Outdoor Guide Magazine September-October 2019

September -October 2019

Outdoor ag Guide M

e n i z a

HUNTING • FISHING • CAMPING • BOATING • SHOOTING • TRAVEL

Dogs in Motels...................Page 8

Back-stabbers....................Page 15

Father & Son...................Page 17

RV Show....................Pages 19-31

The Visionary....................Page 35

Tunnel Hill Trail..............Page 45

Feral Hogs........................Page 47

MISSOURI - ILLINOIS - AND OTHER EXCITING OUTDOOR DESTINATIONS

Outdoor Guide

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September-October 2019

Random Acts of Kindness … Updated

On Sept. 11, 18 years ago, the terrorist group al-Qaeda launched four coordinated attacks against the United States. That one time, our nation set aside its differences and came together in response.

Now, at this time of great division, what would it take to bring us together again? Hopefully, not anything so tragic. Here is an update of a column I wrote at the time. May its message continue to resound.

– Bobby Whitehead, Editor A young woman rang our doorbell. She handed me a plate of brownies and smiled.

“What are these for?” I asked, giving her my best poker face and wondering what cause I would be contributing to next.

“They are for you and your family. Enjoy,” she said with a pleased look.

She had written something on a small scrap of paper, neatly wrapped and placed inside the cellophane that enveloped the chocolate treasures.

“This is a random act of kindness,” it said. “Keep your thanks and pass it on.”

I smiled, popped one of the luscious morsels into my mouth and couldn’t wait to tell my wife what had just happened.

On another day I might have been suspicious and would not have eaten food from a stranger so quickly. Yet, for the past few weeks, since terror had struck our nation on September 11, random acts of kindness had become a way of life here in our glorious

country. I immediately recognized this as such.

Ironically, that horrible and historic attack upon our nation and its people triggered a “coming together” of all Americans.

THE FEELING OF BROTHERHOOD In the days that followed, we saw all kinds of acts of kindness, courage and heroism. Folks all across our great nation espoused pride in our country, and there was a feeling of brotherhood unlike anything I had ever seen or felt.

I am a Korean War baby boomer, having lived my teenage years during the Vietnam War. I remember when “Vietnam” was spelled as two words.

Yet my generation and the one following it, I’ll wager, were experiencing for the first time the collective emotions a country’s people can muster when under fire, when freedom and life are threatened. And if some of you hadn’t realized it already, there is a price to pay for being free.

On the way to work one morning, there was an apparent tie-up ahead. Traffic was backed up where normally it was not.

As I got closer to the intersection, I could see firefighters holding boots and collecting money.

Not a single car passed our new heroes without making a contribution, the drivers oblivious to the green light ushering us along. The firefighters were earnest and determined and, for the first time in many days, I knew we were going to be OK. MISSOURI’S CONTRIBUTION Later that day, I watched the evening news as U.S. Sen. Jean Carnahan honored the Missouri firefighters contingent that had joined its New York brothers and sister at the disaster site shortly after the attack. They returned to our state as heroes and were honored before thousands of thankful Americans.

And how about the story of the bronze statue of a firefighter kneeling, exhausted, head down, holding himself up with one arm on his grounded helmet? The monument was in New York awaiting shipment to our state. It had been commissioned years earlier.

Our firefighters said, “Leave it there! Let it stand as a memorial to our brothers and sisters who lost their lives that fateful day.”

The hauntingly beautiful and possibly pre-ordained statue was displayed within hours of the disaster and became an instant shrine.

While Red Cross blood banks had never been as full, donations continued at a rapid rate. And all across this great land, folks were raising money and lending emotional support to our

stricken brothers and sisters. With all the sadness among us, uplifting stories abounded.

BUDDY’S MESSAGE Just hours after the attack on freedom, I received an email from my youngest brother, Buddy Pearson. He was the sports editor of the Cookeville, TN, daily Herald-Citizen, and like many of us, he was coming to grips with the significance of his job and sports in general in light of this great tragedy This is part of what he wrote: “Catastrophe makes sports insignificant. Yesterday morning, as the news began to break regarding the cowardly terrorist attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, I had to compose our sports section.

“People were losing their lives, the United States was embroiled in one of the most tragic events in its history, and I was looking for photos for a sports story.

“As I read the horrific reports coming across the AP wire, my heart sank. I wanted so badly to help somehow. Working on the sports section seemed to demean the many victims and their loved ones.

“Yet, we have made a commitment to you, our readers, to bring you the best sports coverage possible. Our staff will continue to cover sports during this period of shock and tremendous grief. Perhaps our light news will serve to lighten your burden. We will continue to do our jobs, as is our duty.

But we will do this keeping in mind those who have suffered immeasurable tragedy.”

A TIME FOR RESOLVE At Outdoor Guide Magazine, we echoed the words spoken by my brother and those of our leaders. Despite our grief, we continued to bring you the finest outdoor news possible. It is our job, our duty.

Now more than ever, we encourage you to seek the peace afforded by the great outdoors. Float a pristine Ozark river. Take your family to a park. Go fishing. Hike a nature trail. Grab your loved ones and hold them close.

Embrace your American brothers and sisters and send a message to all who would threaten our lives and our freedoms.

For the battle for freedom and the fight to conserve our Earth and its precious resources begin in earnest now. And your random acts of kindness could make all the difference.

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If using cream, whip it in another bowl until it thickens slightly (to the consistency of buttermilk). Whisk cream or yogurt gently into the fruit mixture, combining thoroughly. Taste (of course); the fresh-fruit flavor should shine through. Add more sugar if you find it not sweet enough (however, it’s best to add sugar while mixture is still in the food processor and can be spun around again). If you like it now, you’ll love it after it’s frozen. Cover bowl and chill for at least 1 hour. I often leave it overnight in the refrigerator.

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measurement confession Although I follow the base recipe above for all fruit gelato, I vary the sugar, water and yogurt (or cream) quantities based upon the sweetness and density of the fruit. So, tasting along the way and experimentation is necessary; make it to suit your own taste. Of course, using the sweetest, freshest and juiciest fruit always yields the best results.

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Outdoor Guide

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September-October 2019

A Bad Year Could Lead to Better Things

Photo and Text

By BRENT FRAZEE For many fishermen and boaters In Missouri and Kansas, 2019 has amounted to one long nightmare.

The perfect storm hit in May, when it just didn’t stop raining. That led to a chain

of events that still has the recreation industry reeling: • Heavy precipitation inundated the Missouri River, its tributaries and their drainage areas, creating widespread flooding.

• Flood-control reservoirs

such as Truman Lake reached record levels as the U.S.

Corps of Engineers was forced to hold water for fear of flooding downstream interests with heavy releases.

• That would be bad enough

if it were for a short time. But the situation lingered from May through July, with several large rains only adding to the problem.

• At popular Kansas playground reservoirs such as

Clinton and Perry, recreation basically ground to a halt.

Boat ramps were unavailable, low-lying campsites were flooded, and hiking trails were covered with mud and debris.

• By mid-July, a time when many reservoirs in Missouri and Kansas are normally teeming with activity from fishermen, water skiers and personal watercraft users, the waters were eerily silent in some spots.

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rainfall ended, the Corps of Engineers scrambled to release water from floodswollen reservoirs. But by then, the recreation season was already lost. Even with heavy releases, it would take a long time for the reservoirs to get back to normal pool.

And even then, it would take months to clean up and repair campsites, hiking trails, and parking lots.

• Yes, fishermen, boaters, hikers and campers are going to be talking about 2019 for a long time … and not in favorable terms.

BLAKE’S SUMMER “I started guiding on Truman in 1984, and I can’t remember a worse year,” said Steve Blake, who guides out of Sterret Creek Marina.

“Normally, I’m guiding three to four times a week in the summer. But I’ve had to cancel a lot of trips.

“I’m not going to lead my customers on a wild-goose chase. With all of this water, it’s just killed the crappie fishing. The fish are all spread out with all of this new cover in the lake, and it’s hard to know where to catch them.”

Not only that, it was difficult just getting to marinas.

With the water at Truman still 25 feet high in mid-July, guides, workers and customers had to be shuttled by boat to even reach the facilities.

“It’s been a real mess,” Blake said.

But Blake accepted the hardships with a good attitude. He’s been through times such as these before, and he knows this probably won’t be the last time.

“This is a flood-control reservoir, and it’s doing exactly what it was intended to do,” he said. “It’s tough in the short-term, but we’ll recover.”

GOOD FISHING ANYWAY Rick Dykstra, a longtime tourism representative at Milford Lake, agrees. The popular reservoir in northeast Kansas was among those hit hardest. The water was

still 25 feet high by mid-July and access was difficult.

The fishing remained surprisingly good, especially for wipers, Dykstra said. But with only a few boat ramps open, lake traffic was down noticeably.

“I feel bad for lake-area businesses,” Dykstra said.

“They count on spring and summer to make money.

That is their prime season.

And they lost that this year.

“It’s just been a bad year.”

SILVER LINING? Now as fall arrives, it’s time to assess the damage and set recovery plans into motion. In a region where few reservoirs were spared from the flooding, that will amount to a large undertaking. But Blake sees a silver lining in all those dark storm clouds that hovered over the reservoirs in spring and summer.

“In the long run, we’re going to benefit from all this high water,” he said. “There has been minimal pressure on the fish. And the fry have had all kinds of new cover to hide in, so we should have a huge year-class of fish.”

Short-term pain, longterm gain. That’s the hope many are holding onto in the midst of this disastrous season.

Steve Blake says crappie are spread out.

September-October 2019

Outdoor Guide

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September-October 2019

Tips, Tricks and Thoughts for the Great Outdoors

A Loader for Hunting

by Yourself

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.

After many years of deer hunting with family, it is now time for me to be mostly hunting by myself. Grandkids are grown and away at college now. My son Daron will find time for us to go together a few times, but he is busy working trying to pay for their educations.

At the end of last season, I was determined not to let this keep me from enjoying what I love so much. It will be lonely at times, but there are plenty of memories to keep

me company.

A big question had to be answered though. At 72 years old, if I get a deer, how am I going to load it in the back of my truck by myself? The answer came from an online search and a click on www.greatdayinc.com.

The first thing that sold me was “Made in the USA.” The second thing was their President/CEO is Paul Meeks who was also the founder of API tree stands. Most of my stands are API, and they have served me well.

Their PowerLoader attaches to the front of my ATV and is powered by my winch.

All I have to do now is pull up to the deer, hit my winch down button to lower the PowerLoader to the ground, roll the deer onto it, strap it down and then hit my winch button to raise the deer off the ground for transportation.

When I get to my truck I lower the tailgate, pull my ATV up to it, hit my winch down button to lower the deer, undo the straps and then roll it into the bed. The problem was solved as simple as that.

I can’t wait for deer season

now, so I can go hunting by myself. While waiting for fall I am using the Powerloader, since it will hold up to 350 pounds, to move retaining wall blocks around the yard and building materials to my barn. I love this thing!

FISHING IN CAMO The wise stream angler and even lake angler will take a tip from his hunting buddies who use their clothes to hide from game animals and wear camouflage clothes while fall fishing. In fact, it’s a good idea to wear camouflage clothing year-round,

September-October 2019

Outdoor agazine Guide M HUNTING • FISHING • CAMPING • BOATING • SHOOTING • TRAVEL Volume Twenty Seven, 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 COVER PHOTO: Elk at Land Between the Lakes by Thayne Smith Bobby Whitehead, Editor/Co-Publisher Kathy Crowe, Graphic Designer

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

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

Curt Hicken Bill Cooper Thayne Smith Steve Jones Bill Seibel

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

Larry Whiteley Ted Nugent Ron Bice John Sloan

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

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

— Staff Writers —

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

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

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

The PowerLoader by API let’s lone hunters easily lift their trophies into their trucks.

but in the thin water of fall when the fish can see you a whole lot better, it’s especially important.

EYES IN THE NIGHT Early season bow hunters often spy greenish pinpricks of light in the glare of flashlights. That’s not dew you’re seeing. By September, young spiders born throughout the spring and summer have matured into adults. Many of these are Wolf spiders, whose large eyes reflect light with an eye shine not unlike that of a deer and other mammals.

THE BEST TIMES Pay attention to the weather and moon to make sure you’re on the water fishing at the most opportune times. Fishing when the fish are most active makes a huge difference.

You’ll get more bites by being on the water at the best times, but the catching is up to you.

FALL IS FOR FISHING As our weather cools after a long hot summer, many outdoors enthusiasts’ attention turns to hunting, fall camping or hiking rather than fishing.

But if you enjoy fishing, fall should be your favorite time of year.

There is no better time of year for catching fish, especially catching big fish, than fall. Not only do the fish seem to be very susceptible to being caught at this time of year, the rivers and lakes are much less crowded than during the spring and summer.

SHARING YOUR HUNT ON SOCIAL MEDIA My, how the world has changed and is still changing all the time. Through social media you can share your hunting adventures with the world and do it instantly. Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter and more give hunters an immediate way to share hunting stories, successes, moments and memories.

But with social media opportunities comes responsibility. Remember that hunters, non-hunters who think hunting is OK but just don’t do it, and also the non-hunters who object to hunting all are watching.

Social media is your chance to represent all hunters with class and show your respect to the game animals we hunt.

Share your photos, videos and stories respectfully and humbly. Remember that nonhunters can be more understanding of our lifestyle if they see us honoring the animal and not giving high fives, chest bumps and hugs or standing over the animal gloating. Give honor to the animal and not yourself.

NATIVE AMERICAN QUOTE “Only to the white man was nature a wilderness, and only to him was the land ‘infested’ with ‘wild’ animals and ‘savage’ people. To us it was tame, Earth was bountiful and we were surrounded with the blessings of the Great Mystery.”

– Black Elk, Oglala Lakota Sioux (1863-1950)

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September-October 2019

Outdoor Guide

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AVA I L A B L E AT F I N E R F I R E A R M S D E A L E R S O R CA L L 8 0 0 . 4 3 0 . 1 3 1 0 W W W. P I E T TA . I T | W W W. E M F- C O M PA N Y. C O M

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Hunting Laws – Emotion vs. Reality

By JERRY PABST While at first glance it may appear that this article has nothing to do with sport hunting in America, it actually has everything to do with sport hunting in America.

Here in the U.S., well-funded antihunting organizations have pretty much adopted the basic tactic of posting a photo of a soft-eyed critter, be it a bunny or a cougar, and urging laws be passed to end the sport of hunting.

Since all hunting is currently regulated by laws that not only protect but often enhance the survival of game species, the “antis” can offer no scientific evidence that such protection is warranted.

Instead, they rely on an emotional appeal to simply “stop the killing,” and donations pour in from like-minded folks. The donated money is used to further promote their cause, and eventually some lawmaker, prompted by a pacifist nature, or, more likely, sniffing a potential windfall of votes, scratches together a piece of legislation that would end the “slaughter.”

Fortunately, cooler heads usually prevail in such cases, and the senseless bill quietly dies in committee. Meanwhile, its sponsor receives an A-plus from the hunting opponents merely for trying. Nothing is accomplished, but it represents a win for both the anti-hunting organizations and the politician.

While this dance plays out endlessly, regulated sport hunting goes on unabated and our game populations prosper as a result of intelligent management. But when the same anti-hunting folks and their obedient political allies team up to influence the sport-hunting policies of foreign countries, they can cause real harm, and their success there could eventually rebound to aid their agenda here in the U.S. A LETTER TO CONGRESS In response to legislation introduced in Congress meant to ban importation of African big-game trophies into the U.S., Safari Club International (SCI) President Paul Babaz wrote a splendid letter which I will share with you in response to Rep. Vern Buchanan’s House Resolution 3055, an appropriations rider that would prohibit

Guest Editorial

the import of sport-hunted elephants and lions from Tanzania, Zambia and Zumbabwe. SCI represents big-game sport hunters from all over the world. He wrote: “We strongly oppose this legislative effort to interfere with heavily regulated and effectively managed hunting. It has been proven time and time again that licensed, regulated hunting is crucially important to wildlife conservation in Africa. It secures five times more habitat than in national parks in Tanzania and almost three times more habitat than in national parks in Zambia and Zimbabwe. It funds anti-poaching and government conservation programs.

And it incentivizes greater tolerance among rural people who live side-by-side with these species.

“The wildlife management authorities of Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe, the 183 parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the International Union for Conservation of Nature, along with other scientific authorities, credit licensed, regulated hunting as the cornerstone of successful conservation and wildlife management programs. As a result, these three countries are recognized by the International Union on the Conservation of Nature as having some of the world’s largest populations of elephant and lion.

“Well-managed trophy hunting, which takes place in many parts of the world, can and does generate critically needed incentives and revenue for government, private and community landowners to maintain and restore wildlife as a land use and to carry out conservation actions (including anti-poaching interventions).

“It can return much needed income, jobs and other important economic and social benefits to indigenous and local communities in places where these benefits are often scarce.

“An effective ban on the import of elephant and lion trophies from these countries would be detrimental to their conservation efforts and harmful to these species. If Congress truly wants to help wildlife, they should leave management to the experts, both here and abroad.”

OUTSHINING THE DIM BULB Mr. Basaz’ letter is the bright light of reality that outshines the dim bulb of emotion.

Save it, and send it to the next obscure legislator who espouses the anti-hunting cause.

Professionally managed sport hunting programs helped to make this Idaho record elk a reality. A ban on hunting would be detrimental to the herd.

September-October 2019

— Random Shots — Motel Adventures with Hunting Dogs

By JOEL M. VANCE The late, great Joe South sang, in one of his own compositions, “Don’t it make you want to go home?”

The song possibly became an anthem, although I never heard it, for the multitude of motel managers I managed to offend over many years of abusing their hospitality.

It comes with having been an upland bird hunter for many, many years, which often has involved me in seeking the hospitality of misnamed establishments, like Motel Eight, which implies that a room can be had for eight dollars. Perhaps in 1940, but in these days of rampant inflation it’s more like, “Motel … what! You gotta be kidding!”

The last time I stayed in a motel that lived up to its advertised price was many years ago, deep in the Ozarks where, exhausted from a long day, I plunked down $2.50 for what amounted to a lumpy bed barely smaller than the threadbare room in which it was located.

The room, however, did come equipped with a radio, just out of the era when you had to use a cat’s whisker to tune it, which, when I checked it out, hoping for a program featuring vintage John Coltrane jazz to lull me to sleep, instead bombarded me with the only available station, featuring a hardshell Baptist revival preacher assuring me that I was destined for Hell if I didn’t change my ways.

I had no intention of changing my ways, although the preacher’s dire warning does seem a distinct possibility. At any rate (advertised or not) motels and I have had an uneasy relationship for many years, mostly because I, and my hunting companions, do not represent the ordinary clientele of most transitory housing establishments.

NOT-SO ‘BELLE’ AIR There are at least two motels where I would not be surprised if the proprietors don’t have SWAT teams on standby in case they receive a reservation request from me or, God forbid, I should show up in person with a vehicle containing dog crates. I will not name the location of these motels in the event that they backtrack and find my home location and send hit teams.

One was near where I shot the first pheasant of my hunting life. I left it on the tailgate of my vehicle briefly and when I returned, the motel owner’s large Labrador retriever was licking its lips, a telltale feather stuck to its gums. It had not, however, molested the

several quail that I also had shot.

Honest, Your Honor, I did not do this in retribution, but I did field-dress the quail in the motel washbasin. Subsequently, through word-of-mouth telegraph, I was informed that there had been a drainage system stoppage due to a surfeit of bird feathers lodged in the room’s plumbing innards, which caused an overflow which caused flood damage.

While I may have been directly responsible for the mini-flood, I was only peripherally involved in the other motel mini-catastrophe.

It happened because a member of our hunting party suffered a massive gastric upset which lasted much of the night and was manifested mostly by toxic eruptions rivaling that which last occurred in AD 79 when Mount Vesuvius erupted and wiped out the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum. My hunting buddy subsequently recovered, but I’m not sure the motel ever did.

The place was optimistically named the Belle Air and I celebrated it in print as the “Foul Air” and apparently I had a wider readership than I thought because, once again, word got around and the motel ownership failed to appreciate my feeble attempt at levity.

Some folks got no sense of humor.

MOTEL ROOM PYRAMID MYSTERY Unpleasant bodily effusions come in more than one form, and another type occurred in a motel room after a South Dakota bird hunt.

My son-in-law, Ron De Valk, has been the unwitting and sometimes unwilling participant in several of my motel debacles, but he should admit that it was his idea that triggered this one. We both were worn out after a long day in the field, as were our two bird dogs.

As is usual, we figured the dogs were as deserving of rest in accommodations less spartan than a Porta-Kennel, so we smuggled them into the room after we, not the dogs, had eagerly wolfed down a meal of prime rib. He may deny it, but Ron was the one who suggested to the waitress that we would appreciate a container of leftover meat juice.

Obligingly, she fetched us what appeared to be a quart of prime rib elixir.

Common sense for anyone else would dictate that you don’t flood a dog’s digestive system with that much rich additive, but we were tired and unthinkingly divided equally the juice between the two dogs and their evening meal. Of course they wolfed it down.

We woke simultaneously in the pit of night and it was not necessary to turn on the light to understand what had developed in the canine excretory system while we were dreaming away. There is an applicable Rodney Dangerfield joke here: “My dog must be Egyptian – he leaves a pyramid in every room.”

There was the necessity to clean up after our See RANDOM SHOTS page 10

The author and his dogs have left legends at motels all over.

– Hotel News Now

September-October 2019

Outdoor Guide

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September-October 2019

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Middle Eastern-imitating dogs, and the only implement in the room that appeared usable was the plastic scoop used to shovel ice cubes into a bucket.

It worked for the purpose, but as I’ve written before, “You might want to think about that the next time you stay in a motel and long for a cold drink.”

UNFAZED BY THE FLOOD Ron also was involved in the great South Dakota motel room flood. If you recall the television show Northern Exposure, there was a Native American character, Marilyn Whirlwind, who was totally unflappable and summed up situations with wise counsel when disaster loomed. She was unfazed by any imminent catastrophe, and I suspect when the series ended, she got a job in the motel where we stayed and flooded the bathroom.

We still don’t know how it happened – perhaps the Ogallala aquifer mysteriously backed up across eight states and wound up in our bathroom.

Whatever the reason, Ron emerged as I was arranging my hunting equipment for the day’s activities and announced in panic, “The toilet is overflowing and the bathroom is flooded!” Even as he spoke, water was seeping around his boots into the main room.

Ron frantically dialed the front desk to report the commode tsunami and presently a Native American woman appeared and Ron squeaked, “We’re flooding!”

“OK,” said our version of Marilyn Whirlwind impassively. She might’ve added, as Marilyn Whirlwind once did on Northern Exposure, “White people; they get crazy.”

We gathered up our hunting gear and fled, and when we returned that evening the room was dry.

Bathrooms tended to be traumatic experiences for Ron who, on his first visit to his new in-laws, was startled when the family cat knocked a partition out of the wall in the bathroom and emerged suddenly (she often retreated into the walls to hide, being frightened of strangers in the house).

It didn’t help when Ron, alarmed that perhaps the suddenly materializing cat was some sort of Phantom of the Opera, discovered that the door, which was tricky, was locked and he had to pound on it and beg for rescue.

THE DESECRATION OF SANTA CLAUS Thinking back on it, many of these motel-oriented disasters centered around middle-ofthe-night bathroom breaks.

One involved possibly the most bizarre New Year’s Eve celebration ever.

My hunting buddy and I, not Ron this time, celebrated New Year’s Eve day with a long quail hunt. The motel where we were staying featured a plastic

from page 8

Santa Claus in the center of its courtyard, left over from the previous week’s Christmas.

There was no plan to go out on the town for a few drinks in anticipation of another year’s arrival. All we wanted to do was hit the sack. My buddy liked to sleep cool, as I do, so he turned the thermostat all the way off. The dogs and we settled in for a restful night, or so we thought.

About 2 a.m., the new year having arrived not with a bang but a whimper, I awoke with my dog exhaling pungent breath directly in my face. I realized I was bathed in sweat and both the dog and I were verging on heatstroke. My buddy had not turned down the thermostat but had turned it the wrong way, and the room was hotter than a Finnish sauna.

It was Equatorial Rain Forest in the room and obviously something needed to be done. The dog wanted to drain and we both wanted cooling. A quick trip outdoors, I thought, would be just the thing to let the dog pee and me chill out.

My buddy slept on, somehow unaware of the searing heat.

I opened the door, stepped outside in my briefs, and the dog raced past me to Santa Claus, where he proceeded to firehose it almost endlessly. I was dimly aware as I stood in the subfreezing temperature, beginning to congeal, of an ominous clicking sound just behind me, which I realized a moment later was the sound of the door closing and locking.

The dog finished desecrating Santa. We stood together shivering, and I banged on the door trying to wake my comatose roommate and hoping not to rouse the motel owner nor other sleeping customers who, I suspected, might not understand why an adult male would usher in the new year much as he had been ushered into life – near-naked, wearing naught but a diaper. Most babies do not come equipped with a bird dog.

Finally my buddy stumbled to the door, opened it, gazed blearily at me for a long moment and said, “Why are you out there in the cold?”

Had it been Marilyn Whirlwind coming to my rescue, she would’ve merely said, “White people; they get crazy.”

A TSUMANI OF THIRSTY DOGS The Dakotas, over the years, have tended to bring out the worst in me. It was a typical subzero day in South Dakota. All over the state, brass monkeys were clutching their groins. Ron and I were freezing, looking forward to the warmth of the motel where we were staying. Between us, we had five Brittanies. It did not occur to us that all water sources were frozen solid and the dogs, therefore, had gone a long time between hydration breaks.

The ground-floor motel fea-

tured a long corridor, and our room was about six or seven doors from the back entrance (which we were using so we could sneak the dogs in so they could enjoy the same conveniences as their owners). And they could, at long last, enjoy a leisurely drink provided by us from the washbasin into their individual dog bowls.

The dogs, however, had a different idea. When I keycarded the back entrance and opened the door, a tsunami of canine thirst burst past me, caromed down the hall and bulled their way into an open door (unfortunately, not ours).

I hustled down the hall after them to the open door, where I beheld a gentleman on the phone, dressed in a business suit and tie. The dogs, en masse, had veered into the bathroom and were noisily drinking from the toilet, a sound I had last heard at the base of Niagara Falls.

The man on the phone appeared to be on the verge of negotiating what for all I knew was a multi-million-dollar business deal and, judging from the toxic look he shot at me, he was not happy at this unforeseen interruption.

I gestured apologetically and whispered, “Come!

Come!” The man glared even louder, if it’s possible to glare loudly.

The dogs paid absolutely no attention, continuing to slake their overwhelming thirst.

There was nothing for it but to separate dog from toilet, but there also was no way I was going to corral five dogs at one time and remove them from the stranger’s room.

So I grabbed one collar and dragged that dog out the door, lugged it several doors farther down, managed to get the key card inserted in the slot with one hand, all the time wrestling the bucking and heaving thirst-crazed animal with the other hand. I threw the door open, tossed the dog in and sprinted back up the hall to the stranger’s room for another dog.

JUST ANOTHER DAY Five times this Buster Keaton comedy routine repeated itself before I ran out of dogs and, for the last time, out of the stranger’s room. As I left the man’s bathroom with the last dog in hand, I glanced down. The toilet bowl was totally empty.

Never once did the man pause in his intense phone conversation to, perhaps, quick-draw a .45 caliber pistol and begin shooting, although I wouldn’t have blamed him.

Ron, who had been busy at the vehicle gathering up our hunting gear, came in to behold five dogs and me, all panting as if we had just finished a marathon.

“What’s going on?” he asked.

“Just another day in the life,” I said.

Outdoor Guide

September-October 2019

Page 11

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Outdoor Guide

Page 12

September-October 2019

Jeannie’s Journey

Autumn a Mosaic of Beauty

Photo and Text

By JEANNIE FARMER

Ah, yes, lovely autumn. It’s a season richly endowed with its own mosaic of beautiful colors.

Some of the beauty this wonderful season possesses is like that of a deep rubyred sweet wine. The golden yellows, oranges, purples, browns and dark green foliage are tastefully, wonderfully and aesthetically pleasing

to the eye. This dramatic transformation from the green leaves of summer to the multi hues of fall is an extraordinary chain of events.

It is noted that as the temperature drops, leaves begin to change color. There are other interesting facts regarding this exceptional time of year.

Research indicates that each distinct leaf or tree is different from all the others.

They obtain their own individual chemistry.

During the spring and summer seasons, the green color on most leaves is generated by chlorophyll. Photosynthesis is the result of chlorophyll’s pigments gathering energy from sunlight.

NITROGEN’S ROLE One of the main components of chlorophyll is nitrogen. As the temperatures cool and days shorten, the production of chlorophyll is rapidly broken down. This ac-

tion causes a large amount of nitrogen to move back to the tree’s twigs, allowing it to be stored for next year’s growth.

The variety of yellows and oranges observed in nature’s coloring book is the effect of carotene compounds. They offer little in the process of photosynthesis and are present during the growing season. However, carotenoids are only seen when chlorophyll breaks down. Radiant colors are seen best when the fall

The author makes a fall memory by poking around under a tree.

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weather warms with sunny days and night temperatures drop between 32 degrees and 45 degrees.

REDS AND PURPLES Research continues to point out that the reds and purple colors of fall are the result of anthocyanins. These are created when sugars combine with compounds. The pigmentation of color produced by anthocyanins is due to the pH (acidity or alkalinity) of the cell sap in the leaves.

Typically, the acid pH is often red while, the action produced with more alkaline, purpleto-blue.

Sugar production is essential for forming anthocyanins and photosynthesis. Weather plays a significant role related to color. Autumn days of bright sunshine produce the highest color qualities. Photosynthesis is less on cloudy days. Rain can leach out anthocyanins and carotenoids from the leaves.

The result of the yellow, orange and red leaves is the effect of the different combinations of anthocyanins and corotenoids. They can appear on the same tree at the same time. However, the precise color of leaves a tree produces can vary from one year to the next.

WHAT TANNINS DO Tannins are responsible for the brown color seen on the leaves of oak trees, primarily in the forest. This occurs when both chlorophyll and carotenoids break down in the leaves. Light red or pink leaves can be produced by some oaks but are not found on native bur oaks.

The plants or trees that

are cone bearing are called conifers. These include pines, spruces, cedars, shrubs and evergreens. However, as noted, not all conifer, conebearing trees and shrubs are evergreen.

A variety of trees and shrubs are in the deciduous category, meaning they shed their leaves annually in the fall season. And there are others that have needles which change color in the fall, including the bald cypress, dawn redwood, larch and tamarack.

At the end of the growing season, the pine and spruce trees drop their older needles (those on the inner branches of the tree) to make room for new growth. This is a natural occurrence every year.

PEAK OF GRANDEUR It’s astonishing and amazing to learn the process of each individual step nature takes to create a colorful leaf.

How kind it is of autumn to invite us into its magical, pristine beauty of loveliness. It offers an array of kaleidoscopic treasures to embrace the season with deep affection.

Observing the performance of the red and golden leaves fluttering, swirling and spiraling to the ground is definitely entertaining. However, as they collect and begin to accumulate in heaps, thoughts of raking, raking and more raking can promote a headache. Some consider it a labor of love.

When the leaves are at their peak of grandeur, a journey into fall’s magical coloring book of wonder is provided and offers a time to celebrate with a festival of memories.

Outdoor Guide

September-October 2019

Page 13

CCI Poly .22 a Major Advancement

Photo and Text

By TJ MULLIN

What’s not to like about shooting a suppressed .22 rimfire weapon? The ammunition is inexpensive, the range facilities need not be too exotic, ranges are typically short (keeping walking or spotting issues to a minimum) and, of course, felt recoil is almost nonexistent.

Oh, yes, there is one thing troubling about shooting your .22 rimfire suppressed weapon: cleaning the suppressor due to the rapid buildup of lead and lubricant residue in the weapon – especially if you are using an integrally suppressed weapon.

It is a major project to get it cleaned so performance does not suffer. Most such weapons are supposed to be cleaned completely every 500 rounds or so. That is barely an afternoon’s shooting for most folks, especially when you go with a few family members who love to shoot that “quiet little .22” at the animal cracker targets which make ideal plinking targets.

Most integrally suppressed .22 weapons are not used by some exotic secret agent type or to harvest game after a societal meltdown but just to spend an enjoyable day of plinking. But cleaning your suppressor gets to be a major task and after only 500 rounds at that!

WHAT IF YOU DON’T? If you don’t clean it, it gets filled up with lead and lubricant residue getting heavier all the time, more noisy and less accurate.

This problem does not arise with our .223 suppressor, thanks to the jacketed bullets. But except for the jacketed .22 rimfire ammunition provided for the U.S. government during wartime to avoid Hague Convention

issues involving expanding ammunition, such ammunition is not available.

If it were, the issue would be solved but, of course, it would make another problem – barrel wear, for many rimfire rifle barrels are made of much softer steel than centerfire rifle barrels and jacketed bullets would accelerate wear.

But thanks to the recently released CCI Poly .22 ammunition, we are not faced with the choice of dirty weapons vs. worn-out barrels. The bullets on the CCI Poly .22 ammunition are coated with a polymer coating so the lead residue is markedly reduced.

LESS MESS, MORE LUBE The coating also serves as a lubricant so the sticky lubricant residue commonly found on .22 rimfire ammunition is missing. Thanks to these features, the mess that accumulates in a .22 rimfire suppressor with normal rimfire ammunition is missing. Extended firing sessions well in excess of the standard can now be enjoyed thanks to these features.

The ammunition is also subsonic so you will not get the ballistic “crack” which occurs with ammunition having a velocity in excess of the speed of sound (1100 fps basically).

Lastly, thanks to the production capability of CCI, the cost of the ammunition is only slightly more than that of standard rimfire ammunition. If we calculate the time spent cleaning your suppressor used with conventional ammunition and the supplies it takes to do the job properly, it may well be cheaper.

If you have a .22 rimfire suppressor (and everyone who sees one in operation wants one, in my experience), this is the ammunition you should use. It is a major advancement.

The new CCI Poly .22 ammunition makes cleaning quicker and easier.

This Season, Go With Tried & True for 70 Years

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• Will not harm gun bluing, case-coloring, gold inlays, camo-coatings, synthetics or wood stocks • Repels debris and grime build up • Perform in all Conditions • Made Proudly in the United States c a l l c l e n z o i l f o r f r e e s a m pl e w w w.c l e n z o i l .c o m

Ammunition is inexpensive for CCI Poly .22

Outdoor Guide

Page 14

September-October 2019

Your Guide to

GREAT GEAR

Abu Garcia’s New Revo EXD Reels Cast Further

Some extra distance on a cast can put a bait that much further from the fish-spooking boat, get a lure to run a bit deeper or give a bait a touch more time in the strike zone.

The new Abu Garcia Revo EXD Baitcasting Reels deliver these benefits, promising supreme casting distances using special design features.

The EXD has 11 high-performance bearings, including two custom EXD bearings on the spool shaft, along with a lightweight, machined EXD finesse spool providing low startup inertia and making it easier to cast lighter-weight baits. EXD is available in both right- and left-hand models and comes in 5.4:1 and 8.0:1 gear ratios.

All versions of the Abu Garcia Revo EXD retail for $299.95 and are expected to be available in September.

Irish Setter Offers New Collection of Big Game Hunting Boots

The original Irish Setter VaprTrek hunting boots became a top seller when they were launched in 2014 because they were 40 percent lighter than traditional big game hunting boots without sacrificing support or stability.

Irish Setter, a division of Red Wing, now introduces a new VaprTrek lineup, which is even lighter but with better traction on rough terrain, improved durability and outstanding all-day comfort.

The breathable and durable polyurethane memory-foam footbed offers all-day comfort but remains resilient. The uppers provide waterproof, full grain leather plus lightweight Rip Stop fabric and military-grade quick-dry linings to wick away foot moisture.

The nylon shank adds arch support and EnerG technology within the dual density midsole delivers extra comfort in the heel and forefoot impact zones.

Men’s and women’s VaprTrek boots list from $154.99 to $169.99. Men’s LS insulated boots are $199.99 and $209.99, and Snake Boots made to guard against fangs are $214.99 for men or women. For more information, go online to www. irishsetterboots.com.

Kauger AP Sportsman May Be the Ultimate All-Purpose Rifle

Just in time for the upcoming season, Kauger Arms introduces its all-new AP Sportsman Rifle, an all-purpose rifle built on the HS-Precision p-134/135 stock.

It has a wide, flat bottom for-end, which makes it perfect for a bench gun, but it also features a pistol grip, which makes it perfect for hunting.

Customers may choose from several bolt/handle combinations, with a choice of triggers and either a button rifled or single point cut rifled barrel. Buyers may also have their rifle bedded.

The AP Sportsman Rifle lists for $2,100. Go online to shop.kaugerarms.com

Rogue Backpack Won’t Give Away Hunter’s Location

Hunting packs are responsible for more blown hunts than perhaps any other piece of gear.

They can be notorious scent bombs, collecting and broadcasting all manner of odors that are unnatural and alarming to whitetails and other game.

Offering 2,285 cubic inches of storage s p a c e i n three compartments, the durable and lightweight Rogue Backpack features ScentLok’s proven Carbon Alloy technology for maximum odor absorption in the field.

Sized perfectly to hold all hunting essentials, including hydration pack and keychain flashlight, the Rogue is the ideal daypack for the stand or blind. Shoulder and waist straps are padded for comfort on long hikes.

The ScentLok Rogue 2285 Backpack is available in Realtree Edge or Mossy Oak Break-Up designs for $99.99. Go online to ScentLok.com.

Mojo Offers Mini Flag Decoys to Attract Geese And Ducks

Mojo Outdoors, maker of the innovative Flock a Flicker duck and dove decoys, now introduces Mini Flag decoys for dry-field waterfowl hunting.

The small, individually set flags give a realistic appearance of motion when scattered throughout the spread, attracting both ducks and geese.

The base unit includes the motor, battery pack, timer and switch, with a detachable, magnetically connected flag on a flexible cable. They can be mounted on poles as well. It operates 12 hours on four AA batteries.

Mojo Mini Flags are $139.99 per set including four 10” dark and four white flags. Go online to mojooutdoors.com.

Mossberg Semi-Auto Pistol Now Comes in Two-Tone Finish

Mossberg has released the new MC1sc (subcompact) 9mm handgun in a stainless two-tone finish, available in standardframe and cross-bolt safety frame versions. The two-tone version joins four other models of Mossberg’s first semi-auto pistols with a 3.4” stainless steel barrel.

The MC1sc features a bead-blasted, stainless-steel slide over a matte-black polymer frame. The slide has multi-angle serrations that provide positive slide manipulation and is topped with dovetail-mounted sights.

Other features are a flat-profile trigger with integrated blade safety, short, tactile reset, reduced over-travel and a 5- to 6-pound trigger pull weight.

For more information, go online to mossberg.com/category/series/mc1sc/. The MC1sc lists for $421.

Lew’s Mach Smash Combo Keeps Winning Awards and Buyers

The Mach Smash Combo from Lew’s Fishing is an eye-catching hot red color but is ready for hard duty at any time.

The Mach Smash SLP Baitcast Reel version features a one-piece lightweight graphite frame with three drain ports, high-strength solid brass speed gears, eight bearings, a 32mm spool and a 95mm handle with Lew’s Combat Grip paddle knobs for full control.

The Mach Smash Rod has a thinner diameter blank, which decreases weight and bulk. Premium IM6 high modulus graphite blank, Lew’s exclusive skeletal reel seat and Winn Dri-Tac grip with EVA butt section make the rod both sensitive and comfortable to fish.

It’s been named Best Rod & Reel Combo in the OCAST show for six straight years.

The Mach Smash Combo lists for $129.95 in left-hand and right-hand versions of 6’10” and 7.5:1 gear ratio.

It’s also offered as a spinning combo at $79.99. For more information, go online to lews.com.

Moultrie A300i Game Camera is Capable But Affordable

Moultrie’s A300i compact game camera is designed to be an ideal entry-level camera that is userfriendly, effective and reliable for scouting and feeder sites and for use with multiple cameras.

The camera has a .9” trigger speed, 12 megapixels, 50 feet of detection and flash range, invisible flash and HS video recording. Moultrie’s Illumni-Night sensor creates bright and clear night-time images.

The A300i operates on 8 AA batteries for up to 17,000 pictures and is compatible with Moultrie Mobile’s MV2 and MA2 cellular field modems.

The A300i lists for $89.95 and can be seen at moultriefeeders.com.

MinnowZ Swimbaits Now Wiggle in Two Bigger Sizes

The DieZel MinnowZ swimbait by Z-Man, now in 5” and 7” sizes, has it all – it’s amazingly soft, full of energy and fish appeal, but tough and long-lasting.

The original MinnowZ was so popular at 4” that its maker, Z-Man, added the two larger sizes. The tails are tweaked to self-activate at any retrieve speed, making the bait swim with high energy and more thumping.

At 4”, MinnowZ has been a favorite for bass, but the new 5” version will appeal to redfish especially and can be paired with a Redfish Eye jig. The biggest 7” is aimed at big predators like tarpon, cobia and big snook.

All three sizes have a hook-guiding belly slot. A split dorsal fin aligns the hook where it exits and partially hides the hookpoint.

DieZel MinnowZ is made in the U.S. in more than 30 colors.

Four-packs of the 5” baits list for $4.99 and three-packs of the 7” size are $6.99. See them online at zmanfishing.com.

Outdoor Guide

September-October 2019

Page 15

Wildlife Wrangling and Outdoor Ramblings

Back-Stabbers of September Leave Mark Photo and Text

By RANDALL P. DAVIS

September is always a special season of transition. The scorch of summer is waning.

The evenings are cool. The leaves begin to give up the green and display their true colors. Apples are ripening. Some hunting seasons begin. The wasps are vicious.

Now the Good Book says, “To all things a season, and there’s a time for every thing under the heavens.” But I often wonder if the Almighty really meant to includes the September Back-Stabbers? You know, insects of the stinging variety.

September is when hornets, yellow jackets, and other paper wasps are the grouchiest. Dad used to call them “high wingers” because when slightly disturbed, they would flare their wings, ready to launch an imminent assault. The colonies are at full capacity, and they dearly love to run a sneak attack … particularly against me.

I work with some form of wildlife nearly every day.

And I always keep safety and personal protection in mind.

But sometimes I drop my guard around home. You know, a man’s home is his castle, sanctuary, all that.

HARPOONED IN THE BACK It was about a year ago. I was in the kennel and had been working around one area for some time. Just when I was about finished, a paper wasp flies down from a discreet nest in the rafters and harpoons me right between the shoulder blades ... nearly knocked me down. It was like getting hit in the back by a major league fastball.

After pushing on to finish the task at hand – while vocalizing a vivid articulation about stinging insects that would have blushed the most salty naval personnel – I went to the house.

The swelling felt like I was slowly transforming into Quasimodo. And looking into the mirror I could clearly see a textbook example of how human flesh reacts to a healthy dose of wasp venom.

I went to the kitchen cabinet and found the meat tenderizer, made a thin paste with water and had my daughter liberally apply it to the wound. The pain quickly subsided and the swelling went down … an old beekeeper trick.

Afew hours later I was pretty much back to normal ... well, at least what is normal for me.

The wasps? I baptized the nest in the name of the Father, the Son and Black Flag.

But just about three days later, I had an encore.

ALL AT ONCE I’ve never been knocked to the ground by a stun gun.

Never been hit by lightning.

And I’ve never received one

of those knee-buckling karate chops to the neck doled out

by Hollywood tough guys.

But Mother Nature decided I needed to experience all three in one fell swoop.

It was the end of a long, hot day. I was tired, sweaty and just wanted to finish washing out two more dog pens so I could head to the house.

I squatted into a kneeling position to hose out the furthest recesses when I was gifted with a trifecta stun gun/lightning bolt/karate chop.

Apparently a lone, rogue wasp had a teeny-tiny nest on the back side of a rafter and really didn’t like my sanitary practices. So, in an instant, it dove down and went right between my grimy shirt collar and tender neck flesh. She then proceeded to have her own private pogo stick competition.

Now despite stiff knees, an aging back, and enough belly weight to blush a market hog, I sprang straight up like a startled armadillo and whirled about, producing moves even pole dancers haven’t thought of yet.

WATER HOSE? These rapid gyrations were earning no relief, so I used the only weapon I had – the water hose.

I made an agitated swipe up over my head and across my neck. This, of course, dislodged my hat, sunglasses and regular glasses and filled my ear with a jet of cold water. However, it did flush away the wasp.

So here I was – stung, soaked from the shoulders up, one ear plugged with water and I couldn’t see because my glasses were on the ground.

Through bleary vision I did make out the offending insect trying to crawl off the concrete, and I eagerly introduced it to the sole of my boot. But being visually impaired, my depth perception was off, and not only did I hit the wasp, the forceful downward thrust clipped the earpiece of my glasses and catapulted them way off in the grass.

So I was standing there, water hose still gushing, couldn’t see, barely could hear, wet, glasses lost, neck throbbing ... all within 10 seconds. I finally gathered everything up, finished the job and went to the house.

SHE DOESN’T BELIEVE IT My wife put an ice pack on my neck. She could hardly believe the story... and I understood why.

The next morning, my neck was swollen like a buck deer in rut. My knees and back were screaming from all the extracurricular activity.

I was thinking, “I’ve got the rest of September to endure.”

And yes, I have a case of Bee Bop on order. ‘Tis the season, you know.

A couple of wasps make the best of their situation.

SEPTEMBER 27-29, 2019

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Outdoor Guide

Page 16

September-October 2019

Key On Shallow, Isolated Cover for Bass

By JOHN NEPORADNY JR. Lake of the Ozarks guide Jack Uxa has a simple game plan for anglers to follow during autumn – targeting shallow, isolated cover.

“Spend five minutes idling in the back of some no-wake cove because you know there is one big stump or log back there,” he said.

“If it is isolated cover, a big bass can take ownership of that and the fish can be a like a little bulldog and come up

and eat a buzz bait or some other type of reaction bait like a square-bill (crankbait) or you can pitch a jig to it.”

gua and the various creeks up the Osage arm. Uxa notes that anglers wanting to fish the lower lake near Alhonna

“You are going to fail about 90 percent of the time, but it only takes one big fish.”

– Jack Uxa The most productive shallow cover during autumn will be in the upper sections of the Grand Glaize, Linn Creek, Niangua, Little Nian-

Resort can try Buck and Blue creeks or run up the Gravois arm.

Uxa concentrates on the 20- to 30-mile mark of the

Jack Uxa, at left, suggests targeting isolated cover less than two feet deep.

GREAT WEATHER IS HERE! Time To Hit The Range

Osage arm because that is the area he frequently works through his business, Jack’s Guide Service, at Tan-Tar-A Resort. He suggests visiting anglers should also try

people are going to be making ‘somewhat OK’ casts but you want your cast to enter the water really nice and quiet.”

The guide also recom-

“There is somewhere on this lake where they are going to catch them.”

–JackUxa

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familiar waters. “Go fish the area you know the best.

That way you can adapt the best,” he advised.

Isolated cover less than two feet deep on flats in the backs of the creeks will hold the best fish. Uxa recommends trolling around to find isolated logs, stumps, docks, sunken boat lifts, small stickups – and any stuff your trolling motor knocks into – that are below the surface. The most productive cover will be near deeper water.

“A lot of the spots are not going to be good,” he warned. “You are going to fail about 90 percent of the time, but it only takes one big fish.”

SHAD AND BAITFISH The presence of schools of shad or scattered baitfish will enhance the targeted area. “Baitfish are going to be just about everywhere in October,” Uxa said.

On the initial approach to a piece of shallow cover, anglers should run a buzz bait or fast-moving topwater plug over the target, according to Uxa. Then they should follow up with a jig or another slow-moving lure, such as a Texas-rigged Brush Hog or 10-inch plastic worm.

Uxa favors a black buzz bait for his surface presentation and pitches a halfounce jig in a peanut butter and jelly hue with a green pumpkin Berkley Powerbait Chigger Chunk when he wants to probe into the cover. He prefers the heavy jig for a faster fall to trigger reaction strikes.

“How that lure enters the water is really going to be critical,” Uxa said. “A lot of

mends fishing the entire length of a shallow log and at different angles, because a big bass could be holding anywhere on the piece of cover.

BEWARE TURNOVER One detriment to fishing shallow during October is the dreaded turnover. “Our fall could be different this year,” Uxa said. “Since the water temp was cooler in August, the turnover could be earlier this year – and maybe not as intense.”

The guide notes that turnover doesn’t occur everywhere on the lake at the same time and that the lake is big enough to find areas unaffected by this fall phenomenon.

“If you are out there and nothing is going on, somewhere on this lake it is too good to keep it down for too long,” he said. “There is somewhere on this lake where they are going to catch them.”

Anyone coming to the lake for the first time should consider hiring a guide to learn more about the lake. “I will teach you a lot about where to go, where the resorts are or if there are any dangerous areas where you need to idle,” Uxa said. “I can definitely help you out there. If you have never fished docks or humps before, I can help you do that.”

Copies of John Neporadny’s book, “The Lake of the Ozarks Fishing Guide,” are available; call (573) 365-4296 or go online to www.jnoutdoors.com. For information on Lake of the Ozarks or for a free vacation guide, call the Convention & Visitors Bureau at 1-800-FUN-LAKE or go online to funlake.com.

Outdoor Guide

September-October 2019

Page 17

Fishing with Father, Memory of a Lifetime

By RICHARD W. AITES

The slight chill and dense layer of fog that blanketed the valley corridor in northwestern Pennsylvania that April lifted as the dawning sun and its warming glow reached beyond the steep wooded hills. When the surrounding terrain came into light, wild rose, jackin-the-pulpit and day lilies swayed in the early morning breeze.

Along with the breeze came the fresh scent of mountain mint and juniper. Sugar Creek, named for the abundance of sugar maples that grew along its banks, was more a river than a creek. More than 100 yards across at its widest points, the meandering stream was full of swift rapids, swirling pockets and deep pools. Smallmouth bass, rainbow trout and walleyed pike thrived in this clean, cold-water tributary of the mighty Allegheny.

No longer absorbed in the panoramic view of the place, I watched my father, with his trembling hands and callused fingers, struggle to tie the flashy spinner onto the end of his line. He then carefully made his way across the swift current and planted himself several yards above the wide pool.

While the turbulent water slapped at the rubber waders above his knees, he cast his line

into the murky green depths.

The shiny blade of the spinner fluttered, mimicking a dying or wounded minnow.

FIRST BITE Several casts later, a fish snatched the lure and my father firmly set the hook. Its powerful, bullet-shaped body darted up and down the stream, nonetheless hampered by the strong current.

The drag from his reel whined a loud, mechanical hymn as the fish fought to break free. On two occasions it leaped completely out of the water, its olive and silver flanks and bright crimson stripes revealing a big rainbow.

I witnessed the delight in my father’s face as he allowed the fish to wear itself down a few more minutes before reeling in the three-pound trout. He then reached down, grabbed the salmonid by its hooked bottom jaw and raised it high above the water for us both to admire.

“You’re quite the fisherman, Dad! Of course, you always were,” I loudly proclaimed.

He thanked me for the compliment before unhooking the thrashing fish and admiring it some more. It was the first time in quite a while that I’d seen such excitement in my father’s face. It was also the first time in nearly three decades that we

Another young man and his father try their luck on a cool, misty morning. – John Sloan photo

had fished together.

LESSONS ABOUT NATURE When I was a boy, he’d brought me here often. It was my father who introduced me to the wonders of nature.

When he wasn’t working and I wasn’t in school, we hunted and explored the surrounding hills, fished the streams and hiked the trails that sliced and slithered across the pristine Allegheny National Forest.

Though he rarely spoke about God or religion and never attended church, my father had a great respect and admiration for nature. He believed that the glorious creator

of such wonders wouldn’t be found within buildings made of brick and mortar or wood and stone, but within the very majesty of his own creation.

And I agreed, for in my youth, could see God’s fingerprints in the leaves of the mighty stands of timber. I could find his footprints amid the clutter of the forest floor and I could hear his glorious voice in the gentle but constant breeze that swept through the flora of the valley corridor. Sometimes I could even see his divine reflection in the shimmering, mirror-like waters of the creek.

AGE TAKES A TOLL But now I am middle-aged,

and my mind and heart are no longer open to such things.

Though I still believe in God, my progression into adulthood has caused me to doubt, and it is that foolish skepticism that has cursed me, causing me to lose the gift I possessed as a boy.

My father, now in his mid60s, appeared much older.

He’d been a hardy man who’d endured the rigorous lifestyle of raising a large family, retiring from a sweltering machine shop and playing hard in nature, but things had changed. The sudden passing of my mother, along with his ailing back and painful arthritis, had greatly diminished his passion for the outdoors.

Two hours later, the olivedrab canvas bag that my father had slung over his shoulder was crammed full of fish. My measly contribution was a scrawny brown trout. I had also lost two or three lures to snags. When we finished, Dad offered to fry the fish as lunch for me and my family.

Regretfully, I declined, reminding him that we had to leave within the hour because my wife had to work the following morning and a 10-hour drive back to St. Louis awaited.

With that revelation I could see the subtle disappointment in his face.

A DISTANT WHISPER Four and a half

years later, I returned to Pennsylvania, but this time I fished alone.

As the autumn sun dipped below the crimson and goldcolored hills and the shadows of the valley crept further up the stream, I tossed in my line.

My old Mitchell spinning reel and ultra-light fishing rod felt good in my hands as I quickly retrieved the chartreuse spinner bait.

Two casts later a fish aggressively snatched the lure, engulfing the sleek, metallic body and three-pronged hook.

Then, like a rocket, it jetted into the depths below. Before I could react however, something else caught my attention.

Amid the sound of the turbulent waters and the cooling breeze sweeping through the trees, I thought I heard a voice – a subtle voice, barely audible. A distant memory perhaps, distant, yet so near.

Like in a fleeting whisper, I was instructed to set the hook, to keep the line tight and to let the fish fight until it tired and lost the will to fight on. But it also stressed that I respect and admire the strength and resilience of this wonderful creature, just as I had as a boy. I later realized that it was my father’s voice, from my childhood.

Darkness enveloped the surrounding landscape as I See Memory page 18

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HUGE SELECTION OF

SIDE-BY-SIDES

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

Page 18

Outdoor Guide

September-October 2019

Wild Wine Life

Venison Great for Meatballs

Photo and Text

By RAY MAXWELL

If you would like to try something with venison other than burgers and chili, try venison meatballs the next time you are having pasta.

I have found them to be more tender and less greasy than beef. This a preferred side dish at the house when having pasta.

VENISON MEATBALLS • 1 pound of ground venison

(I prefer it without any pork mixed into the meat) • 3/4 cup breadcrumbs • 1/4 cup parmesan cheese

(Shredded works best)

• 1 teaspoon Worchestershire sauce • 1/8 cup water • 1/3 cup chopped shallots • 1 egg • 1 teaspoon each, adjusting

to taste, of salt, black pepper, basil and garlic powder.

Mix the ingredients together and roll into balls. Place the

meatballs onto a tray and bake at 400 degrees in a preheated oven. Depending on the size of the meatballs, it should take 20 minutes or less.

Allow the meatballs to soak and simmer in your favorite pasta sauce when you are cooking pasta next time.

Two wines for consideration to pair with this dish and pasta are Meramec Vineyards Norton and La Lecciaia Brunello Di Montacino. Both have the ability to stand up the venison while complementing the pasta sauce.

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

Renovation Delayed by Flood Major flooding this spring and summer along the Osage River in western Missouri has delayed a major renovation of wetlands and a lake at the Department of Conservation’s (MDC) Schell-Osage Conservation Area.

But the project will move forward as weather and soil conditions permit, said Chris Daniel, MDC wildlife management biologist. Some waterfowl hunting will be available at waterfowl hunting zones through self-registration at area headquarters. There will not be a morning drawing for hunting positions during the 2019-2020 duck season.

The improvements to the lake, its levees and a water pump for adjacent wetlands will improve fishing and wetland habitat for a range of species including waterfowl and shorebirds.

Some $4.5 million in federal and grant funds from the North American Wetlands

• Memory

Conservation Act, MDC and Ducks Unlimited (DU) and other conservation partners will make the area better for waterfowl, wildlife watchers, hunters, and anglers.

The area was closed to waterfowl hunting during the 2018-2019 seasons so the project could begin. Schell Lake and wetlands were drained. But severe flooding starting last October and persisting through August in the Osage River basin has delayed construction work.

HUNTING, WITH LIMITS Some traditional hunting pools will again be open for hunter use during the coming waterfowl seasons, Daniel said.

But hunters should expect limited water and habitat, as well as unprepared blinds until project completion. Portions may be closed to the public intermittently due to construction, so please check for updates at area headquarters.

from page 17

struggled with the fish over the next several minutes, its thick, powerful body thrashing violently as I reeled it in. When I finally lifted the 20-inch rainbow trout from the water, I was overcome with emotion.

THE KINGDOM INSIDE It wasn’t the excitement or exhilaration of such a magnificent catch that overwhelmed me but something else, something that brought tears to my

eyes. I realized how much I truly had missed fishing with my father.

Shortly after releasing the beautiful fish back into the creek, I recalled one conversation in particular (from some 30 years earlier), in which my father’s words echoed these from the Gospel of St. Thomas: If your leaders tell you the Kingdom is in the sky, then the birds of the sky shall precede you. If they tell you it is in the

Renovation work will continue as weather allows. A project completion date has not been determined. Levees will be reconfigured with designs that are less prone to flood damage, new water control structures will be installed, a pump will be added to improve water management, and Schell Lake will be improved for fishing. Schell Lake is not currently available to anglers.

The waterfowl hunting zones are closed to all uses except waterfowl hunting from Oct. 15 to Feb. 15. The wildlife refuge and waterfowl refuge closures are posted and remain in effect on the same acreage as in the past. Access to these areas will be closed from Oct. 15 to March 1. Anglers are still able to fish in Atkinson Lake, except when it is closed as refuge.

The public can follow plans and work progress via a periodically updated webpage short.mdc.mo.gov/Z5C.

sea, then the fish shall precede you. But I’ll tell you the Kingdom of God is inside of you and all around you. Split a piece of wood and I am there; lift a stone and you will find me.

It was with this recollection of words, along with the fond memories of my youth, that the tears subsided and my faith was restored.

Dedicated to my father, William R. Aites, born Nov. 30, 1947, died July 10, 2019.

September-October 2019

Outdoor Guide

Page 19

Page 20

Outdoor Guide

September-October 2019

Camping Gear & Gadgets Bindle Bottle Comes In Six Colors, Carries Stuff, too Bindle Bottle, the award-win-

ning, 20-ounce refillable bottle that keeps liquids hot or cold for hours and carries your stuff, too, now comes in eight different looks, including two camo designs.

The basic bottle, dual-walled and vacuum-insulated, lists for $39 and comes in glacier blue, coral, black, lemonade, avocado and gray, while the coral and green camo versions are $44.

The waterporoof storage compartment is about 3” around and can hold an ID or credit card securely.

The 24-ounce size is the same price. Special lids are offered for sipping coffee or using a straw.

See and order Bindle Bottles at bindlebottle.com

Helinox Offers Lightweight, Packable Hiking Chair and Cot Helinox is ready for your next hiking trip, especially

if it’s overnight. Chair Zero is a game changer for any long-distance hikers. At 1 pound, it’s smaller and lighter than a water bottle and has a quick and easy setup when you’re ready to kick back and relax. It’s available in gray, sand or black.

Lite Cot is the best solution for overnight treks, a full-length, elevated cot that packs down to a tight cylinder of only 2 pounds.

Chair Zero is $120 and Lite Cot is $250. See them online at helinox.com.

Ramble Down Blanket Brings Comfort Outdoors The new Ramble Down Blan-

The iBall Digital Pro Wireless Hitch Camera allows for an easy trailer-toball connection, every time.

Its new XC Digital Pro signal provides unsurpassed video clarity and powerful transmission, even through metal surfaces, up to 100 feet.

The 3.5” color LCD is powered by any 12-volt auxiliary outlet, while the wireless hitch camera attaches to any metallic surface with an extrastrength magnetic mount and is powered by a rechargeable lithium ion battery.

The iBall Digital Pro Wireless Hitch Camera lists for $169.99 at AquaVu.com.

Zeus is a portable jumpstarter that doubles – no, “triples” – as a flashlight and USB charger.

With 20,000 milli-amps, Zeus carries enough power to start even the largest trucks multiple times. As a charger, Zeus can take your iPhone from zero to 100 percent at least 10 times.

As a flashlight, Zeus can supply light for days on end.

This portable battery charger gets you back on the road when no one’s on the other end of the jumper cables, fully recharges your power tools, and revives your dead devices if no power supply is near. Charge Zeus at home or on the road and feel safe.

Zeus comes in a nylon, hard-shell carry case and lists for $149.99 at unchartedsupplyco.com.

Warthog Knife Cuts Or Carves Without Poking Holes American Buffalo Knife & Tool has introduced the Warthog folding knife, good for cutting or for carving, in its Elite Series.

The Warthog has a straight-edged front blade and a back spine that curves down to meet the straight edge.

The flat cutting edge provides a clean cut, especially on flat cutting surfaces. Its strength at the point of the blade makes it a good tool for wood carving, cutting chews out of tobacco plugs, rope cutting and belt cutting. It’s good for scoring or marking wood.

Warthog is available for $34.99 at abktinc.com/ warthog-folding-knife/

ket, by Therm-a-Rest, is cut large but packs small, providing queen-size camping comfort with room to spare.

The blanket balances luxurious comfort with the technical demands of life outdoors. The blanket uses 650-fill Nikwax Hyroponic Down to hold off the morning dew and other moisture.

It’s also Responsible Down Standard Certified to show that waterfowl in the supply chain are humanely treated.

The Ramble Down Blanket can be found, listing at $259.95, with other blanket and quilt products, starting at $69.95, at thermarest.com.

iBall Trailer Hitch Camera Helps Make a Connection

Zeus Jump-Starter Is USB Charger, Flashlight, too

PackTowl Introduces Fast-Drying Personal Towels

PackTowl, maker of quick-drying and lightweight microfiber towels for adventurers, offers the versatile Personal PackTowl.

Its absorbent and fast-drying performance make it great for camping, travel, fitness and swimming, and it stays fresh longer with Polygeine odor control.

The microfiber fabric feels soft and smooth and soaks up to four times its weight in water. And then it dries 70 percent faster than cotton towels, even though it takes up less space.

Personal PackTowl is at packtowl.com and comes in face, hand body and beach sizes, with prices ranging from $9.95 to $34.95.

Pop-Up Tents Keep Two or Four Campers Dry

Coleman’s Pop-Up Tent, in two-person or four-person sizes, takes only 10 seconds to set up using pre-assembled poles. Taped floor seams keep campers dry even when ground is wet, and a multi-position rainfly ventilates and protects from bad weather.

The tents pack flat for storage and come with two storage pockets to organize gear. Center height is 2’11” for two people, 3’4” for four.

Length is 9’2” in the four-person and 7’6” in the twoperson. Widths are 6’6” and 4’5”.

Coleman’s two-person Pop-Up Tent lists for $64.99 and the four-person version is 84.99, available at coleman. com.

September-October 2019

Outdoor Guide

Page 21

Celebrating 49 Years

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www.vancityrv.com

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Outdoor Guide

Page 22

September-October 2019

A Little Knowledge Helps in Buying an RV

By THAYNE SMITH

Pity the person who starts shopping for a first “camper” but has never been exposed to the language of the recreation vehicle world.

Imagine potential buyers – a farmer, shop owner or housewife – entering a dealership and telling a friendly, smiling salesman that they are interested in a “camper,” as RVs are universally called.

It’s a good bet that the salesman will soon be expounding on the many virtues of motor homes, mini-motor homes, van conversions, fold-downs, slide-ins and fifth wheels.

Is it any wonder that the potential buyer is utterly confused? And, the confusion has just started if the potential buyer has not done the proper homework.

The RV business has more abbreviations, terms and un-

usual words than the Army, Air Force, Navy and Marines combined.

It rivals, in fact, the U.S. government, which has an abbreviation for everything, or a dozen truck drivers all telling jokes at the same time on CB channel 19.

IN OTHER WORDS… Many of the words common to the RV lifestyle are not found elsewhere, either.

Abbreviations, of course, are an American tradition, ranging from AAA (short for American Automobile Association) to ZIP (used by the US Postal Service, meaning Zoning Improvement Plan which supposedly helps speed mail delivery).

Thus, simply put, you’ve got to get involved to know about the terms applied to the various kinds and types of RVs available on today’s market.

Jayco calls its Class C Seneca the ‘ultimate RV for any road trip.’

Sportsmobile’s Metris Terra Camper Edition is based on the Mercedes-Benz Metris passenger van.

If this causes questions, let’s start by explaining that “RV” itself is an abbreviation for “recreational vehicle.” Likewise, CB is an abbreviation for “citizens band,” the two-way, short-range radio system that is popular with both truckers and RV users.

RV TERMINOLOGY RV, of course, covers many types and styles of “campers” designed for road and highway movement, use in many kinds and styles of campgrounds, or as a dwelling at some favorite hunting or fishing site, providing temporary (and sometimes permanent) living quarters for recreation, travel, camping and seasonal use.

RVs means more than one of the aforementioned. They

come in two basic configurations – self-propelled and towable. Some call the “park model” a third style.

Other common RV abbreviations include: • RVers: People who use RVs. • RVing: Using RVs. • RV lifestyle: A popular term for the many ways RVs are used, ranging from a tailgate party at a football game to “fulltime” traveling across North America by a retired couple. Lucky, too, are those who live in the north and travel south in winter to escape cold climes. They have long been known as “snowbirds.”

There are a variety of names for the various RVs, too.

They’re sometimes referred to as “freedom machines” and

“vacation lodges.”

Each has more than one handle. For instance, motor homes come in three distinct styles, are self-propelled and have all the living and traveling features that buyers generally desire.

Class A units are the big guys, with bodies built around the entire frame and chassis. In appearance, they’re similar to a streamlined bus, without all the side windows.

You would think the Class B would be the next one down in size, but that’s not the case.

It’s the little one – the van conversion, called “Van Camper” or “RV Van.” They’re simply full-size automotive vans with camping conveniences added.

CLASSY CHASSIS The last with a letter designation is the Class C, also known widely as a “minimotor home,” sometimes called a “cab-over” or “chassis mount.”

The uninformed often confuse “motor homes” with “mobile homes,” which they are not. Mobile homes are multiple-room residences constructed at a factory and moved by semi-trailer truck to a permanent “trailer park” or other site.

Tremendously popular in recent years is the “Fifth Wheel.” It utilizes a pickup

truck for towing, with a hitching device located in the truck’s bed. The trailer can be parked, set up for use and unhitched easily, freeing the pickup to be employed for other activities.

“Travel trailers” are prominent, too. Also called “pull trailers,” they are the leaders of the towable units.

FIRST-TIME BUYERS Next, the camping trailer, often called the “Folding Camping Trailer,” or “folddown,” also known as the “tent camper” or “pop-up.”

Whatever you call it, it is America’s most popular firsttime buyer unit.

The pickup camper, still popular with sportsmen who prefer to venture to out-ofthe-way places but have the comforts and conveniences of home, is also called the “slide-in” or “slide-out.” Either way, it fits in the bed of a pickup truck.

Park models, also called “country estates,” are really not RVs. Resembling a cross between a travel trailer and a mobile home, they’re constructed on a trailer frame then towed to a “destination” site to become a permanent cottage or living quarters.

Regardless of the final choice, buyer homework can pay big dividends.

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Outdoor Guide

September-October 2019

Page 23

EXPERIENCE ELLINGTON missouri

&Listen bugle for the

e l l i n g ton mo . com Hike the ozark trail

1

~ Only 2 Hours South of St. Louis ~

Clearwater Lake and Webb Creek Recreation Area - Hwy H

–Late summer and early fall is when a cracklin’ campfire feels the best. Bring the family to camp, boat, fish, and unwind on crystal clear Clearwater Lake this fall. This area of the lake is formed where Webb Creek and Logan Creek empty into Ozark Campfire Clearwater Lake. It is known for its crappie, catfish and bass fishing with fun for the entire family. 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 573-4612344 for marina, boat rental and campsite information or visit www.recreation.gov to make reservations. Six campsites with lake views are open year round, no amenities are provided in the park after September 15. If you are interested in all the conveniences of home call Webb Creek Cabins for cabin rentals, 573-461-2244.

Black River and K Bridge 2 Recreation Area

- K Hwy – Float, canoe, fish and explore the beautiful Black River this fall. Enjoy swimming, camping and picnicking right on the banks of the Black River. K Bridge Recreation Area and Campground offers playground, showers, electric and comfort Black River station, visit www.recreation.gov to make reservations. Campsites not gated off are open year round, park amenities are not provided after September 15. 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 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 fall!

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, or a short .25 mile walk from Blue Spring parking area. The spring may also be accessed by an easy hike along the river from Powder Mill Recreation Area, hike approx. 2.2 miles round trip.

5 Rocky Falls

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

6 Current River Conservation Area

–Consists of 28,000 acres of state land. Deer, turkey, eagles, elk and a multitude of wildlife can be seen. UTV’s, ATV’s and vehicle traffic are welcome on miles of gravel roads and trails 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. Primitive camping is available. Elk viewing and maps of the area 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.

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 Copeland-Shy House happy to answer questions; Open Mar-Nov, T-F 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 and Blair Creek fun. Entrance located North of Hwy 106 across from Blue Spring entrance.

10 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 Klepzig Mill located right on the trail. For the adventurous visitor this is a must!

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 Elk park closing details. Maps are available at park entrance.

2

9 10 4

8 Scenic Highway 106

- This 26 mile drive between Ellington and Eminence is known state wide for its scenic views and beauty, and is especially a favorite in the fall.

This section of highway is also home to the Trans-America 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.

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

Page 24

Outdoor Guide Magazine

September-October 2019

SEPT 13 - 15

September-October 2019

Outdoor Guide Magazine

APACHE VILLAGE RV 9001 Dunn Rd., Hazelwood, MO Class A Motorhomes: Fleetwood, Jayco Precept, Jayco Alante Diesel Motorhomes: Fleetwood Pace Arrow, Fleetwood Discovery Class C Mini: Jayco Melbourne, 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 Fifth-Wheels: Jayco Eagles, Jayco Northpoint, Jayco Pinnacle

BILL THOMAS CAMPER SALES 101 Thomas RV Way, Wentzville, MO Class B: Airstream Interstate, Airstream Atlas Sport Utility Trailers: Momentum by Grand Design Travel Trailers: all Airstream travel trailers including Nest and Basecamp, Rockwood by Forest River, Reflection and Imagine Transcend by Grand Design, Open Range, MPG by Cruiser Fifth-Wheels: Solitude and Reflection by Grand Design, Columbus by Forest River, Open Range

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BOURBON RV CENTER 133 Old Springfield Rd., Bourbon, MO Travel Trailers: Dutchmen Aerolite, Gulf Stream Ameri-Lite, Gulf Stream Conquest, KZ Connect, KZ Connect SE, KZ Escape, KZ Escape Mini, KZ Sportsmen, KZ Sportsmen LE, KZ Sportsmen SE, KZ Sportsmen Classic, KZ Sportsmen Classic SE, Riverside RV Mt. McKinley, Riverside RV Retro, Venture RV Sonic, Venture RV Sonic Lite, Venture RV SportTrek, Venture RV Stratus Fifth-Wheels: CrossRoads RV Cameo, CrossRoads RV Redwood, Dutchmen Astoria, Heartland ElkRidge, Heartland ElkRidge Focus, KZ Sportsmen, Riverside RV Retro Toy Haulers: KZ Sportsmen Classic, Riverside RV Retro

BYERLY RV CENTER 295 E 5th St., Eureka, MO Class A Motorhomes: Tiffin Allegro Open Road, Thor ACE, Thor Vegas, Thor Windsport, Winnebago Vista, Winnebago Adventurer Class A Diesel: Tiffin Allegro Bus, Tiffin Phaeton, Tiffin Allegro Red, Winnebago Forza, Tiffin Allegro Breeze Class B Motorhomes: Winnebago Revel Class C Motorhomes: Thor Four Winds, Thor Siesta, Tiffin Wayfarer, Winnebago View, Thor Gemini Sport Utility Motorhomes: Thor Outlaw Class A, Thor Outlaw Class C Sport Utility Trailers: Forest River Wildwood, Forest River No Boundries Travel Trailers: Keystone Passport, Keystone Hideout, Forest River Wildwood, Keystone Laredo, Keystone Sprinter, Forest River R-Pod, No Boundaries, East to West Della Terra Fifth-Wheels: Vanleigh Vilano, Coachmen Chaparral, Keystone Sprinter, Keystone Hideout, Keystone Laredo, Coachmen Brookstone

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, Shasta Folding Camping Trailers: A-liner

MIDDLETON’S RV 3441 US 67, Festus, MO Sport Utility Trailers: Keystone, Fuzion, Fuzion Impact, Fuzion Vapor, Springdale Tailgator, Forest River, Vengeance Touring Edition, Vengeance Platinum, Vengeance Rogue Travel Trailers: Forest River, Flagstaff Classic, Super Lite, Micro Lite, Shamrock E-Pro. Keystone Springdale, Springdale Mini, Nucamp, T@G,T@B,T@B 400, Little Guy, Max Mini Max, My Pod Camping Trailers: Flagstaff Mac, Se, Classic, High Wall, Hard Side, Opus, Opus Air Fifth-Wheels: Forest River, Flagstaff Classic and Super Lite, Keystone, Springdale

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, Clipper V-Trec, XLR Hyperlite, HXL Boost, 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, Keystone Montana Legacy Folding Campers: Coachmen Clipper, Coachmen V-Trec, Coachmen Clipper Express

VAN CITY RV 3100 Telegraph Rd., St. Louis, MO Class B Diesel: Chinook Countryside & Bayside, Roadtrek Etrek, RS & CS Adventurous, 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: Isata 4 Class B Camper Van: Roadtrek, Pleasure Way Lexor TS Class Super C: Renegade Verona, Verona LE, Valencia, Classic, Explorer, XL, Dynamax DX3, Dynaquest XL, Force HD

COLMAN’S COUNTRY CAMPERS

m p 8 m a 0 1 Y A D R U T A S & Y A D I R F m p 5 m a 0 SUNDAY 1 er vehicle 5p Parking: $

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

47 WEST TRAILER SALES 26 Dream Hollow, Troy, MO Sport Utility Trailers: Cherokee, Grey Wolf, Wolf Pack Travel Trailers: Grey Wolf, Wolf Pup, Cherokee, Alpha Wolf, KZ Connect Fifth-Wheels: Cherokee, Arctic Wolf, Sabre

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Outdoor Guide Magazine

September-October 2019

SEPT 13 - 15

September-October 2019

Outdoor Guide Magazine

APACHE VILLAGE RV 9001 Dunn Rd., Hazelwood, MO Class A Motorhomes: Fleetwood, Jayco Precept, Jayco Alante Diesel Motorhomes: Fleetwood Pace Arrow, Fleetwood Discovery Class C Mini: Jayco Melbourne, 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 Fifth-Wheels: Jayco Eagles, Jayco Northpoint, Jayco Pinnacle

BILL THOMAS CAMPER SALES 101 Thomas RV Way, Wentzville, MO Class B: Airstream Interstate, Airstream Atlas Sport Utility Trailers: Momentum by Grand Design Travel Trailers: all Airstream travel trailers including Nest and Basecamp, Rockwood by Forest River, Reflection and Imagine Transcend by Grand Design, Open Range, MPG by Cruiser Fifth-Wheels: Solitude and Reflection by Grand Design, Columbus by Forest River, Open Range

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BOURBON RV CENTER 133 Old Springfield Rd., Bourbon, MO Travel Trailers: Dutchmen Aerolite, Gulf Stream Ameri-Lite, Gulf Stream Conquest, KZ Connect, KZ Connect SE, KZ Escape, KZ Escape Mini, KZ Sportsmen, KZ Sportsmen LE, KZ Sportsmen SE, KZ Sportsmen Classic, KZ Sportsmen Classic SE, Riverside RV Mt. McKinley, Riverside RV Retro, Venture RV Sonic, Venture RV Sonic Lite, Venture RV SportTrek, Venture RV Stratus Fifth-Wheels: CrossRoads RV Cameo, CrossRoads RV Redwood, Dutchmen Astoria, Heartland ElkRidge, Heartland ElkRidge Focus, KZ Sportsmen, Riverside RV Retro Toy Haulers: KZ Sportsmen Classic, Riverside RV Retro

BYERLY RV CENTER 295 E 5th St., Eureka, MO Class A Motorhomes: Tiffin Allegro Open Road, Thor ACE, Thor Vegas, Thor Windsport, Winnebago Vista, Winnebago Adventurer Class A Diesel: Tiffin Allegro Bus, Tiffin Phaeton, Tiffin Allegro Red, Winnebago Forza, Tiffin Allegro Breeze Class B Motorhomes: Winnebago Revel Class C Motorhomes: Thor Four Winds, Thor Siesta, Tiffin Wayfarer, Winnebago View, Thor Gemini Sport Utility Motorhomes: Thor Outlaw Class A, Thor Outlaw Class C Sport Utility Trailers: Forest River Wildwood, Forest River No Boundries Travel Trailers: Keystone Passport, Keystone Hideout, Forest River Wildwood, Keystone Laredo, Keystone Sprinter, Forest River R-Pod, No Boundaries, East to West Della Terra Fifth-Wheels: Vanleigh Vilano, Coachmen Chaparral, Keystone Sprinter, Keystone Hideout, Keystone Laredo, Coachmen Brookstone

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, Shasta Folding Camping Trailers: A-liner

MIDDLETON’S RV 3441 US 67, Festus, MO Sport Utility Trailers: Keystone, Fuzion, Fuzion Impact, Fuzion Vapor, Springdale Tailgator, Forest River, Vengeance Touring Edition, Vengeance Platinum, Vengeance Rogue Travel Trailers: Forest River, Flagstaff Classic, Super Lite, Micro Lite, Shamrock E-Pro. Keystone Springdale, Springdale Mini, Nucamp, T@G,T@B,T@B 400, Little Guy, Max Mini Max, My Pod Camping Trailers: Flagstaff Mac, Se, Classic, High Wall, Hard Side, Opus, Opus Air Fifth-Wheels: Forest River, Flagstaff Classic and Super Lite, Keystone, Springdale

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, Clipper V-Trec, XLR Hyperlite, HXL Boost, 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, Keystone Montana Legacy Folding Campers: Coachmen Clipper, Coachmen V-Trec, Coachmen Clipper Express

VAN CITY RV 3100 Telegraph Rd., St. Louis, MO Class B Diesel: Chinook Countryside & Bayside, Roadtrek Etrek, RS & CS Adventurous, 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: Isata 4 Class B Camper Van: Roadtrek, Pleasure Way Lexor TS Class Super C: Renegade Verona, Verona LE, Valencia, Classic, Explorer, XL, Dynamax DX3, Dynaquest XL, Force HD

COLMAN’S COUNTRY CAMPERS

m p 8 m a 0 1 Y A D R U T A S & Y A D I R F m p 5 m a 0 SUNDAY 1 er vehicle 5p Parking: $

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

47 WEST TRAILER SALES 26 Dream Hollow, Troy, MO Sport Utility Trailers: Cherokee, Grey Wolf, Wolf Pack Travel Trailers: Grey Wolf, Wolf Pup, Cherokee, Alpha Wolf, KZ Connect Fifth-Wheels: Cherokee, Arctic Wolf, Sabre

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September-October 2019

Don’t Let Cell Phones Win Our Kids

Photo and Text

By BRANDON BUTLER

The first time I ever went canoeing was on Sugar Creek with my dad and brother. My most vivid memory of the experience is when our canoe flipped in a rapid. I must have been about eight, making my brother five.

When we went over, my dad scrambled for my brother, leaving me to figure it out for myself.

I’m sure being older had a lot to do with it, but I like to think that even at a young age, my dad knew I would be fine – that

I could take care of myself. He was right. I survived. Nature taught me that I could overcome a challenging situation.

Nature provides endless opportunities to test yourself.

Every landscape offers a set of scalable challenges, from hiking a trail to paddling a river to catching a fish. There was a time when completing these tasks was a matter of survival.

Today, they’re for the most part recreation.

THE LESSONS OF NATURE While we may not need to

catch fish to live anymore, some of us still need to catch fish to feel alive. The same may go for those who climb a mountain or bring home a basket of wild mushrooms. Testing ourselves against nature and surviving, or better yet, thriving, builds confidence in your ability to conquer any obstacle. Sadly, fewer and fewer children are experiencing the lessons of nature today.

When I was a kid, we had so much freedom to roam. I’m talking about the late 1980s and early 1990s – not that long ago.

It’s hard to believe how

much has changed between my youth and those of my children. In the summer, we would take off on our bikes and stay gone all day. We’d ride a couple of miles to the store to buy candy and ice cream. At 10, my buddies and I would take my grandfather’s john boat with a trolling motor and fish all around a 200-acre lake.

And nothing bad happened.

Sure, some bones were broken off bike ramps, and deep cuts were stitched, but we learned from those mistakes, and we grew from the lessons pain provided.

Get kids outdoors early and build a love of nature before devices enter their everyday existence.

NO HOVERING NEEDED We didn’t have cell phones.

Our parents didn’t hover like a helicopter, texting us all day to see where we were and what we were doing. And we didn’t achieve our gratification from cyber attention on social media. We built real relationships through authentic experiences while growing up together.

Today, I just don’t know what is going on. One of my life-long best friends and I recently caught up in Colorado and spent a day fishing at Rocky Mountain National Park. We moved out west together nearly 20 years ago. I left. He stayed.

Now he also has two daughters, same as me, but his are still little, eight and five. He’s a teacher – a gym teacher. So he deals with kids every day, all day. He sees what we are experiencing at home with our children magnified through hundreds of children. And he assures me the challenges we face with connecting our children to life outside is a societal challenge of a magnitude that is much, much greater than those faced by any other generation of parents.

Sure, there were changes between my grandfather’s and father’s generations, and there were changes between my father’s and mine. But they were in no way comparable to the changes between mine and my children’s.

My parents caught the beginning of the technological revolution. They occasionally had to demand I turn off the Nintendo, but they also had to demand I stop fishing and come home for dinner. Our kids today, and when I say our kids, I mean the entire generation of youth in America, don’t know life before devices. They’ve held connectivity to the world in the palm of their hands since someone first let them watch Baby Einstein on an iPad. EVEREST, BUT BIZARRE This has been a catastrophic year on Mount Everest. At least a dozen people have died, due in large part to a traffic jam at the peak. Numerous factors are to blame, including the exploitation of a feat so demanding only a few elite athletes could accomplish it. Now, rich people can pay to have their stuff carried and themselves basically forced, up the mountain.

Another big reason for the loss of life this year is the significant amount of time climber are using to take photos for their Instagram accounts, as if climbing to the top of the Earth isn’t enough gratification. Now the real justification for overcoming this incredible challenge is the buzz from dopamine shots delivered by people who like your post. It’s crazy.

NO GOOD NEWS If you’re waiting for the positive turn in this narrative, I’m sorry to disappoint you. I just spent a week split between two conferences with hundreds of fellow outdoor industry professionals. Numerous sessions were devoted to the decline of youth engagement in the outdoors. Many of these people don’t have kids at home. So they say things like, “Just take away your kids’ phones or limit their time.” But it’s not that easy. These kids’ lives are intertwined with their devices.

They are emailed homework assignments. Their friends are people they’ve never met.

Everything has turned upside down. Parents who grew up whittling stick bows and building forts out of tree branches don’t know how to combat the mind-numbing, all-consuming hours spent staring at a screen.

And if both parents don’t feel the same way, or especially if one of the parents is a social media addict spending all night, every night scrolling through the phone, then there is basically no hope of influencing your children in another direction.

LITTLE VICTORIES I’ve come to understand it’s a war that can’t be won. But small battles can provide little victories. Maybe your kids won’t leave their phones behind to go hiking, but you can encourage them to download an app that identifies trees and plants.

Have them download an interactive map that teaches orienteering. And look for apps that encourage or reward outdoor activity.

I don’t know what else to do besides trying to integrate the outdoors into their technologically driven lives, because as much as I dream about turning their phones into skipping stones and watching in glee as they sink into the darkest depths of a deep river hole, I have come to accept there’s no going back.

September-October 2019

Outdoor Guide

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Outdoor Guide

Page 28

September-October 2019

Young Buyers Lead Modification and Add-on Sales RV News Staff

2020 Jayco Jay Flight SLX 324BDS Sleeps 4

RV Show Special Price $29,122

10% Down WAC • $237.12/mo for 180 months @ 6.99% • MSRP: $38,638

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10% Down WAC • $743.01/mo for 240 months @ 6.99% • MSRP: $140,530

Confirming what many in the industry are saying, aftermarket RV parts and accessories purchased to modify and add to vehicles are increasingly bought by younger RV owners, according to a new market survey from the RV Industry Association.

The 2019 Aftermarket Parts and Accessories Customer Survey was introduced at the RV Aftermarket Executive Conference in Denver recently.

Of the RVers surveyed, two-thirds said that “buying the right parts and accessories to modify their RV enhances their outdoor experiences.”

A majority of consumers “want multiple ways to find parts and accessories that they can use to tailor their RVs to fit their unique experiences,” said Craig Kirby, interim president of the association.

The survey shows that the RV aftermarket contributes 3,187 jobs, $272 million in wages and more than $750 million in total economic output on a yearly basis.

Awnings such as this one are popular add-on purchases for all types of RVs.

The RV aftermarket has “a tremendous opportunity to meet consumers’ ever-changing needs, and the aftermarket segment is strongly positioned to enhance the consumer experience and build lasting loyalty to RVing,” Kirby said.

HOW THEY BUY The survey asked 800 current RV users about their experiences purchasing aftermarket parts and accessories.

Sixty percent of respondents said they spent time in stores and dealerships, enjoying the hands-on experience when shopping for parts.

More than eight of ten survey

respondents said they did shop for replacement parts or accessories for their RVs, they planned to accessorize or upgrade their vehicles, and they enjoyed looking at fresh new products.

Most RVers said they know exactly what they want when they go into a store, so it is important for retailers to have those items available.

Less important are sales and promotions, return policy, and finding products, according to the survey.

Respondents also said that they place less value on seasonal promotions and standard price points.

Flexsteel Lift-and-Lock Bunk Makes Use of Vertical Space 2020 Jayco Eagle 321RSTS Sleeps 4!

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The Liftand-Lock Sofa Bunk by Flexsteel Recreation provides a handy new option for adding sleeping space to a motor home, fifth wheel or trailer.

The Lift-and-Lock usually is configured as a comfy sofa, but it easily converts into a bunk bed simply by lifting the top section and locking it into place.

The space-saving design sits flush to the wall and turns unused vertical space into a bed with another sleeping area below, meaning no additional floor space is needed.

“This is really something unique to the marketplace

The Lift-and-Lock Bunk finds a way to use space along the wall.

and an area where we want to respond to our customer’s needs,” Flexsteel Vice President Rick Stanley said.

A NEW PRODUCT The bunk system was introduced last year at the RVIA National RV Trade Show in Louisville, KY. The bunk bed stands 60” high when in the sleeping position. The upper bunk is 22” wide and 69” long, while the lower bed is 33” wide and 71” long.

Product Manager Spencer

Hill said the bunk bed is an example of Flexsteel’s longstanding focus on innovation in 50 years of making products for the RV market.

“Our focus on innovation really started with the integration of the Blue Steel Spring and it hasn’t stopped since,” Hill said. “We engineer for solutions and safety. We want to provide something our customers can be proud of.

“For a lot of people, RVs are a getaway, a way to unplug and reset, and we want to do our part to make that experience a great one.”

Outdoor Guide

September-October 2019

Union Conservation Dinner Sept. 19 at Gateway Center An annual dinner for union members who also love conservation and outdoor sports will be held in the Metro-East area for the first time on Thursday, Sept. 19.

The third annual Southern Illinois Conservation Dinner will be at Gateway Center, 1 Gateway Drive, Collinsville, with doors to open at 5:30 p.m., sponsored by the Union Sportsmen’s Alliance.

The group’s previous Illinois dinners were at John A. Logan College in Carterville in 2017 and Richland Community College in Decatur in 2018. Another dinner was held in Bridgeton, MO, last September.

The idea of the dinners is to let union men and women meet outside the workplace to discuss conservation issues and plan projects in their communities.

The organization was launched in 2012. For more information about the group, contact Walt Ingram at (740) 542-0470 or walti@unionsportsmen.org or Kevin Grubbs at (757) 615-7815 or keving@ unionsportsmen.org. Its website is unionsportsmen.org.

The non-profit group’s sponsors in Illinois include the Illinois AFL-CIO, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and the Illinois Conservation Foundation.

Affiliated Labor groups include the Electricians, Plumbers, Machinists, Roofers, Painters, Boilermakers, Auto Workers, Bricklayers, Insulators and Laborers, plus the Communications Workers, SMART, Elevator Constructors, Utility Workers and the national AFL-CIO and its Building & Construction Trades Department.

The group has been working, along with others, at the North Marcum Recreation Area on Rend Lake near Benton, IL to build a state-ofthe-art archery range, 12-mile mountain bike trail and a nature trail with fishing stations, joining with Laborers, Carpenters, Plasterers, Cement Masons and Operating Engineers. It recently helped in the rebuilding of a fishing pier at Willmore

Park in St. Louis.

MISSION STATEMENT Its mission statement says, “We will engage, educate and organize union members, their families and like-minded individuals who share a passion for hunting, fishing, shooting and the great outdoors. Our community will volunteer time and unique trade skills to expand and improve public access to the outdoors, conserve and maintain critical wildlife habitats, restore our nation’s parks and provide mentoring programs that introduce youth to the outdoors.

“The mission of the Union Sportsmen’s Alliance (USA) is to unite the union community through conservation to preserve North America’s outdoor heritage. The USA is non-partisan and does not take positions on or endorse political agendas, parties or candidates.”

TABLES & GIFTS Individual tickets to the dinner are $75 each, including dinner, a gift and year of USA membership. Sponsorships are $1,500 for Bronze, with a table for 10, one table prize and gifts for 10 guests; $3,000 for Silver, with a table for 10, gifts and two prizes; $5,000 for Gold, with a table for 10, gifts and three prizes; and $5,000 for platinum, for a table for 10, gifts and five prizes. The table prizes are either Remington 870 12-gauge shotguns or 40-quart Orca coolers.

For a sponsorship application, contact Kevin Grubbs at the number and address above or at 4800 Northfield Lane, Spring Hill TN 37174. Checks payable to Union Sportsmen’s Alliance are due by Sept. 16.

The group states: “Take action today and sponsor a table or reserve seats at our upcoming conservation dinner. Your support is vital to the USA’s mission and will ensure we raise funds and recruit volunteer skilled labor in order to deliver a hands-on, community-based conservation project that demonstrates solidarity in the outdoors right where you live, work and recreate.”

Page 29

Conservation Federation Has a New Director

Ty l e r Schwartze has been selected as the new executive director of the Conservation Schwartze Federation of Missouri, replacing Brandon Butler.

Schwartze, of Jefferson City, worked for Missouri state parks for more than a decade and in 2017 joined the Federation as events manager,

helping to expand the Explore the Outdoors and Pull for Conservation events.

He graduated from University of Central Missouri with a degree in recreation management. He is the Federation’s 11th director.

“We are so lucky to live in a state that is extremely diverse in wildlife, natural resources and recreational opportunities,” he said. “I am committed to preserving and promoting these outdoor heritages so they can be enjoyed by generations to come.”

Schwartze grew up along the Gasconade River and now enjoys camping and hiking with his wife and three children.

Butler served in the position for five years and then became director of communications for Roeslein Alternative Energy.

A CONSERVATIONIST Federation President Gary Van de Velde said Schwartze is a true conservationist. “The Federation looks forward to Tyler’s leadership conserving and preserving Missouri’s wildlife and natural resources

for many years to come,” he said.

Added Schwartze: “Seeing the positive impact the outdoors can have on people, especially our youth, when they learn and get engaged is very rewarding.”

The Federation was founded in 1935, a time when fish, forests and wildlife had been decimated in the state, and it has since worked with many partners to promote conservation of wildlife and natural resources. For more information, go to www.confedmo.org.

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Outdoor Guide

September-October 2019

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Page 31

Smart RV Updates that Anyone Can Do

By KATIE and ERIC NATHEY Mountain Modern Life When it comes to renovating a home, even a tiny one on wheels, time and money spent on projects can quickly add up. Luckily, updating the interior of your RV doesn’t have to be time consuming or expensive.

Here are a few RV updates that anyone can do.

PAINT You’d be amazed how a coat of paint can freshen up the most dated RV. I won’t sugarcoat it – painting the interior of an RV can be tedious and tiring. With that said, it’s also an affordable way to completely change the overall feel of the space.

In other words, it’s worth it!

Most RV walls are made of lauan plywood and have a wallpaper texture on top, which you can paint right over. Some walls, like those in your kitchen or bathroom, may have an added wallpaper border, which you can remove or paint over.

My advice to painting the

walls or cabinets in an RV is to first, lightly sand the surface, then clean with TSP, follow it up with a good gripper primer and finally your paint.

Chalk paint is another option to consider when it comes to painting your cabinets because it allows you to skip the sanding or priming process.

APPLIANCES Depending on the year of your rig, the appliances may be outdated or worn out. If this is the case, you may want to replace them.

Looking for a budget friendly option? The appliances in our 2008 RV were in decent condition, but we wanted to make the fridge panels more useful. To do this, we slid the heavy wood panels out and replaced them with sheet metal. Not only did this give the illusion of stainless steel, but it created a magnetic surface that we can write on with dry erase markers.

Some other ways to update the fridge panels would be to paint them, possibly with chalk paint. Or you could add color, texture, or pattern using contact paper.

Updating the kitchen fixtures and appliances gives an RV a new look.

FAUCETS The faucets in your RV may be cheap and made of plastic, not to mention they may be using more water than necessary.

Give your kitchen or bathroom a quick facelift by updating the faucets to a style you love that will help conserve water at the same time.

You can purchase faucets from any home improvement store and just need to be aware of the measurements. Deter-

mine the maximum height and spout reach you want before heading to the store or purchasing online.

To help conserve water, I’d recommend going with a faucet that uses no more than 2.2 gallons per minute, or you can always purchase low flow aerators.

LIGHT FIXTURES Have you felt the heat coming from the light fixtures

in your RV, or are you just looking to lower your energy footprint? Either way, installing LED lights is much easier than you think.

While you can swap out the bulbs in your dome lights, you can also replace the older dome lights with brand new ones. This process is easy and can help those lights disappear into your ceiling.

If you’re looking for more creative replacements, you can purchase just about any light fixture, as long as you use the correct bulb. For example, if you have a 120v light in your RV that you want to replace, you can use any light fixture as long as you can screw in a 120v light bulb, and if you have a 12v light fixture in your RV that you want to replace, you can use any light fixture as long as you can screw in a 12v light bulb.

You may also want to consider adding a voltage regulator wire to ensure your bulbs last longer. If you’re nervous about installing your lights, be sure to contact a licensed electrician.

Have you ever wondered where RV manufacturers get the fabric for their window valences? And does anyone actually like them?

While the valences in our RV were in pretty good condition, they were far from our style. The good news is valences are pretty easy to remove. You can keep them off, replace them with something else, or even re-imagine them with new fabric.

DECORATIVE ACCESSORIES Adding your favorite decor is an easy way to transform your RV and create a space that reflects your personal style. You’d be amazed at what a difference can be made by simply swapping out the wall decor, throw pillows, bedding, and rugs.

Unsure how to hang decorative items in your RV? We’ve used a variety of methods depending on the situation, but a few options (aside from screws, nails and pop rivets) are command hooks, industrial strength Velcro or mounting tape.

Outdoor Guide

Page 32

September-October 2019

Book Reveals Perils for Our Parks Photos and Text

“Politicians do not make good park managers.”

While I don’t think he specifically used that phrase in his book, Gil Lusk referenced it more than once in a conversation I had with him after I read his analysis of our National Park Service system.

Lusk retired from “the service” in 1997 after a 35-year career. Earlier this year, Gatekeeper Press Lusk published his book, National Parks, Our Living Treasure with the subtitle “A Time for Concern.” The book outlines his extensive experience before getting into the perils that loom in the future.

Spoiler alert: It’s people who are the biggest problem. Funding, or lack thereof, is certainly a gigantic elephant in the room, but the real trouble begins

when we start loving these treasures to death, and it ends with irreplaceable resources being managed with only shortterm concerns as a guideline.

The highest-ranking officials in the National Park service are increasingly political appointments, and too often decisions about park management are being made for political expediency or in response to the loudest shouts, Lusk maintains.

“Political correctness has no place in our national parks,” he said. “Politics will be the noose around our necks.”

THE GRAND TOUR I don’t have a bucket list

or even a strategy, but I have been marking off visits to some of these national treasures. I have seen them close to home and in all corners of our country, including Maine, Florida, Washington state and southern California. Later this year I plan to visit Yellowstone in Wyoming and Zion in Utah.

So when I got a copy of Lusk’s book, I was eager to absorb the subject. He began his career as a college intern and included stops as superintendent at Glacier National Park and Big Bend National Park, two of the top spots on the service’s location map.

“We have an organization with 103 years of experience.

We have learned to manage parks and deal with new parks,” Lusk said.

But what needs to happen before it’s too late is for the Parks Service to begin planning for the future. It is not good enough that we have these great places to see and visit. We need to make sure our grandchildren’s grandchildren can experience them too, he said.

“We should be in the mode of rethinking where we are and how we got here, and what is it going to take in the future,” Lusk said.

LIMITED RESOURCES Available funding barely sustains what we already have, and when new places

are designated, they usually are supported by the diminishing resources available for existing parks. The backlog for infrastructure maintenance in our National Parks is more than $12 billion.

Even though these places provide tremendous economic engines for the communities that surround them, they are increasingly being identified as areas for exploitation rather than restoration and preservation.

“How many people can walk across the ruins at Mesa Verde before they are doing irreparable damage?” Lusk asked.

“There have to be limitations.

There have to be restrictions.”

But if someone shows up with a petition filled with signatures, and some of those names are Congress members, management decisions are made without input from the natural resources’ guardians themselves.

“The Smithsonian is run by professionals, and the National Parks Service should be too,” Lusk said. “We should be training our professionals, but we are not. They are not able to think about the future. We are mired in the past and present.

We need to move the National Park Service to a point where they can think about the future.”

A BIG JOB TO DO The assignment is over-

The Merced River runs through Yosemite National Park

whelming, but Lusk said he believes there are enough people to carry the message forward.

“We can do it. It’s going to be a very hard task, but we can do it,” Lusk said.

It’s why he wrote the book, but it’s not for the sales that he speaks so passionately about the subject. The book is just the messenger. The website www.nps500.com provides a full introduction to the book.

“Most books about the National Parks are coffeetable books with beautiful pictures of beautiful places that need to be protected. This is not one of those books,” Lusk said.

National Parks, Our Living Treasure is a call to action, not just for those of us who want to see these places later this year, but for everyone who wants to make sure future generations can find the same, great experiences when we are just memories.

John J. Winkelman is community engagement 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. National Parks, Our Living Treasure is available at book stores and on Amazon.com.

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

Outdoor Guide

September-October 2019

Page 33

Claudette’s Kitchen

Ghee, It’s the New Super-Food

By CLAUDETTE ROPER

Make room, bone broth – there’s another super-food that’s getting attention. It’s called ghee, and it has been used in India for thousands of years in daily home cooking and medicine. It is trickling down to Hometown USA thanks to its keto- and Paleo-friendly lactosefree properties.

You do not have to be into keto or other diets to be interested in ghee. It has a longer shelf life, either refrigerated or at room temperature, making it great to take camping. With a smoke point of 485° F, it’s great for high-heat cooking.

As a child of German immigrants, I heard much about how wonderful our new country was and the good opportunities and better living it afforded us. In all fairness, I also heard about some things that were not as good. Bread lacking substance and nutritional value was one. Butter was the other.

My mother, being somewhat of a gourmet cook and baker extraordinaire, often commented on all the water in the storebought butter. As a kid, I just shrugged it off. As an adult and cooking myself, I have frequently experienced the phenomenon that many of you have, too: “Mom was right!”

Consequently, I have even splurged on some really good Irish and Amish butter. Both were superior to what I had been using off the standard grocery shelf. No doubt the price is what has kept me from buying these sooner, but there are less expensive options.

TWO BUTTER OPTIONS Both homemade clarified butter and ghee are such options.

The latter is simply one step further in the process, rendering additional flavor and color. Both remove the water and milk solids that make butter less user-friendly.

Clarify butter by melting it in a saucepan at a low temperature for a while. It will foam, a sign that the water is evaporating. It will separate into yellow fat and milk solids. Skim the white sludge off the top and pour the rest into a glass container, straining it through a very fine sieve or cheesecloth to catch the milk solids.

For ghee, follow the same steps, but allow it to very lightly keep cooking a wee bit longer until the milk solids have browned – think caramelized. This additional step gives the end product a wonderfully nutty flavor. It also fills the kitchen with a wonderful aroma.

Much has been made of using only butter sourced from grass-fed cows. If that’s also your practice for meat, it will be a no-brainer. The recipe doesn’t change. One point to be made is that the anti-inflammatory health benefits, touted in India for thousands of years, are attributed only to the grass-fed source.

The end product, either way, makes food taste better with no smoking caused by the milk solids burning. If you’re wondering what you might do with it, use it like any other oil with the added benefit that it will taste like butter – oh yeah!

Another plus – lactose intolerant people can eat it.

A HANDY GADGET My regular readers know my distaste for a multitude of gadgets, but occasionally one gets my attention and won’t let go. For two years I’ve thought about and talked myself out of the nifty spiral cutter one of my

Spiral cutters come in all shapes and sizes. This one, by QELEG, is sold on Amazon.com.

boys has. Yesterday I bought it.

With a garden full of zucchini, yellow squash and cucumbers, there was no more resisting. After the first dish cooked with zucchini noodles was eaten, I wondered what took me so long to take the leap.

That being said, I’d also point out that it will not do (at least well) everything it claims to on the box. Perhaps other brands do, but this one doesn’t. There will be a core remaining – big enough that some real whopper carrots will be required for it to work, and small enough that it won’t take out the entire core of an apple.

What you’ll find below is less of a recipe than just a guideline for getting started and an example of cooking with ghee. If you do not have a spiral slicer, slice the vegetables thinly and proceed.

If you only have zucchini, proceed just the same.

Sautéed Vegetables

• Prepare 1 zucchini, 1 yellow squash, 1 carrot and dice an onion

half.

• Heat ghee (or lard – you never go wrong with lard) in a cast-

iron skillet over medium-high heat.

• Add carrots to the skillet and stir fry for several minutes, then add the remaining vegetables.

• Salt to taste and cook until lightly caramelized.

• Stir in 1-2 cloves crushed garlic and remove from heat as soon as the garlic releases its aroma.

• Serve plain or with toppings such as freshly grated parmesan cheese or peanut sauce. It’s delicious wrapped in a crepe, too.

• For a main dish, add sliced kielbasa or cooked Italian sausage.

Sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley before serving.

Outdoor Guide

Page 34

September-October 2019

Fishing With Too Much Water

Photo and Text

By LARRY DABLEMONT

Someone asked me if I was less concerned now about water problems in the Ozarks, since we apparently have no shortage to worry about, but the overall situation has not changed.

The Ozarks will once again have creeks and rivers as dry as they have ever been. It will still be that the small streams I swam in and fished in as a boy will have no water, and

the larger streams that do will be full of slime and algae, coating the substrate.

It has not been too long ago that our streams were at the highest level I have ever seen and the lowest level I have ever seen, all within a few months’ time.

That is what tells you we have a major problem with water. The land was once a sponge – forest and thick soil, which held water and prevented the two extremes.

Now the land is a brick, shedding water at such a rate

that we will have rivers bulging at their banks one day and dropping out of sight weeks later. Concrete and pavement don’t soak up water, they shed rainfall rapidly, and we do not have nearly as much of either as we will next year, the year after, and on and on. Flooding … you ain’t seen nothing yet!

When the rain stops, most of the fishing water we enjoy will be back providing good fishing. I fished some farm ponds the other day, and though they were full, the bass didn’t seem to mind.

They were aggressive.

TRY A SPINNER If you want to catch a good-sized bass from a pond or small lake, use a big spinner bait, something with a 2- or 3-inch blade and a white or yellow skirt. I just let it sink down out of sight and retrieved it slowly enough to feel that blade vibrating, and the bass were nailing it.

The muddier the pond, the more I like a spinner bait. I have fished ponds this time of year that were as muddy

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HUNTING • FISHING • CAMPING • BOATING • SHOOTING • TRAVEL

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Marquette Mustang s .........Pag

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Walleye ............................Page 18

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Spring Fishing ..............

Bass...................................

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De-Stress Your Dog .........Page 24

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Anglers-in-Chief ..............

Catfish............................

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Squirrels ..........................Page 25

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Crappie Tactics ..............

Squirrels ..........................P age 10

Catfish..............................Page 28

Lovable Leeches ..............

Uncle Norten just caught a largemouth bass.

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Reelfoot Crappies..............

RV Travelers ....................Page 29

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Phantom Drone ..............

The Lake

Stockton Lake ..............

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Bear Hunt .......................Page 30

MISSOURI

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Stories in Snow ..............

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as they can get, and caught bass one after another on a spinner-bait. Of course, if you find a nice clear pond you can tempt them late in the evening with a topwater lure.

One thing about farm ponds is that some of them hold bass up to eight or nine pounds. If it has the right combination of bluegill and minnows, a farm pond that isn’t large at all, and even sometimes very muddy, can be the home of a monster bass or two. There’s no better time to catch one than now.

Of course, the major Ozark reservoirs, now with high water, can have summer fishing that is spectacular as bass move up around submerged bushes and brush in murky water.

Sometimes with these conditions, it is best to put on some waders and leave your boat, walking the banks and trying to cast around water that is hard to reach otherwise, maybe clearing a little.

Again, a big spinner bait, or a suspending rogue is a good way to find big bass.

NORTEN’S WAY For years I watched my late Uncle Norten, a lifelong fishing guide, walk the banks and catch huge bass. Most of the bass he took in the Ozarks were over 10 pounds, and several were taken while he was out of the boat, wading and fishing high water.

In the 1970s, he had two clients on a fishing trip to

Greer’s Ferry Lake in north Arkansas, and they checked into a little lakeside resort just as the front came through after the storm.

It was getting late, and it was too windy to take a boat out. The lake was high and murky. So with his clients looking for a good meal, my uncle grabbed his casting reel and a red Hauser Hell-Diver, one of the first spinner-baits made, and headed for the lake in his waders.

There was a flooded bramble bush of some kind out in the water, off point, and he kept casting into it and around it until he felt a hard jolt, the strike of a big, big bass.

Uncle Norten never did fish for bass with light tackle, and he was accustomed to hauling them out of brush with 20-pound line. But that evening, there must have been a nick in the line because it broke, and he was left wondering how big the fish might have been.

ONE TIME ONLY The next morning, very early while his fishermen slept, Norten returned to that same spot with a white Hauser Hell-Diver and after a few casts, he hooked another big, big bass.

This time the line held and a minute or so later, he hefted a nine-pound largemouth with two spinner baits in its jaw, one of them the red one from the night before. He never saw that happen ever again.

Outdoor Guide

September-October 2019

Visionary Rudi Roeslein Could Reshape the Rural World

By STEVE JONES Conservation Editor

Prairie restoration, renewable natural gas (RNG) and large-scale hog farming. What a trio of apparently unrelated topics!

Rudi Roeslein (pronounced race-line) has a vision that weaves them together into real-world solutions to daunting conservation, ecological and agricultural problems, with significant direct benefits for wildlife. He’s no wavy-hands dreamer, he’s a doer, and is already well along the way.

In 1990 he founded Missouri-based Roeslein & Associates, Inc., an innovative global engineering and modular fabrication company. In 2012 he spun off Roeslein

Alternative Energies (RAE) to carry out his conservation vision, which revolutionizes waste management at Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO), addresses environmental concerns on a broad scale, and aims to restore 30 million acres of native prairie in the U.S. Roeslein’s plan is broken down into steps. The first, called Horizon 1, involves a partnership with Smithfield Foods, the world’s largest hog farmer and pork processor.

RAE has developed a system that is now in production, producing clean RNG via the anaerobic digestion of hog waste. By 2021, all Smithfield properties in Missouri are expected to be in full production.

Roeslein recently hosted a

The process starts with traditional waste lagoons on the farm.

– RAE photos

media tour of his north Missouri operations, demonstrating a live RNG facility at a Smithfield hog farm. It was eye-opening.

STARTING AT WASTE LAGOONS The system starts with the traditional waste lagoons already in place at every large-scale hog production facility. He covers them with an impermeable membrane which captures all of the gas produced by the anaerobic decomposition. The gas is piped to a modular facility on the farm, which converts it from mostly methane into 99 percent pure natural gas.

The gas is then pumped at high pressure into specially designed trucks, which transport it to a nearby port in the natural gas pipeline grid system. The system works and is in full commercial production now.

It is great to turn a former liability into a very green asset, but an even bigger impact on the environment is that all that methane is kept out of the atmosphere.

Another huge advantage is that the impermeable covers prevent rainwater from entering the lagoons, avoiding the need for costly treatment and

eliminating the risk that highrainfall events will overcome the capacity of those systems and risk polluting nearby surface and ground water.

Large hog operations have a well-earned reputation for being a source of odor. Traditional manure lagoons are open, thus releasing all of the methane – a greenhouse gas about 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide. They do not smell very good at all.

Covering them up, the RAE process all but eliminates that source of odor.

Horizon 2, which is at an advanced development stage in cooperation with several technology providers and university researchers, involves converting highly erodible or marginally productive lands from row crops to native prairie plantings.

GOOD FOR SOIL AND WILDLIFE This produces tremendous benefits for pollinators and wildlife. It also stabilizes the soil, prevents erosion and absorbs fertilizer runoff, keeping agricultural nutrients out of surface waters. And it helps to recharge the groundwater supplies.

Smithfield is also on board

Page 35

Rudi Roeslein’s vision is to turn hog waste into useable natural gas.

with Horizon 2, having a joint venture with Roeslein called Monarch Bioenergy. They have contributed $300,000 to fund the planting of monarchfriendly native milkweed and wildflower species on 1,000 acres near their northern Missouri hog farms.

In the prairie states, most land suitable for native prairie restoration is privately owned, and most likely in agricultural production.

Farmers respect their land, but farming is not a hobby. It has to pay. Feel-good solutions that eat away at their meager profits will never get off the ground.

ALL ABOUT MAKING SENSE Prairie plant biomass holds real promise as another material to be anaerobically digested for natural gas production.

The research and development under way is focused on developing processes that will create enough of a market for those materials to make economic sense to farmers to participate.

Roeslein is committed to finding solutions to environmental problems that make economic sense.

To learn more about RAE and the Monarch Bioenergy, go online to roesleinalternativeenergy.com.

When Distraction is a Good Thing

You won’t have to travel far to find days of fun and exciting things to do.

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Outdoor Guide

Page 36

September-October 2019

It Was Truly a Hunt to Remember

Photos and Text

By JOHN SLOAN

The wind had slowed and it had almost quit snowing.

Dawn was starting to creep around the edges of the horizon. But it was pleasant.

If you can call -17 degrees “Farfenhugle” pleasant.

Plumb balmy.

When you hunt as far north in Saskatchewan as I was hunting, you have to expect somewhat cooler weather.

The deer, especially the hardtraveling bucks, expect it. In fact, if gets too warm, say 20 above, they don’t move.

I don’t own a watch. Well I do, but I don’t know where it is. So I don’t know what time the first deer showed on the

Oh sure, it can get a tad cold that far north.

edge of the small clearing. It was a doe, and close behind her was a four-point.

THE MUZZLELOADER Once again, I questioned my wisdom of shooting a muzzleloader. I had a Knight MK 85 loaded with 150 grains of Pyrodex and a 335-grain, saboted bullet.

I had never had it misfire, and it had been loaded and sitting on the porch of the camp since Saturday afternoon when I cleaned it well and loaded it. It was now Monday morning. I felt sure it would fire. It had never failed me yet.

Next came two does and this year’s fawns. Now it was light enough to see well.

In the bush I could see two young bucks, maybe two and a half years old, that looked to be eight points. Then the action stopped and time passed and I reflected on just exactly why I was this far from the prime hunting days and warmer weather of my home state, Tennessee.

It was simple. I just liked hunting parts of Canada. I have hunted a variety of big game in Canada from Alberta to New Brunswick and every province in between. Truth is, I like hunting and fishing new territory. Fortunately, that is a major part of my job. And that caused more reflection.

I quit shivering long enough for the photo. Body-wise, this was the largest buck on the hoof I ever killed.

WOLF SIGHTING At the time of this hunt, I was 66 years old. I was in permanent A-fib, a condition that put a stop to my elk hunting in the mountains. Over 20 years in professional rodeo left me with a variety of joint injuries that were now catching up with me.

Truth is, I realized my days of globe-trotting were coming to a close. I was getting old, and I realized this may well have been my last Canadian hunt.

Prettiest one I ever saw.

Coal black, maybe 125-150 pounds. I have a love-hate relationship with wolves. I love to hear and see them, hate what they do to wildlife and domestic livestock. Since I

did not live in Canada, I could not shoot this one.

More time passed. A young fork-horn came by. I would have taken a big slug of hot soup but it was frozen … as was my banana. Fact is, I wasn’t exactly sweating myself.

SOMETHING COMING Movement in the fringe! I can’t be sure. I am 90 percent sure. It wasn’t a wolf, wasn’t a lynx and had a really long tail. In all my travels and after living for years in Wyoming, I have seen only two mountain lions in the wild. This would make three. Not cold any more.

Big doe. Moving at that telltale, herky-jerky that is a dead

giveaway. I got the Knight up and the safety off … just in case. Somewhere between a minute and an hour passed.

Twice I caught motion but couldn’t tell what it was. Then he came at a fast trot. Not huge.

I’ve shot bigger but certainly respectable. You see, I was no longer a true trophy hunter.

I’ve killed my share of animals that qualify for various record books. It is no longer important. Any whitetail 4½ or older probably will suit me. I knew this one met that standard.

By the time he was two thirds by me, I had him in the scope at 65 yards. The Knight went off just as it was supposed to and the buck vanished. The smoked seemed to hang in a cloud forever and I couldn’t see squat. But boy, the warm barrel sure felt good. Since I did not see which way the buck went, I thanked the fresh snow.

I reloaded, got on the radio and called my outfitter and told him to bring the sled and come on in. Then I went and looked.

NOT A DROP I knew the shot was good.

But not a drop of blood. I quickly picked up the tracks and started trailing. No blood.

None. Not a drop. I kept trailing and 75 yards from where I shot him, he lay dead. Not a single drop of blood the entire way and the shot was

a complete pass-through, double-lung. And what a body, probably easily over 300 on the hoof. Eleven points, maybe 140 gross. I never measured him.

That was the next to last “big buck” that I killed, and my last trip to Canada. I’m glad I killed him with a muzzleloader given by my good friend, the late Tony Knight. I’m glad I killed him my way. I’m glad I still have his mounted head to remind me.

I’m 75 now, still hunt … but I tend to forget things. Now, to remember the great times I’ve had, all I have to do is look around my office. The memories are all there.

Isn’t that what it is all about?

The memories.

For 75 yards and even where it fell, not a drop of blood.

Outdoor Guide

September-October 2019

Page 37

Niagara Falls Area Has Fishing, History Species include salmon, brown trout, steelhead, muskie, walleye, smallmouth and largemouth bass.

Photos and Text

By BOB HOLZHEI It had been a few years ago since I fished Lake Erie. It was time for a return trip to not only fish but revisit the rich history

of Niagara Falls, USA. Niagara Falls is one of the natural wonders of the world.

Even though I’ve visited the Falls before, each return trip is an experience of a lifetime.

In addition, Niagara Falls State Park is the oldest state park in America. Fort Niagara was established in 1726. Costumed re-enactments portray men and women dressed in primitive attire of the time.

Living history programs and artillery demonstrations take visitors to the park back in time.

Boat tours take visitors near the Falls aboard the Maid of the Mist.

The festival of lights draws

visitors from Thanksgiving to the Epiphany on Jan. 6 each year.

The Niagara Gorge spans 800 feet across and up to 200 feet deep where the lower Niagara River flows below.

Blend in the opportunity to fish area rivers, streams and legendary Lake Erie. The world-renowned Niagara River is interconnected with two of the Great Lakes – Lake Erie and Lake Ontario, plus the Erie Canal.

SO WHAT’S NEW? What’s new is a zip line over the Erie Canal in Lockport and an improved marina in Wilson, named Bootlegger’s Cove Marina, noted Bill Hilts Jr., outdoor promotions director for Niagara Falls Tourism Bureau.

Blend in several new breweries, hotels downtown and a revamped Niagara Falls State Park including a renovated Cave of the Woods. Outdoor activities have also expanded including hiking, biking, birding and boating. Niagara Falls

has something for everyone.

The Falls Region provides opportunities to fish for perch, small mouth bass, large-mouth bass, walleye, muskellunge and northern pike.

The Lakes Region has chinook, coho, Atlantic salmon, lake trout and rainbow trout.

The Canal Region is noted for slow-moving water making it great for family fishing.

Species found there include walleye, northern pike, catfish and carp weighing up to 20 pounds.

The River Region is open for year-round fishing. In the fall, salmon and brown trout runs lure anglers to the area.

In winter, steelhead fishing is popular, and spring is the prime season for trout and salmon in the river. In summer, muskie, walleye and smallmouth bass provide excellent action for anglers. Professional charter captains are available and take the guesswork out of fishing.

For more information, go online to www.niagarafallsusa.com.

The author, Bob Holzhei, lifts his first walleye of the day on nearby Chautauqua Lake in New York

A NIAGARA TIMELINE • 1817 – Erie Canal construction begins.

• 1859 – Hydraulic tunnel construction begins.

• 1885 – Niagara reservation is created; Niagara

Ed Cheeney of Cheeney Media Concepts, a former student and lifelong friend of Bob Holzhei, adds to the haul.

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Falls State Park consists of 400 acres.

• 1896 – Inventor Nikola Tesla transmits electricity

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• 1901 – Ajjie Edison is the first person to go over

the Falls in a barrel and survive.

• 1915 – Herschell Carrousel Factory-Museum

opens, founder of American Amusement rides and vintage carousel rides.

• Mid-1800’s – Freedom seekers escape slavery

through the Niagara Falls railroad.

1-844-4LEBANON

Page 38

Outdoor Guide

September-October 2019

Outdoor Gallery Send in your favorite outdoor photo to ogmbobw@aol.com and be featured in the Outdoor Gallery of Outdoor Guide Magazine.

FAR FROM HOME – Neal Holland of Wichita, KA, landed this 9-pound walleye in northwestern Ontario this past spring.

He caught the B hammer on a KVD jerk bait made by Strait King. Water temperature was 47° – perfect for the beach!

A BASS DOUBLE – Mark Campbell of Lebanon, TN, was fishing with our own writer and photographer, John Sloan, on J. Percy Priest Lake in Tennessee when they landed an unusual double catch – a smallmouth, at right, and a largemouth. They promptly released them both.

WELL-READ LARRY – Larry LaHay of Bonne Terre, MO, a charter subscriber to Outdoor Guide Magazine, learned about float-fishing guide Dennis Whiteside from reading the magazine. He’s been out there in June, every year since, for a couple days of float fishing.

BROTHER ACT – Rob Mihalevich, of Missouri Hunting and Outdoor Adventures in Crocker, MO, and his brother John, a retired doctor from Springfield, MO enjoyed a couple of days on the James River with float-fishing guide Dennis Whiteside.

GLOBAL FISHING – Outdoor Guide Magazine Editor Bobby Whitehead with a beautiful bronze-back smallmouth that he caught in the cold waters of Canada in May.

PICKEREL PICK-ME-UP – Randall Whiteside landed this whopper of a pickerel on the Eleven Point River near Gatewood, MO, while camping with his dad, Keith.

Outdoor Guide

September-October 2019

Page 39

Sunrise to Sunset … a Hunter’s Last Day

By LARRY WHITELEY It sure is getting foggy. I’m not sure I could even see a deer sneaking through the woods in this stuff. Oh well, I just love being out here and sitting in my stand, even if I don’t see a deer. It’s a great time to be alone with God and thank him for the opportunity to be out here in his great outdoors.

I wonder how many sunrises I have seen coming through the trees while sitting in a tree stand. After 50 years of deer hunting, it has to be a lot. I have watched a lot of sunsets too, while up in a tree, but sunrises are my favorite. There’s just something special about being in the dark, watching the sun gradually bring light to the forest.

Hearing the first bird songs of the day is music to my ears.

I even love the smell of decaying leaves on the forest floor.

The first movement I see is usually a squirrel gathering nuts for the long winter ahead.

It’s amazing how much a squirrel sounds like a deer walking through the woods.

Then there are the times I have watched a fox, a bobcat or some other animal traveling through, and they had no idea I was even there. There was also the time an owl thought the fur trapper’s hat I was wearing on a cold winter

day was breakfast, and with claws raised, dove at my head.

Unforgettable!

STAND MEMORIES It’s funny how we deer hunters tend to give our stands names, too. Over the years I have sat in stands with names like “Northwoods,” “Papaw Bear,” “Dad and Me,” “23,” “Pond,” “Kelly,” “Red Neck” and even one called “No Name.” Just thinking of the names brings back a lot of memories.

Most of my years sitting in those tree stands have been by myself, but the absolute best times were when I shared them with my grandson Hunter while my son hunted with my granddaughter, Anna.

Hunter got old enough to hunt in his own tree stand, and I am now once again sitting alone in the deer woods. It won’t be too many more years and he will be hunting with his son or daughter and continuing to pass on the tradition. Just thinking about the good times when it was just him and me brings tears to my eyes.

When you sit there waiting for a deer to come by your secret hiding place, thinking of all these things, you see them in your mind. Speaking of tears, as I sit here this day, for some strange reason, I am seeing my wife crying. The fog is lifting

FISHING

enough that I can now also see my sons, daughter-in-laws and grandkids crying. What’s going on?

“Honey, I love you. Why are you crying?” I say to my wife.

“Can’t you hear me? Hunter, I know you have always had a tender heart but what’s the matter, Bub? Don’t cry Sis, your Papaw’s here. Ty, Sam…come here and give your Papaw a hug, I will wipe away the tears.

Kids, I am right over here!”

Hey, I also see some of my cousins and friends from church. There’s Pastor Scotty, too! What are they all doing here? I try talking to them and they act like they can’t hear me or see me. Why is this room filled with all these flowers and pictures of me with my wife, kids and grandkids plus pictures of me with fish and deer?

WHAT HAPPENED? I hear someone ask my son how it happened. How what happened? My son Kelly chokes back a tear as my son Daron puts his arm around him to comfort him and he says, “Dad was always telling us to wear our harness and attach our lifeline when we got into a tree stand. He was hunting out of a ladder stand, and for some reason, I guess he thought he didn’t need to do what he always told us to do. He even wrote articles and

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There’s something special about a sunrise in the woods.

did radio shows telling other people how important it was to harness up and hook up, but that day, he didn’t. A ratchet strap broke, the stand slipped and he fell out.”

I fell out of my tree stand?

I’m dead? You’ve got to be kidding! I have hunted that stand for years. My harness and lifeline were in my truck.

I guess like most hunters, I thought this could never happen to me. I made a bad decision.

I say I am sorry to my wife, tell her I love her one more

time and that the boys will be there for her, but she doesn’t hear me. I want to hug and kiss her, but I can’t. I stand right in front of my sons and tell them how proud I am of them, but they don’t see me. I reach out to touch each of my grandkids, tell them I love them and that I am sorry I won’t be there to watch them grow up, but they don’t hear or see me either. I pray they won’t forget their Papaw.

HARNESS UP, HOOK UP I feel a hand gently on my

– University of Massachusetts photo

shoulder and a voice say, “I know this is hard, Larry, but they will be all right.

God will watch over all of them for you. It’s time to go to a better place. There are other people waiting for you when we get there and I bet you have a bunch of fishing, hunting, kid and grandkid stories to share.”

I turn to go and then look back one last time at my family. All I had to do was harness up and hook up and I would still be there for them.

Outdoor Guide

Page 40

September-October 2019

Truman Lake’s Less-Known Accesses

By GERALD J. SCOTT

At the top of its multipurpose pool (706.0 msl), Truman Lake covers 55,600 surface acres and has 958 miles of shoreline. That, as the locals might say, is a right fair piece of water.

In what at first glance appears to be adequate recognition of that fact, the Corps of Engineers (COE) constructed 17 access sites equipped with boat ramps. The Corps directly operates 12 of these sites and has leased operation of the remaining five to other entities.

At first glance, 17 preauthorized access sites – most of which include varying combinations of campgrounds, swimming beaches and picnic areas – sounds like plenty.

Closer examination, however, reveals that if these access sites were evenly distributed around the lake, each one would serve almost 3,300 acres.

But they’re not evenly distributed. To the contrary, most of them – including three of the four with marinas–are located in the lower third of the lake.

Beginning almost before the lake had filled, a completely unorganized, unabashedly self-serving cabal of – perish the thought – private citizens

decided to remedy what they saw as an intolerable situation.

Some of these people wanted to fish from the bank, some used boats too small to brave the open water near the official access sites, and a few simply wanted to symbolically spit in the COE’s eye.

IF YOU BUILD IT… Working together, albeit separately, they used the timehonored tactic of civil disobedience to build their own access sites. At first, the Corps fought back, but thanks in no small measure to the efforts of the late Rep. Ike Skelton, the feds eventually traded their tacit blessing of a reasonable number of privately constructed and maintained access sites in exchange for the sites being open to public use and to the cessation of unrestrained attempts to force open vehicular access to the lake across project lands.

The concept worked so well that the most recent edition of the Corps’ Truman Lake map lists 21 of these access sites by name and uses an individual letter designation to show the site’s location. No other information is provided, but it’s safe to assume that every site provides opportunities to fish from shore.

A few sites have concrete boat ramps, and most of the

TURKEY

DEER

rest have old roads or sloping rock or gravel banks that make launching at least some types of boats possible.

Despite my best intentions, I have yet to visit all 21 of these possible paradises. I have, on the other hand, seen enough of them to give me just cause to choose the term “possible paradises” to describe them.

• Higgins Landing Access, located off of Highway ZZ in St. Clair County, is an access point that leans toward the paradise side of the scale. It has an albeit tricky concrete ramp, ample parking and an adjacent cove that provides good bank fishing for prespawn and spawn crappie.

• Avery Access, off Highway B in Hickory County, has a good gravel boat launch and plenty of parking. Its major claims to fame are that it’s way off the beaten path but a very short boat ride from some of the best crappie and walleye fishing in the Pomme de Terre arm.

• TT Access , at the end of Highway TT in Benton County, is at best only a fair place to launch a boat, but if you can get your trailer in and out safely, there’s a good place to park it. There’s also a lot of bank fishing to be had nearby, and it’s within trolling motor distance of year-round crappie water.

Tommy Brison posted this vivid picture of Brush Creek Access Point on the Friends of Brush Creek Facebook page.

• Tightwad Access is located

off of Highway 7, but calling it a “possible paradise” is a stretch. The last half-mile of gravel leading to it is rugged even by Henry County standards, the gravel launch area is poor and parking is minimal.

• Finey Access is off of Highway Z in Henry County; fortunately, anyone who wants to fish the middle portion of the South Grand River arm can use Finey Access, with its good gravel boat launch, adequate

parking and good bank fishing for crappie and channel cats.

• Brush Creek Access, located off of Highway 13 a mile south of the bridge over the Osage River, at one time, was a full-fledged Corps site, complete with concrete ramp, big parking lot and restroom.

I haven’t been there in years, but I’m sure the restroom is no longer there. Reaching the Osage River channel after launching at Brush Creek ranges from iffy to impos-

sible, depending on water levels, but it’s a gateway to good water for all three large catfish species.

Space prohibits describing the 15 other access sites, but this representative sample should give you an idea of what to expect. They’re primitive, to be sure, but they’re close to the action and using them is free. Please note that while many of them beg to be used for overnight camping, all are limited to day use.

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September-October 2019

Page 41

Jigging With More Wood Cover Photo and Text

By TIM HUFFMAN The floods of 2019 created many great jigging situations by putting more brush, trees and other covers under water.

It was an unusual year, with high water continuing most of the summer in many lakes.

As late summer and fall arrive, look for better, stable patterns with good jigging opportunities still available.

JIGGING BASICS Jigging isn’t the cane pole method of yesteryear. Hightech, quality materials provide a comfortable, lightweight and sensitive fish-catching system. Even with new technology, the technique remains the simplest and most economical method of fishing.

There are many good graphite poles with the BnM BGJP, Buck’s Ultralight, Grizzly Elite and Jenko Rogers Signature being a few popular models. An 11-foot pole is a good all-purpose length.

Line can be braid or monofilament. Braid is more sensitive and stronger while monofilament handles better and has a forgiving stretch when a fish is on. Braid is typically 15-pound test with mono being 8-pound.

Baits are jigs, minnows or a

combination. Jigs allow quick movement from one spot to another, they can penetrate thick brush and can be modified in size, weight and color.

Minnows must be cared for, changed after bites, fished slower and the hook/sinker rig hangs up often. Many experts prefer tipping a jig with a minnow because it provides jig versatility with the natural look, action and scent of a minnow.

CLEVER TACTICS Chad Nugent is a tournament fisherman who had a 2017 Crappie Masters win at Lake Fork, Texas, a jigging lake. His catch included a 3.3-pound slab. He also logs countless hours on his home waters, Truman Lake.

“My partner and I spider rig some because there are times it’s necessary to catch numbers of fish,” he said.

“However, I enjoy and prefer jigging. There is something about using one pole that makes it special. I like feeling the crappie hit and getting to set the hook.

“Like most fishermen, I prefer to use just a jig. It’s quicker to use. There are no combination limits when varying size, shapes and colors, and that’s part of the fun. I prefer to stick with a 1/8- or 1/4-ounce Pro Built

Chad Nugent jigs wood on Truman Lake. The crappie being dragged to the boat hit a purple/chartreuse body with an orange head.

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head with a Top Secret plastic like a Toad Tamer.

“The 3-inch size usually works best in the spring, but you have to experiment every day and there are times when smaller is better, especially in the fall. A heavy head is good to get into the strike zone quickly no matter what depth you’re fishing. It also keeps a tighter line to give better ‘feel’ or sensitivity.”

TRY SLOWING DOWN When things get tough, Nugent tips with small minnows or Crappie Nibbles. The scent coaxes more bites. Another trick is to slow down. It can take crappie a while to decide to hit a bait.

When to jig? Spider rigging is good in more open water, while jigging is good for fishing specific wood cover.

Nugent says using electronics is critical for looking at an area and finding underwater cover, while visual cover is obvious. Jigging allows cover to be penetrated, bumped and fished at all depths.

The second critical item is the cover. It can be trees, stumps, laydowns or manmade beds. He says beds, even in areas with lots of stumps, can be a great advantage because the fish prefer natural wood structures at times and the beds at other times. It’s

impossible to accurately predict which one they will be on.

“I really like fishing flats up off of ledges,” Nugent said.

“I prefer a flat with washedup natural structure. We will likely add some beds in the area, too. A big flat often holds big fish. Some flats are good all year long, while others are seasonal.”

FAST OR SLOW? “Sometimes the fish want it fast and sometimes slow. I prefer fast because I’m just a nervous person and I have trouble keeping a jig in one spot. I go as fast as the fish allow,” he said.

“When I’m not getting bites, I slow everything down and try to be more patient.

Sometimes the crappie are just not aggressive so I try different speeds and movements, including holding the jig perfectly still.”

Nugent said that no matter the season, the best way to learn is get on the water and look for a pattern. Jigging might be the perfect tactic to pull crappie off the wood and have fun doing it.

Tim Huffman’s book, Limiting Out for Crappie, is available in Kindle or paperback from Amazon.com. The paperback is also available from Grizzly Jig Company at (800) 305-9866.

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ORGANIZATION

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September-October 2019

A Bleak Fall for Public Land Hunting

By GERALD J. SCOTT

An unknowable but significant percentage of Missouri’s public land deer hunters depend on the state and federal properties that not only form a band around the state’s major reservoirs but also line at least one bank of the Missouri River most of the way between Kansas City and Jefferson City.

I hate being a bearer of bad news, but this year’s outlook for this type of ordinarily

game-rich habitat is bleak.

At 9 a.m. on July 11, Truman Lake stood at 733.24 feet above sea level. That’s roughly a foot higher than it was on Memorial Day, but it is an improvement over the 740-plus feet it reached in June. Likewise, the Missouri River has been near or above flood stage almost continuously since March.

But to paraphrase the old saw about heat and humidity, it’s not the height of this year’s flooding that’s the problem,

it’s the duration of the flooding that’s the real problem.

Ordinarily – if there is such a thing these days – floods rise and fall fairly rapidly. Wildlife may have to move out of the way temporarily, but they’re soon able to return to their pre-flood locations.

HIGH GROUND OVERCROWDING That’s not the case this year.

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impacted by the sustained flooding, the dislocation to higher ground must seem permanent. I’m quite sure that the wildlife species that already occupied the high ground view the refugees as invaders.

The resultant overcrowding creates stress – which is every bit has unhealthy for animals as it is for people – and increases the potential for the spread of various diseases and parasites.

Most plant species, including some farm crops, can survive being submerged for brief periods of time. Sustained flooding, on the other hand, kills almost all annual plants and many perennials as well.

When the lakes and rivers return to their normal levels, which they eventually will, there will be no food and very little cover in the bottoms this fall. Life will begin to return to normal in the spring of 2020, of course, but that will be too late for people who’d planned hunts in flood-impacted areas in 2019.

I wish I could offer a universally workable solution for deer hunters who insist on hunting during the November portion of the firearms season.

I can’t do that, but I can suggest a few possibilities.

Technically, the Mark Twain National Forest is large enough to absorb all of the state’s flood-displaced hunters. In reality, however, the easily accessible parts of it are already heavily hunted. Conversely, the most remote portions of the forest offer hunts reminiscent of the Rocky Mountain West, but only to hunters who are physically fit and mentally organized.

The archery season is closed during the November portion of the firearms season, but archery equipment is legal. Don’t count on being alone on one of the MDC’s Conservation Areas that are limited to archery methods only, but you’ll come closer to it than you will in lessrestricted areas.

– MDC photo

SOME OPTIONS Apply for a Managed Deer Hunt. The odds of drawing a permit are long to be sure, but if you do get lucky, you’ll have a great hunt.

Better yet, skip the November portion and hunt the Alternative Methods portion instead. You can use a muzzleloader. You can use a bow or a crossbow. You can use a handgun. You can even throw a stick at your buck, if that’s your pleasure.

I predict there will be more interest in the Alternative Methods portion than usual due to the factors we’ve discussed here. Even so, participation could triple – which it won’t – and empty parking lots would still be the norm at all but a handful of public areas.

Then, too, deer aren’t the only game in town, and fall isn’t the only time you can go hunting. Squirrel hunting is great on the albeit limited amount of public land that’s out of the water around Truman, Stockton and Mark Twain.

Squabbles over territorial infringement keep the squirrels active throughout all but the hottest part of the day. Their antics are so much fun to watch that it’s easy to forget to shoot.

TRY WOODCHUCKS Last – and probably least – if you’ve never tried hunting woodchucks, this would be a good year to give it a try. Like everything else, woodchucks have been forced farther into the uplands than the species would prefer, and limited habitat concentrates the animals.

Woodchucks are a rifleman’s game. Good stalkers – woodchucks are exceptionally wary – can do quite well with a .22 rimfire. If you just had to have a .17 HMR and are wondering what you’re going to shoot with it, woodchucks just might be the answer.

Where the terrain and safety considerations allow, hunters who really want to reach out and touch someone will find that woodchucks and centerfire rifles in any of the popular varmint calibers are a great combination.

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Outdoor Guide

September-October 2019

Page 45

All My Trails

A Trail That’s Away from It All – Far Away

Tunnel Hill Trail’s a Shawnee Forest Secret Photos and Text

By CARL GREEN

The southernmost part of Illinois offers an ever-changing pageant of hidden treasures for people who enjoy the outdoors, such as breath-taking rock outcroppings, big river views and green, quiet places all over.

Honestly, most of them take some work to enjoy. You might have to walk, you might need to find a trail, you might get lost, you might even need to ride a horse. Sounds great!

But today, we’re talking about a hidden treasure that isn’t nearly so hidden and is relatively easy to enjoy, but still little-known and unsung.

It’s the Tunnel Hill State Trail, a 55-mile biking-hiking route through some of the deepest woods and smallest towns in the state, built along old railroad paths, as most of our longer bike trails are.

People use it – you can see that from the tracks they leave in the gravelly sand. But they don’t belabor it. In two days of riding along the trail, we saw only an occasional rider going the other way and even fewer hikers. So if you want a place to ride a bike, enjoy quiet solitude, see natural beauty and take on a bit of a challenge, this is it.

The focal point and namesake of the trail is a 543-footlong railroad tunnel at a high point 9.3 miles northeast of the town of Vienna, which provides the parking lot and starting point for many riders.

Trail brochures suggest bringing a flashlight or headlight for this tunnel, and it does get a little dark, but we found we could navigate it even though the little clip lights we brought could barely light themselves.

Focus on the light at the end of the tunnel and you can make it through. It’s cool in more ways than one.

DEEP, DEEP WOODS Vienna is a community of about 1,600 people along Interstate 24 in Johnson County that actually feels large for this Shawnee National Forest region. One of its highlights is a park on the east side of town along U.S. 45 that doubles as the trail visitor center and parking area. The visitor center is in an old train station as you enter the park.

From there, riders can choose to go about 13 miles south and west along the Cache River State Natural Area, through the even smaller town of Belknap and ending up in a swamp at the Berkhausen Wetlands Center. It’s a nice ride that we completed several years ago and mentioned in these pages.

But most of the trail lies east of Vienna, covering 42 miles, much of it within the Shawnee National Forest. It’s a challenge on a hot day because the tunnel is the high point, and those 9.3 miles from Vienna, while the most beautiful part of the ride, are also a long, steady climb when you’re eastbound. Of course the westbound version is easier.

This section is pure joy for bikers who love to get away from it all. It passes through a deep, silent forest, with gi-

The little shop at Sandburn offers handy self-serve refreshments just west of the tunnel.

Stalwart companion Lois Green pauses to admire one of the larger rock outcroppings near the tunnel.

The author emerges from the dark and misty tunnel, heading west on the return trip.

– Lois Green photo

ant trees, rock outcroppings, creeks, ponds and no sign of human life except for any you may have brought with you.

Feeling my strength, at times I zoomed ahead of the slow and steady Mrs. Lois Green at times, much to her annoyance.

The trail is mostly pea gravel and occasionally can bog down the rider. More likely, though, is that sticks, leaves, bark and other forestry products will make the ride a little bumpy. It’s a beautiful walk, too, although it takes a while.

So for an afternoon ride, Vienna to the tunnel and back is pretty hard to beat, perhaps followed by a meal at Ned’s Shed or another local diner.

HIGHLAND VIEWS, LADDIE But there’s much more to this trail. Either side of the tunnel is clearly a high point in the Shawnee hills, with vistas over highland meadows free for the looking. A hint of a town called Sandburn just west of the tunnel offers cold, serve-yourself refreshments, much appreciated.

As you venture further east, the deep woods start to open up, a few farm fields come into view, and wooden bridges cross some creeks. It’s still a scenic treat for the rider but without that feeling of being deep in the woods.

It becomes a series of smalltown visits, with the first one, New Burnside, six highly enjoyable miles beyond the tunnel.

It’s named for the Civil War general Ambrose E. Burnside, who singlehandedly made sideburns fashionable, I kid you not. It provides a nice picnic table in the shade, water and clean restrooms, which riders are going to need by now.

A RIDE IN THE COUNTRY East of New Burnside, the trail falls into line next to U.S. 45, a mere two-lane country road at this point. A giant enclosed chicken farm looms across the highway, and I could swear we heard the doomed poultry cackling as we passed.

The rest of the way, the highway is close at hand, so even though the trail remains lovely and mostly quiet, it never feels like anything other than a nice ride in the country.

In another four miles, the town of Stonefort brings an-

other picnic and potty oasis. In 6.7 more miles, Carrier Mills has actual shops, a gas station and food if you didn’t bring any, plus a great guy named Bud, who saw us struggling to get water out of the pump and came across the road with some cold bottles of it. Thanks, Bud! By now, I was no longer feeling my strength on this hot day and I needed a couple of walking breaks, leaving Mrs. Slow-and-Steady to gleefully cruise past me like the tortoise passing the hare.

WHERE’S THE TOWN? East of Carrier Mills is where I got confused. My map showed the town of Ledford coming up before we started the last leg to our hotel in Harrisburg. But as the miles passed and I kept

wilting, Ledford didn’t bother to show up.

We finally got to a town, but it wasn’t Ledford. No, we were already at Harrisburg, and I was deeply relieved to know there wasn’t yet another long section ahead of us.

Harrisburg is like a small city. It has a highway, a full complement of fast-food outlets, some nice restaurants, plus stores, shops and hotels.

There’s nothing in the way of night life – you have to provide your own. The town is a great jumping-off point for hiking excursions in the Shawnee National Forest to the south such as Garden of the Gods, Pounds Hollow and Bell Smith Springs.

You can also keep riding beyond Harrisburg. The bike trail continues eight miles north and east to the town of Eldorado, still alongside U.S. 45. But by that time, we were done, and we ended the day with dinner at Ponderosa and a little browsing at Tractor Supply.

THE RETURN TRIP The next day was cooler, and we reversed our ride back to Vienna and found the going much easier, ending with a long downhill section starting at the tunnel, instead of the hard pedaling we had done the day before.

Where the Tunnel Hill Trail differs from some of the other long-form bike trails we’ve enjoyed – such as the Katy across Missouri, the Madison County, ILtrails and the original rails-totrails conversion, the beautiful Elroy-Sparta Trail through southwestern Wisconsin – is how isolated it feels for most of its distance.

It’s out in the middle of, well, you know where. That is its greatest reward and perhaps its biggest concern. It’s beautiful and very rewarding – but you’re really on your own.

More information and a handy map can be found online at www.dnr.illinois.gov/ Parks/Pages/TunnelHill.aspx or call (618) 658-2168.

The tunnel is at a high point 9.3 miles east of the town of Vienna.

– Illinois Department of Natural Resources

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The Feral Hogs Dilemma

Agriculture Seeks End to Hog Hunts

By BRANDON BUTLER Spend any time around the Missouri Legislature and you quickly come to realize agriculture is king. It’s easy to understand why, when you consider the industry’s economic impact on the state is estimated to be $88.4 billion a year, according to the Department of Agriculture’s 2016 study of the Economic Contributions of Missouri Agriculture and Forestry.

But issues we collectively face as Missourians can be really hard to agree on. The necessity to wipe feral hogs from our landscape should not be one of them. Yet here we are, going round and round about whether hunting should be allowed for a species that has no business even existing in our state.

I, and countless others, have written about and reported on the serious feral hog problem we are facing in Missouri. We have highlighted the incredible landscape damage these nuisance animals bring to both private and public lands. We have talked about the depleted resources for native wildlife, like deer, turkey and squirrel, in the form of food and habitat.

We have talked about the effect on clean water and soil erosion. Yet the problem persists.

SPEAKING OUT But hope is on the horizon because a new approach to the problem is unfolding.

The agriculture community is stepping up and speaking out.

In an op-ed published by The Missouri Times, Missouri Soybean Association CEO Gary Wheeler writes, “We got to this point through recreational hog hunting – releasing an invasive species with no natural predators for sport, and allowing escaped stock to contribute to prolific breeding in the existing feral population. We’d be foolish to put the economics and traditions of sport above our

responsibilities. With feral hogs being such prolific breeders that they can maintain their numbers in an area even with a 70 percent yearly population loss, the responsible path forward is to eradicate this invasive species and close the door to reintroduction.”

The USDA has been in the fight for a long time but is now taking additional steps. The USDA Division of Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has been trapping hogs for years. I have gone on two different excursions with APHIS staff to learn about the seriousness of the problem hogs are creating.

It was eye-opening and heartbreaking to see how extensive the damage is on private and public land. Their website states in bold type, “Feral swine cause tremendous damage to agriculture, including row crops, forestry livestock, and pasture.”

USDA estimates feral hogs cause approximately $2.4 billion in damages and control costs each year. At least $800 million is direct agricultural damage.

MARK TWAIN MUST END HOG HUNTING The USDA posted a “Notice of Intent To Issue Forest Order Closing the Mark Twain National Forest, Missouri to Feral Swine Hunting.” In it, Frank R. Beum, acting associate deputy chief of the National Forest System, wrote, “The hunting of feral swine on the Mark Twain National Forest interferes with collaborative interagency efforts to eliminate feral swine in Missouri.

Government trappers employed in these efforts identify home ranges and find the best spot in that range to catch the

Trapping has proven to be the only effective method for getting rid of feral hog populations.

– MDC photo

entire sounder all at the same time. Shooting at one or two swine or pursuing them with dogs will cause the sounder (the entire group) to scatter, which makes trapping the sounder all at the same time more difficult.”

Before anyone chirps about liberals or some sort of general assault on hunting, keep in mind this statement and directive comes from the Trump administration USDA deputy chief.

The Missouri Farm Bureau supports the full eradication of feral hogs. Its position statement is, “We believe feral hogs are an unacceptable risk to both humans and livestock and support federal and state eradication efforts. We support increasing the penalty in Missouri from a misdemeanor to a felony for the intentional release of any hogs on public land or private land without acceptable confinement.

We also believe it should be a felony to hold alive or transport feral hogs without a special permit from the Missouri Department of Agriculture.”

Disease spread from feral hogs is a serious threat. Swine brucellosis and pseudo-rabies both have been discovered in Missouri feral hogs. Each pose serious risks to humans and the swine livestock industry.

The Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome virus (PRRS) was recently confirmed in a Missouri feral hog. This disease could wipe out Missouri’s multi-billion dollar pork industry.

JUST ‘CAUSE IT’S FUN The majority of the small but vocal group of people opposing the feral hog hunting ban on public lands do not want feral hogs eradicated from our landscape because hunting them is fun. They enjoy

The USDA estimates feral hogs cause approximately $2.4 billion in damages and control costs each year. At least $800 million is direct agricultural damage.

– USDA photo

pursuing an invasive species and selfishly are willing to risk agriculture commodities, while accepting the destruction of private and public lands to the tune of billions of dollars, most of which has to be covered by you and your fellow taxpayers, so a few can chase pigs for sport.

There’s also a small contingent of elected officials, both state and federal, vocally opposing the feral hog hunting ban on public lands. These few legislators seem to seek out any opportunity they can find to give the middle finger to conservation, but if that’s who they think they’re hurting this time, they need to think again and listen to the leaders of Missouri Farm Bureau, Missouri Soybean Association, Missouri Pork Association, Missouri Department of Agriculture, United States Department of Agriculture and just about every other agriculture association in existence.

If you are concerned about the spread of feral hogs in our state, and don’t want millions and millions of your Missouri tax dollars to be spent covering for crop damage or repairing imperiled lands, then contact your elected officials and state legislators and let them know enough is enough and that they must stop supporting feral hog hunting and instead put our tax dollars to work in an aggressive, all-out effort of complete eradication.

Brandon Butler, former executive director of the Conservation Federation of Missouri, now is director of communications for Roeslein Alternative Energy and a senior writer for Outdoor Guide Magazine.

This photo of Council Bluff Recreation Area shows how much damage a sounder of feral swine can cause in a short period of time.

– MDC photo

A Critical Moment for the Feral Hog Problem

By TYLER SCHWARTZE and SUSAN FLADER Missouri’s struggle with feral hogs is at a critical juncture. Our state’s feral hog population continues to grow, and the largest holding of public land in the state, the Mark Twain National Forest, is proposing to close its 1.4 million acres to hog hunting.

This bold effort would go far to unify federal, state and large private landholdings in a common strategy to eradicate feral hogs focused on trapping rather than hunting.

With few natural predators, feral hogs have multiplied rapidly across much of southern Missouri. They damage crops, pastures, woodlands and glades. They wallow in wetlands such as marshes, fens, springs and stream sides. They eat eggs and young of ground-nesting birds and other wildlife, along with berries, roots, nuts and other human and wildlife foods. They carry diseases that can spread to wildlife, livestock, pets and humans.

Feral hogs currently have an open range in Missouri.

Feral hogs are neither wildlife nor confined livestock, so the Missouri departments of conservation (MDC) and agriculture (MDA) lack regulatory authority. State and federal agencies began cooperating in the 1990s, strengthened by a Governor’s Feral Hog Task Force in 2007 led by MDC and MDA, which included other state and federal agencies, disease experts, private landowners and the Conservation Federation of Missouri. They implemented a comprehensive plan including both hunting and trapping for more than 20 years, but feral hogs have increased and spread anyway.

IT DIDN’T WORK

Evidence began to accumulate from Missouri and elsewhere that recreational hog hunting impedes trapping.

It is important to trap entire packs of hogs, but hunting scatters them, and some hunters intentionally (though illegally) release hogs to provide more hunting.

In the Gulf states from Florida to Texas, where hoghunting cultures are strong, hog numbers have now mushroomed out of control. In Tennessee, where no legal hog hunting was allowed for 50 years, feral hogs were confined to several small populations, but after state officials allowed hunting in 1999, hogs spread statewide within just 10 years.

When the hunting ban was reinstated, trapping began to show success, as it did also in Nebraska and Kansas, where no hog hunting has been allowed.

In Missouri, MDC banned hog hunting on its land in 2016, along with several Corps districts, and it began to show success in the Stockton Lake and Truman Reservoir areas, where there is no Mark Twain land from which hogs could be scattered.

The National Forest then sought to follow suit, but determined political and media lobbying and misinformation by a small number of hog hunters has threatened to derail the public comment process and with it the best chance we have of eradicating feral hogs in our state.

The thing to do now is contact your state legislators and let them know what you think.

Tyler Schwartze is executive director of the Conservation Federation of Missouri (573) 634-2322, and Susan Flader is president of the L-A-D Foundation (314-474-8775).

Outdoor Guide

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September-October 2019

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