Complimentary
March 2012 Covering Eastern Kansas, Western Missouri, Lake of the Ozarks, Branson & Springfield.
WaterNWoods - 03/12
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March 2012
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CONTENTS 8
March 2012
10 Hunting Bronzebacks
Fishing with a fly rod hooks more than just trout. Try hooking the fierce-fighting smallmouth bass.
8
Greeter Brings Big Smiles at Cabela’s
10
Learning the Snow Goose Sneak
14
Ice Fishing
16
Meet a greeter who has an enthusiasm for life that is infectious and brings smiles to the people he greets.
Many waterfowl hunters are new to snow goose hunting. They have discovered that the birds are tough to hunt and require unusual tactics.
Six friends journeyed to Mille Lacs Lake where they rented a 12' x 22' six-person 12-hole Fish House for an ice fishing adventure.
18
What’s Wrong with the Turkeys?
22
The Ozark Trail
24
Cat of One Color
30
Spring Turkey season is here, but how do we entice the stubborn creatures into our sights?
The premier trail inour area for backpacking and a trail to remember.
Mountain lions have been in the news recently, and with all the sightings, knowledge is a must to understand this cat of one color.
From the Managing Editor: 6 Mountain Man Territory: 7 Ask Missouri Trout Hunter: 9 Angler Guides - Missouri & Kansas: 12-13 Directory - Bait &Tackle, Taxidermist: 20-21 4
Water `N Woods™
March 2012
18
16
It’s a Daisy!
The BB gun of yesteryear taught many of us gun safety and how to shoot, and it’s still a good first gun for young people today.
14
22 Missouri Department of Conservation News: 23 Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks News: 25 Trophy Room: 26 Directory - Hunting, Guns, Clubs, Events: 28-29 Cover Photo: Bill Cromwell ©2012 Photos by Cromwell
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30
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No Game, No Pay Policy
Kids Are Welcome and
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We offer first time youth discounts. We’ll Put a Roof Over Your Head
Book Your Hunt by Calling Dan Hertzog 816-805-2611
Visit Our Wesite For a Complete Listing of Hunts Offered www.HedgeHollowRanch.com www.WaterNWood.com
March 2012
Water `N Woods™
5
From the
water `n woods™ magazine
Managing Editor
published by, Tee TImeS golf guIde™ Inc.
After reading a post on Facebook about my father fishing off the Dunedin Pier in sunny 80-degree Florida on this rainy, gray day, I decided to partake in one of my favorite rainy-day pastimes — web surfing. Now I don't just surf willy-nilly — I have favorites: Facebook and Twitter (which give you short bursts of info that can lead to many other interesting things), Linkedin groups, the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) (www.mdc.mo.gov) and the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT) (http://kdwpt.state.ks.us). Both Facebook and Twitter allow you to like or follow specific businesses, organizations and people in the outdoors industry, which in turn gives you the opportunity for information, conversation, links to like organizations and the occasional contest. I joined the Hunting and Fishing group on Linkedin and really enjoy the different worldwide discussions that take place within the group. The MDC and KDWPT both have Twitter and Facebook accounts, and they post often, so make sure to include them in your Likes/Follows, but the real treat is on their websites. Check their news sections and make sure to join their email lists for the most up-to-date information about regulations and regulation changes, news, events and classes offered. You can even purchase your hunting and fishing licenses at the websites. So next time it is gray and rainy, enjoy the outdoors by web surfing.
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 2196 Independence, MO 64055 office: 816-878-4509 Cell: 816-739-5760
www.waternwood.com editor-in-chief & publisher: bill cromwell bill@waternwood.com
managing editor/Vice president Victoria Cromwell Victoria@WaterNWood.com
contributing writers Walt Fulps Steve Felgenhauer Billie R. Cooper Alex Riester David M. Zumbaugh Alan Hoskins Mike Mansell (Three Toes)
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Mountain Man Territory
L
ooks like ya done gone and pulled the short stick Pilgrim, and since Laughing Bear is out fetching up some vittles for supper, I’ll just stay up on this here bank and let you go ahead and set some traps while I keep a lookout for ya’s. Well, yeah them sticks was different lengths. I done tossed mine away or I’d show ya —sides ya done got your feet wet anyway. Waters cold, ain’t it? Heh! Heh! Why, it'd probably freeze solid if’n it was to stop running. I see ya found a good beaver run. Drive your first stake down where its good and solid and won’t come out if’n the beeve gets to pulling on it, just about three feet from the bank. Drive your second stake down at an angle away from the bank, about one foot behind your first stake. Hold up Pilgrim, I just heard a racket and I ain't real sure what it was! Wagh, never mind, it’s just your teeth chattering, almost sounded like two skeletons trying to make whoopee! If’n ya noticed, them stakes have no bark on em. That’s because if’n they had bark, them beeves would commence to chewing on 'em — thinking ya done brung ‘em a free meal. Go ahead and set your trap. Bed it down just about where the beeve will put his rear foot down. Then take the ring on the end of your trap chain and drop it over the first stake ya drove down, making sure the ring goes all the way to the bottom. Before ya climb on outta there, place some mud and small sticks up on the edge of the bank right there, where ya want that beeve to come up to the bank. Dab some of your “medicine” on that pile ya just made. By golly Pilgrim, ya got your first beaver set.
Let’s head back to camp and on the way I’ll tell ya about the time this here greenhorn came out here thinking he knowed all about the ways of the mountains. Only problem was he couldn’t catch a fly, let alone a beeve. This feller just wasn’t cut from the same cloth as most folks out here. Now I disremember exactly what year it was that this feller came ambling up to mine and Laughing Bear’s campsite, just complaining about this and that and what’ all. Well we knowed right then that this feller wasn’t all there and needed to go back East or the mountains would claim another soul, but he couldn’t be persuaded. We decided to let ‘em know about our secret on getting them beeves, ya know, just to help him out, and ya don’t even need traps! Now don’t look at me like that, I’m not holding back on ya Pilgrim, just let me finish my story. We told this feller to go and find him some of them wild peas that grow around these parts, take em outta the pods. Wait till dark and ya gotta have at least a half moon to a full moon so ya can see, ease down to the crick real slow like and about ten foot from the edge where the beeves are working. Push a stick with a flat top about one half inch in diameter in the ground, leaving about one and half feet sticking up. Place one pea on top of the stick, and crawl back about ten or twelve feet, git behind a log or tree and wait.
Now everybody knows that a beaver can’t resist taking a good pea every now and then, and so when the beaver see’s that pea up on that stick just a shining in the moonlight like a beacon, he’ll just do what comes naturally. When he Trap Set Illustration by Mike Manselll comes out to take a pea, ya come running out from hiding just a screaming and that ole beeve will just give up the ghost. When Here I’ll give ya a hand getting up outta that crick, and ya can get them he does, ya just walk over and pick ‘em up, place another pea on the feet of yours warmed up. stick and do it all over again until ya got all them beeves outta that stretch of crick. The reason for the second stake ya put in at an angle is so when that beeve ends up in your trap, he’ll head to deep water. Now when he gits Pilgrim! What are ya looking at me like that for?!! to the end of the chain, he’ll swim around in a circle and put the chain Q around the second stake. Naturally he will try to come up for air — Three Toes only he can’t because the chain is now trapped under the angle of the second stake, keeping the beaver from coming up to the surface of the beaver Trapping Season: water to git air. The end result is, come tomorrow morning, ya got your Missouri: Nov. 15, 2011 - March 31, 2012 first beaver. Kansas: Nov. 16, 2011 - March 31, 2012 Visit Our Online Magazine at www.WaterNWood.com
March 2012
Water `N Woods™
7
Water ‘N Woods | fishing
Hunting
Bronzebacks by Walt Fulps
This shot was taken during a guided trip on the Current River last fall. The man is Mike MacDowell from Hopkinsville, KY. (Photo Credit: Ron Kruger)
A
s a trout fisherman, I have to admit to being a bit disappointed when I catch a smallmouth bass by accident — no offense to smallies or their devotees, of course. while working my way through some typical trout water, the accidental smallmouth will typically smash my fly, and my heart will leap in my chest. holy cow! That’s a nice one! must be a 20-incher! what a fighter! uh... wait a second. Is that a ... yep. It's a 14-inch smallmouth. well... hmmm... not a 20-inch brown, but still fun, I guess. I know. It makes me sound like a trout snob, and I must admit I'm guilty. In fact, I wear that label like a badge of honor. but I also have to admit that a 21-inch smallmouth is probably the hardest fighting river fish I've ever caught on a fly rod, so why wouldn't I want to target them? The hard truth is I know trout a heck of a lot better than I know smallmouth. but this year is going to be different. I am devoting myself to developing a future expertise in finding, stalking and hooking smallmouth bass in ozark streams. 8
Water `N Woods™
March 2012
Those who know me already know I'm a research junky. I read everything I can get my hands on — articles and scientific studies, of course, but also plenty of graduate student theses. I then incorporate the data and opinions into my own hands-on riverside problem-solving efforts. But the first step in fishing research is always the easiest — find the guy on the river catching the most fish, and ask him how he's doing it. For the purposes of this article, that guy is Ron Kruger, a well-known outdoor writer and wildlife photographer with published works going back nearly 40 years. Kruger was the first professional guide offering trips on the North Fork of the White River, starting in the late 1980s, targeting both trout and smallmouth, and he currently guides smallmouth trips on the Black and Current Rivers. Since the river-dwelling trout is essentially my foundation for all fishing-related knowledge, I was thrilled to hear that river-dwelling smallies are quite similar to their soft-rayed neighbors, in many respects. According to Kruger, actively feeding smallmouth “face upstream and watch the current to bring them food. They’ll dart out to grab a morsel and then settle back into the easy spot, very similar to trout.” This certainly explains some of the accidental smallmouth I catch from time to time. So, good news, trout fishermen! If you already know how to read the water and find current seams, it sounds like you’re already most of the way home. In fact, by skipping past those traditionally trouty-looking places, it sounds like many smallmouth fishermen are floating right past some of the best spots for catching actively feeding fish that are rarely pressured. Kruger pointed out how common it is to see smallmouth fishermen zip right through the water they feel is moving too fast, concentrating their efforts on slow deep pools and runs. “My best advice is to beach the boat, get out and wade.” The similarities to trout don’t stop there. River-dwelling smallmouth are also bottom-huggers, which makes sense — the closer to the riverbed, the slower the current, and the less energy they need to expend. They’re also huge fans of large rocks and other obstructions that redirect the current. Not only do those current breaks help them conserve energy, it’s also where they find their favorite foods. Smallmouth
love crayfish. They’ll eat sunfish and minnows, of course, but they are also partial to large burrowing nymphs like hellgrammites and drakes. I’ll bet they wouldn’t turn down a big black stonefly, if one presented itself. My take-away from this new knowledge is that while, yes, you can catch them stripping a streamer, an experienced nymph fisherman will catch plenty of smallmouth that most fishermen will never see. There is one big difference between trout and smallmouth that bears noting, however. While a trout’s feeding behavior can be categorized as aggressive, opportunistic, passive or selective, a smallmouth will tend to be all-in or all-out. In other words, while you can adjust your tactics to a trout’s varying levels of feeding behavior, when a smallmouth isn’t feeding, often there seems to be little a fisherman can do to talk him into biting. But if he is feeding, hang on. If your technique is good enough to avoid spooking the fish, he’ll hammer your fly and try to wrap your leader around every rock and tree limb in the river. Time of my life, Ma! Smallmouth bass don’t require as much dissolved oxygen as trout, which means they can thrive in warmer waters. You’ll still find them in cold spring-fed creeks, but the added chill restricts their metabolism (not as hungry) and their growth rate, meaning you’ll catch fewer and smaller fish. But as you progress downstream into the warmer habitat, they’ll be more active and faster growing, making many of Missouri’s floatable rivers prime options for a multi-day trip, targeting trout closer to the headwaters and switching to smallies when the trout fishing slows down. By the way, if you ever meet Kruger fishing on the river and ask what fly he’s catching all those fish on, it’s probably a Wooly Bugger. One more thing trout and smallmouth can agree on. To book a guided smallmouth bass trip with Ron Kruger, visit his facebook page: www.facebook.com/pages/Ron-Krugers-Guide-Services/274359072616705. To see Kruger’s photography, visit http://ronkruger.photoshelter.com. Q Walt Fulps is the owner of Trout Hunter Guide Service, Trout Hunter Fly-Fishing School, and Trout Hunter Replicas. You can reach him through his website, www.MissouriTroutHunter.com.
Ask Missouri Trout Hunter
This month’s question comes from my facebook page: “what are the biggest mistakes fly-fishermen make?” When I’m fishing with a client who isn’t seeing a lot of action, perhaps 90% the difficulties fall into one of the following two areas:
1. not fishing deep enough. The river’s current creates friction at the point where the water touches the gravel. The faster the current and the larger the gravel, the greater the friction. That friction creates a horizontal current seam, of sorts, meaning there is a plane of delineation shaped like a tabletop. That plane separates faster water from slower water, and predator fish will usually stay below it. When food drifts downstream, it will often travel along that plane of delineation, so a feeding trout will simply move up an inch or two to pick off the bug, and then drop back down below the seam. That plane is the sweet spot, and many fishermen never get anywhere close to it. For this reason, one of the first things I’ll do to help a client correct the lack of action is lengthen the leader, add weight and explain how to mend the line to avoid drag. 2. getting hits, but don’t know it. When a trout picks up a drifting bug, it’s soft and squishy, and it tastes good. The fly at the end of the line is hard and pokey and tastes like a www.WaterNWood.com
stick or something. Therefore, when a trout picks it up, its immediate reaction is that he mistook a bit of debris for food, and he simply spits it back out. This happens very quickly — in and out. If you are using a strike indicator, it’s likely that he’s just not recognizing the hit visually. Any little hesitation or change in drift of the strike indicator, even if you’re not really sure you saw it at all, deserves a hook-set. I would also encourage you to broaden your scope of vision to include not only the indicator but also the region of water where you think your fly is probably located. If you see any subsurface movement that doesn’t seem normal, even if it doesn’t show up on your indicator, hit it. When I demonstrate what I’m talking about, my clients are usually shocked that I’ll set the hook on such seemingly insignificant cues. If you’re problem doesn’t fall into one of the two areas above, then you’re probably spooking the fish. Wade quietly, drop your fly gently on the water, and do not rip your fly line off the water. Raise your rod tip to get the line off the surface before zipping your fly out. Trout have an extremely acute sense of hearing, so stumbling over a rock sounds like a shotgun blast to them. Put on your ninja outfit, and be a ghost! Send your questions via twitter @MoTroutHunter or my facebook page www.facebook.com/pages/Missouri-Trout-Hunter/131248933599999, and I’ll answer as many as I can right here each month. Q March 2012
Water `N Woods™
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GREETER BRINGS BIG SMILES AT CABELA’S by Alan Hoskins
Even bouts with painful spinal stenosis and diabetic neuropathy, which have left him without feeling in his hands, arms and feet, fail to dull the enthusiasm of Phil Arbuthnot in his job as a greeter at Cabela’s at the Legends in Village West. (Photo by Alan Hoskins)
I
f you don’t have a smile or aren’t feeling good when you meet Phil Arbuthnot, you will. For four hours a day, four days a week, Arbuthnot is a greeter at Cabela’s at the Legends in Village West in Kansas City, KS. Arbuthnot is not your usual greeter, however. For one thing, his greetings come from a wheelchair he wheels around the front lobby. But that’s quickly forgotten when “How are you doing, young lady (or young man)?” or “C’mon in, it’s a good day,” or assorted other greetings grab your attention and bring a grin. When you leave, it’s “Thanks for coming,” or “Have a good day,” and if you’re a veteran, you’re going to get a big pat on the back for a job well done. “I greet people like the way I want to be greeted,” says Arbuthnot. “How are you doing, young man or young lady, is my favorite, and it’s always ‘young lady.’ The kids I get to give tokens and that makes my day. And every veteran I thank them for serving. I’m a veteran, and I want them to know I appreciate what they’ve done.” His efforts have not gone unnoticed. “The response has been huge, overwhelming. Most people smile instantly; some even laugh,” he says. “I can’t tell you how many people shake my hand when they leave and tell me how nice it is to be greeted by someone who cares. I’ve even been kissed on the cheek. People tell me I’m fantastic, and it’s embarrassing. I’m just trying to do my job — personally, professionally and honestly.” “Phil is not a show. He’s true, honest and genuine,” says David Wade, 10
Water `N Woods™
March 2012
Regional CLUB Card Manager who once supervised Arbuthnot during his days working in the bargain cave and who helped steer him to his present role. “You can’t teach what Phil does. It’s something that’s built in as an individual. To this day, he has gone above and beyond. What the image and culture you see in an excellent greeter, there it is. This is a unique place to work in that people enjoy coming to work, and it’s apparent in Phil and his enthusiasm.” His efforts have also earned him an Employee of the Month award and a 100 percent Voice of the Customer (VOC) rating from a customer service professional who was so impressed, he rewarded Arbuthnot with a perfect score. Then there’s the recent visit by Mrs. David Glass, wife of the owner of the Kansas City Royals and former CEO at WalMart. “She was overwhelmed,” says Arbuthnot. “She stopped the store manager (Chris Tulloch) and told him I was the best greeter she had ever met, that whoever hired me should be commended and promoted and that they should never let me go. Then she came back and told me what she had done and that she was going home to tell her husband about me. I didn’t even know who she was until the next day when all the bosses were coming up to me and shaking my hand.” If all that doesn’t make you realize there’s something special about Phil Arbuthnot, then try this. He’s in that wheelchair at age 56 for a reason. He has no feeling in his hands, his arms or his feet, and where there is feeling, there’s pain. “I have a lot of pain,” admits Arbuthnot, who takes several pills twice a day. His problems are two-fold — spinal stenosis, in which vertebras
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grow inward and damage the spinal cord, and diabetic neuropathy, in which all the nerve endings have been damaged. “Stick a needle in me, and I can’t feel a thing. I was at the VA Hospital the other day, and they put a tuning fork on my head, and I didn’t feel anything.” However, it’s all hidden by his enthusiasm and captivating personality. “I’ve got a broken body ― a lot of broken bones and multiple injuries ― but I’ve had them so long I know how to hide them. I can walk some, but it hurts and I fall a lot.” But even then, he gets out and fishes every chance he gets and even bowls two nights a week with an average of 136. “I fish a lot, usually at Osawatomie and Hillsdale and Wyandotte County lakes. This is my 50th year of fishing, and this year I’m counting all the fish I catch.” His largest catch is an 11½-pound largemouth bass that at the time was a state record. To help him with his number one hobby, Cabela’s employees bought him a sit-on-top kayak that made it easier to get in the water for fishing. “It was a surprise, and they invited my wife. All the employees and bosses have been wonderful to me; I’m so fortunate to be working with so many awfully nice people.” In addition to his wife Stephanie, with whom he resides 10 minutes from work in the Turner area of Kansas City, KS, there are two sons― Benjamin, a manager for a Pizza Hut in Concordia, MO, and Rodney, a regional operations manager for Topline Distributing. Born and raised in Kansas City, MO, Arbuthnot attended Southeast High School before graduating from Grandview in 1973. He entered the Marines right out of high school, serving three years in the military police, including a stint as a guard for the U.S. marshals in, Guam and duty in Hawaii, Puerto Rico and Europe.
Who Should Join SCI? Anyone who believes in conserving wildlife, preserving the right to hunt and educating young people about both.
KC SCI Projects:
Hunt for Warriors Sportsmen Against Hunger Hunter Education Sensory Safari Apprentice Hunter Camp Youth Firearms Programs Waterfowl Clinic & Hunt for Youth
Photo Credits: Alan Hoskins
One of Phil Arbuthnot’s most favorite things as a greeter at Cabela’s is talking to kids and handing them tokens for the shooting gallery, including the Paugh sisters (from left), Lilah, 4; Mia, 6: and Katie, 2.
A worldwide hunting and conservation organization.
After discharge, he worked 15 years as a foreman of a landscaping crew for J.C. Nichols and then went to work at Shawnee Mission Hospital as a supply clerk and eventually an assistant nurse in recovery. It was there his health problems began. “I was moving a Big Boy bed with a large person, and it got stuck,” he remembers. “I got it unstuck, but I blew my back out and had to have huge back surgery.” After nearly a year, he returned to Medical Records, but when his mother-in-law developed Alzheimer’s, he quit to take care of her. He joined Cabela’s five years ago this coming June. Confined to a wheelchair about two years ago, he worked exclusively in the bargain cave until four months ago. “It’s been great. I can’t tell you how good Q I feel.” www.WaterNWood.com
Join the Fun! To join or for membership information, contact fred robertson at 913-299-6759 or frobertson57@sbcglobal.net. for information about ScI, visit www.kcsci.com. March 2012
Water `N Woods™
11
Anglers Guide for Missouri Creel Limits
©Water `N Woods. 2012, All Conceptual Designs & Reprint Rights Reserved
Game
Primary Season Dates
Bag Limit
Possession Limit
Bass - White, yellow, striped and hybrids
Open All Year
15
30
Black Bass - Impoundments
Open All Year
6
12
05/28/2011 - 02/29/2012
6
12
Catfish - Blue
Open All Year
5
10
Catfish - Channel
Open All Year
10
20
Catfish - Flathead
Open All Year
5
10
Common Snapping Turtle
Open All Year
5
10
Crappie - Black and White
Open All Year
30
60
Gigging - Non-game Fish
09/15/2011 - 01/31/2012
20
40
Muskellunge
Open All Year
1
2
Mussels and Clams
Open All Year
5
10
Non-Game Fish
Open All Year
50
Northern Pike Paddlefish
Open All Year
1
2
TBA
TBA
TBA
Pickerel – Chain and Grass
Open All Year
6
12
Rock Bass
Open All Year
15
30
TBA
20
40
Black Bass - Specified streams
Snagging - Non-game fish Soft-shelled Turtle
TBA
TBA
TBA
Sturgeon - Shovelnose
Open All Year
10
20
Walleye and Sauger
Open All Year
4
8
See Wildlife Code at www.sos.mo.gov/adrules/csr/current/3csr/3c10-6.pdf for length limits
Anglers Guide for Kansas Creel Limits
©Water `N Woods. 2012, All Conceptual Designs & Reprint Rights Reserved
Type of Fish
Number of Fish
Channel and Blue catfish (single species or in combination)
10
Walleye, sauger, saugeye (single species or in combination)
5
Rainbow trout, brown trout (single species or in combination)
5
Black basses (largemouth, smallmouth, spotted, single species or in combination)
5
Flathead catfish
5
Northern pike
2
Striped bass
2
Wiper (white bass/striped bass hybrid)
2
Crappie
50
White bass, bullhead, bluegill and all other legal species
Length of Fish 15 inches 15 inches 30 inches
No limit
Paddlefish
2
34 inches
The possession limit on all fish is three times the daily creel limit.
Trout Parks: March 1 - October 31 Miles
Trout Water
1.5 miles Bennett Spring State Park Maramec Spring Park 2 (Open daily from the 2nd Mon. in 0.7 miles Nov. to the 2nd Mon. in Feb.) 3 miles Montauk State Park 3 miles
Roaring River State Park Trout Parks: Fri.–Mon. from the 2nd Fri. in Nov. to the 2nd Mon. in Feb.
12
Water `N Woods™
As posted
March 2012
©Water `N Woods. 2012, All Conceptual Designs & Reprint Rights Reserved County
Length Limit
Daily Limit Lures & Baits
Dallas & Laclede Rainbow trout–none. Brown trout–at least 15”
4
As posted
Phelps
Rainbow trout–none. Brown trout–at least 15”
4
As posted
Dent
Rainbow trout–none. Brown trout–at least 15”
4
As posted
Barry
Rainbow trout–none. Brown trout–at least 15”
4
As posted
Winter catch-and-release season.
0
Flies only
All four trout parks
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Anglers Guide for Blue Ribbon Trout Areas
©Water `N Woods. 2012, All Conceptual Designs & Reprint Rights Reserved
Trout Water
Miles/ Area
County
Barren Fork Creek
3.2 miles
Shannon
At least 18”
1
Artificial lures and flies only
Blue Springs Creek
4 miles
Crawford
At least 18”
1
Artificial lures and flies only
Crane Creek
8 miles
Stone and Lawrence
At least 18”
1
Artificial lures and flies only
Current River
9 miles
Dent, Texas, Shannon
At least 18”
1
Artificial lures and flies only
Eleven Point River
5.5 miles
Oregon
At least 18”
1
Artificial lures and flies only
Little Piney Creek
9.9 miles
Phelps
At least 18”
1
Artificial lures and flies only
Mill Creek
7.7 miles
Phelps
At least 18”
1
Artificial lures and flies only
North Fork of the White River
8.6 miles
Ozark
At least 18”
1
Artificial lures and flies only
Spring Creek
6.2 miles
Phelps
At least 18”
1
Artificial lures and flies only
Anglers Guide for Red Ribbon Trout Areas
Length Limit
Daily Limit
Authorized Lures & Baits
©Water `N Woods. 2012, All Conceptual Designs & Reprint Rights Reserved
Meramec River
8.2 miles
Phelps and Crawford
At least 15”
2
North Fork of the White River
7 miles
Ozark
At least 15”
2
Roubidoux Creek
2.2 miles
Pulaski
At least 15”
2
Artificial lures and flies only
Meramec River
8.2 miles
Phelps and Crawford
At least 15”
2
Artificial lures and flies only
North Fork of the White River
7 miles
Ozark
At least 15”
2
Roubidoux Creek
2.2 miles
Pulaski
At least 15”
2
Anglers Guide for White Ribbon Trout Area
Artificial lures and flies only All
All Artificial lures and flies only
©Water `N Woods. 2012, All Conceptual Designs & Reprint Rights Reserved
Capps Creek
2 miles
Barry and Newton
Rainbow trout– none. Brown trout– at least 15”
4
All
Current River
7.7 miles
Dent and Shannon
Rainbow trout– none. Brown trout– at least 15”
4
All
Eleven Point River
14.2 miles
Oregon
Rainbow trout– none. Brown trout– at least 15”
4
All
Hickory Creek
2.7 miles
Newton
Rainbow trout– none. Brown trout– at least 15”
Little Piney Creek
3.7 miles
Phelps
Rainbow trout– none. Brown trout– at least 15”
4
All
Niangua River
11.5 miles
Dallas and Laclede
Rainbow trout– none. Brown trout– at least 15”
4
All
Roaring River
4 miles
Barry
Rainbow trout– none. Brown trout– at least 15”
4
All
Roubidoux Creek
0.9 miles
Pulaski
Rainbow trout– none. Brown trout– at least 15”
4
All
Stone Mill Spring Branch 1
0.3 miles
Pulaski
Rainbow trout– none.
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4 All from Mar. 1–Oct. 31, artififrom Mar 1 cial lures and flies and Catch & release from Nov 11–Feb 13 Oct. 31
4 All from Mar. 1–Oct. 31, artififrom Mar 1– cial lures and flies and Catch Oct. 31 & release from Nov 11–Feb 13
March 2012
Water `N Woods™
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Water ‘N Woods | hunting
Learning the Snow Goose Sneak by Billie R. Cooper
T
he murmur of 10,000 feeding snow geese echoed across the 2,000-acre cornfield. Our hunting trio sat in my pickup truck along the highway, plotting an approach to the mass of white birds 400 yards away. Most Canada goose hunters had never heard of a snow goose 30 years ago. Sometime since then, agricultural practices began to change in the Midwest and southern United States. Tens of thousands of acres of grain fields started popping up on a regular basis. Corn, soybeans, wheat, milo and rice acreages grew by leaps and bounds over a 20-year period to meet the growing food demands of a burgeoning world human population. Opportunistic migrating snow geese reaped bountiful rewards as well. Snow geese feeding on the rich food sources found across the Midwest and South began returning to their nesting grounds on the tundra, only to produce larger clutches. Survival rates among young increased, and more and more birds answered Nature’s call each fall to migrate south. Snow goose numbers skyrocketed in less than two decades. Hunters began taking advantage of the newfound multitude of migratory birds. However, frustration soon overwhelmed many new snow goose hunters because they simply did not know how to hunt them. Tactics that worked for Canada geese simply did not produce much shooting action when it came to snow geese. In the meantime, snow goose populations continued to climb. Biologists discovered that the huge populations of snow geese had exceeded the long-term carrying capacity of their breeding habitat. Their foraging activity had degraded Arctic and sub-arctic habitats, thus posing a threat to the long-term health of the Arctic eco-system and associated wildlife communities. Snow geese are grubbers. Their tough tongues lined with small teeth, combined with short, stout bills used for rooting, give snow geese the uncanny ability to snip vegetation off below the ground. The end result of millions of geese exercising this feeding behavior on the fragile tundra soils is damage that will last for decades. Biologists quickly realized that hunting would be the primary man-
agement tool necessary to reduce snow goose numbers to acceptable levels. A Conservation Order was established in 2000 to allow hunters to remove the plugs from their shotguns and use electronic callers. Shooting hours were extended until 30 minutes after sunset, and limit restrictions were removed. Gunners were allowed 20 snow geese per day during the regular hunting season. The plan was to reduce the light goose population by 50% by the year 2005. That did not happen because of the difficulties associated with hunting light geese. Hunting buddy Bill McKinney and I plotted tactical maneuvers against the snow geese feeding contentedly far out in the corn field. McKinney is a Lieutenant Colonel in the National Guard. I served as an Army officer during the Vietnam era. We both take pride in our understanding of tactics. We were ready to circle, surprise and charge. Fortunately for McKinney and I, Bill Cobb, a veteran snow goose hunter, accompanied us. “Hold on, boys,” he said. “Let’s sit and study this group of geese a bit longer.” McKinney and I wanted to slip up a fence row and hope for the best chance to get a shot. Twenty minutes later, Cobb noted that the birds were gradually feeding to the southeast. “There is a big ditch over in that direction,” he said. “Let’s drive the mile around to the other end of that ditch, get in it and sneak a half mile or so up it towards the birds. It could take a couple of hours for them to feed close to us, but we don’t have anything better to do.” Cobb’s unusual patience and well-laid plans took some adjustment in attitude for McKinney and me. We were set on our frontal assault idea but trusted Cobb’s experience. Our trio and Cobb’s spectacular black Lab, Oreo, began the crawl up the ditch. The low crawl came natural to at least two of us. Oreo crawled with her master, obviously having had much experience at sneaking up on snow geese. Masses of snow geese continued to pour into the field. Ten thousand geese soon grew to 15,000 or more. Tornado-shaped forms of white geese circled and circled before committing to joining the birds on the
Snow goose populations have skyrocketed in the last few decades. The Conservation Order allows hunters to take unlimited numbers.
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March 2012
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Sneaking up a ditch to approach feeding snow geese can be a long, exhausting ordeal.
ground. We hugged the ditch back every time a flight circled over us. On numerous occasions, we could have taken shots at birds 20 yards above us. “Don’t shoot until I give the signal,” Cobb had instructed earlier. I kept thinking about the bird-in-the-hand theory. Large groups of geese kept rising and falling, each frog-hopping over the last, steadily moving towards our position in the drainage ditch. Birds began hopping across the ditch 100 yards ahead of us. Hundreds of white and blue heads appeared through our scant cover. A steadily growing murmur of feeding geese, like hordes of ants moving across the landscape, edged closer and closer to our position. “Get ready to stand and shoot,” Cobb whispered. McKinney lay three feet from me. “The idea is to shoot for the heads and take down as many as you can.” Sounded simple enough. I envisioned there being a mass of goose bodies at 25 yards when Cobb gave the order to fire. Surprise is a great advantage in war or hunting. I stood to fire at the geese, and surprise overwhelmed me. Thousands of geese stood only 20 feet away! The noise level of three shotguns roaring three times each, and a mass of geese pitching into the air at the same time, created one of the greatest highs I have ever encountered while hunting. I heard Cobb give Oreo the order to fetch. The splendid dog realized that she should chase the cripples first. Ten minutes later, Oreo had 11 snow and blue geese lying at our feet. “Those geese were too close for our patterns to spread,” Cobb quipped. “I was with a couple of guys last year. We had a similar situation, but the geese were further out. We killed 52 geese on our first volley.” A good retriever is a must for fetching cripples when sneak hunting snow geese.
The Conservation Order allows for spectacular hunting opportunities; however, a special set of ethics must play a part in these extraordinary hunting circumstances. Because of the sneak-andshoot tactics required to approach white geese, cripples are a given. “Using a good retriever is the best way to go,” Cobb pointed out. “Guys hunting without dogs either don’t retrieve all of their cripples, or they spend a lot of time chasing them. I never have to chase cripples. Oreo gets them all ,and she loves doing it.” The geese flew the tornado pattern for a few minutes and landed again at the far end of the field. “Let’s watch them for awhile, ” Cobb instructed. “We’ll sneak ‘em again.”
Sneaking snow geese is the most popular method of hunting the crafty birds. It takes 800 - 1,000 decoys to lure snows into gun range.
Thirty minutes later Cobb gave the order to fire again, just as thousands of geese got up 20 yards in front of us. We dropped five more. Oreo charged across the muddy field to retrieve a downed goose 100 yards away. Our hunting party reveled in the sight of thousands of swirling geese and a champion class dog doing what she loves to do. Sweat poured down my back as we assembled the last of our kill. The enormous mass of geese landed on the far end of the field again. “Several times I have been on hunts where we killed 150 to 200 snow geese,” Cobb chuckled. I began calculating in my head. We took 16 geese on two sneaks and had duck-walked and crawled over a mile in the process. “The number of sneaks that would be necessary to harvest 150 geese would kill an ordinary man,” I commented. “How ‘bout McKinney and me working on our shooting abilities, and we will join you again sometime. We’ll work on that 150 number then!” Snow goose hunting opportunities abound in the Central and Mississippi flyways. They are very destructive to farmers’ crops. Most farmers welcome hunters, and they understand the nature of hunting them. Seldom do you get the opportunity to plan ahead. Plan on driving lots of miles through farm country to locate geese, and then seek permission. Our hunt took place in Mississippi County, MO. The Tourism Commission is anxious to help hunters. For more information, visit Q www.eastprairiemo.net/waterfowl.htm. Billie R.Cooper, from the Missouri Ozarks, earned a Masters in outdoor education from the University of Missouri, as well as a commission in the U. S. Army. He has written extensively about his life's passion, the outdoors, since 1972 and received honors from Missouri in 2000 and 2008 as both the Outdoor Educator of the Year and Conservation Communicator of the Year. Cooper is a member of the Professional Outdoor Media Association and a lifetime member of the Missouri Outdoor Communicators and can be contacted at billrcooper801@gmail.com.
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March 2012
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15
Ice fishing
Water ‘N Woods | fishing
by Chad Sappenfield
Photo Credit: Chad Sappenfield Pictured right to left: Tom and Micaela Myres, James and Trisha Nelson, and Chad and Meridith Sappenfield.
avid anglers look bad. After that, fishing was slow, but we caught a few more nice-size yellow perch and a 22-inch walleye (also caught by one of the women).
Photo Credit: Chad Sappenfield
E
ven though winter weather had not officially arrived in Missouri this year, we found a beautiful piece of Arctic heaven in Isle, MN, located on Mille Lacs Lake in central Minnesota, and if you are in search of large walleye, then Mille Lacs Lake is the place to be. Recently my wife Meridith, two of my best fishing buddies and their wives and I journeyed to Mille Lacs Lake where we rented a 12' x 22' six-person 12-hole Fish House for a weekend at Nitti’s Hunters Pointe Resort. Let the ice fishing begin!
Photo Credit: Chad Sappenfield
Ice fishing was a first-time experience for us, so we stopped a Packing List: few miles away from Nitti’s at Generator Johnson’s Portside Bait and Liquor to ask the locals, “What Bedding they bitin’ on?” A couple dozen Pot/Pans/cooking utensils fatheads, crappie, rainbows and Radio/CD player shiners (all types of what I call a minnow), an Aqua View (un- Light Tackle/fishing gear derwater camera), a Vexilar Ice Board games/deck of cards Flasher (fish/depth finder), a few buckshot spoons, non-resident fishing licenses and some tricks of the trade from the locals, we were geared up and ready to fish.
Meridith Sappenfield posses proudly with her first Yellow Perch.
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Arriving at Nitti’s around noon on Friday, we were clueless to what was in store for us. We had an awesome lunch at Nitti’s restaurant and then set out on our ice fishing adventure. We pulled out onto the lake in a ½-ton Dodge pickup, nervous but excited as we cautiously followed Nitti’s staff across Mille Lacs Lake to our Fish House. We anxiously unloaded our gear and started fishing. It didn’t take long for one of the ladies to hook a yellow perch — of course, women are always good at making us March 2012
Micaela Myres holding up her 24-inch walleye on Lake Mille Lacs.
With no action Saturday morning, we were a little frustrated. Nitti’s staff was more than happy to move our Fish House to another location, so by Saturday evening we were about two miles out on Lake Mille Lacs, over 30 foot of water and 20 inches of ice. The fishing immediately picked up. We caught perch, one after another, and as the sun went down, the walleye bite picked up.
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Mille Lacs Lake has a slot limit for walleye. Any walleye between 18-28 inches went back in the lake. This was bittersweet, because to a Missourian, a 20-inch or better walleye is a treat. Letting a nice fish like that go was gut-wrenching, but this is why Mille Lacs Lake has such a wonderful population of Giant Walleye. We did, however, catch several that were around 16-17 inches, and kept those with a smile.
Photo Credit: Trisha Nelson
Photo Credit: Chad Sappenfield
We also caught what the locals call an Eelpout. This fish looks like a cross between an eel and a catfish. We got mixed signals about this fish — some people told us to throw it back or throw it on the ice and leave it, while others told us, “Oh, that’s fresh water lobster.” I'm always up for trying new things, so we kept it, filleted it and plan to eat it.
James Nelson holding up the Eelpout that his wife Trisha landed.
Chad Sappenfield snaps a picture of his 25-inch Walleye before releasing it back into the freezing water.
We enjoyed ourselves so much and fishing was so good, that on Sunday when it was time to check out, the price Nitti’s offered us to stay another night was impossible to pass up. So after taking care of arrangements for kids and pets back in Missouri, we went back to fishing. Ice fishing from one of these sleeper Fish Houses is an experience you can’t miss. The house was equipped with rattle wheels, which are fishing reels mounted on the wall above each ice hole. These wheels
have a bell inside that jingles like Santa’s sleigh when you have a fish taking your bait. This allows you to fish all night long. It is quite a rush to wake up to that jingle, jump out of bed and pull in a 25-inch walleye. There is also plenty of downtime while waiting for a bite. We played board games and poker, listened to the radio, and told fish stories over some adult beverages. With the temperature in the single digits outside and 70 degrees inside the heated Fish House, we fished in pajamas the entire weekend. Come Monday morning no one was looking forward to packing up and leaving this unique frozen paradise. All of us plan to make this an annual trip. On a side note, the North is known for its cheese curds. Take it easy on the cheese curds when you plan to spend an entire weekend in the middle of the lake in a 12' x 22' Fish House with five Q other people, but that’s another story.
Our Ice House, two miles out on Mille Lacs Lake at: Nitti's Hunters Point Resort George & Linda Nitti 5436 479th Street Isle, MN 56342 320-676-3227 www.hunterspointresort.com
Photo Credit: Trisha Nelson www.waternwood.com
March 2012 Water `N Woods™
17
Water ‘N Woods | hunting
It’s a Daisy! by David M. Zumbaugh
I
I carried that gun alongside my dad and older brothers on many holiday rabbit hunts at my granddad's farm. Obviously, my treasured BB gun was not lethal on anything expect for tin cans, old light bulbs and an occasional starling, but that plastic-stocked, open sighted gun survived many escapades, and actually worked for over 40 years. I see on internet auction sites that Model 83s are bringing between $50–$80 — about 10 times what my dad paid for mine at the hardware store! Obviously, the nostalgia market is flourishing with us aging boomers.
On my seventh Christmas, Santa delivered a Model 83 Daisy leveraction repeater under the tree for me. My dad fashioned a shooting gallery in the basement out of a large cardboard carton with a metal clamp to hold paper targets, layers of newspaper behind the target to slow the BBs’ velocity, and a boat cushion as a backstop to prevent them from exiting the box, so I could collect and re-use the ammo later. My brother Tim and I spent countless hours after school practicing the steps outlined for accurate target shooting, especially squeezing the trigger as a shallow breath was slowly released. That gun had to have loosed at least a half million copper orbs at targets of all shapes and sizes, after holes had been punched throughout all the 10 ring targets Santa had brought.
BB or “bullet ball” guns propel the projectiles via compressed air, spring mechanisms or released gases like C02, at rates from 100 feet per second (fps) to over 1100, or about the speed of sound. Ralphie's Red Ryder shot at about 250 fps, plenty fast to cause eye damage or to penetrate skin, but mostly innocuous when caution was practiced. Surprisingly, the first air rifles date from 1580, and Lewis and Clark had one on their Voyage of Discovery in 1804.
photo credits: david Zumbaugh
f you are like me, you learned all about gun safety and how to shoot from using a Daisy BB gun. We should not feel lonely, as tens of millions of men and women who garnered the passion and reaped the rewards of riflery, started with an air gun. Even though Ralphie nearly "shot his eye out" with a Red Ryder model in “A Christmas Story,” most of us survived our youth unscathed and progressed on to adult-style firearms and hunting adventures as a result of early lessons with a BB gun.
18
Today, air rifles are tremendously prevalent with hundreds of varieties and popular manufacturers to choose from. Some have extreme power ratings, capable of harvesting small game and providing varmint control in urban areas where other types of firearm usage would be unwise. There are countless national and international target competitions, since the accuracy has improved dramatically as technology has advanced. These smooth bore rifles are sometimes used as “point and shoot” learning tools to teach shotgun techniques, and I have seen young kids shooting aspirins out of the air at close range with just a few lessons! Although competition can build character in our youth, just having fun in the outdoors is also very important in the growing sedentary lifestyle of today’s culture. Many groups have shooting programs to get young people more involved in an outdoor setting. The Boy Scouts, 4-H, the Kansas Wildscape Foundation and American Legion have had shooting as part of their curriculums for many years, and the National Rifle Association has nationwide programs on many levels. Both the Kansas Department of Parks, Wildlife and Tourism and the Missouri Department of
Water `N Woods™
March 2012
Conservation sponsor shooting programs and provide ranges for beginning participants. Of course, safety is the main focus in any firearm program. Lessons include aiming and sight picture, safe zones of fire, how to carry in a safe manner, eye and ear protection, shooting positions and shooting range rules. As the topic of harvesting game is introduced, hunter ethics is included to round out the educational subject matter. Since 1965, the Daisy National BB Gun Championship Match has hosted about 450 kids, ages 8 to 15, in venues throughout the U.S. For the last two years, it has been held in Rogers, Arkansas, the headquarters of Daisy Outdoor Products. Five-person teams attend from across the country after qualifying in state competitions. Shooters fire at five-meter targets from prone, standing, sitting and kneeling positions, and then scores are totaled. Teams from Kansas have been attending the event for 17 years, and a team from Washington, Missouri placed third in July 2011. Since kids are the focus, this is certainly a family affair. In 2011, Daisy provided a $1000 stipend to each qualified team to defer costs for attendees. If this article sends you scrambling to find your old Daisy, Crossman or Benjamin air rifle in the closet or in your parents’ basement, be advised companies can be easily found on the web that can restore and refurbish old “Betsy.” If you are unsuccessful in your search, replica models, as well as originals, now antiques (yes, you are that old), are available too. At any rate, get your hands on one and get out there and do some plinking. Better yet, introduce your kids or grandkids to this economical version of shooting Q sports. Safety first! David Zumbaugh is a freelance writer, photographer and avid outdoorsman. He has a B.S. and a M.S. in Biology from Fort Hays State. He is the Conservation/News Editor for American Waterfowler magazine and a member of Ducks Unlimited, National Wild Turkey Federation and Kansas Wildscape. David can be contacted at David_Zumbaugh@hotmail.com.
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editor's note: The 47th Annual Daisy National BB Gun Championship Match will be held in Rogers, Arkansas June - July, 2012. Each year, about 45 coaches bring 7-member, 4-position, 5-meter BB gun teams (5 shooters and 2 alternates) to the Daisy Nationals. Because the ages of these team members range from eight to fourteen years old, many parents also attend; making the Daisy Nationals a family affair. Coaches begin with weekly classes of boys and girls, ages 8 to 15. Only when the classes have completed lessons on gun safety and proper handling will they progress to the airgun range. They form their five-member teams, along with two alternate athletes, then compete at the state level for the right to attend the Daisy Nationals. New team are wanted so if you are interested in starting a 5-meter BB gun team, contact Daisy today for a catalog of match competition products, non-profit organization pricing and information about how to form your team. For information about the Daisy National Championship, visit www.daisy.com/daisynationals. www.WaterNWood.com
Email Your Photo To Walt@MissouriTroutHunter.com or For More Information Visit: www.MissouriTroutHunter.com March 2012 Water `N Woods™
19
Water ‘N Woods | resource directory
Hunting, Bait, Tackle & Outdoor Supplies
Bait & Tackle Supplies Kansas City Missouri Areas
Bait & Tackle Supplies Western Kansas Areas
Bait & Tackle Supplies Lakes of the Ozarks Area
burton's bait & Tackle 816-532-4659 119 N Us Highway 169, Smithville, MO Live Bait, Tackle, Sporting Goods, Hunting.
Al's bait & Tackle 913-328-2248 7830 Leavenworth Rd., Kansas City, KS Fishing Bait & Tackle, Sporting Goods.
baker's bait & Tackle 660-547-3350 205 N Highway 65, Lincoln, MO Fishing Bait & Tackle, Sporting Goods.
dick's Sporting goods (lee's Summit) Summit Woods Crossing 816-525-3006
bass pro Shop 913-254-5200 12051 Bass Pro Dr., Olathe, KS 66061 Hunting Fishing Goods, Boat Dealers
bait & bagel marina 573-964-0510 39 Knox Rd., Rocky Mount, MO Fishing Bait & Tackle, Marina.
brown's bait & Tackle 1000 S Payne St., Olathe, KS LiveFishing Bait & Tackle.
bryant’s osage outdoors 716 N Main St, Laurie, MO Fishing Bait & Tackle
dick's Sporting goods (Independence) Bolger Square 816-350-0089 dick's Sporting goods (north Kansas city) Zona Rosa New Urban Retail Center 816-436-3524
913-764-8675
800-909-3528
dick's Sporting goods (South Kansas city) Ward Parkway Mall 816-363-1198
cabela's 913-328-0322 10300 Cabela Drive Kansas City, KS Hunting Fishing Goods, Boat Dealers
fishermans paradise 573-302-1184 5267 Highway 54, Osage Beach, MO Fishing Bait & Tackle,
rogers Sporting goods 816-781-9026 320 N 291 Hwy Liberty, MO. Archery, Hunting Equipment & Supplies, Fishing Bait & Tackle.
The dam Store 11149 39th St, Perry, KS
gier's bass pro & liquor 573-392-4791 105 W 4th St., Eldon, MO Fishing Bait & Tackle, Sporting Goods.
blue parkway bait & pet 816-861-0041 6921 Blue Pkwy., Kansas City, MO Fishing Bait & Tackle, Sporting Goods. 40 woods bait & Tackle 816-229-6818 3995 SW US Highway 40., Blue Springs, MO Fishing Bait & Tackle, Guns & Gunsmiths. flies direct, llc 816-699-2592 8750 N. Chatham Ave., Kansas City, MO 64154 www.fliesdirect.com - quality flies at lowest prices g & w bait & Tackle 816-921-8888 1260 N Church Rd # 5, Pleasant Valley, MO Fishing Bait, Fishing Tackle-Wholesale
785-597-5256
dick's Sporting goods (merriam KS) Merriam Town Center 913-432-3945 5600 Antioch Road, Merriam, KS 66202 dick's Sporting goods (olathe KS) North Ridge Plaza 913-254-9196 15280 West 119th Street, Olathe, KS 66062 dick's Sporting goods (leawood KS) Town Center Plaza 913- 661-0200 11801 Nall Avenue, Leawood, KS 66211 The dock 2838 SE 29th St, Topeka, KS
heartland Trails 816-587-1463 4200 NW 100th St., Kansas City, MO Fishing Tackle, Fishermen's Supplies one Incredible bass package 816-569-1107 3017 NE 59th Ter, Kansas City, MO Fishing Tackle, Fishing Guides
K & K fly fisher's Supply Inc 913-341-8118 8643 Grant St, Overland Park, KS Fishing Bait, Fishermen's Supplies
rainbow fly Shop 816-373-2283 4621 S Shrank Drive Independence, MO www.KCflyShop.com
martins bait 785-945-3481 1008 Mulberry St, Valley Falls, KS
The Sports Authority 816-587-1463 8980 N Skyview Ave, K C, MO. Fishing Tackle, Sporting Goods, Ski Equip & Snowboard Rentals The Tackle box 816- 233-1844 3724 Pear St., Saint Joseph, MO Live Bait, Fishing Tackle, Hunting Eqp.
minnesota bait & fly co Inc. 913-371-0343 1124 Minnesota Ave., Kansas City, KS Lures, Reels, Fishing Bait & Tackle, Sporting Goods, Hunting Equipment. wades bait & Tackle 22157 Valley RD, Lacygne, KS
913-757-2542
Yagers flies 785- 842-1239 2311 Wakarusa Dr., Lawrence, Ks Fishing Tackle Repair, Fishing Bait & Tackle,
©Water `N Woods. 2012, All Conceptual Designs & Reprint Rights Reserved
Koehn bait 573-377-2384 15525 Highway 135, Stover, MO Fishing Bait & Tackle, Sporting Goods.
785-266-8755
Jayhawk marina 913-686-2319 26353 Jayhawker Dr., Paola, KS www.jayhawkmarina.com Bait, Tackle, Camping & RV Supplies, Full-Service Marina, Boat & Watercraft Rental
rogers Sporting goods 816-781-9026 1760 N. Church Rd Liberty, MO 64068 www.rogerssportinggoods.com Sporting Goods, Fishing Tackle and Supplies
Jack's Sporting goods & hdw. 573-346-2279 1289 E Us Highway 54, Camdenton, MO Fishing Bait & Tackle, Sporting Goods.
lazy lou's bait n more 573-346-7597 219 N Lake St., Linn Creek, MO Fishing Bait & Tackle, Sporting Goods. laurie bait & Tackle 573-374-6065 102 N Main, Laurie, MO Skis,Tubes,Wake Boards,Ropes,Life Jackets, Tackle Bait, Licenses, Marine Supplies. minit-mart 573-365-5777 1780 Bagnell Dam Blvd., Lake Ozark, MO Live Bait, Deli, Worms, Fishing Bait & Tackle, Sporting Goods, Gas Stations,Beer, Groceries. osage beach bait & Tackle 573-348-9333 5441 Highway 54, Osage Beach, MO Fishing Bait & Tackle, Sporting Goods. rippin lips bait & Tackle 573-552-8238 454 Highway 42, Osage Beach, MO Fishing Bait & Tackle, Vanhook's bait & Tackle 573-346-2429 2418 N State Highway 5, Camdenton, MO Fishing Bait & Tackle, Sporting Goods.
NOTICE:
To Update Your Listing Here Please Email Your Info to Victoria Cromwell at: Victoria@WaternWood.com 20 Water `N Woods™
March 2012
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Hunting, Bait, Tackle & Outdoor Supplies Bait & Tackle Supplies Warsaw & Clinton Areas
Bait & Tackle Branson
Alron lures 660-885-3122 829 NE Highway Ac, Clinton, MO Fishing Bait & Tackle.
Anglers & Archery outfitters 417-335-4655 136 Eden Way, Branson, MO Archery Pro-Shop, Fly Shop, Tackle, Guide Service
bait & more 222 N 2nd St., Clinton, MO Sporting Goods, Bait & Tackle.
bass pro Shops 417-243-5200 1 Bass Pro Drive, Branson, MO Fly Shop, Fishing Tackle, Boat Rentals.
660-890-2248
bucksaw resort & marina 660-477-3900 670 SE 803, Clinton, MO Bait, Tackle, Guides, Lodging, RV Park & Full-Service Marina.
cape fair marina 417-538-4163 1500 Shadrock Road, Cape Fair, MO Fishing Tackle, Boat Rentals, Guide Service.
c's bait & Tackle Warsaw, MO Sporting Goods, Bait & Tackle.
chartered waters Trout Shop Inc. 417-334-1005 1326 Acacia Club Rd, Hollister, MO
660-438-7226
crappie Town 660-547-3364 PO Box 1600, Warsaw, MO Fishing Bait & Tackle. Ecommerse only.
cooper creek resort 800-261-3898 471 Cooper Creek Rd, Branson, MO Fishing Tackle, Boat Rentals, Guide Service.
Water ‘N Woods | resource directory
Upcoming Gun Shows Kansas - gun Shows 2012 march 10-11, Kansas expo center 19th & Topeka Blvd, Topeka, KS www.rkshows.com march 17-18, cessna Activity center 2744 George Washington Blvd, Wichita, KS www.rkshows.com march 24, eagles club - Ottawa, MO Vanessa 913-207-8398 or Mica 913-231-9031 KansasGunShows.com march 24-25, Kansas State fairgrounds Hutchinson, KS, gandsgunshos.com April 28-29 Kansas coliseum I-135 and East 85th Street North Wichita, KS www.rkshows.com
missouri - gun Shows 2011
everharts outdoor Store 511 E Hillcrest Dr. Clinton, MO Sporting Goods, Bait & Tackle.
660-885-4436
early bird bait & Tackle 417-739-4019 59 Corewood Ln., Reeds Spring, MO Fishing Tackle & Supplies Manufacturers.
first out lures 628 SE 771st Rd, Clinton, MO Fishing Bait & Tackle.
660-477-3614
hideaway marina 417-538-2828 1810 Hideaway Road, Galena, MO Tackle, Boat Rentals, Guide Service. Open Mar-Oct.
march 17-18, ozark empire fairgrounds Exit 77 off I-44, Fairgrounds on Norton Rd, Springfield, MO, www.rkshows.com
hitch-n-post Tackle 417-334-3395 5439 State Hwy 165, Branson, MO
march 30-April 1, boone county fairgrounds 5212 North Oakland Gravel Road, Columbia, MO, www.rkshows.com
funny farm bait & Tackle 660-438-8546 22558 Highway 7, Warsaw, MO Sporting Goods, Bait & Tackle. Open Mar-Oct. fuzzys bait & booze 417-646-2325 3665 NE Highway 13, Osceola, MO Fishing Bait & Tackle. la prairie 5 E Rogers St, Lowry City, MO Sporting Goods, Bait & Tackle.
lazy Valley resort 417-334-6380 Fall Creek Rd, Branson, MO 65615
417-644-7332
little countryside bait & more 660-638-3256 752 NW 1401st RD, Urich, MO Sporting Goods, Bait & Tackle. puddle Jumper’s bait & country mart 11429 Z Hwy, Warsaw, MO 660-438-6300 rocky Top bait & Tackle 660-438-7341 14571 Highway 7, Warsaw, MO Sporting Goods, Archery Equip. Bait & Tackle. Station bait & Tackle Shop 660-438-7664 Truman Dam Access Rd., Warsaw, MO Sporting Goods, Bait & Tackle. Tebo creek bait Stop 660-477-3351 96 SE Highway Pp, Clinton, MO Sporting Goods, Bait & Tackle. Tightwad bait & Tackle 1093 S 7th St, Clinton, MO Sporting Goods, Bait & Tackle.
Indian point marina 417-338-2891 3443 Indian Point Road, Branson, MO Fishing Tackle, Boat Rentals, Guide Service.
660-477-3630
Trailside general Store 660-438-5122 32707 Berry Bend Ave., Warsaw, MO Sporting Goods, Bait & Tackle.
www.WaterNWood.com
mar 9-11, community building downtown, Warsaw, MO, B&M Shows 417-993-5383 or 417-777-1438
April 6-8, Johnson county fairgrounds Warrensburg, MO, B&M Shows 417-993-5383 or 417-777-1438
Taxidermists
(a few)
Within The KC Area
lilleys’ landing 417-334-6380 367 River Lane, Branson, MO Fishing Tackle, Boat Rentals, Guide Service.
You Worked Hard For Your Trophy - Now Remember It For A Lifetime!
ozarks bait & Tackle 417-739-1116 11863 State Highway 13 # 2, Kimberling City, Sporting Goods, Bait & Tackle - Wholesale.
bob Kamler Taxidermy 816-985-7359 14835 Sharp Station Rd, Platte City MO www.bobkamlertaxidermy.com
river run outfitters 417-332-0460 2626 State Hwy. 165, Branson, MO Fly Shop, Fishing Tackle, Guide Service.
brookes Taxidermy 204 S Pine St, Norborne, MO
Scotty’s Trout dock 417-334-4288 400 S Box Car Willie Dr, Branson, MO State park marina 417-334-2628 380 State Park Marina Road, Branson, MO Fishing Tackle, Boat Rentals, Guide Service. Table rock worm farm 417-739-4921 2705 State Highway 00, Reeds Spring, MO Bait, Tackle, & Sporting Goods. Wholesale. Tablerock Tackle & marine 417-739-4541 14743 State Highway 13, Reeds Spring, MO Sporting Goods, Fishing Bait, Tackle, & Repair. what’s up dock 417-737-2315 49 Lake Road, Kimberling City, MO Fishing Tackle, Boat Rentals, Guide Service.
660-594-3636
buck hollow Taxidermy 816-380-2491 22904 E 283rd St, Harrisonville, MO don's Taxidermy 816-532-3500 5012 Five Corners Rd, Smithville, MO Kalwei Taxidermist 816-763-5272 8200 Longview Rd, Kansas City, MO Second creation Taxidermy 913-422-3111 11501 Riverview, Kansas City, KS www.secondcreation.com Snowbarger Specialty Taxidermy 1303 W 125th St, Olathe, KS 913-636-2729 Trophies Taxidermy 816-353-4442 11212 E 61 Street, Kansas City, MO
March 2012
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Water ‘N Woods | hunting
What’s Wrong With The Turkeys? by Steve Felgenhauer
I
was frustrated, to say the least. A heavy workload and being close to the bottom of the seniority list only allowed me to hunt weekends, and I was quickly running out of them. The final Saturday of spring turkey season found me calling to the same bird I’d found mid-season, with the same results. The bird would gobble at first light, but as soon as he hit the ground, I couldn’t get so much as a canary to answer my call. what’s wrong with the turkeys? Turkeys don’t take on human characteristics, and they can’t outsmart a hunter, though I have witnessed acts from hunters when I question that rationale. Turkeys are simply doing what they were put on the earth to do ― be turkeys. Their ultimate goal is to perpetuate the species. They do this by surviving from one year to the next. The turkey’s Achilles’ heel? Breeding season — the one time each year when turkeys call to one another to find a suitable mate. Turkey hunting seasons are forecasted to occur while the hens are on the nest. Not all of the hens are bred at the same time, so the gobblers continue looking for love. If the breeding season is on time to coincide with the spring hunting season and there are plenty of birds, especially the inexperienced twoyear-old gobblers anxious for love, things are good. If season timing is off or the birds are not gobbling, or even worse, the dreaded curse “henned up,” it might be a long season.
Turkey hunting legend, Ray Eye proves there is nothing wrong with the turkeys.
So what is wrong with the turkeys? Turkey hunting guru Ray Eye has been up against these situations and suggests calling is the key to dupe late season birds. “Hunters have been programmed,” says Eye. ”Anything other than bluebird skies and fields full of gobbling two-year-old birds, and hunters proclaim — it’s over.”
This is where understanding the wild turkey and its habits pays off. Every turkey has a role in the pecking order — the social structure of the wild turkey. When a dominant hen hears a new voice (a hunter calling), she’s either curious or furious, and it is the dominant hen’s business to find out where this new voice fits in the pecking order. So by calling to these dominant hens in late season and playing to their natural instincts, she can’t help but come to investigate, bringing her boyfriend in tow.
So what call do you use to get this hen interested? “Listen to the turkeys. They will tell you what they want,” Eye’s grandfather advised him decades ago. He has never stopped listening to the turkeys and still follows this simple, but sage advice, “Whatever the turkeys are doing, imitate it, but with more intensity and emotion,” suggests Eye.
Eye's turkey techniques work all turkeys.
The call-Shy myth So what does Eye think of the turkey hunting “heroes" on TV who suggest overcalling will make the turkeys call-shy? “Turkeys aren’t call-shy. They’re people-shy,” says Eye. ”People pressuring birds shuts down the turkeys, not calling. Turkeys vocalize every day. It’s how they communicate. If they became call-shy from calling, they would never call to one another, find one another and they would never breed. That’s not the way it happens. “ One interesting note about call-shy turkeys― Eye has hunted more than a dozen western states and has yet to experience a guide, outfitter or hunter from a western state use the term “call-shy.” It’s not in their vocabulary. Only hunters that hunt the Eastern and Osceola areas use the excuse, I mean, the term, “call-shy.”
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Missouri Department of Conservation News Discover Nature through MDC 75th Anniversary Photo Contest
T
he Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) invites photographers around the state to enter its 75th Anniversary Photo Contest. The contest is an effort to help Missourians discover nature by capturing and sharing photos that celebrate the natural wonders of Missouri. Winners will be featured in the October issue of the Missouri Conservationist, as well as on the MDC website and in other media. The photo contest has seven categories: mammals, plants, reptiles and amphibians, insects and spiders, birds, outdoor recreation, and habitats and landscapes. Entries will be accepted through May 15. Photographers must tag their photos with the exact name of the category they are entering.
Felgenhauer with a nice gobbler. how to hunt the grand Slam –The ray eye way!! Having hunted all the species of the Grand Slam, Eye hunts all species using the same calls and same vocalizations. “An Eastern in Missouri will answer the same call and react the same as a Merriam’s in Wyoming, a Rio in Texas or even a Gould’s in Mexico. The only thing that changes is the terrain,” says Eye. Turkey hunting now and then “What has changed is the way we hunt turkeys. Competition has made turkey hunting different. Back in the 70s, there weren’t nearly as many turkeys or turkey hunters. You could get away with things that would never fly today,” says Eye. “The days of sitting against a tree, yelping three times and calling in a bird are gone.” Stacking the odds in your favor One of Eye’s tricks is to roost birds with hen yelps rather than an owl hooter or crow call. “I like to get him a little worked up before he goes to sleep. I want to be the last thing he hears at night and the first thing he hears in the morning,” says Eye. “Find out where he is pitching up from, where he is roosting, not only the tree, but the limb he is sitting on. Locate the spot he pitched up from and be set up on that spot next morning. Chances are he will pitch down to that same spot, especially if he thinks the girls are there waiting for him.”
A panel of photography and nature experts will select the best entry in each category. Category winners will then be posted on the MDC website starting July 1 for the public can vote for their favorite photo from category winners. The photo with the most votes will be named “Best of Show.” All seven winners will Photo Credit: KC Hosey be displayed in the October magazine and other MDC media. More information and examples of category photos are featured in the February issue of the Missouri Conservationist or online at www.mdc.mo.gov/conmag. A full list of rules and guidelines can be found on the MDC website at www.mdc.mo.gov/node/16689. Entries will only be accepted via Flickr, an Internet photo sharing service. To Q join Flickr, visit www.flickr.com/groups/mdc75thanniversary/. Courtesy of Missouri Department of Conservation. For more information about this story and others, visit www.mdc.mo.gov/newsroom.
So what’s wrong with the turkeys? The same thing hunters have known for decades. They are the most frustrating bird there is, and Q that is the reason we love to hunt them. The love of hunting, fishing and the great outdoors, combined with writing, sent Water ‘N Woods contributor Steve Felgenhauer down his current career path as a gunsmith and writer. His byline has appeared in NWTF’s Turkey Country, Cabela’s Outfitter Journal, Gun Digest and Bass Pro Shops OutdoorSite Library, just to name a few. Email Felgenhauer at sfoutdoors@live.com.
www.WaterNWood.com
March 2012
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The Ozark Trail by Alex riester it again. It was breathtaking. Around every bend, there was another epic view of the bluffs, the woods and the river. The trail went by beautiful empty fields, old houses built of stone in view of the river and followed old military roads from who knows when. The highlight of the day came at Klepzig Mill. In the middle of the wilderness, there resides a mill built before 1912 by a farmer looking to saw logs into lumber and to grind corn. It wasn’t until the 1940s that the mill was used to generate electricity. We had a great time soaking our aching feet in the cool rocky stream, letting the dogs swim around, hiking around the big rocks and playing in the waterfall. We ate lunch, rested and took a minute to stop and reflect on how great our lives were. Kelpzig Mill encompassed everything I love about backpacking. It was a great Rocky Falls at Klepzig Mill. day.
T
he Ozark Trail is the premier trail for extended backpacking in this area of the country. When complete, it will extend from St. Louis all the way to central Arkansas. Presently, I have only completed approximately 30 miles of it. We started at Powder Mill Trailhead, a campground near Winona, MO. Jeremy, his wife Bo, and their golden retriever, Jake, accompanied Denali and me on this three-day trek in the backcountry. We decided to head down to Powder Mill on Thursday, set up camp, and spend the night around a big fire before we began our adventure into the heart of the Mark Twain National Forest. We didn’t leave quite as early as I had hoped, and we did not make it to the campground until twilight, so we postponed dropping a car off at the trailhead off Highway 60 until the morning. We set up camp, got a big fire going and enjoyed our first night in the outdoors. The next morning, I awoke at daybreak to Denali pacing around the tent, antsy to get outside and begin our journey. I zipped open the tent and starting getting my pack ready for the day ahead. We still needed to drop my car off at the trailhead and try to hike as many miles as possible before the day’s end. We skipped camp breakfast and just picked up a few breakfast sandwiches (and donuts ― when you know how many calories you are going to burn over the next few days, it is very easy to indulge and eat as many fatty foods as possible) at the local Casey’s, dropped the car off and were on the trail by ten. The first day was the most beautiful and scenic of our trip. It was so great to get out and away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. We hiked and hiked and hiked. The section of the trail we were on is called the Ozark Scenic Waterways section. The trail follows the Current River closely, before separating and not really meeting up with 24 Water `N Woods™
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We set up camp near Rocky Falls and crashed pretty hard that first night. As soon as I got my tent set up, Denali was begging to get in there and go to sleep. He had a thorough day of sniffing, roaming, playing with Jake and rolling in as many dead animals as he could find. We were expecting thunderstorms that first night, so we made sure to guy-out our tents and fully stake them down. We inspected the area above us, to make sure there was not a chance of deadfall hitting us while we slept, felt comfortable about where we were and hit the hay. If you have never experienced an intense thunder or rainstorm from the interior of a well-made tent, then you are missing an incredible experience. I do not think I have ever slept as well as I did that night. We woke up the next morning, now Saturday, and inspected the damage from the thunderstorm. It was extensive. I would find out from my mother after our trip was over that there were tornado warnings and flood warnings. We were all okay, but Jeremy and Bo’s tent came close to destruction. There was a branch 18 inches in diameter about three feet from their tent. The first task of the day was to refill our water supply. We each had three-liter bladders and a one-liter Nalgene bottle, and the dogs each carried two liters of their own, so we needed sixteen liters of water. Jeremy’s water filter was not working as well as we had hoped, so the water filtration took a bit longer than expected, but we got on the trail in good time. Saturday was the day we were crossing Peck Ranch, and we had to make good time. As we started focusing more on speed, our attention to the beauty around us started to fall. We were so engrossed with covering as much ground as possible that it ruined the day for me — maybe not ruined, but made it a day not as nice as the day before. www.WaterNWood.com
We had not run across a good water source to replenish our dwindling supply in quite some time, and we grew more and more tired as dusk settled in. We kept thinking that just around the corner there was going to be a valley with flowing water, but much to our chagrin, that was not the case. We ended up setting up camp with Denali’s two meager liters, my liter I had left for Gatorade, and a liter between Bo and Jeremy. We set a half liter aside for each of the dogs, used a full liter to cook our dinner, set a liter aside for breakfast in the morning, and drank our last liter. To catch any dew or rainfall that might hit us that night, we set up a 55-gallon trash bag I had in my pack. We didn’t even light a fire. We just went to bed.
Kansas Department of Wildlife Parks and Tourism News FLINTS HILLS GOBBLERS 11th ANNUAL SPRING TURKEY HUNTING CLINIC On March 24, the Flint Hills Gobblers Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation and the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism’s Hunter Education Program will conduct the 11th Annual Spring Turkey Hunting Clinic. The event will take place at Camp Alexander, near Emporia, from 9 a.m. ‒ 2 p.m. The event is open to anyone interested in learning how to become a better turkey hunter, especially youth, and it's free. Participants will learn calling tips and other turkey hunting techniques. Bluestem Farm and Ranch of Emporia will display all the latest turkey hunting equipment and will hold a drawing for a turkey vest packed with accessories. Lunch and free T-shirts will be provided. The clinic will consist of several educational sessions dealing with all aspects of becoming a successful turkey hunter, including the following: Turkey calling and locator calling Wild turkey biology and management Shotgun hunting for wild turkeys Bowhunting for wild turkeys
Scouting/roosting Turkey hunting safety Turkey hunting equipment
Participants should register by March 10 and include the total number of youth and adults attending, as well as their respective T-shirt sizes (limited to 150 attendees). For more information or to register, contact Gib Rhodes at 620-437-2012. Q
TURKEY FEDERATION CHAPTER YOUTH HUNT APRIL 7
Riester and Denali turn in after a long day on the trail.
We awoke the following morning with a half-liter of water in the trashbag and our last full liter. We ate breakfast and hurried out of our campsite and three miles or so down the trail encountered a stream. The dogs jumped in it and drank to their delight, while we sat down, exhausted, with big grins on our faces and started pumping. We enjoyed an hour-long break and just drank to our hearts’ content. Water tastes best when one has not had the luxury of it. Our hike ended a few hours later at the car, when all five of us crammed all our gear and our stinky selves into Jeremy’s coupe, drove back to Powder Mill, and said our goodbyes. It was a great trip, and I look forward to doing it again. Alex Riester grew up canoeing and kayaking with his father. His most recent adventures include excursions to the Boundary Waters in Minnesota, the Green River in Utah, and backpacking in the Grand Canyon and Zion National Park. Alex is married to a wonderful woman, Kaitlyn, and together they have an Alaskan malamute named Denali, Alex’s other partner in crime. Alex currently works at Backwoods in Overland Park, KS. He enjoys canoeing, backpacking, canyoneering and just about anything else that includes sleeping in a tent.
www.WaterNWood.com
The Thundering Toms Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) — representing Northeast Kansas and Southeast Nebraska with headquarters in Hiawatha, KS — will sponsor a guided youth turkey hunt on Saturday, April 7. Hunters, parents/sponsors and guides will meet at the Hiawatha National Guard Armory the evening of April 6 for a safety meeting and to introduce and assign each hunter a guide. The guides will have written permission to hunt private land and will arrange with hunters and parents or sponsors on the time and place to meet on April 7, before departing to the designated hunting location. After the hunt, all hunters, parents or sponsors and guides will meet at the shelter house at Hiawatha City Lake for a noon meal. After the meal, birds will be scored, pictures will be taken, prizes will be awarded and a gun will be given away to one of the young hunters. All young hunters who are interested in participating must have completed a certified hunter education course. An application, available from Larry Weast at larryweast@rainbowtel.net, must also be completed. The hunt will be limited to 15 participants, and the application deadline is March 30. Successful applicants will be sent an agenda for the day(s) of the hunt, meeting times and other information. For more information, contact West at the above email address.
Q
Courtesy of Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks. For more information about this story and others, visit www.kdwp.state.ks.us. March 2012
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Trophy Room
Send Your Trophy Photos
Brandon Dale and Ed Paterson each harvested a fallow deer on January 15, 2012, at Hedge Hollow Ranch.
On a January 2012 hunt to Belleville, KS, theses three young hunters all scored. From the left are Kale Johnson, Marty Burger and Nick Feightner.
Zig McClallen shows evidence of a successful January 2012 hunt to Belleville, KS with more than a dozen hunters.
Email Us Your Trophy Photos: Please send the best you have to Victoria Cromwell, victoria@waternwood.com. Provide your name, hometown and a short story. Suitable images for printing will be published.
Water `N Woods™
March 2012
www.waternwood.com
Product Review The BackTrack Marine Personal Locator
T
he BUSHNELL BackTrack Marine Digital Compass w/ GPS, Blue (360070CA) utilizes GPS technology in its most basic format. BackTrack has only two buttons and stores up to three locations. Never get lost again with the easiest to use personal location finder. Just mark the location and BackTrack will help you get back. Marine related icons mark up to three locations — use it to get back to the dock, find your favorite fishing hole, or wherever your adventures take you. It provides distance and direction back to your mark. It’s extremely compact and stows conveniently in your pocket, pack or purse. product features • Mark up to 3 locations; provides distance and direction back to your mark • Compact GPS personal locator with intuitive 2-button design • High sensitivity GPS receiver utilizing the latest digital technology • Self-calibrating digital compass; marine related icons • LED backlight • Weather-resistant; operates on 2 AAA batteries (not included) • Includes lanyard for easy transport
For more information about the Bushnell's BackTrack products, visit www.bushnell.com or the Bushnell factory outlets at 445 NW Murray Rd, Lee's Summit, MO, 816-525-2220, and 8500 Marshall Dr, Lenexa, KS, 913-310-0783.
Visit Our Online Magazine at www. WaterN Wood. com
Fishing Hunting Boating Relaxing
Truman Lake Area Cabin,
Mom & Pop Owned, Rent By The Day, Week or Month. Open Floor Plan, Privacy, Sleeps 6, Kitchenette, Close To Boat Ramp. Limited Availability. Call to Reserve Your Relaxing Stay.
Tightwad Inn, 660-477-3330 or 816-517-3415 1165 SE Hwy 7, Clinton, MO 64735 WaterNWoods - 11/111
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March 2012
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Water ‘N Woods | resource directory
Hunting Equipment Missouri - KC METRO
Where To Shop For Guns & Gunsmiths Guns & Gunsmiths Within 50 Miles of Kansas City
mISSourI
bass pro Shops branson: 1 Bass Pro Drive 417-243-5200 columbia: 3101 Bass Pro Drive 573-886-7100 Independence: 18001 Bass Pro Dr. 816-795-4300 Springfield: 1935 S. Campbell 417-887-7334 Hunting Fishing Goods, Boat Dealers www.basspro.com
gunslinger firearms llc 816-380-5099 2110 Royal St., Harrisonville, MO Guns & Gunsmiths. gunner’s firearms llc 816-318-9968 402 Pine Street Suite C, Raymore, MO Firearms: Buy - Sell - Trade - Transfers www.gunnersfirearms.com
bushnell factory outlet 816-525-2220 445 NW Murray Rd, Lee’s Summit MO Riflescopes, Binoculars, Sunglasses & More dick's Sporting goods (lee's Summit) Summit Woods Crossing 816-525-3006 1600 NW Chipman Road, Lee's Summit, MO dick's Sporting goods (Independence) Bolger Square 816-350-0089 17730 East 39th Street, Independence, MO dick's Sporting goods (north Kansas city) Zona Rosa New Urban Retail Center 816-436-3524 8665 NW Prairie View Road., Kansas City, MO 64153 dick's Sporting goods (South Kansas city) Ward Parkway Mall 816-363-1198 8600 Ward Parkway, Kansas City, MO
Hunting Equipment Kansas - KC METRO
Avid Archery 913-592-6738 111 W Johnson, Spring Hill, KS 66083 Authorized Mathews Dealer & Hoyt Dealer bass pro Shop 913-254-5200 12051 Bass Pro Dr., Olathe, KS 66061 Hunting Fishing Goods, Boat Dealers bushnell factory outlet
913-310-0783
8500 Marshall Drive, Lenexa, KS
Riflescopes, Binoculars, Sunglasses & More cabela's 913-328-0322 10300 Cabela Drive Kansas City, KS Hunting Fishing Goods, Boat Dealers dick’s Sporting goods (Merriam KS) Merriam Town Center 913-432-3945 5600 Antioch Road, Merriam, KS dick's Sporting goods (Olathe KS) North Ridge Plaza 913-254-9196 15280 West 119th Street, Olathe, KS dick's Sporting goods (Leawood KS) Town Center Plaza 913- 661-0200 11801 Nall Avenue, Leawood, KS 66211 m c Sporting goods 913- 851-7583 camping equipment only 11310 W 135th St Overland Park, KS
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Guns & Gunsmiths Within 50 Miles of Kansas City
hatfield's 816-233-9106 2028 Frederick Ave., Saint Joseph, MO Guns & Gunsmiths, Sporting Goods, Antiques-Dealers.
Advertisers in this publication are listed in Red in the Resourse Directories.
mISSourI A-bee's pawn & gun 816-232-3006 2602 Messanie St., Saint Joseph, MO Guns & Gunsmiths, Sporting Goods, Pawnbrokers Armory 816-903-0999 701 N Country, Rd., Kearney, MO Gunsmith, Indoor Range, Guns www.thearmoryonline.com Arms mart Inc 816-796-5800 21200 E Truman Rd, Independence, MO Guns, Ammo, Accessories - Buy. Sell. Trade.
blue Steel guns & Ammo
816-358-8004
James country mercantile 816-781-9473 111 N Main St., Liberty, MO Guns & Gunsmiths, Sporting Goods. longshot rifles 816-773-6500 30402 E 323rd St., Garden City, MO Guns & Gunsmiths, Sporting Goods. odessa gun Shop 816-230-4423 11706 Varner Rd., Odessa, MO Guns & Gunsmiths, Sporting Goods. orman's gunshop 816-633-7242 12342 Mount Tabor Rd., Odessa, MO Guns & Gunsmiths, Sporting Goods. r & r pawn Shop 816-632-1787 214 E 3rd St,. Cameron, MO Guns, Ammunition, Jewelry, Pistols.
8832 E. 350 Highway, Raytown, MO Handguns, Rifles ― Buy. Sell. Trade. Shooting Supplies, Gunsmith & Classes www.bluesteelgunsandammo.com
Show me Shooters Indoor range 816 452-4867 287 E US Highway 69, Kansas City, MO Guns, Rifle & Pistol Ranges.
b & g gunsmithing 816-331-6589 605 Lillian Ln., Raymore, MO Guns & Gunsmiths, Sporting Goods.
Snapshots gun Shop 816-221-9117 2001 Clay Street, Kansas City, MO Guns & Gunsmiths
drake's military Supply co 816-896-4131 Kansas City, MO. Guns & Gunsmiths, Sporting Goods
Tristar Sporting Arms 816-421-1400 1816 Linn Street, Kansas City, MO tristarsportingarms.com
crossfire recreational center 816-796-0023 21200 E Truman Rd, Independence, MO Guns & Ammunition, Guns Certification & Safety Instruction, Shooting Range
uS gun Specialties 816-436-2700 6581 N Oak Trfy, Kansas City, MO Firearms, Accessories, & Safes.
40 woods bait & Tackle 816-229-6818 3995 SW US Highway 40, Blue Springs, MO Guns & Gunsmiths, Fishing Bait & Tackle. guns unlimited Inc 816-468-4867 8113 N Oak Trfy., Kansas City, MO Guns & Gunsmiths, Sporting Goods. ©Water `N Woods. 2012, All Conceptual Designs & Reprint Rights Reserved
www.WaterNWood.com
Fishing Clubs & Sport Shows Guns & Gunsmiths Within 50 Miles of Kansas City
Fishing Clubs
Missouri & Kansas
Outdoor Shows
KAnSAS
KAnSAS
2012 Sports Shows
Atchison outfitters 913-367-6312 2000 W Highway 59, Atchison, KS Guns & Gunsmiths, Sporting Goods, Ammunition Reloading Supplies,
backlashers 913-782-2952 Jerry Wagner, 15706 W. 126TH. St Olathe, KS 66062
march 3-4, missouri deer classic Boon County Fairgrounds, Columbia, MO The expanded schedule of informative and entertaining seminars requires two stages. Back by popular demand is Brody, the 1500 lb. live Kodiak Grizzly Bear. An incredible lineup of exhibitors. Conact: Ron Roper, Missouri Deer Classic Chairman, 573-366-8100, 573-760-4545 or r.roper128@gmail.com
bass pro Shop 913-254-5200 12051 Bass Pro Dr., Olathe, KS 66061 Hunting Fishing Goods, Boat Dealers cabela's 913-328-0322 10300 Cabela Drive Kansas City, KS Hunting Fishing Goods, Boat Dealers bullet hole 913-432-0050 6201 Robinson St., Overland Park, KS Guns, Gunsmiths, Sporting Goods, Range. brigade gunleather 913-755-3139 33301 Osawatomie Rd., Osawatomie, KS Guns & Gunsmiths, Sporting Goods ©Water `N Woods. 2012, All Conceptual Designs & Reprint Rights Reserved
Water ‘N Woods | resource directory
coffman's repair & custom 740 N 7th St., Lawrence, KS Guns & Gunsmiths,
785-841-1077
culver Knives & gunsmithing 785-484-0146 5682 94th St., Meriden, KS Guns & Gunsmiths, Sporting Goods cedar hill gun club 785-843-8213 918 E 1650th Rd., Baldwin City, KS Guns & Gunsmiths, Sporting Goods, Trap Skeet & Sporting Clay Ranges. guns & gunsmiths, Sporting goods heart of America ps 913- 371-3200 620 Minnesota Ave., Kansas City, KS Guns & Gunsmiths, Sporting Goods hacks outfitters Inc 785-842-6338 941 E 23rd St., Lawrence, KS Guns & Gunsmiths, Sporting Goods, Bait & Tackle.
leavenworth bass club 913-758-1586 Randy Kenton 1700 Chester Ct., Leavenworth KS 66048 olathe bass club 2011 President, Jimmie Folse For more info: olathebassclub@gmail.com olathe community Sportsmans club Kevin Herschberger 816-225-8897 Kickback Jr. bass club 913-231-4603 Mike Douglass: mikekellydouglass@gmail.com www.kickbackbassclub.com Shawnee mission bassmasters John Cambpell: President 913-208-9802 Nic Garcia: Tournament Director 913-653-4490 website: http://smbassmasters.com
mISSourI blue Spring lake buddy Tournaments Contact Mark Slocum 816-550-5664 http://bluespringsbuddybass.com central u.S. bass Anglers 816-537-4248 David Burlington, President 3601 SW Crane Rd., Lee Summit, MO heartland Tournament Association P.O. Box 565 Platte City, MO 816-464-5557 www.heartlandproam.com Jacomo bass club 816-524-6266 Open Buddy Tournaments thru October 100% Payback cal for details.
Kansas firearms Specialties 913-369-0123 328 Delaware St., Tonganoxie, KS Guns & Gunsmiths, Sporting Goods
missouri b.A.S.S. federation 3405 NW Nautical Court Blue Springs, MO. http://mobass.com
olathe gun Shop 913-782-6900 716 S Rogers Rd.,Olathe, Ks Guns, Accessories, Ammunition, Sportiing Goods, Range, Special Orders, New & Used, Gunsmiths.
raytown bass club 816-506-0611 Neil Parikh - President: neil@raytownbassclub.net neil@raytownbassclub.net
Simmons gun repair 913-782-3131 700 South Rogers Rd, Olathe, KS Full-Service Gunsmith uT Arms 913-459-4877 303 Power Dr, Kansas City, KS Guns, Accessories, Ammunition, Toll Free: 885-488-2767 or visit: utarms.com
nothin' but Toads bass club 816-805-8237 Independence, MO., Brent Fasse website: http://nothinbuttoads.com Smithville bassmasters 816-588-2087 Chester Winans - kcwinans@yahoo.com http://web.me.com/ahabiger/Smithville_Bassmasters/Welcome.html
April 20-22, April In water boat Show at Dog Days Bar & Grill at 19MM, Osage Beach Details: 573-480-2300 or www.lomdaboats.com
2012 Kids events march 31, blue river rescue Lakeside Nature Center, 4701 E. Gregory Blvd., Kansas City, MO, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Be part of Missouri's biggest one-day cleanup and help us clean the Blue. Stop by the water testing stations and see concrete results. Details: 816-513-8960. April 14, earth day Lakeside Nature Center, 4701 E. Gregory Blvd., Kansas City, MO, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Come to the center to learn, watch a puppet show from StoneLion Puppets, make something to take home and see our night-time stars. Details: 816-513-8960. April 14, Southeast of Saline crimestoppers fishing derby - Salina, KS Family Fun event. Casting Demonstration and Contest. Prizes for age 3 to 16 and 17+. Details: 785-536-4286 April 21, beginner bird walks Lakeside Nature Center, 4701 E. Gregory Blvd., Kansas City, MO 64132 Details: 816-513-8960. may 14, Kid's fishing derby, Lake Side Shelter- Gardner Lark Park, Gardner KS. may 19, "calling all men and boys....let's go fishin'" Bring your sons, nephews, grandsons, neighbors for this time of fun, fellowship, competition and food. Shawnee Park at 29th & West Edge, across from BP station. Meet at the Marina to get geared up to fish. Details: Pastor Tony Stanley 785-478-4428. We Update Information Each Month So Keep Watching For New Listings And Also Visit www.WaterNWood.com.
Notice: To Update Your Information or Be Listed Here - Send To: V i ctoria@ Water nWo o d.c om Visit Our Online Magazine at www.WaterNWood.com
March 2012
Water `N Woods™
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by David Zumbaugh
N
o other wild creature in America has instilled as much terror in the hearts of men or, ironically, garnered as much admiration for its beauty as the cougar. These silky, tawny brown cats with long tails, intelligent eyes and muscular bodies are legends in the animal kingdom. On a recent visit to the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, I was amazed to see the number and variety of images on display of the famed and mysterious cougar. There were romanticized Western paintings of the cats, as well as bronze casts, photos and drawings. The artistic hallmark was a truly fabulous 15-foot-tall sculpture carved out of a 31-ton block of white marble by Gerald Balciar, aptly named “Canyon Princess,” which would truly amaze any wildlife lover!
In most of their range, cougars prefer deer ― fresh or otherwise ― but diet varies. They can survive on insects, mice and squirrels, but have also ingested armadillos, porcupines and even fish if they can put them on their menu. These cats have the largest distribution of any land mammal in the Western Hemisphere and can be found from Northern Canada through Central America and Chile in South America. In the U.S., pumas are found mainly in the West, but there is a residual population in Florida. They can eek out a living from alpine forests to deserts and even tropical habitats. These felines are mostly solitary, except at breeding time, and have large ranges. Home range depends on available prey sources, but can be as large as 500 square miles, such as in the deserts of Texas. Males, which can exceed 150 pounds, seem to wander more than females, and this expansive range gives credence that, as migrant travelers, their numbers have been increasing in Kansas. Reports of cougar sightings are now common throughout the Midwest. However, until the last few years most of these have been proven to be coyotes or domestic dogs. Some of these claims were likely bobcats, which are common residents of metro areas, especially green spaces such as Johnson County’s Streamway Park System. Bobcats are noticeably different in appearance, but with their cautious instincts and speed of escape when discovered, they could be easily mistaken for a cougar, due to their obvious feline movements.
Courtesy of: http://www.mountainlion.org. Photo Credit: DBarronoss
Felis concolor, or the “cat of one color,” has been in the media frequently as of late. There now have been several big cats documented in Kansas and numerous occurrences in Missouri. Obviously, this news has grabbed headlines from a public safety perspective. Recent attacks on people in California and Canada have put new focus on these animals by wildlife managers and nature advocates alike. It is likely that cougar tracks are being printed on terrain not frequented by these animals in 150 years. Cougars have many aliases’, including puma, mountain lion and panther. This creature has inspired logos and names for cars, athletic shoes, RVs, sports teams and even military vehicles and munitions, both in the U.S. and worldwide. But whatever moniker you prefer, understand that these sleek creatures are "stalk and ambush" predators with no equal. Vertical leaps of 15 feet and horizontal jumps of over 40 feet offer incredible capabilities to capture prey, including you! In her book, Cougar Attacks, Kathy Etling documents 284 human encounters, resulting in 42 fatalities. For the U.S. and Canada, there have been about 20 people killed since 1970. Other infringements with civilization are occurring, as evidenced recently when law enforcement officers had to shoot a cougar in a residential area in Spearfish, SD after it picked a housecat off a porch. When they get hungry, they hunt and are opportunistic feeders. 30 Water `N Woods™ March 2012
There are many theories as to why encounters with people are increasing. It is plausible that urban encroachment on habitat is just putting people in questionable situations. Jogging or cycling in large parks delivered by new developments are prime examples. Cougars are active at dawn and dusk, making encounters with the currently popular fitness crowd more likely. Others speculate that growing deer herds allow for better chances of expansion of cougar numbers as well. The population trend of deer herds in both Kansas and Missouri are continuing to increase significantly, based on fish and game department data. It is an extremely low probability that you will come upon a cougar in your neighborhood in the near future, so keep your walking shoes on. These are truly wonderful creatures that lead incredibly secretive lives, so even if a young male “cruising for love” (seeking a mate) should wander into an area, it would be extremely rare to spot one. For thousands of years, Native Americans have revered the cougar in spiritual rites as a skilled hunter and courageous and handsome animal. Cougars have earned momentous recognition in western folklore and I believe deserve our continued profound respect as well. David Zumbaugh is a freelance writer, photographer and avid outdoorsman. He has a B.S. and a M.S. in Biology from Fort Hays State. He is the Conservation/News Editor for American Waterfowler magazine and a member of Ducks Unlimited, National Wild Turkey Federation and Kansas Wildscape. David can be contacted at David_Zumbaugh@hotmail.com.
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Blackened Trout IngredIenTS 1 tablespoon paprika 2 teaspoons dry mustard 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon black pepper 1 teaspoon white pepper 1 teaspoon dried thyme 1 teaspoon salt 3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted 6 (4 ounce) fillets trout 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
F
R EE
INITIAL CONSULTATION
H e r e t o H e l p Yo u W i t h Yo u r L e g a l N e e d s S o Yo u C a n S p e n d Yo u r T i m e O u t d o o r s . PAUL MUDD, Attorney L L L L L
D WI / TR AFF IC DI VORC E I N J U RY C L A I M S – A L L T Y P E S AU TO A C C I D E N T S WOR K ER S’ C O M P
816-836-0427 400 W. KANSAS, INDEPENDENCE, MO
WnW 01/12
RECIPE OF THE MONTH
dIrecTIonS 1.
In a small bowl, mix together paprika, dry mustard, cayenne pepper, cumin, black pepper, white pepper, thyme and salt; set aside. Heat a heavy cast iron pan on high heat until extremely hot, about 10 minutes.
2.
Pour 3/4 cup melted butter into a shallow dish. Dip each fillet into butter, turning once to coat both sides. Sprinkle both sides of fillets with spice mixture, and gently pat mixture onto fish.
3.
Place fillets into hot pan without crowding. Carefully pour about 1 teaspoon melted butter over each fillet. Cook until fish has a charred appearance, about 2 minutes. Turn fillets, spoon 1 teaspoon melted butter over each, and cook until charred. Repeat with remaining fish.
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March 2012
Water `N Woodsâ&#x201E;˘
WnW-12/11
note: Make sure to cook in a well-ventilated area as there will be a lot of smoke.
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