melissa laughed and giggled about the outrageous stories hunted.

Regardless or our age Ray had told all morning. We differences and views of the quickly informed her that we world, we shared a strong didn’t believe Ray’s stories bond and our group melded either. quickly. However, the cracks A BETTER DAY about the old guys huddling in Tuesday dawned bright caves were duly noted. and quiet, a complete 180 Hollingshad’s property had suffered damage from from Monday. Plans were to 11 inches of rain. Roads run and gun, with each team washed, pond banks eroded having designated hunting and creek crossings deepened. areas. Joe and I realized, but Regardless, Joe and Chance never admitted, that Chance had well-laid plans to get us and Tim had a distinct adinto turkey territory. Four- vantage because of youthful wheel-drive pickups and stamina and exuberance.

Joe and I methodically UTV’s filled the bill. climbed to a ridge top to serve COLD AND WET as a listening post. Gobbles Monday morning broke rang out from several direcwith high winds and rain as tions. Deciding which bird to the storm system began to go after involved considering play itself out. A morning chill the easiest approach.

We had scarcely begun added to the less than ideal traveling towards our chosen turkey hunting conditions.

Regardless, camp members bird when we heard a gun divided into teams, extended shot. Chance and Tim had omens of good luck to fellow obviously used their endurhunters and headed to pre-set ance to travel far and fast.

We set up on a hardwood blinds in the fading darkness.

Youngsters Tim Kjellesvik ridge to work the nearest goband Chance Hollingshad bler. Minutes later, several teamed up, while Joe Holling- jakes began gobbling and shad and I paired up. The odd working toward us. Joe concouple, heavily experienced tinued calling to them, until turkey hunter Ray Eye, and a bunch of mature gobblers first-time turkey hunter Me- responded to the jakes. The lissa Girdley, formed the last big birds bellowed from a big team, along with editor and hill, on the next ridge over.

Once again, Joe and I videographer Mark Strand.

Joe and I heard one faint made a move. We slowly but gobble far across a green confidently made our way to field and up the next ridge the next ridge, pausing ocat daybreak. Despite Joe’s casionally to catch our breath sexiest yelps, the bird never and call to the birds. They responded again.

See TURKEY HUNT page 30

Outdoor Guide

March-April 2018

Page 27

…and the Young Hunters Get Their Bird

By TIM KJELLESVIK Turkey camp at Devil’s Backbone Outfitters (DBO) near Dora, MO, took place during a record-breaking flood in the Ozarks. Bridges washed downstream. Homes floated away. Cats married dogs. The guys I shared camp with said they hadn’t seen anything like it since Noah’s flood. I couldn’t tell if they were joking.

At 38 years old, I was the young pup of Ray Eye’s crew and, simultaneously, the envy of all the other guys because I only got up once at night to pee.

Sunday was supposed to be our first day in the rugged hills of the DBO’s 1,700 acres.

Owner Joe Hollingshad had a plan to get us onto the property through the swollen creeks by loading us onto a bulldozer. We opted to wait it out until Monday, although I still secretly hoped for theA-Team entrance.

Early Monday morning, we rolled along in the chill to our blind. Joe’s son Chance and I would hunt together like we did in October. Joe and veteran outdoor writer Bill Cooper paired up, while Ray hunted with Mark Strand and neophyte turkey hunter Melissa Girdley.

Aside from a hen yelping, we heard nothing. Still overcast and cold, we stuck it out until 1 p.m., when Joe and Bill came to pick us up. On the ride back, I attempted to bridge the generation gap by striking up a conversation about butterscotch and liniment.

From a dreary, silent Monday to a bright and gobble-filled Tuesday, the contrast could not have been greater. Chance and I downed our bird before seven.

The chronologically endowed team of Bill and Joe killed two triple-bearded birds early on, making for an action-packed morning.

Most kidding aside, sharing a camp with an older generation is an honor, though not

without notable distinctions from a camp of my peers.

MODERN TECHNOLOGY The guys are tech capable, although sometimes technology frustrates them. These moments are low-hanging fruit for a crack about age, but it’s not advised. Someday, a younger person will have to help me with the state-of-the-art. It’s the natural course of things if you live long enough. I’m glad to be able to assist them with something modern as they teach me from their experience.

POLITICALLY INCORRECT Political correctness is an anchor around the neck of honest discourse. That said, it can be startling, albeit refreshing, to hear a real conversation between grown men. These guys don’t mince words like so many of my generation (X) have been trained to do. They don’t hide behind the threat of being offended, and you never have to guess what they’re thinking.

When the older guys are busting on each other with age-related jokes, I’ve decided not to dive in with them. They are joking with peers; I might come across as disrespectful.

As much as they may poke fun at my youth, I’ll return the volley, but dialed back. It’s a deference they’ve earned for surviving the Pterodactyl attacks of their youth.

STORY TIME Not all tales told by my elders are fit for print, but they are an integral part of the experience. Listening to stories from years ago gives me a better appreciation for the tactics, gear, even wildlife regulations we currently benefit from.

Sure, most of the legends are cautionary, but those also happen to be the most entertaining.

Listen and learn from the

stories. You can’t do that if you’re waiting to insert one of your own tales. It’s not a competition (and chances are your tales will pale in comparison).

Age aside, there are more commonalities with hunters of different generations than distinctions. The love of the hunt, the call of wild places, the timeless humor of bodily functions – these things bind us in the kinship of outdoorsmen.

The outdoor community is one of the few remaining in our society not segregated by age.

After all the pictures and

packing, we broke camp having enjoyed yet another successful hunt in the company of great friends. Though historic and devastating, the flooding wasn’t enough to keep us from killing three big gobblers. It was an experience I’ll never forget.

Years from now in another turkey camp, sitting in the glow of a crackling fire, I’ll tell the story of this hunt to a group of younger outdoorsmen. Just as I get to the climax with the tom in my sights, I’ll get up to use the restroom one more time.

From left to right are Mark Strand of Midwest Outdoors Magazine, Bill Cooper, Ray Eye and Tim Kjellesvik.

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Outdoor Guide

Page 28

March-April 2018

Good Trail Cameras Are Like Christmas Morning

Photo and Text

By RON BICE

Remember when we were kids, and what it was like the night before Christmas – not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse? Wow! What excitement it was to be a kid on Christmas Eve. Well, you can get that feeling every time you check your scouting cameras – or you may end up with a lump of

coal if you buy the wrong one.

The choice is yours.

When I was a kid, after deer season started and the guns roared and the deer all but seemed to disappear, I wondered what it would be like to take out all the trees and the structure, for just a moment, to get a glimpse of where they all were.

Today I don’t have to wonder. The right trail cameras do exactly that.

It’s just like Christmas Morning when I get to the cameras and check out all the magical images collected with little intrusion into their habitat. This has never been possible before. It is the biggest breakthrough in successful hunting to come along since the bow or gun.

And when you look at the images, you may find something you had no idea existed.

That’s one of the beauties of

trail cameras, and I’ve taken over a half a million photos with trail cameras during the past decade.

NOT ALL ARE EQUAL Let’s start at the beginning.

As we all know, there are tons of cameras available today.

But let me share this little fact – they are not all created equal.

I’ve used many and have been very disappointed. All I want

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is a great quality photo and as many of them as I can get while the animal is in range.

It gives me the ability to truly study what is available. Who wouldn’t want that?

What’s affordable when it comes to a camera? Following the marketing efforts of many companies that sell trail cameras, hunters may be looking to spend less than $100.

You can buy several cameras for that price, but they have drawbacks. You get what you pay for, especially when it comes to trail cameras.

Many lower end cameras have slow trigger speeds. In other words, when the animal comes by, some have delays of 7 seconds or more. By the time the camera takes a photo, the animal has moved on.

Then the delay – before they trigger again – is excessive. You may miss the buck of a lifetime if the camera isn’t fast enough. No thanks, if you’re serious about getting a true picture of what’s going on in the area you’re scouting, and I think we all are.

BEST ONES ARE FAST ONES Some are fast and some are advertised as fast. The best ones are truly fast. For example, the best cameras can be programmed to shoot a burst of photos every second or less from the time they are tripped.

They continue to shoot in rapid-fire mode for a series of up to 10 images continuously.

They can be programmed to reset in a second and start all over again. They shoot day or night and have a battery life of one year.

They shoot color HD images and you get a really good look at the animal. You see detail. Is he the same animal you

got on a different camera or is he different? These facts are very important when you’re truly trying to pattern a buck in your hunting territory.

Some cameras shoot short HD videos. It’s kind of cool to see that. Some come with software that you download to your computer. You can track the various deer that you name and keep records of, not only when and where the photo was captured, but even year after year of the same buck, giving you history.

It’s exciting, to say the least. Some have the ability to email a shot as it happens right to your cell phone. This service isn’t cheap, but some hunters find it to be a good value.

A TIME FOR VALUE I believe the top end cameras of today are all you’re going to need. Even though technology is improving, I wouldn’t shy away from them right now. I don’t see the cost for the performers of today coming down any time soon, and the added benefits won’t add up to what the costs might be. I think they have arrived at a threshold that will hold for some time.

I’ve made the leap from low end to high end and I assure you, the investment has been worth it. If you want cameras that actually do what you expect them to do, the good ones are not cheap.

I’ve found you get what you pay for – especially with trail cameras.

The knowledge you gain is unbelievable. The chance for success has never been better. In my opinion, the right trail cameras have Christmas Morning written all over them. Oh what a feeling!

Outdoor Guide

March-April 2018

Page 29

Jeannie’s Journey

There’s Some Logic to Hunting

Photos and Text

By JEANNIE FARMER Hunting experiences, I’m convinced, can be powerful teachers and serve greatly in the promotion of logic and the fundamental principles of life.

These ideas became embedded in my mind after sharing in a number of adventures including scouting and hunting for deer and turkeys in the beautiful Mark Twain National Forest, waterfowl at Stockton Lake, Truman Lake or Four Rivers, and memorable turkey hunts in three Kansas locales.

I have yet to harvest that longed-for first turkey or deer but have developed a keen desire to keep trying. My experiences, I believe, have made me a better hunter, and hopefully, a better person. They run the gamut of having a good, short-range opportunity to take a tom when hunting in some prime Missouri public land to when a pair of jakes ventured near when hunting from a well-built blind on a private farm. Yes, I missed on both occasions.

Rain and wading through a soaked-soil field in pitch darkness that presented mud to the ankles of my boots prevailed on one Kansas hunt, and cold rain and wind brought chills and shakes to hunting tent and bodies, without sight of turkeys, on another. My love for the hunt, the opportunity and the camaraderie each presents, only serves to whet my appetite for success.

Nor have I been on a successful deer hunt, but I have long vowed to keep trying. I have a new rifle to use, a new muzzleloader presented by a friend, and a fine pistol that I often carry.

This reveals that I am also the proud owner of a concealed carry license, a privilege that I advise for all women who love and frequent the great outdoors. And for all law-abiding men as well.

They run parallel to the 2nd

The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution are popular with hunters.

Amendment of our Constitution, which states: “A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.”

THE LOVE STORY To me, the Constitution is a love story, and the right to keep and bear arms is the most important of the amendments, styled by the forefathers to protect the rest.

It teaches us that as winter melts into spring, a magical awakening begins to evolve.

The warmth of the sun becomes more evident. Flowers blossom, meadows glisten with dew, and animals stir from hibernation.

This delicate season also applies to humanity, giving us freedom to enjoy the natural world. This picturesque time of the year beckons to outdoor enthusiasts. Hikers and backpackers head to the trails. Anglers and canoeists are drawn to lakes and rivers.

RVers and campers gather tents and paraphernalia, then journey to their favorite campsites.

It’s a prime time for hunters as well. They must use their analytical minds when preparing for the hunt. For spring success, logic and problem-solving skills will outsmart the wily tom turkey.

Specific rules and regulations and approved types of weapons vary from state to state.

All hunters should treat the outdoors with respect and follow ethical hunting practices. In most states, permission must be obtained from the landowner to hunt private property. Scouting the planned hunting area is advised to determine where boundaries, houses, roads, fences and livestock are located.

JEANNIE’S RULES Other important things to remember: • Every effort should be made to find a wounded animal.

• Proper cleaning and care for game is a necessity.

• Pick up all litter, including spent ammunition. Leaving an area better than found is a sign of thanks for the privilege of hunting.

• Report observed violations of the law to a conservation agent or local sheriff as soon as possible.

• Develop safe and sound skills and knowledge, and share them with others.

• Know and obey all wildlife laws.

• Know and follow the rules of gun safety.

• Respect the rights of hunters, non-hunters and landowners.

• Make every effort to retrieve and use all game.

• Respect the land and all wildlife.

• Be sensitive to others when displaying harvested game.

• Remember, hunting is not a competitive sport.

To accomplish the mission of a beneficial hunt, it’s important to follow the rules and moral principles related to the natural world.

A pair of big longbeards prance past the photographer’s blind in a Missouri woodland.

Outdoor Guide

Page 30

March-April 2018

Advice for Spring Fishing

By LARRY DABLEMONT For all you Master Naturalists out there, here is an easy question you ought to know. What living creature walks backward almost all the time, never looking where he (or she) is going? Answer at end of this column.

I caught three averagesized white bass in quick order one day. I looked at old Bolt, my Labrador, sleeping in the floor of the

boat behind me. “Boy, I’m gonna have a good story about fishing this week,” I told him, thinking that in short order I would catch a tubful.

Bolt looked up at me and yawned, and I could see in his face what he was thinking – “Don’t count your fish before they are hatched.”

Bolt doesn’t say much, but when he does he is generally right, except he gets a lot of those old sayings mixed up. And as he lay back down and began

to dream of mallards sailing over decoys on a north wind, I made another three or four hundred casts and didn’t hook a thing.

LYIN’ DOG I have to say that Bolt is not the most honest Labrador I have ever owned. I put my game camera up by one of my corn feeders. Got some good pictures of squirrels, raccoons, birds and deer. Then l was surprised to see Bolt there, with his head in that feeder.

I never had a dog who ate raw, hard corn, but Bolt loves it, and he will not admit helping to drain that feeder. He denies he even knows where the feeder is!

I think he is a good example of that old saying, “Lying like a dog.”

CHECK YOUR GEAR There’s one thing you should do right now if you anticipate fishing a little this spring and summer – check out all your equipment.

First, replace your line. Any

kind of line weakens as it ages, and sometimes nicks develop in the last 10 or 12 feet. A weakened place in the line cost me a $10 lure last fall. I should point out that most of the time I do not buy lures because years ago, I built up a supply by going to swap meets and getting others in the mail from lure makers who hoped I would write about their product.

But a friend in Arkansas told me of finding a topwater lure that was like nothing he had ever seen for bass. I couldn’t find it at the local Wal-Mart, so I went into a Cabela’s up in Minnesota on the way to Canada and found some for $10. I bought two. Thanks to a hefty smallmouth in a strong current and a weak place in 10-pound line, I now only have one.

I learned long ago from Uncle Norten that on every fishing trip, I should remove about 10 or 12 feet of line and therefore eliminate any of the damage a previous trip may have caused. But like the nit-wit I have developed into since I was about 12, I just failed to do so that day in October and I lost my lure and a very large smallmouth after landing several very small largemouths.

Replace your line and check the eyes on your rods. Any little knick or dent in the ceramic rings on your rod will cause you to have damaged line as it rubs against it. You might clean film off favorite lures with a toothbrush and check hooks. Once a friend of mine fished a spinner-bait for hours before finding that the hook tip was broken off.

And heed this advice … use a little Sea-Foam gas additive or something like it in your outboard. It reduces the bad effects of today’s gasoline.

And keep batteries charged. Hook up your trolling motor batteries to a charger every time you come in from a trip. They tell me that batteries weakened from hours of use go bad much earlier than if they are recharged quickly.

GOING BACKWARDS The only creature I know that spends more time going backwards than forwards is the crawdad, or crayfish if you lack an Ozark river-rat raising. Crawdads only go forward, it seems to me, when they come out from beneath a rock they have hidden beneath. And they have several legs but no feet whatsoever.

That is a good thing because they way they live, if they did have feet they would get them hung up in crevices a lot! It is much easier to pull your legs out of the mud if there are no feet on the end of them. God knew what he was doing when he made crawdads, except for that little problem of the eyes being on the wrong end!

If you would like a copy of the spring Lightnin’ Ridge outdoor magazine, or if you want a table at our March 25 swap meet or to join me at our next weekend workday at Panther Creek youth retreat, call (417) 777- 5227 or write to Box 22, Bolivar, Mo. 65613. Email is lightninridge@windstream.net.

• Turkey Hunt answered every call.

We closed to within 150 yards of the gobbling toms and set up. The birds closed in quickly. Within ten minutes, I could see five gobblers strutting towards our location. I readied my Mossberg 12-gauge in anticipation of the shot.

A magnificent gobbler stepped into the open. It went down at the roar of my shotgun. Joe managed to take a bird, too. Both sported triple beards.

THE KIDS ARE OK When all parties met up, Joe and I listened to Chance and Tim’s braggadocio about taking a bird so early. At that point, Joe and I broke out our pair of triple-bearded gobblers and explained the value of patience. We did not hear another word about horse liniment.

Joe and I did, however, hear from the boys that they felt we had cut them off from the

from page 26

five gobbling toms. We made it clear that boundaries were vague and that we had, in fact, not cut them off but had used our superior woodsmanship skills and exercised a strategic maneuver.

Our stance indicated our views on political correctness. Our generation tends to be a bit forward, saying exactly what we think. From there, we faded into telling old turkey hunting stories again, while the youngsters tapped away on iPhones, sending texts and photos to their friends.

Joe and I grinned at one another, fully realizing that those kids were OK. Perhaps they would too, over time, compile a library of turkey hunting tales. I realized, as I rolled the pink bird point in my hand, that gathering young and old in hunting camps has spanned the ages and now our two generations of old geezers and computer nerds.

March-April 2018

Outdoor Guide

Page 31

Camping Gear & Gadgets Tank Heater Protects in Freezing Weather When you’re out in your RV, the last thing you need is a frozen-up water tank on a cold night. So JR Products has an answer – the Holding Tank Heater.

The handy product can be used in fresh water or septic tanks and is thermostatically controlled to switch on at 34 degrees Fahrenheit. The heater is 30 inches long, 13 inches wide and runs at 1 amp AC or 10 amps DC with a 12/110 voltage rating and has a limited lifetime warranty.

The JR Products Holding Tank Heater lists for $174 at 3R RV, 7819 Hwy. 47 in Union, MO, or call (636) 583-2244.

Spice Clips Keep Little Bottles in Line It’s tough enough to keep spices organized at home, but in an RV kitchen they can be sheer madness. The solution is Spice Clips, which attach to cabinet doors or any smooth surface.

Spice Clips come in packages of three, and each clip holds four spice bottles. They keep spices neat and tidy and don’t take up valuable counter or cabinet space. They also work great with prescription bottles.

Spice Clips packages are available at numerous retailers online for anywhere from $6 to $10.

Special Shit Seasonings Get Noticed The Special Shit family of seasonings gives that extra flair to camp cooking – great on meats, in sauces or as part of a favorite dish.

The barbecue sauce is especially good – not too thick or sweet. And for snacking, Hot Shit salsa or Dip Shit dip mixes are just the thing.

First-time customers try it because of the funny label, but they soon find out it comes with delicious taste and makes a perfect gift.

Special Shit products can be found at Pin Oak Creek RV Park on Highway AG in Villa Ridge, MO, (636) 451-5656 or go online to specialshit.com.

RV Drain System Protects Hoses

Drip Clips Keep Black Streaks off RVs

Lippert’s Waste Master Flow Down RV drain support system keeps your drain hose off of the ground and adjusts to nearly any slope, preventing sewage from getting trapped in the hose.

This premium system eliminates odor by preventing waste buildup and protects hoses.

Smooth, 30” half pipe support sections are included, plus two pipe connectors that can be set to defeat obstacles.

Waste Master Flow Down drain support is available from online suppliers for $70-$75.

Don’t want those ugly black streaks to form where your rig drains? Try Drip Clip gutter extenders, which channel water out and away from the sides of your RV to keep black streaks from forming.

The universal-sized clips snap onto the gutter spout and stay in place even at highway speeds.

No tools are required.

Portable Heater Just Right for Cool Nights It’s time for camping, but it can still get cold, so bring along the small but mighty Broan 6201 Big Heat portable ceramic space heater to warm those cool early spring nights without turning on the furnace.

The Broan runs at 1,500 or 1,200 watts, warms up fast and has an automatic shut-off if it is tipped over. It has an adjustable thermostat with two levels and rugged, steel construction. It’s handy in the garage, workshop, boat or RV. The Broan 6201 is available for $74.95 at 3R RV, 7819 Highway 47 South in Union, MO, or call (636) 583-2244. Ten percent off for military, fire and police, past or present.

Drip Clips are made by Jet3 Products and available at several websites with prices starting at about $8.

Bumper Arm Grill Table Goes Anywhere

Detachable Clothesline Fits on Bumpers

Some places are beautiful but just don’t have anywhere to put the grill when it’s time to fix dinner, so Fleming Sales offers the Bumper Arm Grill Table, which attaches to an RV bumper and holds up to a 17-inch grill.

The table has a lightweight, high-strength steel frame and an aluminum tabletop, and it’s quick and easy to set up for picnics, camping, sports events and backyards, too.

Bumper Arm Grill Table is available online starting at about $58. It must be used with the Bumper Grill Arm Assembly, about $150.

Sometimes you’ve just got to hang up some clothes, or some sheets, or something else that needs to dry, and the last thing you’re going to find is a handy clothesline.

That is, unless you have the Detachable RV Clothesline. The clothesline attaches quickly and easily to all 4” and 41/2” RV bumpers with no drilling and holds several items at once on 33 feet of rope. It disassembles in seconds.

Detachable RV Clothesline lists for $29.82 and has been available online for $23 from RV Parts Country.

Outdoor Guide

Page 32

March-April 2018

Rural Ramblings

Spring, from Frogs to Flowers to Farmers

By RUSSELL HIVELY

Warm breezes, cool rains, frogs croaking, birds singing, swallows returning, red-winged blackbirds gathering along the sides of wetlands, flowers and pussy willows bursting open, farmers working their fields, and the fresh earth smelling lovely – all are descriptions of spring. *** Some people claim that spring is the time of the year when the outdoors comes inside in the form of mud. *** Lewis Grizzard, a famous Atlanta author, once wrote, “Springtime is the land awakening. The March winds are the

morning yawn.” *** Time flies. Do you realize that the first firearms season for wild turkey in Missouri was in 1978? *** Kids sometimes have problems with directions. One mother noticed her son opening a box of animal crackers and pouring them out on the kitchen table. When she asked him what he was doing, he replied: “The box says not to eat them if the seal is broken. So I’m looking for the seal.” *** Being observant is a key to enjoying the outdoors. Even in town, a person may be fortunate enough to catch the tornadic

swarm of chimney swifts descending into a smokestack of a local school or factory. Some birds seem to drop and just tumble down into the structure as the sun disappears in the west. *** Another spring sight not seen by everyone is that of two redtailed hawks twisting, sailing, turning and sailing high and low in a courtship sky dance. *** Sometimes we do not realize exactly how many recreational boats are around. More than 63,000 personal boats were destroyed, damaged or lost at sea in Florida and Texas during the hurricanes in the summer of 2017. ***

A wise man said, “Fishing is a time investment. It pulls in more than supper. When you go home, you leave something behind – frustration.” *** Have you ever noticed that windmills raising their towers above the rest of a homestead are reminiscent of sunflowers standing above other flowers in a flower bed? *** Did you realize that you are a fishing fanatic when you have a hard time getting out of bed to go to work but you have no problem waking up at 4:30 a.m. on weekends to go fishing?

Another sign of a fishing fanatic is someone who has only Bass Pro caps and Stren t-shirts.

*** Sometimes it is how you see it. A farmer was asked how his cows were doing during a severe drought. He said, “They are knee deep in grass, but the grass was pulled from the hay feeder.” *** Conservationists are concerned with many creatures.

One Missouri creature under scrutiny is the Neosho Madtom, a small fish that lives in Spring River in southwest Missouri. *** According to the Missouri Department of Conservation, in 2017 fishermen and wildlife watchers are increasing in numbers. Sadly, hunter numbers are on the decline.

toward the loader.

My right hand was on the grip with my open left hand extended to accept the fore end of the Number 2 gun.

Then it was mount and shoot again.

Since the shooting butts were in a straight line, it was permissible to turn and shoot out the back – as the birds passed by.

The ultimate execution, for the most experienced grouse shooters, is to fire on the birds

just as they’re coming into range, switch guns and fire twice more in front of the butt, turn 180 degrees while switching guns again and fire twice more out the back. Six shots, six grouse. They tell me it’s been done!

TRADITION IN THE UK Driven grouse shooting isn’t something we get to do in the United States, but in the United Kingdom there’s a long tradition, going way

back into the 19th century, or perhaps even before.

It’s considered to be the premier wing shooting experience, because the grouse fly so fast and so low to the ground. At first glance, it seems relatively straightforward. Ten shooters stand in a line of shooting butts, about 50 yards apart, and fire their side-by-sides or over/unders at the grouse as they fly by.

But it’s far more complicated than that. For there to

be a shoot in the first place, there must be grouse, and that isn’t a given. The English red grouse cannot be pen raised, so the game managers concentrate on managing the habitat and the predators, with their fingers crossed – hoping for good spring nesting weather.

BUILDING HABITAT Burning small patches of the older woody groundcover (heather) every spring is one of the principle habitat man-

*** Because wheat, rice, and corn were the first grains used as feed for domesticated animals, does that mean these are the founding fodders? *** Spring is the time of rebirth. Hopefully each of you will be able to get outdoors to view the many happenings of both plants and animals.

Take a walk, dig out the binoculars or an old fishing pole. Lay in the new grass and look up at the clouds floating in a clear blue sky.

Enjoy the soft, warm breezes on your cheek. Anyway, that’s the advice from Rural Ramblings.

Larry’s Short Stories: Hunting Grouse Takes Special Techniques

By LARRY POTTERFIELD

The grouse came in low and fast (in small groups), slicing through the line from the left and the right, with a few coming straight on.

In three days of shooting, I never had a high overhead shot. Switching guns was easier than I’d imagined. Keeping my eye on the birds, I turned slightly right and pushed the Number 1 gun (still closed)

agement practices.

These are driven birds, and there is quite an art to ensure a good drive. The drivers and flankers advance or hold (as directed), to keep the birds flying toward the guns and spread over the line as evenly as possible – providing everyone a fair amount of shooting.

What an unbelievable experience. When can I go back?

Larry Potterfield is the founder and CEA of Midway USA.

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Outdoor Guide

March-April 2018

Page 33

Finding Crappie in Three Big Lakes

By TIM HUFFMAN Missouri is loaded with ponds, lakes and rivers but the big three for crappie fishermen are Lake of the Ozarks, Truman and Mark Twain. The following are a few tips from these lakes that can be applied to any waters in our region.

LAKE OF THE OZARKS Boating traffic on Ozark can be terrible, so picking the right times and places is important. However, good crappie fishing is available all the cold months and for most of the spring.

Charles Bunting’s home water is Ozark. He holds many crappie titles including the American Crappie Trail National Championship he won in October. He says Lake of the Ozarks crappie are between Truman’s and Mark Twain’s crappie in size – a 2-pounder is really rare, with 1.25 being more realistic to expect. Most will fall between .75 and 1 pound.

“Ozarks is outstanding in the spring,” Bunting said.

“Two things I target are docks and chunk rock. Docks absorb heat, so the water will warm up around the floatation. Fish may be at two feet over 20 feet of water. Shooting is the best way to fish a dock. The bowand-arrow style technique allows a jig to be aimed and shot into places you can’t get to any other way.

“Big chunk rock in three to five feet of water will absorb heat and hold numbers of fish.

I love this fishing, because you can flip or cast with a cork and have a blast. You can fish with or without a cork, but the cork slows a fisherman down and forces concentration. Any bite immediately transfers to the cork, allowing an immediate hook set. I use a 6-foot B’n’M Pole, 1/32-ounce head with a 2.5-inch Muddy Water plastic body or small 1.5-inch Southern Pro tube.”

MARK TWAIN Bunting says about Mark Twain, “The numbers have always been good, but the size of crappie are the smallest of the three lakes. It varies, but catching several fish in the 1-pound range is a good day, with a bigger fish possible along with many small ones.

“I usually fish the lake in late summer and there are a lot of fish below the bridges and along bluffs in the 10- to 20-foot range. Find some brush and you’ll likely catch crappie.”

TRUMAN Truman has three creeks, many miles of shoreline and thousands of trees. Bunting recommends calling a bait shop, marina or checking

OUR NEW HOME IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION and will be open Spring 2018.

Check out website for updates.

Charles and Travis Bunting display trophies after winning the prestigious ACT Classic Championship. – Ron Wong photos

reports on-line because fish move up and down the lake depending upon the conditions and season. Each arm can be hot or cold. You need a good starting spot.

“If you’re looking for a big Missouri crappie, Truman gives a good chance. A 1.75 or 2-plus pounder is possible, but more likely your better fish will average around 1.25.”

The lake allows a fisherman to slow troll, single pole or pull. In the spring, the spawn will start in April in the upper ends of the creek. It will continue down the lake to the end of May in the cuts near the dam.

“One of the most fun ways to fish in the spring is corking in the Tebo arm,” Bunting said. “It can produce large numbers of crappie and the technique is easy and fun. Just pitch or cast a light jig with a plastic body and scent attractant to shallow water, usually one to three feet deep.”

MISSOURIANS LEARN IT ALL

Missouri fisherman on the American Crappie Trial and Crappie Masters have been doing great against fishermen from all over the country. Missouri fishermen won both 2017 Classics, and a Missouri team won a National Points championship. Why the domination?

Bunting says, “I think the variety of techniques required on Missouri lakes is a big factor. For example, southern fishermen usually slow troll or pull. Fishing a few lakes in Missouri means a fisherman not only slow trolls and pulls, but shoots docks and uses vertical jig, pitch and crankbait. Lakes change with high water, low water, a strong front, water temperatures and heavy fishing pressure. I believe the experiences offered on our state lakes makes a fisherman more versatile.”

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Charles Bunting jigs a rainy-day crappie from Truman Lake’s wood cover.

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Outdoor Guide

Page 34

March-April 2018

Allbright’s Lure Is Still Special

Photo and Text

By BILL SEIBEL

As late winter and early springtime spreads that ageold feeling of “it’s time and I’m ready” across the Ozarks, first walleye fans and then bass anglers reach for their casting tackle and everpopular jerk baits.

Jerk baits, these days, are those minnow-imitating divers that started nearly 60 years ago with the original Rapala and now include half a catalog of lures that dive from just under the surface to depths in the teens. Some are silent, others rattle and some clunk.

Almost all of them catch fish, especially at this time of year.

But jerk bait casters might be missing some opportunities if that is the only lure they are offering the fish at this time of year. The other is a simple little bait popularized on Bull Shoals Lake some years ago by my late KMOX Radio Outdoor Show partner and Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame legendary guide Tony Allbright. In fact, on the big Bull, some guides and many anglers dubbed it “the Allbright Special.”

This lure, fished on spinning tackle, is a simple 1/8th-

These ‘Allbright Special’ lures still do the job.

or 1/4th-ounce bucktail jig dressed with the curly-tailed back half of an original sixinch Mr. Twister worm. Tony

would cut the worm with just enough fat left on it to allow it to be threaded on the jig’s hook. He made sure the straight edge of the curly tail was pointed up, the same as the hook.

Allbright and most others fished this lure on a light-action spinning outfit with six-pound-test mono or fluorocarbon line, varying the lure weight to the depth he wanted to fish.

LIKE A SWIM JIG? Many will argue this bait simply was the forerunner to the modern swim jigs so popular today. Yes and no. The

modern jigs all use silicone type jigs which have a distinct action. They work well at times, but the bucktail dressing on the “Allbright Special” has a tighter, more subtle action.

And the bucktail allows the jig to fall more slowly.

The late, legendary guide had a strong opinion about lure colors. “You should fish the color you have confidence in,” he would always say.

So the “Allbright Special” could be any color you wanted it to be, he’d say – as long as it was white.

Others do vary colors. My “Allbright Special” box has mostly white jigs and Mr.

Twisters, but there also are black, brown and green jigs as well as black, brown and chartreuse Mr. Twisters in it.

The big secret is to vary the depth by counting the lure down and then reeling it slowly and steadily. Allbright always stressed, “Watch your line. Watch the angle of it in the water to make sure your lure is staying at the depth you want.

And if it stops or moves to the side, set the hook even if you don’t feel anything.”

So if that pet jerk bait isn’t producing this spring, grab a spinning outfit and give the old “Allbright Special” a try. You might get your arms jerked.

Bass Hall of Fame Gains Members, Permanent Home Photo and Text

By BRAD WIEGMANN

Inductee Shaw Grigsby (left) is presented with the honorary blue jacket.

The Bass Fishing Hall of Fame inducted five members in a ceremony this fall at its new, permanent home at the Wonders of Wildlife Museum & Aquarium in Springfield, MO. Donald Howell, president of the Hall of Fame board, said finding a permanent home has been a goal since it was founded in 2003.

The Bass Fishing Hall of Fame is a nonprofit organization led by a 16-member board, dedicated to anglers,

manufacturers, tackle and marine dealers, media and other companies that further the sport of bass fishing.

Inside the Hall, more than 60 plaques of inductees line the wall, including legends such as Bill Dance, Jimmy Houston, Rowland Martin, Ray Scott, President George H.W. Bush and Johnny Morris.

The inductees, joining 62 previous members, were as follows: • Wade Bourne, of Clarksville, TN, was a senior writer for Bassmaster for over 40 years, hosted In-Fisherman

radio shows, wrote six books and more than 3,000 articles and received many awards including induction into the Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame. He died in 2016.

• Shaw Grigsby has won nine Bassmaster tournaments since become a pro angler in 1984. He has 60 top-10 finishes and has won more than $2 million. He has also hosted One More Cast with Shaw Grigsby on the Sportsman Channel for more than 20 years.

• Bob Sealy brought a Bassmaster tournament to Sam

Rayburn Lake in east Texas and then created the Big Bass Splash, the world’s largest amateur bass tournament. His tournaments have paid out $30 million and raised $2.3 million for Ronald McDonald House Charities and the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

• Morris Sheehan retired from the Army and then transformed the Military Bass Anglers Association into American Bass Anglers, which now holds more than 1,000 tournaments each year, helping beginners gain

experience for higher-level competitions.

• Louie Stout, a writer for daily newspapers, began contributing to Bassmaster in the 1980s and has been a full-time bass fishing writer since 1987, including three books with bass angler Kevin VanDam. Stout is in the Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame, has the website MichianaOutdoorNews.com and still writes for Bassmaster and the South Bend Tribune.

For more information, go online to BassFishingHOF. com or find it on Facebook.

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Outdoor Guide

March-April 2018

Page 35

Boater’s Pre-Launch Countdown

By GERALD J. SCOTT

Amber and I were trailering our boat down Ontario Highway 105 en route to the lake we intended to fish that morning when we came upon the start of a debris trail which, at that point, was primarily made up of tire fragments and small pieces of metal.

We were, as the saying goes, clipping right along, and by the time I’d figured out what we were seeing, the debris field had grown to include various items of personal property and larger pieces of metal, and we’d passed two separate – but, thankfully, very small – grass fires, burning just beyond the roadside ditch.

Before I could find a place to pull off the road, we went around a sharp curve and saw what had once been a large aluminum boat smashed literally flat against a sheer granite road cut. Its tow vehicle – a Suburban or something similar – was in the ditch but upright. A vehicle with Ontario plates was already parked at the scene, so we went on.

My mind still replays a very vivid image of that scene every time I pass a temporarily abandoned boat trailer parked beside the highway

between Sedalia and Warsaw. I always wonder if the trailer’s owner realizes how lucky he is that he’s only facing a major inconvenience.

Sadly, almost all trailering mishaps are easily preventable. My grandfather used to say that grease and lubricating oil were the most effective tools he owned, and he applied both early and often.

His mechanical down time was minimal despite the fact that most of his farm machinery was old enough to vote and a few field implements could have retired on Social Security, so his assertion is hard to dispute.

I’m happy to present myself as evidence that my grandfather’s grease and oil regimen is equally applicable to boat trailers. I’ve only had one trailer bearing failure in who knows how many hundred thousand miles, and that failure was not catastrophic – I was able to continue on to a town with a repair shop.

WHEEL BEARINGS Please excuse me for talking down to those of you who already know this, but trailer wheels have bearings and – as I hope I’ve already demonstrated – bearings have to be kept properly greased. Given that they’re used according to direc-

tion, zerk-equipped Bearing Buddies or similar products make greasing wheel bearings easy, but bearings need to be greased several times a season whether doing so is easy or not.

Truly wise trailer owners take time to examine wheel bearings prior to the first trip of the season. This requires removing the wheel hub from the axle. Don’t be intimidated. It’s a simple job that doesn’t require any specialized tools. Any – and I do mean any – sign of wear or corrosion is a signal to replace the bearings and races or, better yet, the entire hub assembly.

TRAILER LIGHTS Now’s also the time to check out your trailer’s lights.

Don’t be surprised if some or all of the circuits don’t work.

Electricity-devouring gremlins roam North America in packs during the winter months. Usually, all that’s required to get everything working is polishing connections and replacing any burntout bulbs. If this doesn’t do the trick, buy a multi-tester from an auto parts store. The instruction manual will tell you how to locate several types of deficiencies in your trailer’s electrical system, and you’ll find plenty of other

There’s no use in having great gear if you can’t get it there.

uses for it.

Crawl under the trailer and inspect the bunks. Each roller should make firm contact with the hull but should not lift it high enough to significantly reduce the load on other hull support points.

Rollers should also roll. Make a note to check them the first time the boat is in the water.

Give them a shot of grease or heavy oil if needed. Replace them if necessary.

TOPE THOSE BUNKS Inspecting bunks while the

boat is on the trailer isn’t a total waist of time, but be sure to thoroughly go over both load bearing and non-load bearing bunks the first time the boat is in the water. Check for any sign of uneven wear, rot, loose bolts, etc. Make a list of everything you’ll need to make repairs the next time you have access to the bunks.

While you’re at it, consider toping your bunks with E-Z Slide Trailer Pads. I use them because I can load my boat with only a minimal amount of submerged bunk. This not

– LSK Lebanon photo.

only lets me stop farther up the ramp, thus keeping my feet dry, but also makes loading in strong cross winds or currents much easier.

Everything I’ve recommended in this column can be done in a few hours, depending on how much time you spend daydreaming about all the fish you’re going to catch.

Even if you do daydream, I guarantee it will take less time to get your equipment ready at home than it will to walk back to town for a new wheel hub.

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Outdoor Guide

Page 36

March-April 2018

North Fork Is a Great Trout Stream

Photo and Text

By BRANDON BUTLER

The North Fork of the White River is Missouri’s answer to western trout fishing, Spencer Turner once said that to me.

Spence, as his friends called him, was the state trout biologist for the Department of Conservation. He was more than that though. Spence was a living legend of genius disaster, an enormous success mired by momentary lapses of dysfunction and hilarity.

Spence built it, and we have come. He is now remembered as the Godfather of Missouri’s wild trout, and no place in the state showcases his successes better than the North Fork.

Missourians have come to know the North Fork as our trout river. Sure, other Missouri rivers have trout. The Current, Eleven Point, Niangua and Meramec are exceptional trout fisheries, but the North Fork is special. She’s a cover model.

The majesty of Missouri’s natural resources never ceases to amaze me. Each time I feel I have found the most beautiful place in the state, I round another bend in the road, hit another stretch of river or stand upon another towering vista, and declare to have, this time, truly found the pinnacle of Missouri’s bliss. Yet I know, soon, another mesmerizing sight will

eclipse all others.

The North Fork of the White River is a gem. Tucked away deep in the Missouri Ozark Mountains, surrounded by lands where the bear population is restoring itself, this fastflowing trout river offers the perfect, get-away-from-it-all, back-country fishing destination. The North Fork is ideal for a family fishing adventures, or for a few buddies looking for an escape.

THE BLUE, THE RED The North Fork flows for 67 miles across Douglas and Ozark counties before emptying into Northfork Reservoir near Tecumseh. It is heavily spring fed and has long stretches of riffles and even some class II whitewater. Smallmouth bass, goggle-eye and sunfish can be caught throughout the river. The lower 12 miles of the North Fork are trophy trout sections.

The North Fork’s Blue Ribbon Trout Area extends from Rainbow Spring to Patrick BridgeAccess. There are a good number of rainbow trout in this stretch, with many falling in the 10-14 inch range.

The Red Ribbon Trout Area extends from Patrick Bridge to Norfork Lake. This is where anglers can expect to encounter the river’s famed bruiser browns. Fish over 20 inches are a real trophy, so I hope if

FISHING

An angler hauls in a catch on a cool day on the North Fork of the White River.

you are fortunate enough to land one, you’ll capture the moment with a photograph and then quickly release the fish so another angler may know your same excitement.

Since the North Fork is so far south, and located a great distance from any large population base, it remains rather less crowded than some of the more northern float rivers in Missouri. Don’t mistake less crowded for not crowded.

The North Fork does have its floaters, but it’s not the Huzzah.

Access to the river is fairly limited, as it flows through a remote region. The Department

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of Conservation maintains accesses at Hebron, Blair Bridge and Patrick Bridge. Sunburst Ranch, Twin Bridges and River of Life Farm also operate private access points.

ALL-STAR CAST One day, while wade fishing at Blair Bridge and filming a portion of the documentary Spencer Turner: A Life Well Cast, an interesting crew of Missouri conservationists wiped up the trout in a clutch situation.

Famed writer Jim Low, modern-day mountain man Ron Kruger, Trout Unlimited

President John Wenzlick and Rehan Nana from the Conservation Federation of Missouri joined me and two film-makers on the river to capture the bounty of what Spence started for all to see. And luckily, we weren’t disappointed.

The fishing was incredible – all fly fishing, many big browns caught. I spent four years fishing my way around Montana. I lived in Billings, but traveled for work. Name a river out there and I’ve fished it, along with some of its tributaries. I’ll put the North Fork in the category of some of the greats running though your mind right

now. Yes, it compares to the Madison, the Boulder and the Stillwater.

The folks who fish the North Fork have to want it. Shuttles, guides and good dinners are not around every bend. You’d better bring your own wine, and you’re not getting a pizza unless it comes from a gas station freezer.

A trip to the North Fork is an adventure. That’s want you want, right? You want to try something new, to experience a place that leaves you shaking your head, thinking, “I can’t believe how amazing this river is…”

Outdoor Guide

March-April 2018

Page 37

Niagara: More than Just Honeymoons Photos and Text

By CURT HICKEN

The Niagara River’s famous Devil’s Hole is no place for the faint-of-heart angler, particularly during ice out.

Swirling waters released by two major dams located almost directly across the river create an appearance of rapids that equal the famous Colorado River. Large chunks of trees and stumps flow down the Niagara from the melting ice.

Though known for producing quality year-round fishing action, this famous river is best known as a honeymoon destination. Anglers familiar

with the area’s fishing opportunities know better.

The original plan for our group this day was to either fish Lake Ontario for salmon or try for walleye and smallmouth bass on Lake Erie.

Unfortunately, the Lake Erie harbors were still choked with large chunks of ice, making a trip there unthinkable.

The Lake Ontario option was also scratched as high winds pounded the area, making the water simply too rough to attempt fishing.

SEEKING HUGE FISH With all these issues, the Niagara River was our only option. So licensed New York

ION Camera Vice President David Miller displays a hefty lake trout caught from Lake Ontario.

fishing guide Jim Draper of Draper Sportfishing pointed the bow of his boat towards the Devil’s Hole as he motored his way from the Lewiston boat ramp.

Joining Draper on this windy outing was Gerry Benedicto, general manager for Seaguar, one of the nation’s top producers of quality fishing line and creator of the very popular fluorocarbon fishing line. It was the anglers’ intention to thoroughly test this company’s fluorocarbon product by catching some huge fish.

Fluorocarbon fishing lines are now extremely popular among local anglers. This relatively new product boasts a greater abrasion resistance when compared to regular monofilament fishing lines. In addition, fluorocarbon fishing lines become nearly invisible when under water.

Also on board was Chicago area outdoor communicator and television fisherman Don Dziedzina. His plans were to capture the angling efforts on film for a future broadcast.

The relatively short boat ride took less than 10 minutes After a bit of quick preparation, the anglers were soon fishing.

DRIFTING BAITS The plan was to drift baits along the rock-strewn shore-

line in hopes of tangling with a steelhead or two. Recent reports showed that steelheads were beginning to show up on this portion of the river.

The anglers began by using rods equipped with a three-way swivel with a 1 1/2-ounce weight tied to one side. Attached to the other side of the swivel was an 8-poundtest fluorocarbon leader and a Kwikfish lure.

The drift was no more than 200 yards in length. After each drift, Draper would start up the engine and head back to our beginning location. After six or so drifts, it became apparent that the Kwikfish lures were not our ticket to success.

This is when Draper opened the baitwell, revealing an assortment of live emerald and spot-tail shiners. It’s a wellknown fact among anglers that live baits will often produce when artificial lures fail.

This is when the action began! The very next pass produced a hefty steelhead that gobbled a spot-tail shiner.

This fish tipped the scales at about seven pounds. A nearly identical fish fell for another spot-tail shiner during the second pass.

The next pass produced a strike that escaped after a brief tussle. And, the very next and final pass produced a plump, 12-pound lake trout.

Seaguar General Manager Gerry Benedicto admires a nice steelhead caught at Devil’s Hole in the Niagara River.

The nearly constant action kept Dziedzina busy with his camera. It appeared that he had an entire show within a half-hour.

“That’s the way things seem to go on this river,” Draper said during the ride back to the ramp. “These fish will typically cooperate if we can discover the right combination of presentation and baits.”

In addition to steelhead and lake trout, the Niagara River offers excellent angling action for huge smallmouth bass,

walleye and more.

DAY ON THE LAKE As even better news, the weather became much more cooperative on Day Two. The huge waves that covered Lake Ontario the previous day fell nearly flat, giving the sprawling water a mirror-like appearance.

The plan was to meet up that morning with Charter Captain Danny Evans and his mate Tyler “Taz” Morrison at nearby Wilson Marina. From See NIAGARA page 38

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Outdoor Guide

Page 38

• Wisdom

from page 2

show almost 30 years ago.

Papa Thayne is always eager to share what he has learned about life.

Lessons in life were a part of everyday living when I was a youngster, and I think I learned them well. The youngest of nine children (now the only survivor), I had loving but stern parents and seven brothers to lead and guide me through most of my years. They taught me respect and obedience of parents, family, friends and elders.

Others helped set the stage for my chosen career as a journalist. It started with a firstgrade teacher (no kindergarten in those days) who encouraged my love of the three Rs (reading, ‘riting and ‘rithmetic).

Many others helped when I struggled through tough

• Niagara

courses in schools and college.

Another was my Boy Scout leader who served as the minister that baptized me.

Studying and admiring the works of masters, including many among my peers, may be the crown jewel of my longevity.

LARRY WHITELEY Larry’s contribution to youth and conservation is legendary.

A friend and partner to Johnny Morris, his words are highly sought. I consider him a true blood brother.

Webster’s definition of wisdom is knowledge that is gained by having many experiences in life, and at my age I have certainly had that. Wisdom also comes from learning from your mistakes.

Webster also says wisdom

from page 37

here, our group would depart on Evans’ Lone Wolf Sport Fishing charter boat for a day on the water.

Rounding out the angling portion of the group were Raymarine Account Manager Jeff Fink, ION Cameras Vice President David Miller and Don Dziedzina. The nearly perfect weather brought high hopes for a successful day on the water.

Evans’ charter was equipped with Raymarine’s latest sonar and electronic

gear. This also brought additional hopes for plenty of action.

Hopes for a good day on the water were soon fulfilled.

First came a small coho, then a brown trout. Soon, the anglers were becoming quite busy hauling fish over the back of the boat. At one point, three different anglers were catching fish at the same time.

TESTING THE WATERS Evans’ trolling technique was obviously the success

comes from the teachings of the ancient wise men. I have learned much from writings of men like Aldo Leopold, John Muir and others. I love to use their quotes and the quotes of our “first conservationists,” the nativeAmerican Indians, in my writings and radio broadcasts.

RANDALL DAVIS Randall’s ramblings are sometimes outrageously funny.

Makes me think he gained his wisdom over the years, the hard way.

This is what I’ve learned and thus has transformed me into an Outdoor Sage ... third class.

Always set exciting goals, be positive and aim high. If you fall short, you’ll likely still hit the target. I do this all the time when trap-shooting.

Keep in mind, dispensing

sage advice is like making turkey stuffing – a little sage goes a long way. Use it sparingly for maximum effect.You’ll want to be remembered as an old bird that didn’t leave a bad taste in anyone’s mouth.

Finally, carry a Meerschaum corncob pipe. One doesn’t necessarily have to smoke it, but when clinched in the teeth, anything spoken is regarded as deep wisdom steeped in vast experience – especially when it comes to catfishing, coonhounds, and wild turkeys.

I am sure you, too, have thoughts to share with the world. Send us an email at ogmbobw@aol.com and we will publish them in upcoming issues of Outdoor Guide Magazine. Next issue, we will hear from the wise women of the outdoors.

ticket this day. After landing about 30 browns and coho, Evans felt it was time to test the waters for the larger lake trout.

Following a brief change of tackle and lures, the boat headed for deeper water. Here, too, success was quick in coming. Within a few minutes, Fink was doing battle with a hefty laker. Soon, Miller and Dziedzina followed with similar catches. The action was, indeed, fast and furious.

Miller had strategically

placed a few of his cameras throughout the boat to record this exciting action. One camera was mounted high on the boat to record all the action in the back of the boat. Another was placed right on the dip net for photos of fish as they were netted.

The two-day outing was truly a trip for the memory book. The Niagara area again proved it was every bit a honeymoon destination for anglers, as well as lovers.

While weather conditions can

• Gunsmith

screws. They DO strip out.

We know ‘cause we remove a lot of scope screws whose heads have been stripped out. Use the torque recommended in any instructions that came with the mount and/or rings. If there are no specifications, here’s what is recommended by Wheeler Engineering: • Nominal screw size #6 – screw diameter at threads, 0.131” to 0.138”; recommended torque, lubricated, 18-20 lbs.

• Nominal screw size #8 – screw diameter at threads, 0.157” to 0.164”; recommended torque, lubricated, 28-30 lbs.

March-April 2018

from page 14

– screw diameter at threads,

0.184” to 0.190”; recommended torque, lubricated, 40-45 lbs.

Wheeler makes a driver called the Fat Wrench (part 553556) on which you can set the torque you want. It goes for about $50.

OK, now you can screw it all together. Let the Loctite cure 24 hours and head to the range to zero it in.

DISCLAIMER – Do not make changes to a firearm for which you are not qualified. Dangerous conditions can result. Take the gun to a qualified gunsmith.

Jed Nadler can be reached at FIRST Gunsmithing in Valley Park, at 636-8266606 or online at info@ FIRSTGunsmithing.com

occasionally impact anglers wishing to head out on Lake Erie or Lake Ontario, the Niagara River is almost always an option.

Anyone seeking additional information regarding these angling opportunities can learn more by contacting Niagara USA at (877) FALLSUS. Information is also on the internet at niagaraguides. com. Anglers may also contact Draper Sportfishing direct by calling (716) 479-2634, or Lone Wolf Charters at (716)

863-0018.

“The best thing about our area is the wide array of fishing opportunities,” Draper added. “We have angling opportunities ranging from king salmon and huge steelhead to lake and brown trout and world-class smallmouth bass.”

Even better is the fact that there is something to be caught at this destination year-round.

And the tourist opportunities at nearby Niagara Falls make it truly a family destination.

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Outdoor Guide

March-April 2018

Urban Rifle: Is Its Time Ending?

Photo and Text

By T.J. MULLIN It is fair to say Clint Smith, famed firearm trainer and owner/operator of Thunder Ranch, in 1983 was the first to advocate the use of the urban rifle and develop a training program for such weapons.

In 1983, we were just beginning to see semi-auto weapons being commonly accepted in police work. The 5.56 x 45 mm (223 Remington) cartridge was being developed with better projectiles from the dismal Vietnam War 55 gr. FMJ projectiles.

More critically, the personnel on patrol duties were changing. In past years, peace officers were almost always a group of males, former military and large-sized to boot. Now short-statured, lightweight individuals, often women, were assigned patrol duties.

Yet the shoulder weapons of the 1980s found in police armories tended to be 18- to 20-inch barrel, 5-8 shot magazine-fed 12 gauge shotguns with bead front sights, no special choking of the barrels.

The butt stock was suitable for large-sized individuals in shirtsleeves, with no rubber recoil pads since that cost extra on a low-bid weapon. Rifles seemed to be mainly M94 30/30 Winchesters, some World War II era M1 carbines, and an occasional M07 Winchester.

THE URBAN RIFLE The Urban Rifle that has developed over the last 35 years, which now has replaced the shotgun in so many applications, typically has a 16-inch barrel, a collapsible stock, often a red-dot sight and is chambered for 5.56 x 45 mm cartridges.

It is fed hollow point or soft point ammunition for a variety of bullet weights.

Such weapons are pleasant to shoot, having light recoil, are easy to handle due to weight and collapsible stocks, and offer stopping power superior to that found in the traditional handgun.

But they do offer some disadvantages over the oldtime shotgun that needs to be recognized.

First, the projectiles are much more prone to excessive penetration and have a greater range than the buckshot formerly used. This is especially so if either No. 4 or No. 3 Buckshot is used and is even so if the traditional 00 or 000 Buckshot is used.

While the power level of the 5.56 x 45 mm cartridge with proper projectiles may be adequate, no one ever doubted that the buckshot-loaded shotgun had adequate stopping power. While the Urban Rifle may well allow the officer to

The Saiga 20-gauge shotgun has the same advantages as urban rifle designs.

engage targets in excess of 50 yards, one has to ask if this is a real-versus-perceived need, especially when we are dealing with arriving patrol officers.

HOW MUCH DEADLY FORCE? Do we really want shots taken at such long ranges in a U.S.-civilian context? Is such application of deadly force desirable or necessary?

It certainly seems rare. Still, the advantages of the Urban Rifle, given the changed nature of those performing the duties today, are nice.

While previously the combat shotgun was typically a pumpaction, 12-gauge, no choke barrel of 18-20 inches using a loading system requiring one spare round to be inserted at a time, and well over 3½ feet long with marginal sights, today the combat shotgun has evolved.

The best example of this development is the Saiga 20-gauge shotgun in the photo.

It has a properly chocked barrel to allow buckshot loads to have effective patterns. It offers a quick reload, with a box magazine containing 8-10 rounds of ammunition. The safety is cruiser safe to allow transportation in a vehicle likely to go over tens of thousands of tar strips in a given year, unlike many commercial-grade shotguns.

The Saiga 20-gauge has a light felt recoil due to its autoloading action, short butt stock and gauge. It is short enough to be easily used around the typical vehicle. True, with its shorter than 18-inch barrel, it is an NFA-controlled item.

For departments, there is no cost involved. For individuals, the tax is less than two serious nights out with their spouses.

RIFLE VS. SHOTGUN Let’s look at the Urban Rifle of current style and compare it with the current level of Urban Shotgun and see how the results stack up.

Issues to be evaluated should include: 1. The ability to hit a mantarget at different distances.

Clearly the rifle will get a good hit on the target at 50 yards or

below with the first shot if the shooter does his part. But so will a shotgun deliver if similarly aimed properly. Using our 20-gauge shotgun to fire a 20-pellet load of #3 buckshot (approx. .23 caliber) toward a B-27 man target at the following ranges, the noted number of pellets impacted the target with a single shot: 50 yards, 7 hits; 40 yards, 7 hits; 25 yards, 12 hits; 15 yards, 15 hits; 7 yards, 19 hits. Some pellets, obviously, missed our target and went down range but being light, round and small, the danger they would pose to innocents is much lower than a missed rifle cartridge round.

2. Penetration on hard objects. This can be a benefit and also a drawback. Sometimes you may want to shoot through things and, almost as often if not more so in police work in the U.S., you will want to not shoot through things, hoping to capture your projectile lest it do unintended damages down range. The round lead pellets of our shotgun ammunition are bound to penetrate less than a higher speed, jacketed small rifle projectile.

3. The speed in which second and third shots can be fired.

These shots are to make up for misses, failures to stop the engaged target or in the event of multiple opponents. Clearly the 223 semi rifle has less felt recoil than the 20-gauge shotgun, but the difference in speed of second and third shots is so minimal that it is of no real consequence.

If we are going to compare urban shoulder-fired defense weapons, we should compare equals. It is not fair to evaluate a current rifle against the combat shotgun of 40 years ago.

A look at the developed combat shotgun of the first two decades of the 21st century shows it may very well be superior to the current semi-automatic rifle, for the current shotguns give us the benefits of the old-time shotgun while gaining the benefits that the modern semi-auto rifle provides in shortness, light felt recoil, rugged reliability and safety.

Page 39

Page 40

Outdoor Guide

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Outdoor Guide

March-April 2018

Outdoor Gallery Winners for March/April edition is Brody McGrath.

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Email your photo to ogmbobw@aol.com

GUIDE’S GOOD DAY – Ozarks float fishing and hunting guide Dennis Whiteside of Springfield, MO, just about let the fall turkey season get away from him without a chance to hunt. But Lady Luck prevailed as these two young birds were called back within an hour after Whiteside’s group flushed them from a clover field on Truman Lake.

BRODY’S BASS – Brody McGrath, 4, caught this beautiful bass on Dec. 27 at a pond near his home in Eureka, while fishing with his father, Tim McGrath. Father and son had to trek through the snow and cold to get to the pond. Photo submitted by his grandfather, Kevin McGrath.

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Outdoor Guide

March-April 2018

Page 43

KING FOR A DAY – Sam Dickinson, 8, couldn’t be more proud of his Strike King prize package. He has worn the shirt, hat and sunglasses almost constantly since receiving them, and he is seen here fishing with a Strike King lure. This is what the future Strike King pro staff looks like. Watch out KVD (Kevin VanDam) – here comes SPD.

FAMILY FARM HUNT — Jared De Armond, 9, at center, took this huge gobbler while hunting from a pop-up blind on opening day of youth season on the family farm in southern Missouri. It weighed 23 pounds and sported a 10-inch beard. Jared hunted with his father, Dave, and younger brother Jake, 7. Jake was on his first turkey hunt. Photo

by Bill De Armond of Wildwood, MO.

CAT AND A HALF – Jeff Kretzer, formerly of Salem, IL, and now in Colorado Springs, CO, wound up with a load of mountain lion recently while hunting with his .44 Magnum pistol in Huerfano County, CO. The beast weighed 135 pounds, measured 7 feet, 6 inches, and was figured to be 3 years old.The season runs from November through March.

Color 699 “Natural Shad”

HOGGIN’WILD – Nick Shafer of Mt. Vernon, IL, got his prize last summer by catching this 73.8-pound flathead catfish in Rend Lake, using the “hoggin’ ” technique.

ONE IN 5.5 MILLION – Jerry Pabst hooked this 27-pound Chinook salmon in Lake Michigan. Jerry reports that Chinooks eat an estimated 10 pounds of alewives for every pound of weight they gain, so this one must have already had 270 pounds of alewives and was still on the prowl until he ran into Jerry. Between planted and wild fish, about 5.5 million of these big salmon enter the Lake Michigan fishery each spring.

Outdoor Guide

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March-April 2018

Tips, Tricks and Thoughts for the Great Outdoors

Time to Get Ready for Spring LARRY L. WHITELEY is the host of the internationally syndicated Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World Radio and nationally syndicated Outdoor World newspaper and magazine tips.

On Sunday, March 11, some of us will still get great enjoyment in being able to move our clocks and watches

forward. In today’s world, smart phones and all the other smart devices do that automatically. But to me,

it’s much more fun to do it manually, and knowing that when it’s done, I am going to be able to enjoy more daylight hours in our great outdoors.

The end of winter, according to our calendars, is March 20, and for some parts of the country that may be true, but here in the Midwest, winter usually lingers for a while and sometimes into April. Just when we are con-

vinced that spring is here and the unending slowness of winter is over, warm spring breezes turn into cold, sharp winds that freeze you to the bone. You would have a hard time finding anyone who is sad to see winter end.

Soon the black and white landscape, the snow, bitter cold winds and leafless trees will be gone, replaced by colorful singing birds, beautiful wildflowers, leaves

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starting to unfurl, warm breezes, gentle rains, gobbling turkeys and hungry fish.

It’s time to clean and organize your tackle box, de-winterize the boat, air out camping gear, look for deer sheds, practice your turkey calls and even put on your hiking shoes and go outdoors and say goodbye to winter.

SOUND OF THE WHIP-POOR-WILL When you hear the sound

it in cornmeal and deep fry.

They are unbelievably good.

SPECIAL TIMES IN THE TURKEY WOODS I’ve spent a lot of years sitting with my back against a tree, waiting for the sun to come up and the woods to come alive with the sounds of birds, chattering squirrels and flapping turkey wings.

I’d like to have a dollar for every yelp and cluck I’ve made on my calls. More times than I’d like to count, I

Just when we are convinced that spring is here and the unending slowness of winter is over, warm spring breezes turn into cold, sharp winds that freeze you to the bone. of a whip-poor-will, you never forget it. Did you know a whip-poor-will’s nesting cycle is related to moon phases? They lay their eggs in phase with lunar cycles so they will hatch approximately 10 days before a full moon. When the moon is near full, adults can forage the entire night to provide nestlings with insects.

SPRING COURTSHIP Birds are filling the crisp air with tunes of courtship, hoping to find a mate. Even now, many animals are well into spring courtship.

In some places, you may already be hearing spring peepers and chorus frogs.

Now is the time when skunks are looking for other skunks and male cardinals sing daily from treetops.

FISHING WITH MULBERRIES Around lakes, rivers and ponds, when mulberries ripen and start falling, schools of channel cats fight for each morsel. Take advantage by putting a few mulberries on a baitholder hook and casting under an overhanging mulberry tree. After the mulberries are through falling, you can still catch cats by substituting golden raisins or white grapes.

EATING FISH EGGS Caviar is not the only fish egg delicacy. Shad roe is a favorite of many fishermen where shad are plentiful. In other parts of the country eggs, of walleye and yellow perch are highly prized as food.

In the Ozark hills of southern Missouri, in the town of Nixa, I grew up eating the eggs of the lowly sucker fish and still do today. I dip a sack of eggs in a chicken egg and milk solution, roll

did everything right and the gobbler wouldn’t respond or come in.

There were the times I did everything right and then scratched an itch or blinked an eye, and the gobbler caught my movement.

There are magical times when my calls are answered by a gobble from close by.

My neck hairs bristle, my heart rate cranks up and the ache in my butt disappears. I point my gun where I expect the gobbler to appear and cluck on my mouth call.

Suddenly a crinkly head appears and God smiles down on me. I smooth the bronze feathers, feel the bristly beard, admire the spurs and look up and say, “Thank you,” once again for my special time in the turkey woods.

AN AMAZING TURKEY DECOY I’ve always been impressed with the quality and attention to detail of all Avian-X decoys, and I don’t know who at Avian-X came up with this idea, but it is amazing.

Avian-X’s new Trophy Tom decoy is made so you can insert the tail fan and beard of a real turkey and hang it on a wall, and it doesn’t stick out much more than a picture frame. It looks just like the real thing and will look like the real thing to an ole’ gobbler too.

Just take it off the wall, attach the carry handle and collapsible stake and you’re ready to hunt. Go to avian-x. com and check it out.

A SPRING QUOTE “Behold, my friends, the spring is come; the earth has gladly received the embraces of the sun, and we shall soon see the results of their love.” Chief Sitting Bull

Outdoor Guide

March-April 2018

Page 45

Massive Black Carp Taken to SIUC for Study Photo and Text

By TIM CROSBY SIUC Media Services

Southern Illinois University Carbondale researchers have received what is believed to be the largest specimen of black carp ever brought in for scientific analysis.

The fish, a 115-pound female caught Feb. 8 by commercial fishers on the Mississippi River near Cape Girardeau, could help unlock important secrets about the invasive species, including its range, health and reproductive potential in that river and its larger tributaries, said Gregory Whitledge, associate professor of zoology at SIU. SIU took possession of the fish Feb. 9 after the fishers contacted the university. SIU manages a program funded by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources that pays commercial fishers for black carp that they catch and turn over to the university for scientific research.

INVESTIGATING Researchers including graduate student Hudman Evans, who is writing his master’s thesis in zoology on the invasive black carp issue, removed key organs and tissue samples that will tell the scientists much about the individual and its population.

SIU also cooperates with the U.S. Geological Survey and IDNR on the research.

Evans said he became interested in fisheries as a middle school student and became interested in black carp after searching for graduate school opportunities. So far, his research has included

capturing specimens and examining their diet in order to determine if they are eating the same prey as native fish species.

“This specimen will contribute diet analysis data to my project and also shed light on how black carp diets change as they get older and grow to bigger sizes,” he said.

MEANT TO CONTROL SNAILS Black carp initially were brought to the U.S. from their native China as a potential means of controlling parasitecarrying snails that were damaging aquaculture fish in the southern states. At some point, however, some of them escaped – possibly during flooding events – and made their way to the Mississippi.

The first wild black carp were caught in the river during the early 2000s. But during the last five years, commercial fishers increasingly have reported catching them in nets along with the game fish they are seeking. It’s a worrying trend, Whitledge said.

“We have several projects going with the black carp, as well as Asian carp, another invasive species,” Whitledge said. “We hope this fish will tell us more about how black carp might impact native species, how big the potential population is, their range and how fast they are expanding.”

UNUSUAL SIZE Typically, only commercial fishing outfits catch the fish, as its location and feeding habits lend it more to those practices than the typical rod-and-reel angler. Whitledge said the enormous specimen is certainly the largest ever brought

in for scientific research, and quite possibly the largest ever caught in the United States.

SIUC’S INVASIVE SPECIES RESEARCH SIUC is playing a leading role in finding out more about the problems it and the Asian carp might cause. As such, the university has received about 150 specimens caught all up and down the Mississippi River during the last few years.

“We are sitting here in the heart of the range into which these fish are expanding,”

Whitledge said, adding that he and others also are working with funding from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

In particular, scientists are concerned about the invasive species’ impact on native mussels, a favorite food that also are listed as threatened or endangered. As a bottomfeeder, the black carp also likely competes for food with popular game fish, such as catfish.

LEARNING MORE To determine the specimen’s age, researchers will

closely examine the specimen’s otoliths, bony anatomical structures in its ear, which forms tree-like rings at certain intervals as it grows.

The oldest such specimen so far identified was 16 years old, but Whitledge said this specimen’s size indicates it may be older than that one.

“This is the largest individual so far, so one thing we’re trying to understand is how old they get and how that might impact the size of the potential population,” he said.

Scientists also will analyze the chemical composition of

this fish’s otoliths using mass spectrometry methods to try to determine where the fish spent most of its time. They also will examine the fish’s reproductive system and its overall health and growth rate, which might tell them how well the species is doing in the Mississippi River.

In China, the fish lives in larger rivers and tributaries, so the Mississippi River would seem an ideal habitat. While they can live in still waters such as ponds or lakes, the species requires flowing water to successfully hatch its eggs.

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Graduate student Hudman Evans displays the 115-pound black carp, the largest ever brought in for scientific analysis.

Page 46

Outdoor Guide

March-April 2018

Naturalists Teach, Learn in Great Outdoors

The Miraguoa Chapter of the Missouri Master Naturalists prepare for a Courtois Creek float trip.

As she was cleaning up flood damage at her northern Jefferson County home, Sue Haskins spotted and picked up a small garter snake. She showed it to others who were helping her as the Meramec River receded, then she let the snake go on higher ground.

Because of her training, she knew the snake was not harmful and used the moment to teach others about the na-

ture around them. That’s just something Haskins does. As a master naturalist certified by the state Department of Conservation and the Missouri University Extension Service, Haskins was living the mission of mixing science and service.

“It’s a great program if someone wants to get involved in their community and conservation,” Haskins

Photos and Text

said. “You get a real understanding of how things work in the natural world.”

THE MISSION The mission of Missouri Master Naturalists is to engage Missourians in the stewardship of natural resources through science-based education and volunteer community service.

Once you have received your training and completed your service, you’ll become a certified Master Naturalist.

Each year following, you will complete eight hours of additional advanced training and contribute 40 hours of service to maintain your certification.

Potential naturalists shouldn’t worry that the study will be rigorous or require a scientific mind.

“I’m a day-care provider. I just love learning and teaching,” Haskins said. “The training course is really simple.

There is some paperwork, but it’s mostly hands-on activities and group work.”

11 LOCAL CHAPTERS After completing the course work, new naturalists join one of 11 local chapters around the state. Haskins is a member of the Franklin County group called Miraguoa that meets at the Shaw Nature Reserve near Pacific and at the Jay Henges Education Center near High Ridge.

Membership also requires a commitment to community service in conservation and continuing education throughout the year. Those opportunities come a lot easier than people think, Haskins said.

“Forty hours a year to give back to your community is nothing, and the eight hours of training you can get through the monthly chapter meetings,” she said.

Leading nature programs and visiting classrooms seem much more of a reward than a requirement.

“We go into schools and talk to the classes. What a great opportunity that is for those students, to have so many teachers there for them,” Haskins said.

CAMARADERIE The other reward for master naturalists is the camaraderie developed through dedication to conservation and the environment.

“Some of my best friends over the past few years are the members of our chapter,” Haskins said. “It is a chance to get together with people of like minds wanting to encourage others, especially children to get out and enjoy the outdoors.”

But don’t get the idea that all master naturalists are identical.

“Anybody can get involved. We have young couples and seniors. It’s a real good mix of people,” she said.

Haskins has been in the program for 10 years and but looks forward to the upcoming classes for new members because she will get to participate by sharing her experiences with the students.

Class openings are limited and registration fills quickly, so anyone interested in the course should contact the St. Louis County MU Extension Office soon at 314-400-2115.

For more information, search for Missouri master naturalist at extension.missouri.edu.

John J. Winkelman is community relations manager at Mercy Hospital Jefferson. If you have news for Outdoor Guide Magazine, e-mail ogmjohnw@aol.com and you can follow John on Twitter at @johnjwink99.

Being a master naturalist allowed Sue Haskins of Fenton the opportunity to go on a spelunking adventure.

Outdoor Guide

March-April 2018

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Here’s Some Fun – and a Good Cause Photo and Text

By LARRY DABLEMONT

Many of you who have read my columns for awhile know that I own a 50-acre tract out in the wilds in the southeast corner of St. Clair County near Humansville, MO, which we call the Panther Creek Youth retreat.

I have set it up as a place where smaller churches can bring groups of underprivileged kids for any amount of time, free of charge.

With a big lodge and cabins, it can sleep about 30 kids and counselors, and it has used now for about three years. It has a beautiful little creek spanned by a high iron bridge, about 140 years old.

Kids can use canoes and kayaks, go trap shooting or visit a nice swimming hole, a rec room, trails and treetop photography platforms, a big sports field for softball or soccer and an artesian well. Wild game and birds are plentiful, and the ridge-top forest and creek bottom has some big timber with trails winding through it.

I tried over the winter to sell it to some churches that could run the place better than I can, but it all fell through, so at least for 2018, it is again available and while I want to see it be used by churches, (especially for boys without fathers), it is available for a day or several days, at no charge, to any gathering wanting to use it.

We have paid for insurance, equipment, electricity and taxes through donations from a lot of folks, but right now the bank account is about empty, so this year I am going to try to raise money for that effort through the following activities: SWAP MEET First of all, we are having a big outdoorsman’s swap meet at Brighton, MO, on Saturday, March 24 in the gymnasium at Brighton Assembly of God Church. It will begin at 8 a.m. and end at 2 p.m.

The youth of the church will provide a hot breakfast of some sort, like biscuits and gravy, coffee, donuts etc. Then at mid-day, they will provide a lunch of hot pork sandwiches and other items, and pie and cake for dessert.

We will have about 50 tables available for anyone who has outdoor-oriented items for sale.

Before mid-March you may see a list of what will be sold on my website, larrydablemontoutdoors.

A BUNCH OF STUFF I am sure there will be a bunch of stuff, including sporting guns, old lures, etc. The best thing is, anyone who calls me in advance can secure a table free of charge, and visitors may attend … free of charge.

We have done this for many years, and I don’t think any other swap meet in the Ozarks is free for vendors and visitors

alike. At that swap meet, I will have 10 or 12 of my outdoor books for sale and we will sell subscriptions to my Lightnin’ Ridge Magazine and also sell back issues. I will fill a whole room with antiques and items of interest from the Panther Creek Ranch, and hunting and fishing gear I used as far back as my boyhood.

Money raised from all that and the sale of books, magazines and other items will go into the Panther Creek account.

THE EXPEDITION But that’s not all! If the weather is good in late February and early March, I will gather about 15 people on a Friday evening to have dinner at our main lodge, then we will spend the night there and have a big breakfast, and then travel to Truman Lake, about 20 miles away.

There we will get on a big pontoon boat and travel down the Pomme De Terre arm of the lake to a wilderness area that I believe looks today much like it did 200 years ago, and we will hike up into the woodland and see some monstrous trees and ancient home-place remains, likely built more than 100 years ago.

At mid-day, we will return to the pontoon boat and have a fish fry, and then hike into another area to try to find some eagles. On the water that time of year, I expect to see lots of migrating waterfowl, eagles and other birds. Then we will return to Panther Creek lodge and cabins to spend the night, and visitors can explore the place on Sunday at their leisure.

We have done this each spring for more than 10 years, but this year there will be no charge. If you want to go, we ask that you just make a donation to be used at the Youth Retreat for underprivileged children.

FINDING MORELS Then we will do the exact same thing in mid-April when morel mushrooms are out, teaching people how to find them. We will have the same fish fry at mid-day, this time with fried morels to go along with the meal.

I will put a bunch of pictures on my website showing some of those trips, and our youth retreat on Panther Creek. Go to larrydablemontoutdoors. blogspot.com to see many of those.

There is no scheduled weekend for those trips we take to Truman Lake because we can’t predict the weather. You may call us and give us your name and phone number, and when we see the right weather forecast we will call everyone about a week ahead of time.

If more than 15 people want to go, we will schedule more than one weekend, so no one will be left out.

SPECIAL ITEMS One of the antiques we will

try to sell this year is a huge iron safe made in 1870 by the Mosely Safe Company in Hamilton, Ohio. I was told by the old man who sold me the place that it was in a western Missouri bank that the JamesYounger gang had robbed.

Another item we will sell at the swap meet is a nine-foot billiard table made by the St. Louis company Brunswick about 100 years ago. It is the best table I have ever played on. We will also sell an oldtime wooden river johnboat, and the very first aluminum

johnboat ever made for Ozark streams, built in 1954. It’s serial number is 0001.

For questions, to sign up for our trips to Truman Lake, or to reserve a table at our swap meet, just call our office at (417) 777-5227. The mailing address is Box 22, Bolivar, MO, 65613 and the email address is lightninridge47@ gmail.com. If you live a long way from here, you can call me and I will help you with overnight accommodations so you don’t have to drive the whole way in one day.

A scene from 2013 shows what the past swap meets have been like.

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Outdoor Guide

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March-April 2018

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