Outdoor Guide Magazine September-October 2018

September -October 2018

Outdoor ag Guide M

e n i z a

HUNTING • FISHING • CAMPING • BOATING • SHOOTING • TRAVEL

Crappie..............................Page 6

Trophy Deer.....................Page 12

Osage Orange Orbs.........Page 14 mgrvd_ogm_cover.pdf

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RV Show............................. Page 17

Traveling Sports Dog.......Page 32

Bull Riders.......................Page 40

War On Asian Carp........Page 45

MISSOURI - ILLINOIS - AND OTHER EXCITING OUTDOOR DESTINATIONS

Outdoor Guide

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September-October 2018

Wise Women of the Great Outdoors

In a recent issue, we read words of wisdom from a few of our senior outdoor writers. This issue, we are blessed to have words of wisdom from our wise women of the great outdoors.

Enjoy their thoughts and savor the nuggets of wisdom from these authors you read regularly, right here in Outdoor Guide Magazine.

JO SCHAPER: WHAT IS WISDOM? Wisdom is where knowledge and skill meet practice, experience and judgment, where you choose what to do or not do to skew the odds in your favor.

Wisdom enables an outdoor person to choose between diverging roads in a wood – to read the subtle differences in the track forward, the surface disturbance, the height of the weeds, the gooeyness of the mud, the depth of brown water in a pothole before driving forward.

Wisdom tells you when to set the hook and when to fire the gun for the best shot. It rises from the muscles and the bones, an action on the other side of thought. It is the key ingredient in turning hair silver or telling it when to fall out. Rarely does anyone with a full head of hair attain wisdom. A person can plant wisdom’s seeds, but it only grows silently in the dark soil of the soul.

Wisdom is what keeps you pounding on the non-descript rind of a geode, hoping it will collapse into a fistful of crystals. And

then, when you sense the rock may be solid, to cut your losses and stop.

Jo Schaper is a caver, geologist and longtime Outdoor Guide contributor.

JEANNIE FARMER: I AM BLESSED I am blessed for my femininity and my family, and the many lessons they gave me as life guidelines.

My parents raised me with good moral values and taught me strong Christian beliefs. My mother taught me about being a lady and reminded me often that beauty is on the inside. My father’s good advice taught that money doesn’t grow on trees, hard work always pays off, and there’s no hill for a climber.

I am blessed for my brother and three lovely sisters by their ongoing love and support, for the gift of giving birth to my three children, now all adults, and for two wonderful granddaughters who are lovely young women.

Most of all, I am blessed for the loving man in my life, and the beauty and gift of my femininity.

Jeannie Farmer writes the Jeannie’s Journey column in each Outdoor Guide.

KAY HIVELY: A PLACE IN NATURE My early years were spent on a cotton farm near the TexasOklahoma border. I was also a tomboy who preferred being with my three brothers rather than with my six sisters.

With this many kids in the family, we played outdoors and tended to our chores outside. I came to love the smell of freshly plowed dirt when Daddy got the fields ready to plant. I loved the air when the first cold wind blew in just before Christmas. I loved the feel of being in the woods when I tagged along with the boys, hunting squirrels. I loved shedding my shoes and jumping in a bar ditch after a big rain to make loblollies.

What did I learn from the freshly plowed field, from the north wind blowing in the Christmas season, from the anticipation of getting a couple of fat squirrels for supper or from my mud-coated legs each spring?

I learned that I was an important part of nature. Whether I was fishing in the irrigation ditch, hunting in the squirrel woods, marveling at the mature cotton stalks that looked like a white blanket of snow spread over the fields or just playing hide and seek with my brothers, I had no doubt there was a place in nature for me.

Growing older and looking back, I thank my lucky stars for being raised in the outdoors. If I could advise parents, I would say you owe your children the blessing of being a nature child – those who are ready for any adventure that comes along, prepared to handle emergencies of all kinds, trained to take care of themselves and be aware of all things, from a tiny ant to a flower blossom or to a magnificent buck deer.

Early on, put your children in nature and tell them, as the song goes, “The best things in life are free.”

Kay Hively writes features of all kinds for the Outdoor Guide.

BARBARA GIBBS OSTMANN: NEVER STOP MOVING “Don’t use yellow snow for making snow ice cream.” This old saw sprang to mind when I was asked for “words of wisdom” about the outdoors. But sensing that the editor had something more serious in mind, I gave the question some thought.

My conclusion was that my goal for good health coincides with my goal for the outdoors: Keep moving!

As someone looking at the Big 7-0 in a few short months, I value the time spent in the great outdoors more and more. In order to be able to keep enjoying the outdoors, I have to keep this old body in decent working order. The best way to do that is to keep moving!

It also is a good idea to teach this old dog some new tricks along the way. At the tender age of 67, I endured a brutal, threeday American Canoe Association training session, filled mostly with 30-somethings, to become a Certified Kayak Instructor.

Now I proudly volunteer as often as I can for kayak skills clinics with the National Park Service in the Ozark National Scenic Riverways (ONSR). My secret goal in life is to become a seasonal Park Ranger at the ONSR. I’m working on that, too.

My most useful attribute at these clinics, and in other activities, is to show folks that age is only a state of mind. I’ve had both knees replaced, plus one hip and one shoulder. Thanks to these wonders of modern medicine, I was able to get my life back after each surgery and continue with my favorite activities – swimming, paddling a canoe or kayak, hiking, fishing, camping. Anything outdoors.

The secret is to have a goal to encourage you to get moving and keep moving. For example, after my hip replacement, my

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Outdoor Guide

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September-October 2018

No End to the Sport Fisherman’s Bucket List

By BRENT FRAZEE I am captivated by the allure of the wild.

I am drawn to places where rivers run swift and clear, where fish dart about ahead of an advancing canoe, where man is viewed as a visitor, not a resident.

I am fascinated by places so remote that the nearest roads are miles away, where the only entry is by float plane, where it is not uncommon to see an alligator sunning on a bank or a grizzly bear feeding on salmon.

Yes, I fashion myself as an adventurer, though I really fall

short of that definition.

I never have been the type to hike miles to reach a secluded mountain lake or to live off the grid in a cabin in the mountains.

Just the same, I have been to some of the continent’s most beautiful fishing spots and I yearn for more, even though I am advancing in years.

At age 67, I have a bucket list of places I would like to visit, and fish I would like to

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PEACOCK BASS IN BRAZIL – I have long dreamed of traveling to the Amazon River to fish with topwater lures and catch giant peacock bass. I have talked to friends who have been there, and they relate wild stories about fish hitting so hard that they tear the hooks out of lures or break fishing rods. They also talk about the unique beauty of the jungle and the wildlife that lives there. I want to go.

LARGEMOUTH BASS IN MEXICO – I have been bass fishing at Lake El Salto, but it was far from a dream trip.

The biggest bass I caught that trip weighed 5 pounds, though the spot where I hooked it was memorable – in the shade of a flooded tombstone. I would like to go to one of Mexico’s hottest new bass lakes and stand a chance of catching my personal best bass – bigger than the 10-pound, 4-ounce largemouth I landed in Florida years ago.

TARPON AT BOCA GRANDE – I have heard stories of the wild fishing when the tarpon migrate through Florida’s Boca Grande Pass in the Gulf of Mexico in spring.

Boats stack up in unbelievable numbers – not exactly the picture of serenity that I envision when I daydream about some of the world’s best fishing. But it isn’t unusual to see multiple hookups at the same time. I have seen photos of tarpon leaping out of the water only a few yards from a neighboring boat. Looks like a blast to me.

FLY-IN FISHING IN CANADA – I’ll never forget the time I took one of my daughters to a remote

Canadian lake in Ontario via a float plane. Her eyes were as big as saucers as the pilot brought the plane down and landed on the water. There was a feeling of true wilderness the minute we stepped on the dock and headed up the hill to a surprisingly beautiful resort, Delaney Lake Lodge.

We fished several lakes in the English River Chain on that trip and we caught big walleyes, northern pike and smallmouth bass. I would love to go back.

TROUT FISHING ON KENAI RIVER, ALASKA – Been there, done that. But I want to do it again. I fly fished for trophy Dolly Vardens in 2012, and it was an experience I’ll never forget. On a day when the gray clouds hung low and produced a steady drizzle, we enjoyed a fisherman’s dream trip. We caught and released fish after fish, then our guide motored over to a bank where two grizzly bears were feeding on salmon.

This was like something out of a National Geographic documentary, and I would love to do it again.

REDFISH IN LOUISIANA – I have fished for reds in Florida, but Louisiana is the place to go for the big bulls.

I have seen TV shows where fishermen make long casts to weed-lines on the Gulf of Mexico and get explosive strikes after big redfish rush out of their hiding places to go on the attack. What fun!

And on and on it goes. I have so many entries on my bucket list that I doubt I’ll complete it before I run out of money and time. But it doesn’t hurt a man to dream.

That, after all, is what fishing is all about.

The tarpon at Boca Grande will leap right alongside fishing boats.

Outdoor Guide

September-October 2018

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Outdoor Guide

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September-October 2018

A Guide Makes All the Difference

Photo and Text

By BRANDON BUTLER

Quite a few full-time professional fishing guides operate in Missouri on the larger and more popular bodies of water.

Guides cater to all kinds of clients. They work with people who have never held a fishing rod before, and they work with experienced anglers who may be looking to learn about new water or just hope to pick up a few tips on a certain style of fishing.

One thing is for sure – a fishing guide will greatly increase

your chances of catching fish.

Remember, fishing is easy. It’s catching that can be troublesome.

Truman Lake is an excellent destination for a number of fish species, including largemouth bass and catfish, but it’s the crappie fishing that really sets this place apart, and no one is better at filling an ice box with slabs than Jeff Faulkenberry.

A NATURE EXPERIENCE At 55,600 surface acres, Truman Lake is the largest reservoir in Missouri. It is an

amazing fishery, with standing timber scattered throughout, but Truman isn’t just a lake.

It’s a nature experience. Surrounded mostly by public land, the natural shoreline is home to white-tailed deer, wild turkeys, river otters, osprey, bald eagles and more.

“Everything you need to catch crappie is in my boat,” Faulkenberry said. “All you have to do is show up and fish.

I give detailed instructions so your trip is as successful as possible. I explain how it works and why it’s working, and will answer any questions

my guests have.”

Crappie are hard-fighting panfish that make excellent table fare. They are fun to catch and great to eat. Using minnows under slip-bobbers is a common tactic for catching crappies, but jigs often work just as well.

Knowing what to use and where to use it on a lake the size of Truman can be difficult if you don’t have years to invest in learning the water. Hiring Faulkenberry for a day can cut that learning curve down dramatically.

“There are many reasons

September/October 2018

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

Volume Twenty Six, Number Five 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

Bobby Whitehead, Editor/Co-Publisher Theresa McFadin, Graphic Designer Kathy Crowe, Graphic Designer Maria Murphy, Production Coordinator

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

— Account Executives — Dan Braun, Marketing Director Lauren Marshall

Faulkenberry works Truman Lake, noted for its crappie, largemouth and catfish.

guides are helpful,” he said.

“First, guests always learn something. We fish for a living, so we have knowledge to share.

Second, for folks who only get to go fishing a few times a year, why take on the expenses of a boat payment, insurance and a bunch of gear to maybe have some luck?

HOP IN THE TRUCK “When you go with a guide, you just get in their boat, use their gear and likely have a lot of success. When it’s over, you hop back in your truck with a bag of filets and head home with nothing to clean or put away.”

Depending on the time of year, crappie can be shallow, in less than seven feet of water around brush, or out deep hanging on ledges. The crappie bite might be strong, but you have to know where they’re at. If you don’t have a boat, it’s going to be hard to find them. Faulkenberry is the answer on Truman.

“I fish all parts of the lake,” he said. “Usually I try to put in close to where the fish are biting to keep our run time down and fishing time up. My typical guide trips start at daylight and we fish around five hours. If we catch our limit sooner, we will head in to clean the fish and reminisce about the day.”

TRUMAN OPTIONS Truman Lake is quite differ-

ent from Lake of the Ozarks.

There are no mega-resorts to stay at, but there are multiple options for lodging. Both Warsaw and Clinton have all the amenities you could want.

You can camp or rent a cabin at a number of places around the lake. Bucksaw Resort and Marina offers the unique experience of staying in a floating cabin right on the water, where you can pull your boat up to your door. Bucksaw has all the amenities you need on site, like bait, ice and even a restaurant. They also have a boat ramp where Faulkenberry often launches.

“First and foremost I want my guests to have a great time no matter what, and maybe learn a thing or two,” he said.

One thing that sets Faulkenberry apart from many of the other fishing guides is that he also guides hunters. He books trips for deer, duck and turkey, and no one knows where to find morels around Truman like he does.

So if you’re interested in pairing some fishing and hunting, Faulkenberry can design a “cast-and-blast” outing during one of the hunting seasons, where you’ll hunt for part of the day and fish the rest.

Faulkenberry can be reached at (601) 351-5420 or faulkenberrystlgservice@ gmail.com.

— Regional and Specialty Editors — Joel Vance Darrell Taylor Ray Eye Brent Frazee Brandon Butler Bill Seibel

Curt Hicken Bill Cooper Thayne Smith Steve Jones Larry Dablemont

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

Ted Nugent Ron Bice Colin Moore Jim Cassada 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 Barbara Gibbs Ostmann Tom Uhlenbrock Michael Wardlaw Larry Potterfield Tom Watson

Nobody is better at filling an ice box with slabs than Jeff Faulkenberry.

September-October 2018

Outdoor Guide

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Outdoor Guide

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Are You a Real Conservationist?

By CRAIG ALDERMAN Have you used a chain saw enough that you have replaced blades and bars regularly and buy chain oil by the gallon, even though you are not a logger? Then you might be a 1 percenter.

Do you plant native warm-season grasses or know what little blue stem and big blue stem mean to wildlife? Then you might be a 1 percenter.

Have you taken the free Missouri Department of Conservation class on conducting controlled burns, worked with a PLC (do you even know what a PLC is?) on a burn or experienced the phenomenal change in wildlife habitat after a planned burn? Then you might be a 1 percenter.

Do you operate equipment like ATVs, UTVs, tractors, dozers and the like, putting in wildlife openings, firelines, access and egress roads, and fence line/boundary maintenance? You then, most likely, are a 1 percenter.

Finally, do you encourage others who just want to leave things the way they are in nature to understand what man’s role is in managing the resource, dating back to the Bible and the Lord’s word itself? Then you are a 1 percenter.

WHO CARES? Statistics show that 1 percent of the total population cares enough about conservation and wildlife management to get and stay actively involved. Thank the Lord this is landowners.

They make it happen for the rest of the armchair biologists, socially educated foresters and unscientific dubious managers who have all the answers and don’t even know the right questions.

The examples are blatant and obvious.

The extraordinary fires in the west are not caused by global warming, they are caused by excessive fuel build-up, also known as lack of logging, plus simplistic views on political correctness, managing nature without science and to a great degree, just plain stupidity.

People encroach on nature at every turn and then spin on their uneducated access to justify their actions by saying that now they have invaded in one area, let’s protect the other at all costs. Both mindsets are

Guest Editorial

wrong. Then thousands of homes are lost and suddenly, let’s blame global warming?

The only warming that needs to be done is to get off their self-serving butts and learn what nature is all about, or they will lose their next home, too.

THE LIONS MOVE IN Have you seen the video on social media of the great deck on a Colorado mountain home, in a new development, made with artificial lumber, huge glass sliding doors, a huge barbeque, the latest in tables and chairs and great flower pots filled with rain water, from which four full-grown mountain lions are drinking?

Why is this? People and politicians have invaded their territory with approved construction, and no one believed the science of proper habitat protection – that big cats need a lot of space. First, pets will be taken by these natural predators, and next, children playing in the back yard or hikers and bikers. Mountain lions are a beauty of nature, they are not cute animals to have on your deck. They survive by hunting and killing, and easy prey is just that.

Nature has to be managed. It cannot be left to “just be there” or it becomes sterile for just about all wildlife.

Reach out to others who do not grasp the knowledge or passion of nature. Help teach them to begin to understand their role. Not many will be 1 percenters, but many can be ambassadors of the message the other 99 percent need to hear before it is too late.

ALL THE ANSWERS? As a certified forester and wildlife biologist, I fully admit I do not have all the answers (hope my kids don’t read this) and Mother Nature keeps changing the rules. I will never be too old to learn, but it must be based on science, timely research and observation.

If the social need is to further build into the lions’ territory, then you have determined they will not be a viable species any longer. The swing of the pendulum will say “destroy them” because man was stupid, not nature. As humans, when others try to take our territory, it’s called war and not all who conquer win.

Craig Alderman is a certified forester and wildlife biologist. He is executive director of the Quail and Uplands Wildlife Federation (QUWF), which works with landowners and members to support uplands species and clean streams.

Mountain lions make themselves at home on the deck of a Colorado home. – Fox 13 photo.

September-October 2018

— Random Shots — Canoe Camping Can Be a Real Adventure

By JOEL M. VANCE

Our kids weren’t actually born in a canoe, but a couple went canoeing before they were born. Our youngest, Amy, was only a month or so from birth when we camped with her on the North Fork River. On the same river, a few years later, she and I turned over in a rapids, and she still has vivid memories of bobbing downstream as I held her up and tried to get my footing in the gravel, all the time shouting, “There’s nothing to worry about!”

Of our five children, she is the most reluctant to canoe, float or camp. Wonder why?

But it’s still relatively rare for canoeists to camp overnight on the river. Most are day floaters, out by dusk, which is fine with me. Any time is fine for a family canoe camp, but September is a transition month. Nights turn cool and daytime temperatures are bearable, especially after the tropical brutality of July and August in the Midwest. Labor Day has come and gone, along with 90 percent of the summer floaters.

Once, my wife and I canoed with a Kansas City club on New Year’s Eve on the Current River and had the experience of watching Nancy Jack, a legendary, long-time Ozarks paddler, drift downstream dressed as the new year, oversized diaper and all, while another canoeist exited clad as the geriatric outgoing year. So there is no season out of bounds for a dedicated canoe tripper.

Another time, four of us canoed the Current with our bird dogs, stopping to hunt the bordering fields and fishing for trout as we went. It was about 13 degrees, and we got caught in a snowstorm to boot. But we caught trout and found several coveys of quail.

HANDY GUIDE BOOKS Most states have guides for their canoe streams. We’ve used guides from Arkansas, Iowa, Wisconsin, Missouri and Minnesota (check with their natural resources or conservation departments.) Missouri’s manytimes reprinted guide, Ozark Wilderness Waterways, not only contains maps and descriptions of Ozark streams, but also floatable northern Missouri streams and rivers.

Dr. Oscar “Oz” Hawksley wrote the original version, as well as guides for rivers in other states. Oz, a teacher at Central Missouri State University, probably turned more students on to the outdoors than anyone in the history of the state.

His Missouri guidebook has a built-in shelf life, because everyone carries it in the canoe and ultimately, either by upset or rainstorm, it gets soaked and unusable, requiring the paddler to buy a new one. The best guide to family canoe camping is common sense. Assuming there are first-time canoe campers wondering how to go about it, here are a few suggestions that should have the force of law: • VALUABLES – Keep valuables, a change of clothes and bedding in a dry pack that cannot leak, even in the most extreme conditions. A friend once failed to secure his expensive camera and turned over a few feet short of the gravel bar we were camping on, instantly creating a paperweight or possibly a trot line anchor.

• TIE IT IN – Tie in everything that you don’t want to watch float down the river, never to be seen again.

• GET OUT AND WALK – When in doubt, get out and wade the canoe. I confess that after a half-century of floating together, my wife Marty and I turned over on the Niangua River after I failed to follow my own advice.

I lost my sunglasses and she dunked her hearing aids, but miraculously they dried

out unharmed. It could’ve been a far more costly incident.

• KEEP IT UPRIGHT – If an upset is imminent, jump, fall or otherwise exit the canoe and try to keep it upright.

• STAY CALM – In the words of a Wyoming leaflet on grizzly bear encounters, “Don’t panic.”

A SIMPLE DRY PACK Here’s a simple and effective dry pack: line a rigid-frame hiking backpack with a couple of heavy garbage bags. The frame keeps the bottom of the pack off the wet bottom of the canoe. Valuables go inside the inner garbage bag, which is sealed (twist the top of the bag, double it over and tie it with a twistee). Then seal the second bag, then strap the pack itself shut.

Overkill maybe, but if you’ve never faced a long night in a soaked sleeping bag, you haven’t experienced true misery. My Wisconsin cousins assumed they couldn’t turn over. They sat up all night around a campfire in wet clothes. Coincidentally, even though it was June, the temperature dropped to a record low. My sons and I, dry and warm in sleeping bags, enjoyed a good night’s sleep.

I’ve used .50 caliber ammunition boxes for many years to store cameras, watches, billfolds and other fragile valuables. Line them with ethafoam, the hard packing material that protects shipped electronics.

Make sure the rubber seal of the ammo box is pliable and tight. And an ammo box is no protection if it isn’t shut when you tip over.

Ask my friend who took two Pentax cameras for a swim on the Gasconade River.

The secret to stability is to balance the weight in the canoe and keep it low. There is no shame in wearing a life jacket, euphemistically called a “Personal Flotation Device.” I once rescued a youngster who, not wearing a PFD and not able to swim, waded a bit too far into the Current River and was floundering downstream when I did a running dive and fielded him.

TRANQUILITY Between the dramatic upsets, though, are years of tranquil drifting down midwestern streams, running the occasional Class One or, at most, low Class Two riffles.

A Coleman lantern casts tall shadows against the dark trees, gargling its familiar sound. The canoes are overturned in case of rain, tents scattered on the flat spots. The lantern goes out with a pop! And stars beyond count glitter and wink in the dark of the moon. The calling barred owl can stay up all night if it wants, but I’m going to bed.

Outdoor Guide

September-October 2018

Page 9

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September-October 2018

M4A1 Maker Has ‘Militia’ Version

Photo and Text

By TJ MULLIN

Except for the weapon being restricted to semi-automatic firing and having a 16-inch vs. 14.5-inch barrel, when you open the box, you will think you were back in the military opening up the most recent supply of weapons issued to your organization.

The FN semi-auto model of the M4A1 is what I call the Militia model. Certainly no one who is truly serious about the meaning of the Second Amendment could doubt that this rifle is exactly what the Founding Fathers meant when

FN, a firearm manufacturer of world renown, has been the official supplier of M4 rifles as well as M249 and M240 machine guns to the U.S. military for a number of years.

Naturally, they know how to make good guns.

Recently they announced they were going to sell commercially non-selective-fire, slightly extended versions of the current issue M4A1 rifle, as supplied to the government.

SEMI’S RESULTS

they incorporated that amendment into the Constitution.

While restricted to semiautomatic fire, the FN rifle is stamped on the receiver exactly the same as the issued M4A1, with safe, semi, and auto positions indicated.

Naturally, the safety/selector will not go all the way over, and the auto sear is absent. So unless you do some machining on the receiver and install the auto sear as well as the proper full-auto capable bolt, the full-auto feature has been neutered.

While disappointing to some and certainly unconstitutional in reality, fast semi is always better than full-auto work when good results on target are desired. For “firepower is bullets hitting people.”

The rifle comes equipped with Reed Knight rail covers on the forearm and an installed fore grip for those who like such things. I don’t, and it can be quickly removed.

Side-mounted sling swivels at the front are a nice touch if

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Late Season Geese..........Page 6 Preseason Training ........Page

Crappie ...Page Truman Lake

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Dogs and Cold .............Page 14

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Shed Hunting ...............

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Fine Cheese Sauce .......Page 18

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Glorious Rut

Ted Nugent ............... ....Page

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issouri

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Missouri

Deer ..............Page 20

Excitin

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Outdoo

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Destina

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HUNTING • FISHING • CAM Taneycomo Trout PING • BOA TIN.....Page G •RV14SHOOTI

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Daylight Savings ...............

.Page 2

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Illinois

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Exciting

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Taneycomo Bass ......

Page RV23

Missouri

tions

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White Perch ...............

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

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...Page 12

Wild Turkey ....................

Page 27

Albino Catfish ...............

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age 28 Trail Cameras..................P

Hobo Meal ...............

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North Fork ....................

Scrapes Tales ...............

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Niagara, More than a Honeymoon

...Page 37

Asian Carp ...............

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Urban Rifle ....................

Missouri

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MISS OUR I

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you like to sling your weapon across your body (or want to install your grenade launcher!).

The sliding butt stock is pretty standard and made, it seems,

by FN. A nice little touch on the right side of the receiver is the digital label used for Arms Room control nowadays, so it can be scanned in and out.

No doubt few will really use this feature, but perhaps it might prove useful for security organizations rather than individuals.

Sights are as issued, standard front sights and an adjustable, fold-down style rear.

To really set it up correctly, a Trigicon military issue optical sight was installed.

A HEAVY TRIGGER Trigger pull was quite heavy and long, but it is exactly what is issued by the military. Better not touch it if you are on active duty, but for our militia member, since he owns the rifle directly (rather than indirectly as a taxpayer), a better trigger would be nice.

Accuracy acceptance stan-

dard for the military is 2.5 inches at 100 meters and in my testing I got, with both Federal 62 gr. and Black Hills 77 gr. ammunition, five shot groups of 2.5 inches at 100 yards. A bit disappointing, in light of the price of the weapon, which is right up there nipping at the heels of Daniel Defense, Patriot Ordnance Factory, and Lewis Machine and Tool AR15-type weapons, but I guess you could say it confirms it really as the Militia Model.

Certainly sufficient for work up to 400 yards on criminals or enemies of the United States (foreign or domestic!).

I liked the FN “Militia Model M4A1” rifle. Anyone who likes weapons and has served in the U.S. military in the last 25 or so years will, no doubt, want one as a memento of the service, even if they don’t need another A15-style rifle. Anyone who recognizes their utility as a member of the militia definitely should have one if they don’t already have a similar 5.56x45 mm rifle. FN had a good idea and carried off the project in fine form.

Landowners May Join Habitat Program

Gravel Bar Gourmet ......Page RV10

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Southern Trout .............Page 45

Year of the

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OutdOOr Guide Magazine

OOr aga OutdG uide M Lake of the Ozarks.........Page 29

Missouri.Page Wild Wonderful

Ma y - Jun e 201 8

zine

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p r i l M a r c h - A ent ..Page 16 Gravel Bar Gourm

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The FN M4A1 is not much different than a military M4A1.

DEST INAT IONS

Don’t miss out...pick up your FREE COPY at a store near you!

Visit Our Website For Locations And Past Issues outdoorguidemagazine.com

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) has received a $540,000 federal grant to increase wildlife habitat and public access for recreational opportunities on private lands.

Funding for the Illinois Recreational Access Program (IRAP) is through a USDA program established to provide additional places for recreation for the public while improving wildlife habitat on those properties.

“This federal grant will be used to expand our successful IRAP initiative to open up private lands for public use in metropolitan areas, and to create a mentor program for new and inexperienced hunters,” IDNR Director Wayne Rosenthal said.

IRAP leases private property from landowners for outdoor recreational activities that include opportunities for youth turkey hunting, first-time adult turkey hunting, archery deer hunting, waterfowl, squirrel, rabbit and other small game hunting, river and impoundment fishing and

non-motorized boat access.

Program locations can be found on its website and reservation system at dnr.illinois. gov/conservation/IRAP. WHAT’S IN IT FOR LANDOWNERS Landowners receive liability protection, stipends, updated wildlife/forestry management plans for their properties, and a chance for habitat project funding.

Currently, the program has more than 12,000 acres enrolled in 28 counties for recreational access during the next three years. Landowners in certain counties will receive additional incentives, mostly up north but with three in the Metro East – Madison, St Clair and Monroe.

To date, IRAP and its partners have written more than 70 forestry/wildlife management plans encompassing more than 5,600 acres.

Landowners interested in participating may contact program manager Tammy Miller at (217) 524-1266 or Tammy.

Miller@illinois.gov.

Outdoor Guide

September-October 2018

Page 11

Hit the Bluffs for the Big Bass

By JOHN NEPORADNY JR.

Bluffs and docks could be a winning combination for Lake of the Ozarks anglers this autumn.

“I would start in the morning and hit as many bluff end docks as I could because those big fish will come up and suspend under those docks in the fall,” said James Dill, of James Dill Guide Service and owner of Crock-O-Gator Bait Company. “I have caught a lot of big fish on an isolated dock that other people just blow by.”

Quality bass that usually hang along the bluff drops during the summer start suspending when the shad move to the surface in the fall. The bass suspend under the bluffend docks sitting over depths of more than 50 feet and use the boathouses as ambush points to pick off shad.

Dill notes this pattern works best when the water temperature drops into the 70-degree range from mid-September to November.

stretch for isolated docks on the bluff ends. “See how many of those docks you can find in a certain area,” says Dill, who warns anglers to avoid fishing those docks during practice.

Another main lake pattern that produces quality fish for Dill in early October involves stair-stepping a jig down bluff shelves, a structure that big bass live on year-round. Dill opts for a 3/4-ounce, CrockO-Gator Reaction Jig or a 1-ounce football jig in dark colors (brown, green or blackand-blue) tipped with a bulky plastic trailer in the same color.

He keys on shelves in the 15- to 18-foot depth range where he pops the jig off a shelf and lets it fall quickly to the next shelf. The local guide repeats the process until the lure drops off into the channel.

THE MILK RUN Dill likes to make a milk run of bluff docks before 10 a.m. and makes about five to eight casts per dock. Once the sun rises higher in the sky and starts casting shadows around

Most of the strikes occur on the front corners of the docks, although Dill occasionally catches some fish midway down the sides.

The local guide tempts these suspending bass with a black 3/4-ounce Crock-O-Gator Head Knocker Buzz Bait with a gold blade that he retrieves on 17-pound fluorocarbon line along the sides of the dock all the way to the front ends.

“I will start out reeling it pretty fast, and then I will slow it down until I catch a couple,” Dill said. “You may hit a bunch of docks and not catch too many, but sooner or later when you do catch a fish doing that, it is going to be a good one.”

TAKE A LOOK Most of the strikes occur on the front corners of the docks, although Dill occasionally catches some fish midway down the sides.

The bluff pattern works for Dill on the whole lake, but when he’s fishing the lower end, he usually throws a Zara Spook on 14-pound monofilament around the docks in the clearer water.

Dill advises any angler practicing for a tournament to run the lake and search a 15-mile

the docks, Dill moves to the back of creeks and coves to target shallow docks.

“If it is quiet and nobody has been back there, you can catch big fish out of a foot of water,” he said.

The buzz bait still produces later in the day for Dill if he throws it to the shady areas of the docks. Then he likes to flip the buzzer into the wells where the lure’s buzzing sound echoes off the boat hoists.

“It sends a whole different sound in there, especially on those shallow docks,” he said.

“When you flip all the way to the back and you bring that buzz bait and it is echoing through there, if there is a fish within 50 yards he is coming to eat that thing.”

SWIM A JIG Swimming a jig along the sides and in the wells of shallow docks also produces heavyweight bass for Dill in early October.

Dill advises looking for bluegill keeping a safe distance from the docks. “If you are pitching those docks and there are bluegill that are four feet out looking into those dock corners, there is a big fish there,” he said.

Bass can be found just about anywhere under a shallow dock, but the bigger fish tend to hide in hard-to-reach areas such as the walkways behind the dock cables and those small cracks in the flotation. “You have to hit those spots where nobody else has hit,” Dill said.

The Lake of the Ozarks Convention and Visitors Bureau web site is funlake. com. For copies of John Neporadny’s “Lake of the Ozarks Fishing Guide,” call (573) 365-4296 or visit the web site www.jnoutdoors.com.

Fall colors will be coming soon to Lake of the Ozarks.

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Outdoor Guide

Page 12

September-October 2018

The Other Side of Trophy Hunting…

Photos and Text

By JOHN L. SLOAN Southern Editor-at-Large All deer hunters – and I suspect hunters of all big game – dream of killing a trophy animal. Include me in that statement.

To some degree, that is a natural progression. Hunters and fishermen begin wanting to just kill something. From that, they progress to wanting to kill a limit. The next step in this evolution is the desire to kill a trophy size animal.

There is nothing wrong with

that.

But there is another side to trophy hunting, one that needs examination and consideration.

In a survey of non-hunters – not anti-hunters or hunters, just people who do not hunt – 88 percent of those surveyed were strongly opposed to the taking of animals for trophy purposes. At the same time, those same people had no problem with hunting for

consumption.

In other words, non-hunters did not object to hunting if the game was eaten and the trophy aspect was not of paramount importance. Keep in mind it will be the non-hunting public that will decide the future of hunting. They compose the majority of voters.

WHERE WE WERE That is one consideration.

But to better understand the

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whole situation, I feel we must examine the makeup of the hunting society in general, and whitetail deer hunters in particular.

First, let’s go back several years. In the early days of modern sport hunting, back when the deer herd was just developing and to see a deer was of front-page importance, hunting was by necessity limited to bucks only. The does were protected to increase the numbers of animals. That was as it should be.

Hunters who would kill a doe were poachers – fined and ostracized. That was as it should be. Youngsters were taught that a real hunter would not shoot a doe. That was as it should be.

The deer herd grew.

Through sound management, deer populations increased.

The killing of does became important in the sound management of the entire herd.

This was now being taught to young hunters.

But at the same time, as deer hunting grew in popularity and became not just a sport but an industry, I and my fellow outdoor writers began to do a disservice to the sport.

Yes, I accept my portion of the blame.

Pick up any deer hunting magazine on the newsstand.

Count the number of articles about hunting trophy bucks.

How many articles are there about hunting or killing smaller bucks or does? I believe you’ll notice a severe disparity.

What has this overemphasis on trophy antlers done to deer hunting? It has spawned a group of young hunters who believe that unless they kill a “big buck,” they are not good hunters. They want to emulate

Not all the bucks we shoot canhave large antlers. That doesn’t mean they aren’t trophies.

the television “Heroes” of the sport. They also believe killing a doe is easy and that doing so they may ruin their chance to kill a big buck.

WHAT’S A TROPHY? To begin with, should not the definition of “trophy” belong totally to the one doing the hunting? What is to become of the young hunter who upon his or her first hunt is faced with the opportunity to shoot a young, fat, six-point buck but, due to a misguided trophy factor, refuses to do so for fear of ridicule for shooting a “little buck”? How long will that youngster continue to hunt if he or she cannot shoot something?

That young person is not yet at the stage where enjoyment of the hunt, not the kill, is the primary reason for being in the woods. That person, as it is with all young people just starting to hunt, wants to kill something. If, in a certain amount of time, the hunter does not, he or she tend to See TROPHY page 13

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For any of us, this is a trophy whitetail. That doesn’t mean we should not shoot other deer.

Outdoor Guide

September-October 2018

Page 13

…A Healthy Herd Needs a New Approach

• Trophy

give up the sport. Can we afford that?

We, all of us, must remember that to a young hunter, a small buck or even a doe is a trophy. And that is just exactly as it should be. No organization or record book should decide for anyone what constitutes a trophy.

Lack of success breeds discontent and discontinuation.

A hunter hit with a barrage of trophy deer-hunting tips and stories becomes reluctant to shoot anything that will not impress his friends. He is led to believe that killing big, trophy deer is easy and he should be able to do it. But does he, or she, realize how small the number of really big bucks there are? The chances of killing one of these “trophy” animals are slim in most areas.

So after a period of not killing anything, the hunter quits. We lose another one.

Then of course, as I previously mentioned, there is the adverse public opinion by the non-hunters. That needs no explanation.

WHERE WE ARE Am I against trophy hunting? NO. If the hunter accepts the responsibility that goes with trophy hunting, I am

Many older hunters might pass up this young man’s trophy buck.

Let him decide what a trophy is.

in favor of it. I applaud the hunter who passes up the small buck and takes a doe instead. I applaud the hunter who goes a year or two or three and kills only does, waiting for the big buck, and also the traveling hunter with several hundred dollars invested in an out-of-state

hunt and only one tag. Sure, wait for the big boy.

But let us all strive to reach the maturity to say, “If there is to be a healthy deer herd and growing numbers of hunters, then I must do my part.” Let none of us decide what is a trophy animal is for anyone other than ourselves.

Let us all applaud the hunter with the doe in his truck or the spike in his truck for being a successful hunter. If we have passed up a dozen small bucks, let us keep that to ourselves. After all, we made those decisions. It is only our business.

Won’t you do your part?

At the end of the day, we must do our part. It is the other side of trophy hunting.

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Outdoor Guide

Page 14

September-October 2018

Rural Ramblings

Can You ‘Bark’ a Squirrel?

By RUSSELL HIVELY Fall is a busy season for many outdoorsmen. Hunting season makes for exciting times, and fall fishing can be great, too. Fall gardens bring fresh green beans, pumpkins, turnips and squash to the table, but sadly the tomato season is coming to an end.

October is the acorn time of the year. Not only acorns, but black walnuts, hickory nuts

and Osage orange orbs abound, bouncing off roofs and rolling down rainspouts. The acorns and nuts provide squirrel food and become part of the mast that feeds wild animals including white tail deer and wild turkeys. *** Most hunters have scouted their deer areas, and some have already put up deer stands, so the deer become adjusted to seeing the stands hanging in

the trees. One hunter claims he saw 40 does in one herd accompanied by one small buck.

He was sure there was a herd buck nearby, but he never saw or heard it. He wanted to. *** The 2017 Missouri deer season resulted in the harvest of 283,940 deer. *** Fall brings the beginning of apple season. Most orchards

Osage orange orbs abound in the fall months.

have little problem selling all their produce straight off the farm. One church buys apples locally and converts them into apple pies as a fund-raiser. *** Apple butter and apple juice are also products of the orchard. Towns like Mt. Vernon in Lawrence County, Mo. even celebrate “Apple Butter Days.”

Huge copper pots of apple butter are cooked over open fires as part of the festivities. Aren’t the cool misty mornings of fall “apple butter” weather? *** Many hunters hone their skills with squirrel hunting.

Head shots preserve the meat.

Good marksmen like to “bark” their squirrels by shooting under them and having the splintering bark kill the squirrel. *** Did you realize the 1910 speed limit in most towns was 10 miles per hour? *** “Making do” is a tradition of most Missourians. In 2015, the Neosho National Fish Hatchery crew used the edges of an old pond, built by the WPA in the 1930s, as the edge of a concrete foundation for a new building. *** Because so little small grain is grown today, many farmers and ranchers have turned to shredded paper as their animal bedding. *** Have you noticed that more blaze orange and camouflage clothing is worn in the fall?

Still, both have become popular all-year wear. *** Crevice Cave in Perry County, Mo. is the state’s longest cave with 28 miles of passageways. *** Did you realize that wool is used in airline seats because it is naturally flame resistant? *** Old-timers often tell tales of the “fall hog kill.” The fat from hogs was rendered for the lard.

The remains after the rendering were called “cracklings” and added to cornbread batter to enhance the flavor. ***

Fall is moving time for wild creatures. Some birds migrate, ants look for a better home, and mice seek a warmer place to spend the cold winter nights. *** Did you know that deer season was not open in all Missouri counties until 1959? *** Frost covering the ground is one sign of fall. If the sun comes up just right, the frost looks like sparkling diamonds. *** Otters are known to be great fishers, and during the summer, 98 percent of otter scats have the remains of crayfish in them. *** Did you realize that the steelrimmed wheels of wooden wagons would get loose, especially in warm dry weather?

To tighten the rims, the farmers would pull the wagon into a mud puddle and let it sit a couple days, moving the wagon a bit each day. The wood wheels would swell and tighten the rims. *** Fishing would not be the same without the state and national hatcheries supplying many fish to streams, ponds and lakes. The Neosho National Fish Hatchery in Newton County, MO, is the oldest national hatchery in existence.

It primarily supplies rainbow trout to Lake Taneycomo. *** Some folks have different eating habits. One man was overheard saying, “When I sit myself down to a big bowl of turnip greens, corn bread and sow belly, I wonder what the poor folks are eating nowadays.” *** Is it a coincidence that quail season begins about the time persimmons are ripe?

How many hunters stop and nibble on a persimmon while searching for an illusive covey of quail? *** The first smell of wood fires may mean that hunters are in a camp nearby or some homeowner has gotten a chill and started a fire in the stove.

Fall is when nature prepares for colder weather. That’s the Rural Ramblings for now.

Outdoor Guide

September-October 2018

Page 15

Catching Catfish on a River Walk

By GERALD SCOTT I was in figurative knee pants the first time I walked the muddy banks of a slowflowing flatland river, while my grandfather searched for likely places to catch channel cats.

True, it was the only type of fishing available at the time, but I probably would have liked it best irregardless, because no other habitat has as many “non-fishing” objects vying for a youngster’s attention.

One evening recently, I returned to my roots, which is easy to do in Missouri.

The water flowing in virtually every stream large enough to be called a “river” and its bank up to the “normal high water mark” are de facto public property and open to use by fishermen either from boats or from the bank.

That said, please note that these corridors can be entered from bridge abutments or other public property, but it is illegal to cross private property to reach them or to venture beyond the high-water mark without the owner’s permission.

ON CAT PATROL Channel cats are the primary target for most of the minuscule number of people who fish these small rivers, but these waters are also home to carp and drum, plus an occasional flathead catfish. At times, it seems like soft-shell and snapping turtles outnumber the fish, so if you’d like to add turtle to your menu, make sure you’re up on turtle seasons, limits, etc.

My bank-walking “tackle box” is a 5-gallon bucket with a padded swivel seat attached to its lid. It contains a small plastic box filled with terminal tackle, bait, a burlap bag or a cord stringer to hold my catch, rags, a bar of soap, a couple of bottles of water, and a can of bug spray. If I manage to remember them, there will also be a camera and a minicamcorder in the bucket.

After a lifetime of experimenting, I’m now using sixfoot, medium-heavy action spinning rods mated to stout spinning reels, spooled with 20-pound test monofilament running line and a 10-inch, 15-pound test monofilament leader. I’ve proven to my own satisfaction that the relatively short spinning outfits are not only easier to carry when walking through the brush and weeds commonly found on river banks, but they’re also easier for making short and accurate casts. I carry two of them, mostly because my left eye twitches if I only have one fishing outfit close at hand.

BEST BAIT? If you like to watch other people fight, ask a group of cat-fishermen to name the

“best” catfish bait. Just stand well back, because some of them may throw samples of their favorite concoctions.

Truth be told, an all but endless list of live, formerly alive and commercial baits are – or at least might be – good choices on any given day, but when I’m catfishing from the bank, I need one pre-selected bait that I can count on to perform as well as or better than anything else I could use on any given day. After a mere 60-year search, I’ve found it. It’s called “Danny King Punch Bait.”

To tell the whole truth, I met Danny King at a writers conference before I’d ever heard of his catfish bait. During the course of a lengthy and quite enjoyable conversation, he insisted his bait would outperform not just other commercial bait but also natural baits.

This wasn’t my first rodeo, but unlike the inventors of many other “best” products that I could – but won’t – name, Danny was willing to back up his spiel with a tub of his product for me to test.

USING PUNCH BAIT For the benefit of those of you unfamiliar with the term, a punch bait is a naturally quasi-solid bait firmed up with sufficient fibrous material to allow it to be fished on a plain treble hook. To use a punch bait, the angler “punches” his hook into the bait’s container with a stick. When the hook is pulled out, a large amount of bait will often be clinging to it.

The de rigeur method is to dip the entire blob into the water for a few seconds to allow it to stiffen and then to gently cast it toward the eagerly waiting catfish. This method not only allows the current to create a chum line with bits of bait that break free, but it also allows the angler to avoid touching the bait.

That last point is important to many people, including King, who warned me that his bait’s odor – it’s available in original, blood and garlic – is very difficult to remove from fingers.

He’s right about that, but while I’ll admit his bait is, shall we say, pungent, I don’t find it to be especially offensive. Therefore, I usually use my fingers to trim the blob of bait down to a size that will just cover the hook’s barbs.

A SPLENDID OUTING So how did my recent outing turn out? In about two hours of fishing time, I caught six channel cats that averaged almost three pounds apiece, all on a blend of Danny King’s Original and Blood I’d blended to use up the last quarter jar of each.

For more information, go online to dannykingsbait. com.

These folks were catching channel cat on the Red River in Canada.

– Cabela’s photo

Outdoor Guide

Page 16

September-October 2018

Dealing with Those Cussed Hogs

By LARRY DABLEMONT

Wild hogs are good at both reproducing and surviving in the Ozarks. They are seen here with their young eating bait in the Missouri Department of Conservation hog program, which removed 6,567 hogs last year. – MDC photo.

In a tape recording I made with my grandfather back in 1965, we talked a little about hogs in the woods before and after World War I. But it wasn’t anything like what we have going on today, with feral pigs increasing in number throughout the Ozarks.

They were called free ranging pigs back then and were semi-tame. I think, though, that they played a big part in the near extinction of

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whitetail deer and wild turkey in the Ozarks – that and the depressed times, when everyone was so hungry they killed everything they came across.

In nature, diversity doesn’t work any better than it does among people. It is often disastrous. Feral hogs are good examples. Those hogs destroy a lot of turkey nests, but the presence of the hogs is disastrous in many other ways.

They don’t follow the rules that nature imposes on native creatures. Everything else is limited by one of the rules … biotic potential or reproductive potential.

Rabbits and field mice are good examples of great reproductive potential.

Each species can put forth hundreds of young in a spring and summer season, but they are kept under control by predation and disease. That’s what biotic potential is … the inclination of a species to survive well, to have a longer life with less worry about disease and predation.

Deer are good examples of high biotic potential and low reproductive potential.

So are bear and coyotes … fewer young, but a greater ability to survive.

HOG DISASTER Feral hogs are a disaster because they have a tremendous reproductive potential – sometimes three litters born from one old sow in a year, up to a dozen or more choates at a time, and yet they survive so well, a tremendous biotic potential few mammals have.

They have good hearing, good eyesight and a tremendous sense of smell. And an old sow is aggressive ... she has the meanness in her to protect her young. With young pigs, she will tackle a couple of good-sized hounds, and a man if she feels he is a threat.

I know – a old wild sow chased my labrador and I back to my boat once in the fall, years ago. When they are angry, they have a habit of snapping and chomping their jaws and teeth, like an old sow black bear does when her cubs are threatened.

One of the stories my grandfather told was of the time in 1908 or 1909 when he

was only 14 or 15 years old and had a great coonhound, given to him at a younger age. The dog and he spent a lot of nights hunting raccoons to eat and for the sale of the hides.

A landowner named Fen Marlowe accidentally killed his dog by giving him poisoned meat while he was out scattering it for coyotes. He made the mistake of telling someone and laughing about it, and the word got back to my grandfather, who owned one of those Stevens “Marksman” .22 caliber rifles often ordered through the mail for about $2.

CUSSEDNESS Grandpa learned what Marlowe’s ear-mark was for his free ranging hogs. In that time, area settlers had their adult hogs marked in various ways with notches cut into the ears. Grandpa told me that Marlowe was better off than most of the Big Piney farmers and owned a lot of hogs with a very distinguishing ear-mark.

In the fall they would all get together and round up the free-ranging hogs using hog dogs, and mark the ears of young choates and kill the bigger marked hogs for butchering. Those hams were smoked and cured and lasted families all winter.

But Marlowe had none to butcher that fall. Grandpa had killed more than a dozen of them in the summer to avenge the death of his dog.

I remember him saying, as he sat in his hand-made rocking chair and ran his fingers through his thick white hair, “I lost my best dog ever through Fen Marlowe’s danged cussedness … but he paid a price. He lost all his hogs because of my danged cussedness!”

I will have some more to say about the problem of feral hogs in an upcoming column, and an answer to reducing that plague if you have them on your land or land you hunt.

To contact me, call (417) 777-5227 or email lightninridge47@gmail.com.

The address is Box 22, Bolivar, MO, 65613. To read past columns, go online to larrydablemontoutdoors. blogspot.com

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Outdoor Guide/ St. Louis RV Vacation &Travel Show Section

September-October 2018

Seek Autumn Dreams in an RV

Photos and Text

By THAYNE SMITH

Autumn is special in the minds of many, especially those who embrace it for the pursuit and planning of the many types of outdoor recreation that it offers.

For hunters, there are early waterfowl seasons, flights of doves to pursue, plans to make for scouting big game animals and preparations galore for the upland game seasons that follow.

For RV travelers, whether owners, borrowers or renters, hunters, fishermen, bird watchers or lovers of scenic wonders, it’s the ideal time

to pursue a dream or two and visit some city, state, attraction, namesake or other place of interest.

I had never thought much about researching my middle name, Thayne. It has served me well through more than 70 years of freelance, magazine, newspaper and book writing, photography, and state and corporate public relations work.

That changed, however, on a cold and dreary January night in the early 1970s when I was traveling with an associate in his pickup truck on U.S. 89 in western Wyoming.

We were hauling three new Skiroule snowmobiles from

Our own Jeannie Farmer relaxes in a new, spacious fifthwheel RV at a dealership, perfect for visiting ‘dream’ attractions and outdoor recreation sites.

Togwotee Mountain Lodge near Yellowstone, WY, to a dealership in Salt Lake City after a week of testing and photographing the machines on snowy mountain trails.

NAME RESEARCH Our employer, the famous Coleman Co., had purchased Skiroule, based in Quebec, a few months earlier, and I was in charge of its public relations efforts.

There was little to see in the darkness, but the word “Thayne,” in white on a green background, attracted my attention and planted a seed in my mind as we motored through a small town. Back at home in Kansas, I researched the name, finding it to be of Scotch origin and associated with early English nobility.

The settlement, with 14 families, was originally called Glencoe. It was changed when members of the Joseph Thayne family established the town’s first store and a post office in their one-room log cabin on May 8, 1891.

I vowed to visit it someday if possible. That opportunity came more than 30 years later, when my late wife, Joan, and I were on an RV trip through several western states. We found the town beautiful, with wonderful people of great personality. It has grown slowly but steadily and now has more than 300 good folks.

TRAVEL GAMES This experience led me to make “games” of traveling in RVs to states, provinces, cities and myriad attractions that I

A visitor surveys photos of the attractions at Bass Pro Shops’ Johnny Morris’ Wonders of Wildlife Museum and Aquarium in Springfield, MO.

had heard about, or wanted to visit via RV after experiencing them on hurried business trips – such places as Manitoulin Island in Ontario, for scenery, fishing and riding a ferry, ice fishing with friends in other provinces and attending meetings of the Outdoor Writers of Canada.

I’ve used the Internet to research and then visit such places as Yellowstone, Devil’s Tower, Mount Rushmore, the Badlands of both Dakotas, and many other “tourist attractions.”

There also have been fishing and hunting trips to states ranging from North Dakota to south Texas, lakes Powell and Havasu, and west Texas to Nebraska. All have, or will result in, articles with photos.

MAP-A-MATICS It’s fun to tap sources such as Mapquest, Bing Maps and Google Maps to plan RV (and media) trips to such cities as Springfield MO and its famous Bass Pro Shops complex, with its new and ever-growing Johnny Morris’ Wonders of Wildlife National Museum and Aquarium. I marvel, also, at its NRA Museum, Boone and Crockett display of big game trophy mounts, archery museum and much more. Its parking lots and personnel welcome RV visitors. Add nearby Branson, MO to the list, which I’ve been visiting on business and pleasure trips, often via RV, since the early 1950s.

All states have just one

name, thank goodness, but otherwise they share with cities, towns and more. I’ve visited several cities with my native state of Kansas as their moniker, including Kansas, AL, and Kansas, OK. If you mess with Texas, for example, you’ll find it as a city name in at least seven different states. Try Smith.

It’s in nine states. Smithville is in 21.

I’ve never lived in Texas, but I claimed Texanna, OK home for several years. It’s on the state map and a county road near Lake Eufaula.

There is also a Lake Eufaula in Alabama. I know from experience that both are good fishing holes and boast many fine campgrounds – to host RVs, naturally.

Serious Travelers Pick 12 Top National Parks

By TALIA AVAKIAN Travel + Leisure In 2016, former National Geographic travel photographer Jonathan Irish and NASA employee Stephanie Payne embarked on a journey to see all of America’s 59 national parks in 52 weeks.

The couple decided to take the trip to celebrate the parks and inspire travelers to get out and explore them.

The pair, who had regularly visited national parks as children, spent as many as nine days in some of these parks to see the sites that many travelers never get to.

Here are the top 12 the duo say every traveler should be sure to see.

DEATH VALLEY Payne and Irish picked Death Valley National Park, which spans both California and Nevada, thanks to the park’s incredible variety of landscapes.

“I had never been to this park before, and it absolutely

blew me away,” said Irish.

“It’s really a park of extremes where you get everything from dunes to soaring mountains overlooking salt pans.”

The park, noted for its extremely dry and hot temperatures, is where travelers will also find the lowest point in the U.S. and stunning striations of color at viewpoints like Zabriskie Point, which Irish says has a majestic landscape that reminds him of Rocky Road ice cream thanks to the many slopes that carve its surroundings.

Though the park typically has dry conditions, when it rains, the water sits atop the sand to make mirror reflections.

GRAND TETONS Wildlife lovers will enjoy Grand Tetons National Park, in Wyoming, where they can see elks, grizzly bears, owls, sea otters and more.

The park also comes alive with colors in the fall.

“I’ve never seen a place

Otter Cliff at Acadia National Park.

more beautiful than the Grand Tetons in the fall, when the aspen trees are just exploding with color against the backdrop of the Grand Teton Mountains,” Irish said.

One of his favorite stops in the park is Oxbow Bend,

where visitors can get a view of the Snake River winding towards the mountains.

“There are just some scenes in nature that seem almost too perfect to be real, and this is definitely one of them,” Irish said.

GLACIER Irish says Montana’s Glacier National Park is ideal for those who love hiking.

The park is home to a variety of backcountry trails where hikers can see an array of wildlife, including moose,

grizzly bears and black bears.

“It’s also incredible because it’s like an old soul,” said Irish. “It’s one of the few places where you see rocks billions and billions of years old by just See PARKS page 24

September-October 2018

Outdoor Guide/ St. Louis RV Vacation &Travel Show Section

Page 19

RV Model Listings by Dealer

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APACHE VILLAGE RV 9001 Dunn Rd., Hazelwood, MO Class A Motorhomes: Fleetwood, Jayco Precept Diesel Motorhomes: Fleetwood Class C Mini: Jayco Mehlbourne, Jayco Greyhawk, Jayco Redhawk Sport Utility Trailers: Jayco Octane, Jayco Seismic, Jayco Talon Travel Trailers: Jayco Jay Feather, Jayco Jay Flight, Jayco Eagle, Jayco Hummingbird, Keystone Bullet, Keystone Premier, Keystone Outback Fifth-Wheels: Jayco Eagles, Jayco Northpoint, Jayco Pinnacle

BILL THOMAS CAMPER SALES 101 Thomas RV Way, Wentzville, MO Class B: Airstream Interstate Sport Utility Trailers: Momentum By Grand Design Travel Trailers: Airstream, Basecamp by Airstream, NEST by Airstream, Rockwood, Imagine, Reflection, Open Range, Salem, MPG by Cruiser RV Fifth-Wheels: Columbus, Solitude, Reflection, Open Range Hybrids: Rockwood ROO

BOURBON RV CENTER 133 Old Springfield Rd., Bourbon, MO Travel Trailers: Dutchmen Aerolite, Gulf Stream Ameri-Lite, Gulf Stream Conquest, Gulf Stream Vintage Cruiser, KZ Sportsmen, KZ Sportsmen LE, KZ Sportsmen Classic, Sportsmen Escape, Riverside RV Retro, Venture RV Sonic, Venture RV Sonic Lite, Venture RV SportTrek Fifth-Wheels: Heartland ElkRidge, Keystone Astoria, Heartland ElkRidge Xtreme Light, KZ Sportsmen, Riverside RV Retro Toy Haulers: Gulf Stream Track & Trail, KZ Sportsmen Classic, Riverside RV Retro

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COLMAN’S COUNTRY CAMPERS 2 Fun St., Hartford, IL Travel Trailers: Puma, Puma XLE, Flagstaff V-Lite, Flagstaff Classic Super Lite, Flagstaff Super Lite, Flagstaff Micro-Lite, Shamrock, Wildcat, Flagstaff E-Pro Sport Utility Trailers: Puma Unleashed, Puma XLE Fifth-Wheels: Flagstaff Classic Super Lite, Flagstaff Super Lite, Puma, Wildcat Folding Camping Trailers: Flagstaff

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M.B. THOMAS RV SALES & Rental 275 Lemay Ferry Rd., St. Louis, MO Classic A Motorhomes: Thor-Hurricane and Axis Diesel Motorhomes: Thor Citation and Chateau Class C Mini: Thor Citation and Thor Chateau Travel Trailers: Heartland Trail Runner Folding Camping Trailers: Quick Silver and A-liner

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MIDDLETON’S RV 3441 US 67, Festus, MO Sport Utility Trailers: Fuzion, Fuzion Impact, Fuzion Vapor, Springdale TailGator Travel Trailers: Flagstaff Classic Super Lite, Flagstaff Super V, Flagstaff Micro Lite And Shamrock, Springdale, Summerland By Keystone, nuCamp Tab, Tag, LITTLEGUY Max, MiniMax, Flagstaff E-Pro, My Pod Camping Trailers: Flagstaff Mac, Se, Classic, High Walls & Hard Side Campers, Opus, Opus Air Fifth-Wheels: Flagstaff Classic and Super Lite, Springdale

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MIDWEST RV CENTER 6200 Heimos Industrial Pkwy., St. Louis, MO Class A Diesel: Sportscoach by Coachmen Class A: Coachmen Mirada, Coachmen Mirada Select, Coachmen Pursuit Class C: Coachmen Leprechaun, Coachmen Freelander, Coachmen Concord, Coachmen Orion Sport Utility Trailers: Coachmen Trail Blazer, XLR Hyperlite, Keystone Raptor and Carbon.

Travel Trailers: Coachmen Freedom Express, Coachmen Freedom Express Liberty, Coachmen Apex, Coachmen Apex Nano, Coachmen Clipper, Coachmen Catalina, Keystone Cougar HT Fifth-Wheels: Keystone Cougar, Keystone Cougar HT, Keystone Montana High Country, Keystone Montana Folding Campers: Coachmen Clipper, Coachmen V-Trec, Coachmen Clipper A Frame

10 VAN CITY RV 3100 Telegraph Rd., St. Louis, MO Class B Diesel: Chinook Countryside & Bayside, Roadtrek Etrek, RS & CS Adventurous, SS Agile, Pleasure Way Plateau, Ascent TS Class B+ Diesel: Leisure Travel Unity & Serenity, PleasureWay Plateau XL Class C Diesel: Renegade Vienna & Villagio, Coachmen Prism; Dynamax Isata 3, Isata 5 Class C Gas: Dynamax Rev, Isata 4 Class B Camper Van: Roadtrek, 190, 210, Zion, Zion SRT, Zion Simplicity, Pleasure Way Lexor TS Class Super C: Renegade Verona, Verona LE, Valencia, Classic, Explorer, XL, Icon, Dynamax DX3, Dynaquest XL, Force HD

Outdoor Guide/ St. Louis RV Vacation &Travel Show Section

Page 20

September-October 2018

Tips, Tricks and Thoughts for the Great Outdoors

When Mama Ain’t Happy…

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.

My wife has what you clicked on scentlock.com, might call a “sensitive nose.” and learned about their OZ20 She smells odors a lot of times unit that plugs into the dash when I don’t. When I get in her and doesn’t cover up smells, vehicle, it smells like a rose but it gets rid of them. garden because she has these So I got one, plugged it in little scent things clipped to and turned it on when I parked her visor or air vents. the truck for the night, and the When she rides in my truck, next morning I turned it off she can tell me if I ate a sand- and no smells. It’s as simple wich with onions a week ago as that. Without going into the or if I left a pair of dirty socks technical reasons under the back seat. as to She knows I don’t like how my hunting/fishing/camping this truck smelling like a flower, so she bought me one of those little pine trees to hang from my rearview mirror.

I would rather not smell anything than have fake-smelling things in my truck, so I started searching the Internet for a solution that would make us both hap- Keep Mama happy when she’s in py. That’s when I your truck with the Scentlock 0Z20.

thing works, I can tell you it definitely does.

My wife is happy and that’s good because as the old saying goes, “When Mama ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy.”

To make her even happier and so I don’t have to smell flowers or ocean breezes around the house, I also got ScentLok’s OZ100 unit for small rooms and OZ500 for big rooms, and I just plug them into a wall outlet when we are leaving. We come back to a scent-free house.

She especially likes me to use the small unit in the bathroom after I have been in it. I can’t understand why!

BIG MISTAKE Never stop your swing when aiming at a dove. That accounts for more misses than any other mistake. Follow through after the shot, and you’ll have a better chance of eating bacon-wrapped dove breast for dinner.

JUST LIKE DAD Take your kids scouting with you and let them watch and learn as you put up stands and practice shooting. If you’re successful, let them help you trail a deer and learn as you field dress it. Allow them to be a part of your dove

hunting, teal hunting or fall turkey hunting, too.

Teach them to honor the animal and be thankful for it. Also, let them be a part of preparing, cooking and eating the game you harvest. Doing so will help them to love the sport like you do, because kids want to be just like dad.

I WONDER WHY I wonder why showing human beings being killed in movies, TV shows and video games is more acceptable in today’s world than hunting game animals for food?

Where do they think people who commit gun violence get the idea to do what they do?

Think about it.

DEER POOP When you are out scouting or hunting and see a pile of deer poop, look at it and you might learn something.

The largest poop pellets are most likely from a buck, but a research study has concluded that if there are 75 poop pellets or more, it is most likely from a big mature buck. I do wonder about the research guy who got down on his knees and counted all those piles of deer poop to come up with that conclusion!

The Scentlock fits right into the dashboard and gets rid of smells.

THE FALL SEASON The days are growing shorter. Fall colors are beginning to appear. If you look up, you might see geese winging their way north in their Vformations.

It’s a great time for a fall foliage tour by land or water.

Fish are in a feeding frenzy, storing up for winter. It’s a great time to go camping or take a hike. Hunting seasons are under way or just around the corner. Or you can just sit back and marvel at the change in seasons.

For us in the midwest, is a time to feel we are the favored of all God’s children. Fall is the season to store up many rich memories for those cold

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NATIVE AMERICAN QUOTE “Whenever, in the course of the daily hunt, the red hunter comes upon a scene that is strikingly beautiful and sublime – a black thunder cloud with the rainbow’s glowing arc above the mountain; a white waterfall in the heart of a green gorge; a vast prairie tinged with the blood red of sunset – he pauses for an instant in the attitude of worship. He sees no need for setting apart one day in seven as a holy day, since to him, all days are God’s.”

– Ohlysea, Wahpeton Dakota

September-October 2018

Outdoor Guide/ St. Louis RV Vacation &Travel Show Section

Page 21

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Page 22

Outdoor Guide/ St. Louis RV Vacation &Travel Show Section

Claudette’s Kitchen

By CLAUDETTE ROPER

Yes We Can Can

It’s that time of year when the garden has peaked and Mountain Man – gardener extraordinaire – is pooped. Friends who were more than thrilled to receive fresh garden produce from him a few months ago now lock their cars and

leave the windows rolled up to avoid receiving more.

Admittedly, he’s the gardener. At times I am the picker, if necessary. There are some plants that have to be bearing before I know what they are. What I do know how to do is cook them and preserve them. Even with experience, there’s still room for trying new techniques.

When the kale gets away from me and gets too big to be good, I console myself with the fact that the chickens like eating it. The same has happened with zucchini. Let’s face it – you can only eat so much zucchini bread, and that is only dessert, not sustenance.

We’ve grilled and fried with great success. I had to experiment to come up with something new. This experiment involved apples and deceiving Mountain Man.

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You can only eat so much zucchini bread. Here’s something new.

If I could deceive his discerning palate, it would be a success. Who am I kidding? He will eat just about anything. Discerning, in this case, means he either likes it or not. When he doesn’t, he kindly tells me that I really don’t need to make the effort to make that again.

A ZUCCHINI PLAN Having passed his test, it’s worthy of sharing with you.

This is not a recipe – it’s a concept. It can be a side dish or a dessert. This is a great time to use those big monster zucchini.

• CUTTIN’ UP – Peel the zucchini and then cut the outer sections away from the core. The core is usually seedy and has a spongy, less desirable texture. Slice the outer sections to mimic sliced apples.

• ADD APPLES – Use two parts of peeled and sliced apples – Granny Smiths are good for this – to one part prepared zucchini. The ratio can be altered once the taste buds adjust. Add extra-virgin coconut oil or oil of your choice to an amply large frying pan and heat to medium high. Add the apples and zucchini and lower the heat.

• STIR FRY – Stir fry until lightly browned and done. If you stay as close to your method for fried applies as possible, folks are less likely to notice. These are really good folded inside a crepe with a sprinkle of cinnamon or over ice cream.

THEN WHAT? Unfortunately, while this is a great treat, it does not address the wealth of produce that we want to keep through the winter. Freezing, dehydrating and canning are common options. When it comes to canning, however, some are limited to the boiling water bath method of preservation.

When growing up, I remember a fad of canning green beans in the oven. One lady recently told me that she doesn’t follow those ridiculous instructions – it only takes green beans 15 minutes to cook, not 90. Please keep in mind she was talking about canning.

This won’t be a lesson on canning, but a short explanation is in order. Vegetables are low-acid foods. They MUST be pressure-canned to be safe. For those wondering about tomatoes, they are technically fruits but do require proper acidification if you don’t want to pressure-can them.

TRY PICKLING Wondering what to do with vegetables when you don’t have a pressure canner? Pickle them. When using 5 percent acidity vinegar and the correct ratio of vinegar to water (or in some cases no water), vegetables can be preserved in a boiling water bath.

One of our favorite recipes uses my old stand-by, bread and butter pickle brine, over jars filled with okra. When there’s a mix of veggies to use up, I fill jars with a mixture of okra, cauliflower, beans, peppers and carrot spears and use the same brine.

A note about the brine – do your homework first. Because my brine recipe uses all vinegar and no water, I can be sure that I’ve meet the highest common denominator for all vegetables to be safely canned.

Here’s where it gets tricky if you’re not paying attention.

How long do they have to be in the boiling water bath canner to be safely preserved? Visit nchfp.uga.edu for exact times.

If mixing a variety of vegetables, look up the canning time for each vegetable and use the longest time. That is vital.

If you don’t have a pressure canner, you can still can.

If you can follow directions, you’ll do fine. This is not the place to ad lib, but it’s also not something to be afraid of.

There’s a certain joy about eating the summer’s bounty in the middle of winter.

Now’s the time to do it.

September-October 2018

Outdoor Guide/ St. Louis RV Vacation &Travel Show Section

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Outdoor Guide/ St. Louis RV Vacation &Travel Show Section

Page 24

• Parks

September-October 2018

from page 18

Zabriskie Point at Death Valley looked like rocky road ice cream.

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looking up.” Visitors can hike up mountains to get views of scenic valleys carved by glaciers, making their surrounding peaks seem all the more dramatic.

BADLANDS What makes South Dakota’s Badlands National Park so impressive is the fact that visitors are invited to walk directly onto the badlands themselves, since the park was formed through natural erosion, an opportunity travelers rarely get at other parks.

“You can walk out into these amazing vistas and into the badlands, where you’ll find that you’re all alone, and it’s incredible,” said Irish.

YOSEMITE At Yosemite National Park, Irish suggests visitors head to Glacier Point – away from all of the crowds – to get a sense of the heart of the park. Visitors can take a hike on the Panorama Trail to see what Irish says are the best views of the park, including viewpoints overlooking Half Dome and the valley below, and two waterfalls below.

LAKE CLARK Although Lake Clark National Park is one of the least visited parks in the U.S., according to Irish, it’s an iconic Alaska experience few know of that Irish says you won’t want to miss. Once visitors arrive, they are treated to reflective lakes that create a breathtaking surrounding for activities like kayaking and hiking.

The exterior of the park’s coast is known for its brown bear population.

ACADIA Come to Maine for the lobster, stay for Acadia National Park’s soaring granite peaks, rugged coastline, and the tallest mountain on the U.S. Atlantic coast. Irish says that, thanks to the bright orange hue of some of the rocks in the park, when warm sunlight hits the rocks it creates an incredible pinkish glow.

ARCHES Utah’s Arches National Park is known as a “red rock wonderland” thanks to some 2,000 natural stone arches and hundreds of soaring pinnacles that paint the scene a stunning hue of red.

“Arches has held my heart for as long as I can remem-

ber,” Irish told Travel + Leisure. “The unique formations that make the park its namesake—the arches—showcase the park as such a fragile place with an incredible scenery, so it seems like an honor to be able to see these sites before they eventually fall and crack.”

His favorite trail in the park is the Devil’s Garden, a challenging hike that includes at least 10 scenic arches.

GREAT SAND DUNES Colorado’s Great San Dunes National Park is an adventure lover’s dream come true, as North America’s tallest dunes stand in the heart of a landscape that includes everything from wetlands and aspen forests to alpine lakes.

SEQUOIA One of the top trails at California’s Sequoia National Park is the Big Trees Trail, a short and easy walk that will take visitors to some of the biggest trees in the world.

“I’ll never forget going into Sequoia for the first time and looking up to see the trees because it feels like you’re walking through hallowed ground because the trees are so massive and overwhelming,” Irish said. “It’s one of those locations where you feel you just want to be quiet in the nature because it’s just too beautiful.”

WRANGELL-ST. ELIAS T h o u g h A l a s k a ’s Wrangell-St. Elias National Park is America’s biggest national park, it’s also one of the least visited, according to Irish. Its remote location helps keep the place pristine, Irish said. “We would pitch our tent next to massive glaciers that run for two to three miles wide in some places and hike across them,” Irish said.

CANYONLANDS Utah’s Canyonlands National Park is divided by rivers into four parts that include the Island in the Sky, the Needles, the Maze, and the rivers themselves, each of which have their own awe-inspiring scenery to offer. The Needles was most impressive to Payne and Irish.

“Where we got blown away is the Needles district, where there’s this otherwordly landscape of pink sandstone that takes the shape of needles and forms to look just like nature’s artwork,” Irish said.

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September-October 2018

The Professor

Can Turtles Bite off Fingers?

Photo and Text

By WHIT GIBBONS

I am as wary as others about the nonsense we can find on the Internet, but I know that a recent report I read is true.

It said someone in Louisiana cut open a snapping turtle and found a human finger.

Admittedly, suspicion might rise in the casual reader on two counts. Can a turtle really bite off a finger? And why would anyone be opening up a turtle to find out?

Representatives of both of Missouri’s most imposing turtles live in the Mississippi River and have poked a big

Don’t touch the worm! The alligator snapper is the only turtle in the world to wiggle its tongue in front of fish as a lure. A finger is equally vulnerable when the jaws snap shut.

head out of muddy waters and stared at the Gateway Arch in St. Louis. These are large turtles, both snappers.

They look similar but differ in many ways. The common snapper has a smoother shell and jagged tail. The alligator snapper has a shell with three ridges and a smooth tail. Another notable difference – an alligator snapper can bite off a finger.

Common snappers can reach 50 pounds, will bite a person in a heartbeat and even leave a memorable scar, but they are small compared to gatorsnappers. One of the largest turtles in the world, adult alligator snappers often weigh more than 100 pounds. Documented size records exceed 200. These giant freshwater turtles get bigger than some sea turtles, making them quite capable of biting off a human body part.

BELIEVE IT! Alligator snappers live in big rivers, large streams and lakes from Texas to Georgia and reach the Midwest along the river borders of Missouri Iowa, and Illinois. They not only are capable of amputating human digits but have been documented to do so. The above question about cutting the turtle open is also believable, especially in

regions where certain culinary customs are practiced.

Turtles lack teeth, but the cutting edge of the mouth of a 100-pound turtle is a formidable biting tool. One alligator snapper casualty is someone I know who was a commercial turtle trapper and now has only nine fingers.

Another had a well-publicized incident in Alabama in which an alligator snapper became the focal point of a bar bet: Can you reach into the turtle’s mouth and touch its tongue before its mouth snaps shut? Who could possibly resist participating in a game of “touch the worm” after a few beers?

In the wild, an alligator snapper sits on the river bottom with its mouth open, wiggling its bright red tongue like a worm as a lure for fish, a behavior found in no other turtle in the world.

If placed on a bar counter, they will also hold their mouth open and defensively bite whatever enters, including a hand. The loser now has eight fingers.

COMMON SNAPPERS Common snapping turtles, found in every eastern state and most western ones, are often mistaken for their larger cousins and are indeed many times more common. Most

discover a finger in a turtle?

It’s regional culture. Collecting gator-snappers for personal consumption is legal in Louisiana, and many private citizens make their own turtle stew from these big turtles, which once served as a prime source for Campbell’s turtle soup.

The author has been bitten many times by common snappers like this one but still has all his fingers because none were alligator snappers.

people who report seeing an alligator snapper have actually encountered a common snapper, an understandable error as both look fearsome.

They will stand their ground and have a lightning-fast strike.

I have been bitten a few times by common snappers, some being large ones, and it does indeed hurt and can leave a scar.

But the jaw muscle strength and severing edge cannot compare with an adult alligator snapper.

Alligator snapper numbers in the wild are only a small percentage of what they once were, due in part to relentless unregulated trapping in the past and the continuing loss of suitable wildlife habitat. Even with protection in most states, their numbers are still declining in some areas. Alligator snapping turtles are fast disappearing but remain one of America’s most magnificent reptiles.

And why might someone

LAST HOLDOUT Louisiana was the last state to place controls on commercial removal of adult alligator snapping turtles from wild populations, but a resident still is allowed to catch one for private use. So the possibility of finding a human body part while cutting a turtle open to clean it for the stew pot is not at all out of the question.

Why an unidentified finger ended up inside the turtle leaves room for conjecture, but not much imagination is required to speculate on ways a body part might end up inside a turtle in a back-country Louisiana bayou.

Whit Gibbons is professor emeritus of ecology at the University of Georgia and the author of more than a dozen books on ecology, including Ecoviews Too. His most recent book is Snakes of the Eastern United States. He is also a member of the Southeastern Outdoor Press Association.

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Outdoor Guide/ St. Louis RV Vacation &Travel Show Section

September-October 2018

Gravel Bar Gourmet

Perfect Setting, Perfect Meal

Photo and Text

By BILL COOPER September, and especially October, are my favorite months to float and camp our Ozark streams.

September provides the sweet smell of the end of summer as the long growing season comes to an end. Breakdown and decay of plant material has begun, and the process often casts off aromas peculiar to this time of year.

I cherish the aromatic scent of decaying willow and cottonwood leaves and twigs.

They release a southern charm that takes me home, if only in remembrance of times long ago along the Mississippi and Black Bayou.

As I pitch September riverside camps, I purposefully gather a few willow leaves and branches, if available. The soft scent they emit when tossed on the campfire sets the mood for camp, relaxing, memorable and mesmerizing.

IN THE MOOD Sweet smelling campfires easily place one into the mood to cook. I intensely enjoy tossing a pair of Dove Creek WAGYU Cattle Company steaks on the grill, wrapped in foil and doctored with my favorite seasonings.

I steam them for about 30 minutes to lock in juices. Next I toss them on the camp grill over the hottest oak coals to sear them on each side. Medium rare is my ticket for my idea of connoisseur’s heaven.

Of course, potatoes wrapped in foil and apples, too, dressed in the standard fare of butter and cinnamon, add a heady aroma to

the willow-smoke scented air of my camp.

CRAYFISH BOIL Sometimes I catch a trout, or better yet, a batch of crayfish, to add to the menu. A few dozen crayfish tossed into a crab boil, with sweet corn on the cob, baby onions and new red potatoes, creates a meal fit for any river king or queen. The crayfish boil is the perfect appetizer for the upcoming main menu of grilled steaks and baked potatoes.

I seldom cook such a gravel bar meal without making a watercress salad. Add a little romaine lettuce, a wedge of lemon, slices of boiled egg, fresh garden tomatoes and cucumbers, and you have the perfect complements to the tangy watercress from the cold river water. Top it off with a zesty Italian dressing.

For an additional tasty touch, drop a few of the smaller crayfish tails into the salad, if you can bring yourself to spare them.

A PERFECT CAMPSITE I have discovered over decades of floating and camping on our Ozark streams that selecting the perfect campsite, is paramount to getting the greatest enjoyment from your perfectly cooked gravel bar meal. Great aromas, great tastes and great scenic views transpire into a perfect outdoor experience that you and your friends will not soon forget.

As the fire dims down and the barred owls begin their evening serenade, I enjoy breaking out a chilled, white dinner wine, carried in a non-glass container, of course. And then, it’s sipping wine, listening to nature’s finest music of coursing water, and discussing the more important issues of life, like a smallmouth bass

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Any gravel bar cooking experience is further enhanced by camping nearby at a scenic spot.

striking a surface plug on a moonlit night, or a chunky rainbow sipping my favorite hand-tied fly from a fog enshrouded stream.

Bill Cooper is a member of the National

Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame, inducted as a Legendary Outdoor Communicator.

You may catch him on Wild at Heart Outdoor Radio at www.espn1073.com.

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Outdoor Guide/ St. Louis RV Vacation &Travel Show Section

September-October 2018

Tips for Traveling with Sport Dogs Photo and Text

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Regardless of the season or where the next trip takes you and your dog, traveling can be stressful for your hunting partner. By doing your homework and planning ahead, you can help ensure your dog’s safety and comfort while on the road.

Follow these tips to help simplify your journey, regardless of the time and distance: MEAL PREP If you’re on a weeklong trip in remote areas, the odds of finding a quality performance dog food such as Purina Pro Plan SPORT Performance 30/20 Formula may be challenging. Pre-portion your dog’s food so you have an ample supply.

You’ll likely feed your dog slightly more than usual during a multi-day event, so be sure to pack extra. A good rule of thumb to gauge a dog’s food consumption is one pound of food per dog per day.

BRING WATER A change in water source – especially going from hard to soft water – can upset your dog’s GI system, increasing his or her risk of diarrhea and potentially causing dehydration and overheating.

Dehydration can be dangerous because it increases the dog’s heart’s workload, impairs the delivery of nutrients and removal of waste from the muscles, and reduces the dog’s ability to maintain a normal body temperature.

Bring several gallons of water from home as a consistent source, or use bottled water while traveling. To help encourage your dog to drink when away from home, bait the water with a small handful of kibble.

On hot travel days, cut blocks of ice and place them for the dog to lick in a bowl in the crate in the back of your truck or trailer.

FIRST-AID ESSENTIALS Canine first-aid is crucial when you’re far from a veterinarian. Brush up on your basic knowledge of performing first-aid and replenish your kit with these supplies: absorbent gauze pads, elastic bandages, tape, tweezers, antiseptic, antibiotic ointment, antihistamine, saline solution, and any veterinarianprescribed or recommended medications.

VETTING THE VETS Research veterinarians who can treat hardworking dogs that are located every couple of hundred miles along your planned route and near your final destination. You

Bring some water from home to help dogs avoid diarrhea, dehydration or overheating.

should also look for 24/7 emergency veterinary clinics if you’ll be traveling at night. Jot down the names and contact information and keep it a handy place such as inside your first-aid kit.

PACKING LIST Every destination has unique packing requirements.

For example, if you’re headed to Montana, you may want to bring a quill-removable jig and needle-nosed pliers in case your dog comes across a porcupine. If you’re crossing into Canada, you’ll need a veterinarian-signed copy of your dog’s rabies vaccination, as well as a health certificate for puppies 8 months of age and younger, to get through customs hassle-free.

COMFORT IS KING Despite travel not being restful for a dog, you can at least do all you can to ensure some comfort. In warm weather, keep a frozen water bottle in the crate so he or she can lick the condensation to stay cool between stops.

In cold weather, bring a vest and boots to keep the dog warm, a shammy to keep him or her dry, a cover to insulate the crate, and a half-inch pad or piece of Styrofoam to place under the crate to keep the dog off of cold surfaces. Regardless of the season, don’t forget a crate lock for security.

BRAKE FOR REST AREAS Map out rest areas along your route that are situated away from traffic and suitable for dog airing. Some Cabela’s locations have areas reserved for dogs. Plan to stop every couple of hours to air and exercise your dog on a leash, and know that puppies may need more frequent breaks.

STAKING OUT Bring enough tie-out cables and stakes for as many dogs as you’re traveling with so that in case of emergency, such as a vehicle breakdown, your dogs are secure while you tend to

the situation at hand.

MIND YOUR P’s & Q’s Basic obedience is important at all times, but especially so during travel.

The last thing you want when you’re stopped is to open your vehicle door and have your dog bolt out and run around aimlessly. This puts your dog at risk of being hit by a car or getting into something he or she shouldn’t, such as diesel fuel or antifreeze.

Avoid accidents while stopped at a rest area parking lot by training your dog to “stay” when you open the vehicle door or dog box. It’s also a good idea to keep your dog on lead in busy areas. If you find a safe, remote area to air your dog off lead, make sure you can stay in control of your dog and clean up any mess.

ALWAYS BRING… Always pack a thermometer in your first-aid kit, especially while traveling in warm weather. If you’re worried about your dog overheating, stop and take his or her temperature. If it’s as high as 107 degrees Fahrenheit, get the dog into the shade and cool him or her down, and make sure the temperature comes down. If it doesn’t, take the dog to a veterinarian right away.

Stress from travel can affect a dog’s immune system.

To support immune system health, keep a supply of Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets FortiFlora canine probiotic supplement handy. Its special strain of probiotic works to restore normal intestinal microflora. After consulting with your veterinarian, consider starting FortiFlora a few days before leaving on a trip, to increase levels of beneficial bacteria and promote a strong immune system. Continue using it a few days after arriving at the destination.

September-October 2018

Outdoor Guide/ St. Louis RV Vacation &Travel Show Section

Page 33

HIKE, RIDE, CAMP OR FLOAT. ~ Only 2 Hours South of St. Louis ~

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

1

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.reserveamerica.com to make reservations. If you are interested in all the conveniences of home call Webb Creek Cabins for cabin rentals, 573-461-2244.

2 Black River and K Bridge 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 Black River and comfort station, visit www. reserveamerica.com 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.

3 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 Current River kayaks; a perfect day float….put in at 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

6 Current River Conservation Area

- 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.

–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.

Scenic Highway 106 10

- 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

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!

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

Page 34

Outdoor Guide/ St. Louis RV Vacation &Travel Show Section

September-October 2018

Camping Gear & Gadgets Trailer Jack Block Stabilizes Parked RVs and Trailers

Anderson Hitches now makes the Trailer Jack Block, which can stabilize an RV, camper or trailer.

Using magnets, the Trailer Jack Block eliminates nearly all movement and sway in parked vehicles.

The block is 8” tall, 12” in diameter at the base and 10” in diameter at the top. The post-hole in the center is 21/2” in diameter.

The jack block is rated to handle 6,000 pounds, or 1,500 pounds if double stacked. It is made in the U.S.A. and carries a lifetime warranty.

Trailer Jack Block sells for $44.99 at Bourbon RV, 131333 Old Springfield Road, Bourbon MO. Go online to bourbonrv.com or call (573) 732-5100.

Folding Hanger Doubles As Clothes Dryer The Instahanger foldaway clothes hanging system is a great tool for RVers who never seem to have enough closet space.

Just hang the collapsible hanger from a wall wherever you need it to go. Or use it in the RV bathroom as a great, handy clothes dryer.

Instahanger is available for $19.39 from Midwest RV Center, at Interstate 55 exit 193, Meramec Bottom Road. Go online to mwrvcenter.com or call (314) 487-8000.

Sewie Pig Tends RV’s Sewer Connection

The Camp Chef Yukon two-burner stove packs more than enough power to cook for the hungriest crowd.

With its 448 square-inch cooking surface and two 30,000 BTU burners, this stove makes cooking for groups of every size a breeze. It features a threesided windscreen, removable legs and bottomburner housing to minimize hot or cold spots.

The cooking surface is 14” x 32”, cooking height is 29” and it includes a regulator and hose.

The Camp Chef Yukon two-burner stove lists for $215.89 at Midwest RV Center, exit 193 from I-55 at Meramec Bottom Road. Go online to mwrycenter.com or call (314) 487-8000.

Let’s Go Aero’s Jack-It is a new design for a bike rack that installs over a trailer’s A-frame and holds one or two bikes safely and securely – and up where drivers can see them in the rear-view mirror.

Jack-It holds the bikes at the wheels for a secure ride, and it leaves the rear hitch and cargo space available for additional gear.

The bike rack, made by Lippert Components, weighs just 25 pounds and fits most travel and cargo trailers.

Jack It-Bike Rack, regularly priced at $249, is now on sale for $209 at 3R RV & Horse Trailer, 7819 Hwy. 47, Union, MO. Go online to 3rrv.com or call (636) 583-2244.

SolidStep a Smart New Way to Get Into RV

SolidStep is a portable RV step with four steps and extendable legs for maximum stability.

SolidStep, made by Lippert Components, can handle a range of floor heights and keeps the four steps parallel to the ground to reduce the potential for falling.

SolidStep folds and stows inside the entry door. The top step is extra wide for easy entrance and exit.

Capacity is 400 pounds.

It can also be obtained with a Lift Assist option that makes lowering and raising it easy. Three-step models are also available.

SolidStep four-step models are $459 at Bourbon RV, 131333 Old Springfield Road, Bourbon MO. Go online to bourbonrv.com or call (573) 732-5100.

The original Sewie Pig is designed to hold down your black-water connection at the dump station. Fill it with water and put it on top of the black-water hose, which is then held down by the device’s weight.

Hundreds of RVers have adopted these cute little pigs to handle the dirty work for them. Underneath, it fits securely over the RV discharge hose and has a removable cap on the tail to allow the tank to be filled with water for weight.

Convenient and available in black or pink, it tucks right into the RV’s underneath compartment.

Sewie Pig is available for $27.19 at Midwest RV Center, Interstate 55 exit 193, Meramec Bottom Road. Go online to mwrvcenter.com or call (314) 487-6000.

Yukon Camp Stove Handles Big Or Small Crowds

Jack-It Bike Rack Holds‘em High, Leaves RV Space

Heavy-Duty Cover Protects RV’s Propane Bottles

It’s one of those things you didn’t know you needed – a heavy-duty, polyethylene cover to protect the propane gas bottles on your rig from flying debris.

Just slip the custom-molded unit over the bottles for a safe and secure fit plus UV protection against sun damage.

The cover is made of double 20-lb. white plastic.

A new design provides easier access to the gas valves.

The propane tank cover is available for $37.99 at Byerly RV Center, 295 E. 5th St., Eureka, near I-44.

Go online to byerlyrv.com or call (636) 938-2000.

Arcon Heater Packs Power In Small Package The Arcon Ceramic Heater is a lightweight, compact electric heater with a concealed handle, variable thermostat and switch settings for off, fan only, low heat and high heat.

The tip-over safety switch works in all directions.

The heater is rated at 1,500W/750W with thermal protection. It’s only 7.5” tall, 7” wide and 7” deep, with a 75-inch cord.

The Arcon Ceramic Heater is available for $47.99 at Byerly RV Center, 295 E. 5th St., Eureka, near I-44.

Go online to byerlyrv.com or call (636) 938-2000.

Outdoor Guide/ St. Louis RV Vacation &Travel Show Section

September-October 2018

Page 35

It’s Almost November – Finally!

Photo and Text

By TED NUGENT I love life! I mean I really, really love life! I love waking up every day! I love spring and summer and fall and winter.

I love my wife and family and my dogs and my friends as much as a man can love anything.

I love my guitars and have loved creating my music and unleashing it upon real music lovers everywhere all these years.

I love my bows and arrows and guns and my trucks and my land and my tools. I love silence and really loud, soulful music.

I love food and I love cooking.

I love a good, hard day’s work.

I love wildlife and all the stimulating nature that goes with it.

I so dearly love America and freedom.

There is so much in life to love that I am often amazed how I have enough love to go around.

Ted Nugent, ready for bowhunting, with his wife Shemane and dogs on a sunny afternoon.

George was the first Michigan bowhunter to tag a bowkilled deer on the first experimental Michigan bowhunting deer season on Nov. 1, 1947, with his trusty yew wood longbow and Port Orford cedar arrows that he made himself.

George ran his Jackson Ar-

chery Shop in Jackson, Mich., back in the 1940s and 1950s, and he made all the arrows for Fred Bear back in those exciting early days of modern bowhunting.

George has been gone now for many years, but I sure feel old George at my side pretty

much each day I am out and about with my bow and arrow, oftentimes sitting quietly in a tree stand that he originally helped me set up.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve arrowed a nice buck on George’s birthday, as every bowhunter knows that the two greatest days of deer hunting are Halloween and Nov. 1.

In fact, the entire phenomenal month of November provides me with the best deer hunting, duck hunting and woodcock, grouse and pheasant hunting of the year, and by the end of November, me and my dogs Happy and Sadie are pretty much worn out and ready for some serious rest.

MAGICAL WILDLIFE FLURRY If ever there was a month where spending the entire day in the deer woods made sense, it would certainly be the month of November.

I am here to tell you that the likelihood of killing a deer midday, or any time of day for that matter, would be optimal

during the magical wildlife flurry month of November.

So get your prime predator on my deerhunting BloodBrothers. It is upon us, and this is no time to dilly dally. The bucks are chasing and running helterskelter, so we should be, too!

Pack a lunch and a thermos.

Take an extra heavy-duty double Ziplock pee bag and everything you may need for an all-day sit. The planets are aligned, the critters are up and moving, and now is the time for serious, gung ho backstrappers to get after ‘em like we mean it!

No wonder Thanksgiving is in November!

Happy November, everybody. May your deer woods stink of tarsal goo, and may the buck of your dreams make that November mistake and look the other way, broadside at 20 yards, foreleg extended and inviting the arrow of your dreams to disconnect the mighty pump station for venison glory!

Aim small, miss small, hunt hard and make November 2018 the greatest November of your life!

July 4 River Trip Had a Stirring Lesson

Photo and Text

By BRANDON BUTLER The Fourth of July is about celebrating freedom. This year, I experienced a level few enjoy in these modern times. Over the course of three days and two nights, my cousin, Derek Butler, and I completed a 35-mile journey on the Current River.

We slept on gravel bars and worried about little more than what we would grill for our next meal and if we were using the right lure to tempt a mighty brown trout from behind a boulder. The river washed away the stress of society.

Derek and I grew up hunting and fishing together. From the time we could walk, we were engrossed in the outdoors. Now with children of our own, we are trying to pass on a love of wilderness, while still finding to make memories together.

We spent the first half of the week with our wives and children swimming, fishing, grilling, snorkeling and making s’mores at my cabin, but once our families headed back home, Derek and I set out on

• Dogwood

But there must be a more powerful word and feeling than love to describe my passion for the amazing month of November.

I don’t just love November, I actually crave November with an unbridled animal affliction, an obsession, maybe even a dangerous, inexplicable psycho addiction.

This here Nugent Spirit update isn’t long enough to adequately convey my love for November, so suffice it to say that I will live and breathe and hunt each November day with all the gusto and fire I can summon, taking in all that powerfully unique Novemberness of it all that I can force into each of my loving days.

THE OLD BOWHUNTER A great man named George Nicholls was born on Nov. 1, way back in the 1920s, and this old bowhunter taught me an awful lot about ambushing and killing whitetail deer with the bow and arrow in our sacred Michigan swamps.

an adventure. We went searching for the sort of freedom we once knew in abundance but do not experience nearly often enough today. We found it on the Current River.

A SENSE OF FREEDOM This trip wasn’t in some far off remote land. It took place in southern Missouri in our state’s crown jewel of outdoor opportunity – the Ozark National Scenic Riverways. This national park is far different from what most people think about when considering a visit to a government-operated park.

There is no entrance fee. Out in the wilderness, there is no camping fee. We were able to simply pull our canoes over on the riverbank wherever we wanted and set up a camp.

It’s an incredible sense of freedom to simply become part of the flow of the river. When you feel like taking a break, you stop and do so. There is no designated area. It’s public land that belongs to you and me and every other American.

It’s another amazing birthright granted to those of us lucky

enough to be born in the greatest country in the world.

We started our trip in the evening and floated only a few miles before stopping to set up camp. Our goal was to be far enough downstream to begin the next day a good ways ahead of any busload of canoes coming from a livery. The plan worked to perfection. For the first half of our trip, we never saw another person on the river.

It’s hard to believe, that on a river as beautiful and accessible as the Current, you can escape all others.

I set my tent mere feet from the water’s edge. Lying there, on the night of the Fourth of July, falling asleep to the gurgling of a small riffle, I deeply contemplated this incredible gift of American freedom.

THE LUXURY OF PUBLIC LAND I thought about all the places in the world where an opportunity such as this is beyond imagination. Where others are simply trying to survive, I as an American am afforded such luxuries as public lands,

clean water and healthy fish and wildlife populations. I gave thanks for my good fortune and renewed my personal commitment to doing all I can to protect this right from those who wish to infringe upon it.

We are so blessed as Americans that I am afraid we often overlook our good fortune.

Complaining about what one does not have too often clouds the gratefulness we should feel for the blessings we share.

Sadly, want and greed divide our society.

This wilderness trip Derek and I experienced is in the minds of some a waste of our resources. There is a segment of our society that would gladly strip away our rights to these wild lands in the name of “progress.” There are politicians holding office today who hope to see these lands privatized.

Sold to the highest bidder. Thus stealing from you and every generation who comes after you the opportunity to experience wilderness and wildlife.

When I vote, I research and pay attention to how those I cast my ballot for treat our

Brandon (left) and Derek Butler celebrate the end of the float trip.

wild lands and wildlife. I’ll likely never own 1,000 acres.

Chances are you won’t either.

So if you, like tens of millions of other Americans, rely on public lands to maintain your freedom to roam the wild, float a river and set up a camp on a gravel bar, then pay attention.

Ask your elected officials and candidates where they stand on public land and then hold them accountable to their answers.

AMAZING OZARKS Missouri’s Ozark Mountains offer an unbelievable amount

of outdoor recreation. There’s hiking, camping, hunting, fishing, horseback riding, wildlife watching and so much more.

It can be hard for the urban Missourian to fathom just how much public land we have at our disposal in the Ozarks. Take a trip and see what you own.

I am so thankful for all who fought and sacrificed for these United States, so all of us can enjoy the freedom found in wilderness.

Brandon Butler is executive director of the Conservation Federation of Missouri.

from page 2

goal was to walk the Camino de Santiago in Spain – and I did it! To celebrate my upcoming 70th, I’m shooting for a hiking tour of Mont Blanc in southern France. Somewhere along the way, while I am still able and coherent, I want to do as Jimmy Carter’s mother, Miss Lillian, did – to serve in the Peace Corps in India or Africa.

My other words of wisdom would be to follow the Girl Scout motto and “Be Prepared.” Whether it is a day float on the Current River or a hike in the Swiss Alps, my pack will contain a first-aid kit, food, extra water and clothing for a change in the weather.

You can’t imagine how many times my extra items have helped out fellow hikers or paddlers.

Keep moving. Learn some new tricks. Be prepared. And have fun in the great outdoors!

Barbara Gibbs Ostmann is an internationally known travel writer and social media expert.

CLAUDETTE ROPER: PEARLS OF WISDOM Never take anything or anyone for granted. Life changes in a split-second; “secure” jobs end when entire facilities are shut down. Loved ones’ lives are robbed by disease. Make every hug and kiss good-bye like it’s the last one.

In the 6th chapter of Matthew, Jesus says, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.”

Your shotgun may be valuable, but the relationship you built with your child, sitting in a blind helping him or her try to bag a turkey is priceless. The shotgun may get stolen, but what you

wove into the fiber of that child’s being will last forever.

Never spend more than you make. That goes right along with knowing the difference between your needs and your wants.

To complete the trio, we should mention self-discipline. Once you’ve decided that it’s a want and not a need or you’ve decided that it will require more than you have to attain it, will you have the self-discipline to tell yourself no?

Teach your children these same things. Teach them the benefits of delayed gratification. Offer them their favorite cookie – just one – now. Or, they can wait an hour (or more depending on age) and have three. The lessons they learn can ripple enough to impact our country.

Claudette Roper is the author of Claudette’s Kitchen in each Outdoor Guide.

Outdoor Guide/ St. Louis RV Vacation &Travel Show Section

Page 36

September-October 2018

Jeannie’s Journey

Old Sayings, Words of Wisdom

Photos and Text

By JEANNIE FARMER

Words of wisdom and old sayings are uttered often in outdoor lore.

Benjamin Franklin, one of our founding fathers, wrote in his Poor Richard’s Almanac that, “Guests, like fish, begin to smell after three days.”

These idioms are among many that fit today’s chat sessions among outdoor sports enthusiasts.

For anglers, I like the one that a good friend is fond of uttering: “Old fishermen never die, they just smell that way.”

“Beating around the bush,” relates to the time when hunting birds became popular. In order to get a shot at them, hunters would beat around the bush to flush the birds and open fire. Nowadays, the phrase, “I won’t beat around the bush,” refers to someone speaking in a straightforward and precise manner.

“Crocodile tears” are shown by someone who has little regard or feelings for another. Its original meaning was that a crocodile cried (insincerely) if it killed and ate a man.

“Don’t look a gift horse

The old saying, ‘Birds of a feather flock together’ certainly applies to these Canada geese feeding along the shore of Lake Taneycomo near Branson.

in the mouth,” simply means showing appreciation when receiving a gift. It also alludes to telling the age of a horse by examining its teeth.

“A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush” is a proverb that warns against taking risks and suggests that you should keep what you have and not chance losing it by going after more. It also gives reference to medieval falconry, in which a bird in the hand (the falcon) was a valuable asset and certainly worth more than two in the bush (the prey). Both meanings explain why it has resonated over centuries.

FLOCKING TOGETHER “Birds of a feather flock together” needs little explanation. It’s true of many of the bird species, like doves and geese.

“Dyed in the wool” refers to someone who has unchanging opinions or beliefs. In the old days, folks believed woven wool kept its color better than when dyed. When someone’s success lasted for a short time and was never repeated, it was just a “flash in the pan.” The expression originated when muskets had a priming pan filled with gunpowder. When ignited in the pan by flint hit-

ting steel, it lit the main charge of gunpowder and fired the musket ball. Sometimes the powder in the pan failed to light the main charge. Hence, the result was “a flash in the pan.”

“Lock, stock and barrel” typically means whole or complete. This saying originated when guns, especially muskets, had three components.

The lock or flintlock was the firing mechanism. The stock, wooden-butt end or stump is the solid base of the gun. Third is the barrel. Research suggests that by the 15th century, “cylindrical” was commonly used to describe the tubular part of the musket.

“A long shot” describes someone who takes a risk, such as a bet, but has little chance of success. The saying dates to the time when guns were accurate only when fired at short-range targets. Firing over a long distance had small chance of hitting the target.

TAKING THE BAIT It’s noted that in 1865, “hook, line and sinker” alluded to fish swallowing not only the baited hook, but the lead sinker and the entire line between them. This expression is used when a person is deceived by an untruth and falls for it, “hook, line and sinker.”

This mourning dove, if harvested in the current season, would certainly verify the old saw, ‘A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.’

“Strike when the iron is hot” implies that an opportunity is present and should be faced quickly when it has the best chance of succeeding. In the past, blacksmiths heating iron in a forge lifted it when it was “red hot” and quickly hammered it into shape before it cooled.

“Knock on wood” is derived from pagan beliefs that spirits lived in trees. When they experienced a misfortune, they’d knock on the trees, asking them for help.

A DIFFERENT COMPLEXION “Mind your own bees-

wax” may have originated in the 18th century. Research notes that women’s complexions were unattractive due to pockmarks left by smallpox.

Thus, they used beeswax to smooth their skin. Today, when someone says, “Mind your own beeswax,” it actually means, “mind your own business.”

So, when opportunity arises for a successful outcome, don’t beat around the bush or look a gift horse in the mouth. Take a long shot and strike when the iron is hot. If this doesn’t work, remember that every cloud has a silver lining.

Missouri Leads Nation, But Only in Its Drought

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Missouri continued to lead the nation in drought as August was coming to a close, and the state was taking emergency measures to provide water and hay access to farmers.

Water for family farms was made available beginning Aug. 20 at 28 Department of Conservation areas and five state parks.

Up to 5,000 gallons of water were being pumped, per farm, for livestock needs but not for resale. Information including maps showing where the pumping was available can be seen online at dnr.mo.gov/ droughtresources.htm.

The state was also running a lottery for hay supplies, with results being announced Aug. 27. For information, go to mostateparks.com.

DROUGHT LOANS The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Services Agency (FSA) was making emergency loans available for farmers suffering losses and damages because of the drought in 40 Missouri counties.

Two groups of counties were ruled “primary natural disaster areas,” with one including Andrew, Caldwell, Carroll, Chariton, Clinton, Daviess, DeKalb, Gentry, Grundy, Harrison, Linn, Livingston, Macon, Mercer, Nodaway, Randolph, Ray, Saline and Sullivan. Six

others were granted the same designation at a different time – Adair, Buchanan, Howard, Putnam, Schuyler and Scotland counties.

Producers in contiguous counties were also eligible to apply for loans. They include Atchison, Audrain, Boone, Clay, Cooper, Holt, Howard, Jackson, Knox, Lafayette, Monroe, Pettis, Platte, Shelby and Worth, plus a few adjacent counties in Iowa and Kansas.

The farmers have until April 1, 2019 to apply to the FSA for emergency loans to help cover their losses. More information was available from local USDA service centers or online at farmers.gov/recover.

‘EPICENTER’ OF DROUGHT The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Center (NOAC) issued a “drought monitor” document that was predicting some relief in Missouri in the form of heavy rains.

“Missouri is the epicenter of drought in the Midwest,” the report stated. “Parts of the state have had very hot and dry weather in recent weeks and months, and some parts have been dry for the last year or longer.”

The report noted that weekly cattle sales in St. Joseph were far higher than normal, driven by low water levels and poor hay production. Some 80

Drought in Missouri … the darker the color, the worse the drought.

percent of both topsoil and subsoil in Missouri was rated short or very short of moisture.

The report said 45 percent of corn, 37 percent of soybeans and 76 percent of pasture and rangeland in Missouri were in poor to very poor condition.

NOAC rated most of northwestern Missouri as being in either “exceptional” or “extreme” drought conditions, extending as far south and east as the Jefferson City area, and surrounded by drought areas rated as “severe” or “moderate.” Southwestern Missouri, too, had large areas of extreme drought surrounded by severe drought.

Much of the eastern side of Missouri was rated at moderate or severe drought, while most of the area along the Mississippi River was considered “abnormally dry.” Only the immediate St. Louis area was rated as free of drought, as was most of Illinois.

September-October 2018

Outdoor Guide/ St. Louis RV Vacation &Travel Show Section

Page 37

RV Sales Topped a Million in 2017

The Winnebago Intent was introduced at the Mid-America RV Show in Kansas City.

For the first time in the 40-plus years the RV Industry Association (RVIA) has been keeping statistics, wholesale RV shipments topped half a million in 2017, with a total of 504,599 units finding their way to dealers’ lots.

That was a 17.2 percent increase compared to the 430,691 shipped in 2016. It was the ninth straight year of growth, according to RVIA, culminating in a recordsetting December.

“It’s in tribute to all involved in our industry – from those who serve key roles

on the manufacturing floors to the customers who visit dealer lots – that we’re able to announce record-setting RV shipments,” RVIA President Frank Hugelmeyer said.

“But the RV industry hasn’t peaked, and we fully expect that totals above half a million units shipped will become the new normal in years to come.”

SALES BY SEGMENT Towable units, the largestselling segment of the RV market, led again in 2017, with 441,691 units shipped, a 17.6 percent increase. This

included 31,541 towable units shipped in December, a 9.5 percent bump from the previous December.

Motor home shipments were also strong in 2017, finishing the year at 62,638 units on 14.4 percent growth over the 54,741 units shipped during 2016. December motor home shipments were up 12.2 percent year over year.

After the 2008 economic crash, RV shipments dropped more than 30 percent two years in a row, with a low of 165,700 units shipped in 2009. So in eight short years, the industry has tripled.

MDC Offers a Special Day on the River The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) will host “Day on the River” at Riverfront Park in Cape Girardeau, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 8.

All ages and groups are welcome at this free event and no registration is required.

Angela Pierce, MDC naturalist, said this is a prime opportunity to learn about the Mississippi River.

“Families can enjoy boat rides, practice casting a fishing pole, see and touch fish right out of the big river, and

even taste some of these big river fish,” Pierce said.

Activities include boat rides guided by conservation professionals, live aquatic animal displays, kids’ crafts, and informational booths from many supporting agencies.

Boat rides will take place every half hour (except from noon to 1 p.m.) and will be led by river biologists. Pierce said boat rides will be on a first-come, first-served basis, so early arrival is suggested for those hoping to go out on the river.

A CHANCE TO GIVE BACK Visitors who want to give back and help keep the Mississippi River clean can also participate in the MDC Riverfront Cleanup event. This will take place from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at three locations along the river: Riverfront Park, Cape Rock Park and Red Star Access. Individuals, families, and groups are all welcome to participate.

Participants are encouraged to bring a water bottle and wear comfortable clothing and water shoes or mud boots that

can get dirty. Trash bags will be available at the welcome table at Riverfront Park.

“The Mississippi River and surrounding wetlands are a huge part of Cape Girardeau heritage, and they’re important for wildlife habitat, as well as recreational hunting and fishing opportunities,” Pierce said.

“We hope lots of people will join us for this unique event to find out what the river has to offer.”

For more information on this and other nature programs, go online to mdc. mo.gov.

Kids will get to know fish at the Day on the River.

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Outdoor Guide/ St. Louis RV Vacation &Travel Show Section

Page 38

September-October 2018

Pheasant Hunt Returns to Illinois

Photos and Text

By JERRY PABST

There once was a time when Illinois was great place to hunt wild pheasants, especially from Effingham north to the Wisconsin state line.

Upland game bird hunters annually bagged hundreds of thousands of gaudy roosters during the two-month fall season. Natural cover was abundant, and “Roundup Ready Corn” had yet to be formulated, resulting in weedy agricultural fields.

Then, in the mid-1970s, everything changed for the pheasants, and not in a good way. Within three years, clean farming practices turned stubble fields full of waste corn and beans into barren, plowed ground. Weedy fence rows and tree lines were torn out, and corn was planted right up to the back porch.

With most of the natural cover gone, the hungry birds were exposed to the harsh winter elements, and their numbers plummeted. A pair of huge snow storms further diminished the flocks.

Today, there still are wild pheasants in Illinois, but I dare you to find one. Unless you have access to one of the few remaining pieces of natural habitat, your chances are slim and none.

But don’t give up hope.

Farmers no longer plow under all the waste grain left in the fields after harvest, and we have been enjoying mild winters, both beneficial circumstances for the pheasants. But the third part of the habitat equation – nesting and roosting cover – seems to be lost and gone forever. So we will have small pockets of wild birds here and there, but the days of bountiful wild pheasant hunting are probably over.

HUNTING CLUBS An old saying tells us that when one door closes, another one opens, and so it has been with pheasant hunting. As the wild bird population fell, the concept of controlled pheasant hunting took hold and became widely popular. Today, controlled bird hunting clubs are located in all parts of Illinois, and with a little investigation, you can find one that fits your likes and your budget.

The advantages of belonging to a controlled hunting club are many. Most of the clubs hunt from October to April, and there are no daily bag limits. It makes sense to maintain a trained bird dog, club dogs are available, guests are welcome, bird cleaning services are available and many clubs serve food. Wild and good shooting opportuni-

A hunter takes aim at a fleeing rooster pheasant on an Illinois state property. Hunters are allowed two pheasants per day and may take hens and cocks.

ties are almost assured. The sporting quality of today’s pen-raised pheasant is on a par with its wild counterparts, both in the air and on the table.

The cost of membership is a consideration, but otherwise, if you really want a good pheasant hunt, you will need to travel out of state, and that

costs money, too. In addition to gas, food, lodging, and incidentals, you would need to buy a non-resident hunting license, employ a local guide, or pay for access to hunting property, and then face the possibility that you might wind up hunting penraised birds anyway. And after

spending all that money, you have enjoyed only a few days in the field.

If you had put those funds toward a hunting club membership close to home, you would have gotten much more for your hard-earned dollars.

Information on 35 Illinois hunting clubs can be seen online at ultimatepheasanthunting.com/usa/Illinois.

STATE-RUN GROUNDS For the occasional bird hunter or a bargain hunter, don’t overlook controlled hunting opportunities available at the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (DNR) public hunting grounds. These are some of the finest upland habitats in Illinois, and are located throughout the state.

DNR-operated controlled pheasant hunting sites are at these state parks and conservation areas: Des Plaines, Eldon Hazlet, Iroquois County, Moraine View, Wayne Fitzgerrell, Jim Edgar Panther Creek, Johnson Sauk Trail, Kankakee River, Green River and Sand Ridge. The programs at Chain O’ Lakes and Silver Springs are run separately; details and permits are available online at tmillerinc.com.

The controlled hunts are held during the regular upland season, and participation is regulated by a permit sys-

TURKEY

DEER

tem. Each permit holder may bring one to three partners for the hunt, and the fee is $30 per hunter or $35 for non-residents. Hunting hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and the daily limit is two pheasants per hunter. Birds are released prior to each day’s hunt, and the action can be fast and furious.

Permits can be obtained in advance online, or on site for limited permits available to stand-by hunters. All permit holders will get to hunt, but depending on availability, some stand-by hunters may not.

ONE-DAY HUNTS Another option is a free permit for a one-day hunt for up to six people on stateowned habitat areas found throughout the state. No birds are released in these areas, but they do have wild pheasants, quail and rabbits, all of which are fair game during the regular hunting seasons. Permits are applied for through an on-line lottery.

While the good old days of Illinois pheasant hunting are a thing of the past, there is still plenty of exciting bird shooting waiting for you in Illinois. Don’t pass it up.

Full information on all the DNR upland game hunting programs is available online at dnr.Illinois.gov/ controlledhunt.

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Outdoor Guide/ St. Louis RV Vacation &Travel Show Section

Page 39

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Outdoor Guide/ St. Louis RV Vacation &Travel Show Section

September-October 2018

Pro Bull Riders Know the Danger

Photos and Text

By KENNETH L. KIESER

Bulls are unpredictable athletes. Riders in the Professional Bull Riding Association (PBR) have scouting sheets on what direction each bull turns and even their temperaments after the ride is finished. Yet unexpected dangers are always present.

Cochise is a 1,900-pound bull with the power of a locomotive. He is not fond of riders on his back and sometimes

throws his weight around like a high school bully. He is not crazy wild, but he occasionally shows a little “bad to the bone” attitude.

Jose Vitor Leme, an accomplished bull rider in the PBR circuit, is generally competitive in this arena of the world’s best riders and bulls.

So choosing Cochise to ride in the championship round of Kansas City’s PBR event held in the Sprint Center on Feb. 12 seemed like a good pick.

He was there to win, and rank bulls like Cochise produce

good scores.

GOOD START, THEN… Cochise left the chute twisting left before heading straight out into the arena.

Leme managed a good seat with a couple of spurs for about two leaps, and then the 5’6”, 139-pound rider was launched over the bull’s head toward a rough landing.

The bullfighters immediately moved in but watched in shock as Cochise stopped, glared down at Leme and then laid on the hapless man.

The bull curled up in a ball like a kitten playing with yarn and rolled over the helpless rider a couple times before the bull fighters could get there to sidetrack the annoyed mass of muscle.

Leme stood up and walked out of the arena shaking his head, apparently unhurt except for a few bruises and, no doubt, sore muscles.

BIGGER, STRONGER Welcome to bull riding, 2018, in which the bulls are fed and bred to be bigger,

When the bullfighter goes down, the other riders scramble to the rescue.

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faster and stronger. Bullfighters are superb athletes with knowledge of each bull they face.

PBR bullfighters Seth “Shorty” Gorman, Frank Newsome and Jesse Byrne have worked together for many years and know exactly what their partners are going to do in any circumstance.

“There is no set rule book for working bulls,” Byrne said. “We just react. We watch the rider to see if he will stay on the bull or not be able to recover. So, we start moving before the rider is on the ground. We work a three-man system and start in a triangle.

Coming in from different directions makes it easier to not get in each other’s way.

There is no pre-planning. We just react.”

This effective triangle was demonstrated when a rider at the Kansas City event was hurt and helpless on the ground. The bullfighters formed a triangle around the bull, Newsome between the bull and rider.

The men started yelling and whistling at the bull until it forgot about the rider. After lunging at the bullfighters a few times, it stood defiantly staring at the three men before turning to trot into a chute that leads to a quiet pen and food.

IN HARM’S WAY Occasionally a bull will charge one of the bullfighters who will either sidestep or run to the fence for a quick climb out of harm’s way, while the other bullfighters are trying to get the bull’s attention from their coworker. Recently, Newsome was badly hurt by a bull and unconscious on the

arena floor.

“Everything happens fast and you don’t get a chance to think, so when one of your partners goes down, he becomes like a bull rider,” Byrne said. “We do whatever, at all costs, to get that bull away from him and defuse the situation.

“But when the dust settles, it is an emotional time to see someone you are basically brothers with being carried out of the arena. We make our peace with it quickly, to focus on the next rider who is relying on us.”

Hang-ups are probably the most dangerous part of a bullfighter’s job. The rider’s hand will be released only when a bullfighter loosens the wrap. The first bullfighter goes to the bull’s head and gets its attention, giving the other bullfighters a chance to slide in from the side and release the hand. Riders are generally dragged and stepped on.

UNCONSCIOUS Unconscious riders are even more of a problem because they are dragged behind the bull and all the weight is on their hand. A conscious rider can help himself by staying on his feet and moving with the bull.

“New bullfighters should enter the business for the right reasons,” Byrne said. “There definitely is an adrenalin rush and some praise, but the harsh reality is, it can end at any time in injury or even death. This is a tough business.”

Professional Bull Riding Association events can be seen on Saturdays and Sundays on CHS’sports channel. They can also be streamed at ridepass. com.

For more information or recipe ideas:

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The bullfighters all know what to do when a rider goes down.

Outdoor Guide

September-October 2018

Page 41

Wildlife Wrangling and Outdoor Ramblings

When Snakes Rattle, Duty Calls

Photo and Text

By RANDALL P. DAVIS

I’ve never really been afraid of snakes – I just tend to irrigate my underwear when they suddenly present themselves within my general vicinity.

M o r e o v e r, v e n o m o u s snakes discovered inside my comfort zone often require a complete wardrobe change.

And honestly, I don’t know how Eve could have possibly possessed an appetite after that cunning reptile slithered so close to her naked self. Obviously, snakes have my cautious respect.

So, when a lady client called about a rattlesnake in her attic on a 95-degree afternoon, I suddenly felt a chill that would make a polar vortex feel comfortable.

I questioned her closely.

Irritated, her once calm voice shifted gears into a higherpitched plea, saying her four kids had seen the serpent and were now standing out in the yard, terrified to go into the house. Besides, the HVAC guy who was servicing the outside unit had heard the distinctive rattling.

Then, all present watched it climb the air conditioning plumbing up to the soffit and

into the attic. So duty was calling.

A HASTY RETREAT When I arrived, the mom and kids were standing under a shade tree, well away from the high-gabled house in this rural setting. The HVAC guy was long gone, leaving a trail of screwdrivers and wrenches from the unit to the driveway and his get-away vehicle.

I made contact with the family, heard their stories, and then again, questioned each for detailed physical descriptions and exactly where the snake went.

The AC unit was situated within a small alcove. Last year’s leaf litter had collected here and around the base of the unit. Here, the service tech had heard the rattling in the leaves and quickly decamped. I could tell it was hasty – I found his penlight, sunglasses and one glove.

Much evidence led toward a buzz-tail. But what kept nagging me was that while rattlesnakes have the capability to climb, they rarely do.

And this situation of a vertical ascent along slick piping into the attic through an over-sized hole surrounding the piping just didn’t add up.

Close examination of a shed snakeskin reveals whether it came from a venomous or non-venomous specimen.

Here, the author gets carried away – and all wrapped up in his work.

READY, AIM… I had suspicions. But verifying them required exploring that attic. And just to be safe, I was going to go up there armed.

Often people are touchy about guns and harming any animals on their property, no matter how dangerous. So, I gently explained the importance of packing along my single-shot .22 pistol with demure shotshells, should I need equality in a close encounter.

She gave me an astonished look and questioned if that small, handheld device would even come close to being enough

persuasion. I assured her that it would, yet her expression seemed to say the inspection should include a bazooka and canister of mustard gas.

The outside attic door was huge, 4 foot by 4 foot, like the one to a barn’s hayloft. At least I’d have a large opening to bail out through, should things get nasty.

I stood on the ladder with snake tongs in one hand, headlamp strapped to my forehead and pistol in my hip pocket.

I could faintly hear the lady say, “You’re such a brave man going up there like that. I do

greatly appreciate it.”

The comment did little to bolster my pride because I knew if I got bit, I’d look like a damn fool. Poisoned and bloated idiots tend to project that image, you know.

SIX FEET LONG! I entered the maw and probed deep into the sweltering attic, carefully pulling up sections of insulation with the tongs.

Then I saw it – the end of a dark serpent tail oozing over a rafter and down into some recess in the ceiling.

But what was amazing was that it was leaving behind it’s skin. The snake was actually finishing its shedding process.

I squirreled around a rafter bracket and, reaching as far as possible, was able to snatch the tip of the shed skin with the tongs.

Hauling it back, I was stunned. The skin was over six feet long and three inches wide!

But the greatest relief, confirming my suspicions, is that it wasn’t a rattlesnake but a huge black snake. You see, venomous snakeskins have a single row of scales from the vent to the tip of the tail. This one had a double row – nonvenomous, and a dead ringer

for a black snake.

And the rattling sound?

Sometimes black snakes – as well as others – will rapidly vibrate their tails in a warning/ defense mode. This snake just happened to be curled in a leaf pile, and that fluttering sounded enough like a rattlesnake to send our HVAC guy to the confessional.

A LITTLE NONCHALANT When I broke the news that the serpent was an enormous black snake and still in the house, I just knew the lady would demand to dismantle the building.

Instead, she clamped her hands to her chest with sincere gratitude and said, “Oh, thank goodness it’s not a rattlesnake. I thought I might have to go live with my mother-in-law. But black snakes? We have them in the house all the time. Had four in the basement this spring. One hung around the kitchen for a week. Takes care of the mice, you know. Come on, kids, all clear!”

Her nonchalance toward living with wild reptiles was admirable.

But if it were me, I’d have to increase my BVDs budget.

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Outdoor Guide

Page 42

September-October 2018

Kayaking

Dressing for the Water Graphic and Text

By TOM WATSON

...

Paddling – or pedaling – around in a “kayak” or a fishing platform is a water sport.

As such, you should always expect to get wet, either from surface spray or waves or even the ultimate christening – a capsize. If you don’t want to think about getting wet, fish from shore!

Experienced kayakers know that you don’t dress for the air temperature, you “Dress for the water!”

While you want to be comfortable when kayaking in balmy topside air temperatures, it’s the water temperature you need to worry about.

Water saps heat from your body about 25 times faster than air, and since the onset of hypothermia can begin at 70 degrees Fahrenheit, getting wet – especially if you’ve capsized – can be a life-threatening situation.

LIGHT FLEECE IS A LIFESAVER Wind, waves and sloppy padding can get you wet while in the cockpit. A paddling/splash jacket acts as a raincoat/windbreaker.

Balancing the heat of sum-

mer with the chance of immersion, consider wearing a light fleece pullover.

While the fleece is not waterproof, moisture is quickly expelled from it by wringing or snap shaking.

Your own body heat can help dry it out, too. I’ve capsized in the ocean wearing a fleece top. Simply squeezing the fabric wherever I could grab and wringing out a fistful of water, the fleece was nearly dry by the time it took me to reach shore to change.

Protect your torso/core with neoprene, “Farmer John”-style bibs. Thinner options mean they are bearable to wear while paddling and still able to protect your core when submerged.

Foot gear should be light enough to enable you to maneuver on deck and swim/kick while in the water – but also consider a firm sole to protect your feet on shore.

KEEP WATER OUT Wearing loose-fitting waders or any type of clothing that can fill with water is obviously a safety hazard.

Whether cuffs, wrists or feet, the key to even limited protective clothing is a snug fit around such openings to prevent water from entering – adding weight and making your movements much more sluggish.

Operating a craft on the water, regardless of type, requires great respect for that natural element.

Water is unforgiving, it doesn’t care if you have fallen out of a canoe, a “fishing kayak” or a sailboat. Being dressed for that potential dunking is a critical part of all-around water safety.

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Outdoor Guide

September-October 2018

Page 43

Lots of Ducks, But They Are Older and Wiser

By JERRY PABST

The annual duck survey conducted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Canadian Wildlife Service since 1955 puts the breeding duck population at 41.19 million The good news is, there will be plenty of ducks this fall. The not-so-good news is that many of them will be adult birds, wise to the ways

remains very strong, mainly due to very high reproduction rates in the last several years.

REDUCED HATCH This decrease in production corresponds to a 14 percent decrease in the May breeding pond survey.

Because ducks instinctively fight for nesting ponds to preserve an ample food sup-

It has become apparent to me that the birds do indeed vary their migratory paths down the flyways based on weather, habitat, and food conditions. of waterfowl hunters and hard to decoy.

Because of dry conditions on large segments of the breeding grounds, 2018 duck production was down 13 percent from last year, but total duck population still remained 17 percent over the long-term average.

While the total duck population is the lowest seen in the past eight years, it still

ply for their hatchlings, the birds cannot simply crowd into remaining ponds when others dry up. The result is a reduced hatch.

Since the last two years saw record highs reached in most duck populations, it is not surprising, nor alarming, that the 2018 survey found a drop pretty much across the board.

Here then is what it looked like, as reported by Delta

Waterfowl: “Only two breeding population estimates are below long-term averages. Northern pintails declined a concerning 18 percent to 2.37 million, 40 percent below the long-term average.

“Scaup (lessers and greaters combined) declined 9 percent to 3.99 million, 20 percent below the long-term average, and are drifting dangerously close to a return to restrictive harvest regulations.

“It was hoped that good wetland conditions across Montana and portions of southern Alberta and southeastern Saskatchewan would be enough to give pintails a boost. That was clearly not the case.”

And so, the 2018 season is here, and hunters should see a lot of ducks. With fewer juveniles in the fall flight, bagging them is going to test hunters’ skills, and being in the right place will be more important than ever.

WHERE ARE THEY? Over the past 20 years, I have been tracking the annual waterfowl migrations for the purpose of writing

my columns. It has become apparent to me that the birds do indeed vary their migratory paths down the flyways based on weather, habitat, and food conditions.

This is why you will often hear hunters complain that while duck populations are at record high levels, they do not see many birds in their formerly productive areas.

The answer is a simple one. There are still plenty of ducks, but they are just somewhere else.

Over the past few years, while some Mississippi River pools held record numbers of birds, Illinois hunters further east of the river had sporadic or poor shooting.

Indiana hunters, being on the extreme eastern edge of the Mississippi Valley Flyway and the extreme western edge of the Atlantic Flyway, are in a tough spot and have endured spotty duck hunting for many years. One bright spot for Hoosier hunters is that the snow geese are beginning to show up in the southern counties.

All in all, if you keep your head down and let ‘em work, it should be a pretty good waterfowl season.

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Page 44

Outdoor Guide

September-October 2018

Your Guide to

GREAT GEAR

Sticky Bun and Sriracha Are Latest Bacon Seasonings

Hi Mountain Seasonings has introduced two new bacon seasonings – Sticky Bun and Pineapple Sriracha – that provide a new level of bacon experience.

Sticky Bun’s brown sugar, caramel and buttery flavors turn bacon into a sweet and slightly salty treat. Pineapple Sriracha blends sweetness with spices and citrus for a tangy island flavor.

To use, shake about 1/4 teaspoon on each side of the bacon before cooking.

Sticky Bun comes in a 5.1-ounce bottle and Pineapple Sriracha in a 5.9-ounce bottle, both listing for $6.99. Hi Mountain’s Black Pepper & Brown Sugar, the first bacon seasoning it introduced, also sells for $6.99.

Hi Mountain’s products, cooking tips, instructional videos and recipes are at himtnjerky.com and can be seen at sporting goods stores, farm-and-ranch stores and local grocery stores. Hi Mountain is based in Wyoming and was founded in 1991.

Phoozy Is the Most Rugged Case for Smartphones

Phoozy is a new smartphone protection case that uses NASA-type materials to extend the battery life and protect the phone in frigid temperatures. It also reflects more than 90 percent of solar radiation to keep the phone from overheating.

Phoozy also floats, so if you drop your phone in the water, it won’t sink. If you drop it on the ground, it is protected for drops surpassing six feet. Easy-open pull tabs allow easy access, and a multi-point attachment system allows use with a belt, carabiner, lanyard or its own Phoozy tether system.

An internal stash pocket keeps credit cards, licenses, ID and cash handy and protected.

It has two sizes – Plus is for most smaller phones, up to 6.6” by .05” by 3.5”. XL is for plus-sized phones up to 7” by 0.5” by 4”.

The Phoozy XP3 comes in Realtree Edge camo and sells for $49.99 at phoozy.com.

Buck Knives Brings Its Custom and Special Knives Together

Swim ‘n Runner Lures Bring Sound, Flash & Vibration

Mossberg Trigger Will Upgrade AR10, AR15

Shoes Designed for Women in Water Sports

After 110 years of knife-making, world-renowned Buck Knives has made a special Collections category on its website that gathers together groups of its more unusual specialty and collectible knives.

The Celebrations collection has selections for personalized wedding or anniversary cake knives, gifts for groomsmen, gifts for the father of the bride and more.

The Buck of the Month Collection has limited-run collectibles

by Buck craftsmen. The Boy Scouts of America Collection is licensed by the Scouts and well suited for Scouts and their leaders. Spitfire folding knives have a section, too.

The Limited Edition Collection has custom knives by renowned artists and Bucks’own knife-makers.Another collection is knives with the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation logo that benefit that group.

For more information, go online to buckknives.com/collection.

Mossberg has released the JM Pro Adjustable Match Trigger, a drop-in, precision trigger as an upgrade to standard AR15 and AR10 rifles for com- petition and recreational shooters and hunters seeking better trigger control and shot placement.

Designed and constructed for consistent, shot-after-shot accuracy with a crisp, creep-free break, the new trigger design fits all standard Mil-Spec AR15 and AR10 lower receivers with .154” trigger and hammer pin holes.

The trigger housing is precision-machined, and the trigger pull weight is user-adjustable with a 3 to 6-pound range. The trigger also features user-adjustable overtravel.

The trigger is available as a Mossberg accessory listing at $161 and comes standard in the latest Mossberg Modern Rifle offerings. For more information, go online to Mossberg.com/store.

Bassmaster Classic winner Randy Howell has designed the Swim ‘n Runner lure for Blakemore, featuring a head with Natural Science halo finish, 3D eyes, scale pattern molding, 4/0 Daiichi hook, ball bearing swivel and nickel-over-brass willow blade.

The body uses “inverse triangulation,” which means the body portion slopes to a point on the bottom and the tail slopes to a point at the top. The combination creates a vibration that fish find irresistible, especially when added to the sound and flash created by the blade.

Anglers use the lure in most fishing conditions with a favorite being open water around ledges and sweeping points.

Colors include Copper Shad, Lemon Shad, Newborn Shad, Smoke ‘n Fire, Albino Shad, Alewife and Bluegill, in either 1/4-ounce or 3/8-ounce.

Prices are either $8.50 or two for $11, depending on the model. For more information, go online to ttiblakemore.com.

SoftScience Footwear is offering performance water shoes designed for women in three styles, designed for fishing, sailing and water sports.

They are to fit the female foot and deliver top performance and stability in a lightweight shoe.

Models include the SailFin, a fast-draining sailing and boat shoe with synthetic laces for land or sea; the Fin 3.0, designed for extreme action fishing with a lace-up design, non-slip grip and athletic shoe support; and the Fin 2.0, designed for comfort with a draining system and mesh upper that dries quickly.

SoftScience also offers Waterfall Stripe Flip-Flops with arch and heel support, $49.95.

Each features a removable, washable insole, and both the shoes and the flip-flops have slip-resistant outsoles that won’t mark decks.

Sailfin and Fin shoes sell for $79.95 a pair and the Waterfall Stripe Flips-Flops are $49.95. Go online to SoftScience.com.

Ottolock Adds New Kryptek Camo Pattern

Ottolock, the stealthy security band and lock for outdoor enthusiasts, now comes in a new Kryptek camo pattern, reports its maker, Otto Design Works.

Ottolock is designed for hunters, campers, kayakers, mountain bikers or just people around town who don’t want their locking situation to be immediately apparent. Starting at 175 grams, it’s light enough to go anywhere and tough enough to defeat any opportunistic theft.

It features durable Cerakote ceramic paint and three layers of stainless steel wrapped in Kevlar. The camo edition has multiple uses including bike, camp, hunt, trail cams, tools/ generators, canoe/kayak, moto and off-road.

Ottolock Camo is made in the U.S., is available in 30-inch and 60-inch lengths and lists for $70 and $85 respectively.

Realtree Hauler Cart Brings Toughness and Versatility

The Realtree Half-Ton Hauler Lift-Assist and Swivel Utility Dump Cart by OxCart can cut fall work time in half. It is not your typical cart, with its commercial-grade durability, NASCAR-designed axle support and tractorgrade, run-flat tires.

Use it to haul equipment, blinds, tree stands, debris or firewood. It’s ideal for filling feeders, maintaining food plots and fences or cleaning barns. You can even hook it to your ATV with the pinhole hitch and haul out a deer.

OxCart combines a rear offset dump pivot point for greater control with a hydraulic-assisted tub lift for easier heavy-load handling. The swivel feature reduces backing, allowing you to control dump wherever you want. You can move twice as much in half the time and with half the effort.

It’s load-tested to 1,100 pounds.

The Realtree Half-Ton Hauler is perfect for getting your hunting land and hunt camp into shape, working your farm land or just keeping your yard in tip-top condition.

Realtree Half-Ton Hauler is available at farm and home stores including Big R, Ace and Tractor Supply plus Amazon and PowerEquipmentDirect.com. Prices run between $399 and $449. Go online to oxcar.com.

Real Magic Line Treatment Comes in Four Sizes

Real Magic – the choice for line treatment for 25 years – now comes in four sizes, a 3.6-ounce size to stow in vests or tackle boxes, a 5-ounce aerosol can, a 6-ounce pump bottle and a 16-ounce trigger spray bottle.

Real Magic reduces line memory and increases casting distance. It is scentless in seconds, so you can spray it on your reel and rod and not worry about spooking fish.

It reduces icing in cold-weather environments, keeping ice from damaging or cutting the line.

The larger spray bottle is designed for saltwater boats with numerous rod and reel combinations.

Real Magic is also an anti-static. Spray it on electronics to keep dirt and debris off the screen, and it helps with fingerprint acids.

For more information, go online to ttiblakemore.com.

Outdoor Guide

September-October 2018

Page 45

War on Carp Building Support Photo and Text

By TIM HUFFMAN A congressional field meeting in Eddyville, KY, on July 27 was a major move to get federal money for the Mississippi, Tennessee, Ohio and Cumberland rivers to fight the Asian carp invasion.

U.S. Rep. James Comer (R-Ken.) took the lead to gather information and carry the word back to Washington.

“We have a serious problem here affecting safety and tourism,” Comer said. “We need to solve a problem, and the people here, including

five members of Congress, are expecting results and expecting them now.”

Wade White, judge executive of Lyon County, KY, was one of those people. “The Asian carp have invaded our waters, and everything they’ve touched they’ve destroyed,” he said. “If we don’t do something, the only fish in our waters will be the Asian carp.

“Many people know how serious this is. It will affect all of us. People considering coming to the lake are calling and some are cancelling.

Skiers worry about being hurt by the jumping carp.

All sport fish species have

Darrell VanVactor (left) and Judge Wade White are leading the fight to battle the invasion of Asian carp into Kentucky Lake, Lake Barkley and their associated rivers.

already declined. The impact will be huge. Some tourism departments and businesses keep quiet because they don’t want to run people off, and I don’t either because it’s my county, but this has to be addressed before it gets worse.”

WORKING LIKE AN ARMY Darrell VanVactor, former president and current manager of the organization Crappie USA, is a long-term advocate in the fight against Asian carp.

“Asian carp isn’t in competition for baitfish,” he said.

“Rather, the carp diet includes plankton, zoo-plankton and micro-organisms their systems can filter. I’m not a biologist, but it’s easy to see the numbers on these carp are so large that they work like an army, side-byside, filtering the water from bottom to top, flipping over and doing it again.

“Even if they don’t eat the eggs, they disturb or destroy bass and crappie beds, along with other species. Also, the lack of micro-organisms for the young fish and baitfish means most don’t survive.

The loss of threadfin shad means adult fish of all species don’t have the food they need,” he added.

“We are seeing thin crappie and bass, and the numbers are down dramatically.

The carp have devastated much of Kentucky Lake, one of the best sport fisheries in America. We need to turn this trend around before it gets worse.”

Work is being done to block carp at the locks to stop the migration. Barriers are being tested, with silvers and bighead being the major

Jumping Asian carp have become a common site on Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley.

goal. It’s a good first step, with plans to install more.

They cost $500,000 each and five are needed.

Even if the barriers work, there are still millions of carp to be removed. As they age and grow, the problem will be worse. They spawn up to four times a year, so numbers will rapidly grow.

REMOVAL COSTS MONEY Right now, the best way to remove the carp is to go out and catch them. But Judge White says that will take money, and lots of it.

“We’ve got to have money in order to do what we need to do with the barriers and to pay the commercial fishermen,” he said. “They need more money per pound to make it worthwhile to pull the fish out of the lakes and rivers. The money will help us improve our markets nearby, so the fishermen can

work on the water instead of worrying about icing the fish and transporting them.

“There has been talk of eradicating the carp with poison or by altering DNA, but we aren’t there yet, and something has to be done now before it’s too late.

Commercial fishermen are the only answer.”

The Kentuckians have formed a group, the War on Carp Coalition, to pull together groups that have been working on the problem but not working together.

“We can work to help state agencies like game and fish departments,” White said. “But it’s gone beyond the limited budgets of state agencies, so it will require federal money. It’s a major problem here in this area, but the overall problem will move into other areas if we don’t put a stop to it here.”

His top priorities now

are to use federal money to supplement carp prices and to get sportsmen and businesses to donate to the cause.

NOT TOO LATE Blaming people or government agencies is easy to do but it won’t solve the problem, White added.

“We don’t know anyone who wants to make money off of this problem,” he said.

“The commercial fishermen just need more money per pound to pay for their expenses, nets, fuel and to make a living. They need the carp out, too, so they can commercial fish for the species that are in demand.

“I don’t believe it’s too late,” he added. “We certainly can’t stand around watching the demise of our fisheries.”

For more information, go online to waroncarp. com. To donate, space go to carpharvestfund.com.

Taneycomo Guide Knows His Trout Photo and Text

By BRANDON BUTLER Being in Branson, Lake Taneycomo receives a lot of interest from tourists. People travel to the Ozarks in search of entertainment while also looking to soak up much of the surrounding natural splendor.

A guided fishing trip on Lake Taneycomo allows visitors to achieve both at once, and no one is better equipped to show you a great time while putting a limit of trout in the boat than Duane Doty.

Doty guides out of Lilleys’ Landing Resort and Marina, which is Missouri’s premier trout fishing resort. He keeps his finger on the pulse of Taneycomo by monitoring the anglers and guides who fish out of the trout dock. He knows what the fish are biting on and where you need to go to catch them.

“I know the most productive areas to fish. We usually don’t have to go far before wetting the lines,” he said in an interview. “I talk to my guests about what has been the best way to present the lure we will be fishing, how to retrieve the lure and what to expect as far as the bite.

“As the guests are fishing, I watch their lines, indicators and rods, letting them know when they are getting bites that they may not be detecting. It usually does not take long before they catch on and start catching fish.”

TROUT STOCKING The Missouri Department of Conservation stocks approximately 750,000 trout in Taneycomo each year, allowing Taneycomo to actively serve trout anglers who want to keep their fish for eating. A lot of wild trout fishing is catch-and-release,

Duane Doty guides out of Lilleys’ Landing Resort on Lake Taneycomo.

but because of the aggressive stocking program, anglers regularly keep fish, although not all of them are caught and kept early on.

Some Taneycomo trout grow to impressive size. In fact, the state record brown trout, weighing 27 pounds, 10 ounces, came out of

Taneycomo in 2005.

There are both brown trout and rainbow trout in Taneycomo. The daily limit per angler is four trout. Of your four, only one may be a brown, and it must have a minimum length of 20 inches.

In the “trophy zone,”

which runs from below Table Rock Dam to the mouth of Fall Creek, there is a slot limit on rainbows. You must release any fish between 12 and 20 inches. Also in the trophy zone, you can only use flies and artificial lures.

A GUIDE HELPS To fish anywhere between Table Rock Dam and the Highway 65 bridge, you must have a trout permit, as well as a fishing license.

Regulations like these can be tricky to newcomers. A guide will keep you straight on the rules.

“I provide all the equipment necessary and all levels of instruction,” Doty said. “I have taken 3-year-olds out to catch their first fish, taught seasoned spin fishers new techniques, introduced the world of fly fishing to people by teaching them to cast a fly rod, and taken the most

advanced fly fishers to the next level by teaching them about streamer fishing at night for big trout.”

If you’re traveling to Branson and want to give trout fishing on Lake Taneycomo a try, Duane Doty will do his best to ensure you have a fun and successful fishing trip that fits your schedule.

“I can take most of the learning curve out of trout fishing. I spend almost every day fishing and talking to others about fishing Lake Taneycomo,” he said. “I want my guests to catch as many fish of the best quality possible while fishing with me and to teach them the proper skills so they’re successful the next time they are out on their own.”

Doty can be reached at his website, ozarktroutrunners.com, or by calling (417) 294-8672.

Outdoor Guide

Page 46

September-October 2018

Gunsmith Tech Talk

By JED NADLER Master Gunsmith

Pay Attention or Face Peril

We gunsmiths get to see what happens when shooters don’t pay attention to what they are doing. Sometimes it’s amazing. Sometimes it renews your faith in God. Sometimes it causes you to puzzle ‘How the hell did that happen?’

The perilous results motivate me to share what we see.

Perhaps the smartest of us can learn from the mistakes of others and not have to make them ourselves.

RELOADING If you are reloading, please, please pay close attention to what you are doing. More than that, place deliberate cross-checks and rechecks into your procedures. Refer to the many good documents on this

matter for advice.

While I am not a reloader, it is easy to see and understand what can happen with an over-charged round. I have seen the side of a revolver cylinder with a hole blown through it!

Some reloaders don’t realize that cases DO stretch each time they are shot in direct proportion to the amount of headspace in the gun. A perfectly safe firearm

can permit a rifle cartridge to stretch 0.006” or more. After three reloads, and a total of 0.018” of stretch, you can EXPECT a case to rupture the next time.

Cases usually stretch at a place about a quarter-inch forward of the rim but can stretch at other places, too.

Figure 1 shows what can happen in the instance where a case separated just below the neck and the rest of the

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empty ejected.

The following round slammed into the remaining brass. That’s when the gun came to us. It wouldn’t fire, the bolt was stuck mostly closed – and with the live round jammed inside.

LISTEN WHEN SHOOTING Even factory ammo can be loaded short on powder!

It’s unlikely, but I’ve seen circumstances that have no other reasonable explanation. (Interestingly and happily, I’ve never seen evidence of a factory overload.)

If you hear a shot that sounds softer or feels lighter, it should set off a silent alarm in your head. STOP! CHECK! The possible result is a bullet stuck part way down the barrel. That’s when it gets dangerous. Please take a gander at Figure 2. The next bullet ran into the first one,

ed). It says “9mm LUGER,” and this is a .40 cal gun.

What the heck? It looks like the back of a cartridge but this is the FRONT of a bullet, and it’s completely flattened at that. The area that would be a primer has a little dimple in it.

Can you figure it out?

Here is what we reasoned.

A 9mm round was loaded into the magazine somewhere, mixed in with the normal complement of .40’s. When it came time for its turn in the chamber, the firing pin hit it just enough to send it forward into the bore, out of sight, but not out of barrel. Because the gun had just “clicked,” the shooter opened the slide, found the chamber empty and closed it to chamber another round.

The properly chambered .40 cal bullet then slammed into the back of the 9mm cartridge, shoving it the rest of the way out of the gun

and all the pressure behind it had nowhere to go but sideways. The person standing to this shooter’s right got a blast of fiery gas and barrel fragments. It’s not a good way to make friends.

while taking an impression of its backside. It’s possible the 9mm went off too, at the same time. We’ll never know for sure.

The important conclusion?

Watch your backside. AND PAY ATTENTION. Until next time, thanks for listening and be safe.

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

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

THE PUZZLER Here’s a riddle that was presented to your local gunsmith. The .40SW semi-auto pistol was delivered to our counter with a bullet jammed in the barrel. We pushed out the projectile and got what you see in Figure 3. Can you read that?

It took me a while to recognize that it was backwords printing (pun intend-

Outdoor Guide

September-October 2018

Page 47

The Splendid Saga of ‘Mr. Buck’

By JIM CASADA

Memphis native Theophilus Nash Buckingham (18801971) belonged to what might justly be described as the “golden age of outdoor literature.” In company with a veritable host of sporting scribes, he produced enduring and endearing prose on a number of subjects.

“Mr. Buck,” as he was fondly known, specialized in bird dogs, bird hunting (and to anyone from his part of the world, “bird” translated to bobwhite quail), waterfowling, shotguns and any related topics.

He was a master of colorful African-American characters and dialect, most notably his beloved sidekick Horace, who figures prominently in his wonderfully told tales.

A powerfully built and athletically gifted man, Buckingham ended his halcyon boyhood days, a time filled with fishing and especially smallgame hunting, by enrolling at Harvard University. That misstep into alien territory didn’t last long.

Intellectually, the young man was well suited for the ivory tower environs of Cambridge, Mass., but he soon realized that his southern homeland held his heart firmly in its grip.

He transferred to the University of Tennessee and excelled in sports while an undergradu-

ate in Knoxville. Buckingham lettered in baseball, track, football and boxing, and his prowess in the latter was such that not too long after college days, in 1910, he garnered laurels as champion of the heavyweight division in the Amateur Athletic Union’s Southern Open Tournament.

THE WINGSHOOTER His sporting skills, with exceptional hand-eye coordination, transferred seamlessly to the scatter-gunning scene.

Throughout his life he was reckoned as an extraordinary wingshooter, and in the eyes of those who knew him best, Mr. Buck became almost legendary as the real “shootinest gent’man” (the title of his first book).

Fresh out of college, Buckingham began what would be his closest thing to a real career with a stint on the staff as the Memphis CommercialAppeal as a sports writer. In ensuing years he would own a sporting goods store, serve as a director with the Western Cartridge Company, and hold a masthead position with Field and Stream magazine. Mostly though, he hunted, judged field trials, lived a life of genteel leisure and wrote about the outdoors. He plowed through two inheritances – his own and that of his wife, Irma, whom he

FISHING

‘Mr. Buck’ appreciated ‘a dog after one’s own heart.’

married in 1910.

By the end of his life, the wolf of poverty howled not far from his door, and I strongly suspect that support from good friends, most notably Dr. “Chub” Andrews, was all that kept the wolf at bay.

Posterity should actually be thankful for the direction of Buckingham’s career, one in which lifestyle rather than livelihood ruled, because it

resulted in scores of grand tales.

SEVEN GREAT ONES Most of the best of those eventually found their way into seven books – De Shootinest Gent’man (1934), Mark Right!

(1936), Ole Miss (1937), Blood Lines (1938), Tattered Coat (1944), Game Bag (1945), and Hallowed Years (1953). His earliest books appeared under the famed Derrydale Press imprint (all have been reprinted,

most multiple times) while Stackpole Press published his final book and G. P. Putnam the two immediately prior to it.

Those books offer entrée into a joyful world of whistling wings, flying feathers, hunt camp camaraderie, companionship with what a contemporary of Buckingham, Archibald Rutledge, described as “black huntermen,” and much more.

Mr. Buck wrote so well on food that there are places in his tales where you find your salivary glands kicking into involuntary overdrive just from reading his description of a pre-dawn breakfast before heading to a duck blind at his cherished Beaver Dam club or of a sumptuous evening meal, with toddies around a roaring fire to follow (“supper was a delicious memory”), after a day in sedge fields and peafield corners with staunch pointers and noble bobwhites.

There’s a certain timelessness about Buckingham’s writings; you can return to the wellspring of his literary leavings again and again to find the material fresh and refreshing.

GOOD AND GRACIOUS He also evokes all that was good and gracious about a sporting world that we have to a considerable degree lost.

Take for example, his thoughts on what is really the essence

of the hunting life: “Tell me, if you can, of anything that’s finer than an evening in camp with a rare old friend and a dog after one’s heart.”

He also often exhibited a wry and incisive sense of humor.

“The best long-range shotgun load to have in one’s boat for mallards is a fine retriever,” he wrote.

Always of a philosophical bent, Mr. Buck’s long life and long love of life gave him rare insight on the sort of things that rumble through our minds as we age. “How kind it is,” he mused, “that most of us will never know when we have fired our last shot.”

What we can know as a telling truth is that to nestle down with one of his works in hand is to experience magic – transported aboard a boat being paddled through a slough to a dawn date with duck hunting destiny or approaching a sundown covey with a venerable pointer, outlined against a fast-sinking sun, holding the birds fast.

To participate in such affairs, even vicariously, is to know inexpressible joy. That was Mr. Buck’s legacy. His words belong not merely to sport’s golden era but to the ages.

For information or to order Jim Casada’s books or newsletter, go online to jimcasadaoutdoors.com.

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Outdoor Guide

Page 48

September-October 2018

Habitat Critical for Butterflies

Photo and Text

By BRANDON BUTLER

Missouri is located in the heart of the annual monarch butterfly migration, making our state a key geography in monarch restoration efforts. A lot of the population is found along the Interstate 35 corridor, but don’t think of that as a narrow window, because it’s actually around 400 miles wide.

Monarchs must find milkweed and nectar sources in the corridor to survive. These days, they’re having a much harder time doing so.

Monarchs begin appearing across Missouri toward the end of April. They show up in southern Missouri first and work their way north. If you see a monarch in the spring, it’s heading north.

Starting in August and through much of September, we’ll start seeing monarchs again heading south to Mexico.

There are numerous reasons why so much attention is being given to monarchs here in Missouri. To start, they’re truly a phenomenal species that bewilders scientists who try to figure out the annual migration monarchs make from the Oyamel fir forests in central Mexico to Canada and back.

AMAZING JOURNEY

This journey is shared by four to five generations. Yet somehow, monarchs are imprinted to end the migration in the same tiny area where their ancestor began. These butterflies, which inhabit and breed on over a billion acres across North America throughout the year, all end up in a tiny 10-acre area in central Mexico. It’s hard to fathom.

Monarchs that overwinter in Mexico head to Texas in early spring to lay eggs and die. Those eggs hatch and that generation migrates north to the Missouri area to lay eggs and die. The next generation makes it to northern Iowa or southern Minnesota, and the next into Canada, each with the goal of reproducing before perishing.

These northbound monarchs live four to five weeks.

But the next generation, the Methuselahs, leave out of Canada in the fall and fly all the way back to Mexico, often returning to the exact tree their great-great grandparent left from in the spring. The Methuselahs overwinter in Mexico and head to Texas in the spring. They live up to eight or nine months.

METAMORPHOSIS Monarchs undergo complete metamorphosis. So like all moths and butterflies, they have four parts to their life cycle: egg, caterpillar, pupa and adult. The process takes about a month to complete. All moth and butterfly species rely on a host plant that is chemically compatible with their species. For monarchs, only milkweeds can serve as a host.

Once a female monarch mates with a male, she must find a milkweed to lay her eggs.

Milkweed is essential to monarch butterflies, because they are the only plants females lay their eggs on and the only plants the caterpillars eat before becoming butterflies.

There are a number of milkweed species in Missouri. The ones most used by monarchs are swamp milkweed, common milkweed, butterfly weed, purple milkweed

and whorled milkweed.

Caterpillars usually hatch within in a week. These caterpillars molt five times, shedding their skin and growing slightly larger each time. After the fifth molt, the caterpillar forms a chrysalis, in which it turns into a butterfly. The butterfly, weighing about as much as two soybeans, forces itself out of the chrysalis and begins its leg of the journey.

NECTAR NEEDED Native nectar sources are of great importance because adult monarchs require nectar to live. Native Missouri nectar plants monarchs prefer include eastern blazing star, purple coneflower,

Upwards of 90 percent of the monarch butterfly’s historic population has been lost.

showy goldenrod, smooth astor, wild bergamot and more.

Monarchs are vital to agriculture. Pollinators move pollen from one flower to another. They actually fertilize the plants, allowing for reproduction. More than 30 percent of our food relies on pollinators. Fruits, like strawberries, cherries, apples, tomatoes and melons, wouldn’t exist without pollinator insects.

Unfortunately, we continue to see a decline in native wildflowers, along with milkweeds. Habitat change is the greatest factor in the decline of the monarchs and all other pollinators.

Kelly Srigley-Werner is the Missouri Partners for Fish and Wildlife program state coordinator for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, working out of Columbia.

“The monarch butterfly in the past two decades has had a population collapse,” she said.

“There were close to a billion monarch butterflies 20 years ago wintering on about 45 acres. In the winter of 201314, the population had declined to an estimated 33 million, occupying just 1.66 acres. The problems that are happening

revolve around habitat loss and climatic issues affecting monarch wintering grounds in Mexico.”

CRITICAL JUNCTURE We are at a critical time for this species. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is supposed to determine in 2019 whether to place the monarch butterfly on the Endangered Species List. The agency is currently conducting a species risk assessment to determine if the population is sustainable or if we are at a point when the population risk is so dire the monarch must be listed.

Even if you don’t own a big chunk of land, or if you live in an apartment, you can make a difference for monarchs. Just putting a couple of flowerpots with milkweed and nectar plants on your porch may benefit one of more monarchs.

According to White, if we hope to reach our population restoration goal of at least 500 million monarchs, it’s going to take at least 1.6 billion milkweed stems. Every single milkweed you plant helps chip away at that number.

Brandon Butler is executive director of the Conservation Federation of Missouri.

Memories of Chuck Connors & Winchester

By JOEL M. VANCE

For trivia buffs, who was Chuck Connors? Second prize for answering one of two possible questions, a gold star for answering both.

OK, he was one of a dozen athletes to play both in the NBA (Boston Celtics) and major league baseball (mostly with the Cubs as a first baseman).

And he was the star of a 1960s TV show called “The Rifleman” in which he sported a

customized Winchester Model 94 rifle, flipping it like a drum major with a baton.

The series highlighted the 94, which to this day is known as “The Gun That Won the West” (many think the Colt Peacemaker was that gun, but they’re wrong). I have a 94 and it has killed deer. I like it for many reasons, despite the fact that other guns are more accurate at longer ranges.

But one of those other guns has a well-documented quirk

Chuck Connors and his Winchester

that allows it to fire accidentally (one woman killed her son when the gun went off accidentally and fired completely through a building and hit the boy on the other side).

I’m not a fan of guns that fire spontaneously. Mine went off when I closed the bolt one morning. Scared the crap out of me. I retired that gun to the gun safe, where it gathers dust, and I brought out my Model 94, as reliable as a vintage cow pony.

THREE SAFETIES The 94 has three safeties.

There is a half cock, a push button safety, and the lever must be depressed against the stock before the gun will fire.

Frontier types had no such thing as a modern scope, but I wanted the advantage of one, even though most shots in my brushy Missouri are less than 100 yards.

A major drawback is that the Model 94 ejects spent cartridges from the top, making

it impossible to mount a scope atop the gun (a redesign in 1982 ejected cartridges at an angle, permitting a top-mounted scope). Mine has an offset scope, mounted by a gunsmith who should have spent more time in class – the scope does not fit my eye and is almost impossible to use efficiently. But once mounted, it’s there for life, so I’m stuck with awkwardly leaning forward to fit my eye to the scope. Frontier shooters used only the open sights. And use them they did – right up until now. The “thutty-thutty” is credited with killing more deer than any other rifle.

HISTORY LESSON The Model 94 obviously dates to 1894 and is the brainchild of the most famous name in gun history – John Browning. His Model 94 had precedent. Oliver Winchester changed the name of the New HavenArms Company to Winchester in 1866, and his first

A current model: the Model 94 Trails End Takedown

Winchester was a lever action.

It came out in both centerfire and rim fire in 1873.

If you want to back up even further, the 1860 Henry is almost as famous as the Model 94 and looks enough like it that most couldn’t tell the difference. Today you can buy a well-made replica of the Henry from about $325 for a .22 to nearly $2,000 for a large bore. New Haven Arms, which made the Henry, became Winchester. The Henry was mostly a Union weapon in the Civil War, cursed by muzzleloaderarmed Confederates as “that damn Yankee rifle that shoots all week.”

Over the years, Winchester issued many commemorative Model 94s, celebrating everything from John Wayne to, in

the case of mine, the National RifleAssociation. Several from severely limited editions now sell for thousands of dollars.

From the Henry until the birth of the 94, Winchester made modifications, but it was the 94 that captured the hearts, minds and market of the nation’s deer hunters. To date, perhaps seven million of them have been sold (counting those that have been sold originally and then resold). The one millionth went to President Calvin Coolidge. Harry Truman, my fellow Missourian, got No. 1.5 million and his successor, Dwight Eisenhower No. 2 million!

Nobody gave me mine. I bought it, but it kills deer just as efficiently as do those of Presidents.

Visit Our Website To View Past Issues At outdoorguidemagazine.com

Outdoor Guide

September-October 2018

Business Booms at National Parks

The U.S. Department of the Interior reports that visitor spending in communities near national parks in 2017 resulted in a $35.8 billion boon to the nation’s economy and supported 306,000 jobs.

That was up nearly a billion from 2016, according to the annual National Park Service report. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke pointed to the need to close the gaping maintenance backlog, saying the economic impact supports the need.

“Parks are priceless not only for their intrinsic natural beauty and historical significance, but also for the economic benefits they provide to communities across the country,” said Will Shafroth, president and CEO of the National Park Foundation.

“The investments we make in our national parks protect cherished places while promoting community and economic development.”

The lodging sector received the largest benefit with $5.5 billion in economic output to local gateway economies and 49,000 jobs. The restaurant sector followed, with $3.7 billion in economic output to local gateway economies and 60,500 jobs.

Gulpha Gorge Campground stays busy at one of the smaller National Parks, Hot Springs in Arkansas.

WHERE THE BILLIONS GO According to the report, park visitor spending was split between lodging/camping (32.9 percent), food and beverages (27.5 percent), gas and oil (12.1 percent), souvenirs and other expenses (10.1 percent), admissions and fees (10 percent), and local transportation (7.5 percent).

“National parks connect us with nature and help tell America’s story,” said Dan Smith, deputy director of the National Park Service. “They are also a vital part of our nation’s economy, drawing hundreds of millions of visi-

tors every year who fill hotels and restaurants, hire outfitters and rely on other local businesses that help drive a vibrant tourism and outdoor recreation industry.”

The peer-reviewed report was prepared by economists Catherine Cullinane Thomas and Egan Cornachione of the U.S. Geological Survey and Lynne Koontz of the National Park Service.

It includes information by parks and by states on visitor spending, the number of jobs supported by visitor spending and other statistics. National Park visitation grew by 7.7 percent from 2015 to 2017.

Page 49

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Outdoor Guide

September-October 2018

Outdoor Gallery Send in your favorite outdoor photo and be featured in the Outdoor Gallery of Outdoor Guide Magazine.

IN THE HEAT – Rich Abdolar had a day to remember on the Niangua River in the heat a while back, with temperatures over 100 and the smallmouth biting even hotter. Rich and his guide, Dennis Whiteside, cooled off in the spring-fed water.

NOT IN KANSAS ANYMORE – Smallmouth, spots and largemouth were active on a recent trip for Steve Keel and Carter Beck of Kansas. Both came down to the Ozarks for guided float trips with Dennis Whiteside. They went back to Kansas with big smiles!

HERE TO FLOAT – Randy and Melissa Roberson came from Little Rock, AR, this summer to join Dennis Whiteside on a Missouri float trip.

LAST CHANCE – James Vaught of Festus was hunting in southwest Colorado with one day left in the season when he got this herd bull that had about a dozen cows with it.

DOCTOR IS IN – Dr. Roy Michael of Jefferson City landed this 45-inch northern pike from Lake Athabasca in Canada in July. What do you do with your free time, doctor?

September-October 2018

Outdoor Guide

Page 53

JAMES RIVER DAY – Dennis Whiteside of Springfield, MO, had a great trip this summer on the James River, including catching this nice smallie.

ISLAND PRIZE – Dennis Whiteside took this nice little 8-pointer off a river island on a float a couple of seasons ago.

ON THE NIANGUA – Dave Burnette of Rogersville, MO, and Bryan Vowels of Joplin, MO, recently floated the Niangua River with fishing guide Dennis Whiteside, chasing smallmouth bass.

LIKE FATHER… – Joe Volpe and his son, John, came up from Little Rock, AR, to enjoy a day or two on the river fishing with float-fishing guide Dennis Whiteside.

SPECIAL PHELAN – Mike Phelan from Centaur (now known as Wildwood MO) and Fort Lauderdale, shows off the Bimini Island horse-eyed jack he caught before heading to the tiki bar.

BIG SMALLIE – Bub Besch and good friend Gene Oliver of Overland Park, KA, admire a dandy 18” smallie landed on the Sac River while out with float fishing guide Dennis Whiteside.

Outdoor Guide

Page 54

September-October 2018

When a Duck Hunter Gets Old

Photo and Text

By JERRY PABST

When you spend most of your life doing two things – hunting waterfowl and waiting to hunt them again – the idea of giving that up is something I never spent much time on.

It was not because I didn’t accept the fact that time would probably come, it was because I didn’t want to dwell on the reality of it. Well, that time has come.

I can’t complain. I made it to 82 years of age before Father Time caught up with me, and believe me, there were a lot of great seasons packed into that time frame.

Thanks in large part to my outdoor writing career I have hunted in all four of the North American flyways. I put my boots in the mud from Alaska to Maine, from Hudson Bay to the Louisiana salt marshes, and in a hell of a lot of “dream” destinations in between.

Heck, I even got to hunt the nearly extinct Nene geese in Hawaii, with a camera, of course. Great hunts, great people (and dogs) and even greater memories, and no regrets.

TIME CATCHES UP And then, about the time I turned 80, things began to change. My overall health was fine, but when I told my legs to walk fast, they didn’t.

Sudden movements affected my balance. My “lightweight” Benelli felt heavier. Wading around in the muck to pick up decoys was out of the question.

The handwriting was clearly on the wall.

Still, I kept telling myself I had at least one more season left in me, even if I had to rely on the younger guys to do all the work. Over the years, I had read numerous articles penned by older hunters who vowed they would never quit, and I fully planned to do the same.

A longtime friend we will call PFL, now living in Mississippi, sent me a copy of an article from his local newspaper about him, at 84, still hunting ducks. A photo of him and his hunting partner, happily grinning over a pile of fat mallards, made it all look easy, but I knew there was more to it than that, as this exchange of emails between us will show.

JERRY’S MESSAGE Subject line: A word to the wise: “PFL: I read the article about your duck hunt with great interest, and I wanted to share my experience with you, as we are both well out of warranty. I know you want to keep hunting as long as possible, and I don’t blame you for that. I felt the same way a year ago, although I could feel the effects of my 82 years building up. My legs

Although my back was killing me after a bad spill in the pit, this limit of mallards brought a big smile to my face.

were less reliable, and my balance was off. Still, I was, and am, healthy, and didn’t want to give up the hunt.

“I made my annual trip down to Union County in southern Illinois. In mid-morning, a flock of quackers dropped into the decoys, and I climbed up on the shooting step. Just stepping up on that 16” high platform was not easy, but I got there in time to get a shot off at the birds in front of us. Then the flock split, and some of them swung up over my right shoulder. As I swung around with the ducks, I lost my balance and went

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airborne. Since I was ready to shoot, I had my finger on the trigger, and while in midair I unintentionally pulled the trigger. Then I crashed to the floor of the blind, flat on my back.

WHAT IF? “The loaded gun, with the safety off, went flying out of my hand, but did not go off, thank God. No one was hurt, except my back, which developed a huge bruise from knees to small of back, but no real damage. But can you imagine what could have happened? There was a nice young guy three feet to my

right when I went down, and my inadvertent shot could have blown the poor guy’s head off.

“There were six of us in the blind, which was a cut-down steel commercial oil tank.

Imagine the result of three inches of No. 2 tungsten bouncing around in that tank if the gun had gone off when it got away from me. But, I was still able to hunt, and in the afternoon killed a four-mallard limit with three shots. But the thought of what could have happened has haunted me, and I realized it just wasn’t right to put other hunters at risk just so I could keep hunting. I’m done.

“My point is, don’t plan on hunting until you can’t do it anymore. As hard as it may be, quit before you can’t do it anymore. Your body will tell you when that time comes. Listen to it. Don’t risk hurting yourself, or God forbid, someone else. It just ain’t worth it, my friend.”

HIS REPLY PFL wrote back and said: “Jerry, thanks for sharing that powerful story with me!

I know very well the lack of strength that affects my legs these days. I had to give up my low-slung turkey chair because I could no longer get up out of it unless I rolled on the ground! And balance, too, is a problem.

“I didn’t tell the writer about my duck hunt two years ago.

I got out of the four-wheeler into a foot of muddy water, attempted to take one step to the rear to get my shotgun, and fell flat on my face in the muddy water! I forgot the godawful suction of Mississippi mud that held my boot feet fast. My waders were a sloppy foot fit and the boot shoes stuck fast while I kept going. The guys ran over and helped get me up, and as I tried to get my feet working myself I fell flat again!

This time the smiles turned into well-deserved howls.

“I now have a new set of Cabelas waders that are made to grip your foot tight, I use a walking stick made for wading and carry my unloaded shotgun across one shoulder and my hunting bag across the other.

So far it works. When I get to that time my body says this is too difficult, duck hunting will go. Thanks for the revealing lesson! PFL.” IN CONCLUSION So, no matter how we wish it would be, for most, this is how it will be when that time comes.

I can still crawl into a blind, smoke a good cigar, enjoy an ice cold sandwich, hold my own in the good-natured ribbing and relish the sights, sounds and thrills of the hunt, but there is one thing I will no longer have with me – a shotgun.

Until that time, my friends, let ‘em work!

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Outdoor Guide

September-October 2018

Page 55

A Change of Tactics Pays Off Seckman High School juniors Zak Hobbs and Tristen Konecnik took their state championship credentials to Pickwick Lake in Alabama June 26-30 for the High School Fishing World Finals and 2018 National Championships.

It didn’t take long for them to learn that techniques from Missouri were not the right strategy for the Tennessee River reservoir.

With the Lake of the Ozarks as their home lake, they know that shooting docks and scouring the shorelines are a recipe for success, but on the first day of the national tournament, they caught zero keeper fish doing what they know best.

“We weren’t catching any fish up there, and we found out the teams catching fish

were fishing deep ledges,” Zak said. “You definitely have to do research about fishing in current and off the ledges to find schools of actively feeding fish.”

With some lessons learned before the second day of the tournament began, the pair caught a limit of fish good enough for a third-place finish for the day including one largemouth bass over five pounds and a spotted bass over four pounds, said Brian Hobbs, Zak’s dad and the team’s boat captain. The Missouri team’s great second day earned them 88th place out of about 360 teams “I wish we would have went deep on the first day,” Zak said.

“I can’t wait to get back there next year.”

Zak Hobbs shows the 5-pound, 8-ounce largemouth bass he caught on Lake of the Ozarks.

Photo and Text

By LARRY DABLEMONT I don’t know if the opening weekend of dove season really is the best time to hunt doves.

Migrating doves often come later, but hunters in the Ozarks are at least getting first shots at doves hatched locally before many of them move out.

The warm weather we usually have the first week of September means most of the doves north of us are still there, and most of ours are still here.

If you could, you’d like to hunt doves when there’s a nip in the air, and that could happen later this month or early next month. But probably 80 or 90 percent of the dove hunting in our area is done and over with after the first week of the season.

Usually, the doves leave the heavily hunted areas for a while, but in time, a new group will migrate in, and the harvested grainfields will provide more hunting.

Successful hunters are those who find the feeding areas days before the season opens ... and because doves do not perch on grain heads as other birds do, you have to find grain fields like wheat or sunflower seeds which are on the ground.

They come to any kind of grain or weed seed found on fairly open ground. And they

STATE CHAMPS To fulfill that dream they will have to qualify again as one of the top teams in Missouri, but they will enter that competition next season as defending state champions.

The team finished first out of 272 teams in the Missouri High School State Championships on April 14 at Truman Lake. Zak and Tristen took top honors with a five-fish limit that weighed 16.62 pounds.

The weather for the tournament was nearly as memorable as the win. After a week of pleasant spring conditions prior to the event, that Saturday morning it was 40 degrees and dropping with winds of 15 to 20 mph.

“Truman can be a tough lake that time of year, and then it got windy and cold,” Zak said. “The water was really muddy and cold. Everything looks the same there.

Finding unique structure is tough.”

Zak said the high school tournament season will begin again next spring, but based on this year’s success, he and Tristen will get to participate in the Midwest Shootout on Table Rock Lake in October.

CATCHING FRIENDS Participating in the sport

of high school tournament bass fishing means a lot more than just catching fish. Zak said that during his Missouri tournaments and the trip to Alabama, he enjoyed getting to know other young anglers from all over the country.

“You get to meet new people and make a lot of new friendships,” Zak said. “High school fishing has come super far in the past few years. It’s definitely a good thing for people to get into. Anybody can do it. It almost seems there are more girls than boys fishing some times.”

Fishing acumen is not the only requirement. Zak said grade requirements make certain anglers focus on their studies. He said he knows that if he wants to fish on the weekend, he has to get his schoolwork done during the week.

“It’s required for the tournaments that you have to have a certain GPA,” he said.

“You have to bring a report card with you to prove it.”

Brian Hobbs said he appreciates the scholarship opportunities. The top finishers in the national and world tournaments split about $300,000 in scholarships.

Zak has earned about $2,000 in certificates so far that can be used for tuition, books or

other college expenses.

Brian Hobbs said he also enjoys his role as boat captain.

“Zak and Tristen do it all.

I just sit in the boat and take pictures,” he said. He hopes other parents and young anglers will want to give the

The 2018 state championship team of Zak Hobbs, left, and Tristen Konecnik are pictured with their boat captain and Zak’s dad, Brian Hobbs.

The First Days of Dove Season fly very erratically, so they are a challenge for a shotgunner, though probably not as much of a challenge as the heat.

To hunt doves on opening day, you have to get out early, wear good camouflage, and have a couple of boxes of field loads. I advise hunters to use 71/2 shot, and shoot modifiedbore shotguns. Doves were made for modified-bore barrels, and an open-choke gun is OK on opening day if all your shooting is at 25 yards or so.

But usually, dove shooting is a 35- to 40-yard challenge.

Full chokes restrict the small shot pattern too much.

BRING A STOOL Bring along a stool or bucket to sit on. On opening day, you don’t have to hide as well as you will on day two or three. The temperature at sunrise should be 20 degrees lower than it will be at 11 a.m.

The birds will feed early and late in the day, but if it is a good field, some will be flying in and out most all the morning and all afternoon.

Sometimes we get really lucky here in the Ozarks on opening weekend and don’t have the hot weather during the late morning and afternoon. But when the humidity is high and it gets up in the mid 80’s, I’d druther be fishing.

Inexperienced hunters sometimes lose a lot of crippled or downed doves because

This dove hunter found a spot in a sunflower field.

– Illinois Department of Conservation photo

the weeds are high around grain fields and there’s lots of green undergrowth to contend with. Mark birds down well and make a special effort to find them.

Dove numbers have been dwindling over the years, and no hunter should wink at the bag limit nor give downed birds a half-hearted search. If you are going to call yourself a hunter, act like one, and don’t waste game nor exceed the limit.

WATER THE DOG A dog helps reduce crippled bird losses and a panting, young retriever might gain some experience from dove hunting, if he doesn’t have a heat stroke. Be sure to take some water along for him if there isn’t a good pond or

creek nearby. And you’ll have to help him get the dove feathers out of his mouth, which may make him decide the last thing he wants to do is go and retrieve another bird.

That’s why I like hunting small ponds in the evenings, ponds which doves use for water holes before they go to roost. Such a pond is used as a watering hole only when there is a flat, barren, gravelly bank without weeds, where they may land and walk to the water’s edge.

And your dog can stay right there beside you and retrieve your birds in the kind of environment retrievers are made to hunt in. Remember, for those who want to wait, there are plenty of new doves later in September, and cooler weather sure to come.

sport a try in the future.

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

It isn’t a good idea to break in a young dog on a dove hunting trip. Old Bolt will retrieve them but he doesn’t like to because those dove feathers get stuck in his mouth. I’ve been working with a pair of 10-week chocolate Labrador puppies, much like the ones I have raised for 50 years.

In fact they descend from my first great Labrador, old Rambunctious.

These two are beauties, and I want to keep one. But it is tough to play-train them when they are together because they begin to bond to one another, and it is hard to keep one chasing a dummy when it wants to go back to the kennel where its sibling waits. I used to raise a lot of hunting Labradors and even today, I get lots of calls from hunters wondering if I have one from that old-style heavy, hunting stock.

HUNTING CHICKENS Most old-time duck hunters aren’t enthusiastic dove hunters because they want to spare their dogs from hot weather and those feathers. And us old timers wouldn’t eat doves if we had squirrels to eat. Of course, I have to admit, back in the good old days no one would eat squirrels if they had chicken.

But squirrels were easier to get than chickens, and cheaper, and squirrel hunting was a great deal more enjoyable than chasing a chicken around the barn-lot, half scared to death that the farmer would come home and catch you!

If you would like to get our next magazine, the Lightnin’ Ridge Outdoor Journal, or information on my books, call my office at (417) 777-5227, write to Box 22, Bolivar, Mo 65613 or email me at lightninridge@windstream.net.

Don’t forget to bring some water for the dog.

– Larry Dablemont photo

Outdoor Guide

Page 56

September-October 2018

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