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VOL. 45, NO. 7
JANUARY 2018
www.riverhillstraveler.com
A cold float
Serving the best burgers in SWMO
Fishing & floating the North Fork of the White River ———
By MATTIE LINK
A
‘These are the events that drive us as fishermen’
T
By Ryan Walker his was supposed to be an overnight trip. On the river overnight. The big dip in the jet stream had a different idea. The four of us were excited about an early winter trip on the North Fork of the White River. Putting in at Kelly's Ford, we planned on floating to Patrick Bridge, some nine miles downstream. Having seen firsthand the devastat-
ing effects of the "Great Flood of 2017," all were anxious to see how the fish, and the river, had fared. The "four of us" included myself, Vincent Seidler (Big Vinny), Kacee Slous (Boo) and Jason Vermeiren. This trip had been planned, discussed, and deliberated for several weeks now. We all agreed an overnight, on the water, was our preference. Mother nature, and her wicked sense of humor,
would force us into tiny cabins, with a warm bed, and plenty of food to eat. I guess we'd make due. Saturday morning dawned cold and clear. The external temperature reading on my vehicle told me it was a balmy 18 degrees outside. Our expected high was 30. And with a 15-20 mile per hour wind, we'd be lucky to hit 25 degrees. Perfect!! Under cloudy skies, four brave
Please see FLOAT, 15
Trio hikes Ozark Trail in 9 sections over 4 years
I
By Michelle Turner follow various Facebook pages that support the Ozark Trail. In November last year, as I was scrolling my newsfeed, a status update by Illinois hiker Jed Olsen immediately caught my eye. Jed, along with two of his friends, completed the Ozark Trail in its entirety by dividing the trail into nine sections,
which they hiked over a four-year period. What started in 2013, ended in 2017 with a celebratory Facebook status that was shared on multiple Facebook pages and ended up in my newsfeed. I knew I had to know more about this hiking adventure and that Jed’s story was Please see TRAIL, 14
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mattie@sextonmediagroup.com _____________
cafe in Noel, Mo., recently switched ownership, but the new owner is no stranger to the cafe, having been a silent partner for three years now. Kathy Smith has taken over sole ownership of what was formerly named The Lodge Cafe. “I have been a part owner for three years here at the cafe working in the kitchen and wherever I was needed,” said Smith, who changed name restaurant’s name to Cafe 59. Smith started devoting all her time to the cafe a year-and-a-half ago and bought it in August 2017. Before that, Smith was a certified dietary manager, making diet plans and managing diets for nursing home patients. “I love food service. I love the comfort Please see CAFE, 14
Page 2 • January 2018
RiverHillsTraveler.com
Just a few words about the 20/20 Club
T
he winter months without a doubt limit the time that one would like to spend fishing. A person who loves to fish not only has to do battle with the elements in the form of low temperatures and snow and ice, but also with all the traditional customs that the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays demand. Let’s face it, November and December are two very busy months for all of us and fishing has to be put way down on the list of things to do… way down there, in fact. And after those two months are out of the way, then one has to contend with January and February, the two months of the year where Mother Nature usually throws her worst weather at us. I do manage to Bill Oder make a few trips to ———— Montauk for the catch and release season during these winter months but only on nice days, which often are very rare. As much as I love fishing, I’m not a fan of braving freezing temperatures and watching ice form on my fly rod. I do own a pair of fishing gloves, the kind with the finger tips exposed, but as I have aged I have adopted a rule for myself that if it’s cold enough to necessitate the wearing of gloves, then the best thing for me is to stay inside. I’ve fished in cold weather before (10 degrees once) when I was a younger lad but I have wised-up with age. When I was out there on that 10 degree day, I recall clearly that I wasn’t enjoying myself. Who in their right mind would? It was brutal. That day I saw someone piling up wood on the bank of the river to make a fire, and after praising that gentleman for his ingenuity and intelligence, I got out of the water and helped him with his fire building. So during the winter months, if I’m not able to fish, I turn to fly tying (a nice indoor hobby) or reading about fishing (another nice indoor hobby). Recently I was at a used bookstore and found a book,” The Well-Tempered Angler,” by Arnold Gingrich, published in 1959 and decided to add it to my collection of fishing books. In one of the chapters of the book, Mr. Gingrich mentions a club of which I had never heard… the 20/20 Club. This club holds no meetings. There are no monthly magazines. There are no membership cards. No secret handshakes or passwords. No embarrassing initiation rituals. No monthly dues. The only requirement for membership is catching a 20-inch (or bigger) trout on a size 20 (or smaller) fly using
light tackle and in accomplishing this feat, you will then possess the bragging rights of proudly saying that you are a 20/20 fisherman or fisherwoman. Of course, fishing with light tackle can be very challenging but as Mr. Gingrich states in his book, this challenge can make one’s fishing experience a lot more satisfying. The light tackle necessitates using tiny, tiny flies and yes, big trout do go for these small flies, be it dry flies or nymphs, but they do require being tied to the end of a very light leader. A tapered leader is best with the tippet (the last 24 inches or so of the leader) being in the one- to two-pound test strength category. A short, ultralight fly rod is ideal for this type of fishing but certainly not necessary and a 7 or 8 foot rod would work just fine. I’ve discovered that some of the new rods on the market today even have a 20-inch mark on them already so they can be used as a ruler, which makes it convenient for anyone seeking membership in the 20/20 Club. The most important thing to keep in mind is that you are after a big fish using a very small fly and very thin wisp of a leader. A 20-inch trout will weigh around 4.5 pounds and will be fighting courageously. The only thing that has you and him tethered together is going to be an almost invisible strand of monofilament. Light leaders seem like they would be impossible to bring in big fish, but they do work. I remember reading a book years ago by a bass fisherman named Jason Lucas who rigged the end of his line with ordinary sewing thread and netted a lunker bass to demonstrate the importance of carefully playing the fish, and that heavy line isn’t always necessary. The fish can’t be horsed in like you see anglers doing in the bass tournaments on TV. There will have to be finesse and patience displayed on the part of the fisherman. There, of course, will be breaking of leaders and breaking of hearts when the big one gets away. There will also be a lot of one- and two-pound trout caught and this is a good thing because catching them will be a ball on light tackle and though they won’t get you into the club, they will still test your skill and patience in bringing them to net and give you a lot of practice for the day when you finally set the hook into the big one. So, I’m looking forward to trying more of this light tackle fishing on my next trip to the river. I’m not a member of the 20/20 Club yet, but I’m going to try to become one. Mr. Gingrich said it best in his book, “…There’s satisfaction in knowing that you are doing the simplest thing in the hardest way possible.”
It’s kind of like trading in your deer rifle for a new compound bow, or continuing taking care of your autumn leaf problem with a hand rake instead of a gas blower, or refusing to learn how to text, or backing your car by looking in the rearview mirror instead of that little TV screen on your dash. There is a satisfying feeling in facing the challenge and getting the job done. It’s not about how many fish you catch, but how you go about it is what counts. Oh, I’m sure I’ll still be tying on the
larger flies from time to time but I’m going to give this 20/20 fishing a try. I may never achieve membership in the club but that won’t keep me from trying, and it’s that glimmer of hope that makes us fishermen and fisherwomen keep packing up our cars and heading for our favorite streams whenever the pressing demands of our everyday lives ease up and allow us to go fishing. (Bill Oder can be reached at oderbill@yahoo.com.)
RiverHillsTraveler.com
January 2018 • Page 3
This success story makes Missouri stand out
A
By Bob Frakes s I write fire lookout articles here and there, I always find the feedback a great chance to learn and make friends. After writing one of my River Hills Traveler articles I received a contact from Lawrence Buchheit, of Old Appleton. Lawrence worked for the Missouri Department of Conservation from 1970-2001. He started there as the tower man at the Perry Tower south of Perryville. Lawrence invited me for a “tower tour” and talk. He was able to get a key, so we were also able to check out the cab. You could see Cottoner Mountain and the location where the Coffman Tower stood at one time. Knob Lick Tower was off the west and on a clear day he said you could even see the bridge at Chester and Bald Knob Cross. Bald Knob Cross is almost 40 miles away as the crow flies. He noted that early on fighter jets used the area for what seemed to be low-level training, and on occasion the fighter pilot appeared to be lower than the cab of the tower. He is also a local historian and my first questions involved the area. He noted Old Appleton was Schnurbusch and then Apple Creek, to become Appleton and Old Appleton today. Missouri already had an Appleton so that name had caused confusion. He mentioned how the area had served as the capitol for the five local Shawnee Nations and that Lewis & Clark had stopped there on their way to set out from St. Louis on their journey of discovery. I enjoyed the lesson and looking at the maps he shared with me. My first questions involved his work as a tower man. Some have the impression a tower worker spent all their time in the cab of a tower. Towers were used mostly in high fire danger periods. When the “burn index” (winds over 20 mph and humidity less than 25 percent) was high, the towers were used to “get the jump” on fires. Being fast to the fire was everything. A crew that got to a fire when it was small had a small problem. Part of this equation was the fire finder. By aiming and “taking a shot” on the smoke, a worker could relay readings quickly to other towers or to a dispatch board. These numbers could be translated into an exact location to speed up the arrival of help. If it was a small fire, the worker might go themselves to put the fire out. Tower workers also knew the area. Even without several “shots” it could be evident to a tower worker where the
problem was located. Early on these workers were paid by the month which could lead to some long days. Lawrence recalled that a report had to try and locate a source. On one occasion the fire traced back to a burned outhouse. It seemed the property owners had finally got their indoor plumbing just the way they wanted it and had a ceremonial “good bye” burning party for the privy. When the fire index dropped, there was always litter to be removed, mowing to get done, and TSI (timber stand improvement). The timber was cruised. This was done to determine what was there and how it could be best managed. For example: soil determines timber, White Oaks on the north slope, Red Oaks on the south slope, and Hickory on either. By replacing random and unorganized growth with management, the usefulness of the forest could be greatly improved. The use of the towers changed over the years. As more areas were brought into the MDC for hunting and fishing, this meant more areas to cover. Many rural districts took over the work of firefighting. Cell phones made fire reports by the public easier and the public itself became more fire knowledgeable. Trash pick-up replaced trash burning, resulting in fewer fires. The towers were used less and less, although some are still “active” and used in the dry times. Some were abused at times by
people who didn’t realize the part they had played in Missouri’s conservation success story. We also discussed the firefighting itself. Lawrence pointed out that the “fire triangle” was heat, air, and fuel. Fires he sighted were almost always “on the ground,” not in the crown on the trees. However, hollow trees would burn, fall and help spread the fire. A white smoke indicated leaves and grass burning. One fire season was February to May before the trees leafed out and the rains came. Another was from the first frost to December or January. Strong winds would push the fire fast
in a narrow track with a hot fire head. In lesser winds, the fire would move more slowly and spread out wider. Fires were often fought by setting a backfire. A break line would be established by rake, road or other means and small fires set to burn back and remove the fuel part of the equation. This required a strategy and surveillance. Fires racing up a slope were often fought when they crossed over the ridge. Blowers were used in place of rakes, at times, and water was used by backpack or truck tank. Eighty gallons of water from a truck would last about a mile. If a local source of water could be found, pumps could be used to tap the water. Observation was important to planning and, at times, a small plane was used as eyes in the sky. Constant checking insured no flareups popped up to spoil the work done. At times on big fires, a “dozer” was called in. Lawrence liked the John Deere 450 but there were several makes and models. Different firefighters had their own favorites. The picture below (courtesy of Jim Parker) in this article shows Jim Parker and Charlie Younger fighting a fire south of Rolla. The dozer could dig a fire break fast, doing the work of many men. If the terrain was right, it was the right tool for the job. In the picture of Lawrence at Perry Tower (above), you can see a feature I have found common to the forestry workers – contented pride. Pride in the job they did over the last century in making Missouri a conservation success story that stands out among the 50 states. Next time you run into one, give them a thumbs up for a job well done. (Questions or comments? Bob Frakes can be reached by email at frakes2@ mvn.net or by phone at 618-244-1642.) Special th S thanks to o our prre esen nting spons nsor: so or:
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RiverHillsTraveler.com
Page 4 • January 2018
Birders note 109 species during annual bird count
W
e get lots of requests for more stories about birds, and birding, in the Traveler than just about anything else. Sure, I love to talk about camping, floating, fishing and hunting and you're guaranteed to read about those things in each issue of the Traveler, but birding? I really hadn't thought too much about it, but was told the other day by some MDC folks that birding is the top outdoor activity in Missouri. I like hearing what our readers enjoy about the Traveler, and things they would like to read about, so let's start off 2018 with a nice birding story, hopefully one of many to come. According to the Missouri Department of ConservaJimmy Sexton tion (MDC), birders ———— tallied 109 separate Journey On species of birds on Dec. 18 during the annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count at Four Rivers Conservation Area in Vernon and Bates counties. The tally didn’t top the record for a Christmas Bird Count in Missouri, which was set in 2016 at Four Rivers with 114 species. But it’s still an impressive number of species that reflects in part a wide variety of habitats at the MDC area and at some other nearby public prairies and wildlife areas. The National Audubon Society conducts Christmas Bird Counts annually between Dec. 14 and Jan. 5 nationally in a tradition that dates to 1900. Data gathered helps scientists monitor winter bird populations and long-term species trends. MDC staff partners with Audubon members, conservation professionals, and volunteers, for the annual count at Four Rivers and at other locations
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Children really enjoy the interactive exhibits at the Springfield center.
throughout Missouri. The counts are set within 15-mile wide diameter circles. At Four Rivers, people participating in the count traverse the area’s wetlands, bottomland forest, agriculture land, restored grassland, and two small remnant native prairies. Four Rivers provides an impressive number of species for a Christmas Bird Count in Missouri, said Mark Robbins, one of the count organizers. The wide variety of habitats at Four Rivers helps attract a wide number of species, Robbins said. Plus the count attracts some very good birding experts who are adept at identifying species by sight and sound. But some species found in the count are related to mild temperatures in autumn and early winter. Birds that normally would have migrated south are lingering and being tallied, reflecting unusually high numbers in the count, such as greater yellowlegs, least sandpiper, and eastern phoebe. “You wouldn’t have seen these totals in Missouri 20 years ago or even 15 years ago,” Robbins said. “Climate
change is definitely influencing this.” Unusual birds sighted on the count included an orange-crowned warbler and a white-winged dove. Participants counted 639 red-headed woodpeckers, which were feeding on a strong mast crop of acorns and pecans on the bottomland forest. Topping the count by numbers were almost 27,000 mallard ducks, reflecting the focus on wetlands at the August A. Busch Memorial Wetlands at Four Rivers Conservation Area. My son received a new pair of Nikon binoculars for Christmas, presumably for deer season. I'm going to ask him if he'd like to try them out birding here when the weather warms up a tad. ——— Last summer my wife and I, and our two remaining children who live at home (ages 15 and 9), enjoyed visiting different MDC nature centers around the state and taking part in some of their programs. From seeing the snakes at Twin Pines (we'll be featuring this conservation center in an upcoming issue) to the turkeys at the Springfield Nature Cen-
Happy New Year in the Ozarks!
rowing up in the Ozarks, where old traditions tend to live on, I knew many people who cooked up a pot of black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day for good luck. You probably did, too. Most folks probably didn’t really believe eating black-eyed peas on New Year’s actually brought good luck the rest of the year, and did it for tradition’s sake, but I do know one person Wes Franklin who took it more ———— seriously than othNative Ozarker ers. A friend’s father wasn’t really a believer, per se, but he insisted on black-eyed peas because, well, what could it hurt? If you want to take it a step further, put a dime under your bowl of blackeyed peas and wear a pair of red garters and you’re more than ensured of good luck the rest of the year. That’s out of Vance Randolph’s “Ozark Superstitions,” published in 1947 and based on several decades worth of compiled notes taken from interviews and observations.
I reference it a lot because Randolph is my favorite Ozark folklorist. More Ozark New Year’s superstitions collected by Randolph include the following: • Always open your windows a few minutes before midnight on New Year’s Eve to let the bad luck out and the good luck in. • It is very bad luck to hang up the new year’s calendar before midnight on New Year’s Eve. • Never allow anything to be taken out of your house on New Year’s Day. Some say it is OK to take something out as long as you bring something else back in to offset the bad luck. Others say try to bring as much stuff into the house as possible on January 1 to ensure a year of plenty. • Whatever a person is doing on New Year’s Day it is what they will be doing for the entire year. So try not to do anything you don’t want to be doing regu-
larly. • Never wash clothes on New Year’s Day or it will cause the death of a relative before the year is out. • An unexpected visitor on New Year’s Day means you will see a lot of guests throughout the new year. • If the first person to walk through your door on New Year’s Day is a man, it means good luck. If it is a woman, it means bad luck. • A baby born on New Year’s Day will be lucky for the rest of his or her life (I have a cousin who was born on New Year’s Day but I can’t really speak to how lucky he has been). These are just a handful of things many people in the Ozarks, and I suspect elsewhere, really did believe at one time. Perhaps a few still secretly do. Happy New Year! (Wes Franklin!can be reached at (417) 658-8443.)
On the Cover
Ryan Walker proudly shows off one of the smallmouth bass he caught during a fishing trip on the James River in Stone County back in June 2017. (courtesy photo)
ter, we had a blast. And now, just announced at the close of 2017, there’s a new way to sign up for MDC nature programs. Thousands of people that attend hiking, archery, kayaking and other nature programs can now manage their attendance whenever it’s convenient for them. Instead of calling the center during business hours, registrations are now made online at mdc.mo.gov/events. The first step in registering for a program is creating a profile.!This takes a few minutes, but once a profile is created, signing up for future programs is very simple.! Just sign in and click the ‘register’ button.!The online registration is convenient since anyone can now register at any time of day instead of waiting for a facility to be open. Once someone creates their profile and registers for an event, they can choose to receive email reminders and additional details about each program, and they can cancel their attendance if needed. MDC will also use the system to evaluate which types of programs the nature centers, ranges, interpretive sites, and other facilities should focus on.! The registration program will generate statewide reports to give MDC information on which programs are needed, wanted, or unsuccessful. (Jimmy Sexton is owner and publisher of the River Hills Traveler. He can be reached at (800) 874-8423, ext. 1, or jimmy@riverhillstraveler.com.)
River Hills Traveler 212 E. Main St., Neosho, MO 64850 Phone & Fax: 800-874-8423
www.riverhillstraveler.com Email: jimmy@riverhillstraveler. com Owner & Publisher Jimmy Sexton Managing Editor Madeleine Link Circulation Manager Amanda Harvel Staff Writers Wes Franklin • Mike Roux Bill Wakefield • Bill Oder Tom Boydston • Bill Cooper Michelle Turner • Dana Sturgeon Chuck Smick • Ryan Walker Richard Whiteside Advertising All of us River Hills Traveler, established in 1973, is published monthly by Sexton Media Group and Traveler Publishing Company at 212 E. Main St., Neosho, MO 64850. Postmaster: Send change of address notices to: River Hills Traveler, 212 E. Main St., Neosho, MO 64850. Subscription prices: $22 per year; 2 years, $40. Back issues available up to one year from publication, $5 plus sales tax & shipping. COPYRIGHT © 2018 No part of this publication may be reproduced without the express written permission of the publisher of the River Hills Traveler or his duly appointed agent. The publisher reserves the right to reject any advertising or editorial submission for any reason.
RiverHillsTraveler.com
January 2018 • Page 5
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
I
I was when you picked me up.”
About a boy who thought he was ready to make his passage into manhood but was told to wait until he was older. This did not set well for he felt he was old enough to make that journey. So off he went – up and over the mountain he went. He passed all types of things and animals along the way. But one spoke to him! As he stopped, he thought I am so cold. He looked down at his feet and said who is speaking to me? Behind the rocks was a rattlesnake, and once again the snake spoke. “We are both cold and in need of warmth and food. Will you carry me along with you until we reach the bottom of this mountain?” And the boy spoke back, “I cannot pick up a snake, you will surely bite me and from it I would die.” Once more the snake spoke to the boy’s sense of heart: “Please, I will surely die here, please save my life.” The boy thought and decided he would pick him up and save his life if he promised not to bite him. Surely he would be grateful and not. “Alright,” said the boy. “We will go and find warmth and food.” Off they went. Soon they reached the bottom and just as the boy started to pull him out and set him down, he bit him. Not knowing why the snake broke his promise he asked: “Why, oh why, after I picked you up and got you where you needed to go to live you bite me?” And the snake said, “You knew what
This story and the moral of it is: do not pick up or let someone talk you into something you know is wrong. This story made my grandchildren stop and think for years to come. Now, to put a little spring in your window all winter long. The one thing I missed the most was my flowers fading away to winter, so here is something I enjoy doing to bring back some spring. Buy some bulbs, whatever you enjoy the most. Get a bowl 5 inches or deeper, get a few bags of black & white rocks or whatever color you desire, layer them black-white-black. Place the bulbs an inch down in the rocks then fill water to the bottom of the bulbs, place in a cool, dry place for two weeks; place in window for light and enjoy. Now to keep them blooming all winter long, start another one and repeat. The days of walking in the woods and gathering herbs have been replaced with growing my own and always having enough to share. When I was young people would come and ask me for a blend just for their needs. The mixture would be given & weeks later I would hear their own stories of peace and feeling healthier. As I got older my three sons (Wade, Kenny & Michael) all grown, I found my youngest also had the love for the blends and sharing them with his friends and with the tea house here. So, if you find yourself in our area, stop in and say hello & have a cup of tea from his many blends at the tea house and tell them we sent you. A good morning tea to bring the smell of flowers back into the house is Lavender Earl Grey. A brisk black tea with about half as much caffeine as a cup of coffee. The bergamot oils gives a citrus flavor, lavender brings out a strong floral scent that is softened with marigold or morning glory blossoms. It’s a wonderful way to start the day. I love to embrace the holidays with a cup of Chai tea. This ancient drink comes from India but nothing makes me feel more at home than smelling the sweet & slightly spicy aroma of cinnamon, cardamom and clove in my
To the Editor, n the days we live in we have to make our own tranquility, a peace to carry with us in throughout our days. The flowers of spring, sleeping until they are awakened once again, we can bring about our own! In these times of all-consuming hardships within the headlines, we can maintain our sense of self to still our minds and calm our hearts. I have found in my days of herb hunting along with a good cup of tea, there are a lot of stories passed around an outside fire or within the warmth of a living room. Many an evening spent with my grandchildren was just that way, and there is one that comes to mind:
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teapot. Traditionally served with milk and honey, it has replaced hot cocoa as my seasonal treat. A tea for any time of day. A strong black Chai tea will brace you for the day, while a hot cup of caffeine free rooibos chai is a great way to warm up and wind down on a cold winter evening. Chamomile has long been hailed as a tea for stress relief and as a sleep aid, but gets a special boost with herbs like valerian root, skull cap, St. Johns Wort, passion flowers or lemon balm. Combining these ingredients from traditional European and Native American medicine turn an herbal chamomile infusion into a guaranteed visit from the sand man. If you are interested in trying out some tea for yourself, many different kinds can be found at a shop near you like Earth Mother in Farmington or online at sites like Adagio.com. I like visiting Cottage Rose Tea Room & Candies in Patterson, Missouri, 5 miles from Highway 67. Exit on Highway 34, go west. Their number is 573-856-4131. Sincerely, Delores (Lois) Ward, Silva, Mo.
Missouri is the best place to fish for stripers
A
To the Editor, striper fish was caught at Powersite Dam in Forsyth, Mo. The Missouri state record striper
James Forsythe at Bull Shoals Lake.
came out of Bull Shoals Lake. Fishermen, if you like to fish for stripers, there is no better place in Missouri. Bull Shoals not only has stripers but it has yellow ringtail perch that are already 10-12 inches and up to 3 pounds. It has great walleye. If you want a trophy walleye, try the famous Barker Hole, located one mile from Forsyth. Putting in at River Run Park and going down stream, it’s also great for spotted largemouth and white bass. The town of Forsyth has two motels from River Run going down Beaver Creek Marina, which is approximately four miles down from the town of Forsyth. That is where Beaver Creek connects to Bull Shoals Lake. You can also fish below Powersite Dam off the bank for walleye at night. Throwing stick baits into riffles, current fishing is better when they run water out of the dam. For more information, I am a retired fishing guide. Call me at 417-5817887. Sincerely, James R. Forsythe, Forsyth, Mo.
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EAGLES
RAILROAD
CONGRESS
Take Pacific exit off of I-44. East on W. Osage, turn right on Payne St. (Moto Mart on corner), south on Payne St. to Congress (Payne St. ends). East on Congress to Pacific Eagles.
…and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one.
Luke 22:36
RiverHillsTraveler.com
Page 6 • January 2018
It took 8 years to get my first deer
A
s a young boy, my parents had a small amount of acreage in Newton County in the Racine area where I would hunt rabbits and squirrels with a .22 rifle. At that time I knew of no one that hunted deer. And I had never seen one in that area. So deer hunting had never crossed my mind. After getting married some years later, my wife and I lived in Kansas City, Kansas, where we both worked and raised two sons. The boys loved the outdoors as much as we did. When the boys were old enough, we joined a father-and-son program called Indian Guides. This is possibly what got me interested in archery. One Christmas my wife bought me a recurve bow. Later, we both got Fred Bear recurve bows and joined an archery club. Then came the want to deer hunt. Not knowing a single thing about Tom deer hunting, I read Boydston anything I could get ———— my hands on, and talked to anyone who would talk with me about hunting. There was so much to learn, but I was excited about getting started. One afternoon a friend of mine called. He said while rabbit hunting he came across a deer which had been shot. Obviously the hunter had not found the animal. Well, what are friends for? So I headed that way. In the meantime, he called the conservation department and they were sending an agent to check the deer. It was way after dark before the agent showed up. The agent allowed him to take the deer, but it needed to be field dressed right away. Neither one of us had ever dressed a deer. I agreed to do the job with instructions from the agent. He talked me through the process and it went very well, I think, for my first time. Well, the meat was too far gone so my friend ended up with the rack and I learned to field dress a deer. Okay, I am ready, I think. Now to find a place to hunt. I tried several conservation areas. Some areas I did see deer, and some none at all. There were some interesting happenings, though. One morning it was very, very windy, but I had decided to go out just the same. Finally I decided it was too windy, so I headed back to camp. The wind was in my face and I heard something and turned to have a look, and coming straight for me was a real nice six-point buck. I froze in place not knowing if I should try to draw my bow or not. As he got within six feet of me (he couldn’t smell me because of the strong wind) he looked the other way for just an instant, and I drew back my bow. But as I did he turned and saw me. I released as he jumped, and the only thing I hit was a tree. I never did get that arrow out of that tree. On one other day I thought I might try hunting again. As I had read, I was moving very slowly and into the wind. When all of a sudden, not twenty feet from me, a big buck exploded from a small patch of buck brush.
Needless to say I liked to have fallen all over myself. No shot possible. Oh, well. On another hunt I had gone back to camp for a bit of lunch and as I was returning to my tree (in those days I had no tree stands), I was sure I could a deer laying in a patch of tall grass. I was on an embankment about six feet above and twenty yards away. I wanted to be sure it was a deer, so I worked my way behind this small tree. As I saw that it really was a deer I made my draw, stepped out from behind the tree to aim, stepped on a rock, and as I slid down the embankment my arrow went up into the trees... and the deer went south. Boy, what luck. I was not going to give up just yet. Think! Make sure you are doing everything you have learned, I told myself. I decided I was not good enough to hunt on the ground, so back to the trees. Do not move, I told myself. I suppose I did that part okay, because an owl landed on the same limb that I sat on and stayed for several minutes. A squirrel ran across my shoulder on his way down the tree, yet, I saw no deer. One weekend I did not go hunting. Instead, I was talking with my uncle, complaining about my bad luck, when he told me about a fellow worker of his who had shot a 25-point buck the previous year. Prove it, I said. So he did just that. He took me to the man’s house and sure enough, he had the deer mounted. I had never seen such an animal. This man told me where he got the deer. His property joined conservation land. He told me I could camp on his property but must hunt on conservation land. The next weekend I set up camp in an open field next to a patch of sumac. This was about a half a mile from his house, and 300 yards across the open field to the hunting area. Well, I was very excited and could not wait for morning to come. I was up way before daylight. It was very dark with clouds and no moon. I knew where to go and how far it was to the tree I would use as a stand, so I did not want to use my flashlight. Might spook a deer, you know. It was a quiet morning. As I made my way across the field, I was sure I heard something following me. I stopped to listen and whatever “it” was would also stop. I couldn’t take it any longer so I turned and flipped on my flashlight. And right in front of me was a horse. That startled me, or maybe it scared me for a second. I had forgotten he raised horses. This happened one other time, and I figured it to be horses, so I turned to run them off, but no horse. It continued
to follow. This time it turned out to be five raccoons. One evening after dark I was eating my supper when a hound dog came walking into my camp. I ran him off and continued to eat my supper. Some time later a voice from behind me said, “Have you seen a dog around here?” Liked to have dropped my dinner! Maybe I should find somewhere else to
camp. It had been six years of hunting without a hit. Two years at this location. The next season I harvested my first deer. My stand was on a tree which had fallen into the fork of another tree. I could walk right up to the fallen tree and lean against the other. Didn’t know if it would be good or not since it was only about eight feet off the ground. I hadn’t been there very long when a deer came walking down the trail. The closer he came, the bigger he looked. I counted 10 points. Believe it or not he came right under me and stopped. I couldn’t believe it myself. I drew my bow and shot straight down. I couldn’t miss. The deer ran down a very steep and long hill. I heard him crash into a shallow lake down below. When I got to him I had to draw him out of the frozen water so I could field dress him. The next three hours were spent getting him up that hill. My ride was a Jeep CJ with a rag top. As hard as I tried, I could not lift him into my Jeep. So I tied him to the Jeep and drove across the field to a washed out area. I drove over the bank and then rolled the deer into the back. His horns tore right through the side of the canvas top. The next year I killed a nice sevenpoint. Both of these are hanging on my walls. It took me eight years to get my first deer, but with all the things I experienced, it was worth every minute. (Tom Boydston lives in Neosho, Mo., and can be reached by phone or text at 417-439-6048.)