Outdoor Guide Magazine March-April 2020

March- April 2020

Outdoor ag Guide M

e n i z a

HUNTING • FISHING • CAMPING • BOATING • SHOOTING • TRAVEL

A Veteran’s Tale.................Page 4

Spring Turkey Hunt...........Page 5

The Visiting Otter.............Page 8

A Bluegill Pond................Page 12

Spicy Squirrel.....................Page 15

Wrangling Badgers...........Page 24

Fishing for Trout..............Page 31

MISSOURI - ILLINOIS - AND OTHER EXCITING OUTDOOR DESTINATIONS

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Outdoor Guide

March-April 2020

A Handy Guide to Fishing Prospects

The best way to research fishing opportunities is to pack up the gear, find your favorite baits and hit the water, but winter doesn’t always provide prime conditions.

Spring is just around the corner, and the annual Fishing Prospects publication from the Missouri Department of Conservation can fill in the blanks when you can’t get to the riverbanks.

The report used to be published as a center-stapled booklet, but now it is always as handy as your smart phone or tablet. Searching for your favorite spots and species is a lot easier, too, than with the old paper version.

Based on data from biologists’sampling efforts, fisherman creel surveys and other research, the 2020 edition examines opportunities for catching fish at more than 130 bodies of water in the state.

Officially, 10 of those are in the St. Louis region, but that list includes about 30 different lakes at the August A. Busch Memorial and Weldon Springs conservation areas in St. Charles County and another dozen places in the St. Louis Urban Lakes fishing program.

SEARCH FIRST The online Prospects publication can be searched by location or type of fish. Are you looking for red-ear sunfish catching opportunities? The annual report finds 21 spots with tempting descriptions such as, “Large red-ear sunfish (8-10 inches) are common and provide anglers with an excellent challenge,” at Perry County Lake west of Perryville.

The information also offers fishing tips for different species.

About red-ear at Little Dixie Lake near Kingdom City, the report suggests, “Try fishing near woody cover and tree stumps in shal-

low water. Worms and crickets fished near the bottom work well.”

When searching by location, you can select your favorite region. In addition to the lakes in the St. Louis area, the booklet also highlights eight rivers and creeks. The report on Big River is based on information from the Leadwood Access downstream to the confluence of the Meramec River.

BIG RIVER BET The best bet on Big River is channel catfish, which received a report that the term “glowing” doesn’t really begin to describe: “Numbers in 2019 were even better that what was seen in the past, which were some of the strongest seen in recent years. Many fish were 16-20 inches and several were over 28 inches.”

The report on largemouth bass in Big River was only fair, but smallmouth bass and rock bass (goggle-eye) were rated as good and spotted (Kentucky) bass “should be very good” especially throughout the parts of the river near the Meramec River.

Anglers are urged to harvest all spotted bass of any size up to the daily limit of 12.

THE BIG LAKES Reports on the state’s biggest reservoirs are also available.

The best news about Lake of the Ozarks is about the chances for catching good-sized crappie this year.

“During the fall of 2019, approximately 63 percent of the white crappie and 52 percent of the black crappie on the Glaize arm were equal to or greater than the 9-inch minimum length limit. This should produce excellent fishing in 2020,” the report predicts.

The report on Table Rock Lake starts with a simple sentence that is likely to get anglers salivating. “Fishing for black bass should be excellent in 2020.” Largemouth bass are listed as abundant with 36 percent over the 15-inch minimum. Spotted bass are also considered abundant, and most were in the 11-14 inch range, so many of them are expected to get to the legal limit in 2020.

“Smallmouth bass fishing was great in 2019 and should be good again in 2020 with good numbers of keeper size fish available,” the report states. Largemouth and spotted bass are more likely in the river arms, while smallmouth bass seem to be the dominant species in the main lake, according to the Table Rock report.

NEED-TO-KNOW BASIS If Clearwater Lake in southeast Missouri is your go-to spot, the report includes descriptions such as excellent, outstanding and

above average. Clearwater has no length limits on black bass or crappie, but largemouth bass are listed as good at 15 inches or larger, and “white crappie fishing in 2019 was excellent.”

Not all lakes are reviewed each year, but the state points out that an omission is not an indication that those places might not offer good fishing. “There are far too many bodies of water in Missouri for our biologists to survey each of them. Ultimately the test of any lake or stream is to fish it,” the report says.

It may be a little too chilly to go out and try your luck early in the year, but having easy access to information about many of your favorite spots certainly can keep you toasty until spring begins to show up.

Find the annual Fishing Prospects for 2020 at www.fishing. mdc.mo.gov.

John J. Winkelman is community engagement manager at Mercy Hospital Jefferson. If you have news for the Outdoor Guide Magazine, e-mail ogmjohnw@aol.com and you can follow John on Twitter at @johnjwink99.

It’s time to go fishing, but where should you go? The annual Fishing Prospects, a publication of the Missouri Department of Conservation, can tell you a lot about what to expect.

5935 S. LINDBERGH BLVD., ST. LOUIS, MO 63123 MUNGENASTMOTORSPORTS.COM | (855) 584-0166

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Outdoor Guide

March-April 2020

RENEW YOUR

HUNTING FISHING and

PERMITS TODAY

Buy Missouri hunting and fishing permits from vendors around the state, online at mdc.mo.gov/buypermits, or through MDC’s free mobile apps, MO Hunting and MO Fishing.

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Outdoor Guide

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March-April 2020

Fishing Saved this Veteran’s Life

Photo and Text

By BRENT FRAZEE Never underestimate the power of fishing.

Joe Bragg, a 40-year-old guide from Topeka, Kan., certainly doesn’t.

When he talks about how fishing has been his lifeline,

he isn’t exaggerating.

Flash back to 2013, when Bragg was in a fragile state after serving two combat tours with the Army in Iraq. He was in the thick of the fighting, and the aftermath took its toll.

After his release from the Army, his life was in turmoil.

Post-traumatic stress disor-

der (PTSD) dominated his thoughts, he couldn’t find a job and he saw no way out.

“I couldn’t see any hope,” he said. “I was thinking about ending it.”

That’s when fishing entered his life, almost by accident.

As a way to distract himself, Bragg stayed up at night tying crappie jigs. He didn’t have a lot of training, but he learned through trial and error.

“It was a distraction more

than anything,” he said.

WHAT HAIR JIGS CAN DO Bragg went fishing for the first time in years and he found that the hair jigs he had created were surprisingly effective.

He showed a couple buddies, and they were eager to buy them. They too caught crappies and the word got around.

An unlikely business was born.

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“I really started selling jigs to make Ramen Noodle money,” he said. “It just took off.”

Bragg planned to hire other down-and-out vets to help him tie jigs, but that didn’t work out. Eventually, the orders stacked up and brought stress back into Bragg’s life, so his Patriot Jigs business slowly faded away.

But instead of letting that temporary setback send him spiraling back into depression, Bragg adopted fishing as his therapy.

CRAPPIE CLUB He started fishing for crappies in northeast Kansas every chance he got, and his life was no longer filled with gloom. He formed the Kansas Crappie Club, an online group to give fishermen a chance to exchange tips and ask for advice, and it was a huge success.

He also established a tournament circuit through the club, with competitions held at such well-known Kansas reservoirs as Perry, El Dorado, Clinton and Milford.

Bragg fished those tournaments and did well against many fishermen with far more experience. He became a sponge, soaking in every bit of information he could about crappie fishing.

When he found that could consistently catch crappies year-round in a variety of conditions, he started the Thump-Thirty Guide Service. As customers caught limits of fish, the word spread, and it wasn’t long before he was in demand.

GUIDING AND FISHING Today, it isn’t uncommon for Bragg to have as many as three to four guide trips a week. And when he isn’t guiding? He is fishing.

He can’t get enough of this crappie fishing. Hop into his boat and you’ll find the latest electronics – everything from LiveScope to highdollar fish finders.

He has hundreds of waypoints stored on his GPS unit that help him plot a course to productive fishing spots such as brush piles.

He often uses Z-Man baits, one of his sponsors, to get those crappies to hit.

He uses 10-foot ultra-light spinning rods and small reels spooled with 40-pound test braided line. He enjoys fishing vertically, using his LiveScope to drop his jig right on the fish’s nose. Bites aren’t guaranteed. Bragg has watched as a crappie swims right up to his bait, inspects it for a second, then slowly swims away. But even in defeat, Bragg figures he is learning something about the ways of his favorite fish.

“There are a lot more fish down there than most people realize,” he said.

ON TOUR Today, Bragg is pursuing a dream of hitting it big on the national crappie tour. He and his partner, Don Beckstrom, fish on the American Crappie Trail, and compete on such famous reservoirs as Guntersville in Alabama, Ross Barnett in Mississippi and Kentucky in Kentucky and Tennessee. They’re still in the learning phase, competing against fishermen who have far more experience than they do.

But at least Bragg is dreaming, something he once thought he would never do again. “I still have the PTSD,” he said. “I think that will always be a part of me.

I saw some things that stay with you. But crappie fishing has given me something to live for.”

Like we said, never underestimate the power of fishing.

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Fishing was a lifeline for Joe Bragg as he recovered from two combat tours.

Outdoor Guide

March-April 2020

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Get Ready for Spring Turkeys Missouri is one of America’s great states for turkey hunting, and the spring hunting season is a big part of the reason why. Here is what a hunter needs to know to take part in it, with information from the Missouri Department of Conservation.

SEASON RUNS FROM APRIL 20 TO MAY 10 The spring season runs from April 20 to May 10. Daily hours are a half-hour before sunrise to 1 p.m.

The spring limit is two male turkeys or turkeys with visible beards. Only one is allowed during the first week, and only one per day.

The youth season will be April 4 and 5, from half an hour before sunrise to sunset.

Hunters ages 6 through 15 as of April 4 may participate.

Their limit for those days is one male turkey or turkey with a visible beard. Youth who take a turkey during this season may not take a second one until April 27.

The fall firearm turkey season will be Oct. 1 through Oct. 31, from half an hour before sunrise until sunset. Firearms turkey hunting is not allowed in these counties: Dunklin, McDonald, Mississippi, New Madrid, Newton, Pemiscot and Scott.

The turkey archery season will be Sept. 15 to Nov. 13 and from Nov. 25 through Jan. 15, 2021.

ALLOWED HUNTING METHODS Allowed methods during the spring season include: • Shotguns, with shot no larger than No. 4.

• Longbows, compounds, bows or recurve bows of any draw weight.

• Hand-held string-releasing devices.

• Illuminated sights, scopes and quickpoint sights.

• Crossbows and atlatls.

PROHIBITED HUNTING METHODS • Shotguns with more than three shells in the magazine and chamber combined.

• Shot larger than No. 4, • Sighting devices that cast beams of light.

• Use of dogs, electronic calls, live decoys or bait such as grain. Mineral blocks are not considered bait but must not contain grain or food additives.

Under a new rule, mentors who are assisting youth hunters do not need a permit during the youth spring turkey season and the youth portions of firearms deer season.

At all other times, mentors must possess a valid hunting permit for the appropriate season or be exempt. In the case of deer and turkey permits, the mentor’s permit can be filled or unfilled.

HEN OR GOBBLER? Large size, black body

and long beard are marks of the gobbler. Hens sometimes have beards, but color, size and behavior distinguish them from gobblers.

Hens are smaller brown birds with blue heads. Bearded hens produce young and help increase the turkey population.

They should not be killed, but any turkey with a clearly visible beard is legal for hunting in Missouri. Hens without beards are illegal and must not be killed.

Meanwhile, juvenile gobblers are those with spurs under half an inch long and beards under 6 inches long.

Spur length measurements help biologists keep track of the age structure of the adult population. If you don’t have a ruler, use the signature line of your permit, which is 2 inches long, with a 1-inch mark in the middle.

Start at the outside center from the point at which the spur protrudes from the leg scales, and measure to the tip of the spur.

HOW TURKEYS RESPOND A Department of Conservation hunting lesson says that sometimes, hunters can use every call in the book and still have trouble getting the gobbler to come in those last few critical yards.

“This could be because of a physical barrier, such as a woven-wire fence between you and the turkey, or another hunter or predator may have caused him to abandon you for the moment,” MDC says.

“You may have called too loudly. Generally, turkeys only call loud enough to be heard by another turkey. When your call is too loud, the gobbler assumes the hen is close and he begins to strut and display.

“Try turning your head to project the call behind you, and the gobbler may move closer.

“Be patient, you may be able to wait him out. If the gobbler has hens with him, eventually the hens may leave and your periodic calling will start working on the gobbler’s mating urges. How often and how loud you want to call varies with the situation and will come naturally to you with more experience.

“Keep the turkey interested.

If he loses interest, he may move out of the area or go to another hen. Remember, the gobbler responds to stimuli and to lure him in, you must emit the strongest, most seductive stimulus while interacting with him.”

DON’T LEAVE IT Any hunters who kill or injure a turkey must make a reasonable effort to retrieve and include it in their season limits, but this does not authorize trespass.

It is a violation to wantonly leave, abandon, or waste commonly edible portions of game.

Anyone using a turkey call to assist another hunter must be properly licensed with either a filled or unfilled spring turkey hunting permit.

If you hunt during a managed hunt, season limits still apply.

GETTING PERMITS MDC has an online system for hunters to use in applying for permits. Start at the main page, mdc.mo.com, then choose the Buy Permits option and follow the instructions from there.

Turkeys gather in a Missouri meadow.

– Missouri Department of Conservation photo

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Outdoor Guide

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March-April 2020

Jeannie’s Journey

Spring Brings Beauty, Tornadoes

By JEANNIE FARMER

Springtime’s beauty fills my heart with joy. The budding trees, blossoming flowers, singing birds, honey bees buzzing, fluttering butterflies, fish biting and turkeys gobbling speak of the loveliness of spring.

This time of year brings us an intimate affair of romance.

Like a magnet, this bouquet of perfumed love draws outdoor enthusiasts to a picturesque affiliation with nature.

However, weather during the season can change in an instant.

So when yearning to get outside for a walking, hiking, boating or hunting adventure, it’s important to check the

extended forecast for the potential of dangerous weather.

The National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL) compiles a variety of severe weather events and describes how they behave during each season of the year, especially during the spring.

It explains, for example, how a tornado develops and performs while on the ground.

According to research, tornadoes are the most violent of all atmospheric storms. Since wind is invisible, it’s difficult to see a tornado, unless it forms a condensation funnel consisting of water droplets, dust and debris.

TORNADO ALLEY What is meant by the ex-

pression, “Tornado Alley?”

This is a nickname given by the media for a broad area of high tornado occurrences in the central United States.

Typically, in the southern Plains, the peak season for tornadoes is during May and early June. Along the Gulf Coast, it’s earlier in the spring.

Tornado season in the northern plains and upper Midwest is in June and July. However, they can develop at any time of the year, day or night, and most occur between 4 p.m. and 9 p.m.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Storm and Prediction Center meteorologists will issue a tornado watch when conditions are favorable for

Spring’s beauty, in contrast to storms, is highlighted in the Ozarks with the blooming of dogwood trees.

– Thayne Smith photo

it. It can cover parts of a state or several states.

When the local National Weather Service Forecast Of-

March- April 2020

Outdoor agazine Guide M HUNTING • FISHING • CAMPING • BOATING • SHOOTING • TRAVEL Volume Twenty Eight, 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: news@outdoor-guide.com COVER PHOTO: Thayne Smith gets a spring turkey in South Dakota.

Bobby Whitehead, Editor/Co-Publisher Kathy Crowe, Graphic Designer

John Winkelman, Associate Editor — ogmjohnw@aol.com Lynn Fowler, Circulation Manager Carl Green, Copy Editor

— Account Executives — Dan Braun, Marketing Director Lauren Marshall — Regional and Specialty Editors — Joel Vance Darrell Taylor Ray Eye Brent Frazee Brandon Butler

Curt Hicken Bill Cooper Thayne Smith Steve Jones Bill Seibel

John Neporadny Jr. Rick Story T. J. Mullin Ron Henry Strait

Larry Whiteley Ted Nugent Ron Bice John Sloan

fice issues a tornado warning, by meteorologists, it means that a tornado has been reported by spotters or radar.

This indicates a serious threat to life and property in the path of the tornado.

Storm spotters look for two types of cloud formations when trying to identify a tornado or a dangerous storm.

These include inflow bands, which are ragged areas of low cumulus clouds extending from the main storm tower, usually to the southeast or south. The pressure of inflow bands indicates the storm is gathering low-level air from several miles away. If they have a spiraling nature, it suggests the pressure of rotation.

For instance, the so-called beaver’s tail is a smooth, flat cloud band extending from the eastern edge of the east or northeast rain-free base.

Typically it skirts around the southern edge of the precipitation area. It also indicates the pressure of rotation.

SUPERCELLS Supercells are rotating thunderstorms with welldefined radar circulations called mesocyclones. Supercells can create severe nontornadic winds, damaging hail, frequent lightning and flash floods.

Researchers say tornado formation is developed by things that happen on the storm scale, in and around the mesocyclone.

According to recent theories and studies, once under way, tornado development comes from the temperature

difference across the edge of a downdraft of air wrapping around the mesocyclone.

Meanwhile, some mathematical modeling studies of tornado formation indicate that it can happen without such temperature patterns.

HIGHEST WINDS EVER The historic and recordsetting May 3, 1999 Bridge Creek tornado at Moore, OK, showed little temperature variation. Ranking as a mammoth Class F5 tornado, it had the highest wind speeds ever measured globally, at 302 miles per hour by a Doppler on Wheels (DOW) radar.

It covered 38 miles during its 85-minute journey while traveling across the central part of the state. It left a devastating path of destruction, killing 36 people, destroying or damaging thousands of homes, apartments, businesses, public buildings, and several churches. In following months, disaster aid amounted to $67.8 million.

The spring season is a beautiful time to explore the great outdoors. It’s also a time when the weather can suddenly change and become stormy.

Therefore, before venturing outside, take note of future forecasts for the possibility of severe weather. It’s important to watch, listen, be prepared and ready for dangerous weather.

If the National Weather Service issues a tornado warning, take it seriously. Follow instructions and go to a safe shelter. It could save your life.

– In Memoriam —

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

Scott Pauley Tim Huffman John Meacham Bob Holzhei Jeannie Farmer Kay Hively Tyler Mahoney

— Staff Writers —

Claudette Roper Brad Wiegmann Mike Roux Craig Alderman Randall Davis Jerry Pabst Ryan Miloshewski

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

Don Gasaway Terry Wilson Bill Keaton Charlie Slovensky Michael Wardlaw Larry Potterfield Tom Watson

The historic and record-setting tornado at Moore, OK, on May 3, 1999, had the highest winds ever recorded, at 302 miles per hour.

March-April 2020

Outdoor Guide

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Are You Ready For a Disaster?

By DAVID HOSKING Most Americans believe that the government, Red Cross, Salvation Army or others will come to their speedy rescue when a catastrophe occurs. Perhaps, but depending on the severity of the event, history has shown that a long time may pass before aid arrives.

Millions of Americans live in cities where they are dependent on an uninterrupted supply of groceries, medicine, electricity, water, fire, police and ambulance services. What would happen if essential services suddenly shut down for a long time?

Distribution of food, water, and medicine would stop. Hospitals would become inoperable, and first responders would be overwhelmed or unable to react.

Hurricane Katrina displaced a million people in the Gulf Coast region, and New Orleans suffered chaos, homelessness, roving violent gangs and more than 1,500 deaths.

Hundreds of thousands of households were still displaced months later. Few people in the Big Easy were prepared for such a catastrophic event and, sadly, neither was the U.S. government.

WHAT’S A PREPPER? Prepper are people who prepare for emergencies or catastrophes that may befall them, their families, or their communities. At one end of the Prepper spectrum are survivalists who live in off-grid remote areas where they build bunkers and stock them with food, guns, ammunition, medicine and other supplies to last many years. These doomsday extremists fear the so-called zombie apocalypse caused by civil unrest, the failure of the electrical grid, widespread outbreak of disease, war, insurrection, or the collapse of our national economy.

The other end of the Prepper spectrum is where you will find the majority of people.

Their emergency plans are weak or nonexistent and their preparations for an emergency are lax at best. Few households have a supply of food, water, and medicine that would last beyond three or four days, far too short for a long-term emergency.

Guest Editorial

SURVIVAL SUPPLIES • One gallon of water per person per day.

• Canned food, dry mixes, rice, beans • Flashlights, candles, matches, camp stove • Emergency cash • Secure documents in a safe place • Backup supply of medicine

NEW MADRID ZONE Weather-related disasters are not the only type of hazards facing an unprepared public.

Here in the Midwest, experts anticipate major earthquakes in the New Madrid Seismic Zone that will cause long-term damage to our transportation, water, gas, sewer and electric power infrastructure in the region.

Dams, bridges, locks and levies will be heavily compromised.

Another serious risk to our national power grid is an Electro-Magnetic Pulse (EMP), which produces an instantaneous burst of high energy that destroys the electronic computer systems that control our entire power, water, and sewer infrastructure in the country.

ELECTRO MAGNETIC PULSE Such EMPs can occur naturally from geomagnetic storms, or worse, from a highaltitude nuclear explosion over the country from a hostile state (e.g. North Korea and Iran) or terrorist group.

A single EMP burst over the continent would disable the Internet, cell phones and automobiles and would cause many of the 87,000 aircraft that cross the country each day to crash. For example, in 1989, EMPs from geo-magnetic storms struck our planet causing some satellites in polar orbits to lose control for several hours. The entire power grid in Quebec, Ontario and 96 electrical utilities throughout New England were disrupted.

Even the Toronto Stock Exchange shut down. Damage to our electrical grids could take years to repair. Without electricity, life in America would revert back to the ways of the 1800s.

WHAT TO DO NOW? So, what steps can the average person take to become self-reliant for, say, three or four weeks? Between the doomsday survivalists and the millions of Americans who have done nothing is a more sensible position: middle-ground prepping. Few people have the resources or know-how to become selfreliant during a long-term catastrophe. However, most people can afford to prepare for an extended emergency by gradually building up supplies to last a few weeks.

The basic needs for survival include water, food, air, shelter, safety, warmth, health and sanitation. A general rule of thumb is to store one gallon of water per person per day; a supply for at least three days is the bare minimum. Canned foods, dry mixes, rice, beans and other staples that do not require refrigeration or special preparation need to be securely stored.

The same applies to a couple of cans of stabilized gasoline, flashlights, candles, waterproof matches, camp stoves, and similar items. Without functioning credit cards or ATMs, you should keep a stash of emergency cash. You should also keep important documents in a secure place and know where to access them, and a backup supply of medicine is critical for anyone with life-threatening illnesses.

There are a number of online resources and self-reliance books that provide a wealth of information on how to prepare for emergencies. These include websites for FEMA, the Mormon church, Homeland Security, the American Red Cross and many others.

Prepping in moderation using common sense and practicality should be a goal of every household.

David Hosking is an engineer, land surveyor, mapping specialist and outdoor enthusiast. He worked in Alaska and remote Canada, where self-reliance was essential.

In Afghanistan and Africa, he learned techniques for life without electricity. He now has an off-grid cabin in Missouri.

March-April 2020

— Random Shots — Visiting Otter Gives A Lesson in Biology

By JOEL VANCE In 1954, a film hit the silver screen (and it was silver in those days – black and white) which presaged an event now going on a few yards from the window I’m looking out as I write these words.

All over the country, testosterone-poisoned male teenagers drooled over a young actress named Julie Adams as she swam frantically to escape the deadly clutches of the “Creature From the Black Lagoon.”

We drooled every bit as copiously as the creature itself at the lissome Ms. Adams in her chaste white bathing suit.

Perhaps it was this memorable 1950s horror movie that inspires my lifelong fascination with air-breathing creatures who choose to live in aquatic environments. After all, some time back, the first of them escaped the ocean, crawled up on land, developed legs and the ability to think progressively.

The ones left behind in the primal ooze became politicians.

All of this is prelude to what this story is about, not confessing youthful, lustful thoughts (as opposed to geriatric lustful thoughts) but about a wildlife encounter I never thought I would experience.

OTTER BE A BETTER WAY A river otter appeared on our pond. My wife, Marty, insists on calling the one-acre body of water a lake, but whatever the designation, it recently became occupied by a river otter. Possibly it was a young male searching for new territory, as well as searching for a female with whom to set up housekeeping. I originally wished them well and prosperity, but the more I learned about otters … not on my pond.

Young wildlife males frequently go walkabout from territory dominated by older males, searching for pristine territory.

A long time back, biologists documented a young white-tailed buck that had traveled at least 100 miles from near Kansas City to central Missouri.

Bullfrogs and snapping turtles frequently migrate cross-country looking for ponds such as ours. We welcome the bullfrogs, but the snappers can go elsewhere. An otter, while evidence of a wildlife reintroduction success, also is a major problem waiting to happen.

We have plenty of bluegills and far too many young largemouth bass, so this otter had a set table for as long as it was allowed to sport where we swim in summer and ice skate in winter.

Son Andy was less welcoming at the prospect of the otter deciding to overindulge on either of the 8-pound largemouth bass that he has caught and released several times over the last couple of years. And the more I learned about otter ecology, the less thrilled I was by our visitor.

Likewise, there are a number of channel catfish that are nearly as large as the otter, and I hoped that there would not be a mini confrontation like Godzilla versus Rodin beneath the waters of our pond/lake.

RESTORING OTTERS I once attended an otter release and the animals, confined in cages, awaiting their introduction to new homes, were not happy and there was much snarling and display of teeth, accustomed to ripping flesh from prey animals. Once the gates flapped open, the animals didn’t stick around to be patted and fussed over, they lit a shuck for the water and, like creatures from the Black Lagoon, were gone in an eye-blink.

The release was part of a Conservation Department effort to restore otters to Missouri, one of a number of outstandingly successful wildlife re-introductions. The idea of a restoration program began in 1980 and took root in 1982 with the release of a few otters caught by a Cajun trapper in Louisiana. At the time, there were an estimated less than 100 otters left in Missouri, remnants of a once common animal, relegated to the equally almost vanished wetlands of the Bootheel.

See RANDOM SHOTS page 10

An otter rules his rock at the Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport, OR.

– Oregon Coast Aquarium photo

March-April 2020

Outdoor Guide

Page 9

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Outdoor Guide

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• Random Shots

The introduction of wildlife into unfamiliar habitat carries with it risks, as proved by history. For every ringneck pheasant success, there is a disaster like the starling or the gypsy moth that proves to be irretrievably misguided. It makes sense to try to restore an animal once native to the habitat, but not to introduce some creature either ill-suited to or competitive with the resident ecosystem.

Missouri has become a leading state for white-tailed deer and wild turkeys, both native to the state, and both outstanding reintroduction successes.

from page 8

The late John Lewis, godfather of the wild turkey reintroduction program, told me early on he would be happy if half the state’s counties developed a turkey population. Today, the big birds proliferate statewide, and the spring turkey season is nearly as celebrated as the fall deer season. Chances are a wild turkey will grace next November’s Thanksgiving table on hundreds if not thousands of Missouri households.

OTTERS IN FRENZY The long-term goal was to establish a population of perhaps 10,000 otters statewide.

Over the next 11 years, the conservation department released 845 otters in 43 streams in 35 of the state’s 114 counties.

The otters, horny rascals that they are, responded with a frenzy of copulation and began multiplying like especially virulent bacteria in a petri dish. In a few short years, the population topped 15,000 statewide and not only were river otters once again viable members of the wildlife community, they rapidly were becoming a potential disaster.

In fact, my otter, if it were to take up even semi-permanent residence, would be a ticking

time bomb. Dave Hamilton, the biologist in charge of the otter reintroduction program, had this to say about the Frankensteinian critter he had pioneered: “The state’s numerous farm ponds, most of which contain a combination of largemouth bass, bluegill and channel catfish, provide lots of recreational angling for kids and adults. We sure didn’t see these ponds as providing good habitat for otters, nor did we see the impending train wreck that otter depredation of the fish in these ponds would cause.”

Hamilton wrote that calls

March-April 2020

Julie Adams meets up with the Creature from the Black Lagoon.

– Hollywood Reporter photo

began to pour in about farm ponds being ravaged. “We now recommend that pond owners who are at all worried about their fish shoot otters when they show up. All we ask is that they contact us if they do so.”

I was extremely loath to plug our new visitor, even in the interest of preserving Andy’s largemouth trophies or our cruising catfish. But Hamilton said, “Otters especially target hand-fed catfish.” And we have shoveled many a sack of catfish chow off the end of our dock to the delight both of us and visitors, and of course to the delight of the gatemouth channel cats who gather there.

Our otter was inviting extreme sanction when Andy glimpsed a line of bubbles emanating from beneath the dock. The invading animal was asking for it.

OTTER TRAVELING SHOW Longtime conservation department biologist Glenn Chambers became the foremost spokesperson for river otters nationwide by raising a pair in his home and traveling statewide in Missouri as well as in other states to talk about otters and show off his frisky pair to the delight of audiences.

In his earliest otter shows, Glenn would let the otters roam freely through the audience, but it quickly occurred to him that, no matter how cute and friendly they might seem, they still were wild animals and the specter of having one of them chew some toddler’s arm off at the elbow motivated him to restrict their freestyle antics to the stage.

He shared the stage with both the otters and a large tank of water into which the animals could dip, especially when he released small fish. It was the equivalent of throwing a training dummy to a Labrador retriever; the voracious predator instantly kicked in and the baitfish was history.

BECOMING DADDY OTTER Living with a pair of river otters is not the same as having family pets, like dogs or cats. They are demanding, and caring for one becomes pretty much like having a new baby in the family. Having two is like having twins. It’s

not a matter of training them to obey commands like sit, stay and come. Glenn had to become part of their family as much as they did his. He slept with them and adapted to otter time in order to become, basically, daddy otter in their family.

When it became obvious that reintroduced river otters were not only a restoration trial, but a budding depredation problem, Glenn understandably was conflicted.

When Ozark smallmouth bass anglers began to bombard the Conservation Department with bitter complaints about otters having decimated the bass population in their favorite streams, Glenn said, “If an otter wants to catch a fish, that fish is a goner.”

No one was more associated with river otters in modern times than Glenn, a Renaissance man if ever there was one. Glenn sadly died in 2017 after a lifetime creating an incredible conservation legacy—one that included inclusion in the storied ranks of Missouri’s master conservationists. He and his wife Jeannie and a pair of river otters traveled more than 800,000 miles and entertained and educated more than 1 million people over 13 years after his retirement from the Conservation Department in 1995.

REGRET AND RELIEF I don’t know about the creature from the Black Lagoon.

It may still be there but Julie Adams was 92 years old when she swam into cinematic history last year.

Much in the manner of the cat that ate the canary and is found with feathers sticking to its lips, Andy witnessed our otter munching on a midsize largemouth bass and, acting as prosecutor, jury and judge, retrieved his 12-gauge turkey gun and committed ottercide.

Otters often travel in pairs, even as many as four, in search of new munchies, so we can only hope that our late otter did not send an ottergram home inviting family and friends over for dinner at our expense. We haven’t seen any further otter sign so perhaps our invader was solo. In requiem, understand that its fate is at the same time a source of regret and relief.

March-April 2020

Outdoor Guide

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Outdoor Guide

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March-April 2020

Finding a Great Bluegill Pond

Photo and Text

By TERRY & ROXANNE WILSON

The key to consistent success in catching big bluegills is searching out ponds capable of growing them. That’s the most important element of the fishing puzzle. Decades of bluegill fly-fishing have taught us that these “hubcap” factories share eight characteristics.

First, and possibly the most important, is a nutrientrich environment. Nutrients

produce microscopic life that initiates the food chain, which enables bluegills in all stages of life access to growthproducing sustenance.

Nutrient-rich water is created in one of three ways.

First, nutrients present in the soil drain into the pond. Next, any man-made additions such as agricultural fertilizers, waste from livestock or municipal waste find their way into the waters. The age of the pond is also a factor in richness. Older lakes build up nutrients over time, making

them better able to sustain big bluegills than newer ponds.

A visual examination of the pond will indicate its nutrientrichness. Suspended material causes the water to be cloudy or murky, but the lack of water clarity should not be confused with turbidity that is caused by silt washed into the pond or by the action of wind and waves.

SHALLOW WONDERS Second, shallow water produces more life in all forms than deep water. Abundant

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shallow water provides a living area for bluegills. Sunlight penetrates “thin” water and produces weed growth and algae that offer protective cover as well as food.

While the Deep South has bayous with uniformly shallow water capable of producing large numbers of big bluegills, relatively deep water is necessary in regions of the country where ponds freeze over. Oxygen depletion can cause ponds to winterkill.

Abundant weed growth is the third characteristic of great bluegill ponds because it provides habitat for bluegills. The growth of coontail, milfoil, lily pads, bulrushes or any of a wide variety of other vegetation in the pond serves several purposes. Initially, it enables bluegill fry to hide from predators, allowing more of them to reach maturity.

Additionally, vegetation provides a lifetime food source for bluegills, as they not only feed on it to some extent, but insects, crustaceans, and minnows utilize the weeds too. Finally, the weeds provide the well-oxygenated water that sustains all life.

Without question, it is difficult to overstate the importance of vegetation.

Another characteristic of great bluegill water is warm water temperatures. Bluegills are most comfortable between 65 and 80 degrees.

Even though they can survive in a wide variance of water temperatures, all things being equal, warm water temperatures for the longest period of time will grow larger bluegills.

WOOD STRUCTURE KEY While bluegills utilize many kinds of structure, experience persuades us that bluegills prefer wood structure to all others. The wood cover might be natural, such as deadfalls, standing timber, tree branches or stumps. Or it might be manmade, such as boat docks, duck blinds, and piers. The many tentacles of branches of a deadfall that extends from the shallows into relatively deep water is an example of the very best kind of woody cover.

Over the course of a lifetime, more big bluegills will

be caught from wood structure than any other structure in the pond. Wood structure in combination with weeds is even better. It’s the closest thing to a guarantee that exists in all of fishing.

PREDATORS’ ROLE A sixth important characteristic of big bluegill-producing ponds is the presence of an abundant predator species.

Bluegill populations that are uncontrolled can quickly overpopulate their habitat.

The result is many stunted fish but, because it takes a long time to grow big specimens of any species including bluegills, keeping the larger ones prevents them from reaching maximum size.

The truth is that man can’t control the population of small bluegills, but a substantial population of predators can. Largemouth bass and/ or catfish can help keep the population of small bluegills in check.

Another subtle factor that can be observed visually is gently sloping banks. Gradual shorelines compress our target species into small areas that afford anglers the opportunity for fast action. Gently sloping banks provide more shallow water and more sunlight penetration; therefore, they provide more vegetation.

The increased cover and food are essential to producing lots of big bluegills.

ALL ABOUT COVES The final characteristic is abundant coves. Ponds with many coves have more shallow water and also provide many more opportunities for fish-holding structures. The many coves are an indication that the land is likely to have been irregular before the dam was built.

Six of the eight characteristics of great bluegill ponds can be evaluated visually.

Water temperature can be easily taken, and the presence of abundant predators can be checked through conversations with other fishermen or your own observations. By evaluating ponds using these eight characteristics, bluegill anglers can determine which water in their locale will be productive even before fishing them.

Outdoor Guide

March-April 2020

Page 13

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Outdoor Guide

March-April 2020

Camping Gear & Gadgets ConnecTent Holds The Family In Two Big Rooms

Ozark Trail’s 8-person, L-shaped ConnecTent is a great tent for family camping. It clips to a straight-leg canopy (not included) to make an L-shaped space with privacy in each of the two rooms and easy access between them.

It sleeps up to eight people in 146.5 square feet of space that can hold two queen airbeds or eight sleeping bags. The center height is 75 inches.

Other features are an e-port for an extension cord to keep gadgets charged, media pocket for group viewing, lantern loop, storage pockets and a passthrough window.

The ConnecTent does not stand alone. The 10-foot by 10-foot straight-leg canopy is sold separately. The ConnecTent sells for $98 at Walmart.com.

Pedego Electric Bikes Are Made For Long Lives

National Geographic Guide to State Parks Is in Fifth Edition

There’s nothing better in the campground than a nice bike to ride around on, and sometimes it’s even better not to have to pedal.

Pedego Electric Bikes, starting at $1,895, are designed in California, made in the U.S. and come with a five-year warranty. The 18 models include tandem, full-suspension, mountain, folding, cargo, commuter and beach cruisers, all crafted with name-brand components.

Pictured here is the Trike, an adult tricycle, and the Comfort Cruiser beach bike.

Pedego bikes can be seen at 801 S. Holmes, St. Louis, or call (314) 698-2433. Other shops are in Edwardsville, IL, and Columbia, MO. Go online to pedegoelectricbikes.com.

The National Geographic Guide to the State Parks of the United States is now in its fifth edition and has information about some 950 parks, and more than 200 are featured.

It finds parks for fans of hiking, biking, camping horseback riding, wildflowers, birdwatching and rock climbing, among others. It has more than 200 color photos and 32 handy maps.

It is considered the only nationwide state park guidebook, with parks grouped by regions The National Geographic Guide to the State Parks of the United States is available for $21.49 at Amazon.com.

Habitude 6 Tent Holds the Whole Group or Family

Shower Tent: The Gear You Didn’t Know You Needed

When outdoor adventure is part of your family’s DNA, the Habitude 6 tent is a perfect retreat for igniting that passion in the next generation.

Built to handle kids and the rigors of primitive camping, this expansive, standing-height shelter sleeps six, perfect for canoe trips or as base camp.

The extra-sturdy frame and stainless-steel zippers stand up to the elements, and the tent’s limited mesh balances airflow and privacy.

It can be set up quickly by one person with a small helper, using color-coded clips and a simple design.

At 120” by 100”, the interior has 83 square feet of space.

Habitude 6 sells for $599.95. Places to see it include enwild.com, msrgear.com, or backcountrygear.com

Sometimes she’s just got to have a shower – for you to take! Here’s a way to do it. The Ozark Trail Shower Tent can be set up and taken down quickly and easily with its instant frame design and 10 included stakes.

It holds five gallons, heating them with natural light. The two-room tent has a changing room so your clothes stay dry. It’s well ventilated and has a mesh drain in the shower, two windows and a towel rack, toiletries holder and removable rainfly.

The shower tent is made of durable polyester and steel and sets up in seconds.

Ozark Trail’s 2-Room Instant Shower/Utility Shelter lists for $99 at WalMart and can be found on Amazon. com and EBay.

MaxRelax Rocker Is Designed for Outdoor Relaxing

Nova Inflatable Solar Lantern Is Always Useful

Portable Pet Shower Cleans Your Friend While Away

The MaxRelax Pod Rocker from GCI Outdoors features soft, quilted fabric that provides a “lux” outdoor experience.

GCI’s patented spring-action rocking technology provides a smooth, relaxing motion. You won’t want to go on another camping trip without this rocker.

MaxRelax also has a built-in carry strap, bagless design for quick set-up, cell phone pocket and the all-important beverage holder, and it folds down for storage. The steel frame supports up to 250 pounds.

It weighs 11.4 pounds and has a limited lifetime warranty.

MaxRelax Pod Rocker sells for $70 in red or blue at www.gcioutdoor.com/rockers/maxrelax-pod-rocker.

Packlite Nova USB is a handy, inflatable solar lantern that will go anywhere that needs a light – in the tent or campsite, floating in the pool or lake, in the emergency kit, or to light up the yard for a barbecue.

The lightweight Nova, made of polyurethane, is rechargeable, and users say it will outlast a power outage and is great for backpacking and camping, and for emergencies at home.

Each light has a solar panel, LED circuit and lithium-ion battery. They can be recharged and used for years, even on cloudy days.

Here’s something you didn’t know you needed – or did you? It’s a pressurized, portable pet shower for when your furry friend gets into something while away from home.

The Reliance Flow Pro Pressurized Portable Pet Shower has continuous spray and a trigger-action shower head with a 6-foot, kink-resistant hose.

The shower holds two gallons of water, and it comes with a neoprene sleeve, a mesh pouch to store pet gear and a handy carry strap.

The Reliance Flow Pro Pet Shower was selling for $29.99 from Sportsman’s Warehouse at Sportmans. com or at Amazon.com.

Packlite Nova, in white, sells for $24.99 at the website luminaid.com.

Outdoor Guide

March-April 2020

Page 15

Wild Wine Life

A Spicy Squirrel Meal

Photo and Text

By RAY MAXWELL

Squirrels are one of the first things that many young hunters enjoy pursuing. So we have a special place in our hearts for squirrel dishes.

This dish is very simple, and if you enjoy spicy, it will truly appeal to you. For me this is a fusion of southern Missouri cooking with a western Chinese cuisine influence.

SPICY BRAISED SQUIRREL • 2 squirrels, (quartered) • 1 cup dry white wine • 2 tablespoons bean paste (found at Asian specialty stores) • 2 teaspoons garlic powder • 1 teaspoon Cayenne pepper • 1 teaspoon black pepper • 2 tablespoons agave • 1 teaspoon ginger • 2 tablespoons soy sauce • 3 tablespoons duck fat (or substitute with bacon grease) Place the squirrel meat into a small, deep pan with the duck fat. Cover with foil and place into the oven at 290

The secret is in the sauce with its exotic combination of spices.

degrees.

For the sauce, place the wine into a saucepan and start to reduce the wine. Add the bean paste and then the agave.

While stirring, add the spices and reduce the contents until it is less than half and has started to thicken. Add the soy sauce toward the end of the process.

Let the squirrel braise for another 60 to 90 minutes, pull it from the oven and place it onto the plate. Pour the remaining sauce over the meat and serve.

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Both of these wines pair well with spicy food and complement this dish, and either can be purchased for under $20.

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Outdoor Guide

Page 16

March-April 2020

Tips, Tricks and Thoughts for the Great Outdoors

March Warm-Up All Around Us

By LARRY WHITELEY

When you are outside during the warm days of March, look for colors of spring in tiny wild flowers bursting through decayed leaves.

I look forward to the first trilling sounds of the spring peeper frog because I know they will be followed by the haunting sound of the whippoorwill and the blooming of the redbuds, followed by the flowering

dogwood and the emergence of morel mushrooms on the forest floor.

In the distance you might hear a turkey gobble. They know mating time is almost here. Below the water, fish are getting ready to head to their spawning areas. Birds are singing their spring songs. You smile because you know, as they do, that the beautiful spring days are coming, and the sooner the better.

TAKE A POLITICIAN FISHING DAY It has been proven through research that fishing has the power to change lives for the better. For that reason, there will be a special day set aside on April 15 this year called “Take a Politician Fishing Day.” The goals are that after they have been taught to enjoy fishing, they can also learn to get along with each other, understand they work for us the taxpayers and be more

mindful of how they spend our tax dollars. If you sign up to help would you please explain to them that there are a lot of us fishermen, we are watching them and we all vote. If you want to volunteer go to www. somethingsmellsfishy.org.

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that hangs out by the dock. It’s a time to enjoy a white bass run, catch a delicious walleye, go grab a sucker or dip a minnow for a crappie. If you’re a fisherman, how can you not enjoy April?

WHY BE AN OUTDOOR WRITER? Would you believe there are some outdoor writers who have legally registered corporations to communicate the great outdoors and get paid for it?

Thus they are entitled to legally take deductions on clothing and equipment they use to do such work.

For instance, they can depreciate the cost of the computers they use to write articles as a The spring peeper frog pro- business expense. They can vides the trilling in March. also claim a business expense for any gun, bow, fishing rod,

– National Geographic lure, camping stuff, hiking year. There were still plenty of equipment and even camera ticks out, and it not only kept that they buy as long as they the ticks off me but I never are used in gathering informagot a chigger bite either and tion to write paid articles and chiggers love me. I didn’t even are mentioned in those articles. have to swat at those stupid The cost of meals, mileage flies, mosquitoes or gnats like and lodging on any trip they I usually do. All I did was put go on using these items is also my on hunting clothes. deductible as long as a paid Now, you’re probably think- article comes from that trip. ing that after a while it has to Taxidermy of fish and game wash out, but you would be from those trips is not allowed wrong. It is guaranteed to work unless the article specifically for the lifetime of the clothing. mentions how to care for them If you don’t like being bugged in preparation for said work and during turkey season, or even includes pictures of the finished while camping and hiking for work in the article. that matter, you have a deciOf course, the poor things sion to make – spray down have to keep extensive records or just put on your Gamehide for proof of all these expenses ElemiTick Insect Shield hunt- and also keep them separate ing clothes. Read all about it at from personal expenses that are www.gamehide.com. not deductible, as well as follow TURKEY TIP all tax laws. If they don’t, they You may think you know might just get a knock on the how to judge the range in the door from an IRS agent who is turkey woods but get a range not smiling and wants to talk finder anyway so you’re not to them about a deduction for guessing and you know for doe pee. sure when a turkey is in clean SOMETHING TO shooting range.

THINK ABOUT TIME TO ENJOY APRIL “I’ve gone fishing thousands April is a time to look up of times in my life, and I have some old friends – that big never once felt unlucky or smallmouth in your secret poorly paid for those hours on spot or that ole’ largemouth the water.” – William Tapply smelly tick sprays before you go out hunting.

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Outdoor Guide

March-April 2020

Page 17

Short Takes on Fish and Squirrels

By GERALD J. SCOTT

After more than 35 years of professional writing, the odd corners of my mental filing “system” contain an uncounted number of tips, tactics and ideas that aren’t “meaty” enough for an entire newspaper column or magazine article.

They are, nevertheless, valuable additions to a wellrounded outdoorsman’s pool of knowledge. Therefore, I’ve decided to take pot shots at a few of them.

SAVING MINNOWS Invasive aquatic plants and animals pose a very real danger to Missouri’s lakes and streams, and the Missouri Department of Conservation is taking a multi-pronged approach to combating them. For example, anglers are strongly encouraged to destroy leftover live bait by dumping it on land well away from the edge of the water.

I know this sounds weird, but I have a very hard time killing leftover minnows. To give up to three dozen of them a chance to live a week or more longer, I took an old, hard-sided, 28-quart ice chest, drilled about a dozen one eighth-inch holes through the lid for ventilation and a hole large enough to insert the aerator end of a Frabill Bubble Box, which I attached to the lid with a strip of velcro.

Thirty minutes of aeration two or three times a day are plenty to keep the minnows lively.

NATIVE FISH TANK People with no interest whatsoever in the wilder side of nature enjoy watching domesticated “tropical” fish swimming back and forth in a home aquarium. There’s nothing inherently wrong with that, of course, but I prefer to stock my aquarium with native fish.

The current inhabitant of the 10-gallon aquarium that occupies a prominent place in my living room is an orange-spotted sunfish named Finnegan. Watching him is a two-way street. Strangers send him diving behind his sheltering rock, but he recognizes and initiates various interactions with both the human and the furry members of his beyondthe-glass family.

And as I’m sure he would want me to point out, Finnegan displays a very specific behavior pattern to indicate when he’s hungry.

FEISTY SUNFISH With the exception of endangered species – possession of

which is prohibited – it’s legal to possess up to five game or nongame fish in an aquarium setting.Any of the small species of sunfish – or small specimens of larger species – are excellent choices for a native fish aquarium, because of their potential to become pets.

That said, the standard one-inch of fish per gallon of water may not hold with sunfish. They form schools in the wild, but they can become very territorial in the confines of an aquarium. A couple of years ago, I put two green sunfish and a bluegill, all of which were less than three inches long, in a 10-gallon aquarium.

Within a week, I had to remove the bluegill and one of the green sunfish, because the other green sunfish had become so dominant that he was determined to kill his “competition.”

We called him Feisty.

A HELPFUL BOOK Several species of the minnows found in clear Ozark streams are strikingly beautiful, and while I’ve never tried it, I presume more than one of them could be stocked in an aquarium. If you decide to go this route, have a copy of The Fishes of Missouri by William L. Pflieger in hand.

It’s the best reference work on its subject I’ve ever seen and is readily available from the MDC’s Nature Shop.

Even with Mr. Pflieger’s help, I advise collecting stream minnows only during their spring spawning season, when their identifying colors are the most vivid. Even then, don’t collect anything that you’re not absolutely sure isn’t an endangered species.

FEISTY’S END Native fish survive in some downright yucky water in the wild, but, when placed in an aquarium, they need the same water purification chemicals, filter pump and tank-cleaning schedule that a store-bought fish does.

With that said, don’t use chemicals to remove algae.

I bought some from a local pet shop that both the bottle and the sales clerk said would not harm fish. The day after I added the prescribed amount of the chemical to my aquarium, Feisty was obviously sick, and the following day he was dead.

CALLING SQUIRRELS The best squirrel call I’ve ever used is two quarters scraped or tapped together.

The only problem is getting them out of my pocket when I

need them and not losing them when I don’t.

Then one day I was searching through my SUV’s ashtray and came upon some of the tokens a local car wash once used to activate its vacuum sweepers. Not only did they sound better than the quarters, but I also drilled a small hole close to the edge of each token.

An appropriate length of cord threaded through the holes and then tied into a loop created a lanyard that – so far at least – has kept even me from losing them.

Feisty was a green sunfish, like this one.

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Outdoor Guide

Page 18

March-April 2020

The Life of Ponds in Early Spring

Photos and Text

By JOHN L. SLOAN

It was not a big pond, maybe 12 acres. It had been there a long time and had been carefully stocked. It was 30 feet deep at the deep end and the shore was full of down timber and bushes.

It held bass, two kinds of bream and a few grass carp.

The fish population was monitored, and there were three feeders along the bank.

There was plenty of standing timber in deeper water.

It was, in a few words, a Tennessee fishing paradise.

The biggest bream ever caught there was just over 2 pounds. The biggest bass was 13 pounds and change.

The bass were holding on a hump in 6 feet of water. They wanted crank baits.

Not all ponds are this carefully managed. Some are smaller, some larger, some enclosed by manicured

lawns and some just stuck out in the middle of pastures.

But they all have one thing in common. The water in a pond warms faster than the water in lakes or rivers.

Therefore, the bass, if they have bass, spawn earlier and feed voraciously earlier. The same is true for crappie and bream.

Now is not too early to target a pond for some great fishing.

Once, it was just past Valentine’s Day and pushing 70 degrees. Fog was lying close on the water, and the bass were hitting just about anything we threw at them. We caught about 25 that morning and then went bream fishing. My Uncle Lester is a master bream angler, and the big bream were great eating.

Another afternoon in early spring, Judge Dave Durham and I were the guests of a hospitable pond

Fishing from the bank, this angler landed this 13-pound bass from a pond.

owner. The pond was full of crappie and catfish. The problem was there were too many crappie in the pond and most were quite small. So we concentrated on the catfish.

Not so my son Jason and I on another pond that held great eating-size crappie.

We caught 35 in about that many minutes.

CHOOSING A LURE In pond fishing, the lure choice is about what it would be for bass fishing anywhere.

I tend to lean toward three styles of lures: frogs and flukes fished in tight on the bank or in heavy cover; small, shallow running crank baits, usually in bream color; some small, spinner-type lures that will catch both bass and bream. Larger spinner baits or jigs in the deeper water can pay off when fished slow and deep.

I have two boats for pond fishing. One is a regular bass boat, the other a small thing called a Pond Hopper. But never overlook just walking the bank. I know one angler who concentrates on sight fishing for spawning bass.

He slowly walks the banks, looking ahead for bass on the beds. Then he targets them with a crawfish imitator lure.

He catches some huge bass in the early spring.

Years ago, in Cheatham County, I got permission to fish a small pond on a horse farm. It was less than two acres in size and absolutely full of good-sized bream. I took the family and on one afternoon, we filled a cooler.

You cannot tell what is in a pond by just looking.

You have to stop and ask the owner. You might be surprised at how many will give you permission to fish. The reason being, many if not most ponds need the fish thinned.

Judge Dave Durham lands an eating-size catfish from the manicured bank of the Wilson County, TN, pond.

Outdoor writer Larry Woody (at left) can catch early spring pond bass. We caught these on a warm morning, casting crank baits.

SMALL POND, BIG FISH And never underestimate the size of the fish in a small pond. In 1977, when we lived in Belinda City, TN, where the big shopping center is now, there used to be a small pond right at the entrance. Mickey Pope and I caught many bass in the 5-7-pound range out of that pond and now and then caught a stringer load of good-size crappie. Of course, that pond is gone now.

So take an afternoon drive and keep a sharp eye out for a likely looking pond. Now is the time to start fishing small water. It just happens.

I know of a pond, less than half an acre in size, that has some bass in it. It is about time for me to go see if they are hungry.

My son Jason landed this nice bass from the Pond Hopper boat one cool spring morning on a small pond.

Don’t overlook the crappie opportunities on early spring ponds.

Outdoor Guide

March-April 2020

Photo and Text

By T.J. MULLIN

Page 19

A New Glock, in .22 Rimfire

Learning how to shoot properly can be a time-consuming and expensive proposition – unless you are subsidized by the government. Even then, as taxpayers we all should be concerned about making the task cheaper and easier to accomplish.

Certainly, learning to cope with recoil, flash and blast takes time and training. The cheapest way to do this is to start off with a .22 rimfire weapon. Ammunition is cheap. Typically, you can fire four to 10 rounds of rimfire for one round of centerfire, and the blast, flash and recoil are much less, thus providing fewer obstacles to overcome.

By most reports, the most popular self-defense handgun in the world today, both for private purchasers as well as government buyers, is the Glock, and more specifically, the Glock M19 9x19mm model.

It is light in weight, softshooting as regards recoil, highly rust resistant, dependable beyond reproach, easy to use with few steps to learn, and safe to operate. It goes off only if you pull the trigger – unlike some other brands.

THE NEW M44 But until recently, anyone wishing to use a Glock pistol and shoot .22 rimfire ammunition, for the previously noted reasons, was compelled to purchase a conversion unit.

These units then replaced the original slide, barrel and magazine. It allowed the shooter to duplicate the feel of the original weapon, other than slightly less weight, and get all of the advantages of the .22 rimfire cartridge.

For those who use the bigframe Glocks in .45 or 10mm or a full-size Glock 17/22/31, this is still the case, but with the release of the Glock M44 in .22 rimfire, for those using or adapting the compact models such as the M19/23/32, this no longer is the case.

The new M44 is sized exactly the same as the M19 model and handles in every way the same. It is a blowback not locked breach action, naturally, and you cannot put your extra 9mm slide assembly on it, of course. It is a dedicated .22 rimfire weapon.

Unfortunately, Glock did not use the Williams floating chamber system to simulate felt recoil like Colt did in the ‘30s with their Service Ace Series. Perhaps the Glock folks forgot about it. It is light due to the slide being a lighter weight, due to the need to operate with the weaker .22 rimfire cartridge.

It does have an adjustable rear sight to allow you to properly zero your weapon.

But the visual appearance to the shooter of this sight is the same as the factory fixed sight.

It is a good thing, since .22 rimfire ammunition, varying as to loadings, often hits different points of impact.

If it bothers you once you have established your zero and preferred loads, swap it out for a standard fixed unit.

ABOUT RELIABILITY As with all .22 autoloaders, the main question is one of reliability, for getting a cartridge of lower pow with a rim shooting an outside lubricated bullet – hence very dirty and sticky – can be a real challenge. The fact that they work at all is a miracle of engineering, really.

But the tested M44 I shot

The new Glock M44 is a dedicated .22 rimfire weapon.

worked just fine with a variety of loads from Hi Speed to subsonic, from a variety of manufacturers from Armscor to Winchester and many in between, all without cleaning or lubrication.

Once we have the issue of reliability put to rest, the next question always is accuracy.

As this is a trainer, really, or what I prefer to call an understudy, for your personal defense weapon, I do not think it fair to evaluate it against a real target pistol with a good trigger and excellent sights de-

signed for bulls-eye shooting.

So I evaluated it on a 25shot group basis with Armscor ammunition, which I have found quite accurate, against a similar weapon offered by Smith & Wesson, their M+P .22 as well as a conversion unit on my Glock 17 pistol.

Shooting at 50 feet on a bull’s-eye target for 25-round groups, both shot within one point of the other (233-6XGlock and 232-5X for the Smith & Wesson) with groups of six inches, give-or-take a quarter inch for each, offhand,

of course, the way you realistically test such weapons.

As an aside, the conversion unit equipped with a Trigicon RMR sight got a better performance of 243-4X and 3 7/8” group but I attribute that to the better sighting equipment, not any inherent accuracy potential.

AN ECONOMICAL GUN No one is going to buy a Glock M44 as a target pistol or even a hunting handgun, as you need fine triggers and excellent sights for both of

those ventures, but can be a sub-caliber understudy for those who carry Glock pistols, especially the compact models like the M19, which is so popular it is simply a “must have” item.

Given the cost of ammunition today, a person who fires around 3,000 rounds with the Glock M44 will have it paid for in savings over the same number of factory rounds. At that rate, while an M44 might not be free, it certainly is a good economic decision to purchase one.

Outdoor Guide

Page 20

March-April 2020

Self-Park: Overnight Sites for Travelers

By RENEE WRIGHT For Mobile RVing mobilerving.com

Jim Turntine, owner and developer of the new RV SelfPark in Sullivan, MO, believes he has a winning concept. His fully automated RV park with 24 paved, pull-through sites has opened just off Interstate 44.

The concept, as Turntine describes it, is designed to provide convenient, stress-free parking for RVs. His potential customers are travelers who don’t need a full resort or a camping experience.

“We’re in a different time from even 10 years ago,” he said. “People now just get on the internet and find a place.

With our new system, they can go to our website, pick a space, pay for the space, drive directly to the campsite, and check in with their confirmation number. This gives them access to water, electric, sewer, even WiFi.” Turntine based his business model on his family’s experience traveling in RVs. “We’re on our fifth RV in 17 years,” he said. “Currently I’m driving a Thor Tuscany 42-foot tandem pusher.”

But he and his family aren’t campers. “I’m more of a transient traveler,” he said. “We use our RV to travel to events or to visit family. We like to be spontaneous, just jump in the

camper and leave whenever we feel like it.”

Turntine doesn’t like to “boondock.”

“I don’t sleep well in a WalMart or Flying J parking lot,” he noted, a sentiment many RVers can agree with. “And I don’t want to be driving five or six miles off the interstate looking for a campground in the dark. I don’t need a store, I don’t need a pool, I don’t need a shower house, and I don’t want to pay for a resort just to park overnight.”

JUST A LEVEL SPOT Turntine believes a large segment of the RVing public will agree with him. “People just want a level spot, well lit, a pull-through that’s easy to find and get into,” he said. “I want to be able to see my spot, pull in and park.”

RV Self-Park is designed for travelers who just need to get off the interstate for a while, dump their tanks, and recharge their electrical devices, in a safe, secure and easy to access location.

“We’re not a campground, we’re an RV parking facility,” Turntine said.

The park’s Facebook page has already compiled more than 1,500 “like” mentions, and he was interviewed by the New England RV Dealers Association’s “Facebook Live” show.

Jim and Maria Turntine think their RV Self-Park will catch on with travelers.

– Mobile RVing photos

When Turntine was interviewed for this article, only three customers had actually stopped at the park, but that wasn’t surprising, he said, since the weather had been subfreezing, and not many people were traveling on Interstate 44.

“It allowed us to train our staff, layer in our website, and get our security cameras online,” he said. The park is covered by security cameras; customers get codes that allow them to see the security footage on their phones or computers.

Other codes provide access to the dumpster, WiFi and hookup bays. The utilities (water, a choice of 30 or 50 amp electric, and sewer) stay on until the paid-for time runs out. Campers also have access to a 24-hour hotline number.

STARTING FEE IS $20 Parking fees vary with the length of time RVers plan to remain at the Self-Park. Those just looking for a short break can pay as little as $20 for 10 hours, which can be extended for additional hours at $2 each.

A full 24 hours costs $39.

Those who plan to stay longer – to visit family or tour the area – can pay $32 each for two to six 24-hour days, or $32 per day for seven to 28 days.

Turntine was still fine-tuning the fee system. The park is designed to be inexpensive to run, with minimal staff and upkeep. “We structured it this way from the first turn of the shovel,” he said.

Turntine, a builder and developer with interests in commercial and residential

real estate, built the RV park on land he owned along I-44.

“The location is perfect, about a mile from the interstate overpass,” he said. “Far enough away so you don’t get all the truck noise. We’re a couple of minutes from a Flying J, a Wal-Mart and a Cracker Barrel, whatever you need, and you can come and go.”

Self-Park has no gate but does have parking sensors that allow the operator to tell which sites are being occupied.

Everything about the park is as high tech and as automated as possible. “Sometimes we’re using devices from other genres and applying, redirecting them to our needed outcomes,” he said. “The package of automated parking as we are doing it has not been done before anywhere we can find.”

NOT JUST THIS ONE Turntine expects to add more such parks, in part by retrofits

of existing RV parks.

“In the long run, we want to be able to do everything we do in both types of scenarios,” he said. “And, frankly, the demand is there for retrofitting an existing park, so we have planned for that.

“We believe this business model will lend itself to smaller parks, and more of them spread out instead of a large congestion of RV’s in one place. Too many at one place could cause some problems that we do not want.”

Franchising the concept is definitely in his plans but down the road. A new one might cost $25,000 to $30,000, and a retrofit could be much less.

“I believe there’s a need for this, based on the 99 percent positive feedback I’ve had so far,” Turntine said. “It could help the RV industry, and RVers as well, by making it more convenient to use an RV more often.”

The RV Self-Park in Sullivan, MO, has 24 pull-through spaces for travelers who just need to stop for the night.

Outdoor Guide

March-April 2020

Page 21

Thank You Outdoorsmen for Choosing One of Our Restaurants.

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Outdoor Guide

Page 22

Claudette’s Kitchen

By CLAUDETTE ROPER

The Family in Winter

“They shoot horses don’t they?”

No, Mountain Man and I hadn’t spent too much of a long, hard winter together, but we sure had some rough times, and we’re thankful that just when one of us was too low to handle a much-needed chore, the other one could pick up. He even managed to bring in a pathetically beautiful little cedar so we’d have a Christmas tree.

That being said, it’s the worst we’ve experienced in over 36 years of marriage, and he was the powerhouse that kept us going. It’s times like this that you particularly appreciate each other – that dear friend who kept showing up with another pot of soup and the one who stepped in to help others when we couldn’t.

It also left us with more time than normal to do a little reminiscing. You know when kids are home, mom and dad still find out new things the boys pulled off, and the boys are still finding out about things they thought we never knew but did. Pretty soon that had us pulling out old photo albums, and the memories those triggered had us reminiscing even more.

THE OLD STORIES What’s interesting about that is that I can’t remember a single story that revolved around Christmas, but there were all sorts related to hunting and fishing – the time the accelerator stuck on the old van, the time I “ruined” our shore lunch at Rainy Lake because I didn’t bring ketchup, and more.

Today there’s so much talk about family traditions and

TURKEY

DEER

making memories, but you’d think according to Etsy or Facebook that they have to happen on “holidays” and you have to have everything “picture perfect” or it won’t work. Guess what? Balderdash!

THOUGHTS OF GRANDMA One of the things that I noticed the kids doing was reminiscing about Grandma Roper. The story could be about going hunting, but somewhere in there, before all was said and done, they would mention something about her being up early and cooking up a storm of biscuits and gravy or coming back to one of her lunches. It wouldn’t be long and someone would have to say something about her pies … and on and on.

Now this is going to get me in trouble, but it’s true – those pies were really nothing to look at – definitely not from the front cover of Southern Living. What they were, however, was delicious and what they’ve done is stuck in my children’s minds and hearts forever.

If you wait until your pies look like they came off an Etsy page, you missed the boat. I’d also wager to say that if you spent all your time and energy trying to do that, you missed sitting around the kitchen table playing board games with the kids.

It wasn’t all about the baking and just maybe that’s why they never noticed the ugly – I mean not-so-picture-perfect – pies.

By the way, Mountain Man just reminded me that as good a housekeeper as Grandma was, if there were pies for dessert, you could be sure the kitchen was a mess and that it was probably a little smoky from where the pies bubbled over.

But it didn’t matter – the kids don’t remember that part. Do you hear me? Just cook it…bake it…and make memories!

ODORS OF MEMORY Old pictures are amazing memory triggers. So are odors.

Take a freshly baked pie out of the oven and one of the kids will walk in and say, “It smells like Grandma’s house in here.”

Make Rouladen and they’ll say, “It smells like Oma and Opa’s house.” Next thing you know there’ll be a story getting told.

Don’t let me mislead you – this old gal is learning this lesson late in life, but apparently I’ve done a few things right. The

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This ‘Impossible Coconut Pie’ is a no-mess, no-fuss recipe. – Allrecipes photo

other day our youngest granddaughter got excited when her mom got an Instant Pot for Christmas. Why? Because now her mom can make oatmeal for her just like Oma does! Oh yeah, I’m one proud Oma! Now there’s one more thing I have to say about this.

Consider putting together a recipe book for each of your kids that includes some of their favorite recipes from you, their grandmas, aunts or dear friends. When they first get started, some cheap and easy recipes help, but don’t limit it to that.

Not all were easy, but because they liked them, they rose to the occasion. Also, insert some blank sheet protectors.

You’ll be surprised to find out what recipes they want that never occurred to you. I inserted a chart for cooking times for beans and also one on the freezer life of certain foods, but then I’m weird.

In closing, I’m leaving you who have time and a clean kitchen with this link to a no-mess, no-fuss pie: www/ allrecipes.com/recipe/12441/impossible-coconut-pie-ii/

Outdoor Guide

March-April 2020

Page 23

Rural Ramblings

Spring: Flowers & Turkey Season

By RUSSELL HIVELY March and April are spring months for Missourians. It is a time when the outdoor world begins a new year. Flowers bloom, trees bud and leaf out, birds migrate, the weather mellows and spring turkey season begins. *** The world today is much more mechanized than it was 80 years ago. Now people blow rather than rake leaves, they cut wood with chain saws, they “shoot” nails instead of pounding them in with a hammer, and they mow their lawns atop fastmoving mowers. Until the 1940s, nearly every railroad tie made in the wooded area of Missouri was hand-hewn.

That’s no longer the case as mechanization has taken that job, too. *** Urbanization continues to be a part of modern life. In 2003 the Nixa Livestock Auction Barn was sold to make room for storage units. Years ago, the Neosho Sale Barn was torn down and replaced by a roller-skating rink. *** Most people like and enjoy watching butterflies. Most recognize the fact that the habitat for butterflies is fading and so is the butterfly population. How many realize that much of a multi-mile migration route for the popular Monark butterfly is along the Interstate 35 corridor? *** Is it true that butterflies were once called “flutteries?” *** Why is the female caribou the only member of the deer family that has antlers? *** The Branson Hotel was built in 1903 for housing workers of the incoming railroad. The unique building was converted into modern and beautiful bed-andbreakfast style housing in the early 1990s. *** Many times, when two rivers merge they take on

zine

Ma y - June 2018

OOr aga OutdG uide M

TRAVEL SHOOTING • • BOATING • G • CAMPING HUNTING • FISHIN

Daylight Savings ................Page

2

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White Perch ......................Pag

Strange Seeds ..................Page

12

Albino Catfish ................Page

16

e 20

Hobo Meal .......................Pag

Scrapes Tales ...................Page

32

Asian Carp ......................Page

46

MISSOU RI

a new name. The Current River begins where Montauk Springs joins Pigeon Creek.

In McDonald County the Big Sugar and Little Sugar River merge at Pineville to become Elk River, known for its float trips and canoeing. *** Not only is Missouri known for its wild turkey hunting, but the state also is a leader in raising turkeys.

Several small Missouri towns have celebrated turkey production with turkey festivals, 30-foot long turkey sandwiches, and frozen turkey bowling contests. *** One-room country schools are a thing of the past. Still, people are fascinated by some of these schools’ names, such as Buzzard’s Glory, Possum Trot, Pleasant Ridge, Sunnyside, Coon Hollow, Spotted Pig and Frog Pond. *** Did you know that when the battleship U.S.S. Missouri celebrated its 75th anniversary, a bottle of Missouri-grown wine was used to rechristen the ship? *** Do you realize that the best-selling vehicle for many rural car dealerships is the pickup? *** State conservationists keep track of the largest champion trees in each species.

In 2012, a Bentonville, AK, couple learned they had two champion trees in their yard, a black walnut and a slippery elm. *** Most large fires built for hog butchering had layers of logs and stones. *** Why is it today that a 2x4 board of lumber is really 1 1/2” by 3 1/2”? *** The months of March and April reek of springtime. It is a time when the world awakens and begins life anew. It is a time for a “green” eruption of life. Anyway, that’s what the Rural Rambler thinks.

-

ILLINOI S

-

EXCITIN G AND OTHER

OUTDOO R

DESTINATIONS

Take a Look

at Back Issues of Outdoor Guide Magazine

by Visiting outdoorguidemagazine.com

The parade at the Eldon Turkey Festival

– Eldon News-Tribune photo

Outdoor Guide

Page 24

March-April 2020

Wildlife Wrangling and Outdoor Ramblings

I Cut My Teeth Wrangling Badgers

Photo and Text

By RANDALL P. DAVIS

Most nuisance wildlife control specialists have a keen remembrance of their first assignment. It may have been a raccoon or possum wedged in the AC unit at the local golf course clubhouse.

Mine, however, occurred at the ripe age of 14 – in a chicken yard.

In 1970, I hadn’t acquired much trapping experience with animals other than a few raccoons, a muskrat or two, and a handful of feedpilfering barn rats in Dad’s feed room. So when my grandparents called and said an animal had broken into the hen house and killed several chickens, I was thrilled to take on the challenge.

A MOUNTAIN LION? To me, several chickens meant two or three. But when I stepped into the chicken yard and counted 10 hens, four pullets, and one old rooster in various stages of dismemberment, I wondered if I had a trap big enough. I mean, this had to be a mountain lion, right?

The culprit had eaten only the breasts of a few chickens and some were missing heads or entrails. Others were simply murdered and left. But the odd thing was, a few chickens were buried.

“I’ve never seen anything kill a chicken and then just bury it,” my grandfather said while examining the remains. “I don’t know, it might be a coyote, coon or even a dog. It’s hard to say.”

By then I was thinking Chupacabra. After sizing up the situation, I gathered and removed all but one of the chicken carcasses. The lone hen was then buried in the kill-site, leaving a single leg protruding as a visual attractor.

Still unsure what I was up against – be it rabid wild dog, super-raccoon with inflamed hemorrhoids, or werewolf in rut – I selected the most powerful trap I had, a No. 2 Victor twin coil-spring. With my vast experience, I knew this would manacle even a steroid-crazed sasquatch.

I excavated a depression suitable to house the trap, drove down a wooden stake large enough to kill a vampire

A pair of badgers adjust to their surroundings. – phys.org photo

the size of a brontosaurus, then wrapped baling wire around the stake and trap chain enough times to create a mace any Viking would die for.

Next, I made a diaper-sized piece of chicken-feed sack and interred the trap under it and an inch of dirt. No way was this creature going to be spooked by human scent.

NOTHING LEFT TO CHANCE As a final touch, I sprinkled the area with reeking fish oil, eye-watering coyote urine, pungent fox gland lure, and a

smear of sweet raccoon bait. I left nothing to chance and felt confident my set would catch and hold this tiger, ridding the county of such a horrible, poultry killing beast.

Two days later, my grandparents called and excitedly told me some animal was in the trap and the chicken yard resembled a minefield after a hailstorm.

When I arrived, dirt and feathers were fanned out over a 10-foot area. And in the middle sat a huge cone-shaped mound tall enough that we couldn’t see the animal.

WATCH FOR OUR

We crept closer and heard a low, malevolent growl gushing from the hole.

Cautious as miners whose canary just died, we inched forward and peered over the crater’s rim.

At first, all we could see was a black, upturned nose and lots of gleaming enamel. Another step, and the animal lunged up, gnashing those pearly whites at everyone’s tender anatomy.

This action caused an equal and vigorous re-action, as everyone arched and peeled backward, looking like some blooming onion served at a steakhouse.

GRANDPA DID THE HONORS Later, my grandfather was happy to vanquish the marauder and pleased to put an end to the poultry plundering. I felt a sense of pride, and the whole scenario became a conversation topic at many Sunday dinners thereafter.

My grandparents are gone now. But our house sits on the exact site where I completed my first “professional” nuisance job.

THE TERROR RETURNS It would be 20 years and hundreds of wildlife removals later that I’d be called to a similar situation.

The property owner was livid about how raccoons tore into the poultry house, slaughtered 12 ducks, then broadcast them like fescue seed. He said bring your best raccoon trap and eliminate this varmint. I had other thoughts.

Arriving, the freshly quarried earth hosted dead mallards everywhere. Some had missing heads. Others were intact but sprawled out like pole-axed cartoon characters. It was all too familiar!

“Badger,” I said.

“Badger!” he barked, looking at me like I’d said Godzilla.

“I’ve NEVER seen a badger around here. You better rethink this.”

Two days later, the owner stared at a snarling, caged, 15-pound member of the Mustelidae family. He asked how I knew.

“Some guys start out trapping possums,” I said. “I guess I was lucky. I cut my teeth on badgers.”

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May-June 2020

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Claudette’s Kitchen

Claudette’s Kitchen

of our own

Bobby Whitehead Founding Editor of The Outdoor Guide Magazine

Claudette’s Kitchen

Claudette’s Kitchen

Claudette’s Kitchen

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CELEBRATING

outdoorguidemagazine.com Claudette’s Kitchen

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YEARS HUNTING • FISHING • CA MPING • BO ATING • SH Missouri OOTING • TR Illinois AVEL And Other

Exciting

Outdoor

Destinati

ons

March-April 2020

Outdoor Guide

Page 25

Outdoor Gallery Send in your favorite outdoor photo to news@outdoor-guide.com and be featured in the Outdoor Gallery.

PAULIES’ SMALLIES – Paul Lieser of Ballwin and his son, Paul Lieser, Jr., caught a passel of smallmouth on Lake Erie last August. They had about 30 smallies and 18 keeper walleyes, too. The biggest smallie was 5 pounds, 4 ounces, and two others were over five. They fished from downtown Erie, PA, about a mile and a half out.

GEESE POLICE – Gary Crowe, left, and Bruce Cashon with their harvest of snow geese near Patoka IL. Bruce is surrounded by their decoys.

SHARP CATCH – Andrew Sharp of Wichita KA caught this 4-pound-plus smallmouth in northwest Ontario last May. He, Neal Holland and Bobby Whitehead cut several smallmouth on that trip.

TANEYCOMO RAINBOW – John Thompson of Ballwin MO, with guide Bill Babler behind him, landed a beautiful rainbow on Lake Taneycomo in early February. He reports that the fishing was fabulous.

SUMMER SIZZLING – David Hosking of St. Peters, MO, caught this trout last summer at Bennett Spring on a fishing trip with Bobby Whitehead and Jay T. Thompson. Bobby said the trout were really biting that day.

MISSION POSSIBLE – Dr. Steven Grossman got this nice 8-point during bow season using a Mission Sub-1 crossbow. It was his first full-size buck in 32 years of bow hunting. “It was worth the wait,” the good doctor reports.

Outdoor Guide

Page 26

March-April 2020

Cold-Day Walk Reveals Nature’s Ways Photos and Text

By LARRY DABLEMONT There is a remote little gravel bar along the river where I love to camp, quite a walk from the road. I wanted to see it in the dead of winter.

I saw a very clear bobcat track in soft sandy soil. On such ground it is easy for anyone to tell a cat track.

Those bottoms below rocky bluffs and crags have a great population of bobcats.

There’s no shortage of them in the remote areas of the Ozarks. There are more of them now than I ever remember. They may have a lot to do with the alarming decrease in wild turkey over the past few years. Rising numbers of great horned owls are also part of that problem.

There would be young great horned owls hatched and bobcats born very soon, long before the fawns were born. In the Ozarks, there are squirrels being born in late February, and bobcats begin having young in February as well.

Ozark bobcats may bear young any time from December on. But most are born in February and early March. In the White River in Arkansas, brown trout were beginning to spawn.

SHELL READING I happened across a terrapin shell, this one very old because only the white undershell was there. Terrapins have an outer and under shell, and Ozark boys in my grandpa’s generation often carved their initials and dates in the outer shell.

When I was just a boy, I found terrapins with initials and dates, and it caused me to realize how long they lived. I suspect a terrapin might live 40 or 50 years if he is lucky enough to stay upright.

They are unusual in that they are capable of living a long time and yet producing a lot of young. Most all wild things are good at one or the other … not both. A species has high “biotic potential,” the ability to survive well and live long, or has high “reproductive potential,” the ability to produce a high number of offspring during a season.

The predators have few babies in one year and live long and survive well. A rabbit or a wood rat has a short life span because of predation and a weakness to disease and parasites. But all small ground mammals are like rabbits; they raise lots of young to ensure survival of their species – and to feed the predators.

A bald eagle stops for a bite to eat.

The bobcat and fox have a lot to do with the survival of terrapins, not because they eat them, but because young foxes and young bobcats just can’t pass up a terrapin without chewing on it, slapping at it, and curiously examining it. Young raccoons, so adept with their “hands,” do the same thing. In doing so, they sometimes leave the terrapin on its back, which is often a death sentence for it.

DESIGN FLAWS It isn’t pleasant to think about the time it might take a terrapin to die in such a situation. It has caused me to wonder if the Great Creator didn’t make a mistake or two, giving us snakes and subjecting the terrapin to such a rough end at times.

He pretty much insured

the terrapin would never be an easy meal, but if it was me, maybe I’d rather outrun a young bobcat than spend several days trying to regain my feet after becoming his plaything.

There is another flaw in the design of the terrapin.

Very often, in mating, a male terrapin becomes unbalanced and ends up on his back. The cottontail has no option for the terrapin’s long life, but by golly, during the mating season, worn out as he may become, he never winds up on his back. If you have never seen mating rabbits cavorting in the moonlight, you have missed something.

OSPREY PERFORMERS At this point, it makes me wonder what I was thinking when I started this column…

Oh yeah, now I remember.

I was down along the river admiring the ice sculpture on the bluff across the river, when two ospreys came upstream and saw me. Immediately they began to perform acrobatics above me, a sight to behold and impossible to describe.

It was as if they wanted to put on a show for me. All the while, they were chirping at me in trilling voices typical of those “fish-hawks” during the mating season. And yes, their mating season was at hand.

I have written before of all the eagle nests I know of in the Ozarks, but I really can’t pinpoint the osprey nest.

Their nest is usually along a rock ledge, and not easy to see. They have feet adapted to clinging to small fish, and in diving after fish, they can

penetrate the water easier and deeper than an eagle can.

The old eagle I saw working on her nest last week on another river is not a fish eater at all right now because they aren’t available where she is.

Eagles on the larger lakes in the northern Ozarks are feeding a little better because of the winter shad die-offs.

Eagles are also pretty good at finding crippled ducks and coots, and other things to eat when fish aren’t easy to get.

I saw two eagles in the fall sharing a dead deer with some buzzards. Eagles are big-time carrion eaters. I’ve never seen an osprey eating carrion.

To contact me, write to Box 22, Bolivar, Mo 65613.

I do not live there, but that is where I pick up my mail. Or you can email me at lightninridge47@gmail.com.

An osprey soars way overhead.

5935 S. LINDBERGH BLVD., ST. LOUIS, MO 63123 MUNGENASTMOTORSPORTS.COM | (855) 584-0166

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Outdoor Guide

March-April 2020

Page 27

Health Maintenance, Head to Tail

Photo and Text

By PURINA PRO-PLAN

Your hard-working sporting dog doesn’t come with an owner’s manual detailing specific guidelines for his or her wellbeing. It’s up to you to work with your veterinarian to create an optimal preventive maintenance schedule for your dog.

Not only will it keep the dog healthy, it also gives you the chance to catch anything serious before it potentially becomes a major problem.

“Regularly scheduled veterinary exams are the foundation of good preventive health care,” said Dr. Kurt Venator, chief veterinary officer for Purina.

“Preventive care is especially essential for sporting dogs, who are at a higher risk for certain conditions such as orthopedic injuries, lacerations and puncture wounds, foreign bodies and gastrointestinal disease.”

Good ear, eye and oral health are among the best indicators of your dog’s overall well-being and field performance, but proper preventive care doesn’t end there. Follow this checklist of routine inspections and checkups, noting the tell-tale signs that your dog is in its prime, to help keep your dog in good health year-round.

BACKGROUND CHECK A discussion of your dog’s general health history, as well as his or her lifestyle at home and in the field, with your veterinarian will pay dividends during your dog’s annual examination.

Once a baseline is established, it’ll be easier for you to notice any changes in your dog’s eating and drinking or urination and defecation habits, a fluctuation in weight, or a shift in mobility or field performance. Likewise, your veterinarian can more readily diagnose any such behavioral or health issues.

TIPTOP SHAPE Watch for signs of weight loss or weight gain by monitoring your dog’s body condition. For a dog in ideal body condition, you should be able to easily feel the ribs and view the waist behind the ribs, and

an abdominal tuck should be visible from the side.

It’s important to adjust the amount fed of a high-quality performance food, such as one of the Purina Pro Plan SPORT Formulas, to maintain ideal body condition. In fact, Purina’s landmark lifespan study in dogs showed that dogs maintaining lean body condition throughout their lives can extend their lifespans by nearly two years.

PREVENTION PARAMOUNT To help prevent communicable diseases, fleas, ticks and intestinal parasites in your dog, you and your veterinarian should implement a comprehensive vaccine and parasite prevention protocol. Yearround heartworm protection also is recommended in all U.S. geographic regions.

EASY ON THE EYES Your dog works in environments ripe for eye injury, so be on the lookout for irritation or injury after running through brush, grass or weeds.

Some breeds are predisposed to conditions such as dry eye, progressive retinal atrophy and glaucoma, so it’s also a good idea to talk with your veterinarian to learn whether your dog is at risk. To tell if the eyes are healthy, they should be bright and clear, with no signs of runniness, redness or soreness, nor should your dog shy away from light as if it hurts the eyes.

PEARLY WHITES Dental disease can be caused by poor oral hygiene or foreign bodies entering the mouth during field work, wreaking havoc on your dog’s mouth and potentially causing other systemic health issues. Daily teeth brushing and routine dental exams are a must. Your dog’s teeth should be white with no excess tartar and gums pink or black, not red or swollen, with odorless breath.

EAR TO EAR Besides routine checkups, you should also regularly clean your dog’s ears, especially during the warmer months when the incidence of ear infections across breeds runs high due to

A dog’s eyes should be bright and clear with no signs of soreness or redness.

frequent swimming. Be careful during cleaning, as the skin in a dog’s ears can be sensitive, avoiding too deep or vigorous cleaning. With proper care and cleaning, your dog’s ears should be clear of any thick brown or green wax and be odorless.

THE NOSE KNOWS Contrary to popular belief, a cold or wet nose has no correlation to illness. Instead, look to make sure your dog’s nose has no crusting on the surface or runny discharges or bleeding from within. If your

dog’s nose changes color, don’t be alarmed. Noses can change from black to pink and back again, which can vary through the year.

BRUSH IT OFF Grooming goes far beyond vanity. Frequently brush your dog’s coat to maintain its vitality and remove any debris or foreign material picked up in the field. It also affords you the opportunity to look for fleas or ticks that may have burrowed into the dog’s coat. Keep tabs on your dog’s nails, as nails that

are rough or break easily may require additional attention.

HEALTHY APPETITE Keep a close eye on your dog’s appetite for any noticeable changes. The dog should eat without any sickness or choking, and stools should be a normal color with no diarrhea, constipation or mucus, or clear jelly, passed.

Similarly, it’s also important to monitor your dog’s daily water intake. If your dog suddenly becomes excessively thirsty and begins drinking more water

than usual, it’s best to consult your veterinarian.

BAD ATTITUDE It is important to be aware of your dog’s health and happiness, so keep an eye out for any changes to his or her temperament. Your dog’s general attitude toward life can tell you a lot about its general health. If the head or tail are down, or the dog skulks or displays atypical troublesome behaviors, the dog may not be feeling at his or her best. When in doubt, talk to your veterinarian.

Outdoor Guide

Page 28

March-April 2020

A Family’s Tale: Starting With a Pop-up…

Photo and Text

By M. MCLEAN Time. It is such a precious commodity. We never seem to have enough of it and certainly never know how much we will have. As I watch my family grow, watch my children get older, and watch myself and my spouse get older, time is becoming more and more important.

We’re stretched and pulled between work, school, household, extra-curricular activities and family obligations, leaving us very little time to enjoy each other. I’m sure I’m not the only person in this situation nor the only person to feel this way.

A few years ago, we found the best solution to this problem for our family – camping. We both had grown up camping and had great memories of time spent together with our families – memories that have stuck with us.

What better way (on a budget) to bring the entire family together than to drive to a remote spot – void of any cell signal and the distractions of daily life and full of the wonder of nature – to bring us all together?

FIRST PURCHASE We purchased a pop-up

trailer, thinking that would be the perfect compromise between one spouse’s desire for a tent and the other spouse’s desire for anything but a tent.

Our first trip with a 3-yearold and 5-year-old in that pop-up was eye-opening.

We truly loved every minute, despite the August-inthe-Midwest heat and the thunderstorm with damaging winds. We decided we wanted more – more time together, more time in nature, more time cuddled up by the campfire while little ones dozed in our laps.

We were hooked. We dreamed of bigger and better trips. We dreamed of trips all the time – no more waiting for a big, expensive vacation once each year, we could go as much as we wanted! We had to upgrade the pop-up.

SECOND PURCHASE And thus, not even six months after the purchase of the pop-up, came the sale of the pop-up and purchase of a small, self-contained travel trailer with the cutest little bunk beds for the kids, our own clean shower and toilet, and storage for all the things we apparently need to bring to get out and enjoy each other and nature. These

The pop-up was great but the kids kept getting bigger so we had to upgrade.

were things such as clothes and food, yes, but more importantly, shovels, buckets, bubbles, butterfly nets, innertubes, Frisbees, balls and gloves, bikes, helmets and the list goes on and on.

Yes, we made amazing memories. We spent a wonderful amount of time together. We went on big adventures as well as smaller weekend escapes. Camping was our answer. It checked all the boxes for our family bucket list.

But those kids keep growing up and now are approaching tween-dom. Those cute little bunk beds got smaller.

We needed more room. We had to upgrade again, and so the process to purchase started all over.

THIRD PURCHASE Time is precious. We have now purchased three campers for our family. We’ve bought from private-party sellers found on craigslist.

com, we’ve bought from small Mom-and-Pop dealers, and most recently we’ve bought from the large-scale Travers St. Louis RV and Automotive Group. Which was better for us? It was the big dealership.

Scouting the Internet for private-party deals is fine if you want to spend months searching for the perfect used rig at the perfect price.

Mom-and-Pop shops are great for quality of customer service, but we found they

had limited selection and slightly higher prices.

When the priority is staying in budget, saving time and saving money while getting great service, we’ll go back to the dealership. Especially when the purchase or upgrade also requires upgrading the tow vehicle and camper.

Time is precious, time is fleeting. I’d rather focus on making the memories than spending too much time just trying to get there.

Outdoor Guide

March-April 2020

Page 29

Bass Like Topwaters in Sunshine

By JOHN NEPORADNY JR. I often thought my brotherin-law was crazy because of his infatuation with topwater fishing. He got such a thrill out of seeing bass smash his surface plug that he would throw his topwaters at any time of the day and in any weather conditions.

Of course, I knew the prime time to throw topwaters was in low-light situations such as early or late in the day or on overcast days. So I frequently told my brother-in-law he was wasting his time when he insisted on working his surface plugs on bright, sunny afternoons.

However, I no longer admonish him for fishing a topwater in the sunshine, since personal experience and opportunities to fish with some of the top pros in the country have convinced me that bass will strike a topwater at any time on a sunny day.

“Some of the biggest bass I’ve ever caught on topwaters were in bright, sunny situations,” said Stacey King, a 12–time Bassmaster Classic qualifier from Reeds Spring, Mo. “I never rule out a topwater in a sunny situation just because it is bright. If it is the time of year where I think there ought to be a topwater

bite, I will always try it.”

TOPWATER SEASONS The warm months of spring through fall is the prime time to throw topwaters, but Missouri pro Stacey King rates the post-spawn period as best for working surface plugs in the sunshine.

“The fish are active, and they will come a long way in a bright sunny situation in clear water to hit a big topwater bait like a (LuckyCraft) Sammy or Zara Spook,” King said.

King has also noticed certain topwaters work well in early spring when the sunshine warms up the water 4 to 5 degrees in the afternoons.

“A lot of local guys here in the Ozarks have proven to me that a (Cotton Cordell) Redfin or Spook can be deadly earlier than you normally think in the spring,” he said.

The summer phenomenon of jump fishing (when schools of surfacing bass bust through baitfish pods) also occurs on sunny afternoons.

“The bass can see those baitfish from a long way off and they get them trapped against the surface and come up and blast them,” King revealed. Most of these schooling bass weigh in the 1- to 2-pound class but King advises throwing topwaters

FISHING

to any jumps you see because the school of bass could be loaded with 4- to 6-pounders.

PRIME TARGETS Bass are susceptible to topwaters on sunny days, whether they seek cover to ambush their prey in shady areas or suspend in open water to chase schools of baitfish.

The presence of baitfish or cover is necessary for King to lure bass to the top when the sky stays sunny all day.

“A lot of times I will catch big ones on a topwater if I have isolated cover and the fish are lying on the shady side of an old cedar tree, laydown or pole timber,” he said.

Early in the post-spawn stage, King catches heavyweight bass on sunny afternoons in the spawning pockets. When bass move out of the pockets and start chasing shad later in the postspawn, King targets deeper structure such as main and secondary points.

Water clarity, weather conditions and the mood of the fish all determine how fast you need to work your topwater lure in the sunshine.

“You just have to experiment with a topwater anytime and see what speed they want,” he recommended. “Typically in a bright

Missouri pro Stacey King is no stranger to catching bass.

sunny situation, pretty fast is the deal because you don’t want to slow it down enough to where they can get a pretty good look at the bait.”

CLEAR WATER, SLIGHT CHOP The tournament veteran prefers working his topwaters in clear water because he believes it offers the fish better visibility and induces them to travel longer dis-

tances to check out surface commotion.

Since he prefers fishing surface plugs in clear water, King favors a slight chop on the water on sunny days. “If the water is real clear, you don’t want the water dead still any time,” he said.

Water clarity also determines the type of topwater King throws in the sunshine.

If the water is dirty, he opts for a noisier prop bait such

as a Smithwick Devil’s Horse, since bass feed by noise rather than sight in this situation.

Now, whenever I see my brother-in-law working his topwater lure on a bluebirdsky afternoon, I usually tie on a Zara Spook and join him.

Because, after all, there is no bigger thrill in bass fishing than watching a big bass blast the surface and engulf your lure.

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Outdoor Guide

Page 30

March-April 2020

Your Guide to

GREAT GEAR

Black Hole Archery Target Presents Four Good Sides

Black Hole, made by Field Logic, is a four-sided archery target that is lightweight, portable, and surprisingly packed with features.

The big selling point is four-sided shooting. Archers will find contrasting aiming points on all four sides of the square-shaped Black Hole. They can shoot field points at the “wrapped” sides and field tips, broadheads and expandables at the open-face layered sides.

The patented layer design stops arrows with friction, not force, which allows for easy arrow removal and less shooter fatigue.

The target is portable and lightweight with a carrying handle and is durable despite its low price, and made in the U.S. The 18” Black Hole is available at numerous locations on line for $40 to $50. The 22” version sells for about $70.

Gill Pro Jacket Keeps You Warm, Dry On Cold Fishing Days

Fishing pro Luke Palmer will be wearing Gill’s new Pro Tournament 3L Jacket in the Bassmaster Classic in March at Guntersville Lake in Alabama.

He has been wearing Gill’s original Tournament Jacket, a medium-weight jacket that covers well in mid-range temperatures.

But for winter tournaments and the Bassmaster Classic, he’s wearing the new Pro Tournament 3L and Tournament Bib. The jackets are comfortable and keep anglers completely dry. Palmer says they cinch down tight, keeping water from running up his forearms with other rain suits.

The Pro Tournament 3L features three-layer fabric construction and fully taped seams. The Vortex hood technology was designed for traveling at high speeds, making it perfect for getting around on a bass boat.

The Pro Tournament 3L jacket lists for $349.95 at gillmarine.com

Bob at Rodbuild Will Design and Build a Custom Rod

Maybe the angler in your life is missing just one thing – a custom-designed rod built to last a lifetime. That’s what is offered by Rodbuild on the Etsy website.

Buyers chooses the flex, colors and components. Rods will be ready in 3-4 weeks.

“It’s time for the perfect, one-of-a-kind gift,” says Bob at Rodbuild. “You make all the choices. Whether spinning, casting, conventional, trolling, fly or surf, I’ll build it.”

Bob grew up fishing on Great South Bay in New York and now lives near Tampa. “On my 11th birthday, my dad gave me a custom fluke rod built by Lon Wanzer that is still my favorite boat rod,” he said. “Let me build one for you.”

Bob’s rods cost $225 and shipping is free in the U.S. Go online to etsy.com/shop/Rodbuild.

RazorBone Knife to Have Interchangeable Blades

Outdoor Edge introduces the RazorBone replaceable-blade knife, which uses a 3.5” drop-point blade, a 5” boning/fillet blade and a new gutting blade for the ultimate solution to processing big game.

It allows hunters to field-dress, skin, debone and prepare perfect cuts of meat with a single knife that never needs sharpening.

The drop-point blade is a workhorse for field-dressing and skinning while the gutting blade will open game like a zipper without piercing vital organs. The boning/fillet blade will process meat quickly and efficiently.

Each blade locks securely into RazorBone’s black-oxide coated stainless-steel blade holder and handle.

Each blade is precisely heat-treated and hand-finished to be shaving-sharp from Japanese 420J2 stainless steel. The rubberized grip is non-slip even when wet.

RazorBone, in blaze orange or black, will be available at retailers nationwide this summer for a suggested retail price of $59.95.

MO Outdoors App Has Quick Information For Outdoor Adventure

MO Outdoors is an app issued by the Missouri Department of Conservation to provide users with quick and accurate information about the wild places in the state.

It can help outdoorsmen: • Find conservation areas, accesses, offices and nature centers.

• See what features and activities are available and navigate to them.

• Learn about area regulations and season information.

• Check hours of operation, images, closings and maps of area boundaries and features.

• Download maps for offline use.

It narrows down users’ selections to topics such as bird watching, camping, fishing, hiking, hunting or shooting and provides options under each topic. It can use your location to suggest places and services nearby.

MO Outdoors is available at no charge for iPhones or Android phones at mdc.mo.gov/contact-engage/mobile-apps/ mo-outdoors.

Mystery Tackle Sends Monthly Box of Gear for Anglers to Try

Mystery Tackle Box is really something different – a monthly lure subscription service that ships collections of new tackle to customers each month.

Mystery Tackle, offered by the Catch Co., has featured more than 100 brands and introduced thousands of anglers to new products. It ships more than two million boxes a year, with discounts of up to 40 percent off list prices.

Its web site, mysterytacklebox.com, currently offers three levels – Regular for $16.99 a box with $25 worth of tackle, Pro for $26.99 worth about $40 and Elite for $39.99, worth some $60.

Tackle is grouped by bass, inshore saltwater, walleye, panfish/ trout and multi-species, depending on the level, and plans are offered for one, three, six or 12 months.

To enroll or find out more, go online to mysterytacklebox.com.

Bubba’s Cordless Knife Comes With Four Blades

Bubba’s new Lithium Ion Cordless Electric Fillet Knife is designed to fit perfectly in your hand and incorporates a non-slip grip handle, which allows you to cut through fish like butter.

The lithium-ion battery has the longest run time of any fillet knife on the market. The engineered ventilation maximizes the motor transmission output to give incredible torque.

Four blades are included – 7” E-Flex, 9” E-Flex, 9” EStiff and 12” E-Stiff – made of high-carbon stainless steel and coated with titanium nitride, making them corrosion resistant and with a safety lock and trigger guard.

The knife comes in a premium case that lets you break apart the storage units for easy cleaning. It has a replacement battery and charging cord, and all batteries have life indicators.

The Bubba Lithium Ion Cordless Fillet Knife is available for $184.99 at bubbablade.com/knives/.

Mossberg’s 940JM Pro Shotguns Designed For Competition

Mossberg introduces a new 12-gauge auto-loading shotgun, the 940 JM Pro, available in two 10-shot models, designed for competition shooters with an array of aftermarket modifications and factory-direct accessories.

Using the 930JM Pro as a baseline, engineers identified and re-designed the gas system, loading port, point-of-aim/ point-of-impact, overall product fit and functionality, sight system and choke system.

The new gas system will run up to 1,500 rounds before cleaning and reliably cycle any quality factory-made 2¾ or 3-inch ammunition. The 940 sports a slim profile and ergonomic forend and stock, both with Mossberg texturing that offers a positive yet comfortable grip. The stock is userconfigurable, adjustable for length-of-pull, drop and cast.

One model is in black and the other camouflage. Both feature 24-inch barrel lengths, 10-round total capacity and matte blue finish on the barrels.

The list price is $1,015. See them online at Mossberg.com.

Yeti’s Camino Carry Bag Keeps Gear Safe & Dry

You know Yeti products make unbeatable thermoses and coolers, so it’s not a big stretch to add this 9-gallon, waterproof carrying bag for use in the boat, trailer or vehicle.

Yeti’s Camino Caryall, in blue, beige or gray, is durable and easy to clean, keeps gear dry and protected inside, is punctureresistant, keeps water out and stays upright. It can hook up to about anything with carabiners or Yeti’s Molle connectors.

The bag is 15 inches tall and 18 inches long. Users say they’ve hauled pool supplies, firewood, groceries, camping gear, picnic supplies and much more in it. Bars in the handles keep the bag open for loading and carrying straps are included.

The Camino Caryall lists for $149.95 but Ace Hardware has been offering it for $99.99. Go online to acehardware.com.

Outdoor Guide

March-April 2020

Page 31

Taneycomo: More Than Great Trout

By PAYDEN HAYS

Like many out-of-town anglers, I spend what little time I have in Branson at Lake Taneycomo chasing large brown and rainbow trout.

In recent years, I have noticed several “bonus species” finding their way into my net while targeting big trout, adding extra fun to the trip and variety to the skillet.

Looking back on my “bonus” fish, it was clear that nighttime wade-fishing produced the most surprises.

Darkness helps combat the clear water that steers wary fish away from the bait. Line color and weight play less of a role when it comes to those picky trout. Even if the floodgates are open, there are still a few areas for wade fishing around Outlet One and down the shoreline.

Open floodgates cause countless species of fish to come through the dam. This turns the Trophy Area into a mystery box. Schools of smallmouth and spotted bass stack up in deeper water.

Walleye and white bass will find their way into eddies and shallow water.

On occasion, I have also seen spoonbill and catfish cruising the bottom with visible scars from their journey through the dam as well.

Along with the game species, shad will usually pour through the floodgates, too. If the shad are coming through, an all-white jig or fly is my bait of choice.

Because of record-breaking floods in recent years, the Corps of Engineers now releases more water on a consistent basis. The water has rarely been completely off in the past year as a precaution against any sudden water elevation increase on Table Rock. While this is not ideal for casting a dry fly on Taneycomo, it does open new opportunities to catch the many different species coming into the lake.

WHAT BASS WANT Over my last three years of night fishing the dam, I have seen schools of white bass hammer Dub Leeches, while smallmouth and spotted bass nail Lilleys’ marabou jigs.

The Dub Leech on a fly rod can be deadly at night.

I typically drag it slowly across the bottom. Trout will literally suck it up as it bounces off the rocks. This method allows you to target browns and rainbows, as well as keep your bait in the strike zone for walleye.

With ambient light from the dam and a constant food source from the outlets,

Payden Hays (right) holds a smallmouth and Tyler Mahoney holds a rainbow trout, both caught in the Trophy Area on PJ’s Marabou Jigs.

– John Tyler photo

there’s a chance you’ll hook into a few goggle eyes cruising the shallows as well.

THE GLOWING EYES Early February 2020 produced two 16-18 inch walleye while wade-fishing Outlet One of the Trophy Area. I prefer Duane Doty’s Signature Series jerk baits, but RC’s in Pearl White have worked well for me, too. The

slower you retrieve the bait, the more likely you will trigger a bite.

If you shine your headlamp up the bank, you can sometimes see their glowing eyes near exposed roots. This creates an exciting aspect to night fishing. You can cast to the glowing eyes at night just as you would a rising trout in daytime.

If you prefer a boat over wade-fishing, PJ’s Marabou Jig (available at Lilleys’ Landing) is a good choice.

Try different-size jig heads and colors to find what they are biting on. You typically want to use larger jig heads for fast-moving water and smaller ones for slower slack water. This will adjust the speed at which the jig will fall. Trout and walleye will usually strike the jig on the fall and you’ll feel the bite when you jerk your rod tip back up during the retrieve.

Try different colors as well. Sculpin color variations are popular. Many times the only thing separating a fivefish day from a 50-fish day is the jig color.

LOSING JIGS, OK When water generation is high enough through Table Rock Dam, motor up to the cable and drift the boat along either shore. Usually, you’ll need to keep the jig close to the bottom to get a strike.

You’re guaranteed to lose a few jigs. However, the chance of putting the bait in front of a big brown or rainbow trout, walleye, white bass, or smallmouth is worth the risk. July and August have produced 3-pound-plus walleye while using this method in the Trophy Area.

My smallmouth catches have typically come near the cable just up from Outlet One. I’ve seen large schools of white bass congregate near the dam and around the section of Taneycomo known as the Narrows just above Fall Creek.

TANEYCOMO BASS Though it is known for its trout, Taneycomo has a great bass population. Try throwing a jerkbait or crankbait around the Landing. The water temperature begins to warm in that area of the lake, creating an ideal place for bass to congregate.

If you walk the shore at the Landing in the summer, you can see groups of largemouth in the shallows. Be sure to cast lightly as they easily spook in the gin-clear water.

Lake Taneycomo is a dynamic fishery. From crappie and largemouth bass at the Branson Landing to smallmouth and walleye at the dam, there are many different species in the lake and even more ways to catch them. For more information on pursuing multi-species, you can contact the experts at Lilleys’ Landing. Don’t be afraid to try new methods and different times of the day.

You never know what you might catch!

Outdoor Guide

Page 32

March-April 2020

Butler, Shags Team Up for Podcasts

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Driftwood Outdoors brings listeners information about conservation and outdoor recreation in Missouri and surrounding states through interviews with an impressive lineup of guests.

The duo’s easy-going style engages listeners and makes the podcast fun and easy to listen to.

“Missouri provides Shags and I with endless opportunities to talk hunting, fishing and so much more with some of the most passionate and dedicated conservationists in the country,” said Butler, former executive director of the Missouri Conservation Federation and author of the Driftwood Outdoors columns in this and other publications.

“We hope to use this new platform to support our state and the natural resources we are both so passionate about,” Butler said.

THE FIRST TEN The first 10 episodes include:

Shags, at left, and Butler have some stories to tell.

• Episode 1: Missouri Hunt-

ing Heritage Federation with Lee Vogel.

• Episode 2: Land Learning Foundation with Zach Morris and Scott Martin.

• Episode 3: Missouri River Relief with Steve Schnarr and Jeff “Boot” Barrow.

• Episode 4: MDC Communications, with Lucas Bond and Joe Jerek.

• Episode 5: Fly Fishing the Eleven Point River, with guide Brian Sloss.

• Episode 6: Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame Communicator Bill Cooper.

• Episode 7: Missouri Exit Interview with Quail Forever’s John Wallace.

• Episode 8: Logboat Brewing Company Captains: Tyson Hunt and Judson Ball.

• Episode 9: Current River

Fishing, with Damon Spurgeon of Cardiac Mountain Outfitters.

• Episode 10: The Most Interesting Man in Missouri: Mark Van Patten.

HIGH EXPECTATIONS Shags McLeod said listeners can expect to be entertained and enlightened.

“Butler and I love telling stories, and no stories are better than hunting and fishing stories,” he said. “If you care about the outdoors in Missouri, we hope you’ll give Driftwood Outdoors a listen, and if you like what you hear, please subscribe and share the podcast with your family and friends.”

The podcast is available on website, www.driftwoodoutdoors.com, and all major podcast platforms.

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Outdoor Guide

March-April 2020

Page 33

The Never-Ending Love of a Dog

Photo and Text

By RICHARD W. AITES

When my wife brought the 12-week-old chocolate-lab mix home, my oldest child was seven and my youngest was just a toddler. I was pushing 40. We named her Charlei (pronounced ‘Char-Lay’). Charlei was a friendly, energetic puppy and was instantly loved by all the members of our household.

Though we later discovered that she had some pretty impressive instincts and probably would have made a fine hunting dog, I opted to limit her outdoor activities to visiting a local conservation area that contained several small lakes and frequenting a little park that was within a few blocks of our house.

During the spring and summer it was difficult to keep her out of the water; plunging into the lake to fetch tennis balls became her favorite pastime.

In the fall and winter we would roam the numerous trails that stretched across the conservation area.

Charlei always stayed several yards ahead of me, tail wagging, while feverishly nosing around the surrounding brush and briars and occasionally giving chase to a cottontail rabbit or flushing a covey of game birds.

She loved being outdoors, and whenever I mentioned the

word “park” or even spelled out the word “p-a-r-k,” she’d run to the back door and grab the leash that was hanging on the wall near the door. Then she’d wag her tail and shake her hind-end with the exuberance of a belly dancer.

THE MAD DASH When the door was opened, leash in mouth, she’d make a mad dash for the truck or SUV. She loved the car rides, and once we reached the woods, she’d go non-stop for quite some time, racing along the trails while searching for game.

Charlei maintained good health for over a decade but about three years ago, we noticed that she was having some issues with her hips and joints.

Our vet suggested that she lose some weight and recommended a new kind of dog food geared towards older dogs and joint health No matter what we tried, Father Time eventually caught up with our dog. Charlei had difficulty getting up from the orthopedic dog bed or stack of blankets that we laid out on the floor. Often, I had to gently grasp her around the abdomen and lift her 90 lb. frame from the floor until she could gain her feet. She had difficulty climbing up and down the stairs and maintaining her balance upon our hardwood floors.

The saddest part was that

Charlei proved to be a loyal companion.

Charlei could no longer get in and out of the vehicle, and this limited her outdoor activities to our backyard and patio. At times she still wanted to play fetch with a tennis ball, yet the once swift and agile dog was now limited to a slow, painful gait. She essentially gimped her way through three or four short retrievals before tiring and laying down in the yard to recover.

Shortly thereafter, Charlei began having problems with urinating and defecating on herself. This was the same dog that, as a puppy, took less than a week to housebreak. She rarely ever had an accident in the house. I became frustrated after having to clean up the messes and giving frequent baths. I initially believed that some of this was because Charlei could be very stubborn and often had

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to be coaxed into the house with a dog treat or with a persuasive tug on her leash. That was how much she loved being outdoors.

Charlei would wake us at all hours of the night because she needed to go outside to relieve herself and at times couldn’t hold it before she reached the back door. Once, when she realized that she had just defecated on the kitchen floor, the sorrowful look in her big brown eyes assured me that no matter how stubborn she’d become in old age, her occasional defiance had nothing to do with the accident.

THE LAST AFTERNOON The afternoon before our beloved dog was to be euthanized, my family gathered on the patio behind the house and celebrated her life. Charlei spent an hour gnawing on a beef bone filled

with marrow before we had a barbecue and allowed her to gobble down grilled burgers and hotdogs. Afterwards she was treated to a couple of scoops of vanilla ice cream.

As the evening slowly gave way to darkness, Charlei and I lingered on the patio, taking in the cool night air and the raspy chatter of crickets and cicadas.

Her belly full from goodies rarely allowed in her younger days, she stretched out onto the coolness of the concrete pad and eventually fell asleep.

While watching her sleep, memories of the previous 13 years flashed across my mind. I was now 52 and nearing the end of my law enforcement career.

My wife had risen through the ranks, from part-time teller to loan coordinator to a management position within the bank. My oldest son was starting his second year of college while my youngest was beginning his junior year in high school. Charlei had been there through all of it, through thick and thin, good times and bad. She had been a devoted and loyal companion.

Eventually I returned from the past, deeply saddened with the realization that Charlei’s life would be coming to an end on the following day, at noon.

That September day in 2018 was one of the hardest of my life. My family somberly climbed into the SUV

while Charlei was coaxed to the vehicle by the sight of her leash and the utterance of her name. With a little assistance, she awkwardly climbed into the vehicle. Tears ran down across my cheeks as I realized that this would be the last of several hundred car rides we had taken together over the years.

Ten long minutes later we arrived at the animal hospital, and shortly thereafter the four of us gathered around Charlei on the floor of the quiet room.

We gently hugged and comforted her while the veterinarian administered the drug that would end her life.

“Sleep peacefully, girl. Sleep peacefully,” I quietly uttered while gently stroking the thick fur across her back.

THE NEW DOG About a year later, we adopted another puppy from the Humane Society here in St. Louis. Cami is a black lab/ Newfoundland mix, and I see a lot of Charlei in her. We hope to give Cami a long and fulfilling life, as we did for Charlei.

Scripture says that we were created in the image of the Creator. I guess this makes us unique, maybe even divine, when compared to the other inhabitants of this wonderful planet. Yet regardless of our standing in this world, we should thank God every day – for the love of a dog.

Outdoor Guide

Page 34

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Outdoor Guide

March-April 2020

Page 35

Trout – It’s Missouri’s ‘Other’ Fish

Photo and Text

By DARRELL TAYLOR

Missouri anglers are blessed with a wide variety of fish swimming its rivers and lakes with three black bass and all three sea bass species, plus an abundance of catfish, crappie, spoonbill and a fishable population of walleye.

However, there is a coldwater stream species occupying our rivers and Lake Taneycomo that is not as widely pursued.

We are talking about trout – browns and rainbow, with state records for pole and line at 40 lbs. 6 oz. and 18 lbs. 1 oz. respectively.

Mobile trout anglers who like to float and wade can enjoy 145 miles of Missouri’s most scenic streams including Barren Fork Creek, Cane Creek, Current River, Eleven Point River, Little Piney Creek, Niangua River near Bennett Spring, North Fork of the White River and Roubidoux Creek.

Our stream trout fishery benefited from the dedication and research efforts of MDC Fisheries Biologist Spence Turner (1939-2016) and MDC’s Mark

Van Patten (retired), a trout fishing expert who took the reins to “father” Missouri’s Stream Teams, ensuring cleaner waters for this delicate fish.

Anglers who prefer the comforts of park-like settings have the luxury of choosing Bennett Spring, Maramec Spring, Montauk or Roaring River state parks, with Bennett Spring boasting national recognition for its opening day attendance.

62 YEARS OF FISHING Bennett Spring Concessionaire Jim Rogers has been a flyfisherman for the last 62 years.

He grew up in Oklahoma, his father a fly-fisherman also, and enjoyed holidays and vacations at Roaring River State Park.

“I picked up fly-fishing there and it became my hobby,” Rogers said. “Later we lived in St. James, and I volunteered at Montauk and Maramec, which kept my hobby alive.”

He worked in the hotel industry for his parents and the Drury Inn group until 1975, when he was awarded the concession at Roaring River. Soon after, he met Leon Chandler,

Anglers line the dam elbow-to-elbow on opening day of trout season while August fishers have room to spare.

vice president of Cortland Fly Line. They set up a pro shop for trout anglers at the park, one of the only two in the midwest at the time.

Rogers credits Chandler for coaching him on how to teach fly-fishing to new enthusiasts.

“This year we taught our 44,401st student,” he said. In 2019, he typically held classes two or three times a month at Bennett. For 2020, plans include one or two a month at Roaring River.

“The year before we took over that concession, the park sold 61,000 trout tags. In our

first year we sold 120,000,” Rogers said. “I attribute our success partly because of the times but mostly because I made it a point to never sell any products over manufacturer’s suggested retail price, which was often the store’s practice in the past.”

HOW TO SUCCEED The model was so successful that store sales became an integral part of the concession income. His success was not unnoticed by state officials because they asked Rogers to use his model for restructuring

Relax!

the store prices at Montauk.

“As the years went by, we learned there were four key items to success in this business: quality, price, selection and service. With me being in the store from open to close, service was not an issue,” Rogers said. “Where we excelled was working with manufacturers to develop our own quality brand at a reasonable price.

Also, we carry a huge selection of 66,000 flies in our store.”

To help ensure quality tackle, the store carries branded rods, reels and line developed in partnership with manufacturers and priced to appeal to new or accomplished anglers.

The busiest months at Bennett Spring are July, followed

by August, then June. The busiest day by far is opening day, with the record of 4,092 tags sold in 1992.

“Today’s openers are usually about 2,800 or 2,900 tags,” Rogers said. “1992 was unusual in that it was on Sunday, so there was only one day to fish that weekend, plus the weather had been bad and it turned out great prior to and on Sunday.

“Opening day is more about

the reunions and getting together than catching fish. Our younger anglers don’t understand that yet, but they will.”

AND A FEW NOTES • Missouri’s trout parks offer everything from camping and swimming to the possibility of a trophy fish. Each has rules on size, quantity, methods and seasons. Be sure to check their websites for details.

• For more information about trout fishing in Missouri write to the Missouri Department of Conservation, Missouri Trout Fishing Map, PO Box 180, Jefferson City, MO 65102, or email pubstaff@mdc.mo.gov with your request.

• Trout expert Mark Van Patten has a terrific article called “Mastering Missouri’s Trout in the Wild,” in the Missouri Conservationist Volume 77, Issue 4, April 2016. Use your favorite internet search engine on the article’s title or the MDC issue.

• See the internet at http:// missouritrout.com/clubs/index.htm for information on clubs in your area pertaining to Missouri’s “other fish.”

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Outdoor Guide

Page 36

March-April 2020

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