August 2017

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(800) 874-8423 or email jimmy@ riverhillstraveler.com or text (417) 451-3798 VOL. 45, NO. 2

AUGUST 2017

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Observing the beauty in Missouri’s living waters

By Casper Cox have just returned from my third trip exploring and snorkeling southern Missouri’s clear waters and on every adventure I have been gifted with amazing underwater views of a world that is often unseen.

You will be met with a wonderful diversity of fish both big and small, some graceful while others are seemingly unique oddities.

Some of them will be shadow-patterned dark while others are vibrantly

I

colored, even appearing iridescent.

You will also encounter many kinds of watery creatures, such as turtles, crawfish, weird bugs hiding under rocks and, yes, even sometimes docile water snakes.

But have no fear, as this is a calm world of cool and relaxing beauty for we humans.

Spring is often the best season to snorkel as the fish have awakened from a cold, quiet winter and eager for rePlease see SNORKEL, 15A

For towers, it’s all about the name (Editor’s note: This is the seventh and final part in a series about fire towers in Missouri.)

By Bob Frakes hat’s in a name?� Shakespeare once asked. If it is a Missouri lookout tower, the answer may be an interesting story, even a mystery.

I won’t attempt a definitive study, but will note some ideas and hope to hear from you for contributions if I left your favorite out.

The answer for many lookouts is simple. Many were named for the community nearby. From the “A� in Avon Pole Tower to “W� in Womac/ Whitewater, nearby locations were very common for name selection.

For the Blue Slip Tower tower researcher, this often proved to be useful.

However, it could also be confusing.

The Squires Tower is even today located right at Squires. However, the Thomasville/MDC Tower sits nine

W Michelle Turner/Traveler

Some Missouri campgrounds are seeing a rise in the number of tent campers, while others see no drop-off in sight.

Tent camping is very much alive in this time of Internet & busy lifestyles

By MATTIE LINK mattie@sextonmediagroup.com _____________

W

ith all the different ways to camp, it is easy to forget about the oldest, simplest way of

camping.

Several campgrounds and resorts offer original primitive camping as well as tent camping with electric capability for those who need/want it.

Two Sons Floats & Camping, in Noel, Mo., repors that they haven’t seen an increase or decrease in tent campers in recent years. “We are still getting a normal amount of primitive campers, but it varies from

Tent campers at Ozark Outdoors.

weekend to weekend,� said Stormy Christerson, office assistant at Two Sons.

According to Christerson, they have around 250-400 tent campers every weekend in the summer. “It’s been hot this summer, but that

hasn’t seemed to be a deterrent to anyone coming out,� said Christerson.

Most of the people tent camping at Two Sons are there for the weekend to float, fish, and hang out on the river. “We charge $10 a night, per person, to come camp with us,� said Christerson.

Circle B Campground in Eminence, Mo., has noticed that more and more people are wanting electric as opposed to primitive camping. “We offer both primitive and tent camping with electric, and those spaces fill up before the regular primitive sites do,� said Robin Staples, owner of Circle B. Please see TENTS, 15B

Please see TOWERS, 14A

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Page 2A • August 2017

RiverHillsTraveler.com

Light poles & tiny reels make long poling a blast

L

ast week I was in one of the large sporting goods stores in Springfield and got into a conversation with a couple of other customers and a store employee.

The topic was summertime crappie fishing. I was very surprised to learn how many anglers travel throughout the Midwest to find good fishing.

I came straight home to write this article for those guys and for you, as well.

I am not a big fish eater and never really have been. That is slowly starting to change. With my increasing drive to eat fish, certain species taste better than others.

Now do not get me wrong, I never Mike Roux did hate fish it was ———— just not on my “top ten” list. Last year crappie made it onto that list.

I have known all my life how much friends and family love to eat crappie. I have given away literally thousands of these fish over the years. Now I make sure I get a mess of crappie for Nancy and me as often as possible.

My best crappie trip last year was in the midst of the heat wave we had last summer. I traveled to Truman Lake in west-central Missouri. My trip was accidentally timed to absolute perfection.

I arrived on a Wednesday evening with a plan to fish for crappie on Thursday morning with Truman Lake’s top guide, Jeff Faulkenberry. Jeff works at Bucksaw Marina. Under its new owner, Jim Moritz, and manager Richard Bowling, this full-size resort and marina is the only place to use when you come to Truman Lake.

I stay at resorts across the country in my travels as an outdoor writer. None even comes close to the outstanding service and accommodations at Bucksaw. The features I really appreciate most are the rooms you can reserve right off the dock. You can literally step right out of your room and into the boat. It is amazingly convenient.

My luck must have been running really good that week because the Mis-

souri Crappie Masters was scheduled for the following weekend. Richard not only runs Bucksaw for Jim Moritz, but he is a top-notch crappie guide as well.

Richard was scheduled to fish in the crappie tournament. He needed to do some pre-fishing for the contest and asked if he could come along with Jeff and me.

How amazing was that? I was going crappie fishing on Truman with the two best guides on the lake. I was pumped, especially when the two of them picked me up in the boat right at the door to my room.

The method for the morning was to use a technique called “long poling.”

This was new to me since the vast majority of my crappie fishing usually involved watching a bobber. I was anxious to see and learn this method.

Very long thin light rods and tiny reels make long poling a blast. No float or bobber is involved. Once you determine the depth at which the fish are feeding, you merely put out that much line. You can use this technique with either jigs or minnows. We were using minnows on that day.

We dropped the trolling motor in a stump field where dozens of trees were sticking out of the water. We slowly mowed from tree to tree, dropping our baits around each of them. With the long poles we were able to fish two or three stumps at the same time. It seemed as though there were 3 or 4 fish on each tree. The crappie were all a foot or more in size.

With a 15-crappie limit we were looking for 45 quality fish. In the process of keeping our limit we caught and released, at best, that many more.

We were back at Bucksaw by 9 a.m.

My friends donated their fillets to my cooler so I brought home a huge mess of crappie that was shared with friends and family.

Please remember that I am looking for local experts that I can meet and write about. Contact me through my website at www.mikeroux.com.

(Mike Roux is the Midwest Regional Director for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) Outdoor Ministry. To become a Home Team Member of this new ministry, call him at 217257-7895.)

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Mike Roux knows the success hot weather crappie fishing brings in August at Truman Lake.

RiverHillsTraveler.com

August 2017 • Page 3A

Visit this ‘wishing well’ & see what happens

A

wishing well is a well that people throw coins into while making a wish. It is from European folklore to describe wells where it was thought that any spoken wish would be granted.

The idea that a wish would be granted came from the idea that water housed deities, or was a gift from the gods, since water was a source of life and often a scarce commodity.

The Native Americans, if they were to “borrow” something from a body of water, such as a river, they would always place someDana thing of value back Sturgeon into the water. Like ———— a trade. Never “takEleven ing” and not giving Point River back.

The Germanic and Celtic peoples considered springs and wells sacred places. Sometimes the places were marked with wooden statues, possibly of the god associated with the pool.

Water also was seen to have healing powers and therefore, wells became popular with many people drinking, bathing or just simply wishing over it.

The biocidal properties of both copper and silver (the two metals traditionally used in coins), were thought that the properties themselves, provided safer drinking water.

When making a wish, people would first utter the wish, then, one would

Whether you believe or not, it is a part of our history. There are so many springs flowing out of rock faces, cliffs, coming up out of the ground... and all naturally made.

I don’t really know how many, for sure, springs we have in Missouri.

However, for sure we have a lot of natural water in Missouri and a lot of treasures to explore.

So, if you ever wanted to “make a wish” and throw a coin in a “well” to see if you get a “heads up,” come down to Oregon County and give it a try.

The “wishing well” will be waiting for you.

(Dana Sturgeon lives in southern Missouri. She can be reached at mo_dana@hotmail.com.)

generally drop a coin in the well. That wish would then be granted by the guardian and dweller, based upon how the coin would land at the bottom of the well.

If the coin landed heads up, the guardian of the well would grant the wish, but the wish of a tails up coin would be ignored.

Now, you wonder how this is related to our beautiful riverways in Missouri.

Well, there is a natural “wishing well” not far from the Eleven Point River in Oregon County.

It is like a round rock formation with water inside it. It is a natural spring.

This “wishing well” never goes dry. It is located just north of the gravel road going down to the Whitten access off the Eleven Point River.

From Highway 19 out of Alton, Mo.,

turn onto highway AA, then go to almost the end of asphalt, turning to your left or north onto road 4144 (gravel road) that takes you to the Whitten access. Almost to the bottom of this hill going downward to your left, you will find the “wishing well.” You have to look for it, but it is located right next to the gravel road.

The locals just call it the “wishing well.” People that know it, stop, make their wish and drop a coin in there.

So, I decided to stop (to be a part of this, which I don’t believe in “other gods” or luck).

I made my wish, or actually I said a prayer, then threw my coin into the well. It did land on its head in the water. And if I remember right, I believe my wish (or rather prayer) came true!

TravTalk Sign up for the Traveler’s weekly email newsletter on our Facebook page or riverhillstraveler.com Delivered each Tuesday, you will enjoy: • Links to stories not in our monthly issue • Travel news in the Ozarks

Page 4A • August 2017

RiverHillsTraveler.com

‘Discovery Channel’ survival show features Missouri cave

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he Discovery Channel premiered its newest survival show — "Darkness" — during a twonight event on Aug. 2-3, and I'm excited to say that Missouri was the location.

"Darkness" is a survival show that plunges three strangers into a pitch black cave for six days, or until they can find each other and then make their way out.

The show was inspired by extreme training scenarios conducted by the Jimmy Sexton U.S. military, De———— partment of DeJourney On fense, and NASA. In the show, the survivalists push themselves to their absolute limits in complete darkness, enduring days buried underground while navigating prehistoric cave systems, ancient subterranean cities, and centuries-old abandoned mines.

Pulaski County, Mo., had the extreme honor of being a part of this premiere episode.

“We had no idea it was going to air

as the first episode, so that is pretty cool and we are so excited to see it,” said Karen Hood, chairman of Roubidoux Grotto, a local caving club in Pulaski County.

Hood is also the marketing and public relations manager of the Pulaski County Tourism Bureau & Visitors Center. She said she received an email from the Missouri Film Office requesting help in looking for cave locations for The Discovery Channel to film a show.

“I saw that and thought I could nail this one. I emailed them back, got in contact with the producers right away and the next thing I know they are here and we are scouting caves,” said Hood.

The producers and safety teams visited Pulaski County and Grotto members showed them several caves. They liked what they saw and in June started filming.

“The producers settled on a non-disclosed cave location on private property and got a contract with the landowner. It all happened so fast,” said Hood.

If the three survivalists don’t find their way out of the cave during the allotted time, they’re pulled from the adventure.

“They spent six days here filming 24/7, and we as a Grotto had two guys out there as our representatives on the set at all times during filming to make sure they were treating the cave correctly,” said Hood.

According to Hood, only one individual from the Grotto made it on camera.

“This will hopefully give exposure to our county and our Grotto, and we were just very excited they chose Pulaski County to be one of the locations,” said Hood.

To learn more about "Darkness," and to view the behind the scenes video, visit www.facebook.com/DarknessTV/.

——— I lived in a town on the Mississippi River several years ago and really enjoyed watching all the comings and goings of ships, barges, fishermen, and boats. The river also attracted all kinds of celebrities and there was always some kind of big event or activity every single weekend in town.

On Thursday, Sept. 28, the "Pinta" and the "Nina," replicas of Columbus' ships, will sail in to Cape Girardeau.

The ships will be docked at Riverfront Park until their departure early Tuesday, Oct. 3.

The "Pinta" and the "Nina" will be

available for tours Sept. 29-30 and Oct. 1-2 from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. each day.

The "Nina" was built completely by hand and without the use of power tools. Archaeology magazine called the ship “the most historically correct Columbus replica ever built.”

In 2005, the "Pinta," also a caravel, was launched in Brazil and was the first ship to sight land in the New World. Historians consider the caravel the Space Shuttle of the 15th century.

Both ships tour together as a new and enhanced "sailing museum" for the purpose of educating the public and school children on the "caravel," a Portuguese ship used by Columbus and many early explorers to discover the world.

Before him, the Old World and the New remained separate and distinct continents.

While in port, the general public is invited to visit the ships for a walkaboard, self-guided tour. Admission is $8 for adults, $7 for seniors, and $6 for students age 5-16. Children 4 and under are free. No reservations are required.

(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.)

Armadillos, possums & groundhogs are all edible

I

recently read an interesting article in which blame for the Ozarks’ struggling turkey and quail populations was partly placed on that armored invader from the south – the armadillo.

Armadillos aren’t native to the Ozarks, as I’m sure you know, and weren’t much seen around these parts until a few decades ago. They migrated up from Texas and Louisiana and points farther south.

Some say climate change is the reason. Some say it’s something in their biological clock.

Whatever the reason, the arrival of the nasty little critters could at least partly correspond to dropping quail and turkey numbers, according to the artiWes Franklin cle.

———— Both birds lay Native Ozarker their eggs on the ground and armadillos seem to enjoy omelets, along with their usual diet of grubs, worms, and insects.

I’m no biologist for sure, and I hope I’m not passing on misinformation. I just found it an interesting theory – if that’s what it is.

I once knew an Indian woman who ate armadillo. She said it didn’t taste bad, but was a pain to skin because of the shell. No, thank you.

The opossum, on the other hand, IS a native Ozarker, like myself. I don’t hold them in very high regard, just slightly above an armadillo, really.

I sure shot plenty of them when I was a kid growing up in the hills of McDonald County, though I’m ashamed to say it was wasted meat because I have yet to try possum. Don’t think I ever will, either.

One time I fired at a momma possum with a shotgun, and aimed a little low.

If you didn’t already know, possums are marsupials and carry their ugly little babies in a pouch like a kangaroo

nuisances. And all three edible.

If you’re adventurous.

(Wes Franklin can be reached at 417658-8443 or cato.uticensis46@gmail. com.)

River Hills Traveler (except most possums don’t hop around on their hind legs, or at least they better not!).

Well, after that blast there were tiny naked possums scattered everywhere.

The scene was as gross as you imagine, and I sort of regret it now.

There is an old Ozarks fiddle tune – originally from Appalachia, I imagine – titled “Possum Up a Persimmon Tree,” though other variations and titles of the same song exist as well (including the better known “Bile that Cabbage Down”).

One verse goes: “Possum up persimmon tree, Raccoon on the ground, Raccoon says to possum, ‘Won’t you shake them ‘simmons down.’”

There is an old Ozark superstition that goes when a man feels a sudden chill, it means that a possum is at that moment walking over the exact spot of ground that will later be his grave.

Why a possum, I don’t know. It could also be a rabbit or a goose, though, says the superstition, preserved for us by Mr. Vance Randolph. There is another superstition about possums that Mr. Randolph recorded but it isn’t exactly printable.

Another interesting varmint in the Ozarks is the groundhog. Other parts of the country call them woodchucks. But they are a rodent by any name.

Ever wonder why we don’t mind squirrels, and even like to watch them, and that we sometimes find groundhogs mysteriously interesting, but are revolted by mice and rats? Why? They

are all rodents. I’m not judging. I hate mice and rats, too.

Don’t ever shoot a groundhog, by the way, or it will bring bad luck. Or so says another old Ozark superstition.

Did you know groundhogs climb trees? Most people don’t believe me when I tell them that, but I saw one do it.

I was about 12 or 14 and in the middle of the woods, when out of the corner of my eye I saw a tree move. I turned and squinted and stared real hard. And sure enough, about 20 yards away, this big lump on the side of a tree started to slowly make its way up the trunk.

I stared harder and edged a little closer to the moving gray lump. When I got close enough I saw it was a groundhog, and it was halfway up an adult oak tree.

Most of the time they’re after pawpaws or some fruit, but maybe this one wanted green acorns. I don’t know. But I saw it with my own eyes. And this native Show-Me Ozarker is big on seeing before believing.

Look it up on Youtube, or some other online video site. You’ll believe too, even if you don’t get a chance to witness it live for yourself.

Armadillos, possums, and groundhogs. Three species. Three sometime

On the Cover Tent campers enjoy a quiet, beautiful night at Lake of the Ozarks State Park.

(photo courtesy of www.funlake.com)

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 Heath Wood, Wes Franklin, Mike Roux, Bill Wakefield, Bill Oder, Bill Cooper, Michelle Turner & Dana Sturgeon 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.

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RiverHillsTraveler.com

August 2017 • Page 5A

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Subscriber: Thanks for the great articles!

To the Editor, Twenty-seven years of Traveler have been coming to the Davidsons. When traveling I always carried extra copies (back issues) which I gave to interested people.

Thank you for all the interesting articles that Dana Sturgeon has written for your paper. My husband and I volunteered as campground hosts for the National Forest in some of the area’s she’s written about.

The articles on the civil war were great, and our family wishes to thank you and Dana for printing Thomas

James Davidson’s Civil War discharge.

Evelyn Davidson, Fairdealing, Mo.

REMEMBER WHEN 5 years ago • As of June 15, Current River State Park on Highway 19, between Eminence and Salem, is open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays for day use activities, such as hiking, picnicking and fishing.

The main attraction at the new park, other than the Current River itself, is the former Alton Club, a corporate retreat built from 1937 to 1945 by the Alton Box Board Company. The club’s rustic facilities, which are listed in the National Register of Historic Places, include dormitories, a large gymnasium and other buildings. (Staff reports) • Every fisherman wants to catch big fish, especially a big, once-in-a-lifetime monster fish that is a new record. Donnie Wolford, of Sikeston, lived that dream or at least part of it.

Wolford caught an 87-pound flathead catfish recently, which bested the current Missouri state record by almost 10 pounds. The current record fish was caught from Montrose Lake, in northwest Missouri, in 2003. That behemoth catfish weighed 77 pounds, 8 ounces.

Wolford and his 12-year-old grandson, Ryan Swain, caught their prize fish in a floodway ditch near New Madrid. They baited several limb lines just before sundown on May 28 with worms bought from Walmart.

(Bill Cooper) 10 years ago • I hadn’t been on the Meramec since the last century, and it felt like it. In 2006, I made plans to camp on property near Steelville owned by my cousin, and he promised to take me out in his big jon boat.

I could also wade fish this stretch of the river and hoped to reconnect with its smallmouth bass, goggleeye, and longer sunfish.

In late summer, the Meramec’s flow may be low, but the water clarity is apt to be more dependable than at any other season. (Charlie Slovensky) • If you hadn’t been there before, Johnson’s Shut-Ins was an outstanding place to visit. Some of the people we talked to were in that category. Others were glad the state park west of Arcadia was open again, but disappointed at what they found In the past the water was almost totally clear, and most often there was more of it than when we visited in early July. The low water conditions are the result of dry weather in the watershed of the East Fork of Black River. Not much can be done about that. (Bob Todd) 15 years ago • These grandkids had never been to Cave Spring on Current River. That’s why we floated from Akers Ferry to Pullite this time. But there was another reason, too.

Shannon is 11, and seems to be a natural at reading water and getting around. I wondered if she was ready to handle her own canoe on a river.

It is a five- or six-hour float and we started out with Sam in the front of my canoe, Shannon in the front of Pat’s. We’d try to fish, but that certainly was not the reason we put in above Akers, but that’s about it.

The cold water is not good for smallmouth bass, the usual Ozark stream fish, nor for the sunfish that make up the smallmouth community. (Bob Todd) • There’s a small pond in my neighborhood that, for years, had come through for me in a pinch when I needed a place to go to get a quick fishing fix. It was especially nice when I only had an hour or two to kill since it was so close to home.

Depending on the rod and bait I took, I could always count on attaching a stringer of sunfish, a couple catfish, or maybe even a nice bass from the neighborhood pond. But then one beautiful Sunday afternoon, fishing rod in my hand, I arrived at my neighborhood pond only to find out that it had been drained.

Unbelievable. It was as dry as a bone. I could not believe my eyes. (I learned later that the pond had been drained intentionally so that work could be done on the spillway.) (Howard Helgenberg)

20 year ago • The Conservation Commission’s action to expand the spring wild turkey season should be especially popular in north Missouri, but won’t have a lot of impact in south Missouri.

Basically, next spring’s season will be the same as in the past, but a week has been added on the end. Some southern Missouri hunters had hoped the Commission would add a week at each end. Bag limit remains two for the season and a hunter can still take only one bird the first week of the season.

However, next year a hunter may take his two birds anytime after the first week, provided he takes only one per fay. A slight liberalization of next fall’s turkey season was made, too. While it remains a two-week season, a hunter will be able to take his two-bird limit the second week if he fails to connect with one bird the first week. (Bob Todd) • You need to be up early in the morning to understand the full meaning of the name, “Bluff View.” We sipped coffee and waited for the light to get right to begin making pictures of the bluffs across from Bluff View Recreation Area on Clearwater Lake.

It is different every morning, but this morning a light breeze down on the lake surface was swirling little patches of fog. Higher, clear air was moving up to the top of the bluffs and half-way up the hill above them.

But then a blanket of fog hung along the ridge top of the rising sun. First light spread evenly along the hill above the bluff as the sun cleared the flat, distant horizon. But as the sun climbed a little, light spilled down an easterly valley, and a central portion of the bluff was spotlighted but the rest remained dim.

Beautiful to watch with the human eye, we know it is probably too contrasty a picture for photographic film to handle, but we can’t resist. We take a few frames. (Bob Todd) 25 years ago • It was one of those day where there are just enough strikes to keep a fisherman going, but hardly enough to call the fishing good or even fair.

Beau and I put in on the St. Francois River off Route E at Black Mountain and it didn’t take me long to expect that kind of day. Places where at least small bass ought to be pounding through the daybreak fog to gobble up our topwater lures, very little was happing.

But I wasn’t concerned. It was good to be out fishing with my son, even if the bass wouldn’t hit. And besides, I had somewhat of an ace up my sleeve in the form of a minnow seine, laying on the floor of the canoe. (Bob Todd) • The boat harbor/marina on the Mississippi River at Trail of Tears State Park, constructed in 1974, may finally become more than marginally useful to the public.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which designed the structure, now wants to put a notch in the upstream end of the harbor to let some current flow through and keep silt from accumulating in the harbor.

When newly completed, the harbor went through one rise of the Mississippi and 18 feet of silt was deposited behind the dikes, rendering expensive docks which had been installed by the state park as virtually useless.

The silting had been predicted by workers on the project who said culverts of pipes should have been installed on the upstream end to permit a flow of water thought the harbor. (Bob Todd) 30 years ago • We have a pretty healthy conservation program in this state, right? Yup. We have addressed our conservation needs pretty thoroughly, right? Nope.

There is one major piece of unfinished business in management of stream corridors. But the time to act to protect streams for the future, and to begin returning damaged streams to their former levels, may be now.

At least that’s the opinion of the Missouri Conservation Federation, which has set up a special committee to spearhead a drive for stream conservation. The Conservation Federation is the organization that spearheaded the constitutional amendment that created the Conservation Commission. It also guided the Design for Conservation to passage in the 1970’s. (Bob Todd) • Sometimes, when you are fishing from the back of the boat or canoe, it seems as if all the advantages are with the fisherman in the front.

That’s how I was beginning to feel about midway through a fishing trip with Ray Halbert in the front of my canoe. We’d put in late almost mid-morning on a stretch of the St. Francois River in Madison County.

This far up, this time of year, this was no float trip.

Rather we fished our way upstream through a big hole then waded and dragged the canoe up the riffles to the next big hole. (Bob Todd) 35 years ago • Bet we’re not the first people who’ve traveled Highway 106 between Ellington and Eminence and wondered about a sign that points to Log Yard.

Well, if you follow Route HH (yes, still another HH) to its end and turn right, you’ll find yourself in a recreation area along Current River. There is slightly developed camping available for about 10 families with picnic tables, fire pits, trash cans.

But there is also a vast gravel bar that hosts a large number of campers and vast users. When we arrived, the gravel bar sites that would offer some shade from adjoining trees were all taken.

With four-wheel drive or more guts, we might have gone further down the bar, but there really wasn’t anything wrong with the sites back in the woods, so in the woods we went. The woods camp is just above the river but vegetation screens all but a glimpse from the view.

(Bob Todd) • Dusk has settled over the Ozarks and whippoorwills had begun to whistle on the ridge, the evening I first met Paula Possum. From the start we were friends, an odd friendship based on mutual misunderstandings but a solid and lasting one for all that.

Now, I don’t know what kind of animal she thought I was, but I thought she was another cat when I refilled the pan, then began to fondle her head and shoulders.

Strangely, this shyest of animal not only tolerated the caress but kept on eating with every sign of unconcern.

It was I who jerked back my hand in shock, on touching a mass of rough, wiry hair instead of the smoothness of cat fur. (A.E. Lucas) 40 years ago • The old adage is that what you don’t know won’t hurt you, but as far a Wayne Porath is concerned, it simply isn’t true.

One thing he doesn’t know is the amount of deer poached every year in Missouri, but he is quite sure it’s hurting him and every other honest deer enthusiast in Missouri. Porath is a deer biologist for the Department of Conservation. About a year ago he says he ran some computer calculations on our deer herd. The indication was that there are a lot of deer unaccounted for which die for reasons other than legal hunting. (Joel Vance) • Now that the Meramec dam has been halted, at least temporarily, people are wondering what will be done with the nearly 30,000 acres of land the Corps of Engineers has acquired along the upper Meramec River if the dam is not completed.

A group, organized as the Meramec Heritage Riverway Association, has what it believes is a better plan for the land than flooding 12,000 acres and destroying one of the most beautiful stretches of an Ozark stream.

(Emma Comfort Dunn) (compiled by MyraGale Sexton)

Page 6A • August 2017

RiverHillsTraveler.com

A story about catfish & turtles

I

have always enjoyed fishing at Bagnell Dam, Lake Ozark. I have also been enamored with how the dam came about in the beginning of the Great Depression and how quickly it was built.

You would think that would not be a good time to start or continue with such a large undertaking at that precarious time. It took a lot of insight to continue with the work of building one of the largest man-made lakes in the U.S., two months after the collapse of the New York Stock Exchange.

Enough of history already, back to CATFISH AND Bob Brennecke TURTLES. A few ———— years ago I was staying with my inlaws who had a house, in a cove, on Lake Ozark. When I went there to stay, I usually went fishing.

The first thing I did was to catch bait.

Usually I caught bait on my fly rod and topwater popper. That was probably the most fun, one after another right into the fish basket to keep them fresh and alive. Late in the afternoon I would pull my trotline and set up my limb lines.

In the early evening I would set the limb lines and trotline with the live sunfish I had caught hours before. The limb lines were set with the sunfish submerged in water just deep enough to cover the dorsal fin and the hook. The bait would swim around in circles and

make a lot of noise on the surface of the water.

The trotline was set with sunfish hooked like limb lines only on the bottom of the lake. I also baited the hooks with liver and stink bait.

I had tried to get my wife to go out that night and check all the lines, but she said she would go early in the morning. I was excited about getting out early because Joy had never gone out to check lines before.

As I paddled slowly to the first limb line set, I could see the large branch the line was tied to was moving a bit. I told her to move to the front of the “V” bottom aluminum boat quietly and pick up the aluminum dip net.

As I moved the boat slowly to the moving limb, I told Joy to quietly place the dip net into the water as we approached the possible fish under the water. As we neared the limb she stood up to put the net into the water.

While lifting the net over the seat and standing, she dropped the net into the bottom of the boat making a terrible “BOOM-CLANG” in the noisy aluminum boat.

The fish reacted quickly, heading for the deeper water and pulling the branch down into Joy’s face. Joy then flopped down and rolled onto the floor of the boat with the branch still attacking her.

She finally gained her balance on the seat and grabbed the net. I directed her to pull the line up while netting the fish. She tried and tried to net the fish and said she couldn’t get the fish to swim into the net.

I then moved forward to help and soon found out that the catfish was too

large for the net. While she pulled the line up, I placed my fingers into the gills of the fish and put it in the boat.

Joy was squealing and yelling with excitement while trying to get as far away from the fish in the middle of the boat. After pictures with Joy and her mom, we had a lesson in cleaning a catfish.

What a great time we had checking the rest of the lines that morning with no other success. Around noon I decided to pull up the trotline by myself.

As I made my way from the bank to the first staging I could feel a pull as if something had been caught since we checked earlier. As I disconnected each hook and removed uneaten bait and placed hooks onto the staging board, I saw a disturbance and a pull on the line as I was pulling the boat along to the end.

The closer I got to the end of the line the more weight and pulling I felt, and then I saw the head of a huge snapping turtle. As I pulled the turtle out of the water his neck stretched to about seven inches.

I saw the hook in his throat and I wanted to remove it to let him go free.

I reached into my tackle box and got some needle nose pliers.

Now, I know some people have heard of different electrical charges in certain animals — well, since the neck was stretched out so far and the turtle was hanging from the hook, how could he snap me?

The instant I touched the hook to remove it, his neck snapped out another two to three inches up the line and mashed my fingers between the han-

dles of the pliers and the beak of the turtle.

My reaction was not as quick as the turtle’s, but it was strong enough to twist the pliers and my fingers loose. I was able to remove my fingers with only a small amount of skin being removed but the pliers was still in the throat of the turtle.

That was it! He could have the pliers!

I grabbed my knife and cut the line allowing the turtle to swim away with my pliers.

Another outdoor lesson learned, and it only took a bit of skin from my fingers this time.

(Bob Brennecke lives in Ballwin, Mo., and can be reached at robertbrennecke@hotmail.com.)

RiverHillsTraveler.com

August 2017 • Page 7A

Turner Mill is more than just a place to fish

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s a young teenager my grandparents and I would spend my summer vacation fishing on the beautiful Eleven Point River.

One of our favorite put-in spots was the Turner Mill access area. We would spend several days throughout the summer trying to catch our limit of the rainbow trout that are stocked along the cool spring waters of the Eleven Point.

However, as I have gotten older, I have found that there are many other enjoyable things to do at or near the Heath Wood Turner Mill area.

———— The Turner Mill Traveler area is located about Outdoors Pro 11 miles north of Alton, Mo., on Highway 19, that is if you’re going to the south access. If going in on the north access, it will be located approximately 15 miles south of Winona, Mo., which is also on Highway 19.

Turner Mill is located around the 21.5 river mile marker on the Eleven Point River. Another way to find this spot is to go approximately 5 miles downstream of the Greer Crossing Rec Area.

For those who have a fondness for old mills found along the riverways of Missouri, you will find that all that is left of the original mill is a beautiful 25-foot metal wheel that is still standing where the mill once stood years ago. It is one of those places that you

can close your eyes and picture in your mind what once went on in this area back when day-to-day operation was in full swing. The 25-foot wheel has obviously made for some breathtaking photos for photographers, as well.

Turner Mill is also known for its excellent trout fishing. Like I mentioned earlier, my grandparents and I have spent many days anchoring in the swift waters to be able to catch some one of the most beautiful rainbow trout.

I recently accompanied a group from my church on a men’s fishing trip during mid-July. Out of the 16 fisherman in our group, everyone caught their limit of four trout by mid-morning.

Around noon that day we all gathered on the bank to fry fish, potatoes, onions, okra, and even some deep-fried biscuits that we covered with fresh honey.

Needless to say we had a great time feasting on our catches of the day. We are not the only ones who enjoy fishing these waters, you can normally find boats at the Turner Mill access on a

daily basis, especially weekends, which is without question its busiest time.

Sightseeing and fishing at Turner Mill are great, however, my favorite thing to do is to cruise up and down the river at night during mid-September thru January gigging for suckers.

I have been on several trips that we put the boat in at Turner Mill then gigged for a couple of hours, only to come back and cook on the river bank.

The Eleven Point River has a plentiful population of yellow suckers, hog suckers, as well as drum that can grow fairly good size.

The suckers are by far my favorite species of fish to eat, especially fresh on the river bank.

Next time you’re looking for an outdoor adventure, if it be sightseeing, fishing or just cruising, Turner Mill would be a great spot to check out.

No matter what season it is, there is beauty in the old mill and the river that surrounds it.

(Heath Wood can be reached at struttin1@hotmail.com.)

Page 8A • August 2017

RiverHillsTraveler.com

Here’s a little humor to make you smile!

By Bill Wakefield he River Hills Traveler is introducing another monthly feature for the enjoyment of our readers.

This feature is called “Catch a Smile” and its goal is to add a little humor and some smiles to everyone’s life.

If you have an amusing story, a funny joke or a quotation or saying that you have enjoyed and would like to share, please send it to me at: Bill Wakefield, Traveler St. Louis Branch, 9707 Pauline Place, Affton MO 63123; or email me at w3@charter.net.

T

Loggers Lake invites stargazers

By Thomas Haines his appears to be the year for astrological events. After the rained-out stargazing event this spring at Loggers Lake Camp Ground, Bill and Judy Aaron have arranged another stargazing event with astronomer Joseph Shuster on Aug. 12.

This viewing event will begin at 8 pm. For those who want to take part in this event, the Aarons are waving the day use fees after 6 p.m.

The following is Mr. Shuster’s description of the anticipated event: “We will start the event at sunset by hunting for the biggest planet, Jupiter, in the twilight skies. The telescopes will show cloud bands on Jupiter.

Later, as the skies darken, three and later, four of Jupiter’s moons will be visible. After the stars start to come out, we can find Saturn in the sky. The famous rings will be visible in the telescopes and later, we’ll see the biggest moon in the solar system, Titan. We might see more of Saturn’s moons late in the event.

“We’ll browse the summer constellations: Hercules, Cygnus the swan, Aquila the eagle, Scorpius the scorpion, plus a teapot in the sky. We’ll explore some of summer’s interesting double stars, too. As the sky becomes darker, we’ll see the Milky Way. Then we can explore the different star clusters and gas clouds. The Hercules Cluster is a ‘disco ball’ of stars. The Dumbbell Nebula shows a star starting to die.

“We’ll need to be alert for meteors.

This date is one of the two best nights for viewing the Perseid meteor shower.

The best time to view is in the predawn hours, but we’ll likely see a few Perseids in the evening, too.”

August 21 will be the day a total eclipse of the sun will arc across the state of Missouri.

You can Google www.eclipse2017. org/2017/states/MO.htm to see a map of the eclipse’s path and a list of communities that will be within the total eclipse.

Parts of the Potosi Ranger District will have perfect viewing points of the eclipse.

(Thomas Haines is district ranger for the Mark Twain National Forest, Salem Ranger District. He can be reached at 573-729-6656 or tehaines@fs.fed.us.)

T

Here’s a few to get the ball rolling: It was raining hard and a big puddle had formed in front of the little Ozark pub. An old man stood beside the puddle holding a stick with a string on the end and jiggled it up and down in the water.

A curious gentleman asked what he was doing.

“Fishing,” replied the old man.

“Poor old fool” thought the gentleman, so he invited the old man to have a drink in the pub.

Feeling he should start some conver-

sation while they were sipping their whiskey, the gentleman asked, “And how many have you caught today?”

“You’re the eighth.”

——— Harriet’s husband Herb, an avid fisherman, died suddenly. When she went to take care of the funeral arrangements, the local undertaker asked her how she wanted the obituary to read.

Harriet asked, “What’s the cost?”

“A dollar per word,” replied the undertaker.

“Okay,” Harriet said. “I want it to read

‘Herb is Dead.’”

The undertaker responded, “I’m sorry.

It’s a six word minimum.”

Harriet thought for a second and then said, “Okay, let’s have the obituary say, ‘Herb is Dead. Boat for Sale.’”

——— The two best times to go fishing are when it’s raining and when it’s not. — Fisherman’s Saying ——— Fish come and go, but it is the memory of afternoons on the stream that endure.

— E. Donnall Thomas

RiverHillsTraveler.com

August 2017 • Page 9A

Squirrel & mushroom hunting make a great day

By Bill Cooper ipe hickory nuts, plentiful acorns, aromatic walnuts, and cool fall mornings set the stage for squirrel hunting across the Midwest.

These, and other food sources, are the places to spend your time when pursuing squirrels during the fall months.

Hickory nuts — A variety of hickory species thrive throughout the Midwest.

Some, like the small pignut hickory, produce nuts in the milky stage as early as mid-July. Squirrels flock to them, often feeding in one tree until every nut has been consumed.

September brings the ripened phase for the big hickory nuts, the shagbark and shell-barks. These are the nuts which most people recognize as hickory nuts. Squirrels quickly gnaw through the green outer husk to tackle the hard inner shell. Inside is sweet nut meat, which squirrels crave.

The rodents will travel long distances to feed on mature hickory nuts. It is not uncommon for squirrel hunters to harvest an entire limit of squirrels from one hickory tree. Hunters should watch for activity high in the top branches, where most of the nuts are found. Listen for the familiar grating sound of squirrels “cutting” on hickory nuts.

Squirrels feeding on hickory nuts can often be heard before they are seen.

A good .22 rifle topped with a quality scope is often the perfect medicine for these hungry squirrels feeding high in the tallest trees. This type of hunting is also perfect practice for the upcoming deer season. It sharpens hunting skills and allows the hunter to work out any

R

A 12-gauge shotgun is often necessary while hunting squirrels when the leaves are thick. Fresh, young squirrels make a superb camp meal.

quirks in his hunting methods.

Practice in the woods certainly helps establish the right kind of mental attitude for those long sits coming in November during deer season.

If the foliage proves too thick, a 12gauge shotgun coupled with high brass #6 shot shells will turn the trick. Thick foliage will often deflect a .22 round.

Too, squirrels can hide easily in thick leaves and make them difficult targets.

A 12-gauge will quickly remedy both problems.

Acorns — Acorns are a staple food of many woodland animals and a favorite of squirrels. Oaks are the dominants tree species across much of the Midwest. The acorns of both black and white oaks provide a plentiful food

supply in most years. All forest animals prefer the sweeter white oak acorns, but will readily feed on black oak acorns when the white oaks aren’t producing.

Black oaks have pointy leaf lobes and some varieties have acorns mature enough for squirrels to feed on by midAugust. Most white oak species, which have rounded leaf lobes, mature by mid-September.

Squirrels begin feeding heavily on these nuts. White oak acorns are generally what squirrels are making so much leaf noise about on the forest floor during deer season.

Sitting quietly near a grove of white oaks usually brings squirrel action quickly. The grating of their teeth on the tasty nuts is a dead giveaway. A good way to imitate this sound is to rub the serrated edge of two quarters together. Squirrels will often investigate the sound.

Black walnuts — If squirrels made fudge, humans would never have a chance at harvesting a walnut crop. The feisty rodents can be seen packing walnuts long distances to store for the winter. It is sometimes a good hunting tactic to sit on a known travel route and shoot squirrels as they travel back and forth from walnut trees to trees where they are hoarding walnuts. Otherwise, setting up by a tree with walnut hulls littering the ground is a good option. A comfortable camp chair will help you wait them out.

Squirrels normally gather walnuts late enough in the year that most leaves have fallen. The open woods make it much handier to utilize a .22 rifle. The Ruger 10-22 take down with a quality

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red-dot scope is fun to use on squirrels during walnut season.

Mushrooms — Fall mushrooms are another food source for squirrels. Elk horns and russulas are favorites. Elk horns are edible by humans and make a great side dish for fried squirrel. Russulas, however, are poisonous to humans.

Watching patches of mushrooms while sitting near a mast producing tree, such as oaks and hickories, is a good technique for picking up a couple of squirrels you might not have otherwise seen.

Combining a fall mushroom hunt with squirrel hunting is a great way to spend a cool, fall day. And if you are lucky, you can later enjoy a meal of squirrel and mushrooms.

Other foods — Squirrels are opportunistic feeders. Their food sources change with the seasons and the ripening of food sources. Other fall food sources include corn and other grains, as well as berries and garden vegetables.

A crisp fall morning, a .22 rifle in hand and squirrels grating on nuts; what a way to spend the day in the woods.

A .17- or .22-caliber rifle topped with a scope is a good choice for squirrels after the leaves have begun to fall.

Join Director Sara Parker Pauley, the Conservation Commissioners, and local leaders to celebrate our history and share your ideas about Missouri’s conservation future.

No registration required.

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JOIN MDC FROM 6–8 P.M. AT THE FOLLOWING OPEN HOUSES:

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Runge Conservation Nature Center

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3500 S. Baltimore in Kirksville

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20086 Highway 60 in Winona

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Page 10A • August 2017

RiverHillsTraveler.com

The Mop fly: a simple but productive trout fly T hey call it the Mop Fly. I’ve also heard it called the Mop Worm or the Mega Worm.

The reason for the Mop Fly name is because it is made from those new dust mops and dusters that you see everywhere now that have those funny-looking, chenille-looking fingers dangling all over them.

No matter what you call it, it is a very simple fly to tie and a very effective and productive fly for trout.

These dust mops that I refer to can be found at any of those big stores that sell everything or Bill Oder anyplace, for that ———— matter, that sells mops or cleaning materials.

I even found a car wash scrubber at an auto parts store that was made of the same kind of stuff.

I asked a clerk if they had any other colors that weren’t on the shelves and he got such a big kick out of learning what I wanted the scrubber for that he yelled for his buddy (after he had stopped laughing) to come and hear me explain how those little wormy looking things catch fish.

So it’s probably best not to mention your intentions for these funny-looking cleaning tools to store clerks... especially those that don’t fly fish.

Anyway, like I said earlier, the fly is very easy to tie. You just snip off one of the fingers off the mop or scrubber

and tie it securely to the top of the hook. That’s all you really need to catch fish.

However, it never hurts to juice things up a little by starting first with a bead, either brass or tungsten, in order to add weight. You’ll have no trouble finding beads in a wide assortment of colors to match whatever color of material you are using.

Without a bead, you’ll need to add some weight to your leader. I don’t like to fish with weight on my leader so I always prefer the beads.

I also like some spiky dubbing like rabbit fur right behind the bead, which I pick out some to give the impressions of legs. The rabbit fur dubbing can also be found in a wide range of colors.

Instead of dubbing material you could even add a few wraps of peacock or any other hackle at the thorax area in any color you prefer.

If you’re not a fly tyer, you can find these flies ready-made at the lodge at Montauk. I haven’t checked the other trout parks but they are almost certain to be there also.

There are also many good videos on

YouTube showing how to tie several variations of this fly.

The color doesn’t seem to make too much difference. My son and grandsons prefer the white ones. My wife likes the orange ones.

Gray is also a good color as well as chartreuse. You’ll find a wide assortment of colors available in the mop and auto parts departments at the stores except for white or cream.

For some strange reason that color is difficult to find but, not to worry, I have found this color to be available from the Bass Pro stores in their fly tying department.

You need to look for “Mop Fly material” on their website. They sell it in 5 foot lengths for about three bucks.

They also offer nine colors.

Since you would be cutting from a one piece segment, after you finish the fly, you would need to singe the tip with a cigarette lighter to keep it from unravelling.

The fly is fished as a nymph using a strike indicator. I think all the trout sees is a fat, juicy worm and the color doesn’t make too much difference. They at-

tack it like they are starving to death.

It can also be fished on an ultra-light spinning rod but you’ll have to add some weight to your line even if you have tied the fly with a bead.

If you check out some of the videos on YouTube, you’ll see that this material can even be used for bass lures and, I didn’t notice any, probably for bluegill, also.

It never fails to amaze me how there is always something new coming out to help us fishermen and fisherwomen catch more fish.

The makers of these dust mops had no idea when they were in the conference room trying to decide on the best way to promote their new product, that people would be using them to tie flies.

Apparently there were no fishermen or fisherwomen at that conference table.

Not all of these new fishing ideas that appear all the time are that good. However, the Mop Fly is a different story and deserves your attention.

E-mail me if you have any questions.

(Bill Oder can be reached at oderbill@yahoo.com.)

RiverHillsTraveler.com

August 2017 • Page 11A

Bee workshops lead to more hives, more honey, more crops

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eehives in the Lake of the Ozarks are buzzing, thanks in part to University of Missouri Extension and the Missouri Department of Agricul-

ture.

MU Extension specialists and beekeepers Travis and Joni Harper have coordinated beekeeping classes for more than 800 Missourians in the past three years.

More than 300 people began beekeeping in more than 1,100 hives after attending beginning and advanced workshops.

Honeybees are essential to agriculture, especially in Morgan, Moniteau and Henry counties, where the Harpers serve.

Travis Harper said the new hives can pollinate more than 1,000 acres of commercially grown fruit and vegetable crops. Vendors and buyers at Missouri’s largest produce auction, in Fortuna, grow more vegetables, fruit and flowers because of more pollinators.

Community gardens planted and tended by MU Extension Master Gardeners also grow more produce to give away to area residents.

Honey production increased 8 percent over the amount reported by the USDA in 2007. Despite this, beekeepers report that they can’t keep up with the demand for local honey, Joni Harper said.

That spells sweet success for beekeepers like Terry Mooney. He and his wife, Leslie, own Square Deals Ice Cream Shop on the town square in Versailles. They sell local honey there and hope to sell honey ice cream in the future. The diversity of plants in the lake area gives the honey a unique flavor.

The Mooneys are among the locals who moved to the Lake of the Ozarks to retire. Extension workshops and activities such as MU Extension’s Master Gardener program are in demand by retirees, said Mooney, a former Morgan County Extension Council member.

When Mooney was a child, he and his friends liked

World War II. Every generation since has raised bees.

Mooney said workshops provide formal learning on beekeeping. Just as importantly, class members get a chance to meet other beekeepers. Much of beekeeping is trial and error, and learned from others, Mooney said.

He and his wife host the Lake of the Ozarks Beekeepers monthly meeting. The MU Extension Center in Morgan County maintains a list of area beekeepers for those who call about unwanted swarms, Joni said.

Beekeeper Terry Mooney, of Versailles, Mo., checks a beehive at his home. Mooney took a beginning and an advanced beekeeping class through University of Missouri Extension.

to chase butterflies through the neighborhood. One summer day, he and his friends discovered a neighbor’s beehives. Mooney then turned his attention from butterflies to bees.

MU Extension’s beekeeping classes renewed his childhood interest.

The Harpers share their expertise with Mooney and others. Travis has been a beekeeper since he was 11.

He worked for a commercial beekeeper in exchange for equipment to start his own hives. His great-grandfather began beekeeping in response to sugar rationing during

University of Missouri Extension specialist Joni Harper smokes one of Terry Mooney’s beehives. Mooney is one of more than 800 Missourians who have taken beekeeping classes through MU Extension.

The Last Resort 59962 Hwy. 21 • Ellington, MO 63638 (573) 663-3623 • email: jmaxcy@mcmo.net Vacation rental features central access to all recreation areas including Big Spring, Current River, Blue Spring, Clearwater, Owls Bend, Wappapello, and Jacks Fork River. Fully furnished 3-bedroom house four miles south of Ellington, Mo. Fully-equipped kitchen, linens, and towels supplied.

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Page 12A • August 2017

RiverHillsTraveler.com

Valles Mines offers an abundance of activities

By Bill Wakefield ow many times have you traveled down a highway or road on your way to go shopping, visit friends or relatives, take your family to one of Missouri’s parks for a day of rest and recreation or in my case, looking for the perfect fishing spot?

As you stay focused on your mission you see a roadside sign stating that there is a historical marker or historic attraction or some other interesting point just ahead.

As you pass by the sign or exit you make a mental note that someday, when you have more time, you will stop to see what that sign is all about.

One day on my way to do some fishing on the St. Françis and Big rivers I saw the exit sign for Valles Mines and I remembered a small advertisement about the Lost History Museum located there.

I was curious on what history was lost, so I thought that I would put my fishing trip on hold for a few minutes and find out. When you get off Highway 67 and travel down the one-mile strip of Valles Mines School Road you also travel back in time for about 268 years.

And this travel in time was eye opening.

Valles Mines is one of the oldest settlements in Missouri. This small village offers an abundance of activity.

Besides the Lost History Museum there are over 3,700 acres that a person can explore by either using the over 5 miles of mountain biking trails or climbing to the top of Mt. Zorro, which is the highest point in the area, and view the marvelous Ozark landscape for miles.

Hike down Selma Road which dates back to the early 1700’s. This road was used to haul the lead, zinc and barite which was mined in the area to the smelter. The weight of the wagons hauling these metals actually lowered the grade of the road four feet below the surface around it.

Today this road makes a great path for bird watching or just a pleasant hike. There are many miles of trails available for horseback riding. The only requirement is that all horses must hold a valid Croggins Test.

In 1992 a wildlife refuge trail was established with the cooperation of the Wildlife Rehab Clinic, located in Fenton. Rehab animals such as groundhogs, foxes, raccoons and opossums have been safely released in this area.

You can try your luck at catching some bass, bluegill, crappie, or catfish at the fishing lake. Primitive camping is allowed at several locations. This

H

A sign noting the location of an artesian spring, drilled about 1900.

The former Valles Mines general store, now home to the Lost History Musuem.

If visiting Valles Mines, be sure to pay attention to this sign.

would be a place to visit if you are an avid rock-hound or metal detector enthusiast.

This location is known to have the purest mineral specimens in the Mineral Belt. Think of the possibilities of detecting something that is over 300 years old. One thing to remember though, if an object has a historical significance related to the area, the Lost Museum gets first dibs.

This area is nationally registered as a Historic Place and the board of directors, the curator (Steve Frazier) along with Eric Werner do everything they can to preserve the history and memories of Valles Mines.

If you happen to get thirsty after bike riding, climbing Mt. Zorro, hiking through the wildlife rehab trails, catching bass and catfish, or prospecting, you can visit the artesian well for a cool drink of water. The 1,000-feet deep well was dug in the early 1900’s and it has been producing 99.9 percent pure water ever since.

When you visit the Lost History Museum at Valles Mines be sure to set aside plenty of time to explore the many exhibits both outside and in the museum itself. An outside walking tour around the museum will give you an opportunity to walk down the main street of this ghost town and visit the general store, payroll office, smelter, furnace tender’s cabin, and other historic sites.

You can stop and actually touch the period farm implements, a horse drawn buggy, and an assortment of hand tools.

Outside the general store is where the Civil War battle between the famous Confederate Bushwacker Sam Hildebrand and his men engaged in a

shootout with federal troops.

Inside the museum there is a manuscript telling the story of Sam Hildebrand. The paymaster’s shack is a small building with a big history. Jesse James blew the safe once. His hideout cave lies a few miles due east.

When visiting the paymaster’s shack pay close attention to the front door.

There is a unique story concerning the hundreds of nails that have been driven into it.

Inside the old general store, which serves as the Lost History Museum, you will find an assortment of exhibits and items that will occupy your attention for hours. The museum is organized to represent the local history of the mining industry, the general store, and the influence the railroad brought to the community.

There are displays of original photographs of the people who lived in Valles Mines. There is also a small World War II exhibit which holds military memorabilia from Missouri’s 102nd Ozark Division and that of Major General William H. Harrison who was on General George Patton’s staff.

Also on display is Mina Harrison’s Medal of Freedom award along with her personal photos when she helped liberate two Nazi death camps as a Red Cross volunteer.

There is also a small gift shop where you can purchase some books about the area, examine some of the minerals and rocks that where mined, and even purchase a Valles Mines T-shirt.

The Lost History Museum is located in the old mining company general

store. One of the first things that your eyes are attracted to is the amount of photographs that are on display. Some of the photographs date back to 1836.

It was interesting to see the various school group photographs which showed the progression of clothing trends throughout the years. There are photos showing the Valle family tree, a collection of railroad and mining photographs, and photographs of the people who lived, worked and played in Valles Mines.

One of the oldest pictures on display is a portrait done in water color and charcoal of a woman which dates back to 1745.

There are scale models of some of the log cabins, houses, and business buildings that once occupied the area.

There is also a large scale model of the Valles Mine town. Steve Frazier, the curator of the museum, made the models himself.

Over time some of the original log cabins deteriorated with age. Steve explained that one of the main reasons for weather damage was that the cabins had thatched roofs instead of tin roofs, which would have kept the rain out of the building.

Another motivation for Steve to construct the scale model of the town was that in 1970 the town of Valles Mines was subject to an arsonist attack that destroyed 26 buildings. This model will give visitors a sense of how the town was laid out and the scope of its size.

There are literally hundreds of items to look at and study. The shelves hold some wooden buckets and coffee pots that were sold when the general store first opened in 1885. Or check out the wooden water pump sitting in a corner.

One of the oldest items found in the museum is a metal measuring chain.

Measuring chains date back to the early 1600’s. A chain is a unit of length which was used for land surveying and to measure mining shaft depths. This is one of the measuring devices that Lewis & Clark took on their journey to record the newly purchased Louisiana Territory.

Another fascinating item to review and read are the original ledgers for the store and the mines. The 30 ledgers date back to 1859. There have been older ledgers located but they are written in French.

The mining and railroad exhibits go hand-in-hand and are displayed throughout the museum. The Lost History Museum is still used as the field Please see MUSEUM, 13A

RiverHillsTraveler.com

August 2017 • Page 13A

MUSEUM from 12A office for the Valles Mining Company, which is still owned by the original Valle family. Frazier also happens to be the mine’s superintendent.

In fact, Frazier is the fifth generation of his family to be a superintendent of Valles Mines. It has been said by some of the old-time miners that there were two things that changed the mining business. One was the railroad, which hauled the mined ore and minerals throughout the United States and to the world.

The second was stick dynamite. The dynamite with a fuse offered better control of blasting for ore, and it is a lot safer to use than blasting with black powder packed in holes made with star drills.

Check out the collection of mining tools, mining head lamp hats, diamond drill cores and other pieces of equipment and artifacts that the miners used to mine some of the purest lead in the world. Pick up and examine samples of zinc, barite and lead in its purest form.

There are several artifacts and photographs from the Mississippi River and Bonne Terre Railroad (MRBT). There is a small railroad artifact called “tie nails.” These nails had a date stamped on the head. When one of the wood railroad ties needed to be replaced, the repairman used these dated stamped nails so that there would be a record of

One of the cabins in Valles Mines.

this repair.

This system was first used here then it was copied and used throughout the United States, then worldwide.

Another interesting bit of railroad history is the 255 feet long tunnel that was blasted through an Ozark mountain in 1889. The tunnel is said to be haunted and it has been an interest of various paranormal organizations.

The one exhibit that is the most interesting and knowledgeable is Steve Frazier, the curator. Sit in one of the big comfortable chairs next to the old wood burning stove and let Steve take you back in time through his stories of the Valle family, the miners, their families and the hardships they endured.

Have Steve talk about his own family tree and the contributions they made to the area and beyond. Steve has personal knowledge of every piece of memorabilia, document and photo

camping, fishing, horseback riding and prospecting. The museum staff can fill you in on the particulars of the permits.

If you happen to be traveling on Highway 67 between Festus and Bonne-Terre, Missouri, I would recommend that you stop and visit Valles Mines. See how this little village made a lasting influence for both the state of Missouri and to the growth of the United States.

Sometime it’s worth a side trip and a little time to explore the side roads of Jesse James once blew the safe in Missouri. You never know what you this paymaster shack. might find.

If you have ever seen a roadside sign throughout the Lost History Museum promoting some type of attraction or and his willingness to share this knowlhistorical event but have never stopped edge will be rewarding to anyone who to check it out, you should. takes the time to listen.

Or let me know about it and maybe I There is a young man named Eric will check it out for you.

Werner who works with and helps (Bill Wakefield is regional director of Steve at the museum. Eric also shares a the Traveler’s St. Louis office and can great desire to preserve the history of be reached at 314-664-4844 or Valles Mines and its culture. Together, w3@charter.net.) along with Tom Harman and the board of directors, they are working hard to save a piece of history and culture that literally influenced the growth of the United States.

There is no cost to visit The Lost History Museum. There are private tours by appointment. The staff at the museum suggests that you call ahead to confirm hours that they are open. The number is (573) 631-6875.

There are some permits fees required for some of the other activities, such as Eric Werner with museum displays.

VINTAGE OZARKS: White River flooding

A

lthough there are no big government dams on the James River, Table Rock Dam backs the lower James up almost to Galena.

So we covered the genesis of the Table Rock project in our new book, “James Fork of the White.” There’s no denying that the White River is prone to flooding.

The Army Corps of Engineers originally had no faith that dams were a solution to overflows. That would change and much of the White River has been incorporated into a system of multipurpose dams.

Press photo of Forsythe in the 1927 flood taken from Shadow Rock. Rising in the Boston Mountains and flowing through a narrow valley, the White River would rise quickly and put buildings on low ground under water.

The Corps of Engineers’ solution

protected most of Branson and Hollister from flooding but permanently submerged most of the agricultural land along the upper White River. Valuable farmland hundreds of miles downstream was protected from normal rises.

As these government dams were premised on flood control (power generation was an option), local advocates like the White River Boosters Association cried out to Congress for relief from floods, supporting the Corps of Engineers’ claims.

Felicity to the new patron of dams required a revised chant from the Missouri business community. When Empire District Electric was considering building Table Rock Dam, factory creation was the mantra.

Local supporters really didn’t care who built the dam, or why. They just

wanted a nice lake, a bigger Taneycomo, at no cost to them.

(This feature is courtesy of Leland and Crystal Payton at Lens & Pen Press, publishers of all-color books on the Ozarks. Their new book — “James

Fork of the White” — will be published in 2017. Some pages from this book can be seen on www.beautifulozarks. com. Their earlier river book, “Damming the Osage,” can be at seen www.damming theosage.com)

Page 14A • August 2017

RiverHillsTraveler.com

TOWERS from 1A miles “as the crow flies” NW of Thomasville.

Jim Parker cautioned me that often, but not always, towers are located close to the town that it is named after. When the Blue Slip Tower was built, right between Norwood and Macomb, neither community was used and instead Blue Slip was selected. That mound is named Blue Slip?

Probably to nobody’s surprise, hills and mountains are very popular. Consider the following: Shell Knob, Mountain View, Blue Mountain, Rosehill, Tusher Hill, Timberknob, Lone Hill (twice), Mt. Hulda, Highmont, High (Hill), Stegall Mountain, Sullivan Hill, Twin Knobs, Bell Mountain, Blackjack Ridge, Johnson Mountain, Cottener (also Cottoner at times) Mountain, Pilot Knob (U.S.F.S. & M.D.C.), Rocky Mount, Stono Mountain, Bunker’s Knob, Panther Hill, and Mud Lick Mountain (Tip Top at one time – one of several Tip Tops in Missouri).

We find the creeks fairly well represented. There is a Sinking Creek Tower (located south of Fremont – Missouri has several “Sinking Creeks”) and had a Lost Creek Tower. Corn Creek Tower sat north of Flat and Brushy Creek Tower above Ellsinore.

Believe me, as I searched for Brushy Creek Tower, I learned Missouri has many Brushy Creeks. The Caney Towers were named for the cane which grew in the creeks below.

There was also a Cedar Creek Tower.

Big Springs, Siloam Springs, Climax Springs, and Reed’s Spring Towers can or in the past could be included in the flowing waters I suppose as might the Piney Tower that sat above the Big

Czar Tower

Piney River.

The animals show here and there.

West of Poplar Bluff is Beaver Creek and Beaver Mountain, which gave rise to Beaver Tower, I suppose. Blue Buck Tower was named after a particularly large buck brought in for resettlement.

Eagle Tower sat above Van Buren and Deer Run sits north of Ellington.

Panther Tower sat just west of the Current River and Bee on Bee Hill.

Then there are two of my favorites — Wolf Mountain Tower and Possum Trot Towers (two at that location at different times). Wolf Mountain certainly evokes a certain image and I suppose wolves must have roamed the area at some point.

Possum Trot is a favorite. Much like “Brushy Creek,” “Possum Trot” usage shows on many topogs here and there.

There were two Possum Trot Towers south of Winona with the footings for the smaller 50-footer set concentrically inside the larger 100-footer. Possum Trot, one of my favorite tower names.

There are a few oddities. Highway 60 Tower was not on Highway 60 by a few miles down Highway B. Macedonia Tower was named after the community and church, but I have been unable to determine how those rough and

tough Greeks gave their name to a community and tower in Missouri.

How about the Buick Tower? Named after the community which was named after the first car in town. Forestry Camp Tower was built, you guessed it, at the then Forestry Camp.

A “Tram” is a timber train roadbed which Tram Tower south of Winona was built near, Max Gorman told me.

Horn Lookout was named after the geographical feature, “Devil’s Horn.”

There is a Kaiser and Czar Tower.

Kaiser is German for Caesar, and Czar is Russian for Caesar. That means by tower translation, Missouri has two Caesar Towers! Some of the simplest still elude me – how did the Jay Tower get it’s name?

Tower life can also be confusing.

There was a Pilot Knob (U.S.) and there still is a Pilot Knob (M.D.C.), and there was a tower at Little Pilot Knob west of Potosi that was changed from Little Pilot Knob to “Floyd” for the community. Don’t get your “Dogs” mixed up as in Dogtown and Dogwood (Dogwood, Neosho, and Piney were all taken down by tornados/high winds).

There is a definite Native American influence on the tower names. Taum Sauk, it seems, was a Piankeshaw chief named Sauk Ton Qua – Taum Sauk Tower. Neosho means “clear cold water” and Tecumseh was chief of the Shawnee nation.

It seems Tywappity was a Native American term for the flat bottomlands below Cape. The term may have been rearranged some by the Spanish. Indian Trail Forest gives its name to Indian Trail Tower. It seems hunting and movement trails crossed the area in Woodland Indian times.

Then, the “Trail of Tears” also passed

through. Research continues on trail locations particularly as they moved west. The name Montauk is used in several ways – the community, park, and tower. It seems “Montauk” was brought by settlers from Long Island, New York, who adapted the name from the Montaukett Indians.

Kelleter Tower was named after the Forester, Paul Kelleter. Coot Mountain was named after Thomas “Coot” Chilton, an early pioneer and ancestor of Steve Orchard of the M.D.C. Hartshorn, as in the community and tower, was the name of a son of an early settler – or so I was told. The Knob Lick Tower is now known as the Glen Skinner Memorial Tower to honor his service. Braswell Tower was named after the post office which was named after John Lemuel Braswell, who settled in the area in the mid-1800s.

If you have an answer for me or I didn’t mention your favorite, let me know. A “feedback article” might be down the road. I must give thanks to all my “tower friends” for their help, and especially Chris Polka and his Google Project, Ron Kemnow and his research, and especially Conservationist Jim Lyon for his many answers to my questions and the box of papers he let me have.

This concludes the original sevenpart series. I want to thank the River Hills Traveler for the chance to “tower talk.” It has been a great hobby for 50 years.

The towers have been fun, driving all over Missouri has been fun, BUT meeting the great people of the great state of Missouri has been the best.

(Questions or comments? Bob Frakes can be reached by email at frakes2@ mvn.net or by phone at 618-244-1642.)

RiverHillsTraveler.com

August 2017 • Page 15A

SNORKEL from 1A newal. Mature males of some species will begin to sport vibrant colors, attracting females and defending their territory from intruding males.

Hornyhead chubs gather and pile stones into high mounds and attracted to these mounds are other species that spawn over the chub’s construction.

Bleeding shiners and Ozark minnows are some of the more colorful Missouri species associated with these mounds.

If you find an active chub mound, you are in for a sight to see. A flurry of spawning fish will be gathered over it and jostling for position. The vividlycolored males will ward off other males as the females dive down alongside and spawn into the clean gravel. Here the fertilized eggs can develop protected in the aerated, gravel mound.

Earlier in the season male stonerollers, armored with tubercles and spiked sides, bulldoze pits deep into the clean gravel into which the gravid, plump females will plunge and spray their eggs and the attending males will fertilize, bringing the eggs to life for another generation. Spring is a fine time.

Often these spawning events last until the early summer but there are various types of interesting behaviors to observe and a great diversity of species to encounter all the time.

Feeding activity is near constant for shiners as they are always hungry, nipping at everything that drifts by, including your freckles. As you lay or crawl slowly over the gravel substrate you are dislodging micro organisms and tiny insects which the fish eagerly await, hoping for a newly-exposed tasty morsel.

Distant herds of stonerollers will be grazing on the algae covering the slick rocks. Tiger-striped logperch, with their long blunt noses, will be flipping stones, intelligently hunting for the tasty critters found beneath.

Relax and enjoy the show, move gracefully and slowly while observing fish both near and far. Big predator fish will be waiting downstream hoping to catch an unsuspecting minnow.

Logjams and brush piles provide habitat for species resting or for a lurking predator, like the red-eyed rock

Gilt

bass, known locally as “goggle-eye,” that takes full advantage of this shadowed lair to ambush from.

Hogsuckers and redhorse will often be feeding out in the open, filtering out tiny organisms from the fine gravel runs. In the shallower runs are found darters which are small, charismatic fish that as their name implies, dart along the bottom.

There are over 200 species and darters are unique to North America.

The males can be quite colorful while often the females are camouflaged, sometimes appearing to be another species entirely. It all makes for a wide eyed-wonder.

Sunfish are a diverse group and found in a multitude of types.

Longears, redears, bluegills, greenies (green sunfish), rock bass, Ozark bass, smallmouth bass. Using their tails male sunfish will fan out clean, shallow depressions in quiet, shallow runs to prepare for the female’s arrival.

After her eggs are deposited in the saucer-shaped pit, he fertilizes and guards them. A proud male will vigorously defend his future offspring and it takes a lot of determined diligence to do so. Look closely and you might see tiny eggs or perhaps baby fish fry swimming in the center.

Gently ease your finger in and the pappy will likely meet it with a determined nip, but don’t be alarmed as you are much bigger than him.

And be sure to watch for the prehistoric gar. A teeth-filled, long-nosed fish that along with the bass are the wolves of these waters. Don’t be afraid of them, as they have their place in this world. Amazing creatures to behold.

The water does not have to be deep, usually in only a couple feet of water you will most often find the interesting species and their behaviors. Position yourself just downstream of a flowing

riffle run and there will be darters, shiners, sculpins and sunfish all gathered in the flowing water.

Turn and face downstream and the fish will come up close and personal right in your face mask. Everything looks bigger while underwater and with a bit of patient observing you may count 10 or more different kinds of fish from this one spot.

Masks and snorkels are readily available, but tempered glass and a mask made of silicone are best for a snug fit.

If your mask fogs up, spit into it, rub the lens and rinse, and you should have clear views. Old sneakers make for wading shoes, shorts and a soon-to-bestained belly-rubbed T-shirt would complete your attire for most summer days. Be careful of sunburn because you will soon be caught up for several hours enjoying the cool experience.

Travel with a friend to share and tell of the things you will see. Underwater cameras are durable, inexpensive and with a bit of time you can capture many of these underwater creatures in their natural habitat.

All things considered, this family activity costs very little for you and others to enjoy a day exploring the clear waters of Missouri. Add a picnic lunch on the gravel bar and it’s hard to have a better day.

There is certainly no need to travel to a beach far away while so many amazing things are found in the living waters close to your home.

Some of the southeastern Missouri rivers and creeks I have snorkeled in are the Huzzah and Blue springs northeast of Cuba’s Route 66. Indian Creek near the Meramec State Park is nice.

The Meramec River can be clear but is often turbid.

Below Fredricktown the Castor River at Amidon and various clear water tributaries to the St. Francis River are also great for snorkeling. Big Creek at Sam Baker State Park can be an excellent day.

To the east is Johnson Shut-ins, which offers clear water. Missouri is fortunate to have so many Conservation Areas and they often have accessible water sites, so take advantage of what Missouri offers, starting somewhere close to home. Remember the water does not have to be deep, just

clear.

I travel the United States looking for clear water to snorkel in. States are patterned with different watersheds, each one unique and offering a new diversity of species encountered. Even in the desert springs you can find fish adapted to live in those environments.

Study maps and look for clear, flowing water, springs and lakes and you will likely be greeted by a multitude of diversity upon immersion.

So grab a snorkel and mask, get in, cool down, relax and enjoy the show.

There is nowhere better to be on a hot summer day than cooling down in the local swimming hole.

You may likely start exploring other streams, rivers and watersheds to see some of Missouri’s many unique and diverse underwater species.

For more information about our native fish, visit the North American Native Fishes Association (NANFA) and subscribe to its quarterly publication — “American Currents” — at www.nanfa.org.

To see more of Isaac Szabo’s wonderful underwater photography and to order prints, visit www.isaacszabo.com.

A third edition of “Fishes of Missouri” is soon to be released. It will be filled with colorful photographs of Missouri’s 232 recognized species.

Maps of where to find particular species are marked and you will be able to see how certain species are only found within small watersheds while others are found widespread across the state and even into the southeast portions of North America.

Bob Hrabik is the author, with Lance Merry as photographer and Dave Neely as the illustrator. It is scheduled for publication in 2019.

Longear sunfish

o $22 for 1 year o $40 for 2 years (most popular & best value option!)

o Online edition only for $15 per year please fill out this form & mail it to:

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August 2017 • Page 1B

Page 2B • August 2017

RiverHillsTraveler.com

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RiverHillsTraveler.com

August 2017 • Page 3B

The mastodons of Jefferson County, Missouri

M

y wife and I moved to Jefferson County, Missouri, in 1979 not once thinking that this was an area where the huge mastodons and giant sloths (the size of grizzly bears) of prehistoric times had once roamed freely.

However, owing to the wise decision making of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, who purchased the 418 acres in Imperial, Mo., that encompasses the “Kimmswick Bone Bed” where the fossils of these giant creatures were found and established a museum and historic site, we have discovered that these magnificent animals did in fact live in this area and very possibly walked around on the very ground where my zoysia grass now grows.

Located at 1050 Charles J. Becker Drive in Imperial, the historic site and Bill Oder museum is full of ———— interesting displays.

First a giant replica of a mastodon skeleton is what catches your eye as soon as you walk in the door. You must keep in mind that a full skeleton wasn’t found at the site but such pieces as tusks, jaws and hip bones and teeth were found and were enough for scientists to establish that they were indeed here.

A quarry operation in the area that ran up to the 1930’s had destroyed a lot of the ice age remains. Enclosed in glass cases are a tusk and hip bone and several jaw bones. Some actual teeth are in the open for visitors to touch.

Also in glass cases are spearheads that were made by the Native Americans that lived here during the time of the mastodon.

The mastodon wasn’t the only animal who left behind intriguing remains for scientists to discover. There is also evidence of the giant sloth, stag moose and peccary.

At the end of the ice age, estimated to be 35,000 to 10,000 years ago, this area was believed to be swampy and having a lot of mineral springs. It is thought the animals became trapped in the mud and thus, preserving their bones.

Early North Americans known as the “Clovis” people had also reached this area and their spearheads that were found also in the “Bone Bed” can also be seen in the museum. The fact that spearheads were found along with the bone fragments of the mastodon indicated that the Clovis people coexisted with these giant animals and killed them for food and for their hides.

As a fisherman, one of the things that really fascinated me was seeing tiny fish hooks that they had fashioned out of bones. I wondered if any of them ever tried tying feathers onto their hooks and making flies. Of course, there is no evidence to suggest that they did but you never know.

In the early 1900’s, an amateur scientist dug up skulls, teeth and tusks in this area prompting tours from St. Louis to view these fossils, especially during the 1904 World’s Fair that was held in St. Louis.

Construction of I-55 in the 1970’s renewed public concern from Jefferson County residents to preserve the area, which resulted in the historic site being established in 1976.

Along with the museum there is a wildlife garden and bird sanctuary which attracts birds and butterflies with native wildflowers and bird feeders.

There is a picnic area and numerous programs for school groups.

There are also three hiking trails. The Wildflower Trail is one-quarter mile long and takes you by the “Bone Bed.” Although it is a relatively short trail, it is rated “moderate” mainly because there are a lot of steps leading down to

the Bone Bed area and of course, if you go down the hill, you must come back up the hill.

Don’t be disappointed when you arrive at the Bone Bed expecting to see bones because there won’t be any... only a marker identifying and explaining the area. There are no current excavations in process.

The Spring Branch Trail is oneeighth mile long and is rated “easy.”

Strollers and wheelchairs are manageable on this trail. Along this trail you will see the remains of a “springhouse,” built in the early 1900’s, that a family used for refrigeration by taking advantage of the cool spring water to keep their food from spoiling.

The third trail, the Limestone Hill Trail, 2.0 miles long, is for the more adventurous and is rated as “rugged.”

From March 16 until November 14 of each year, the museum is open from

9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Monday through Saturday, and 12 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Sunday. There are reduced hours during the winter.

The site grounds are open from 8 a.m. to a half-hour after sunset every day. There is an entry fee of $4 for ages 13 and up, and those under 13 are admitted free.

The site is easy to reach by exiting off I-55 at Exit 186, Imperial, Kimmswick and going west on Imperial Main Street to the Outer Road. Turn right and go north on the Outer Road until you come to Charles J. Becker Dr. You can’t miss the huge sign with the mastodon on it.

This place has all the ingredients for a very enjoyable family outing and is well worth your time. It is still mindboggling for me to try to imagine that these giant creatures measuring 8-10 feet high at the shoulders and weighing in at 4-6 tons, actually prowled around in this area where Walmarts, CrackerBarrel restaurants, and many, many subdivisions now cover the landscape.

(Bill Oder can be reached at oderbill@yahoo.com.)

AROUND the WORLD with the River Hills Traveler

Cody Hansen, of Nevada, Mo., on the Windy of Chicago boat ride during a college trip. He took a friend along with him.

——— If you're going on a trip or vacation, please take the River Hills Traveler with you and have someone photograph you and the magazine in front of a landmark or particular setting. Then email the picture to us at jimmy@riverhillstraveler.com and we will publish it an upcoming issue. You can also text your photos & info to (417) 451-3798 or send them to us via our Facebook page.

Thank you very much and we look forward to seeing your family’s adventures!

Page 4B • August 2017

RiverHillsTraveler.com

Try some lively minnows on your next fishing trip

By Bill Wakefield here are times when catching fish becomes very important.

Even more so than just the thrill of getting a trout to rise up to a wellplaced Wooly Bugger Fly or the sudden explosion in the water as a bass attacks an artificial frog that you are dragging though a patch of lily pads.

These are the times when you would like some fresh fish for dinner or when you want to save your pride from getting skunked that day.

Another important time to be sure that you catch fish is when you take a child fishing. To keep a youngster’s attention and to develop a love for the sport of angling, they need to be successful at fishing and have fun while they are doing it.

Catching a fish and having a photo of their accomplishment to keep forever will satisfy these requirements.

For the past several months I have visited some very interesting and unique bait shops and writing about the different types of baits, products, and the service that these dedicated owners provide for their clients.

The one product that each bait shop had in common was the fact that each and every one of them had aerated tanks full of minnows.

When catching fish becomes difficult because of factors such as water temperature, weather, water levels or clarity of the water, then the choice of live bait may be the only answer for a successful and fun day of fishing.

Fishing with lively minnows can make a world of difference in getting a bite. It is believed that fishing with live bait still produces over 50 percent of freshwater game fish caught in lieu of all the artificial lures, soft plastic, and

Larger fathead minnows in the 2.5- to 3-inch size will get the attention of smallmouth and largemouth bass and even a passing walleye.

T

Rosy red minnow

flies sold on the market today.

Most live baits are purchased at local bait shops and one of the most popular live baits is the minnow. These bait shop owners have the local knowledge on what fish are biting and what they are biting on. Let them help you in making the right selection for a successful day of fishing.

The action of a struggling minnow on a hook with a natural scent will draw attention of nearby fish, even enticing neutral or negative mood fish to a reactionary strike.

To most anglers the word minnow means a small fish used for bait. There are over 250 species of minnows in North America. The most commonly used and commercially sold minnows are fatheads, chubs, and shiners.

Fathead Fatheads are the most popular and the hardiest of the baitfish and are commonly used as forage for game fish.

Fathead minnows are fairly easy to keep alive in a minnow bucket. They can last for a couple of days by leaving them outside in cooler weather.

Their maximum length seldom exceeds three inches in size thus making them one of the best bait fish available for a variety of game and pan fish.

Their smaller size makes them an attractive bait for crappie, sunfish, perch and rock bass.

Rosy reds Rosy red minnows and fathead minnows are the exact same species; common names include the rosy red minnow or rosy reds. They only grow to about two inches on average.

They have the same hardiest as fathead minnows and cost much less than goldfish. Because of their size and color they are a good choice of bait for crappie, bluegills and other panfish.

Chub (creek chub) Creek chubs are the second of the hardiest minnows to survive and can reach a length between 4 to 8 inches.

This size makes them a good live bait for larger game fish such as walleyes, brown trout, northern pike, largemouth bass, and smallmouth bass. Chubs also make an excellent bait for catfish. Because of their larger size they tend to attract the large game fish species.

Common shiner Common shiners average about 2.5 to 4 inches long and are considered the most delicate of the three minnow types. Their color is basically silvery with a dusky back.

In comparison with similar species, the head, eyes, and mouth of the common shiner seem noticeably larger. The common shiner feeds at or just below the water surface and with its silvery flash makes it a popular bait minnow.

Lure manufactures mimic this just below the surface silvery flash when designing spinner baits. Smaller size shiners in the 1.5- to 2-inch range make

an excellent choice for most panfish such as crappie, bluegills, white bass or rock bass. The larger size shiners will attract bass, walleye or sauger and even a northern pike.

Rigging baitfish There are three basic options to bait a minnow on a hook. The first is in the mouth. Insert the point of the hook under the lower lip and push the hook through the top lip; the hook shank will be facing forward with the tip of the hook facing up.

This allows the baitfish to look natural as it swims forward. Lip-hooked baitfish are used on a jig or live bait rigs, sliding weight bottom rig, bottom bouncers, drop shot rig or on a float/bobber set-up. The second option is hooking the baitfish through its back in front of the dorsal fin. Be careful to pierce only the skin and not through the spine. This hooking method is used when stationary fishing.

The final option is hooking through the tail for free-line fishing. Insert the hook tip at the fleshy base of the tail and run it through, ending with the hook tip and shaft facing rearward.

Use a simple split shot and hook rig and cast the minnow gently, then let it sink and drift while it swims freely.

(Bill Wakefield is regional director of the River Hills Traveler’s St. Louis office and can be reached at 314-6644844 or w3@charter.net.)

Chub

Can you correctly answer these 15 questions about natural history?

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s someone who worked for many years as a naturalist in state park systems, the National Park Service and a contract naturalist in the mountains of Arkansas for that state’s Natural Heritage Commission, I think surely I could be pardoned for having a little fun with a group of people who refer to themselves as master naturalists after attending classes for a week.

I have met many of them, and most are nice people who are hungry to learn Larry about nature.

Dablemont A few years ago ———— they paid about Lightnin’ forty dollars to atRidge tend a series of conservation department night classes and if they passed the test they got a certificate for that, saying they were “master naturalists.”

I don’t think anyone ever failed to pass it. So for a month or two I added a nature question to each of my outdoor columns and lots of folks seemed to enjoy that.

I, myself, am not a master at anything, though I was once darn near a master johnboat paddler, and in my youth, almost a master snooker player.

I sure learned a lot in receiving a degree in wildlife management and working all those years as a paid naturalist.

I think I would recommend those two efforts if you really want to be a naturalist… go to college and then get a job in that field.

Back when I was a boy, there were lots of young people who were natural naturalists, kids who grew up on Ozark farms and spent hours out exploring the woods, and the creeks, and learning the difference in a hawk and a hoot owl, and a bass and a bluegill by the time they were 8 years old.

So, since readers seem to enjoy answering those questions, I thought I would just do a whole column of natural history questions.

If you are indeed a master naturalist you should be able to answer ALL these fifteen questions without looking at any books or the Internet.

These things you should know without much thinking.

Let’s start with birds…

1. Two hawks in the Ozarks that are hard for people to tell apart are the redtailed hawk and the red-shouldered hawk. Which of the two have a onenote call, and which has a two-note call?

2. What bird of prey cannot build or prepare a nest but still may attempt to raise young in the dead of winter?

3. What bird, other than the hummingbird, will often visit your hummingbird feeder in the spring to drink nectar?

4. What bird may find a songbird nest, kick out the eggs and lay it’s own eggs for the nesting birds to hatch and

raise?

Now for the mammals…

1. A shrew can go for up to three days without eating! True or false?

2. What common Ozarks furbearer has insufficient salivary glands?

3. A dog of the same size can hybridize with both coyotes and foxes?

4. True or false… The hair of a white-tailed deer is hollow!

Concerning fish…

1. A shell-cracker is also known as…

A. Rock bass; B. Drum; B. Red-ear sunfish.

2. A flathead catfish will sometimes eat a channel catfish and vice-versa… true or false?

3. Eels are sometimes found in unimpounded Ozark rivers, but they cannot reproduce there! True or false?

4. What is the common name most often used in the Ozarks for the plentiful Green Sunfish?

And a few about plants…

1. Commonly eaten and canned like spinach in the spring old time Ozarks, it was known as “cow pasley.” What is the other common name? A. Hillbilly spinach; B. Crows foot; C. poke; D. Wild dock.

2. What tea was said to thin the blood in the spring?

3. What is the fastest growing, and arguably the prettiest, of the large trees found in the Ozarks?

Okay, now here are the answers. I

hope you didn’t peek. If you have, you are disqualified from being a master naturalist and true Ozarkian.

The two-note hawk is the red-shouldered, and the non-nest-builder that hatches young in the dead of winter is the great-horned owl.

Number three is the oriole and number four is the brown-headed cowbird.

Five is false, shrews have to eat every few hours or they die.

The raccoon washes his food so much because he doesn’t have enough saliva.

Coyotes often cross with dogs, but foxes do not. The hair of the whitetail is indeed hollow.

The answer to number 9 is C. Both catfish will indeed try to eat the other when the size is right, and Ozark river eels migrate back into the ocean hundreds of miles away to reproduce.

Number twelve is easy… black perch.

Number 13 is crow’s foot, and number 14 is sassafras. A sycamore outgrows all Ozark trees and is also the prettiest of them all.

You may think another tree is prettier, and if you would argue that, you belong on the front bench of the pool hall, where I once saw four or five old men debate that for much of an hour.

And in that pool hall, when I was about twelve, is where I learned that possums breed through the nose!

(Larry Dablemont lives in southwest Missouri. He can be reached by email at lightninridge@windstream.net, or by phone at 417-777-5227.)

RiverHillsTraveler.com

August 2017 • Page 5B

Fire, water, sticks & rocks

By Bob Brennecke an you remember back when you were a kid? I know you can because even I can remember back that far.

My brother, some neighbors and I would spend hours in the woods, creek, river, or on bicycles and be gone all day.

We would while away the day building forts in the woods, against a mud bank, ditch or tree. Sticks, boards, nails and whatever we could find would end up hiding us in a secret spot that nobody could find — nobody.

If it was cold out or not, we sometimes made an Indian fire, small but smoky, just enough smoke to gag us and send all out of the “hideout.” I don’t to this day know why we didn’t burn the woods down.

Another fascination was the creek. I bet that was the best draw of the out of doors. The small creatures that would elude our fingers and traps, how the silt traveled down the riffles from our homemade dams

C

and the ship sticks we tried to sink with the bolder bombs of war.

How about the spears and crudely fabricated bows and arrows? I know Dad lost a lot of plumb-bob line to the bows to fortify our “hideout” to say nothing about his dowel rod supply.

When I take my grandchildren into the woods, and identify scat, poking it around identifying what the animal had eaten or seeing the different colored, shaped, and types of rocks or seeing how many trees they can differentiate from, I thank God I was able to stay out all day when I was a kid.

Oh, by the way, that stick I use walking with the kids is now “Grandpa’s poop stick.”

I have shown all the kids who want to know, and all of them do, how to make a fire with one match, flint and steel, or whatever they have.

They stare as I do, as we all do, into a dark night’s glowing fire, being mesmerized by the gagging smoke, hot sparks, lapping flames, and watch your

neighbor’s rubber shoes melting while warming against the metal fire ring. How fun it is to poke the logs making them burn just the way you hope they should.How great it is to see the youngsters clamoring after the crawfish and minnows after damming up the creek into a “huge impoundment.”

I still try to sink the big battleships launched at the head of the manmade lake with the kids.

Fire, water, sticks and rocks — what more do you need to be engaged?

(Bob Brennecke lives in Ballwin, Mo., and can be reached at robertbrennecke@hotmail.com.)

6 things you probably don’t know about mosquitos, but should

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osquitos are just a part of camping in the warmer months, and even with bug spray and a wide variety of repellant products, mosquitos can still be a real nuisance.

These annoying pests sustain themselves by sucking your blood – not unlike a vampire. However, far too many campers don’t understand the basics about mosquitos.

Take a moment to consider some of these crazy and interesting facts about mosquitos.

One of the deadliest animals on earth Though you might think a shark or lion is the deadliest animal on Earth, you would be dead wrong. The thing about mosquitos is that there are so many of them, and because they live off of blood, they frequently carry disease.

This doesn’t mean that you are going to contract a terrible illness every time you get bitten by a mosquito – far from it. However, globally, mosquitos are incredibly dangerous.

Only the females feed on humans Every mosquito that has bitten you in your lifetime for sustenance has been female. Crazy, right? The males can actually feed on the nectar of flowers. The females, on the other hand, need to find a source of protein for the process of egg creation.

So, they have to turn to sources of food other than flowers. When the females aren’t producing eggs, though, they will also happily feed on flowers.

In fact, there are some types of mosquitos that don’t even like to feed on humans. Instead, they prefer to feed on animals and certain amphibians.

Their wings are incredibly fast If you ask anyone what animal beats its wings the fastest during trivia, most will tell you it’s the hummingbird. However, mosquitos actually beat their wings faster. A mosquito can beat its wings between 300-600 times per second! No wonder they make that awful, annoying, high pitched buzzing sound.

All mosquitos need water to reproduce Mosquitos lay their eggs in wet, moist areas such as a puddle after a rain storm or in stagnate water such as a bird bath.

‘Blood in the Ozarks’ D

eep in the eastern Ozarks of Missouri, a battle still rages about a Union massacre of Southern civilians that happened on Christmas Day, 1863.

While some call it a simple rescue mission to liberate captured Union soldiers, others claim that it was mass murder, which included women and children. $17.00 + $4.00 s/h order online at www.bloodintheozarks.com or by mail by sending check or money order to: Blood in the Ozarks 807 Englehart Ln Marble Hill, MO 63764

If you are on a camping trip and notice an unusually high amount of mosquitos, it may just be that you are next to their breeding grounds. Make sure you don’t accidentally set up camp next to a puddle that is infested with mosquitos.

It really doesn’t take much water at all to facilitate their breeding. In fact, just a couple of inches of water is all they need.

Their lifespans are very short Mosquitos don’t typically live very long. Adults may live as long as four to six months, but it is highly unlikely they will live that long.

Between predators and annoyed campers slapping them silly, it is typical for them to have shorter lifespans. They survive as a species, however, because they reproduce extremely fast – like most other insects.

They are hypersensitive to CO2 Carbon dioxide signifies that a meal might be in the vicinity, and mosquitos can detect CO2 from up to 75 feet away.

Once a hungry female has caught the scent of CO2, she will search the area until she finds someone to feed on. (source: floatmissouri.com)

Page 6B • August 2017

RiverHillsTraveler.com

Readers invited to join outdoor ministry home team

A

s I sit down to write this column I do so with a great deal of joy and satisfaction. Along with these emotions there is also a bit of fear and trepidation.

Let me start off by telling those of you who may not be familiar with FCA what this organization is all about.

Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) is an international organization dedicated to mentoring and discipling athletic coaches in junior high schools, high schools and colleges around the world.

There are approximately 1,500 fulltime FCA staff members in the United States. The vision of this ministry is to help influence coaches for Christ so they can then share that with the kids they coach.

Mike Roux This ministry has ———— been very successful for many decades.

I have been on the professional end of the outdoor industry for 40 years now. That includes, but has not been limited to, professional hunting and fishing guiding, serving on a number of national manufacturer pro staffs, five years with my own outdoor TV series, eight years with my own syndicated outdoor radio show, a dozen weekly newspaper columns, four monthly periodical columns, several blogs, and I have published two books.

About 25 years ago God lead me to share my outdoor expertise and talents for His glory and I started my personal outdoor ministry. Since then I have spoken at hundreds of churches, men’s groups and wild game dinners across the country.

This ministry has grown dramatically, lives have been changed and I have been able to plant outdoor ministries in many of the churches where I have spoken.

About 18 months ago I was introduced to FCA through one of their local outdoor fundraisers. I went to an FCA pheasant hunt in Morgan County and actually got to hunt with former St. Louis Cardinal relief pitcher Todd Worrell, who is on staff with FCA. I wrote some articles for FCA about this event and others and have been

volunteering with them since then.

During that time I learned what FCA was all about. I learned how effective they are at spreading the gospel around the Midwest region and got to attend several “huddle” meetings. The huddle is what the schools call their FCA student groups.

This time of observation and participation with FCA was no accident.

A few months ago God called me to take my personal outdoor ministry to a higher level. He partnered me with FCA so that I could combine my professional outdoor experience and my own outdoor ministry with their already very successful infrastructure, and together we have now launched,

the first ever, FCA Outdoor Ministry.

I am the full-time director of that ministry here in the Midwest region.

With over five million people purchasing hunting or fishing licenses in this region in 2016, you can see that my mission field is huge. By adding an outdoor component to FCA we will be able to include many of those five million that may not have been exposed to us before.

This very large demographic has not been intentionally excluded by FCA. It has been completely accidental. So now, instead of unintentionally excluding these people who love the outdoors, we are going to intentionally include them.

This all having been said, I am tasked with building an FCA Outdoor Ministry Home Team. I am reaching out to you, my readers, inviting you to join me in this exciting new ministry. You can reach me at mroux@fca.org.

Once again, friends, I invite you to contact me and let me share with you what all God has laid on my heart for this new ministry and I urge you to consider partnering with me in this exciting way to add to the Kingdom.

I am asking for your prayers and, if you are led through those prayers to support this new ministry financially, I am absolutely sure He will bless your gifts.

Thanks and God bless you all.

get up close and persona al with Mother t Natu ure

Located on the e banks of the mighty y Mississippi, M Cape Girardeau is surrounded y Mother Nature at her finest. by Home to Trail of o Tears State Park and Lake Bouti in the rolling hills Bo tiin, of Cape County y offer an abundance of hiking, h camping and fishing adv ventures as well as elevated sce enic views – Picturesque and perfect for nature lovers and outdoor enthusiasts of all ages. portunities online Explore the opp or call 800-777 7-0068 today y..

Former St. Louis Cardinal relief pitcher Todd Worrell and Mike Roux shared a great hunt at an FCA fundraiser.

CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO

V I S I TC A P E .CO M /G R E ATO U T D O O R S

RiverHillsTraveler.com

August 2017 • Page 7B

Helpful tips for new or experienced campers

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o say I love camping could be an understatement. I’ve pitched a tent as far west as California, slept in a teepee in Idaho, and made myself at home in many a KOA Kamper Kabin across this nation.

Camping, in its various forms, helps me connect with nature and experience different areas of our country without breaking the bank.

Along the way, I have discovered some helpful tips and tricks: No. 1 — The “Best in Tent Camping” book series is incredibly helpful. I have the ones for California, ColMichelle Turner orado, and Mis———— souri. They provide information about great campgrounds for tent campers, some insights about trails, and helpful tips for those wanting to explore tent camping.

No. 2 — Vault toilets are not to be feared, but follow the rules. To me, it is common sense to close the lid on vault toilets after use, but I’ve seen more and more campgrounds posting signs that tell campers to close the lid.

Simply put, the campground will smell better if you follow the rules.

Also, do not put trash inside the vault toilets. That is a huge no-no.

No. 3 — Consider making a camping tub. I have a plastic tub with a tight-fitting lid that I clean and restock yearly.

It is filed with items that I can use when camping (pots, pans, forks,

spoons, napkins, a lighter, insect repellant, etc.).

Since it remains stored in my garage packed and ready to go, it makes getting ready for a camping trip much easier.

No. 4 — Tents can fly! I have camped in some amazing places this way. If I am flying to another state, I will pack a small tent, air mattress, collapsible cooler and other FAA-approved items into my checked luggage.

Please note, it helps to fly with an airline that allows free checked luggage with no hidden fees.

Once I arrive, get my luggage and rental car, off I go to pick up food, charcoal, and other items that make my camping experience in another state a good one.

Sure, I can’t pack EVERYTHING in my camping tub, but with the money I

Float Trips C bins Cab i Condos Motels Riverfront Camping

have saved on hotels I can make the camping trip work just fine without needing a small loan to pay off a vacation.

Hint: I use a credit card to build flyer miles. My flights often range from $5 to $15 out of pocket. Only do this if you know you can control your spending and not end up in debt by not paying the monthly balance in full.

No. 5 — Know your campground. I try to take the time to research the campground I am visiting to get a general vibe for it. Some campgrounds are family-friendly, while others are ecofriendly, and there are also ones that are notorious for live bands and good times.

If you want a quiet getaway, then you may not want to be at a campground hosting a music festival the weekend of your arrival or a remote control car club reunion.

Nothing against music or RC cars, but if you only want to hear nature,

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both can be a little distracting.

No. 6 — Buy your firewood locally.

It’s time we stop moving wood and if you’re unsure why, visit this website — www.dontmovefirewood.org — to learn more.

I admit I didn’t fully understand why I couldn’t just bring my own wood to campsites when camping closer to home. It felt like a huge hassle to buy wood locally when I often have a woodpile in my backyard, but once I educated myself, I understood.

No. 7 — Mix it up. I camp in national parks and forests, state parks, privately owned campgrounds, and in Kampgrounds of America properties.

Variety is fun. You’ll meet different people from all walks of life and you’ll discover that no two campgrounds are the same.

I honestly believe there is no one “right” way to camp, there are many ways. So, feel free to try out new camping experiences.

Side note: if you like KOA campgrounds and plan to stay at them often, consider purchasing a VKR Card. It will pay for itself and save you a lot of money over the course of a year!

Also, it’s fun to redeem camping points for dollars off your stay.

(Michelle Turner lives in Union, Mo.)

Drive-In Style M ies Movi Swim mming Pool Sand Volleyball

Page 10B • August 2017

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August 2017 • Page 11B

A great fishing hole on the north side of Springfield

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ook beyond Valley Water Mill Lake’s aquatic vegetation and Springfield-area anglers will find a great “fishing hole” on the city’s north side.

The Missouri Department of Conservation’s (MDC) current fishing regulations for the 13acre Valley Water Mill Lake went into effect in 2012 and represent the latest chapter in a long tradition of angling activity at this north Springfield reservoir. Originally built in the 1850s as a pond for the operation of a grist mill, this body of water has a long reputation as a local fishing spot for Springfield anglers.

In 2006, the Valley Water Mill property was incorporated into the Springfield/Greene County Park system and fishing at the lake is currently managed through a Corporate and Agency Partnership Project (CAPP) between

MDC and the Watershed Committee of the Ozarks.

Valley Water Mill Lake is fed by two springs (Sanders and Jarrett) and, thus, has an ongoing supply of clear water. As has been the case throughout the lake’s history, aquatic vegetation is an ongoing challenge for lake anglers.

However, opportunities exist for catching fish from the bank and from two fishing piers.

Largemouth bass, channel catfish, bluegill and redear sunfish are among the species that can be caught at Valley Water Mill.

More information about Valley Water Mill’s fishing opportunities can obtained by calling the Missouri Department of Conservation’s southwest regional office at (417) 895-6880 or by calling the Watershed Center at (417) 833-8525.

Page 12B • August 2017

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August 2017 • Page 13B

Coyote is always out there, waiting & hungry

By John Meacham he best I can say about the spring turkey season at this point is that I’m not coyote crap right now.

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow!

Coyote crap is exactly what I would have been, if the buzzards hadn’t found me first, if my second bout with acute pancreatitis had begun when I was at Kinkaid Lake or Wilkinson Island turkey hunting and any distance, at all, from the truck, instead of at home.

It started about 6 p.m. Friday, March 24, when I said, “I’m not sure I feel so good.” Ten seconds later, I was doubled over the kitchen sink, where I retched and retched but brought nothing up.

Bonnie and I knew immediately what it was, since I’d had a similar attack in late September last year. By the time we got rolling toward Memorial Hospital in Chester, I was screaming in agony.

Bonnie later said that was the fastest she’s ever driven. It’s even hypothetically possible that she broke the speed limit.

I went into the ER at a dead run, clutching my stomach and calling on the Supreme Being and all his angels for help. As during the first time around, the staff there was excellent.

I’ve never been so glad to have the nurse get a needle in my hand as I was that night, so the doctor could administer pain medicine.

By Sunday morning, things were going downhill fast. My doctor recommended a return visit to Missouri Baptist Medical Center in St. Louis, where Doctor Giuseppe Aliperti is worldrenowned for endoscopy, a procedure that allows him to work inside the body with a scope and no incision.

During my September sojourn at MOBAP, Dr. Aliperti had paid my pancreas several visits. As we talked later, I learned that he, too, was a hunter, but had had no luck with the gobblers. I’d promised to take him in April, but this time neither of us was optimistic we’d be able to take that trip together.

Season opened in Southern Illinois a half-hour before sunrise April 4, and I had a permit for Jackson County. I was up and walking by that time, but I saw daybreak from the visitor lounge at the south end of the sixth floor of MOBAP’s West Pavillion.

It certainly wasn’t where I wanted to be, but it was definitely where I needed to be.

I went home the next day, but any thought of hunting that week was

T

negated by my weakness and pain, and

by Dr. Aliperti’s warning that, until we get my condition stabilized, another round of acute pancreatitis can start any time, any place.

Nevertheless, I have a permit for Jackson County for the fourth season and, as King Arthur so well and so truly said in Mark Twain’s A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, “Tide me life, betide me death! Now I see the villain, he shall never escape!”

Being in the hospital is mentally and emotionally grinding, on top of your physical problems. You’re flat on your back and bed-bound. You have tubes everywhere. You have people you don’t know looking at body parts you consider private and asking all sorts of questions you’d rather not have asked, much less answer.

Assorted people are forevermore waking you up just after you’ve finally

fallen asleep to take your vital signs and draw blood, blood and more blood.

But, they are all professional and they all work hard for your recovery. I couldn’t ask for better treatment than I got at MOBAP. In between all the procedures, a man has plenty of time to think, and I did. I thought about all the good times I’ve had, all the good time I’ve wasted, all the things I’ve been planning to do but putting off, all the friends I have and how much I need to tell them how much they mean to me, all the places I still have to go and all the things I still want to do.

Little things like that, and more.

I thought, too, about how careless I’ve been with my hunting and fishing adventures in the past – how many times I was alone in lonely places, sometimes without a cell phone, a compass and emergency food and water.

My doctors at MOBAP let me know in no uncertain terms that I need to have all my medical information – conditions, prescriptions, allergies, doctors’ and family members’ names and contact information – with me at all times.

I realized how much more trouble I’d have had if my pancreatitis had struck on one of the trips I’d planned this spring to Louisiana, Arkansas, or upstate New York.

So, I commend all that to the attention of my fellow outdoors persons.

I’m sure you’ve all heard it all before, but so had I. Stop risking your lives. Get yourselves a good round tuit and take it with you wherever you go, whenever you go, and make sure emergency personnel can find it when they need it.

I had time to think, too, about the Great Beyond. The late, great guitarist and folk singer Doc Watson put it this way in “The Wreck of the 1262”: “Now, this story is told of a freight train, but it should be a warning to all.

We need to be prepared every moment, for we can never tell when he’ll call.”

(John Meacham can be reached by phone at 618-615-6279 or by email at meacham@nwcable.net.)

Let’s see your photos!

Send us your hunting, fishing, camping or other outdoors photos and we will publish them in our next issue. Text them to us at (417) 451-3798, along with the pertinent info, or email them to

jimmy@riverhillstraveler.com We look forward to hearing from you!

Page 14B • August 2017

RiverHillsTraveler.com

There are more reasons than ever to go RVing

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here’s an RV for everyone. Whatever your interests, wherever you want to explore, whomever you want to take along — an RV is the best way to travel.

Check out some of the top reasons to Go RVing.

Get AWAY with the family Ninety-five percent of people who camped as children said it had a positive impact on their adult lives, helping them develop an appreciation for the outdoors and for different people and places.

Plus, RVs feel more like home than a hotel, making travel relaxing and familiar – no surprises here.

Get AWAY from it all without sacrificing comfort Slide-outs that provide extra space at the push of a button, queen- and kingsize beds, gourmet kitchens, leather sofas, even fireplaces. If you have it at home, there’s an RV that has it, too.

RVs often come equipped with a wide range of amenities, such as: • Full bathrooms with tub.

• Washer and dryer.

• Multiple flat-screen TVs with satellite.

• Central vacuum system.

• Large wardrobes for clothing storage.

Bring your pets along for the ride It’s not a family vacation without the whole family – pets love vacations, too.

RVs make stress-free trips for owners who don’t want to board their pets and for the pets who don’t like to be left behind. There’s plenty of space to store pet food and toys.

Most campgrounds welcome pets, but check specific rules before you go. Be sure pets are road-ready with up-to-date shots, collars and ID tags with a mobile number.

Flexibility & freedom Take control. You decide when and

where to go and what you want to take with you. There’s no racing to catch a flight or long lines. There are no baggage limits or fees, nor shortage of legroom, so stretch out, take your shoes off when you want to and enjoy the view.

Your schedule is your call when you’re behind the wheel. Make unplanned stops along the way when something catches your eye. Stay as long as you like or hit the road earlier than planned.

The road to savings RVs roll travel, accommodations and meals into one and for less than you might think. In fact, an RV vacation can cost a family of four up to 59 percent less than other forms of travel.

Extra storage space means saving on equipment rentals, too, as you can bring along the bikes, skis, kayaks, golf clubs, ATVs and more. And when you travel with everything, including the kitchen sink, you save on food expenses.

Make RV travel your gold standard No more 9 to 5? Now’s not the time to slow down. It’s time to do the things you’ve had to put on hold. Now is the time to take charge and take extended vacations.

Travel at your pace. Explore, discover, relax, all while knowing you can end the day in your familiar home on wheels.

So, go ahead, bring the grandchildren, take the dog, enjoy your favorite hobbies and go wherever the road takes you.

Go seasonal Seasonal samping is perfect for people looking for their getaway place. It allows RVers to put down some roots, spread out a little and surround themselves with comfort – while still having all the fun the RV camping lifestyle has to offer.

Not everyone longs to hit the open road, and even those who do often find themselves returning to the same places to unwind in a favorite spot, relive great memories and connect with old friends.

Seasonal camping involves placing an RV at your favorite location so you can return as often as you wish. Whether it’s a nearby campground you set out for each weekend or a spot at the lake hundreds of miles away, seasonal camping lets you extend the benefits of RVing.

Exercise your right to stay fit RVers are healthy, active travelers.

With roomy basement storage, bring multiple bicycles and all the necessary gear to explore thrilling bike paths across the country.

From urban routes to rugged mountain

trails, the challenge is yours for the taking. After a day of riding, return to your base camp on wheels to shower, relax and prepare a meal to recharge.

With some RVs sleeping up to 10, grab the gang and head to the bike races with friends and never have to spring for a hotel.

Home cooking far from home Picky eaters and special dieters can relax because RVs make meal prep a snap with amenities that rival gourmet kitchens: • Island workspace and solid-surface countertops.

• Full-size French door refrigerator and freezer.

• Gas range with oven and microwave.

• Pullout pantry.

• Easy-access cabinet storage.

Love to try new foods? Create a foodie trip to find farmers’ markets from coast to coast. After a day of shopping, create culinary magic with fresh, local ingredients in the kitchen, then wrap up the evening with dessert by the campfire.

RiverHillsTraveler.com

August 2017 • Page 15B

TENTS from 1A Circle B has 60 total campsites, 30 primitive and 30 with electric, and also four group camping sites.

“It seems that more people are wanting electric camping and those are the sites that fill up first for us,” said Staples.

Circle B charges $8 a night for adults, while children age 11 and under camp for free.

According to Staples, they typically get families to tent or primitive camp throughout the week and then groups come on the weekend.

“It really all just depends on what the weather is and how the summer is going, but that is a trend we see year after year,” said Staples.

When going primitive or tent camping, it is important to remember key parts to your tent or essentials you may need.

“Don’t forget bug spray, a rain flap, tent stakes, and really just make sure you are completely prepared before you leave,” said Staples.

In the case that someone does forget something, Circle B has a general store on the campground that just might have what they are needing.

At Bearcat Getaway in Lester, Mo., Melody Gardner, the director of Bearcat,

Circle B charges $8 a night for adults, while children 11 and under are free.

said primitive and electric tent camping rates have stayed the same over the years.

“I think what we find is that as people get older they start going to campers and cabins but for the most part, our numbers are about the same,” said Gardner.

Bearcat has 72 tent campsites total, with 12 having the option of electric.

Tent camping at Bearcat costs $25 per night, per person, and it includes firewood, a picnic table, and a fire ring.

“We offer firewood, which is something that not every campground offers,

and some weekends are more expensive because we also have live music,” said Gardner.

At Bearcat, it varies each week between people staying for the whole week or just weekenders.

“We have groups and families come in at all times, it just depends on what we have going on. For the most part, though, everyone that tents with us is also usually here to float,” said Gardner.

Gardner encourages everyone who is considering tent camping to set up their tent and test their equipment before ar-

riving at the campground.

“Make sure you have all your gear and you are completely prepared,” said Gardner.

Ozark Outdoors Riverfront Resort, in Leasburg, Mo., on the other hand, has seen an increase in primitive/tent camping.

“I’m not really sure why, I think maybe because of the weather we’ve seen more campers,” said Tera Bass, manager of Ozark Outdoors.

Ozark Outdoors charges $10 a night per adult and has weekday and weekend pricing on its website.

“Our tent sites include a picnic table and a fire ring, and we also have three full shower houses available to those who stay with us,” said Bass.

According to Bass, their tent campers are staying for at least two days if not more at Ozark Outdoors.

“The only advice I have to campers is to bring everything. A lot of people forget stuff and that’s okay because it’s hard to remember everything when you go camping,” said Bass.

Though RVs and pull-behind camping trailers are quite often seen on the road and in campgrounds throughout the Ozarks, tent camping is still going strong.

Page 16B • August 2017

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