Outdoor Guide Magazine July-August 2019

July - August 2019

Outdoor Guide

e n i z a

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HUNTING • FISHING • CAMPING • BOATING • SHOOTING • TRAVEL

Marquette Mustangs..........Page 2

Bass....................................Page 4

Catfish................................Page 6

Squirrels...........................Page 10

Reelfoot Crappies............... Page 18

Stockton Lake..................Page 27

Tree Stand Safety.............Page 30

MISSOURI - ILLINOIS - AND OTHER EXCITING OUTDOOR DESTINATIONS

Outdoor Guide

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July-August 2019

Urban Fishing Goes to High School

By JOHN WINKELMAN Associate Editor The Urban Fishing Program in St. Louis is celebrating 50 years of providing opportunities close to home. What started as a pilot program in 1969 has flourished in our region and is being recognized throughout the year with special activities.

One of the stated goals of the program was to provide a diversion from civil unrest in six U.S. cities. St. Louis took the concept and ran with it.

“If you put the six cities together, about 80 percent of all of the fishing took place in St. Louis,” said fisheries management biologist Kevin Meneau, who has worked with the Missouri Department of Conservation for 33 of the 50 years. “It is the oldest and one of the largest urban fishing programs in the country.”

After its 1969 debut, the concept of stocking lakes in the city parks to provide fishing opportunities expanded to other areas. Ponds and lakes in Kansas City were added in 1978, and in 1983, parks in St. Louis County were included.

“A problem with stocking these urban park lakes is that many of them were built for aesthetics and not for fishing,” Meneau said. “In the 1990s, the department signed an agreement with the city of St. Louis to invest $2 million in a five-year renovation.”

The Marquette Mustangs took the Grand Champion title in the 2019 Fish St. Louis Cup by winning the bass and catfish competitions.

BETTER LAKES, BETTER FISHING The shallow bodies of water were drained and excavated, adding depth and underwater structure that allows fish to survive through the coldest winters and hottest summers.

Natural reproduction started taking place and fish were able to grow bigger from year to year.

“We installed rock piles, deep channels and aeration diffusers in the deepest locations to keep the water oxygenated,” Meneau said. “We even planted some native aquatic plants where appropriate. Shoreline improvements were made, including accessibility for disabled anglers with concrete pads and fishing platforms.”

Also in the 1990s, urban fishing got another boost when winter fishing was added as an option with hatchery trout stocked in many lakes.

“The winter trout program was an offshoot of the urban fishing program, but it has been so popular it has expanded to areas outside of the cities,” Meneau said.

50th ANNIVERSARY As part of the 50th anniversary celebration, the department plans to stock more and larger fish throughout the summer and bigger brood stock trout in the winter program, which

begins in November.

The Urban Fishing Program lakes hosted a high school fishing tournament with several teams challenging for the Fish St. Louis Cup trying to catch the most trout, bass, catfish and panfish in separate competitions.

Qualifying rounds took place in 2018 and provided a finals field of teams from Chaminade, Kirkwood, Marquette, Oakville, Parkway South, Parkway West, St. Louis University, Vianney, and Webster Groves high schools.

A TEAM EVENT The series tested teams’ angling prowess during five events at selected St. Louis Urban Fishing Program lakes with teams earning points for landing and releasing target fish. Teams with the most points after each event won individual fish species championships.

The team with the most total points from all five fish species events was crowned 2019 FISHSTLCup Grand Champion.

By winning the bass fishing competition early in the season and the catfish tournament at the end, Marquette High School took the title over Oakville and Webster Groves.

Urban anglers can still earn bragging rights by sharing photos of their catches throughout the year by posting through their favorite social media accounts using the hashtag #MoUrbanFishing.

Outdoor Guide

July-August 2019

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3 Things You Can Do to Help

Monarchs 1

and

Pollinators

Plant Natives

Native plants are a food source for monarch butterflies and other pollinators. Add the plants shown below to your landscape.

2

Keep it Blooming

Keep something in bloom each season. Some species bloom all year, others only in April and May, still others in July and August. Learn more at mdc.mo.gov/monarch.

3

Get Involved

Protect native grasslands, provide nesting places, and become a wildlife gardener.

To learn how, visit GrowNative.org.

Common milkweed

New England aster

Showy goldenrod

Prairie blazing star

Wild bergamot

Outdoor Guide

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July-August 2019

How to Be a Grumpy Old Man

medications and misadventures at the doctor’s office.

By BRENT FRAZEE I think I am really starting to get the hang of being a grumpy old man.

When I celebrated my 68th birthday in April, I took an inventory of how my life has changed since I retired

from my full-time job three years ago. And I am kind of proud of my new outlook on life.

• When our monthly breakfast club meets , talk of

fishing or hunting no longer dominates the conversation.

We talk about our ailments,

• When rap music comes on the radio, I react the same

way as my grandpa did when the Beatles came on years ago. “That isn’t music,” I’ll spit, the same way Gramps used to.

• I’ve never been a style horse, but it’s gotten much

worse. I don’t really care how I look when I go out.

A big stain on my shirt, fish blood on my jeans, a hole or rip in my sweatshirt – no problem. I’m an old guy; it’s to be expected.

• I watch the Weather Channel constantly, almost like

it’s some long-running series. Then I’ll complain about the weather. I find myself saying, “Back when I was a kid, we never (fill in the blank) A. Had rain like

Even grumpy old men (in this case, Brent Frazee) smile when the bass are biting.

this; B. Had flooding like this; C. Had so much hot weather; D. Had winters this miserable.

• I’m one of the old guys

telling nonstop fish stories of days from my youth. I’ll start most of them with “Did I ever tell you about the day…”

• I no longer enjoy getting up in the dark for a fishing or

hunting trip and staying out all day. My idea of a good day is four or five hours spent in the field, then a good nap in the afternoon.

• I like to grumble. I cuss about everything from a fisherman who pulls onto the same bank I am fishing to the rude driver who cuts me off.

• I complain about change.

I can’t seem to accept when a fishing hole such as Montrose Lake, where I once enjoyed memorable days, no longer produces the way it used to or a place such as Swan Lake National Wildlife Refuge no long draws the Canada geese it once did.

• I smirk when a slick ad boasts about some revolutionary new lure that will catch every fish in the lake.

My memory is still good enough to know that this super lure is nothing more than a knockoff of a bait my dad used years ago.

• I identify with the characters in my favorite movie, Grumpy Old Men. I can see me in the starring role, playing opposite one of my fishing buddies.

• I don’t try to impress anyone with my “ride.” Old Red, my 2007 Jeep Cherokee, is like a friend. We have been up many a hill, down many

a valley. Red has 250,000 miles on it and I constantly brag about how it has never required any major engine or transmission work. I plan to keep Red until he coughs his last breath.

• My wife won’t ride with me when I take old Red out.

It is filled with fishing and hunting gear, old fast-food wrappers and everything from travel guides to printouts. She says it stinks, and I reluctantly agree. One time, the stench got so bad that I had to tear my vehicle apart to find the source of that foul odor. I finally located a dead minnow that was lodged under the hinge of my minnow bucket. My wife gave me a package of those air fresheners shaped like trees that I could hang on my rear-view mirror, but once they lost their potency, the odors returned.

I could go on and on like grumpy old guys are prone to do, but I don’t want to bore you. Well, on second thought, I really don’t care if I do.

That’s one of the advantages of reaching old-man status. You can pretend you don’t hear when people are talking abut you, you can offer an outspoken opinion whenever you want, you can complain about someone’s behavior and you can refuse to do things you really don’t want to do, like attending a wedding of someone you hardly know.

It’s OK. I’m old. Well, I’m getting old. And right now, I’d have to say I’m killing it.

More of Brent Frazee’s writing can be seen at brentfrazee.com.

Outdoor Guide

July-August 2019

Page 5

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July-August 2019

Fishing for Catfish Brings the Fun

By BRANDON BUTLER

Catfish are fun to catch for anglers of all ages.

– Missouri Department of Conservation photo.

Fishing opportunities exist wherever you live. One of my favorite places to fish when I was little happened to be just below the dam of a downtown impoundment.

The fact that Dairy Queen was only a couple of blocks away certainly had something to do with it, because no matter how good or bad the fishing, I was still having ice cream. Even if you live in an urban area, you can fish close to home.

Grandpa and I would set up lawn chairs along the bank and fish the turbid waters for whatever would bite. Sometimes we’d catch crappie.

Other times, we might catch a bass or carp, but almost always, we could count on catching catfish.

Catfish are a great fish for many reasons. First of all, they make excellent table fare. A lot of $10 catfish sandwiches are sold across this country.

You can easily put some catfish in your freezer and cook them at home.

Catfish are widely available in rivers, creeks, lakes, ponds, and reservoirs. Just about every water in Missouri, from farm ponds to the Mississippi River, is conducive to holding catfish. And best of all, they are easy and fun to catch.

NOW IS THE TIME Now is a great time to catch catfish. They spawn in June along shorelines, providing great opportunities for anglers fishing from shore to experience great action. You don’t need a lot of fancy equipment

July - August 2019

Outdoor agazine Guide M HUNTING • FISHING • CAMPING • BOATING SHOOTING • TRAVEL

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

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

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

to go catfishing. Just about any medium weight rod and reel combo will do.

Night crawlers have likely caught more catfish than all other baits combined.

Chicken livers and commercially produced catfish baits, available at most sporting goods stores, also put a lot of fish in coolers. You can fish your bait on the bottom or suspend it beneath a bobber.

Both tactics work.

Since catfish cruise for food, a favorite tactic for catfishing is to cast an offering from the bank, then let it settle on the bottom.

Catfish eat a variety of food, including nightcrawlers, bait fish, shrimp, liver and more.

Scent is an important aspect of catfishing because these fish rely heavily on their powerful sense of smell to locate food. They often hang near drop-offs and deep holes, so fishing near a bridge is one favorite method of locating cats from shore.

Missouri anglers are fortunate to have countless opportunities to pursue catfish from public shores. City, county and state parks all offer public access, as do many conserva-

tion areas. Lakes and ponds are probably the most popular bodies of water for bank fishing, but don’t overlook rivers, creeks and streams. They can provide exceptional bank fishing opportunities.

SHORE FISHING CAN BE GOOD Many people feel fishing from a boat is always better than fishing from the shore.

This myth is disproved each day across our state. At certain times of the year, most species of fish are attracted to the shoreline of the water they live in. With a little practice and some exploration, you can develop methods and discover locations to experience excellent fishing from the shore all year long.

If you have been thinking of ways to spend a day fishing, take a chair and a few rods to a local lake or river and try your hand at catching some catfish.

There are multiple species of catfish in Missouri and regulations vary by species and location. You should refer to the MDC website or fishing regulations booklet to ensure you do not break any of the rules regarding size or limits.

Illinois Ups Lyme Disease Coverage Nobody likes ticks, but for Midwest outdoorsmen, they are a fact of life. The worstcase scenario is Lyme disease, which can be crippling.

It’s worse if you can’t get your health insurance to cover the high cost of fighting tickborne illness.

Illinois will now require health insurers to cover long-term antibiotic therapy for people with tick-borne illnesses, under legislation passed by both the House and Senate on unanimous, bipartisan votes.

Sen. Andy Manar, DBunker Hill, a co-sponsor of the legislation, said it’s a potentially live-saving measure.

“We need to do everything we can to ensure that people have access to the potentially life-saving treatments they need,” he said. “It’s appalling how difficult it can be to receive treatment for Lyme disease in our state. This measure is going to be a huge help to thousands of people

throughout Illinois.”

TOUGH TIME LIMIT The current law has no requirement that long-term antibiotic therapy be covered, so doctors have difficulty in prescribing treatments that last more than 28 days, but long-term therapy is the only known effective cure.

Manar was approached by a resident of his district whose daughter was suffering from Lyme disease and had difficulty obtaining the treatment. He held a public hearing about the problem and then became a co-sponsor of the bill, which allows doctors to prescribe the more aggressive treatments needed to treat Lyme disease without facing disciplinary action.

“A lot of people in my district suffer from Lyme disease, and the proposals we’ve moved through the Senate are major steps toward more effectively treating this life-altering illness,” he said.

Outdoor Guide

July-August 2019

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EXPERIENCE ELLINGTON ~ Only 2 Hours South of St. Louis ~

Clearwater Lake and Webb Creek Recreation Area - Hwy H – Bring the family to

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boat, ski, fish, and unwind on crystal clear Clearwater Lake. This area of the lake is formed where Webb Creek and Logan Creek empty into Clearwater Lake. It is known for its crappie, bass and catfish fishing in the spring and Clearwater Lake fun for the entire family all summer long. Camping is available; at Webb Creek Recreation Park; plus a full service marina with boat/wave runner rentals on site. Webb Creek Park features over 40 campsites, swim beach, playground, showers, picnic pavilions, boat launch, and more. Call Webb Creek Marina at 573-461-2344 for marina, boat rental and campsite information or visit www.recreation.gov to make reservations. If you are interested in all the conveniences of home call Webb Creek Cabins for cabin rentals, 573-461-2244.

Black River and K Bridge 2 Recreation Area

- K Hwy – Float, canoe, fish and explore the beautiful Black River. Enjoy swimming, camping and picnicking right on the banks of the Black River. K Bridge Recreation Area and Campground offers playground, showers, electric and comfort station, visit www.

Black River recreation.gov to make reservations.

Floats (raft or canoe) can be arranged on site by calling Jeff’s Canoe Rental at 573-598-4555. A small general store is also available on site.

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Current River -Hwy 106 to HH Highway- Fish, swim, camp and relax on majestic Current River. Great place to explore Current River. Rough camping is available at Log Yard Landing (known to the locals as Cardareva Gravel Bar) and the School Yard. These are available on a on a first come basis, electric is not available. Bring your tubes, rafts and kayaks; a perfect day float….put in at Current River Powder Mill and float to Log Yard.

Enjoy the quiet outdoors, a nice campfire and Current River this summer!

4 Blue Spring

- Hwy 106- This spring is the 6th largest spring in Missouri and known for its deep blue color. It has been said that this spring is so deep, if submerged the Statue of Liberty’s torch would not be seen above the water and actually the bottom has never been found. Take your camera! Blue Spring can be accessed by boat, kayak, float or a short .25 mile hike from Powder Mill Recreation Area. Located on Current River, near Powder Mill.

5 Rocky Falls

- NN Hwy- A cascading crystal Rocky Creek drops from the Ozark Mountains into a lazy pool which eventually winds through the Ozarks to Current River. A must see if you are in the area and fun for all ages. Wear non-slip shoes and use caution when climbing on the falls. Picnic tables provided.

6 Current River Conservation Area

–Consists of 28,000 acres of state land. Deer, turkey, eagles, elk and a multitude of wildlife can be seen. UTV’s, ATV’s and vehicle traffic are welcomed on miles of gravel roads that wind through some 60+ food plots. Buford pond, Missouri’s first fire tower, a 1926 log cabin and an earthen Fort Barnesville can all be found here. Buford Pond provides fishing and picnicking and is a favorite location of all. For hunting enthusiasts an unstaffed rifle and archery range are provided.

Current River Conservation Area is home to the Missouri Ozark Ecosystem Project, the world’s most comprehensive forest management study. This 100 year project spans over 9,000 acres.

Main park entrance located on South Road in Ellington, other entrances located off Hwy 106 and HH highway. Maps are available at the main park entrance.

7 Local Flavor

– Ellington Chamber of Commerce & Copeland-Shy Visitor Center – One of the oldest homes in Ellington, built in 1886 by Dr. William Copeland, was recently opened as a visitor center. We invite you to stop by and pick up brochures and information about the area. Located at 155 W. Walnut Street (Hwy 106) in Ellington.

Copeland-Shy House

Also while in town you won’t want to miss the Reynolds County Museum while visiting Ellington. This museum is filled with relicts from days gone by and the rich history of the Ozarks.

Volunteers staff the establishment and are happy to answer questions; Open Mar-Nov, T-F 10-4 and 2nd Saturday of the month 10-4. Call 573-663-3233 for more information.

Need a spot for the kids to play, then visit Brawley Park located on South Road. This park features a playground, basketball courts, picnic pavilions and short hiking trail.

Want some nostalgia from a couple decades back; how about a Drive In movie. One of only a few drive-ins left in the Midwest is located just south of Ellington on Highway 21., call 573-945-2121 for info.

9 Blair Creek

- Hwy 106 – This area is a favorite of the local’s spring, summer and fall. For the person who is looking for the unknown, adventure into the wild Ozark hills for the beautiful views, caves, swimming, picnicking. Here riding the back roads in ATV’s, UTV’s and 4-wheel drives is exciting Blair Creek and fun. Entrance located North of Hwy 106 across from Blue Spring entrance.

10 Scenic Highway 106

- This 26 mile drive between Ellington and Eminence is known state wide for its scenic views and beauty, and is especially a favorite in the fall. This section of highway is also home to the Mid Atlantic Bicycle Trail and sees many bicycle travelers from April-October. Bicycle enthusiasts say it’s one of the “toughest sections on the trail” and known for the steep hills & hollers.

11 Peck Ranch

- H Highway, Shannon County- Listen for the bugle this fall! Elk are now roaming the hills of the Ozarks and can be seen in Peck Ranch, Current River Conservation Area and the surrounding region. Thanks to the Missouri Department of Conservation’s recent Elk Restoration Program elk were released into the elk zone beginning in the summer of 2011. With the third release the summer of 2013 the elk herd is nearing 200 bulls, cows and calves. Peck Ranch is open from sunrise/sunset daily and offers a driving tour. Bugling occurs in the fall, Sept-Nov. Check the Missouri Dept of Conservation website for park closing details. Maps are available at park entrance.

Elk

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8 Ozark Trail

- Hwy 106- Blair Creek & Current River section; Hwy 106 – Whether you are looking for a one day hike or want to make a few days of it; hiking these sections of the Ozark Trail is rewarding and adventurous.

Such splendid locations as Rocky Falls, Klepzig Mill and Buzzard Mountain Shut-Ins are located right on the trail.

For the adventurous visitor this is a must!

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Ellington Chamber of Commerce | www.ellingtonmo.com | Find us

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Outdoor Guide

Social Media Attacks Conservation Science Photo and Text

By BRANDON BUTLER The concept behind social media is sound.

When actually used to stay connected with family and friends, it really can be a means of positivity. But sadly, many members of society have taken this opportunity to share joy and happiness and turned it into a tool of divisiveness through the unregulated spread of lies, hate and vitriol.

I do my best to ignore the trolls, but sometimes, I just can’t help myself.

Case in point – a few weeks ago there was a legislative hearing in the Missouri House of Representatives on a bill (HJR18) to sunset the conservation sales tax. The anti-conservation crowd – a small but loud contingent – took to Facebook to share their misspelled messages of ignorance and outright lies.

Thankfully, dozens of civic-minded Missourians who understand that the Department of Conservation (MDC) does a phenomenal job of managing conservation as a whole filled the hearing to standing room only and once again rose to defend our state’s system of science-based decision-making supported by dedicated funding.

This Missouri model of conservation was established by the will of the people through two constitutional amendments and has served the citizens of this state beyond expectations for 85 years. Healthy fish and wildlife populations, access to vast public lands and waters, educational resources and support on private land are just a few of the reasons why I wholeheartedly believe my statement is not arguable. But that doesn’t stop some from trying to destroy the special system we have.

SOUNDING OFF ON FACEBOOK In a Facebook thread on the topic of the Conservation Sales Tax sunset proposal, one very vocal fellow spouted off the typical banter about what the MDC does wrong. These were his opinions that he mistakes for facts.

So I challenged him to provide one example of the MDC making a decision that wasn’t scientifically sound.

Now, first of all, MDC is not perfect. I’m certainly not saying they are. But having worked in the executive office of another state wildlife agency, I know first-hand how well we have it here in Missouri. What he came back with, of course, had nothing to do with science. His points were either selfish to his

Guest Editorial

specific interests or purely false.

First, he claimed, “MDC’s prime function: to ensure that it continues to not just exist, but grow in size and budget.” The prime function of the Department of Conservation is to protect and manage the fish, forest and wildlife resources of the state, and to facilitate and provide opportunities for all citizens to use, enjoy and learn about these resources.

All citizens – not just those who enjoy the same activities as you. This means people who simply like to walk in the woods and breath fresh air, enjoy bird-watching, love to fish, are happy visiting urban nature centers, appreciate educational resources, and look for opportunities to camp in primitive settings and collect mushrooms. All citizens.

Appeasing a crowd that size is an impossible job, but when you look around the state, opportunities to enjoy nature are vast because of MDC and their wise use of the dedicated funding we provide them. It’s not just about you and your interests.

DREADED RIVER OTTERS His next gripe is river otters, and his claim is that they have decimated game fish. To be blunt, river otters belong in our rivers. They were here long before we were, swimming alongside smallmouth and goggle-eye.

My love of fishing is bone deep, but I’m excited when I see an otter because they are amazing animals. Native species can co-exist just fine. We are usually the culprits of conflict.

Otters have not decimated our fisheries. Sure, they have put a hurt on some small ponds, but there are means, like legal trapping, to remedy those rare problems. The 1.2 million Missourians who hold fishing licenses annually can attest to the fact that our game-fish populations are generally thriving.

He goes on that MDC has ignored the plummeting turkey population. Well, MDC just announced hunters killed 38,777 this spring, up from last year’s 35,801. Doesn’t sound like much of a plummet to me.

What he ignores is how science tells us populations are leveling off to the actual number of turkeys suitable for the available habitat. This is happening all across the country where turkey reintroductions led to exploding populations too large to be sustained. But he doesn’t credit the MDC for the work they did to restore the turkeys he’s complaining about. Nature alone didn’t return these magnificent birds to every county in the state where unregulated hunting wiped them out. Biologists armed with tax dollars did.

BRINGING BACK THE ELK HERD Next, he complains about the elk reintroduction, claiming “they can’t keep the See SOCIAL MEDIA page 20

Restoring elk to Missouri is one example of the Missouri Department of Conservation serving the interests of both the residents and native wildlife resources.

July-August 2019

— Random Shots — Be Prepared for Threats to Dogs

By JOEL M. VANCE It’s a minefield out there, and you’re not the only one who risks stepping on one. I don’t mean sloppy reminders of grazing cattle and or an actual land mine unless you’re fond of hunting birds in a war zone, but other threats lurk, from rattlesnakes in Texas to barbwire just about anywhere.

Your dog has double the chances that you do of putting a foot on some hidden threat. And you probably will be far from a vet when it happens.

First, you must realize that an emergency is at hand. Locator collars serve a purpose beyond leading you to a pointing dog – they can lead you to one trapped in a fence. I know of a dog that was hanged by its collar when it jumped a fence and the collar snagged on a top wire. What a horrible fate for the dog and a terrible loss for the hunter. A working beeper might have saved the dog’s life.

Fences are a threat even when you’re with the dog. Most dogs try to jump hog-wire or barbwire fences, and most make it. But one of mine somehow got a hind leg caught between two loose strands of a fence and hung there, howling. Fortunately I was only a few feet away and got the dog loose without it breaking a bone or dislocating its hip.

I lift the dogs over fences but can’t always be on hand to do it. Twice I’ve had dog bellies stitched from rips that almost certainly were caused by jumping barbwire fences. A hunting partner, who had been a medic in Vietnam, sewed up one, but the other required an expensive trip to the vet.

UNLIKELY THREATS I’m not against fur trapping, but I worry about a dog stepping on a leg-hold trap and even more about one getting crossways with a killer Conibear trap. It’s an unlikely event, but the threat exists.

Aside from copperheads and the very occasional rattlesnake, snakebite is not a problem in my usual hunting areas. I’ve never seen a rattler in Missouri and almost no copperheads (the strike of which almost certainly would not be fatal for a dog). But I’ve been in hunting parties in South Dakota that ran onto rattlers and I know dog owners who have had their dogs hit by the snakes.

Hunters in snake areas can snake-proof their dogs by training them on de-fanged rattlers (at a cost). It’s not cost-effective for most of

us – kind of like buying insurance against being hit by a meteorite.

Possibly the most prevalent and widespread medical emergency is heat stroke. Dogs don’t sweat, and they wear a fur coat winter and summer. Most bird dogs have no concept of “too much” and can literally run themselves to death.

PLAN FOR WATER BREAKS One of my dogs collapsed during a pheasant hunt on a hot morning and, fortunately, we had enough water with us to cool him down. He recovered, but it scared me and I now am far more conscious of the dogs’ well-being when it’s hot. We take frequent water breaks and I find out ahead of time if there are bodies of water where the dogs can jump in and cool off.

It’s worth the effort to deviate from the hunt path even a considerable distance so the dogs can have a swim. I’ve let my dogs dunk in stock tanks on the Kansas prairie, as well as in creeks or ponds. And I carry a bottle of water in my shell vest. Hold the dog’s muzzle with a lip peeled back and dribble water into the side of its mouth.

The cocklebur is a ubiquitous nuisance in Missouri and the obvious solution is to keep dogs out of them. Unfortunately the only way to do that is to stay home. I’ve had dogs become so bound up that they could barely move.

Once Pepper got burrs on both ears and as she ran, the ears flopped above her head and stuck together so she looked like a little old lady wearing a babushka. Carry a steeltoothed comb and make frequent stops to check the dogs’ underarms, which are a favorite roosting spot for burrs and one that will chafe the dog raw if you don’t get the burrs out.

DOG BOOTS CAN HELP Sandburs are a real problem in some places and so-called “goathead” burrs are even worse. The burrs either stick to the dogs’pads or get between their toes. Either way, it hurts.

Dog boots are the solution if you can get the dog to wear them. I used them once in Kansas and they drove the dog crazy. I’ve also kenneled dogs in burr land. Sand burrs are prevalent in cultivated land, mostly the pheasant states.

We once kenneled the dogs at a field infested with sandburs and used a combine as our driver, blocking the end of the rows the picker was working. Killed several roosters, while the pent-up dogs howled in the truck.

Vegetation is a frequent abuser of bird dogs. Every hunter probably has pulled a See RANDOM SHOTS page 20

A dog caught in a wolf trap, soon to be rescued.

– Iowa Fish and Game photo.

Outdoor Guide

July-August 2019

Page 9

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Outdoor Guide

Page 10

July-August 2019

Tips and Tactics for Squirrel Hunting

By GERALD J. SCOTT I ended a recent column with a promise to reveal some of the “basics of squirrel hunting.” Hopefully I’ll do that and a little bit more.

I’m asked more questions about camouflage clothing than almost any other subject. Many of these queries are variations of the theme, “Do I need camouflage clothing to hunt (insert species)?”

If the questioner is defining the term “need” as “must have,” the one-word answer

is “No.” I’ve filled two archery turkey tags while wearing a blaze orange vest and cap, and I can’t begin to count the number of times turkeys have wandered past my stand during the November portion of the firearms deer season.

But be that as it may, any turkey hunter’s odds of success skyrocket if he or she is not only wearing full camouflage but is also using it to the best possible advantage.

DEPENDS ON THE GUN Squirrels are on the other end of the need-for-camouflage clothing spectrum.

As I noted last week, I have very little personal experience using a shotgun to hunt squirrels, but I suspect that a shotgun-toting hunter could get along reasonably well in the squirrel woods, clad in about any muted clothing color. In fact, being spotted – but not spooked – by a hidden squirrel might occasionally be an advantage.

Conversely, anyone who hopes to use a .22 rifle to fill a game bag with bushytails needs every advantage he/ she can get. One of the most important of these advantages is keeping the squirrels completely unaware of the hunter’s presence. It’s hard to overstate the help that wearing full camouflage is in that regard.

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A squirrel’s daily life revolves around food.

– Missouri Department of Conservation photo

ing – modern camo patterns are far more about making fashion statements than hiding hunters. Instead, check out what infantry soldiers around the world are wearing.

The “critters” those men and women need to hide from want to kill them.

SQUIRREL NOISES Since this is about basic squirrel hunting, I’m going to give calls short shrift. If I were an optimist, I’d say that if you use any commercial squirrel call often enough, at least one squirrel will respond to it. Fortunately, I’m not even close to being that optimistic, so I have no trouble leaving the half-dozen calls that, for reasons unknown, still add to the clutter in my office at home.

I have had good luck tapping or rubbing two quarters together to simulate a squirrel chewing on a nut. But be forewarned, there’s a certain knack to it, so you might want to wait until at least your sophomore squirrel-hunting season to try it.

Of course, nothing I’ve said so far will do anyone any good if he or she can’t find any squirrels. The folks at the Missouri Department of Conservation make it sound like there are squirrels in every tree in rural Missouri. They must hunt in a different Missouri than I do.

Even when they’re abundant, squirrels aren’t evenly spread throughout their habitat. To the contrary, they’re usually concentrated in a few relatively small areas.

ALL ABOUT FOOD A squirrel’s Achilles heel is its stomach. Except for brief respites to breed and suckle young, a squirrel’s daily life revolves around food.

Ironically, it’s this singlemindedness that has made it

possible for feathered, furred and clothed predators to make squirrels a significant part of their diets for thousands of years.

In the early weeks of the season, tree buds and new growth, ripening berries (mulberries are a favorite) and mushrooms are staples.

Beginning in mid-summer, squirrels shift their attention to tree nuts, moving from species to species as the nuts ripen.

By the onset of winter, most of the nuts will have either been consumed or hidden away for use when times really get tough. At this time of the year, hungry squirrels will eat whatever is available and are often more scattered than at other times of the year.

City squirrels are active all day long, but 80 percent of a rural squirrel’s activity takes place during the first two hours of daylight, and most of the rest is confined to the last hour before dark. This trait makes for very early wake-up calls and/or late arrivals back home during the first part of the season, but this isn’t all bad. Early morning is what passes for the coolest part of the day, and evening is usually at least a little better than the middle part of the day.

SETTING THE TABLE Fried young squirrel is food fit for the gods. Older animals taste just as good, but they do require cooking methods that will tenderize the meat.

Alas, between you and that banquet lies a skin that sheds fur like your maiden aunt’s cat and seems to be super-glued to the meat. The Internet is rife with squirrel-cleaning videos, and some of them aren’t as bad as others. After you’ve become sufficiently frustrated, buy a Squirrel Cleaning Buddy. That’s what I did.

Outdoor Guide

July-August 2019

Page 11

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July-August 2019

Wildlife Wrangling and Outdoor Ramblings

Coyote Lessons from a Would-Be Expert Photo and Text

By RANDALL P. DAVIS

This past spring, I was asked to be one of the instructors at the 2019 Kansas Canine Trapping Mastery School. It was a weekend of intensive, handson field training for 23 trappers of various experience levels and ages, from 20-somethings to 55 and up, all to become more knowledgeable, skilled, and proficient in coyote and predator trapping.

It had a lot of firsts:

• The first time for me being

on the formal teaching side of the industry.

• The first time I was in charge of guiding, coaching

and educating folks who took the trapping art very seriously.

• The first time I was referred

to as an expert.

• The first time I truly understood the definition of an expert: A big drip under pressure.

Our classroom was a one-

square-mile ranch in the vast expanse of the Kansas Flint Hills. The only way to access the property was by trailering off-road vehicles to road’s end, then continuing on in a gasoline-powered wagon train ... a mighty caravan of 10.

The first morning, being without the luxury of my own all-terrain conveyance, I was piled into the back of a UTV that had as much suspension as a brick and chauffeured across the ranch at what I

Students of the 2019 Canine Mastery Class learned methods and acquired skills to be successful coyote trappers.

considered interstate highway speeds. New trappers tend to be enthusiastic, you know.

While death-clutching the bed, I let myself be mesmerized by the scenery – rolling green hills, as far as I could see. Deep draws hosted massive cottonwood and cedar trees – the only crevices in the landscape with enough moisture to sustain life on the prairie. From an expert’s point of view, it was perfect coyote and bobcat habitat.

A BONE-SHAKING RIDE I jostled along and was well within a daydream of thundering buffalo pouring over a distant ridge when the UTV nosed into a prominent cattle trail, bucked up, launched forward, and continued barreling across the prairie in a cloud of dust. It would have made the scenes in the John Wayne movie, Hatari look like a Sunday drive.

My driver juts his head from the cab and yells, “Sorry about that! You might need to visit a chiropractor after today!”

I didn’t have the heart to tell him most of my dental fillings were left on the prairie as well, and I’ll just call both doctors later to tell them to go ahead and order those new Ferraris.

The students’ learning intensity carried over from their prairie driving into the trap-setting. They selected trap locations based on terrain and sign from coyote tracks and scat. Under careful instruction, they crafted sets named for their eye appeal, configuration, or sometimes, ultimate result.

WATCH FOR TRAPS! Dirthole sets looked like a coyote had vigorously dug up a mouse nest. Walk-through sets were configured on trails so the predator’s attention was directed to a dry, lure-soaked cow pie and not the trap in the trail. Urine post sets rely on the coyote’s habit of hiking its leg on weeds or sticks to mark their territory. And the grab-and-die sets offer a tantalizing tidbit of

bait just beyond the trap where the coyote will be caught as it grabs the goodie.

The students – unbeknownst to them – even invented a new set called the Expert set.

They did such a good job of sifting dirt over the traps to camouflage their sets into the surroundings, one expert (do you really need to know who?) continually stumbled into them – something like a baker spilling the wedding cake at the reception.

I used it as a prime opportunity to illustrate how you should always remember where the traps are placed ... and how foolish you look if you don’t.

At the end of the weekend the course was deemed a great success. The students rated it excellent. And despite one expert’s shenanigans, they caught a huge male coyote.

COYOTE DREAMS By the end, I was exhausted from teaching, riding unbridled UTVs, and removing impromptu spring-steel footwear.

Perhaps that’s what inspired the last night’s dream.

The vision was in black and white. It was a brief and vivid scene of a fellow riding a horse, carrying a coyote upside down.

The fellow told me that since I was such an expert, if I could give him a limerick about his horse and the coyote, he would give me a silver dollar.

I thought hard. Soon, the guy gave that, “I thought so” smirk and was about to ride off. To defend my “expertedness,” I regurgitated what was immediately available in my skull.

“The devil sits astride a big bay horse.

A dead, mangy coyote limps from the saddle, of course.

So you wager with me, a dollar to see, if I can best you with some poetic force.”

The old boy’s face kind of dropped. It was at that moment the coyote opened its mouth and out rolled one of those wagon wheel-sized silver dollars.

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July-August 2019

Outdoor Guide

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Page 14

Tips, Tricks and Thoughts for the Great Outdoors

Celebrating Independence Day

By LARRY WHITELEY

I do not watch the evening news or read the newspaper anymore. I grew tired of the media’s negative news. Our politicians have forgotten they work for us. In spite of all that and more, I still love my country. In spite of all the problems our country has, I still stand for

our flag and kneel for my God. Since July 4 falls on a Thursday this year, most of us will be able to enjoy a long weekend in our great outdoors. The lakes and rivers will be busy with boaters, kayakers, tubers and skiers but there’s still room for a fisherman in a quiet, secluded cove or on a gravel bar.

Campgrounds will be

crowded, but there are still hidden places to pitch your tent, sit around a campfire and stare at the star-filled night sky. It could even be your own backyard.

Hiking trails will probably not be busy with summer’s heat upon us. There are trails that wind through shaded woods and cross cool streams that

lead to a great vantage point to watch fireworks displays from the homes and cities below.

You don’t worry about what the news media is saying or politicians are doing when you are out in the great outdoors.

Celebrate Independence Day, but take a moment to pause and remember the words to the song God Bless America.

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July-August 2019 LARRY L. WHITELEY is the host of the internationally syndicated Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World Radio and nationally syndicated Outdoor World newspaper and magazine tips.

God bless America, land that I love Stand beside her and guide her Through the night with the light from above.

From the mountains to the prairies To the oceans white with foam God bless America, my home sweet home THAT’S THE TRUTH!

your cat likes hanging out with you because you smell. ***

***

SPIT ON YOUR LURE From the pages of Sports Afield Magazine, March 1977: Spitting on your fishing lure is just an old superstition, right? Not necessarily. Recent test show human saliva ranks right behind worms and liver for attracting catfish, one of our sharpest smellers. ***

PLAN FOR PEACE “If all politicians fished instead of spoke publicly, we would be at peace with the world.”

– Will Rogers *** CATCHING CRAWDADS A slow but fun way to get a big mess of crawdads for eating or fishing is simply to tie a chunk of fish or meat to a line and drop it in where crawdads live. They usually hang onto the bait long enough to be hoisted to shore. ***

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You can count on small waters holding fish day after day, year after year.

They are worth searching for and when you find them make sure to ask permission to fish them. Then whoever gives you that permission, clutch them to your chest like a wealthy uncle because surely I say unto you they are worth their weight in gold. *** HOW TO KNOW IF YOU ARE A FISHING FANATIC You are a fishing fanatic if

AMAZING FACTS Candlefish are an oily edible fish from the northern Pacific that were once dried and used as a candle or torch by the Chinook Indians.

And now you know what you might not have known. ***

A SUMMER EVENING The summer evening is dark, the air is warm, and I drift into a secluded cove.

Swallows dip and swoop, crickets chirp madly, bats dive at insects in the night sky, frogs croak their chorus of songs, and as the sun sets, the sky is ablaze with red, pink and violet.

I drop my topwater bait between an old stump and a small patch of grass. It lies there for a moment while I breath in air laden with the pungent scents of summer like honeysuckle and new mown hay.

I twitch the rod tip and the water explodes. The bass tail walks to deeper water, trying to pitch that nasty-tasting thing out of its mouth. Then he dives, taking my drag out as he goes deep. He gains a little, and then I get it back, until finally I lift him out of the water, admire him for a moment, and then slip him back into his watery home.

I hope there are a lot more summer evenings like this in my life before the good Lord calls me home. *** A FISHING QUOTE “I’ve gone fishing thousands of times in my life, and I have never once felt unlucky or poorly paid for those hours on the water.”

– William Tapply

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July-August 2019

Page 15

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Outdoor Guide

July-August 2019

Claudette’s Kitchen

Healthy Chia Is More than a Fad

By CLAUDETTE ROPER

“Chia seeds? Heck no, I’m not a health nut!”

Health nut or not, it seems enough people are eating them that even the large super stores are carrying them.

The word fad comes to mind. There have been plenty in recent years: kale, quinoa, coconut oil,

flax seeds, hemp seeds, goji berries, to mention a few. It turns out they are more than just a fad.

Delicious is all in the taste buds of the consumer, but they are quite nutritious. Any quick Google search will produce many chia seed benefits. It’s important to sort out facts from conjecture.

Facts that are easily measured include that they are loaded with antioxidants, high in quality protein and omega-3 fatty acids, high in many important bone nutrients, and deliver many nutrients with few calories. Keep in mind that how low they are in calories depends on how you prepare them.

Other benefits on the list are the result of studies and clinical observation, but lifestyles add quite a variable. Notice the word “may” in this list: “The high fiber and protein content in chia seeds may help you lose weight, may lower your risk of

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heart disease, may reduce blood-sugar levels, and may reduce chronic inflammation.”

That is a lot of “mays,” and chances are none of those are reasonable expectations from eating chia seeds in and of themselves. That would be akin to thinking you’ll lose weight by drinking a diet soda while you continue to eat triple banana splits every day. Mountain Man says I’m “meddlin’ now.”

THE RAT PART When I read the study, “Long-Term Dietary Intake of Chia Seed Is Associated with Increased Bone Mineral Content and Improved Hepatic and Intestinal Morphology in Sprague-Dawley Rats,” I was initially quite excited about the increased bone mineral content. Then I got to the part about the Sprague-Dawley rats. I highly recommend the article next time you have insomnia.

Ultimately the greatest, healthiest food is useless if you can’t or won’t eat it. That brings up the matter of palatability.

If this were Facebook, I’d probably be required to put up a warning that this may contain offensive information, but this isn’t Facebook and our readers are seasoned sportsmen whose sensibilities are not that tender.

I learned that one of the cheapest, highest protein sources for feeding cattle is chicken feathers. The greatest difficulty with this is that it’s hard to make them palatable. Apparently, chicken poo is also a great source and quite palatable. After watching our dogs, I’m inclined to believe that’s true.

Hang in there – there are a variety of processes used to prepare the poo for consumption. Most of them boil down to some form of composting and reduction of pH before using them as feed. Relieved? I didn’t think so.

TRUTH ABOUT KALE My youngest seemed to find this a great connection to his opinion that kale isn’t fit to eat. Our cows love it when we feed them the kale leaves that are too big to suit us. Therefore, he reasons, “kale = processed chicken poo.” You’ll have to decide for yourself.

But I digress; back to the palatability of chia seeds and the ease of incorporating them into your diet. They do not require much effort at all – you can sprinkle them on a salad, vegetables, rice dishes, baked goods, yogurt or smoothies, to mention just a few. What do they taste like? Whatever they are in.

My favorite way to use them is to make a fast and easy pudding … think no-cook and none of the bad stuff in instant pudding. You can use any liquid you want and don’t need cornstarch, tapioca or flour, etc. as a thickener. That makes it keto-friendly too.

It almost sounds like there has to be a catch. How can it be that easy – no cooking, no cornstarch, no chemicals? Chia seeds absorb up to 12-14 times their weight in liquid when soaked in water. Simply put, 1 cup of liquid will absorb into ¼-cup chia seeds.

Remember that you don’t have to treat this as a health/ weight-loss food. If you want to make the pudding and add sugar instead of honey or artificial sweetener, you can. For me these little gems are about convenience as well as health benefits.

Next time you pass this super food on the grocery shelf, maybe you’ll find it worth a try.

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Outdoor Guide

July-August 2019

Please Don’t Eat the Smallmouth

Photo and Text

By LARRY DABLEMONT

As much as I love spending time on an Ozarks river, I wouldn’t be caught on one Memorial Day weekend.

For those of us who like the solitude and peace of a freeflowing stream, Memorial Day is a good time to stay home and wait until the middle of the week to visit a river.

In fact, until school starts, I won’t be found doing much in the outdoors on any weekend.

My good friend Dennis Whiteside, who guides float-fishermen all over the Ozarks, tells me that on occasion he has watched his clients catch fish even as strings of noisy canoeists and kayakers pass by. He says that kind of amazes him at times and makes him think that smallmouth bass get used to the intrusion of mass numbers of people and banging canoes and kayaks.

That wouldn’t have been the case when I was young, guiding fishermen in wooden johnboats on the Big Piney.

Then, bass and goggle-eye were plentiful and the river held much more water. There also were deeper holes, not yet filled with gravel as they are today. Of course few of today’s floaters can imagine that; rivers are so much different today than they were then.

THE LUCKIEST KID I think I may have been the luckiest kid in the country back then in the early ‘60s, guiding fishermen for 50 cents an hour on one of the best rivers in the Midwest.

What memories I have!

Like the time, when I was about 14, that a man and his wife from the city asked to have a mid-day shore lunch on the river like they so often had on Canadian waters, with a huge skillet and fried fish and potatoes and beans.

I had never done that.

My clients usually brought sandwiches and potato chips for lunch. But I thought to

myself, “What the heck? I can handle that.”

So I borrowed Mom’s biggest skillet and some flour and lard, and by noon we had several bass to fry. We didn’t fillet bass back then, we scaled them, removed the head, entrails and fins and cut them into fat chunks.

Well, my fire didn’t really get hot enough. I fried those fish for so long I couldn’t imagine they wouldn’t be cooked through, but they weren’t. Unfortunately, I had forgotten the salt too!

Gosh, those fish were awful, half-fried at best! Even the potatoes didn’t get done.

Thank God for the beans and bread and coffee.

Those folks from Kansas City didn’t seem to mind too much. They came back in the summer for several years, and on every trip from then on, they brought ham and cheese sandwiches, always sharing a laugh or two about that “shore lunch” from years before.

DAYS OF PLENTY Back then, we thought nothing of keeping bass and goggle-eye because there was plenty of both. You can’t imagine the 3-to-4 pound bass I caught before I was 17.

But I haven’t kept either species since the late ‘80’s, when I began to see the rivers change so much as springs dried up, big eddies began to fill with gravel and rocks became coated with algae.

You could see the numbers of big smallmouth decline so badly, and for a while, goggle-eye just seemed to disappear. Both began to make a comeback when floatfishermen stopped keeping them and released what they caught back into the water.

But even so, with all the experience I have had catching goggle-eye, I can’t catch half the number in a day that I could boat when I was 14.

PUT ‘EM BACK! I urge all river fishermen today to return all the smallmouth and goggle-eye they catch. If you must keep and

eat fish, keep Kentucky bass, largemouth bass and green sunfish.

Remember that the little yellow grubs in the meat of smallmouth make them undesirable anyway. Those grubs were not there 50 years ago, but today brownies in most Ozark streams are full of them. If you must keep smallmouth to eat, there is a way to help the population of big hefty fish come back.

Keep and eat smallmouth that are less than 13 inches and release fish bigger than that.

It takes a smallmouth

about eight years to weigh two pounds and 11 or 12 years to get to three pounds.

If you catch a four-pound smallmouth in an Ozark river today, he is likely 15 years old or older. Take some photos and let him live, if you are any kind of outdoorsman at all.

ARKANSAS’ LOSS Dennis Whiteside, a friend of mine since college days, has floated more rivers in Missouri and Arkansas than anyone I know. He continues to guide float-fishermen to

this day, now living in Missouri after about 30 years in Arkansas. But the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission has decided to charge any non-resident $400 to guide on Arkansas rivers. It took some genuine idiots to come up with that law.

Now fishermen whom Dennis took on the Kings or War Eagle or Crooked Creek will not be buying fishing licenses, or renting motel rooms or spending money at restaurants, because Dennis will be taking them only on Missouri rivers.

He knows he could easily get around the law by charging his clients only for his boat and pickup and providing guide service free, but Dennis isn’t that kind of guide. He knows that he can give his clients great days on Missouri streams.

Congratulations to the Game and Fish Commission.

You have kept lots of folks from coming to spend their money in your state.

You can write to Larry at Box 22, Bolivar, Mo. 65613 or send email to lightninridge47@gmail.com

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July-August 2019

Good Fishing at All-Natural Reelfoot Photos and Text

By TOM CLAY

As the old van pulled into Blue Bank Resort on the shores of Reelfoot Lake Tennessee, I couldn’t help but reflect for a moment. Geez, was it over 25 years ago when I first visited this beautiful creature that Mother Nature created?

For those not familiar with Reelfoot Lake, an earthquake in the early 1800s opened a fissure between the Mississippi River and some lowland swamp area a few miles away, creating what we know today as Reelfoot Lake. Cypress trees line the shore and stumps just under the water’s surface make for some of the best crappie fishing anywhere.

SLABS ON CYPRESS Hunter Shumate would be my guide for the day. “You like crappie fishing up next to cover big cypress trees?” he asked.

“Whatever puts them in the boat,” I replied.

For all those who have never had the pleasure of fishing Reelfoot, you don’t open up the outboard like it’s the final day of the Bass Masters Tournament. If you do, a stump hidden just under the Reelfoot surface could stop you in your tracks and cause major damage to both boat and body.

Shumate, who has been guiding the waters of Reelfoot for 11 years, admits that no one knows where every stump is,

Hornbeak Tenn. fishing guide Hunter Shumate digs a giant slab out of the root system of the cypress trees that line Reelfoot Lake.

but he knows areas to avoid.

Our first stop was an old boat dock that was built between four of the largest cypress trees I have ever seen, with a root system that seemed to go on forever.

With a spinning outfit already rigged with a slip bobber and feisty minnow, I plopped it down beside the roots of the giant cypress. A few twitches from the six-foot rod and the bobber submarined out of site, lickety-split.

The result was a Reelfoot slab crappie around 13 inches long. “That’s a good sign,” my guide said.

JUST LIKE THE FIRST In the next 15 minutes, we placed another half dozen in the boat and, thanks to me, lost about four more. After we felt the hole had given us all it was going to give up, we started the big motor and found another spot just up the lake that looked almost the same.

On this stop, my guide rested the minnows and picked up a 12-foot jigging pole armed with a chartreuse and red tube jig. We placed the jig in and around the old tree methodically until a bump, and Mr. Crappie came flying out of the water.

Hunter admits that when he is fishing alone, the jigging pole stays in his hand more

than a minnow rig will.

“You can cover more water with a jig than you can with a minnow,” he said. Throughout the next few hours, we caught over a dozen crappie between the cypress trees.

SPIDER RIGGING The next day I met up with guide Jeff Riddle. Jeff is a tournament crappie fisherman who scored a first-place win in Louisiana just a few weeks before our trip.

Jeff explained to me that on Reelfoot, there were areas out in the middle of the lake that we would be fishing. As we headed across the lake, I could hear the sound of the big motor from time to time reminding me that we were fishing Reelfoot Lake, with the blade coming into contact with a stump on more than one occasion.

Once our destination, by GPS, was reached, Jeff pulled out 16-foot rods rigged with black and chartreuse jigs, and one by one placed them in the harnesses on the front of the boat. As the 4-mph wind drifted us across the lake one by one, the big poles would go down, and the result on the other end would be a tasty slab. Riddle, from time to time, would take a crappie minnow and place it on one of the jigs or even use some gold nibbles

Fishing guide and spider rig specialist Jeff Riddle shows two slab crappies from the open water stump fields in the middle of Reelfoot Lake.

on the hook to attract the fish.

“People can’t go wrong if they get down here and this water is around 72 degrees,” Riddle said. Jeff’s boat is armed with a 360-degree imaging system that can tell him when the next group of stumps would come into play. As soon as he said, “Get ready,” one of the 16-footers would take another dive.

All and all, Riddle spiderrigged up a dozen slab crappies from the depths of Reelfoot

Lake in less than a half a day’s fishing. Whether you enjoy casting the cypress or hitting the open water, Reelfoot Lake is loaded with big crappies.

Remember, stumps are everywhere. You may want to leave your rig at home and rent a boat from a local dock.

Good fishing!!!

For more information and guide service, contact Blue Bank Resort at (877) 2583226 or go to bluebankresort. com.

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

We sell and service all Honda power equipment!

For optimum performance and safety we recommend you read the owner’s manual before operating your Honda Power Equipment. Specifications subject to change without notice. All images contained herein are either owned by American Honda Lawn Mower Co., Inc., or used under a valid license. It is a violation of federal law to reproduce these imags without express written permission from American Honda Motor Co., Inc., or the individual copyright owner of such images. All rights reserved. Honda, Honda Lawn Mower model names and their trade dress are trademarks of Honda Motor Co., Ltd. used under license from American Honda Motor Co., Inc. Many Honda engine, trimmer, lawn mower, power equipment and veicle model names, and associated trade dress may be seen at ww.honda.com © 2108 American Honda Motor Co., Inc. C0579 Please read the owner’s manual before operating your Honda Power Equipment and never use in an enclosed or partially enclosed area where you could be exposed to odorless, poisonous carbon monoxide. Connection of a generator to house power requires a transfer device to avoid possible injury to power company personnel. Consult a qualified electrician. Specifications subject to change without notice.

Outdoor Guide

July-August 2019

Page 19

22 Counties End CWD Management Research Shows Deer Don’t Travel So Far

By STEVE JONES Conservation Editor The Missouri Conservation Commission has approved a big reduction in the CWD (Chronic Wasting Disease) management zone, effective July 1. Twenty-two counties were dropped and three were added.

The Commission also tentatively approved carcass transport restrictions that, if finally approved following a comment period, will go into effect next year.

The zone reduction was prompted by research showing the distance Missouri deer travel from their birth sites had previously been overestimated. It turns out that more than 90 percent travel less than a 10-mile radius. The previous estimate had been 25 miles.

The 22 counties are relieved of CWD-related rules that apply inside the zone. It will again be legal to place “grain, salt products, minerals and other consumable natural and manufactured products” on the land. This is popular for landowners who wish to provide supplemental feeding or conduct summertime surveys of their deer populations, using trail cams over attractants.

Most of these counties will have antler-point restrictions reinstated as well.

Hunting over bait, of course, remains prohibited, as it is statewide. All traces of grain or feed must be gone at least 10 days prior to any hunting activity.

Tentative approval was given to restrictions on the movement of deer carcasses that originate in the CWD management zone or out of state. These and other regulatory changes are subject to a public comment period that can be accessed at http:// short.mdc.mo.gov/Z49.

If the Commission then gives final approval for these changes, they will take effect starting next February.

TRANSPORTING MEAT These restrictions will mean that heads and spines of carcasses from deer taken inside the CWD zone may not be transported outside of the zone unless being delivered to a licensed meat processor or taxidermist. Meat that is cut and wrapped or boned out, quarters (without the spinal column attached), antlers and finished taxidermy products may be transported.

These rules address one of the biggest sources of the spread of CWD – improper

disposal of carcass parts. This is likely the second leading cause of new outbreaks of CWD, second only to the commercial transport of live cervids.

Live cervid transport remains legal and poorly regulated in Missouri. Export and intrastate transport of all cervid species is still allowed.

Even the importation of most cervid species such as elk, red deer, sika deer, fallow deer and axis deer still occurs today. Nearly every cervid species sold by high-fence shooting operations can be loaded on a trailer and moved around, despite the fact that there is no effective live test for CWD. The only live transport that has been banned is the importation of white-tail and mule deer. Even these may still be moved around the state or exported, even to and from counties in the CWD zone.

So hunters are expected to do their part to reduce the spread of CWD. Out of concern for the long term future of deer hunting, most hunters understand and accept stringent transportation regulations. Hopefully someday the confined cervid industry will be asked to do so as well.

Here are all of the changes in effect on July 1, 2019: CWD RELATED • REMOVE these counties from the CWD Management Zone: Benton, Bollinger, Boone, Callaway, Cape Girardeau, Carroll, Cole, Cooper, Dade, Grundy, Livingston, Madison, McDonald, Miller, Moniteau, Morgan, Osage, Randolph, Schuyler, Scotland, Shelby and St. Louis.

• ADD these counties to the zone: Christian, Howell and Oregon.

• DESIGNATE a mandatory sampling opening weekend of the firearms season in all 29 counties of the CWD management zone.

• REINSTATE the antler point restriction within these counties: Benton, Boone, Callaway, Carroll, Cole, Cooper, Grundy, Livingston, Miller, Moniteau, Morgan, Osage, Randolph, Schuyler, Scotland and Shelby.

OTHER CHANGES Other changes taking effect this year include: • Increase landowner and permittee firearm antlerless permits in Christian County from 1 to 2 and include Christian and Oregon counties in the antlerless portion.

• Decrease landowner firearm antlerless permits in

Andrew, Atchison, Holt and Nodaway counties from 2 to 1.

• Increase landowner firearm antlerless permits in

Christian, Lawrence, Pulaski, Ripley, Shannon and Webster counties from 1 to 2.

• Increase firearm antlerless

permits in Audrain, Christian, Clark, Dallas, Lewis, Marion, Monroe, Pike and Ralls counties from 1 to 2.

• Include Barton, Christian, Dent, Douglas, Jasper, Lawrence, Maries, Newton, Oregon, Phelps, Pulaski, Ripley, Shannon, Texas, Webster and Wright counties in the antlerless portion.

Steve Jones is a founding member and secretary of Missouri Hunters for Fair Chase and conservation editor of the Outdoor Guide.

Page 20

Outdoor Guide

July-August 2019

• Random Shots thorn from a dog’s pad. One broken off in the pad calls for tweezers at the least and a vet’s help at most.

The worst vegetative mishap I’ve ever had was with Chubby, who began limping and, it turned out after several vet trips, had an awn of foxtail working its way up his leg inside the skin. It probably had speared him between the toes and, being barbed, couldn’t back itself out, so it kept inching upward. It took surgery to remove it.

DON’T IGNORE THE LIMP A persistent cough is reason enough for a quick trip to the vet. Chubby also broke a leg somehow while hunting and it took several vet trips and x-rays before they discovered a cracked bone. He clomped around in a cast for several weeks but healed without any problem.

The point is that dogs don’t continue to limp unless there’s a reason for it and even though they may seem perfectly content to gimp around, you shouldn’t be. Find the cause is before it gets worse.

Vets no doubt would argue, but if I have leftover antibiotics or other prescription medication, I keep it in my kit bag. I wouldn’t hesitate, for example, to give a dog an antibiotic pill to hold it until I could get to a vet.

Some years back I was assaulted by a deer tick in Minnesota, a prime state for

Lyme disease. I had some dog antibiotics and dosed myself until I got home, by which time the bite was gone and I was fine. I did tend to bark more frequently than before, though.

NO VEHICLE SENSE Of all the perils faced by dogs in the field, the vehicle is the worst. Teaching a dog to close-heel may be as important as teaching it to whoa. Hunters who let the dog run free near a highway are asking for trouble.

I know a hunter whose retriever was hit by a car … in a farm field! Bird dogs, with their intense focus on hunting, have absolutely no vehicle sense. I practice heeling the dogs when we’re close to the truck, even if there is no traffic or chance that they could run out in the road and be hit. In the long run, it may save their lives. If the dog won’t hold to heel, put it on a leash.

It’s not always the dog that runs afoul of something. Years ago I was quail hunting when I banged my elbow against a tree. There might have been a slight abrasion, but I forgot about it … until several nights later when I woke with my arm throbbing, swollen and red.

I took a sulfa tablet, that miracle antibiotic of World War II, and went to the doctor the next day. “First of all,” he said, “you did the right thing – the sulfa was the right drug. Second, you have blood poisoning and I’ve had two patients with it. One

• Social Media population growing enough to have some kind of season and have no intention of allowing the population to grow enough to actually afford the average Missouri resident a realistic opportunity at being able to hunt them.”

So he’s asking what the point of having elk is if he can’t kill one. In reality, the population has more than tripled and the herd is doing very well. If we can stop the poaching of these animals, it’ll grow faster. But his only concern is with killing elk. Himself especially.

MDC has announced an elk season, probably to start in 2020, and just like every other state with elk, “average residents” will be able to enter a drawing for a tag.

He also completely ignores the economic impact elk are having on small Ozark towns, like Eminence and Ellington, where people actually find it a thrill just to view elk and hear a majestic bugle.

Wildlife has value outside of hunting, but I do dream of one day hunting a Missouri elk. I’ll just have to take my chances with all my fellow average citizens in the tag lottery.

He contends, “I know they constantly talk about restoring ruffed grouse and bobwhite quail, but I can’t remember the last time I heard either calling in the wild.” Well, a

from page 8

from page 8

ruffed grouse restoration is under way currently. A couple hundred ruffed grouse have been relocated to Missouri from Wisconsin, and I can sit on my back deck and listen to quail almost every night in the summer. Quail are doing better than they have in many years.

But hey, he hasn’t heard them, so they must not exist.

Then he goes to CWD. “They plan to kill the deer to save them.” If you think Missouri is making a mistake with CWD management, take 10 minutes to research what has happened to Wisconsin, a state that chose to do nothing about the disease. There are areas in Wisconsin now where 50 percent of the harvested bucks test CWD-positive. MDC has done a great job of fighting a fight that can’t be won. The disease is progressing very slowly thanks to culling, compared to states where the strategy is to throw up their hands and do nothing.

PROGRESS ON FERAL HOGS His last point is feral hogs, saying, “Report, don’t shoot, has proven to be the instrument for a feral population boom.”

I’m going to have to go with, “Have trailers behind pickup trucks as the instrument for a feral hog population boom.”

If it weren’t for the illegal transportation and release of

died and the other was crippled for life. If it ever happens again, you don’t wait. Bee-line for the emergency room, day or night!”

MOOSE’S MISADVENTURE The most frightening field incident with any of our dogs was barely in the field – within 100 yards of the kennel. We let our son Eddie’s Lab, Moose, out to run and he went around the house and almost immediately returned in obvious pain.

My first thought was to wait and see if the situation got worse, but fortunately Eddie got home just then, took one look at his dog and said, “Call the vet – I’m taking him in.”

The vet said Moose was within a half-hour of dying. He had somehow ruptured his bladder. We still don’t know how it could have happened unless he ran into a stob or somehow suffered blunt force trauma (but there was no visible external wound). After surgery and intensive care, Moose fully recovered, although Eddie’s wallet was considerably lighter.

That’s the frustration when dealing with dogs and medicine – they can’t tell you where it hurts or describe the symptoms. You have to learn to read the dog, and even then a dog owner is far from infallible. Dogs tend to soldier on when people would be in bed whining and demanding tender loving care.

feral hogs, we wouldn’t have the problem we do. With feral hog hunters heavily invested financially in equipment and dogs to pursue these hogs, they need hogs to hunt, right? See the circle.

Hog hunting is fun, especially behind dogs. The chase is an amazing thrill, and hounds baying is an awesome sound, but feral hogs are horribly destructive to land and outcompete native wildlife for food and habitat. They need to be wiped off the landscape, and creating a hog-hunting culture isn’t indicative to eradication.

MDC in partnership with the USDA is making progress through trapping.

To wrap up his rant, he says, “In light of these and other factors, I think it’s reasonable to put their funding to a vote every six years.” To which I reply, in light of the fact everything you said is utter nonsense, I am more secure than ever in my belief that conservation management must be left up to a well-funded, science-based agency with highly educated professionals, instead of armchair opinions passed off as reality on Facebook.

See you down the trail…

Brandon Butler was executive director of the Conservation Federation of Missouri from 2013 to 2018.

Outdoor Guide

July-August 2019

Some Other Ways To Catch a Catfish Williamson County (IL) Tourism

Whether due to boredom or a desire to find a better way, catfish anglers are always coming up with nontraditional ways of luring their quarry.

One such way is employed by some Illinois anglers.

They fish small rivers with a light current. Dip baits are popular and the commercial dip bait lures are often used.

However, some of them have been turning to walleye lures instead of the dip worm.

PRE-RIGGED WORMS Prerigged plastic worms, with and without a spinner rig harness, make a presentation that resembles the natural motion of a worm. The spinning rotation of the spinner blade creates sound waves.

The eyeloop knot is readily attached with a ball-bearing swivel for more time spent fishing. A trailer hook located within the tail ensures catching sluggish or short strikes.

Some of these lures even have a zip worm type of body that will hold more dip bait.

The catfisherman will anchor in current, dip the worm in his favorite cheese bait, and gently drop it over the side. A one-ounce egg sinker is placed on the line above the worm. Once the sinker reaches the bottom, more line is let out until the worm moves freely in the current just off the bottom.

The one disadvantage of this worm is that it must be brought up every 10 minutes or so to be rebaited. It helps to dry the plastic with a soft cloth before redipping it in the cheese bait. Cheese does not stick well to wet plastic.

With the multi hooks of the prerigged plastic worm, a catfish that grabs it stays hooked. It is an offbeat way to fish but can be very productive.

CRANKBAITS Along the Mississippi River, anglers can turn to crankbaits to catch catfish.

The technique works best from the first part of May to the first part of August. The water condition needs to be just right. It must be clear water that is flowing slowly.

The pattern does not work in tailwater conditions.

The crankbaits usually used are small crayfish imitations. They have a dark back and a bright color underside.

The crankbaits are trolled rather than cast. This keeps the bait in the strike zone of the catfish. Only a trolling motor is used, and it is used with the combination of turning the boat’s larger motor toward the shore. This kicks out the bow just the

Lake of Egypt, near Marion, is a popular fishing spot in southern Illinois.

– Williamson County Tourism

right amount to allow one to run three lines. The trolling motor allows the boat to move slightly faster than the current, which keeps the lure bouncing along the rocks.

The pattern is run in 8 to 12 feet of water, sometimes shallower.

If the conditions are right, this pattern produces nonstop action. It works prespawn and postspawn as well as during the actual spawning. All species of catfish can be taken with this pattern.

BANK FISHING Getting back to the dip baits, bank fishing is probably the most popular method of taking catfish. Whether one is fishing with dip bait or nightcrawlers, some techniques need to be practiced by the bank-fishing angler.

To begin, one has to move around a lot during the summer. The catfish move up to feed at night in the shallow flats. During the day they tend to be in the deeper water.

In the early morning they will stay under lily pads in the shade until the water warms. Then they go back to the deep holes.

If the angler moves around in search of stumps, he can find larger fish. The angler can cast toward stumps, trees or islands. If he gets hung up, then the trick is to cast just short of that location the next time.

On windy days, the wave action can cause mud to be turned up downwind of the near shoreline. The wave action stirs up crayfish and insects upon which the catfish feed – a kind of natural chumming. The angler who casts into such water will have good action.

DIP BAITS Speaking of chumming, the dip bait is that kind of bait. Dip worms with a hollow core and holes will do an effective job if presented correctly.

At the end of the line, a metal swivel is placed with a 1-ounce sliding weight

above it. A plastic bead can be placed between the swivel and the weight to protect the knot. The worm rig is attached to the swivel. Dip worms usually come with a monofilament leader of 18 to 22 inches length.

Once cast, the reel should be in free spool to allow the dip bait to settle quickly to the bottom. If there is no bite in 15 minutes, retrieve and clean the worm. After drying the worm with a towel, rebait and cast again.

Repeat this process three times. If no fish is caught, it is time to move to another location and begin the process over. Keep repeating the pattern until fish are located.

In still water, one can use a float. The best ones are the cigar floats. Fish the bottom of a hole first. If no bites, attach the float and fish in the upper water of the same hole until the right depth is found for fish.

Generally, fish are in the bottom of the water column or about a foot below the surface.

INTO THE EDDY Finally, there is one more crankbait technique that is popular in some tailwater areas. It consists of moving the boat up into the eddy off the fast water. Cast a floating crankbait into the edge of the fast water.

The flow of the water provides the action to the bait. Then it is sit-and-wait.

The catching of catfish has moved from just a hook and worm suspended below a big old bobber. In the years to come, as catfishing gets more sophisticated, other techniques will be developed. In the interim, these are some that can be tried.

For information on lodging and outdoor activities in Williamson County, or to receive a free “Water, Woods & Wildlife in Williamson County Guide,” contact VisitSI at 1602 Sioux Drive, Marion, IL 62959, or call (800) GEESE-99 or email info@VisitSI.com.

Page 21

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Outdoor Guide

Page 22

July-August 2019

Rural Ramblings

Hot Days Are Blackberry Time

By RUSSELL HIVELY July and August are usually the hottest months in Missouri.

These are times for barbecues, kids playing in the dawn’s light, fishing, hiking, paddling, camping and other outdoor activities. Many folks like to sit on their porches and enjoy cool evening breezes or wade in a spring-fed creek.

Early summer is blackberry time, too. Sadly, it is also the time when chiggers and ticks are at their peak. Before picking the wild fruit, people, “Spray, spray, spray.” After picking, wise ones wash their bodies with vinegar and then take a warm shower. *** Roadrunners are now a bird found in the Missouri Ozarks.

The first roadrunner was spotted in 1956 in the Branson area. *** Fish gigging was once called “fire fishing,” because torches were hung in the front of the boats to help giggers see

their prey.

*** Stables or “horse hotels” were once a part of every town of any size. “Overnight accommodations for your horse” were recently advertised on signs along Interstate 44 between Strafford and Marshfield. Horses are now hauled in sleek trailers all over the country. *** Will a black bear season ever come to the Ozarks?

In 2011, an estimated 2,000 bears lived in the Ozarks section of Arkansas. More and more bears are appearing in the southern part of Missouri. *** If a tree dies in the forest, it takes an estimated 30 years before it falls down; another 50 years to rot away. *** Are the Ozarks the only place where people have “creek shoes?” This old and

water.

well-worn footwear keeps creek waders from cutting their feet on the rocky bottoms of the creeks. *** Armadillos appear to be slow and plodding, but they can run up to 30 miles per hour, as fast as a frightened cottontail. *** Did you know possums

have 50 teeth? *** Weeds seem to thrive during the month of July, so much that some folks refer to July as “the weeding month.” *** Some people claim that porches were made for watermelon eating. Old timers liked to cool their watermelons in tubs full of cool, fresh well

*** Want a fight? Disturb a wild goose sitting on eggs. *** Hammons Products Co. of Stockton, Mo. was one of the first black walnut producers to offer certified seeds. *** Did you know a “glut” is a wooden wedge used to split logs? *** A duck’s quack does not echo. No one knows why. *** Why do bats always turn left when exiting a cave? *** Fishermen claim summer is when the catfish and bullheads bite best. It is a time when watermelons become ripe and are ready for cooling in an ice-cold spring. Summer is the time of grape picking and ice cream socials.

*** There was a time when every boy, man, and many girls carried a jackknife.

Knives are still popular, and the Buck Knife Company of Idaho recently made its one and a half millionth knife.

Fittingly, it was the popular Model 119 hunting knife, which Buck has made for 75 years. *** Did you realize July’s full moon is called the Buck Moon? It was named by native Americans because it appears at the time when buck deer begin growing their antlers for the year. *** The heat of summer can make many of us lazy and lethargic. Still it is a time when a person can enjoy the outdoors in a T-shirt and shorts while going barefooted. Summers can be filled with fun activities or when “the livin’ is easy.” That’s what this Rural Rambler thinks.

Outdoor Guide

July-August 2019

Unique Al’s Goldfish Lures Return

Photos and Text

By KENNETH L. KIESER

I lived by a northwest Missouri lake in the 1960s and fished daily from early spring to late fall with my buddies.

Our lake association stocked rainbow trout each spring and we lived for opening day, March 1. Catching trout was all we talked about throughout the winter months when our lake was frozen over.

My dad stopped at a local hardware store a few days before the 1965 opener. In those days, hardware stores and some drug stores had fishing equipment. I noticed a card propped up with about 20 gold and silver trout spoons.

The store owner noticed my interest and caught me

by saying these were the only spoons to use for trout. My dad rolled his eyes, knowing I was suckered in, but he bought me my first gold-plated Al’s Goldfish for $1.25, more than we generally paid for spoons in those days.

During our drive home I turned the spoon over and over in my hands, admiring the shinny gold plating that might catch a trout’s attention. The spoon was even shaped like a streamlined fish – a big difference from others shaped like the working end of a spoon.

Back home I called a fishing buddies meeting. They all took turns studying my Al’s Goldfish, but claimed it would not beat their favorite spoons or spinners. Soon a bet was made on who would limit out first for 10 “Sgt. Fury and the

Howling Commandos” comic books, a gutsy bet considering I had no idea if this flashy lure would actually catch trout or anything.

ZEBCO AT WORK Opening day arrived and I proudly carried my Zebco 33 and fiberglass rod with the Al’s Goldfish securely tied on 10-pound test line by an improved cinch knot an old man taught me days before.

I stepped out on a dock, cast and was surprised by deep twists resembling dancing teenage girls, or at least that’s what my older cousin told me in detail after attending his first high school dance.

My second cast was rewarded halfway back to the dock by a solid hit, a three-pound rainbow trout. I caught my second trout four casts later and limited out. For my disgusted buddies, nary a strike.

Comic books secured, I was quickly beseeched by my friends to loan them the Al’s Goldfish. I handed over the lure and watched in horror when it hung up on a submerged crappie bed, gone forever. I bugged my dad until he bought me a couple more with the promise of extra work on our farm. My lost lure was replaced by my friend, and the three gold spoons held a prominent top-shelf spot in my tackle box.

GONE, LONG GONE Years passed and I finally lost my last Al’s Goldfish. By then hardware or drug stores no longer sold any kind of fishing lures, and local chain stores did not stock this cherished trout spoon. My favorite trout lures were gone forever.

I attended the Association of Great Lake’s Outdoor Writers conference in 2018 and was shocked to find an Al’s Goldfish display. Jeff and Mandy DeBuigne must have thought I was insane while studying the display with crazed, bugged-out eyes and blubbering my affection for this long-lost treasure of the fishing lure world. Other older writers had the same reaction, perhaps in a less crazy manner.

Al Stuart first manufactured Al’s Goldfish in 1952, originally calling it Stuart’s Goldfish. Field & Stream Magazine labeled Al’s Goldfish as one of the 50 top lures of all time. A million were sold annually through 1973.

Top professional fishermen like Gadabout Gaddis spoke highly of Al’s Goldfish on syndicated television shows.

Then one day this classic lure disappeared, at least for Midwestern anglers.

AN AL’S REVIVAL The DeBuigne family decided to reintroduce Goldfish to new generations of

Page 23

Al’s Goldfish lures were popular in 1960s and now are staging a comeback.

fishermen, apparently never dreaming that an old, crazed angler of yore would be excited like a kid at Christmas.

Other outdoor writers agreed.

“Al’s Goldfish has become one of my best all-time go-to lures,” said Eddy Stahowiak, senior graphic designer and photographer for On the Water magazine.” “I use this lure across the country for different species. Bass, pike, crappie, trout and some saltwater species devour this lure because of its unique action.”

I believe the Goldfish sends out a natural vibration that

fish feel. The bright, shiny plating twisting in the water adds to the attraction. Some fish likely give in to reaction strikes when the shiny lure passes.

Others likely see the flash of a baitfish and attack when a moderate speed retrieve is used, or perhaps a retrieve with darting rod-tip sweeps, making the spoon flutter and sink near the bottom.

Want to try this legendary lure? You can purchase Al’s Goldfish at Bass Pro Shop or Cabela’s. Check the website, alsgoldfish.com

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

HUGE SELECTION OF

SIDE-BY-SIDES

BE A RESPONSIBLE RIDER Remember, Multipurpose Utility Vehicles (Side-by-Sides) can be hazardous to operate. Always wear your seat belt, helmet, eye protection, and clothing appropriate to the driving situation. Keep doors and side nets closed. Never carry a passenger in the cargo bed, stay off public roads, obey cargo limits and guidelines, and never drink and drive. ALL MUV DRIVERS SHOULD WATCH THE SAFETY VIDEO “MULTIPURPOSE UTILITY VEHICLES: A GUIDE TO SAFE OPERATION.” Be sure to follow the Owner’s Manual directions when carrying cargo or towing a trailer. Avoid excessive speeds, and never drive faster than conditions permit. All Pioneer models are recommended for drivers 16 years of age and older, and tall enough to wear the seat belt properly and reach all the controls. The passenger(s) should also be tall enough for the seat belt to fit properly and brace themselves, if needed, by placing both feet firmly on the floor while firmly grasping a hand hold. Whenever you drive off-road, make sure you follow all the “TREAD LIGHTLY” guidelines, and always stay on established trails in approved areas. Keep your off-road area clean, use common sense, and respect the rights of others. We strongly recommend that you use only Honda approved accessories that have been specifically designed and tested for your vehicle and do not remove any original equipment or modify your Honda in any way that would change its design or operation. Operating your Side-by-Side vehicle with a modified engine, emissions control system, or noise-control system may be illegal. Always obtain written permission before driving on private lands, and obey all the laws and regulations governing your off-road areas. Specifications, programs and availability subject to change without notice. All specifications in this brochure—including colors, etc.— apply only to models sold and registered in the United States. Some models shown with optional accessories. Pioneer,™ Unicam,® Honda Phantom Camo,® QuickFlip,® are trademarks of Honda Motor Co., Ltd. FOX® is a registered trademark of Fox Factory, Inc. ©2017 American Honda Motor Co., Inc. A3909

Outdoor Guide

Page 24

July-August 2019

Your Guide to

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The Protector Folder from American Buffalo Knife & Tool is a fine everyday-carry or hunting companion knife.

This knife is precision CNC-machined, then inserted around a pivot pin with a set of stainless steel ball bearings to ensure a friction-free, smooth opening and closing.

The blade is held closed with a detent ball that keeps the knife closed until pressure is applied to open it. The blade will flow quickly and easily all the way open until the liner lock engages, just as fast as an automatic but without the hassle and danger.

The handle is made of D2 tool steel, HRC from 59-62 (the same hard steel used in steel dies), and comes in black or blaze orange countoured G10 shaped to fit the hand.

The Protector Folder knives list for $34.99 and can be seen at abktinc.com.

Mossberg Centennial a Special Shotgun for the 100th Anniversary

Mossberg introduces the Mossberg 500 Centennial pumpaction shotgun, chambered in 12 gauge, to commemorate its 100th anniversary.

It features a nickel-plated receiver engraved with the 100th Anniversary logo and a pair of flushing ruffed grouse, highlighted in 24 karat gold. The model will be limited to 750 units, each with a special serial number.

The 500 is designed for reliable, smooth operation with non-binding twin action bars, dual extractors, steel-to-steel lockup, anti-jam elevator, anodized aluminum receiver and ambidextrous top-mounted safety. With 12 million sold over 50 years, it has proven to be one of the most reliable shotguns available.

The Centennial model has traditional styling, high-gloss walnut stock, fine checkering on the pistol grip and underside of the forend, fit with a classic red rubber recoil pad, among other features. Length is 47.5” and it weighs 7.5 pounds.

To see more, go online to Mossberg.com, where the Centennial model lists for $950.

Henry Adds Side Gate Lever Action to New Rifle

Henry Repeating Arms has added the Side Gate Lever Action rifle to its products, the first time Henry has had a lever action rifle with a loading gate.

The side-loading gate below the ejection port allows the user to fully load the 5-round magazine or keep it topped off without removing the magazine tube.

The rifle can also be unloaded through the magazine tube, a safe, efficient way of unloading without having to work the action to cycle live rounds.

The rifle is offered in calibers 30-30, 38-55 and 35 Rem. The American walnut stock is laser engraved with deep checkering and scrollwork. The round, 20-inch blue steel barrel uses rifling with varying twist rates.

The U.S.-made Side Gate Lever Action rifle lists for $1,045, is available at Henry dealers and can be seen at henryusa.com.

Yolotek Case Solves Problems of External Audio Adaptors

Yolotek, of Kansas City, has released a special case for the GoPro audio adapter and microphone that makes it easy to use an external mic.

The Pro Vlogger GoPro Hero 5/6/7 Case was designed to mount the audio adapter and microphone, at the request of GoPro PowerStick-53 users who connect to vlog, live stream and YouTube.

Previously, the audio adapter would dangle, but the new case eliminates any need for zip ties or duct tape.

The case has an audio bay to hold the audio adapter plus a cold-shoe microphone mount on top. Yolotek calls it a “game changer for anyone using external audio.”

Yolotek, the “Official Power Mount Provider” for Major League Fishing, is distributed by T-H Marine. The Hero 5/6/7 Case lists for $30 but was on sale for $15.99 at yolotek.com.

Mixcder Headphones a Lightweight Solution for Outdoor Travel

Audio expert Mixcder presents the lightest, lowest-cost foldable hi-fi wireless headphones available, the Mixcder HD901 Bluetooth headphones.

They combine a low price with high-quality stereo HD sound, superior bass, 40mm drivers, easy foldability, light weight and the comfort of soft ear cups and adjustable sliders.

It’s an all-in-one solution for sports enthusiasts, music lovers, travelers, students and audio book listeners. It includes a TF card slot for MP3 music and pairs with cell phones up to 33 feet. A 3.5mm cable is included.

Mixcder HD901 headphones lists for $19.99 and can be seen at mixcder.com.

Kauger’s Black Widow Is Lightweight But Has Power for Big Game

Kauger Arms introduces the Black Widow, which combines light weight and maneuverability with the power to take big game.

Technically a pistol, Black Widow uses the same stock design as Kauger’s popular Tomahawk .410 but chambered for a 6.5 Creedmoor rifle cartridge or the 6.5X47 Lapua Rifle Cartridge.

It has Kauger’s VPR Action with a diamond-fluted bolt and mini tak handle.

The detachable mag box gives it a capacity of five rounds – four in the box, one in the chamber. The overall length is 25.5 inches. It can be used in some states’ primitive weapons seasons.

Black Widow can be seen at the website kaugerarms. com, where it lists for $1,695.

Outdoor Edge Wild Guide Set Has Three Tough Knives

Outdoor Edge simplifies the hunting-knife selection process with its new WildGuide combo set, including a caping knife, a gut-hook skinner and a T-handle wood/bone saw, all in a custom nylon sheath.

It’s designed to break down big-game harvests. The caper has a 2.5” stainless-steel blade, the skinner has a 4” stainless steel, shaving-sharp blade, and the saw is a T-handled wood or bone saw with a 4.9” steel blade, triple-ground teeth and chrome coating.

All three have glass-reinforced nylon handles with blazeorange thermoplastic rubber over-molding. The total weight of the set is 11.4 ounces.

The WildGuide set is available from retailers or lists for $47.95 at outdooredge.com.

Clenzoil Aerosol a One-Step Solution for Marine Cleaning

The 12-ounce Clenzoil Marine & Tackle aerosol is a high-quality, one-step cleaner, lubricant and rust preventative for fishing reels, tools, engines and other equipment exposed to harsh marine environments.

It removes oils, dirt, grease and other contaminants and helps prevent accumulation. Its thin, non-greasy coating lubricates and prevents rust and saltwater corrosion on engine blocks, hose clamps, locks, latches, hinges, trailers and other metal surfaces.

Clenzoil also nourishes, preserves, and protects wood accents and will not harm synthetic surfaces, leather upholstery, canvas, or rubber.

Clenzoil aerosol lists for $17.99 at clenzoil.com or on amazon.com.

Outdoor Guide

July-August 2019

Page 25

Wild Wine Life

Venison Spedini Is Fun and Tasty Photo and Text

By RAY MAXWELL You can take any of the venison cuts that you wish, round steaks or roast for example, to make this very fun and tasty dish using venison.

Other ingredients needed include: Pecorino cheese (grated).

Italian bread crumbs (unseasoned).

Prosciutto.

Venison rub (your own or store bought. I get it at Annie Gunn’s Smoke House Market.

Pasta sauce.

Olive oil.

Bay leaves.

• Place some oil in a bowl, then the bread crumbs mixed

with the venison rub and pasta sauce in another bowl, and then cheese in a third bowl.

• Pound out the steak until tender and thin, then cut it into strips about 1.5” to 2” wide.

• Dip the meat strips into the olive oil and then into the bread crumbs, covering both sides of the meat. Spoon pasta sauce over the strip, then place cheese along the length of the cut.

• Cut the prosciutto into a strip that fits the spedini and

place that on top. Then roll the strip of meat lengthwise.

• Spear the meat with a wood sticker or metal and have a bay leaf on each side of the meat.

• Place them into a preheated oven at 350 degrees

and cook for 20 minutes.

Ray Maxwell’s Venison Spedini recipe goes well with Missouri wine.

You can also cook this on the grill, or place the uncooked spedini into plastic containers on the spears and cook them on the grill at

FISHING

HUNTING

hunting camp.

Among Missouri wines, the Persimmon Ridge Norton pairs well with this dish.

Norton is a great wine to have

with wild game. We also like the Vecchio Marone Edizone from Salento, Italy, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot that

works great with any game dish and pasta.

For the video version, go to Wild Wine Life on Facebook or Youtube.

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Outdoor Guide

Page 26

July-August 2019

Land Between Lakes a Peninsula Paradise Photo and Text

By THAYNE SMITH

Nestled in the rolling hills of western Kentucky and northwestern Tennessee and surrounded by two great rivers lies an outdoor recreation paradise that has no equal.

Officially, it’s the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area. To visitors, nearby residents and most who have enjoyed its offerings or experienced its wonders, it’s simply called “LBL.” The land mass, bordered by Kentucky Lake on the Tennessee River and Lake Barclay on the Cumberland River, became

A buffalo touches his left horn against the window of the author’s SUV while joining a number of kin to block traffic along the road.

a reality in the 1960s. The rivers flow parallel just a few miles apart; the dams, with roughly equal water surface levels, were connected by a canal.

The action served to form the largest inland peninsula in the United States, replete with 170,000 acres, 110,000 in Kentucky and 60,000 in Tennessee. Its recreation potential was recognized and initially managed by the famed Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), but jurisdiction has since been transferred to the U.S. Forest Service.

Today, there seems to be no end to the attractions it offers, drawing more than two million visitors a year and serving as the focal point of a $600 million tourism industry and one of the most visited attractions in the two states.

The amenities it offers outdoor enthusiasts are practically endless, plus many more for anyone else who chooses to visit.

HUNTING IS ALLOWED At its founding in 1963, the TVA project was designed to show a regional, multiple-use approach, including the two big lakes and the land between them. Unlike a national park, there were to be areas where hunting would be allowed.

Over time, many other attractions were developed, such as

a bison range and a recreated 1850-style farm called the Homeplace, complete with an on-site staff simulating life in those early times.

Quota hunts, requiring special permits, are prominent in LBL areas of both the host states, for residents and nonresidents alike. With thousands of acres teeming with game and more than 300 miles of undeveloped shoreline, hunting opportunities abound for more than 250 days a year.

Abundant species include white-tailed deer, wild turkey, squirrels, waterfowl, a variety of small game and other forest dwellers.

For anglers, the two lakes and connecting canal are a year-around delight, offering prime habitat for largemouth, smallmouth and Kentucky spotted bass, black and white crappie, blue, channel and flathead catfish, white and yellow bass, bluegill and other sunfish and sauger.

Bank fishing is allowed, with proper licensing, almost anywhere around the two lakes.

For boaters and anglers, there are more than 20 launching ramps, several excellent marinas, open waters and quiet coves.

LARGEST MAN-MADE BODY OF WATER Kentucky Lake offers a

whopping 2,064 miles of cove-studded shoreline and 160,300 acres of water surface.

Lake Barkley has more than 1,004 miles of picturesque shoreline and covers 58,000 surface acres. Combined, the two lakes and canal rank as the largest man-made body of water in the world.

For canoeists and kayak lovers, there are dozens of put-in and take-out areas at well-signed points, with both quiet and daunting waters awaiting. Vacationers, hikers, backpackers and casual visitors are offered many fine parks, picnic areas, beaches, trails, primitive and modern cabins.

Two prominent facilities – Kentucky Dam Village State Resort Park, near Gilbertsville, and Lake Barkley State Resort Park near Cadiz – have thousands of visitors per year and host large convention groups.

Campgrounds, varying from primitive to major units with full RV services, are found throughout.

DRIVE WITH THE ELK Another major attraction is the Elk and Bison Prairie, served by a 3.5-mile loop road, winding through re-created native habitat of the two species, which the region lost more than a century ago. It’s comprised of a 700-acre enclosure that also features other wildlife,

An aerial view shows Kentucky Lake and Lake Barclay coming together.

– Kentucky Tourism

including wild turkeys, rabbits, bobcats, skunks, quail, hawks and many more. Entrance is limited to cars and trucks and, for safety reasons, visitors are prohibited from feeding or approaching any of the animals.

Development of the area was started in the 1970s with prescribed burns to encourage expansion of remnant patches of native prairie and to recreate habitat for the many species of animals, including elk and bison, that were found there more than 150 years ago. It was regularly burned and reseeded with grasses, then elk and bison were added to the landscape.

For all ages, visiting LBL can be a giant educational leap.

Among others, it has the north and south welcoming centers,

a planetarium and observatory, Turkey Bay Off-Highway Vehicle Area, Woodlands Nature Center, Wranglers Riding Stable and even a Wranglers Campground accommodating horses, their owners and riders.

No one questions the fact that the Land Between the Lakes is well-known for having something for everyone.

For information on activities, camping and visitor fees, daily activities and more, go online to www.LBLInfo@ fs.fed.us or call (800) 5257077. Or try the Golden Pond Visitor Center, 238 Visitor Center Drive, Golden Pond, KY 42211. Call (270) 9242233 or go online to www. landbetweenthelakes.com.

Outdoor Guide

July-August 2019

Page 27

A Great Fishing Trip, Close to Home Stockton Lake Costs Less, Offers More

Photos and Text

By TYLER MAHONEY

Have you ever wondered how you could duplicate the experience of a Canadian fishing trip that everyone rants and raves about – but without breaking the bank?

There is an answer. Tandem Fly Outfitters on Stockton Lake, in southwest Missouri, offers an all-inclusive package for anglers that includes lodging, meals, and spectacular guided fishing trips.

“Our reasoning for offering packages like this is simple – to build the relationship with our customers and give them the best experience they can get,” said Kris Nelson, owner of Tandem Fly Outfitters.

“We don’t want to just meet you at the boat ramp and say ‘Bye’ at the end of the day.

We value getting to know you and want to give you the most opportunities for great fishing,” he added.

Nelson operates the guide service from Stone Creek Lodge in Stockton, MO. His location is two and a half hours from Kansas City and Fayetteville, AR, four hours from St. Louis or Wichita and three hours from Tulsa.

Tandem Fly Outfitters’ unique location allows for

anglers to duplicate that memorable “Canada-like” trip of a lifetime without the lengthy travel, or the price. You can expect outstanding fishing, too.

Nelson and guide Cole Boyd have been fishing the lake for years. Their experience on the water helps them find the fish quickly, and your limits soon after.

WHICH FISH? Crappie fishing is excellent throughout the year. There is an abundant population of largemouth bass, along with trophy smallmouth in the lower portion of the lake. The white bass fishing has come on strong in recent years, especially in the later summer months.

Perhaps the most exciting fishing opportunity on Stockton Lake is the prospect of catching walleye in large numbers and quality. The lake is consistently considered Missouri’s top walleye fishery.

During the spawn, anglers can be seen lining the dam like it’s opening day of trout season. But the month of June often proves to be one of the most productive times to catch a limit of walleye.

“Crazy enough, we actually have guys coming down from Canada and the northern U.S. to fish with us here during the walleye spawn in the spring when they still have ice on the water,” Nelson said. “But other times, like early summer, can be something special down here, too.”

Both Nelson and Boyd make it a point to take care of everything for their clients while on the boat. You literally won’t have to do anything except catch the fish. Once you land it, they hand you another rod so you can keep fishing while they take care of the rest. If you’re used to being the one who always takes care of tying lures, baiting hooks, undoing snags and cleaning fish, you’ll love fishing with these guys.

“We want you to come fish and not worry about any of the ‘work’ associated with fishing, like tying lines or taking fish off the hook,” Nelson said. “That’s the only way I know how to do it because that’s the service I would want if I was going on a guide trip.”

FINISH WITH A SPECIAL MEAL If you purchase one of the outfitting packages, expect to cap off your night after a day of fishing with a tasty meal and great company. They sure are good with the grill and smoker, and are more than happy to cook up some of the fish you brought back from the water.

If you time it right in the spring, usually the second week of April, you just might have the opportunity to roam the banks for some fresh morel mushrooms as well.

What might be most impressive about the whole thing is the

Payden Hays (left) and Tyler Mahoney with stringers of crappie caught with Tandem Fly Outfitters.

price. For all-inclusive packages, Tandem Fly Outfitters requires a two-person minimum and offers the following prices: • 2-day package, $225 per person per day.

• 3-day package, $225 per person per day.

• 4-day package, $200 per person per day.

Why spend well over a thousand dollars or more going to Canada when you can find the same type of experience right in the Midwest?

Dinner after a hot day on the water.

TURKEY Guide Cole Boyd with a nice walleye caught on the tail end of the spawn.

Cole Boyd cleaning the night’s catch.

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Kris Nelson, owner of Tandem Fly Outfitters, dishes up an extravagant dinner after a day of fishing.

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Outdoor Guide

Page 28

July-August 2019

Fishing the Quiet Little Creeks

Photos and Text

By TERRY AND ROXANNE WILSON

Williams Creek meanders through a tree-lined valley that interrupts miles of row-cropped flatlands in western Illinois.

It traverses Weinberg-King State Park, which hosts picnickers, hikers, campers, horseback trail riders and a few who fish the little pond near the entrance, but we’ve never encountered another angler along that little stream.

One June morning, armed with 3-weight fly rods and dressed in full battle gear, we were casting to the tail of a small pool when a single file of horsemen approached us at a stream crossing.

They stopped, appeared surprised at our presence and inquired as to whether there were trout in the stream. “No, sunfish,” we replied, a com-

ment that was greeted with raised eyebrows and faint smiles, which seemed to call our sanity into question.

It didn’t matter. We had camped on the little knoll above Williams Creek many times and waded its gentle flow to catch and release so many sunfish that we felt as if we were on a first-name basis with many of them.

RIVERS OR CREEKS? There are countless other warm-water streams in which we’ve found outstanding fishing and solitude among a lifetime of fishing adventures.

The good news is that there are many warm-water creeks liberally scattered across the Midwestern landscape. Some of these waters may bear the name “river,” but they qualify as creeks on the basis of their size. Many are small, mostly shallow and firm-bottomed.

Green sunfish were part of the big day at a small, shaded pool.

We fish several local streams that feed reservoirs that host white bass spawning runs each spring. Hordes of fanatical anglers pursue them until the bass return to the lake, and then the stream is ceded back to us for the remainder of the season.

Stealth is of primary importance in these miniature fisheries. Slow, cautious wade fishers, conscious of disturbances such as crunching through gravel runs or casting shadows across the water, will experience much more success.

Kneeling, crouching and using streamside brush and rocks to keep out of the fish’s sight provides a further advantage.

Fishing upstream can also aid the angler’s efforts in achieving an unannounced approach.

The best fish-holding water is found in the deeper pools and bankside holes washed out by eddies, but the pools must be shaded. Shade is the key element here, and it is usually provided by trees or high banks.

At times those elements inhibit traditional casting, especially for fly casters. Roll casts and sometimes simply shaking loose coils of line from the rod, then allowing the current to guide the fly into position, might be your only presentation options.

THE RIGHT RODS Light-action spinning rods work well here. As with most

situations in fly fishing, nearly any rod can be adapted to get the job done. That being said, there are rods more suitable for this task than others.

While short rods are easier to manipulate in tight quarters, it takes at least a 7½-foot rod to execute an effective roll cast.

This makes fly rod choice difficult and, consequently, a personal preference.

Small jig-type lures and the smallest spinners are effective while fly selections depend on the species we intend to target. For those with small mouths, we often confine our fly choice to a particular category of flies. Classic wetfly patterns in size 12 like Professor, Grizzly King and McGinty have proven successful, as have Catskill-style dry flies. Choosing fly categories adds a further challenge and provides engagement at the tying vise as well as on the stream.

When we want to target those species with larger mouths like largemouth or smallmouth bass, green sunfish, or crappie, we often turn to classic streamers like Black Ghost, Black Nosed Dace or Warden’s Worry. Especially when our goal is to target bass alone, we enlarge hook sizes to six or even four. As a result, time spent at the vise is enhanced and our total experience enriched.

Shaded, bank-side holes make great fish-holding waster.

CATCH-AND-RELEASE DAY TO REMEMBER Last autumn, we guided a friend to a shaded pool on a favorite creek. We cast size-12 Muddler Minnows and caught eight different species from the same pool.

We caught largemouth, smallmouth, white and rock bass plus crappie, bluegill, green sunfish and long-ear sunfish.

We speculate that the very low water level had forced the fish into a communal lifestyle that created a competitive feeding binge. That afternoon, in just

a couple of hours, we caught and released 75 fish from the pool before the action waned.

We also long remember wading into casting position in a location that Terry’s father and his boyhood pals used as their swimming hole some 70 years earlier. It was a special thrill to catch smallmouth and rock bass from that special place.

As with so many of these warm-water creek forays, we never encountered another soul. Solitude often accompanies the great fishing.

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Outdoor Guide

July-August 2019

Page 29

Young Angler on Tournament Trail

Photos and Text

By JOHN WINKLEMAN

Marlena Watkins has been fishing in tournaments more than half of her life, so you would have to expect she has racked up a few awards and accolades. That is certainly the case for the 7-year-old from Fenton, MO, who will try her luck each summer in more than a dozen derbies close to home and on the road.

Her dad, Joe Watkins, said her schedule this year includes events in Chesterfield, Jeffer-

son City, Lake of the Ozarks and Des Peres in Missouri and in Collinsville, IL. Marlena got hooked on tournament fishing when she took second place at the Jefferson County Parks and Recreation Derby in 2014. Now a virtual veteran, in second grade at Murphy Elementary School, she rarely has to rely on Dad to tie her own knots or take her own catches off the hook.

Her rationale for enjoying the competition and catching still reflects her little-girl attitude.

Seven-year-old Marlena Watkins shows off her fishing derby awards.

“It’s just fun to fish in the tournaments. I think the fish are cute,” Marlena explained.

And her favorite species?

“Rainbow trout, because they are rainbow.”

A TRIP TO MONTAUK A summer event at Montauk State Park has her excited to try out some new equipment, her dad said.

“She got a nice fly rod for Christmas from her Uncle Matt and has already learned to cast,” Joe Watkins said.

It’s when Marlene is talking about her new fly rod, spinning reel or her terminal tackle that you realize she is no novice at the game.

“I like the Ned rig with a PBJ worm. I like the purple one better because it’s purple and it’s a good color after the rain,” she said just before catching fish on each of her first three casts on a damp spring day at her home subdivision lake at Fondulac.

The relatively new Ned rig finesse fishing method uses a small chunk of soft plastic worm threaded onto an ultra-light jig head.

The small offering glides through the water and sinks slowly, darting its way back to the bank with each rod twitch.

Most kids fishing tournaments are catch-and-release

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events with scoring based on total number of fish caught and sometimes by weights measured in ounces rather than pounds. Marlena says she likes to be able to throw them back when she catches them, but she’s not shy about the chance to help bring home a meal.

“When my aunt’s in town and my cousins, we have a fish fry. Sometimes at Lake of the Ozarks we have a fish fry, too,” Marlena said.

ALL-AROUND CHAMPION Her tournament fishing record is pretty impressive with 14 top three finishes and 11 times taking the top spot in her age division. She is also a Girl Scout cookie sale champion for her troop.

“She likes helping others learn about fishing,” Joe Watkins said. “She helped her Girl Scout troop earn fishing badges last year. We particularly like helping those who have never caught a fish, with their first catch.

And it turns out that it isn’t always just kids who have never had that experience.

It’s a wonderful feeling to help someone catch their first fish.”

A great place for kids to catch their first are the many derbies and tournaments hosted by cities, parks

Marlena Watkins with a nice bluegill she caught at the 2018 Chesterfield Youth Fishing Derby.

departments and civic clubs.

Usually, generous sponsors provide attendance prizes and goody bags for the young anglers, and special fish stocking prior to the events increases the catching opportunities.

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Outdoor Guide

Page 30

July-August 2019

Learn Tree Stand Safety Guidelines

By BOB HOLZHEI Each year, thousands of hunters are injured in tree stand accidents. The Trees tand Safety Awareness Foundation reports there are about 4,000 emergency room visits per year due to tree stand falls.

Don’t wait until hunting season arrives to practice tree stand safety! Now is the ideal time to begin practicing to get ready for the fall hunt. When fall arrives, safety measures will become part of your routine!

As I got older, I gave up hunting from a tree stand and purchased a 10-foot by 10-foot hunting shack and loaded it onto my hay wagon.

The insulated shack is heated

with a Big Buddy heater, and is comfortable. My wife said, “You can go out there and sleep overnight whenever you want!”

These tree stand safety guidelines from the Foundation can educate hunters and are excellent suggestions to review prior to a yearly hunt.

• HARNESS SYSTEM – Use a full-body fall arrest harness system that meets stringent industry standards. Wear the harness system every time you leave the ground, including ascending or desending from the tree stand. Singlestrap belts and chest harnesses are no longer allowed.

• ATTACH PROPERLY – Attach the full body harness system according to the

manufacturer’s directions.

The tether should have no slack when sitting. Failure to do so may result in suspension without the ability to recover to your tree stand.

• LEARN THE RULES – Always read, review, understand and follow the instructions provided by the manufacturer.

If questions arise, contact the manufacturer.

• HAUL LINE – Always use a haul line to raise your backpack, gear and unloaded firearm or bow to the tree stand. Prior to descending, lower the equipment on the side of the tree opposite your descent route.

• PRACTICE IT – Practice using your full body fall arrest harness system in the pres-

ence of a responsible adult before using it in an elevated hunting environment, and learn what it feels like to hang suspended in the harness at ground level.

• HAVE A PLAN – Have a plan for recovery, escape, and rescue, including the use of cell phones or signal devices, used while suspended. If you are suspended before help arrives, exercise your legs by pushing against the tree. If you do not have the ability to recover or escape, hunt from the ground.

Approaching the age of 74, the hunting shack provides a comfortable place for me to hunt!

For more information, go to the website hunteroc.com.

MDC Removes Book, DVD Sales from Regional Offices The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) announces that sales of its Nature Shop items, such as books, DVDs, and music, will be limited to its nature centers and its online Nature Shop website, mdcnatureshop.com.

The department will continue to offer its popular Natural Events calendar along with permits at all locations where they are currently sold.

Currently, 70 percent of Nature Shop purchases are made at MDC’s nature centers and online sales are increasing.

So on July 1, sales of books, DVDs and music will be discontinued at the Camdenton, Chillicothe, Clinton, El Dorado Springs, Hannibal, Piedmont, and Sedalia offices, plus the Central Regional Office in Columbia, the Columbia Bottoms Office in St. Louis,

the Kansas City Regional Office in Lee’s Summit, the Lost Valley Hatchery in Warsaw, the Northeast Regional Office in Kirksville, the Northwest Regional Office in St. Joseph, the Ozark Regional Office in West Plains, the Shepherd of the Hills Conservation Center in Branson, Southwest Regional Office in Springfield and the St. Louis Regional Office in St. Charles.

The public can still pur-

chase MDC merchandise through the online Nature Shop at mdcnatureshop.com and at the following MDC nature centers: • Anita B. Gorman Conservation Discovery Center in

downtown Kansas City.

• Burr Oak Woods Nature Center in Blue Springs.

• Cape Girardeau Nature Center.

• Powder Valley Nature Center in Kirkwood.

• Runge Nature Center in

Jefferson City.

• Springfield Nature Center

in Springfield.

• Twin Pines Nature Center

in Winona.

• Shoal Creek Conservation Education Center in Joplin.

MDC also offers an annual Nature Shop catalog available in the October issue of the Missouri Conservationist. Orders can be placed by calling (877) 521-8632 or order forms can be sent to Missouri Department of Conservation, attn. Nature Shop, P.O. Box 180, Jefferson City,

MO 65102-0180.

MDC will continue to offer permit sales and calendars at its contact offices and nature centers. Additionally, the public can buy Missouri hunting and fishing permits from numerous vendors around the state, online at mdc.mo.gov/buypermits or through MDC’s free mobile apps, MO Hunting and MO Fishing, available for download through Google Play for Android devices or the App Store for Apple devices.

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Outdoor Guide

July-August 2019

Page 31

Hunting Season Is the Best Time Photo and Text

By TED NUGENT Smell that? Hear that?

See that? Feel that? Sense that? Does your spiritual radar pick up the dynamo of Mother Nature in her finest moments like mine does?

There’s a ringing in my ears and I think it’s the call of the wild!

It’s the peak of the hunting season, baby, and the effervescent Spirit of the Wild is in full bloom and coming on stronger by the day, and she calls our names loud and clear. Nature is as nature does and we are but her humble servants of the miraculous annual harvest.

‘Tis The Season, so don’t let one magical, mystical, miraculous moment get away from you. I sure know I won’t. Never have, never will! Won’t, can’t!

Unleash the beast and let the predator/prey games begin!

Ain’t it wonderful to be a hands-on participant in God’s tooth, fang and claw perfection!

What exactly is it we want out of our annual sacred hunting season?

Backstraps? Fun? Adventure? Challenge? Sport?

A trophy? Escape? Quiet?

That special campfire with family and friends? The healing powers of nature?

Filling the memory bank with over-glow? Defying political correctness? Or just flexing that pure, natural, instinctive predator muscle because we must?

All of the above? All the above for me, that’s for darn sure.

OCTOBER ANGST Many, many years ago back in the roaring 1970s, after more than a dozen years of nonstop touring, performing more than 300 concerts each year with my band The Amboy Dukes, I was getting more and more antsy every October.

Something was missing.

We didn’t sell that many records at the time, but we were making a pretty decent living performing killer high energy rockin’ concerts all across North America, which didn’t leave me much time for my beloved bowhunting.

Sneaking in a couple of days here and there during the fall wasn’t exactly filling my predator cup to overflow, and I was finding myself obsessed with getting out there for a genuine extended hunt.

I do not believe it to be a

Nugent (center) after the hunt with some special friends.

coincidence that the year I decided to take a month off to really hunt was the year my career exploded.

By the fall of 1975, I had backed down my concert schedule to the point where I could really apply myself to killing a deer, and most importantly, recharging my batteries and coordinating quality time with my growing family and friends.

A CLEAR HEAD The immediate and powerful boost that my mind, body, soul and spirit received from such quality time pur-

Hybrid Striper Sets State Record Cesar Rodriguez of Carthage, MO, is the state recordholder for hybrid striped bass after catching a 21-pound, 11-ounce fish at Lake of the Ozarks on May 19, using the pole-and-line method.

The fish breaks Missouri’s previous hybrid striped bass record of 20 pounds, 8 ounces, set in 1986 at the Lake of the Ozarks.

“It was just a normal day out fishing,” Rodriguez recalled. “Last year I caught a 24-pound hybrid in Oklahoma, but I couldn’t find a game warden to confirm it.

So this catch didn’t come as a surprise that it was a recordbreaker.”

The fish’s weight was verified at the Department of Conservation’s Roaring River Hatchery in Cassville.

It was the sixth state-record fish caught this year.

Rodriguez had his prize fish mounted. He said he plans to catch another and top even his Oklahoma catch.

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

For more information on state-record fish, see the MDC website at https://short.mdc. mo.gov/Zxr.

suing my deepest hunting passions, equal to my deepest musical passions, further cleared my already cleared head and set me on an upgraded course in quality of life in which deeply craved priorities would never again take a backseat to anything.

Amazingly, in that fall of 1975, with my trusty Bear recurve, I arrowed my first antlered mule deer in Colorado on Sept. 10, my first antlered whitetail on Oct. 10, and I killed my first firearm buck on the Michigan gun opener on Nov. 15.

Right on the heels of that

mega-miracle-accomplishment, my brand new, first solo album skyrocketed to a million seller. In the next few years I would become the highest grossing touring artist in the world, selling many millions of records each year.

Eventually I would sell more than 40 million records and in 2016 I wrapped up my Sonic Baptizm tour, the greatest, most intense and gratifying tour of my life, selling out shows all across America with the greatest band and crew a guitar player could ever dream of. Lord have mercy!

My point is that man does not live by bread alone, or rock ‘n’ roll alone, or backstraps alone, or any one thing alone!

As I celebrate my 71st birthday (are you kidding me?), I guess I qualify to some degree to pass on some meaningful advice after a long, wonderful, passion- driven, ultra-aware, adventurous American Dream.

My hunting seasons are sacred time and while cleansing my soul, must bring these four things – fun, sport, meat, trophy.

• Fun is inescapable because I love it so much.

• Spor t is inescapable

because killing a deer with a bow and arrow, or any outdoor sporting activity for that matter, is an ultimate life challenge every time.

• Meat is the prize for gungho dedication, sacrifice, diligence and a job well done.

• Trophy is every good arrow, well-placed bullet,

successful stalk, landed fish or bagged fowl, regardless of whether it’s a small doe, a giant buck, a brace of grouse or a yummy trout.

I assure you that what works for an old roustabout, backstrapping guitar-slayer will work for pretty much all humans who seek health, balance, adventure, conservation, individual fulfillment and genuine happiness.

So whip out your intellectual crystal ball, my spirit blood brothers, dream big, control your destiny and be sure you take charge of your dreams. Our beloved hunt season continues to come on strong. We should come on strong too! Prioritize like you mean it!

Maximize this special time of year with family and friends. Get out there as often as you possibly can. Spring is special, summer is wonderful, but the fall and winter hunting season is surely the best time of year.

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Outdoor Guide

Page 32

July-August 2019

The Stages of a True Hunter Photos and Text

By JOHN SLOAN A true hunter goes through distinct stages. The end stage – in fact, maybe the entire process – is what differentiates a hunter from a killer. Let me first define the difference.

A hunter enjoys the process leading up to the shot more than the kill. A killer just want to shoot.

A hunter enjoys the hunt.

The actual kill – the taking of an animal’s life – is secondary. It is just a facet of hunting, perhaps the least important.

It is the work that leads up to that moment that brings enjoyment. For the killer, he cares nothing about the process leading up to that moment. His joy is all in the kill. Shoot, kill, take the pictures and go home. He wants to be assured of a shot before he ever leaves home.

He wants the real work to be done by someone else.

For me, becoming a hunter was a process of learning and going through stages. If I can, in the next few paragraphs, I’ll try and outline those stages in a way that perhaps both the hunter and non-hunter can understand.

• FIRST STAGE – In my early boyhood, I stumbled loudly along behind good, true hunt-

ers. I watched, listened and learned. My goal then was to kill something.

I felt, incorrectly, that my expertise would be proven by my killing something. I wanted to kill one deer, a few squirrels, some ducks or doves or rabbits. The culmination would be to kill a buck deer. That would prove my worth.

• SECOND STAGE – In the second stage, the emphasis was still on killing. But now the focus was on killing a limit. I would prove my worth by “limiting out.” Today, quite often, I hear someone say – usually with pride in their voice – “I’m done. I have limited out.”

• THIRD STAGE – The third stage of the true hunter is often misunderstood. In this stage, the emphasis is on a trophy animal. This stage is about killing a trophy, and this is the most dangerous stage, for it is in this stage that some hunters lose sight of the hunt and become killers.

So much emphasis is put on the “trophy” aspect of hunting, the process of actually obtaining that animal is sometimes short-circuited and deplorable or illegal steps are taken. Baiting, high-fence hunting or outright poaching may occur.

And then the hunter is not a hunter, but a killer.

• FOURTH STAGE – It is in the fourth stage that the true, pure hunter begins to emerge … if he is going to do so. It is in this stage that one realizes it is the preparation before the shot that provides the enjoyment.

And this is where I am going to lose some readers. The next few words I am about to write are going to turn some away. For many years, I have enjoyed scouting far more than I have enjoyed killing.

The joy of hunting, for me, was in scouting and seeing new territory.

Reading the “sign,” planning the ambush, placing the stand and seeing the results provided the joy of hunting for me. I was truly hunting, not killing. I often think that is why I became a successful guide. It was up to my hunters to make the shot. It was up to me to put the stand in a place where they could get the shot.

During my years as owner of Buckhorn Guide Service in Tennessee and as a partner in operations in Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri and, to a small extent, Alabama, I spent far more time scouting and placing stands than most people spend in the woods in their lives.

What about this is hunting? You sit. The deer comes to feed. You shoot it.

THE FUN IS IN THE SCOUTING There are 365 days in a year. I would routinely spend 150 to 175 of them walking the woods, scouting, learning.

I used no feeders, no bait, no cameras. In an average year, I or my hunters would spend 90 to 100 days hunting. At Tri-State Trophy Outfitters, we spent 10 hours scouting for every hour a hunter was in the stand.

And I loved it.

In 1954, at the age of 10, I began hunting. I went through the stages. In about 1984 – 30 years after I began – I became a hunter. A true hunter. It was about then I realized that for me, the true joy of hunting was in the learning. The time spent walking the hills and hollers and woodlots was gold. Standing and seeing the signs and markers the game left for me was when I was most alive.

I decried the advent of the “game camera,” the feeder, the high fence. I felt sorry for the people who booked hunts with me, for they missed the true joy of hunting.

Sure, I understood their lack of time, lack of property, lack of geographical opportunities. But for me, that completely explained why I have never gone to Africa or New Zealand or a myriad of other places. On those hunts, you are just a killer. The guide is the one who had all the fun.

The guide points and says, “That is the one. Shoot.” That is not for me.

• FIFTH STAGE – Today, sadly, I am too old. Recently, I was offered sole rights to hunt 210 acres I had never seen.

Sadly, I am too old and unable to scout it. The owner said, “Before he died, my husband had feeders out. You can use them.” I politely declined. For me, that’s not hunting.

I hunt a couple of small places. I know every trail, every bush or tree. Each year I kill a few does for my freezer and others’. It is not really hunting. But at least I do it all myself. I depend on no other

The true enjoyment of hunting comes in scouting new land, making decisions and seeing if those decisions were right.

person to do the work that defines a real hunter. From the time I step into the woods the first time to the time I cook the meat, I do it.

Killing is the least of the process. Anyone can be a

killer. Few are true hunters. I have 19 animals that qualify for one record book or another. I have never sent them in. The joy was not in the killing, and there are no record books for scouting.

For the new hunter, the true prize is to kill a buck.

MDC Proposes Raising Cost of Non-resident Permits

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) is proposing price increases for some nonresident hunting and fishing permits, which have not been raised in a decade while conservation costs have continually increased.

The department is also proposing discounted deer and turkey permit prices for nonresident landowners with 75 acres or more to show appreciation for wildlife habitat work completed on their Missouri properties.

The discount for nonresident landowners is similar to a past regulation that was in effect until 2009. MDC eliminated the offering during

its last round of permit changes in 2008.

“We commonly hear from many Missourians that our nonresident permit prices are too low compared to other states,” MDC Director Sara Parker Pauley said. “Increasing prices for nonresident hunting and fishing permits will address this. It will also add needed revenue to help with our ever-rising costs of managing the fish, forests and wildlife of Missouri.”

While some permit prices have remained the same since 1999 and others for about a decade, MDC’s costs for goods and services have increased.

According to the Consumer

Price Index, consumers are paying 37 percent more today for goods and services compared to 2003.

THE NEW PRICES The department is proposing price increases for the nonresident permits listed below. The listing shows current MDC prices for the permits and proposed increased permit prices.

• DAILY FISHING (1 day) – $7 now, $8 proposed.

• DAILY FISHING (3 days) – $21 now, $24 proposed.

• ANNUAL FISHING – $42 now, $49 proposed.

• FURBEARER HUNTING/ TRAPPING – $130 now, $192

proposed.

• ANNUAL SMALL GAME HUNTING – $80 now, $94

proposed.

• DAILY SMALL GAME (1

day) – $11 now, $14 proposed.

• DAILY SMALL GAME (3 days) – $33 now, $42 proposed.

• CONSERVATION ORDER – $40 now, $47 proposed.

• SPRING TURKEY HUNT

– $190 now, $224 proposed.

• FALLTURKEY HUNT – $110 now, $130 proposed.

• FIREARM DEER HUNT

– $225 now, $265 proposed.

• ARCHERY HUNTING – $225 now, $265 proposed.

• MANAGED DEER HUNT – $225 now, $265 proposed.

These costs would remain

lower than or equal to typical costs for non-residents in neighboring state. For instance, daily fishing for one is $15 or $27 for three days, annual fishing is $49, furbearer hunting and trapping is $257, and small game hunting is $111. Small game is $59 for one day or $74 for three. The spring turkey hunt is $206, fall turkey is $177, firearm deer hunting is $361 and archery hunting is $398.

The reduced prices for nonresident landowners with at least 75 acres would be $165 for the spring turkey hunt, $96 for the fall turkey hunt, $195 for archery hunting and $195 for the firearm deer hunt.

PUBLIC COMMENTS The Missouri Conservation Commission has given initial approval to the changes and is now accepting public comments at http://short.mdc. mo.gov/Z49.

The commission will consider any input received and make a final decision to move forward, modify, or withdraw the changes on Aug. 23. If approved, the anticipated effective date of the changes would be Feb. 29, 2020.

For more information, see the MDC Annual Review in the January 2019 issue of the Missouri Conservationist, or go online to mdc.mo.gov/ conmag.

Outdoor Guide

July-August 2019

Page 33

Labrador Sprig, the Best Fishing Buddy Photo and Text

By KENNETH L. KIESER

Today I took my best buddy fishing. He is nine years old in human years and quite a connoisseur of finny creatures. He studies each species brought on board our boat or dock and then he barks at them.

His name is Sprig and he loves water, not surprising for a Labrador retriever. His love for fishing is the surprise.

I carefully cast out two rigs while Sprig studied where each bait landed. Then he laid down on the dock and watched and waited with the patience of an experienced angler.

We sat quietly on our dock for about 10 minutes, watching two rods with well-hooked nightcrawlers sitting enticingly on the bottom, held down by a piece of split shot. Perils of our world were quickly forgotten when a good bluegill picked up the bait and swam away, tightening my line. A solid hook set brought on a surprisingly good fight.

Sprig stood on our dock’s edge and peered into the water, watching for whatever had the audacity to swallow the bait.

Soon a good-sized panfish flashed on the surface, raising hackles on Sprig’s neck.

The fish finally lost its energy bursts and gave up – my dog’s favorite moment.

ALL IN THE SMELL Sprig smells each fish before it is thrown into a bucket or livewell or back in the lake.

He studies each like a jeweler scrutinizing a big diamond.

Fish dumped in a bucket or livewell are shadowed by Sprig’s face looking into the container. Quite often he is splashed, bringing on a fit of anger reflected by barking at any upstart fish that would dare commit such an insulting act.

Fish returned to the water is a different story. Sprig places his front paws on the dock or boat’s edge and studies the water while trying to understand where the fish went. He may stare at the water for several minutes in a pose almost like a pointing dog locked on a quail.

The day progressed and several bluegills were added to our bucket. Suddenly, one

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line tightened and a tough fight started. A fair-sized channel catfish took the bait and stretched my four-pound test line to its limit.

Sprig studied the fight and occasionally glanced up at me to add his encouragement.

The small ultra-light rod was doubled and I could only hang on. The catfish was going exactly where it wanted to go.

The fight lasted several minutes before the 5-pound channel catfish gave up. I reached down and pulled up the nice fish while Sprig positioned for his inspection.

Soon the catfish was sniffed all over and released.

I rarely keep a catfish over three pounds. Sprig, of course, stood at the dock’s edge several minutes and studied where the fish had disappeared into the depths.

A problem fishing with any waterdog is the occasional need to swim, sometimes stopping the bite. Sprig took a couple of dips before returning to the warm dock. Most dogs would have curled up and slept in the warm sunlight. My dog shook cold water all over me and then sat to watch for

Sprig tries to spot the fish thrown back in the water.

another bite on the submerged nightcrawlers.

MUCH ADMIRED A pontoon of high school girls floated past and a couple yelled, “Hi Sprig!”

He lightly shook his tail and basically ignored them, not even looking up. He was fishing, and no outside disturbance brings him out of this trance, even if a treat is offered – and Sprig loves treats. Never speak to my dog on a fishing trip unless you have thick skin and can handle rejection by being ignored.

The afternoon progressed and three more big bluegill were added to the bucket, just enough for our evening meal, so we packed up and walked up the long hill to our house.

Sprig walked close behind me, occasionally bumping into my back leg. He rarely lets me out of his sight and has not since he was 6 months old. He chose me in his puppy kennel and dedicated his life to my world – like a best buddy!

Soon we reached home and I started filleting the bluegill for dinner. Sprig laid against my right leg, curled up and sound asleep, his work finished. Occasionally he softly barked in his sleep, no doubt dreaming about studying fish in a bucket. When the filleting was finished, I woke him and we stepped in the backdoor where he took a big drink of water and laid down to enjoy a doggie treat. Later that night he curled up on the floor by my bed and slept soundly.

I believe there is more to dogs than we realize. Give a dog love and it will be returned every day. You will never find a better fishing buddy!

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Outdoor Guide

Page 34

July-August 2019

Gunsmith TechTalk

Muzzle Devices for the End of the Barrel

By JED NADLER Master Gunsmith

These are topics discussed frequently at our counter.

Maybe this article can save you a trip, but you are always invited in to see us. Here’s what’s appears below – crowns, flash hiders, threading, compensators, porting and suppressors.

CROWNS The condition of the very end of the barrel, where the bullet exits, is a critical factor in accuracy. It’s called the crown.

As the bullet proceeds down the barrel, there’s a pile-up of hot gasses shoving it from behind. When it exits, these gases burst out behind it.

If the opening is not perfectly perpendicular to the bore, uniformly shaped and undamaged, some gas will push out more sideways than forward. In that first fraction of an inch outside the barrel, the pressure on the back of the bullet will be weaker on that side and it can lean in that direction, sending it away from where you aimed.

There is more than one design for a crown, and most are recessed to make the edge less prone to damage. The most favored design, and the one we cut into barrels when called upon to do so, is called an “11-degree target crown.”

The cut is not at 90˚ but is tilted inward toward the center at 11”

off perpendicular, making a shallow cone.

FLASH HIDERS About that batch of hot gases I mentioned above, well, it makes a big, bright flash at night. Clearly the combat shooter is badly compromised, his position now being obvious to his adversary.

There have been various designs over the history of firearm development to reduce the visibility of muzzle flash.

Also a feature of combat flash hiders is a sharp, spiked front surface used for breaching and breaking into doors. A couple of flash hider examples are pictured.

THREADING How does a flash hider attach to the end of the barrel?

Most often, it screws on. While there are rare exceptions, threads are on the outside of the barrel. More and more guns and aftermarket barrels are coming threaded and provided with thread protection nuts as standard. (The peaks of each of the triangular threads are sharp and delicate. If the attached device is to mount tightly and squarely, it’s important that these threads be protected.)

The standard threads for American-made firearms are 1/2 x 28 and 5/8 x 24. For most calibers below 30 (.22, .25, .270, .280) the first of these is used, and is read and understood as 1/2” outside

diameter with 28 threads per inch. For 30 caliber and above (.300, .308, .338) the larger one is used. This is 5/8” outside diameter with 24 threads per inch.

A gunsmith can most often thread the muzzle of a rifle. It is an operation requiring a great deal of care and precision, if accuracy of the firearm is to be preserved. (The bore of the most accurate muzzle devices gives only 0.010” clearance around the outside of the bullet. Described in other terms, that’s only 1 hundredth of an inch.) We can fit barrels from 12” to 36” long in our lathe for that purpose.

Most pistol barrels are too short to be securely gripped by the chuck at the chamber end and held well at the muzzle end at the same time. For that reason, and the fact that most muzzle devices won’t fit under the slide of a semi-auto, pistol barrels are usually threaded at the factory and are longer.

COMPENSATORS The better big brother to the flash hider is the compensator, sometimes called a muzzle brake. Instead of just trying to hide those hot gases, it seeks to make good use of them. Two undesirable things happen at that critical moment. The firearm recoils, “kicking” the shooter with sharp, reward motion. The firearm muzzle also rises, to a greater or lesser extent depending on design.

This “muzzle flip” slows the shooter down from reacquiring a good sight picture and making a follow-up shot.

Compensators attempt to direct some of the hot gases upward to force the muzzle downward and, with greater difficulty, force them to sort of “jet” the gun forward to reduce the rearward recoil. To direct gas upward, the compensator has to change its direction 90

degrees. To counter recoil, it has to redirect it 180 degrees.

Clearly it’s more difficult to effectively reduce recoil, but some compensators do a reasonable job of it.

If there is a clear and obvious science to compensator design, this smith has not yet encountered its use among the products offered. If one has the resources of NASA or a large corporation there ARE sophisticated tools in the realm of Computation Fluid Dynamics that can be put to the task.

Alas, it seems nearly every guy with a lathe and an imagination is producing a great compensator. And there are some really convincing explanations of design philosophy and goals out there. To me the proof is in the pudding. Since there is no “independent testing agency” for compensators, the best we can do is read the reviews of others. We are happy to install your favorite or recommend ours.

PORTING An alternative to a compensator is “barrel porting.”

Holes can be drilled near the muzzle to deflect gases upward and rearward. It is my feeling that this method must be less effective than a thoughtfully designed compensator. But it is lighter, sleeker, cleaner and does make a difference.

Many of the more expensive competition shotguns are supplied by their manufactures with barrel porting, which is a good endorsement of its effectiveness in my opinion.

Many pistol custom shops provide the alteration.

(If someone wants to fund a research project, I would consider setting up test stands with instrumented firearms, high-speed cameras and data acquisition systems to record and document the effects of such methods and devices.

Well, maybe I would!)

SUPPRESSORS OK, this is a huge topic alone. We’ll have to forego a more complete discussion to another article, but no column having anything to do with muzzle devices could ignore this category.

The world of suppressors – formerly and incorrectly called silencers – has opened up dramatically in the past few years. Costs are large, plus or minus $1,000. Delays for a special license are long – 6-9 months. Complications due to stalled new legislation are slowing things down.

Here, in this place and time, I can say the simple things that most already know. Suppressors reduce the noise of shooting, most of the time, to a level at which hearing protection is not required. To get the most advantage of this, one must limit ammo choices to those rounds that are sub-

sonic, less than 1,100 feet per second. The suppressor cannot quiet the sonic boom made by faster bullets.

Many suppressor designs screw on to the threads described above. Others include a flash hider or compensator that screws on, and then the suppressor lock twist-locks on to it. There is a lot of discussion as to the effectiveness of design and materials and little more than customer reviews and a few articles to use for comparison. The day of the suppressor is soon to come, hopefully.

Stay safe.

Note to readers – Do not make changes to a firearm for which you are not qualified.

Dangerous conditions can result. Take the gun to a qualified gunsmith.

Jed Nadler can be reached at FIRST Gunsmithing in Valley Park, at 636-826-6606 or online at info@FIRSTGunsmithing.com

Fishing for Bluegill is Fun; Here Are Some Tips

By GERALD J. SCOTT My wife Amber is convinced that the bluegill is the finest of all the fishes, both in the water and on a platter.

My far broader fishing experience has narrowed my choices to about a half-dozen “favorite” species of fish.

That said, if I had to reduce my favorites list to one species, I would find it hard to disagree with her choice.

Unlike most of the fish on my favorites list, bluegill do not grow to prodigious sizes.

The IGFA all-tackle world record bluegill weighed 4 pounds, 12 ounces and was caught in Alabama in 1950. Missouri’s top bluegill weighed three pounds and was caught in 1963. The biggest bluegills I’ve brought to

hand pushed a few ounces past the one-pound mark.

While we were on our honeymoon in Louisiana, Amber caught a male bluegill in full spawning colors that would have weighed two pounds.

Alas, we’d already released it before we figured out what a spectacular mount it would have made.

In Missouri, the bluegill isn’t listed as a game fish. The statewide limit is 50, unless more restrictive regulations are posted. For example, the daily creel limit for bluegill on Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) properties is 20 in the aggregate with most other non-game fish.

For what it’s worth, my personal limit is 15, and I usually don’t keep that many.

don’t let fly-fishing intimidate you. Being able to lay 100 feet of fly line, a nine-foot leader and a #10 fly on the water as softly as gossamer is a lot of fun to be sure. I can do it – sometimes – but most of the casts I make while actually fishing are less than 30 feet long.

If you’ll promise not to tell, I’ll let you in on a secret: you Bluegill are fun and tasty but rarely exceed two pounds. don’t need a fly rod to use wet flies to catch bluegill – or

– MDC photo MADE FOR FLY RODS Black, cinnamon or olive trout for that matter. Although I prefer a seven-foot or eightWithout a doubt, the fact weighted wooly worms tied foot light-action spinning on #10 hooks are my first that bluegills and fly rods outfit to cast flies suspended are a natural match helped choice, but brighter colors beneath a small bobber, any like yellow or white have the species achieve most spinning outfit will do. If favored status in my book. saved the day more than once. the reel’s running line is too In truth, bluegill usually hit a Topwater flies and corkheavy, just add a three-foot bodied poppers are every fly variety of flies, but they can leader of lighter line. be as finicky as brown trout fisherman’s favorite offering, CANE STILL WORKS but subsurface flies are usu- on occasion.

If you’re new to the sport, ally more effective.

If finances are an

unavoidable factor in choosing fishing tackle – or even if they aren’t – cane poles are as effective today as they have been for several hundred years. Poles that use ferrules to break down into three sections are the easiest to transport and store and usually cost less than $10.

The pre-rigged poles I’ve seen in catalogs run between $15 and $20. In my opinion, that’s an outrageous markup for a few feet of line, a bobber and a hook. Prevail on a friend or church member who fishes to help you get your cane pole ready to fish.

If all else fails, and you’re a first-time angler, contact me at gjsa@sbchlobal.net.

There is one thing that keeps bluegill from being See Bluegill Tips page 35

Outdoor Guide

July-August 2019

Page 35

An Impressive Lady on a Big Lake Photos and Text

By KENNETH L. KIESER I meet many extraordinary people in the outdoors.

Recently I had the honor of hunting and fishing in North Dakota with an individual I will never forget.

Ashlee Lundvall has spent the past 17 years in a wheelchair because of an accident that took away the use of her legs. Her story of overcoming this situation begins with her injury, which occurred when she was an athletic 16-yearold kid who loved basketball.

The athletic young lady lost the use of her legs by falling off a hayrack and landing on the handle of a pitchfork, breaking her back below the bottom rib.

Lundvall was understandably depressed and angry. Her basketball team won state while she watched from the sidelines. She learned the hard way how life-changing a spinal cord injury can be.

Her athletic nature did not die that day, and she has continued her aggressive outdoor nature through hunting and fishing. She was determined to catch a big walleye on a day recently when Devil’s Lake was rocking and rolling the boat.

Her wheelchair was locked

as the boat rolled from side to side, reminiscent of fishing on the Gulf of Mexico. The walleye had a good case of lockjaw and only an occasional fish was biting.

“I was pretty discouraged, and it was our last day on the boat,” Lundvall said. “I had only caught small white bass and lost one lure on some submerged debris. Boomer Stelmach (radio co-host of The4Outsdoorsmen in Minneapolis) suggested we take a chance and move to deeper water. We agreed, and then the rough trip started.”

IN DEEPER WATERS Running across a big lake with windy and whitecapping waters means the random splash in the face and a very bumpy ride. The guides travel through thousands of acres while studying their electronic graphs for signs of the right structure.

Once found, the captain has to stay over that tiny bit of fish-attracting area while heavy waves push the boat sideways.

“I started fishing and suddenly felt a pull on my line,” Lundvall said. “I assumed my lure was caught on debris, and the boat pulling in heavy waves made the pull.

I started to wiggle the line to untangle when something

Ashlee caught a nice walleye in choppy water on Devils Lake in North Dakota.

• Bluegill Tips the absolute perfect fish – big ones can be hard to find.

While bluegill are present in the vast majority of the state’s waters, factors such as overcrowding, competition from other species, lack of habitat or the fickle finger of fate often keep them from

Ashlee uses the ActionTrack Chair, an all-terrain wheelchair.

started tugging back. I casually mentioned that I might have a fish, and the guys started reeling in. They could see this wasn’t debris.”

Lundvall was hooked into one of her biggest fish ever, and it was fighting a good fight. The fish broke water once and made several good runs before again breaking water and making several more good runs. Lundvall continued fighting until the 24-inch walleye slipped into the net. That fish must have felt the vibration of everyone in the boat cheering.

Devils Lake, located in north-central North Dakota, is America’s largest natural lake at 220,000 acres, formed from glaciers a few million years ago. This magnificent stretch of water has fishing pressure year-round. Ice fishermen dot the big lake through winter that starts early and lasts into the Midwest’s early spring.

By May, when the ice has cleared, fishermen are treated to a world-class fishery of

northern pike, yellow perch and fat walleye. Many compare their northern pike to big, ugly high school bullies.

ON TO THE DUCKS The following day I joined Lundvall for a North Dakota

MDC “Conservation Atlas” is a good place to begin searching for bluegill hot spots. Begin by selecting a county, then narrow the search parameters by selecting “fishing ponds.”

Click “find” and a list of all of the MDC-owned or managed properties in that county

that have fishing ponds will be displayed. Click on them one at a time and check on the availability of “sunfish” under the activities section.

After you’ve done everything you can on your own, contact the fisheries biologist who’s responsible for the

duck hunt. Our field was located in an important section of North Dakota’s Prairie Pothole Region, the primary breeding area for our country’s waterfowl. Some call this area “America’s duck factory.”

Lundvall had hopes of shooting her first duck. She motored to a layout blind on an Action Track Chair, an all-terrain wheelchair. Her husband, Russ, helped her slide into the layout with surprising ease and there she stayed during the entire four-hour hunt, exhibiting commendable patience.

Several of us started the morning by carrying armloads of wheat straw to camouflage our layout blinds. Each side strap was filled with smaller straws and bigger pods were placed between layouts, some covering additional equipment that would not fit in each blind’s tight space.

The work was completed just before shooting time and we climbed into our blinds to be rewarded by a flock of mallards landing in our spread.

I could see a drake’s eyes a few feet from my position.

We could only watch as they stumbled around in the mud and wheat stubble. The flock flew away five minutes before legal shooting time.

‘SOON’ WAS RIGHT That might have been frustrating on some hunts, but the sky was full of ducks. Shooting time arrived and so did the next incoming flock. Great calling and decoys brought the mallards in for a closer

shot. Only two dropped, and I wondered if my shotgun barrel was warped.

“Did you get one, Ashlee?”

I asked in a quiet voice.

“No, I missed,” she said.

“Get ready. You’ll get another chance soon.”

Soon was right, as minutes later another flock of mallards buzzed over our heads. The lead hen made a sharp turn back towards us, followed by the rest. I wondered what Ashlee was thinking and if she felt a bit nervous.

The flock swung to her side of the set and her shotgun pointed almost straight up.

Everyone watched her shoot a load of steel that turned the hen mallard sideways and dead before it hit the ground.

We all shouted congratulations as Pat Kalmerton handed over her first duck.

Her wonderful grin may have reflected light a mile away.

The two-day hunt ended with several limits of ducks and a couple Canada geese.

During our time in the cultivated wheat field, a mama moose and her twins came out for a look. The following week a friend returned to this same field and was rewarded with the bonus sighting of a bull moose.

For more information about the Devil’s Lake region, contact the North Dakota Fish and Game Department at (701) 3286300 or go online to https:// gf.nd.gov/. The Devil’s Lake Chamber of Commerce is at (701) 662-4903 or (800) 233-8048.

Ashlee Lundvall dropped the lead hen in the flock of mallards.

from page 34

growing large enough to interest anglers. That said, there are major reservoirs, MDC impoundments and both public and private ponds that consistently produce top quality bluegills.

LOOK IN THE ATLAS The online version of the

appropriate district. Explain that you’re interested in big bluegills. Be honest about your angling experience or lack thereof, and make sure that the biologist understands whether you’ll be fishing from a boat or from the bank.

The biologist should be

willing and able to provide quite a bit of information about the chances that you’ll be able to find what you want in that region. The district biologist will also give you contact information for the managers of the specific areas he/she recommends. Use it.

Page 36

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Outdoor Guide

July-August 2019

Outdoor Gallery Send in your favorite outdoor photo to ogmbobw@aol.com and be featured in the Outdoor Gallery of Outdoor Guide Magazine.

GRAD AND DAD – Robert Brundage of Jefferson City MO celebrated his daughter Darby’s graduation from college with a 4.0 GPA on a float-fishing trip for both of them with guide Dennis Whiteside. Darby outfished her dad and landed a 16-inch smallmouth bass on the Niangua River.

PADDLE MASTER – Butch Cretsinger of Galveston, Texas, models his newly finished sassafras boat paddles. After 20 years of going float fishing with guide Dennis Whiteside, Butch has decided to make his own paddles, in the tradition of the Fred Dablemont family. His next project is to make a john boat.

BASS CLASS – Ben and Audrey Braun of Waterloo, IL, show a nice bass Ben caught on his trusty “Buzz Lightyear” fishing pole – with some help from Audrey. They caught the fish on a private lake outside of Waterloo.

BIG DAY, BIG BEAR – James Vaught of Festus MO reports he got this 9-foot brown bear in southeast Alaska in April.

CALLING DOUBLE – Dave DeArmond called in this double on opening day of the Missouri youth turkey season for his sons Josh, age 7, and Jacob, 13. It was Josh’s first turkey. Dave works for Caswell, and is a member of Bricklayers Union Local #1. Submitted by Grandpa Bill DeArmond.

FOOTBALL-SIZE – Dennis Whiteside does not guide Missouri streams exclusively! He recently was able to fish Canada and tie into a few hefty smallmouth bass in the Pipestone chain near Fort Francis just across the border from International Falls, MN.

Outdoor Guide

July-August 2019

Page 39

Birds of September and the Bible

Photos and Text

By LARRY DABLEMONT

Years ago, I was hunting with the publisher-owner of Gun Dog Magazine, who was from Iowa. Back then, there was no dove season in Iowa; we were hunting a harvested grain field in Missouri and he had a friend along.

His friend sat at the edge of the field, killed five doves with his first five shots and commented, “I always heard doves were hard to hit, but heck, this is no challenge at all.”

The fourth member of our group was a Corps of Engi-

neers ranger who had hunted doves since he was a boy. He could scarcely be heard from his hiding place a few yards away. But I smiled when I heard him mutter to himself, “He’ll regret saying that!”

Sure enough, our newcomer missed the next seven shots. That’s the way dove hunting is. Sometimes they aren’t too hard to hit, and then you see a few winged acrobats and wish you’d had a bigger shot pattern.

Many of the old timers I knew were river men who hunted most everything, but not doves. Some of that attitude came from believing God

A fall dove hunter has his decoys and shotgun at the ready.

had designated the dove as a bird of peace. When grizzled old hunters and trappers felt that way, it was sometimes because they had mothers and wives who recoiled against the idea of shooting a dove.

But usually, they just didn’t have the guns to do it.

NEVER A FULL BOX I remember many of them never bought a full box of shotgun shells. You might get 10 or 12 but never a full box.

It cost too much.

And there was common sense to it. You didn’t go out there with a Winchester Model 97 long-barreled pump shotgun with a full choke in it and shoot at doves. There was no good reason to spend two or three shells on a bird that only provides about a fifth of a meal, even with poke salad, beans and cornbread to go with it.

Dove hunters sort of sprang from quail hunting – men who used open-choked shortbarrel shotguns and only a little money to buy shells.

They could afford game vests and supporting a good setter or pointer, which required more food and upkeep than a beagle or a coonhound.

DOVE SEASON But I am losing interest in dove hunting because Sept. 1 every year is hot and muggy, and my hunting partner, Bolt the Labrador, doesn’t like getting out there in the weeds if there is no water close.

Now, hunting over water holes in the evening is another story. We don’t mind that so much, and we might do that a couple of weeks after every-

This mourning dove is not the one in the Bible.

one else has quit hunting them.

I have seen a few dove fledglings in nests in early September. If I were setting dove seasons in the southern reaches of the Midwest, I would set the dove season’s opening date back to Sept.

21. It makes sense – fewer nestlings wasted, a cooler time when more doves are migrating from the north. If that makes sense to you, you might see when the season on doves ends and make a lateseason trip to a grain field or water hole.

A BIG WORD I just have to pass along a conversation I had with a lady who wasn’t all that fond of hunters. She said I ought to be ashamed of myself for hunting God’s bird of peace, the dove. I told her I was indeed a little ashamed of that, but she had mourning doves confused with the birds of peace discussed in the Bible.

They were different birds, I assured her, but not a lot different than the quail God

provided for the Israelites in the desert.

Those birds of peace were white, I said, and they didn’t get trichomoniasis. She looked at me for a minute and then wanted to know what that big word meant. I told her about it – an awful mass that grows inside the throats of mourning doves and their fledglings, which causes them to die a slow death because they can’t swallow food.

She looked skeptical, so I told her about how some northern doves actually do not migrate, and many freeze to death or have toes frozen off.

A LIFE LESSON I told her how our Great Creator allows doves to be caught and eaten by hawks and cats while they were still alive.

“You don’t have any cats do you?” I asked. She didn’t answer.

Then I said, “You know ma’am, doves can’t feed on standing grain. They have

to have grain on the ground to walk around and feed that way. So I am going to buy a bunch of wheat and sunflower seed to feed them through the awful cold months of the winter, and if you would like to help them, just give me a twenty dollar bill and I’ll use it for more seed.”

She looked at me and smiled a little and said, “You are a bit of a shyster aren’t you?”

I told her that indeed I was, and she told me she was going to get on the computer and find out if all that stuff I said was the truth. But when I asked if she’d like to try some baked doves with gravy, she politely declined ... and frowned a bit at the thought of it.

• Outdoors note – Cooler weather will send the bluewinged teal into the lower Midwest. There is a special hunting season for them in September. They are the earliest migrators of the waterfowl species, a harbinger of the true fall season.

Fall Offers More than Just Deer Hunting Photo and Text

By BRANDON BUTLER Archery season is open and I haven’t screwed the broadheads on my arrows yet. This is strange, to say the least.

The excitement of the first day of deer season has surpassed that of Christmas for me since I was about 12.

Now, staring 40 in the face, I recognize I’ve been missing out on a lot of other outdoor opportunities by being hyperfocused on a single species for most of my life.

So this year, I’m going to approach fall with greater perspective and spread out my pursuits across a diversity of adventures.

Let’s face it, fall is too short. It’s simply impossible to experience too many crisp fall mornings, sitting on a front porch with coffee in hand, gazing at a natural mural of hardwoods changing colors. Then sitting around a campfire at night under a star filled sky sipping warm apple cider, noticing you could once

again see your breath. If only I was in charge, October would be 10 months long, with two Aprils.

Growing up, I was the kid with a white-tailed deer wallpaper mural in his bedroom.

It is no surprise to any of family or close friends that I’m doing what I’m doing today. Working on behalf of the conservation of wildlife and wild places is a dream come true, even though from a young age through college, I never grasped the fact one could make a living focused on hunting and fishing.

So if you know any young people who have a deep passion for the outdoors, please help them understand there are many opportunities for them to build careers and lives around their passion for nature.

FIRST, DEER Deer hunting has consumed me for a very long time. Anyone who has read this column for the last decade or so knows I do engage in a

Muskie fishing heats up in the fall and Pomme de Terre is the place to catch one

vast array of outdoor pursuits, but deer hunting has always come first.

I even moved to Montana with the dream of becoming a great elk hunter, but once I arrived and realized how incredible the whitetail hunting was, I ended up focusing on deer the four years I was out there.

I’m not saying my love for whitetails is going away, I’m

just saying I’m going through that strange time in life when you realize this ride does have an end, and I’m about halfway there – God willing. So there is no time to waste. There are lots of adventures I need to undertake now, because tomorrow is not promised.

MONSTER TROUT To begin with, I have foregone a focus on pursu-

ing monster brown trout in October. I have heard all the stories about the lunkers pushing up to the dam on both the White River in Arkansas and Taneycomo in Missouri.

This October I am going to spend some time with a few good friends, trying my best to land a double-digit brown.

I watched a buddy do this once, and it was a thrill I’d like to experience for myself.

Throwing jerkbaits and stripping big streamers on the river while wearing a sweatshirt sounds amazing, and I’m going to miss a few tree-stand sits because I’ll be in a boat this October.

RABBIT TIME Another thing I haven’t done nearly enough of in the past 20 years is rabbit hunt.

When I was a kid, we shot quite a few rabbits out of the fencerows crisscrossing the endless agricultural landscape surrounding my town.

My uncle had a good friend, Mike the Greek, who owned a restaurant and was a

great chef. He didn’t hunt but loved it when we would bring him wild game to cook. The Greek could cook rabbit so good you’d pass up a bonein ribeye to eat another of his lemon-peppered braised rabbit thighs.

HUNTING MUSKIES Muskie fishing is a lot like hunting, and these fresh water predators become aggressive during the fall. The fish of 10,000 casts can be caught after far fewer during this time of year as they gorge themselves in preparation for a docile winter. Catching a fall “water wolf” is a challenge with incredible reward.

Pomme de Terre is a thriving muskie fishery, and I hope to experience all the lake has to offer in October.

Before we know it, September will be behind us and October will be sliding by too fast. Be sure to make the most of these months that afford so many opportunities to enjoy all of the natural blessings we have at our fingertips.

Outdoor Guide

Page 40

July-August 2019

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