January-February
2018
Outdoor ag Guide M
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HUNTING FISHING CAMPING BOATING SHOOTING TRAVEL
Preseason Training...........Page 12
Shed Hunting..................Page 14
Ted Nugent......................Page 19 mgrvd_outdoor_guide_mag_cover_2018.pdf
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RV-Show....................... Page RV1
Gravel Bar Gourmet........ Page RV10
Taneycomo Trout........Page RV14
Taneycomo Bass......... Page RV23
Missouri - Illinois - And Other Exciting Outdoor Destinations
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January-February, 2018
Conservation Future in Citizens’ Hands
EDITOR’S NOTE: Our guest columnist this issue is Brandon Butler, executive director of the Conservation Federation of Missouri. If you are not a member, please consider becoming one by going online to confedmo.org. By BRANDON BUTLER
I read a story the other day about a battle that took place 200 years ago between early settlers and a number of Indian tribes at the confluence of the Osage and Missouri Rivers. Today, we are manning missions to Mars. Can you even imagine what this world will be like in another 200 years? The settlers pushed out the last remaining Indian tribes and began spreading out across a native landscape flush with fish and game. These early settlers found a fortune of deer, bison, elk, bears, ducks, turkeys and other wildlife species. They took what they needed and a whole lot more. Market hunting was rampant. Shipping game meat and hides back east and off to Europe quickly took a toll on wildlife. So did the booming lumber industry. The Ozarks were logged bare. Feeding sawmills like the one at Grandin consumed 70 acres of woodland a day. Maybe those early settlers never dreamed they could exhaust the abundance of natural resources they found here in Missouri, or maybe it was a race to the end to see who could make the most money before the resources ran out. Either way, the damage was done. THE LOW POINT In less than 100 years, the early settlers had killed every bison, every elk and every bear in Missouri. Deer were almost gone, reaching a low of an estimated 400 in the state. Turkeys were not doing much better. In the early 1930s, there were only an estimated 2,000 turkeys left. To put that in perspective, during last year’s Youth Turkey Season, youth hunters killed 4,332 turkeys. That’s a harvest of two times the number of turkeys we had in the state just 80 years ago. So just a couple of generations ago, when your father or grandfather was young, Missouri was on the brink of losing the few deer and turkeys we had left. But something amazing happened. Citizens stood up. People just like you said we have to do something about this; that we cannot stand by and lose what is left of our pre-
Our stunning Missouri Ozarks are once again teeming with wildlife thanks to the conservationists who came before us. Good luck, turkey hunters.
cious wildlife resources. So they got together and formed the Conservation Federation of Missouri. ON THE BALLOT Then these early conservationists, led by legends such as Aldo Leopold, Ding Darling, Nash Buckingham and E. Sydney Stephens, rallied Missourians together from all across the state to push an initiative petition to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot that would take politics out of conservation, thus allowing sound science to manage our natural resources. They did, and it passed. The people of Missouri created the Conservation Commission, which you recognize today as the Missouri Department of Conservation. And if Missourians shall continue to live in a state with thriving forest, fish and wildlife resources, then citizens must be engaged in the process of protecting our unique system of authority from the ever-encroaching attempts
of certain industry-influenced legislators who are determined to undermine what most American conservationists refer to as the greatest state game agency ever to exist. WHAT NOW? From 1935 until today, Missourians have been working to restore our natural resources and wildlife species. And because of citizens supporting the efforts of the Department of Conservation, Missouri has once more become a land rich in game and habitat. Today there are an estimated 1.4 million deer in Missouri. That’s quite a recovery from 400. And Missouri now has 500,000 turkeys. We only have these resources because of the citizen conservationists who came before us. They restored our natural resources. Now we must conserve them for our children and our children’s children. Please, do your part.
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MISSOURI NIST CONSERVATIO magazine app today! Get the latest issues on your phone or tablet We bring nature to your favorite device. The Missouri Conservationist magazine app allows you to discover nature on the go. Browse photos and videos, stay up to date on conservation news, and find new ways to get outside. See what Missouri conservation is all about. Download the free app at mdc.mo.gov/mocon. Download for
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January-February, 2018
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By BRETT FRAZEE When it comes to fishing lures, I have “sucker” stamped all over me. Yeah, I am a manufacturer’s best friend. I would hate to do an inventory of how much I have spent on the latest lures over the years.
My garage is a graveyard for baits that I purchased on impulse, with visions of giant fish dancing in my head. I tried them a couple times, tossed them in a plastic tub and went onto the next “best lure ever.” Yeah, dangle a new bait in front of me and I’ll bite. Ev-
ery time I see an infomercial about a lure so effective that it has been banned in five states, I’m placing an order. I can’t go down an aisle in a big tackle store without stopping by one of those streaming videos featuring Kevin VanDam, Jimmy Houston or Hank Parker hawking the newest bait that you just can’t do without. Within seconds, I’m tossing a few of them into my shopping cart. If I see someone at a sports show standing over a tank filled with bass and crappies, demonstrating how fish just can’t resist the latest innovation, I’m the first in line, with dollars in hand.
January-February, 2018
Yeah, I’m a sucker. ROLAND MARTIN I guess it began in the 1990s when those infomercials on the most “revolutionary” lures of their time were being aired on late-night television. I can still picture Roland Martin hawking the Helicopter Lure, an odd topwater lure that looked like a cross between a small boat prop and a plastic toy. Pretty silly, I thought. Then I saw giant bass rising to smash that lure and heard Roland talking about the many assets the bait offered, and … well, I had to have one of the kits. Then, there was the Flying
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Lure, a plastic bait that would glide backwards when retrieved. Alex Langer said it was the best lure ever made, and I believed him. Another sale. And who could forget the Banjo Minnow? The softplastic minnow imitation was advertised as being able to “outfish any other lure in existence today.” They wouldn’t lie, would they? I called the telephone number on the screen and ordered one of the 110-piece kits, which included Banjo Minnows of three sizes and seven colors. I caught some fish on those baits, but nowhere near as many or as big as advertised. FLASHY NAMES You would think I would have learned. But no, I kept falling for the marketer’s best ploys. I’ve always been lured by the baits with the flashiest names. Gitzit, Ribbit, Fat Free Shad, Chubby Darter, Husky Jerk, Horny Toad, Lucky 13, Lazy Ike, Whopper Plopper, Wiggle Wart – with names like that, they had to catch fish. Then there were the fads. For a while, the electric-blue plastic worm was the hottest bass bait going. Everyone used them, and everybody caught bass on them. I never have figured out if the fish just got tired of seeing them, or if fishermen quit using them. Whatever the case,
you don’t hear of nearly as many bass being caught on them anymore. I also remember the Color C Lector, a device that showed you the best color of lure to use in specific conditions. And who could forget Fish Formula, a so-called attractant that everyone sprayed on lures to give them the smell of baitfish or crawdads? They have gone by the wayside, but not before getting some of my money. Even today, I carry several loads of tackle boxes to my boat before each trip. One of my partners looked at the array of tackle surrounding me at the bow of my bass boat and asked cynically, “How long are we going to stay out … a week?” NO MAGIC LURE So, what have I learned? Well, first, that there is no magic lure, contrary to what those infomercials used to tell us. And second, don’t fall for all that nonsense about the latest, greatest bait to hit the market. I can tell you from experience, it just isn’t true – and I h a v e a garage full of old lures to prove it.
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January-February, 2018
Outdoor Guide
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January-February, 2018
It Was His Last Big Buck
Photo and Text By LARRY DABLEMONT On opening day of deer season, a buck deer chased a doe out into an opening in front of my deer stand. His antlers were unimpressive; at 100 yards, no one can tell how many points are on a moving animal. The doe was obviously aggravated by him. It reminded me of me when I was 14 and trying to get Sharon Bennett to notice me. I was about to make life
better for that doe, as the buck appeared to be fat and healthy enough to provide steaks, hamburger and stew meat for months. I leveled the rifle, waited until he slowed down and pulled the trigger. Nothing! I pulled harder. Still nothing. To make a sad story brief, I found out that the action on the rifle had not closed properly and for all I know, that mediocre buck is still trying to get some doe to stop long enough to develop a romance. It was frustrating, but I corrected the problem and asked
J a n u a r y - Fe b r u a r y
the Great Creator if he was enjoying watching me goof up so much. Surely God laughs at me, if he is watching. It must amuse Him when my boat floats out in the middle of the stream while I am stranded on the bank, or when I shoot at a drake mallard over my head and a branch comes crashing down at my feet and the duck flies on. SECOND BUCK Amother doe stepped out into that opening, crossing the little road that goes up into big timber. Was that the
same doe? I prepared to whack that buck behind her if he showed up again. And as I figured, there was a buck behind her, but this one wasn’t like Larry the teenager, all starry eyed with a pretty classmate. This buck was the Sean Connery of the woods … the Tom Selleck of deerdom. His antlers were wide and thick and heavy, and he was big, built like John Wayne. And the doe wasn’t running. She was happy about being there. She walked down toward my stand and
2 018
Outdoor agazine Guide M H U N T I N G F I S H I N G C A M P I N G B O A T I N G O UT D O OR TR AV E L
Volume Twenty Six, Number One Published Six Times A Year Office: 505 S. Ewing, St. Louis, MO 63103 Office/News Department — 314-535-9786 www.outdoorguidemagazine.com e-mail: ogmbobw@aol.com
Cover Photo by Kevin Wright The Eyes of a Predator – The coyote appeared out of nowhere at 50 yards. After a few natural squeak calls, the coyote raced to within 15 yards and sat down.
Bobby Whitehead, Editor/Co-Publisher Theresa McFadin, Graphic Designer Kathy Crowe, Graphic Designer Maria Murphy, Production Coordinator
John Winkelman, Associate Editor — ogmjohnw@aol.com Marvin Naftolin, General Manager Lynn Fowler, Circulation Manager Carl Green, Copy Editor
— Account Executives — Dan Braun, Assistant Marketing Director Lauren Marshall — Regional and Specialty Editors — Joel Vance Darrell Taylor Ray Eye Brent Frazee Brandon Butler Bill Seibel
Curt Hicken Bill Cooper Thayne Smith Steve Jones Larry Dablemont
John Neporadny Jr. Rick Story T. J. Mullin Ron Henry Strait Larry Whiteley
Ted Nugent Ron Bice Colin Moore Jim Cassada John Sloan
In Memoriam — Jared Billings • Charlie Farmer • Richard Engelke • Mark Hubbard Spence Turner • Hank Reifeiss • Bill Harmon • Barbara Perry Lawton • Danny Hicks • Ron Kruger
Scott Pauley Tim Huffman John Meacham Bob Holzhei Tom Uhlenbrock Michael Wardlaw Larry Potterfield
— Staff Writers —
Claudette Roper Brad Wiegmann Mike Roux Craig Alderman Jeannie Farmer Kay Hively Tyler Mahoney
Kenneth Kieser Gerald Scott Russell Hively Alan & Dianna Garbers Randall Davis Jerry Pabst Ryan Miloshewski
Don Gasaway Terry Wilson Barbara Gibbs Ostmann Roxanne Wilson Gretchen Steele Jo Schaper Jed Nadler
With every opportunity to miss, the author still managed to kill this buck.
he followed. Then he stopped and angled off to the woods like Sam Elliott would have done, suspicious of Indians. Through a tree-top or two, he was a good 120 yards away and I put my sights on his heart and pulled the trigger at what was my very last chance to make a clean shot. But it wouldn’t work, I knew. I am not so good with a rifle that I don’t miss, and this was a better chance to miss than I had had in a while. The rifle roared, the doe ran up under me and stopped and her leading man dropped in his tracks and did not move. He didn’t even kick. I had done better than I expected. The bullet went only a foot or so from where I aimed, and the way I figure it, it must have ricocheted off a small branch and hit him right in front of his eye an inch or so. But I never saw a deer drop that dead in my life. He never twitched. THE LAST BUCK You can see the pictures of my big buck on my website, larrydablemontoutdoors. com, and when you do, you should know that he is the last one to fall to my rifle, muzzle-loader or crossbow. He is the last buck I will ever kill, unless I hit one with my pickup! I say that not with any guilt from being a hunter, or sympathy for the deer. I may indeed take a doe in future hunting seasons, with my crossbow or muzzle-loader, if this deer disease doesn’t make it too risky to do so, but never another buck. The deer season falls during that time that I would love so much to be walking the sand hills of Nebraska or in South Dakota hunting prairie grouse, or following a birddog in Iowa, hoping to get a
couple of ring-necked pheasants to jump within range. The fishing, when deer season opens, is often really good, especially the farther south you go. And over on Truman Lake, my Labrador and I can hide back up in the tip of some cove and almost certainly drop a mallard or two in the decoys, if we wait long enough and I’m not napping when they fly past. NO MORE ORANGE The best time of the year is October and November, and I always feel like I am missing something when I hunt deer. In this day and time, when preparation for bagging a big buck entails game cameras and corn feeders, and walking the woods in blaze orange clothing with doe pee squirted on your boots, I don’t fit. I may hunt for deer with my camera, but not with a modern rifle. I am not suited to be decked out in bright colors, mixing with the crowds from the city suburbs who come to the woods once a year in pursuit of trophies. I came to that conclusion the day I killed that big buck, working for hours to gut and skin it and properly take care of the meat without cutting any bones or lymph nodes or internal organs. No more! In future winters, I may walk the woods, hoping for a skiff of snow, hunting a young deer for the freezer with my muzzle-loader. And I will be doing it as a hunter, dressed warmly in camouflaged clothing – nothing orange, even in my pocket. You may call my office if you want to order one of my outdoor books or a subscription to my outdoor magazine for yourself or as a gift. The number is (417) 777-5227. Or write to me at Box 22, Bolivar, Mo. 65613.
January-February, 2018
Outdoor Guide
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Outdoor Guide
Are Great Lakes Turning into Bizarro World? By JERRY PABST
On a warm, sunny, Sunday afternoon, a three-pound smallmouth bass cruises slowly along a sandy Lake Michigan swimming beach. This big boy is eying the multitude of bathers happily splashing in the shallow water, waiting for a chance to grab a careless wader for his lunch. After all, it is a major feeding period, isn’t it? Intent on its intended prey, the bass doesn’t notice the four-inch round goby closing in from behind. The goby is hungry too, and that bass looks mighty good to it. All the while, a three-inch yellow perch leaves the cover of a small pile of rocks and begins to stalk the goby. Meanwhile, out in deep water, a large rainbow trout circles a ball of alewives, positioning itself for a slashing attack. The little forage fish mill nervously about, but you can almost hear them whispering, “Let him come in; he doesn’t suspect a thing.” The alewives are hungry, too. Now, imagine this scenario playing out all across the five Great Lakes – little fish no longer fearing big fish. the age-old food chain turned on its head. Unbelievable, yes, but the unbelievable part is there are signs that such a dramatic change in the eco-system could occur. IT’S DRUGS As in almost every case of ecological upheaval, man is at the center of the disturbance. In this case, the widespread use of anti-depressant drugs in America has shown the potential to disrupt the Great Lakes fishery. Antidepressant drugs in increasing amounts are making their way through people’s bodies, being excreted in small
Guest Editorial
amounts into their toilets, and moving through the waste-water treatment process into lakes and rivers. These drugs are being found in multiple Great Lakes fish species’ brains, new research by the University of Buffalo has found. According to chemistry professor Diana Aga, lead author of the study, affected species included smallmouth and largemouth bass, rudd, rock bass, white bass, white and yellow perch, walleye, bowfin and steelhead. “While the concentrations aren’t potentially harmful to humans eating the fish, they are problematic,” she said. “It is a threat to biodiversity, and we should be very concerned. “Research has shown antidepressants in water create ‘suicidal shrimp’ that swim toward light instead of away from it, making them vulnerable to predator fish and birds,” she added. “Other research teams have shown that antidepressants can affect the feeding behavior of fish or their survival instincts. Some fish won’t acknowledge the presence of predators as much.” That has the potential to affect delicate ecological balances in the Great Lakes, already under siege from invasive species. Ultimately, it could disrupt sport fishing, a multi-billion-dollar industry in the Great Lakes. IT’S POLLUTION Professor Aga said she had expected higher concentrations of the drugs to be found in larger fish – predators higher in the food web – due to bio-accumulation, a process in which big fish, eating mediumsized fish that have eaten smaller fish, amplify the concentration of contaminants each step of the way. But that wasn’t the case with the fish studied. “It means they are not getting it by eating smaller fish. They’re getting it from being in the water,” she said. See GREAT LAKES page 16
CWD: Lack of Control Curtails Hunter Rights By CRAIG ALDERMAN If this were a dance contest, the soft stepping and swirling spin would make Hollywood envious. Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in cervids (the deer family), when allowed to escape to the wild herds, is not only killing the deer, elk or mule deer, it is now taking away the hunter’s constitutional right for the “pursuit of happiness.” We need to hold our legislators accountable for a blind eye to the facts and now the growing economic harm it is inflicting on small-town stores and even larger chain stores. Why? S i n c e states have not addressed the real problem and known source of CWD – captive cervids – they take away the rights and benefits hunters have enjoyed for generations. Here is what I know about the source of and reason for CWD as a biologist: • CWD was discovered in the 1960s in a herd of captive mule deer. • It had never been identified in the wild up to that date. • It is a bending of a genetic prion for reasons yet unknown.
Guest Editorial
• The prion cannot be tested for in live animals, cannot be stopped, cannot be treated and spreads quickly by touch, saliva, urine or water. • Research has shown an area contaminated with CWD carries the deadly disease for up to 50 years or more in the soil. The result is always death of the cervid. STERILE CERVIDS In my opinion, nature has rules, and cross-breeding of certain animals results in sterile offspring. It was not meant to be, but man did it. Deer are meant to eat certain wild foods; their digestive system was built by our creator for them – not high doses of minerals, treated feed and other additives. Nature knows it is not right and, in my opinion, caused the prion as a reaction to a dramatic and extreme change in diet. High fence operations want or create over-mineralized and selectively fed bucks to sell as trophy wild deer in so-called hunting operations. These deer are no longer wild. They are penned deer, livestock whose only desire is to find the feed bucket and water. Ethical hunters do not shoot livestock. So as CWD spreads in most states, legislators are blinded by the call of “helping the little farmer” and a well-funded lobbyist See CWD page 16
January-February, 2018
— Random Shots — Me and Fishing By JOEL M. VANCE “Under carefully controlled conditions, organisms do as they damn well please.” That is the Harvard Law of Animal Behavior, and it invariably has come into effect with all sorts of wild creatures with whom I have been in uneasy contact over the years – wild turkeys, deer, various upland game birds, song birds and, especially, fish. You have but to lift the lid of my tackle box (be sure to slam it hastily, for there are things in there that would unhinge the mind) to know that here is someone from the dark side of angling. Lord knows, I want to be a with-it angler, a paid-up member of the Icthyological Intelligentsia, but I just can’t hack it. People have been fishing scientifically far longer than they have been hunting. Early man, cursed with an empty belly, went about his hunting with savagery, but without much finesse. If something edible walked by, he hit it with a big rock and began chewing. If he missed with the rock, the animal began chewing on him. There was an incentive to find a safer way to knock food in the head, but another possibility was to find a safer food to knock in the head. This proved to be the fish. Early man, spying the baleful eyes of Paleolithic pike looking speculatively at him from the watery depths, set his unwrinkled brain to figuring out how he could bring them from their alien world into his (especially in the form of filets dancing in hot grease). INSECTS’ LESSON Early man noted that fluttering insects quickly disappeared in an impressive swirl, and his ability to think logically (a trait that sets man apart from the lower life forms, along with his ability to lie, cheat and steal) told him the swirl was caused by a fish with a belly as empty as his. “I bet if I tied a string around one of them horsefly’s heads and hung it in the water, and one of them scaly water things swallered it,” said Early Man to his glowering mate (she was cheesed off because once again he’d tracked dirt in on the woolly mammoth carpet), “I could jerk his hide right outta there and we could have us some fish and hush puppies for supper.” So he tied a string around a horsefly’s head and the fish swallowed it and Early Man jerked on the string, but succeeded only in giving the prehistoric perch a terrific surprise and a severe case of gastric string burn, for there was no hook on which to snag the fish. Then, a few million years later, a grunting cave dweller, scratching his head with a fingernail as tough as a tiger’s claw, hooked out a chunk of his scalp the size of your thumb and, after screaming paleolithic imprecations consisting mostly of four-letter growls, he realized he had hit on something just shy of being as important as the wheel: the hook. 65 MILLION YEARS It has all been downhill for the angler, uphill for the fish, ever since. Except, of course, for us anachronistic throwbacks to the age of the dinosaur who squat in the doors of our splitlevel ranchers, glowering at life and failing to comprehend the mystery of line and lure. It took about 65 million years for Early Man to figure out how to catch supper. I’ve only been at it for more than 50 years, which is kind of depressing. I have so long to go. I find myself somewhat in the chagrined situation of Early Man – I do know about hooks; I just don’t know what to do with them. Oh, I catch the occasional fish, slopping my casts aimlessly on the water as if flogging galley slaves. Even the blind hog occasionally
finds an acorn. But scientific? My fly-fishing is scientific in the same sense that scratching directions in the dirt with a stick is mapmaking compared to the efforts of a National Geographic cartographer. If I read one more book telling me in endless detail how to catch fish by design, I’ll scream. It’s not as if I don’t believe the authors who probe the substrate mysteries of lake and stream. I stand in awe of anyone who can read a trout’s hunger pangs at 40 yards. I marvel at savants who can scan a depth-finder dial and see an eight-pound bass in an electronic belch. I grovel at the wader-clad feet of those who speak knowingly of structure fishing, feeding cones and holding lies. IMP ATTACKS But there is a quirk in me that recoils at the necessity to absorb such detail. It is the same imp that attacked when I was confronted by college algebra.Aperverse little demon crosswires my circuits, erases my databank. It says, “Vance, you are not genetically capable of understanding these things.” I’ve tried diligently to become a scientific fly fisherman but can’t even remember the names of the most common trout flies. The intricacies of nymph fishing are every bit as intelligible to me as Latvian poetry. Most of my friends approached fishing with order and reason (and patience, too). They surveyed equipment, bought what was needed, read field manuals for fishing, practiced their talents and started at step one, then proceeded in an upward direction. I am more of the “come out smoking” school that begins at the middle of something difficult and stumbles in both directions. There lurks in the back of my head the thought that if a creature with a brain the size of a No. 9 shot pellet is so smart that it take exquisite guile to capture him, what does that make me? Maybe it’s an extension of the ol’ Dominion Over the Fishes philosophy, but I can’t help feeling that a fish should do what I want it to do because I am smarter, stronger and more civilized. NOT SO DUMB That fish disprove this Biblical imperative almost daily is neither here nor there. Things should be the way things should be and if they aren’t, it’s not my fault. This arrogant attitude has cost me trophy fish, turkeys, deer and a host of other wild things who, to be sure, may not be smarter than I am – but are a long way from being as dumb as I think they are. Call it instinct, call it caution, call it hereditary wariness ... call it anything but intelligence and salvage some self-esteem. WhatSee RANDOM SHOTS page 16
January-February, 2018
Outdoor Guide
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Outdoor Guide
Page 10
January-February, 2018
Tinsmith’s Lures Are a Hot Item
Photos and Text By KAY HIVELY
When Gerry Mason Jr. received a phone call in September, 2016, his life changed. That phone call, from Chance Dunlap, a college professor in Texas, gave him a totally new view of his step-grandfather, William Potts Giles. Mason had always thought of his grandfather as a hardworking tinsmith who plied his trade in the small town of Salisbury, Mo. He also remembered how his grand-
father loved to hunt and fish. But Mason had no idea that his grandfather’s old fishing lures have become very collectible and are much sought after by lure collectors. Now Mason knows that, and that knowledge has changed his life as he now spends some time almost every day researching his grandfather. He recalls: “My grandfather’s tin shop was in the basement of a drugstore. He made ordinary things for people, but most of his business was
making rain gutters. He also made such things as chicken waters for the local farmers.” As a young boy, Gerry Mason visited his grandfather’s tin shop many times. “It was a fascinating place,” he said. “All his tools were there, and his walls were covered with things that caught a young boy’s eye. He had tin advertising signs that featured hunting or fishing scenes. Another thing that hung on the tin shop’s wall was a pair of snowshoes. I was fascinated with those snowshoes, and I
was sure that no one else in Missouri had a pair.” TOYS AND LURES William Potts Giles, who was called Potter by his friends, took time to do some fun things in his shop. He made toys. The toys stayed in the shop but were always on display, and the toy table was a popular spot with kids. In his spare time, Giles also made fishing lures. He would make the base of a lure out of tin and add squirrel tails or pieces of untanned pelts
Some of Chance Dunlap’s collection of William Potts Giles’ lures.
to simulate a bug or insect. When the lure was finished, he painted it, using wild colors and designs. His designs were exaggerated and almost comical. The last thing he did to his lures was add his signature nickname – Potter. It was this habit of signing his lures that have made them so collectible. Few old-time lure makers signed their works, so if someone finds a Potter lure, they know who made it. William Potts Giles was born in 1893 and died in 1975. Despite living into the 1970s, Giles never learned to drive and never owned a car. He spent most of his time in and around Salisbury. “If he needed to go somewhere a distance away, someone had to drive him,” Mason said. GONE FISHING An avid outdoorsman, Giles went fishing every weekend when the weather was nice, and he went hunting when the weather turned cold. Mason remembers going hunting with him because he had to drive to his grandfather’s favorite hunting spots. Since learning about how his grandfather’s lures have become so valued, Mason is doing all he can to learn more about the man. He has talked to family members, gathering what relatives recall about William Potts Giles. He has also done research online and at the library in Salisbury. Slowly, he is learning more and more about his grandfather, Mason is a retired highway patrolman, now living in Neosho, MO. In his research, he has learned there
are more Potter lures around than he imagined. Collectors in Springfield and St. Louis report owning several. Some have been donated to the Missouri Department of Conservation for display. Fishing lures are as old as time. It is believed that the first fishing lures were made of bone. The Chinese are said to have made the first fishing line. They were made out of silk, a product that has long been associated with the Chinese. Now, many centuries later, collectors are hunting for Potter lures that were made of wood, fur and tin in a simple tin shop in Salisbury, MO. And thank to collectors Dean Murphy, Jeff Kieny and Professor Dunlap, they are very popular and much sought after.
William Potts Giles was tinsmith but loved fishing and hunting.
Giles (left) and a friend pose with some of their skins.
Outdoor Guide
January-February, 2018
Page 11
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Outdoor Guide
Page 12
January-February, 2018
Preseason Training Starts Early
Photo and Text By PURINA PRO PLAN
Although you and your dog are just finishing the hunting season, it’s never too early to begin thinking about the next. In fact, getting a dog ready for the hunting season takes year-round work. Serious sporting dog enthusiasts never let up from conditioning and training mode, though the intensity of day-to-day routines may relent a bit during the off-season. Preseason training varies by age, experience and the individual dog, but experts agree success results when a program focuses on optimal training, conditioning and nutrition. Regardless of the sport, these components are essential when it comes to developing your dog for hunting. “Dogs need to be in good physical condition going into the season, which means owners should focus on getting a dog into top condition way ahead of opening day,” Purina Senior Manager of Sporting Dog Programs Karl Gunzer said. “Those who build a performance platform that balances training, conditioning and nutrition are enabling a dog to be his or her best.” Gunzer, a pro retriever trainer for 20 years, understands the rigorous require-
ments on the front end that produce the desired results in the field. “Training is a process that takes time. A dog must mature physically and mentally to the challenges being taught,” he said. “Nutrition supports the hard work. Feeding a nutrientdense, high-protein/high-fat performance food helps to increase a dog’s capacity to metabolize fat, thus giving the dog a higher oxygen capacity to work.” NUTRITION STRATEGY The ideal food for hardworking dogs should be high in fat and protein, such as Purina Pro Plan SPORT Performance 30/20 Formula, a quality performance dog food containing 30 percent protein and 20 percent fat. “Feeding a high-protein/ high-fat diet primes a dog’s metabolic engine to efficiently convert nutrients into energy,” Senior Research Nutritionist Brian Zanghi said. “Keeping a dog on a performance diet year-round is essentially giving a dog a two-month conditioning edge over dogs fed a maintenance diet that is lower in protein and fat. “The goal of nutrition is to optimize performance, which means feeding a food containing key nutrients in an optimal balance to provide optimal benefits,” he added. “This
four to five, meaning the ribs are palpable without excess fat covering. By keeping your dog at a healthy weight, he or she will be ready to hit the ground running in a training and conditioning program come spring in order to prepare for the following hunting season.
Hardworking dogs need food that is high in both fat and protein.
enables a dog to hunt longer. Food can metabolically prime our dogs to promote optimal endurance.” Gunzer said dogs don’t need as much of a nutrientdense food. “Feeding a nutrient-dense food allows you to not have to feed an excessive amount to keep weight on a dog,” he said. “When a dog eats less food, and thus has less volume
in his or her stomach, the dog is more comfortable.” If your dog has just finished the hunting season and has worked hard all fall and early winter, he or she should be in ideal body condition. Maintain your dog’s figure by adjusting the amount of food fed accordingly based on the nine-point Purina Body Condition Score System. A dog should have a score of
FEEDING DO’S AND DON’TS DO – Adjust the amount of food based on the season. During winter months, a dog needs nearly 7 percent more calories for every 10 degrees the temperature drops below the mild temperatures of spring and fall. Likewise, in the summer, a dog needs about 7 percent fewer calories for every 10-degree rise above spring and fall’s moderate temperatures. DON’T – Don’t feed your dog before exercise. Because complete digestion takes from 20 to 24 hours, you should feed your dog the night before a hunt or training and conditioning session. A dog fed six hours or sooner before exercise results in the body’s fat-burning enzymes not being optimized, which contributes to reduced endurance and energy generation. DO – Feed a performance dog food year-round. It is best to feed a hardworking dog a performance food year-round
to help maximize training and conditioning, though you should reduce the amount fed if your dog’s activity level decreases during the off-season. DON’T – Don’t always feed your dog the same amount of food. During the first four to six weeks of conditioning, food quantity should increase but then level off and decline slightly. Each dog is an individual, so you should always adjust the amount of food fed to maintain your dog’s ideal body condition. DO – Feed your sporting dog once a day. This allows a hardworking dog time to completely digest his or her food. A young dog or highmaintenance dog requiring a larger portion of food can be fed twice a day with a slightly smaller portion in the morning. DON’T – Don’t forget about ideal body condition. Always feed your dog an appropriate amount of food to maintain ideal body condition, meaning you should be able to feel the ribs and see an abdominal tuck from the side. DO – Provide your dog with plenty of water. A dog should be well hydrated, as exercise is a heat-producing activity, and water is required to dissipate heat. Water also is needed to remove the byproducts of energy metabolism, which is essential to endurance and performance.
January-February, 2018
Outdoor Guide
Page 13
Outdoor Guide
Page 14
January-February, 2018
Pros and Amateurs Fish and Golf, too Photo and Text By BRENT FRAZEE
The winning team in the Missouri Invitational was pro bass fisherman Jeremy Lawyer of Sarcoxie, MO., at right, and his amateur partner, John Hewkin of Sullivan, MO.
Jeremy Lawyer knew he was capable of having a dream day, bass fishing on Lake of the Ozarks. But on a golf course? Not so much. “I’m the world’s worst golfer,” said Lawyer, a pro bass fisherman. But in the end, Lawyer was a champ on both surf
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and turf during the Missouri Invitational Fish ‘N’ Golf Tournament, an event in which pro bass fishermen and their amateur partners earned points fishing Lake of the Ozarks and golfing the Old Kinderhook Course for three days in mid-November. First, he surprised himself when he sank a 30-foot putt to give him and his amateur partner, John Hewkin, valuable points. A day later, he cast a Whopper Plopper topwater lure over a secondary point and watched a huge bass rise to inhale it. He landed that monster, a 5.93-lb. bass, and clinched the championship. He and Hewkin needed every ounce. Their margin of victory was razor-thin. They came in with 44.53 pounds – the result of two days of fishing and one day on the golf course, in which a formula translated pars, birdies and eagles into added pounds. Bass pro James Watson and his amateur partner Randy Terrell were second with 44.46 pounds. “I had heard that John (Hewkin) was a good golfer, so I knew going in that we had a good chance,” said Lawyer, of Sarcoxie, Mo. “ I let him take care of the golf part. I was all about the fishing part.” TWO DRAWING CARDS The tournament was the brainchild of Bob Renken, who runs the Old Kinderhook Lodge and Golf Club, and Bob Bueltmann, who operates the popular bassingbob.com website. They were looking for a way to combine two of the lake’s biggest drawing cards – bass fishing and golf. They came up with a tournament that featured two days of fishing and one day of golf. During the pre-tournament dinner, amateurs bid for the pro fishermen they wanted to compete with. The pros and the amateurs shared a boat during the fishing rounds, then were joined by pro golfers on the golf course. Teams received one-half pound for a par, one pound for a birdie, and two pounds for an eagle in the scrambletype golf. The third annual tournament was based at Old Kinderhook and presented by
Ulrich Marine and Duncan Jewelry. Lawyer and Hewkin and their PGA pros, Donnie Spencer and Scott Bess, did well on the golf part, adding the equivalent of 14½ pounds to their total. But it was the final day of fishing that stood out. When it dawned cloudy and windy on the final day, Lawyer knew his team had a chance. He had Hewkin cast a spinnerbait, while he used a Whopper Plopper. They caught their limit of five bass in the first hour, then they worked on culling to increase their weight.
FROM THE SHALLOWS Hewkin caught a 3 ½-pound bass on a spinnerbait. But the highlight of the day came when Lawyer, after fishing eight points without so much as a strike, tossed his Whopper Plopper to the shallows and caught a 5.93-pound bass that for all intents and purposes sealed the victory. “That fish hit like a muskie,” Lawyer said. “It just exploded on that lure.” For Watson, the likeable tournament pro from Lampe, Mo., it was also a week to remember. Though he and his amateur partner and friend, Randy Terrell, lost by seven one-hundredths of a pound, he took the loss in stride. “That’s tournament fishing,” he said. “It can be a sport of ounces, not pounds. I won an FLW tournament by three ounces before, so I’ve been on both sides.” Watson and Terrell, who runs the Anglers in Action bass tournament circuit, also had a great day on the golf course to set up the final day on the water. “Randy (Terrell) golfed like Tiger Woods,” Watson said. Fishing Luck-E-Strike spinnerbaits, they started the final day by catching 16 pounds of bass one bank. They culled to bring in an even bigger bag of fish. But in the end, they fell just short. “This is such a fun event,” Lawyer said. “It’s a breath of fresh air from the highstress fishing we’re used to. “A lot of us fishermen can’t golf, but it’s fun to get out there anyway.”
Visit Our Website At outdoorguidemagazine.com
Outdoor Guide
January-February, 2018
Page 15
Predator Hunting by the Numbers
Photo and Text By MIKE ROUX
Calling and shooting predators is one of the things that help hunters get from the end of the fall season to when the turkeys start gobbling. Severe winter weather is almost essential for a good predator hunt, but many other things add up to make shooting coyotes, foxes and bobcats lost of fun in the new year. I think we should take just a few minutes to look at some of these factors. Some people frown on predator hunting as a waste and as needless killing. That could not be further from the truth. In fact these people are the actual cause of predator overpopulation. Misguided tree huggers succeeded in destroying the fur industry and subsequently the sport of trapping. No trapping means that some predator populations, specifically coyotes, are out of control in some places. The good Lord gave us the responsibility of stewardship, and hunting is a great tool to help us accomplish that task. NO. 1 – THE LAW State regulations on predator hunting vary. Always check the regs to make sure of season dates and bag limits. Also check to see if the predators you are hunting fall under special “fur bearer” classifications. Find out which weapons are legal and what legal shooting hours are in your area. Above all, take the time to read the rules and then obey them, including the use of electronic calling devices.
NO. 2 – THE SHOT As a teenager, I hunted coyotes with a high-powered rifle. The ability to reach out and touch a dog at 200 yards was very appealing. My .25-06 has put holes in a bunch of coyotes. I have taken a couple of coyotes and a red fox with my bow, but lately I have enjoyed hunting predators with my Thompson/ Center .50-caliber Pro Hunter muzzleloader. The optics you choose for a predator rifle are very important. I demand clarity and expect durability. I have tested dozens of scopes from as many manufacturers. The best scope I have found currently sits upon my Pro Hunter. It is an Apex 3x9 from Alpen Optics. Alpen makes a full line of premium sporting optics. Regardless of your weapon of choice, you must practice enough to know your maximum lethal range and then never take a shot beyond that range. Safety must always come first. NO. 3 – THE CAMO Concealment for hunting wintertime predators is very important. The absolute absence of foliage makes hiding from sharp eyes very difficult. Most often it is not possible to hunt predators from a blind because it takes too much time and is too cumbersome. You must choose a camo pattern that cannot be seen at close range and is invisible at a distance. I prefer a snow pattern in the wintertime when snow is on the ground. This pattern has the perfect look for
midwinter hunting. I am sure there are many more great applications for this pattern, but its ability to blend in to the snowy brush is excellent. NO. 4 – THE CALL There are as many predator calls on the market as there are predators on which to use them. Traditionally, mouth-blown calls have led the way to coaxing coyotes and foxes into range. These calls vary from reed-type to diaphragm calls just likes the ones used by turkey hunters.
These calls are effective, but imitating a wounded rabbit or coyote pup is not as easy as it may seem. My best advice to learn to call predators is to buy a tape or get online to hear and mimic the sounds that bring your prey in close. NO. 5 – THE ANIMALS As we look at hunting predators by the numbers, this is the last one. Knowing what might come to your set-up when calling predators allows you to be prepared for
the unexpected. Most commonly, coyotes will respond first to your calls. If a coyote is coming, it will not take long. Often, coyotes appear in the first minute or two of calling. Bobcats and foxes will come to the sound of a free meal as well. The red fox is a bit more wary than his gray cousin, but both will come. Other critters that may respond to your predator calls are hawks, owls, crows, raccoons and even curious deer. Do not take shots at
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Mike Roux’s .50-caliber T/C Pro Hunter, scoped with an APLEN Apex, helped him take this big coyote. – Bob Cowman photo.
movement. Be very sure of your target before you shoot. The neighbor’s dog may come looking for the free meal, too. This is no time for a careless mistake. If you add up all the numbers, you can see why wintertime predator hunting is a growing sport. To beat the cabin fever this year, get out and try this fun and exciting way to expand your hunting season. Mike Roux can be contacted at mikeroux.com.
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Outdoor Guide
Page 16
January-February, 2018
Pere Marquette a Beautiful History Lesson
You do not have to drive great distances to travel far. A trip to Pere Marquette State Park just north of St. Louis near Grafton, IL, is more than just an escape from the hustle and hard surfaces of the metropolitan area. It’s a journey to the past on many levels. The longest part of the expedition is to the spot where you can accompany Jesuit missionary priest Pere (Father) Jacques Marquette and
explorer Louis Joliet ashore along the Illinois River. A large stone cross just south of the park designates the spot of their landing. You cannot begin to imagine how different that world was in 1673 or how hardy those adventurers must have been. Even the hiking trails at the park, which in spots and in total can be considered challenging, would have been difficult, unmarked excur-
The Pere Marquette Lodge was built in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps.
• CWD
from page 8
group. So how are the wildlife managers dealing with it? • They are restricting ethical hunters, landowners and at the same time, taking away sales traditional to the industry. • They are killing every deer around the penned deer when CWD is discovered. Make no mistake, it is spreading. Hunters stay away from all areas of CWD contamination, land values crash, and land leases or purchases nearly stop. • They are restricting or stopping the use of feeders, salt licks or minerals placed in the wild. They say any congregation of deer will spread it. One of the recommended techniques of professional deer management is early recording by placing food sources on the ground. So are agencies and organizations exempting themselves? • Some states are beginning to eliminate the use of scents and lures containing any cervid urine, and many more are
considering it. In Arkansas, all scents and lures are now banned. How many millions of sales dollars does that remove from sales revenue and tax revenue? THE REAL THREAT So now we are taking sales dollars away, and of course sales tax money, without any actions to control the source, the real threat – the captive deer pens. Take away the “pursuit of happiness” in hunting accessories and the true downfall of deer hunting begins. What is next? Fencing off farm ponds and streams so deer cannot drink? How stupid are we going to be? Two things need to happen. One, the state’s legislators need to control and restrict penned deer operations with much better double fencing, restriction of transport and, if they claim they are livestock, which they are, they cannot be used for any hunting operation or venue, period,
ever it is, yon glassy-eyed fish with alpha and beta waves as level as a mill pond at dusk is not going to engulf something made of plastic and hooks if it is thrown at him with the abandon of a hobo slinging an empty bean can into the jungle along the tracks. I think the reason I fail to appreciate the intricacies of fishing is that I grew up with a cane pole/worm mentality. My grandpa may have heard of a trout, but not from anyone who’d ever caught one. His idea of artificial bait was a dead worm instead of a live one. BAIT FOR LUNCH I didn’t know there was
anything other than the worm or doughbait in use for fish until I was married, with a growing family. I believed in bait you could eat yourself if the fish weren’t biting. We used to carry a sack of doughballs to the river, little succulent morsels of Wheaties and other good stuff that provided both us and the occasional carp with lunch. Possibly the most ubiquitous bait extant is the nightcrawler, a worm with a pituitary gland problem. Nightcrawlers account for more species of freshwater fish than any other live bait. The plastic worm is a nightcrawler imitation, though nightcrawlers, to their eternal
• Random Shots
from page 8
sions into the wilderness. THE INHABITANTS The inhabitants at the time would have been descendants of people who had lived there for centuries when it was discovered. Archaeologists acknowledge six native American cultures common to the region. Artifacts including pottery, spear points, and planting tools have been discovered along with burial mounds. Fast-forward a couple centuries to 1931, when area residents wanted to preserve the land as a state park. Working together, civic groups raised the money and persuaded the state to match the amount to create the 8,050-acre oasis. With the strength and skill of the Civilian Conservation Corps construction crews, the Pere Marquette Lodge was built, putting Americans to work during the Great
Depression. It features large limestone blocks and huge timbers with a 50-foot high grand hall at its center. Recently renovated, the Lodge and adjoining conference center include 50 comfortable guest rooms and 22 stone-built cabins, along with playgrounds, swimming pool, whirlpool, sauna, a scenic drive and a tremendous visitor center with terrific history and impressive taxidermy mounts. Ten interconnected trails cover nearly 12 miles of park woodland, offering outstanding views of the Illinois River valley and far off into Missouri to the east. Scenic overlook sites dot the trails, offering a reward for the climb. The McAdams Peak shelter shows off more of the CCC skills. Other available activities include a campground with 80 electrical hook-up sites plus a
and should have ear tags. Ag departments do not test for deer diseases, only bovine diseases. Wildlife managers do. Until research can catch up, there is a huge potential our wild deer herd as we know it today could be wiped out. Insurance policies need to be in place so if a CWD-identified penned operation is closed down, the land is not sold or used but kept fenced and quarantined, so contamination is controlled until science finds the answers needed. The other would be a viable test for CWD while the deer is alive. Without it, active urine gathering of pen deer is a problem. Having once been in that industry, we searched long and hard for a solution to remove sexually transmitted diseases (STD) from the urine that can affect humans. I believe the only two brands that have the additive are Tink’s 69 and Code Blue. None have any ability to stop CWD, and it will be a growing problem.
FAIR CHASE, FREE RANGE No longer is an NRA endorsement enough for legislative candidates. An endorsement of “Fair Chase” and “Free Range” hunting of wild cervids must be initiated. Ethical hunters must stop paying huge sums for high-fenced shooting of penned deer with antlers raised on farms. These are livestock, not free ranging, wild deer.Again, hunters do not shoot livestock. Several organizations are trying to put together a “Fair Chase, Free Range” message for ethical hunting. So far it seems to be about gathering dollars from larger companies. There needs to be a united front, one leading organization to have the shield and the sword and one that all organizations and individuals will be respected for supporting at any level possible. So far, that is not the case. CraigAlderman is executive director of the Quail and Upland Wildlife Federation, Inc.
credit, don’t come in chartreuse or yellow with black polka dots. Now, I can handle fishing with nightcrawlers or doughbait because there is little skill involved. You stick the appropriate bait on a hook, throw it in the water, stick the butt of the pole in the mud, lay back on the bank and go to sleep. If you’re lucky, no fish will come along to disturb your tranquility. If you aren’t, some dumb carp or catfish will foolishly swallow the hook and you’ll have to get up, groaning and griping, and catch the dang thing. That is fishing as it is practiced in my circles. However, since I was old enough to sneak-
read the sunbathing magazines at the drugstore, I also have been reading books on how to fish. Lack of comprehension of the basics of good fishing doesn’t necessarily indicate stupidity (though I haven’t ruled that out). Still – I got good grades in history, and probably would have scored well in the history of angling, too. But angling history isn’t what’s at stake. It’s the physics of fishing (or the fisics of fishing or the physics of physhing). FACING FACTS There comes a time in each person’s life when he or she
large tent camping area. Boating and fishing are available on the Mississippi and Illinois rivers with wide launch ramps and ample parking. Twenty miles of equestrian trails in the park include a section available year-round. The Pere Marquette Riding Stables are open every day except Tuesdays from May through October, offering spectacular rides to park visitors. A paved bike trail runs from the park to Alton, IL, 20 miles to the west along a rare east-west section of the Mississippi River. EAGLE ACTION We visited Pere Marquette during the fall for a sensational show of Mother Nature’s changing of the season’s colors. As great as the tree display was, it plays second fiddle to the winter’s grand finale, when bald eagles congregate along the shores of the Illinois and Mississippi rivers in search of open water for fishing.
Special Eagle Days activities are scheduled through January and February and require reservations for the programs that begin 8:30 a.m. at the park’s visitor center. The program includes a video presentation followed by an observational drive to view the wintering bald eagles. Another important note about Pere Marquette Lodge also involves a bird. The fried chicken in the lodge restaurant is reason enough to visit, and many people do just for the meal, which is served family-style with mashed potatoes, gravy, cole slaw, and vegetable of the day. The Sunday brunch buffet also draws a crowd each week. John J. Winkelman is community relations manager at Mercy Hospital Jefferson. If you have news for Outdoor Guide Magazine, e-mail ogmjohnw@aol.com, and you can follow John on Twitter at @johnjwink99.
• Great Lakes
from page 8
This has become a burgeoning problem. The percentage of Americans taking antidepressants rose 65 percent between 2002 and 2014, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. From 2011 to 2014, some 12.7 percent of Americans age 12 or older used antidepressant medications. Most waste-water treatment plants don’t screen for such drugs, only for waste solids and treating to kill E. coli bacteria. Presently, wastewater treatment plants are not mandated to test for antidepressants nor do they have the financial ability to do so.
“These plants are focused on removing nitrogen, phosphorus and dissolved organic carbon, but there are so many other chemicals that are not prioritized that impact our environment,” Aga said. “As a result, wildlife is exposed to all of these chemicals. Fish are receiving this cocktail of drugs 24 hours a day, and we are now finding these drugs in their brains.” Aga will be partnering with fish biologists to look at the minimum levels at which exposures to antidepressants affect fish behavior and biology. It’s always something, isn’t it?
must face the facts. In my case, I am not going to be drafted to play second base for the St. Louis Cardinals, nor replace Jerry West at guard for the Los Angeles Lakers (for one thing, he’s been retired 43 years). I’m not going to write the Great American Novel and probably not even one that is remaindered three days after it hits the bookstores with the impact of a coal scoopful of Cream O’ Wheat. And I am not going to catch a trophy fish. I’m fated to hook little bluegills or the occasional half-pound bass. If I catch a trout, it’ll be one so fresh out of the hatchery truck that it still
calls a sack of Purina Trout Chow “Daddy.” As Walter Cronkite used to assure us each evening, “And that’s the way it is.” A new book came in the mail. It’s called “Secrets of Fishing” and it promises to tell me how to catch more and bigger fish than I’ve ever dreamed of. I should read it, but I’m too busy trying to catch up to Fanny Hill, my favorite historical character.
More of Joel Vance’s writing and information about his many published books can be found at his website, joelvance.com.
Outdoor Guide
January-February, 2018
Page 17
The Master Gunsmith
Triggers, Part 5 The Single-and-a-Half Action Trigger
By JED NADLER Master Gunsmith In this, the final installment on triggers, we’ll cover what I coyly call the “Single-anda-Half” action trigger design. No one else calls it that. In fact, Heir Gaston Glock says his striker-fired pistol has a “Safe Action” trigger. But he and I both know that is just Glock talk. Now, now, don’t prejudge me here. It IS a safe trigger, in my opinion. But it is a hybrid, half-way between single and double action. Still skeptical? Well since Outdoor Guide gives me this ammo box to stand on, here’s my story. In a single action semi-auto pistol, the slide cocks the hammer during recoil. All the trigger has to do is the single action of releasing it. In a double action revolver, the trigger cocks the hammer and then releases it, doing double duty. So what do you call a pistol whose slide halfway cocks the striker? The trigger has to finish cocking the striker and then release it. See? “Singleand-a-half” trigger. I rest my ammo case.
Why did Glock do this, you ask? From the half-cocked position, the striker has insufficient impact to set off a primer. That is clearly safer than fully cocked. That’s also probably why they say, “Don’t go off all half-cocked now.” You won’t get the job done. HOW IT WORKS Now for the rest of the story – how this mechanism works. Please look at Figure 5. Our starting point is with the gun half-cocked, just after firing, ready for the next shot. When the trigger moves back, the trigger bar is pushed back. The sear surface of the trigger bar catches the cocking lug of the striker and pushes it back the rest of the way. (There is usually about 30-40 percent of the cocking stroke left for the trigger to do.) If you check out the inserted picture in Figure 5, you can see the installed position of the trigger bar (red) and the connector (green). The camming tip of the trigger bar rides backward caught under the camming lip of the connector. As the trigger bar com-
pletes its rearward movement, the lip cams it downward and pulls the sear down and out from in front of the striker lug. The striker is free to drive its point home. Bang. After firing, the slide is on its way back, carrying the striker with it. The sear has to be allowed to come up again and get into position to catch and hold the striker. That’s where the reset lug on the connector comes in. It rests against a rail inside the slide. That rail has a hump in it at just the right place to press inward on the reset lug at the right time to force the connector inward, getting the lip out of the way of the trigger bar, which then jumps back up and grabs the cocking lug. When you release the trigger, it will be ready to go again. Reset achieved. Now you can relax. ‘SAFE ACTION’ The last piece of this “safe action trigger” is the firing pin blocking safety. The wider part at the top blocks the firing pin from going forward. Below that is a skinny section. The firing pin can just scoot past the safety if the skinny part is
in line with it. The safety actuating arm of the trigger bar does that job. It pushes up on the safety at just the right moment to let the firing pin past. When you let up on the trigger, the actuating arm moves forward and the safety is forced downward by its spring into the blocking position again. This whole set-up means that the firing pin can’t go forward even if it gets jarred off the sear unless the trigger has been pressed, too. This is not a feature unique to Glocks. Many current pistols have firing-pin blocking safeties. There are many strikerfired, single-and-a-half ac-
tion pistols out there now – S&W M&P and Shields, Kimbers carry designs, Springfield Armory’s XD (not the E), Ruger SR9, Walther PPQ and others. “Safe action” triggers have compromises, though. Aren’t there always? They have a squishy feel to me. In all fairness I concede that as a self-defense weapon, where trigger feel is not a primary factor, it is a very good, safe choice in pistol design. And it’s different. Not single, not double but “single-and-a-half”! See you next time. We’ll talk about forcing cones. Maybe I shouldn’t force the issue.
DISCLAIMERS • “Gunsmith TechTalks” do not provide education for the repair or alteration of firearms. Do not make changes to a firearm based on what you read here. Take the gun to a qualified gunsmith. • Safety in trigger design and modification is crucial. When a gun goes off, it must be deliberate, not accidental. Always, SAFETY FIRST. • Do not alter a trigger unless you have been properly trained. Dangerous conditions can result. Jed Nadler can be reached at FIRST Gunsmithing in Valley Park, at (636) 8266606 or online at info@ FIRSTGunsmithing.com.
Outdoor Guide
Page 18
January-February, 2018
Wildlife Wrangling and Outdoor Ramblings
Yellow Jacket Attack Leads to ‘Alcohol Problem’ Photo and Text By RANDALL P. DAVIS
When endeavoring on nuisance hornet and wasp removal jobs, I take a lot of precautions to have all my PPE (personal protective equipment) in place – a double layer of pants, heavy leather coat and gloves, and a heavily screened bee veil. This is so that when the horde of winged demons loaded with lightning bolts in their tails come boiling out of their well-guarded abode, I have a reasonable sense my flesh will be spared. However, I always have to watch the one grand variable that can turn a routine job into sheer chaos. It’s not Murphy’s Law. Oh no, it’s me! The yellow jacket’s nest was located under an eave of an older, two-story house. It was also directly above a window-well and masonry structure to where it required positioning the ladder directly under it. Things were going quite well on this nest of paperproducing yellow jackets (yes, yellow jackets will not only build impressive nests
underground, but they also chew wood fiber/cellulose and make a dandy hanging nest. You know, like you see in cartoons). I did the usual chore of soaking it with Bee-Bop, then slowly scraping the nest into a bag. THE TAIL GUNNERS Now, the nest was slightly bigger than a volleyball – deceptive proportions because, as I deconstructed it, hundreds of hot-tailed insects poured out. And as I was applying the liquid stun gun, there was a constant showering of dead and live predators. I kept hitting the nest hard with more spray, emptying one can and then grabbing another. I maintained the upper hand, and soon the battle was going my way. Stepping about halfway down the ladder, I attempt to look back up to be sure all the combatants and interior nest chambers are coated. That’s when I see a sizable glob of nest and bug spray plummeting toward me. I slightly lean over as it grazes my arm. “Whew, missed that mess,” I think to myself.
I look up again, but aging eyes and bifocals make it necessary to throw one’s head back further than a normal person would, and the natural reflex – for me, anyway – to slightly adjust the focus of my glasses is to wrinkle my nose and gape my mouth, kinda like looking up at Mt. Rushmore for the first time. The timing couldn’t have been more perfect, as a tiny drop of the cascading foamy insecticide smoothly cleared the bee veil’s tight mesh and plopped precisely into my mouth. With a jolting shock similar to locking your keys in the vehicle somewhere in western Nebraska, I was half-stunned, more than half angry, trying to cling to the ladder with one hand and spray can in the other as insects determined to commit murder were raining over me – and I was slobbering spit-strands like a cow eating green persimmons. AGAPE AND DROOLING Finally, I chuck the can and get off the ladder, mouth still agape and drooling. Desperately, I fling open the pickup
door and fish out my coffee mug, but it’s empty. I thought I’d brought a water bottle. No, left it on the counter. So I realize there’s nothing to wash out my mouth, and I know fully well my face will soon shrivel and contort so I look like a Halloween jack-olantern on Groundhog’s Day. In the past, I’ve used rubbing alcohol to “rinse and spit” potty pond water, take a face bath after being smeared with bat guano, and to take an impromptu alcohol shower in a client’s yard after an avalanche of raccoon manure poured over me while inspecting a urine-saturated bathroom ceiling. I wasn’t about to repeat all that scalding mess. So I thought I’d pull an oldfashioned “end-around” play, and I grabbed the only stuff I had on hand – Germ-X. (See, it’s that grand variable, again) Now this product is a marvelous creation that has no doubt extinguished billions of nasty little pathogens from my hands over the years. However, as I found out, like rubbing alcohol, it is NOT meant for oral hygiene. The slick, gelatinous sen-
This kind of alcohol problem can be solved by having water on hand – you know, nature’s bourbon.
sation, along with the eyewatering, lava-like burn of alcohol, really made me think the bug spray wasn’t so bad. Through waves of slobber and teary vision, I quickly finished all the removal details. Cleaned up. Picked up. Packed up, all while maintaining a wide-mouth, slack-jaw expression as if I had stubbed my toe and smashed my thumb. LIMEADE RELIEF Fifteen minutes later, I skidded into the stall of a drive-in and found relief with
a thorough oral cleansing from a huge cherry limeade. I’m sure the attendant and nearby patrons thought either I didn’t like the beverage or had a bad case of the rabies as I vigorously irrigated the orifice in the parking lot. It didn’t matter. I felt somewhat clean – and refreshed. Must have been the lime. So, the old saying still stands strong: “You are your own worst enemy!” Moral of the story ... always carry some water, dummy. You’re becoming too dependent on the alcohol.
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Outdoor Guide
January-February, 2018
Buck Follows Dream’s Perfect Script
Photo and Text By TED NUGENT
Dream on! Never stop believing, never stop dreaming! And I’m not talking Tinkerbell or Peter Pan dreams, either. I’m talking big buck dreams from the big buck dreamlands in our dreamy little deerhunting heads! I don’t have a crystal ball or a magical future predictor of any kind. In fact, I am always amazed at so many deer hunters I know who consistently predict which buck will show up where and when. I strategize with all the smarts and experienced hunches I can muster, but it has always been a random roll of the dice for this old backstrapper. I dream nonetheless and have on more than one occasion made some bold, cocky predictions of my own that unfortunately have never come to fruition. But on Nov. 2, the planets aligned, and my radar was on an all-time high and my luck meter pegged. And it goes like this … I hunt hard every day. No really! Every day! And I like it, and the inescapable frustration never comes close to the thrills and the happiness that every day afield brings me, kill or no kill. But this buck kill was one for the books, the most important book of all, the Dream Books. FOOD PLOT VIEW As always, just before hitting the sack in my little Michigan swamp log cabin, I go to the front door and switch on the big floodlights and have a look at what might be in the cabin food plot. Whoa! What have we here! Amongst the scattering of does, fawns and young bucks stands Sir BuckO, a handsome 4- or 5-year old something, a mature, classic, tall, wide, very symmetrical 8-pointer that we have no history with in the field or on trailcams. I study him intently with my Bushnells as he stands regally, surveying the deer activity all around him. I immediately call son Toby, convey my discovery and lay out a plan. I tell Toby that since the buck is on the high ground by the cabin at 9:30 at night, maybe, just maybe, he will cruise the north marsh ridgeline looking for stinky does through the night, and maybe, just maybe if I walk the mile west before dawn and get in the new ladder stand, maybe, just maybe, I can ambush the 8-pointer in the morning.
The buck showed up just where he was supposed to.
Toby chuckles at his old man’s eternal optimism and says, “…sure Dad, that’s what we dream every day we head out there! Wouldn’t that be wonderful? Go for it!” WALK TO IT Early next morning, in the dark of pre-dawn, without firing up the Polaris, SpiritWild Vid-Cam-Dude Ethan Wiskur and I trudge the long walk due west and don’t turn north across the cut bean field until we are just above and perpendicular to my new north ridge set, thereby minimizing our disturbance to the area. As Ethan ascends the ladder, I walk 25 yards below and scrape away all the leaves and forest debris in a 40” circle next to an autumn olive branch and put some Conquest doe pee in my brand new mockscrape before joining him. As the beautiful morning comes to life overlooking the magical marsh and ridgeline, all is quiet except for the enchanting wild symphony that is the soundtrack for every dawn on a deer hunt. The hours tick away with nary a deer until a little after 9, when a breathy “shooterbuck” came out of my mouth. As if guided by the exact script I had shared with Toby 12 hours prior, my dreamy cabin foodplot 8-pointer comes walking right on cue out of the marsh grass and takes the trail up the ridge straight to my mockscrape, as if he’d made it himself and visited it a thousand times before. With a little twisting and crouching and bending and maneuvering, Ethan had him, and with my 50# Mathews Halon at full draw, I kissed the button and found the 20-yard pin in the middle of my peepsight, and before you knew it, the mystical flight of my 400
grain zebra GoldTip arrow jammed a razor sharp 100 grain DeadRinger Butcher broadhead clean through the beast’s right shoulder and disappeared out the other side. Are you kidding me? My mind reeled in disbelief that this had all played out lick for lick from the dreamy hopes of last night’s prediction. HUNTING DREAMS Believe me, such dreams have always been part of my deer hunting life, but I don’t believe any had ever come true with such detail-for-detail accuracy. We followed the DeadRinger blood trail for about 100 yards to where the gorgeous stag died in the very cut bean field we had crossed three hours earlier. The deer hunting lessons are clear and start with believing in our dreams! The plotseed1.com foodplot played a role. It was also important to walk the mile or so to the stand in the dark instead of starting up the ATV. The new ambush set was established months earlier based on nearly 40 years of hunting this ridge above the marshland sanctuary in such a way to optimize a shot off my left shoulder without standing up or moving unnecessarily. The mockscrape is standard operating procedure for me on every hunt. My daily archery practice includes various body maneuvering configurations so as to force me to adhere to killer archery form no matter the conditions, and my aim-small miss-small shot sequence mantra is burned permanently into my bow hunting predator psyche. What a hunt! What a morning! What a buck! What a dream!
Page 19
Outdoor Guide
Page 20
January-February, 2018
Three Favorite Discoveries
By GERALD J. SCOTT
Every year I discover a few products that, while they may only be new to me, add something to my enjoyment of the outdoors. What better time than the new year could there be to tell you about them? SQUIRREL SKINNING The Squirrel Cleaning Buddy is a unique product that could only have been invented by a genuine Arkansas hillbilly, and I mean no disrespect when I say that. It’s just a 6” x 11” piece of 16-gauge galvanized metal with two right-angle bends and three carefully shaped and located notches cut into what is obviously it’s uppermost section. What it does is make skinning a squirrel as easy as that particular job is going to get. All pulling is in a downward direction, beginning at eye level with very little bending required. Since the device holds the squirrel, the cleaner ’s inevitably squirrel-hair covered hands
never touch the meat. Best of all, you won’t have to beg your hunting partner to hold your squirrel while you skin it, nor curse him when he drops it in the dirt. The inventor is the only source I know of for this product. Go online to squirrelcleaningbuddy.com for more details. GO-ANYWHERE CAMERA In one of his attempts to, as he puts it, “drag me into at least the 20th century if the 21st century isn’t possible,” my son Aaron gave me a 2.8-ounce video camera just like the ones he uses in his radio controlled airplanes. Despite what a 47-yearold whippersnapper might think, I’m not 100 percent pragmatic. In fact, the tiny camera is well on its way to becoming one of my favorite outdoor “toys.” Following his advice, I’ve used strips of Velcro to turn an ever-increasing number of my caps into camera mounts, which allows me to video my hunts and fishing trips from my
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own perspective. Admittedly, it has taken – and still is taking – a lot experimenting to position the camera where it sees what I want it to see. Aaron Velcros his camera to the right side of his caps, a position that works great for him. But side mounting gives me fits, trying to keep the camera angle parallel with the horizon. A week or so ago, I saw a photo of a competitive handgun shooter who had her camera on top of her cap’s bill. As of now, I think that’s going to be the solution to my problem. My camera happens to be a Midland 1080p HD, but there are many other models
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a fairly recent development. But while I was headed in the right direction, I was still unprotected while climbing to and from the stand and while transferring from the climbing device to the stand – the maneuvers during which a large majority of treestand accidents occur. I was shopping for something else one day this fall, when I noticed a product called the Safe-Line, marketed by Muddy, Inc. The Safe-Line is 30 feet of half-inch rope with an exceptionally nonslip surface. There’s a permanent loop on one end of the rope and a double overhand knot on the other. A closed loop of
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quarter-inch rope is fastened around the main loop with a four-turn prussic knot. The prussic knot is the key to the whole system. Properly tensioned, a prussic knot will slide up and down the rope it’s tied around, but when pulled tight, it will grip the main rope hard enough to hold an adult immobile. The Safe-Line must first be affixed to the tree as far above the stand as possible by running the rope around the tree and through the loop. Make sure one of the prussic knots stays near the top of the main rope. This obviously means that the user will have to make his/her initial ascent in the usual way, pulling the Safe-Line up to the stand with a gear hoist. To use it, attach your safety harnesses tether to the prussic knot immediately after removing it from whatever mechanism is holding it to the tree. Transfer to the climbing sticks or other access means and move the prussic knot down as you descend, keeping it above your head. Don’t disconnect until your feet are on the ground. Reverse the process to return to the stand. You’ll be amazed by how much more secure you feel. I know I did.
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Outdoor Guide
January-February, 2018
Page 21
Jeannie’s Journey
Fascinating Butterflies
Just as a musical instrument gives life to a musician, so does a flower to a butterfly. This fascinating creature’s life cycle is a miraculous chain of events. It goes through four distinct stages. In the first stage, the female monarch butterfly lays one egg at a time on a leaf. By the time she is finished, there will be approximately 500 deposited on the leaf. The genius of this butterfly knows that only one in 20 will make it to adulthood. The eggs – the size of a pinhead – are placed under a leaf, preferably a milkweed leaf. This provides a protective covering from the sun, elements and predators. However, milkweed is also attractive to spiders and ants. The young larva and eggs are an invitation to these insects for a tasty meal. After five days, a caterpillar (or larva) will hatch from the egg. This worm-like creature has a unique patterned appearance of patches or stripes. The growing stage requires a great deal of eating. The larva’s food preferences are flowers and leaves. It first devours the leaf it is hatched from at birth. This eating frenzy will cause the caterpillar to rapidly develop and become large. SHEDDING SKIN In the two-week cycle, the insect outgrows and sheds five skins. Research shows that in the fourth shed, a new skin begins to develop, the old skin starts to split, and a lighter yellow area is exposed behind the head. The old skin is discarded, allowing for the new skin and the head to darken and become larger. The third phase is the chrysalis or pupa phase. The caterpillar is fully grown. It seeks out a place to rest on a branch, twig or leaf. While there, the larva begins creating and perfecting a silk anchor-hold, which takes hours of preparation. When this feat is accomplished, the caterpillar is eager to move. It crawls towards the silk button, securely attaching itself with claspers. The larva’s hind claspers grasps onto the silk button. As the chrysalis begins to form, a brown or
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butterfly, the wings are damp, wet and wrinkled. This is due to the chrysalis’ tight space during the metamorphosis. It hangs upside-down, flapping the wings in an effort to straighten and dry them. They are soft and folded against its body. This phase also requires 10817 Midland Blvd - Overland , MO 63114 the butterfly to rest so it will become energized and visits a coneflower along a mo trail at strengthened for flying. After A monarch vfw butterfly post overland, the monarch rests, it works its the Missouri Department of Conservation Nature Center, wings, allowing blood and Springfield, MO. Just East of Lindbergh Boulevard on Midland Boulevard oxygen to flow into them. Once the butterfly is strong enough to fly, it searches for DISPLAYS food and a mate. * AMMUNITION Its journey of struggles and challenges through the life cycle from the hatching COLLECTIBLE of the egg, caterpillar (larva), FIREARMS chrysalis (pupae) and butterfly (adult – imago) is a miraculous phenomena. It A black swallowtail butterfly rests on the photographer’s is a pricelessWEAPONS treasure of the EDGED * BOOKS finger. natural world. SAINT LOUIS, MISSOURI LIKE MUSIC green color becomes visible and allowing the pupa skin underneath the skin. to continue to develop. In I like to compare its life FOUNDED IN 1975 The occasional demonstra- several hours, the chrysalis cycle to that of a symphony tion of twitching and stretch- will emerge. orchestra. The audience ing is apparent. With time, listens in great anticipation BUTTERFLY the chrysalis sends cues to to the waves of changes EMERGES the caterpillar to carefully as the music unfolds with In the fourth and final stage, resonating instruments and dislodge the claspers, one at a time, and then it will let the chrysalis transforms into voices. The music gradually | Saturday: 9 am - 5 pm | Sunday: 9 am - 3 pm Friday: - 7 pm with go. This action causes it to a butterfly, or imago. As the swells4topm its crescendo drop, hanging in a “J” shape chrysalis opens to release the a breathtaking finale.
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Outdoor Guide
January-February, 2018
Claudette’s Kitchen
Some Like It Hotter Than Others
By CLAUDETTE ROPER
As the wind is howling, the wind chimes are providing random, soothing music tuned to the pentatonic scale. The woodstove is chugging along, keeping us warm and the woodpile is shrinking. With spring far from sight, I have to keep my thoughts away from those precious morel mushrooms and focus on enjoying other favorite cold-weather foods. As I first thought about publishing this soup recipe, the phrase “Some like it hot” came to mind. Instead of thinking of food, the movie “Some Like It Hot” came to mind. Yes, I’m that old! Wondering if that’s just weird or if it’s a natural response, I googled “Tony Curtis Marilyn Monroe Jack Lemmon” – actually I didn’t capitalize them, but you know I can’t do that here. Yes, the commas were left off, too – it wasn’t easy. The very first return was “Some Like It Hot – Wikipedia.” Maybe, just maybe, I’m not all that weird, but I digress. Some do like it hot, but some do not. That’s something to keep in mind when making the recipe I’m sharing with you in this issue. It will set even the most macho hot-lovers (not hot, macho lovers) on fire. EXERCISE CAUTION Not only is it hot, Moroccan tomato soup is very rich and filling. It is on my list of comfort foods. I would, however, recommend that you exercise caution the first
time you make it. Unless you have survived those extreme hot wing challenges and enjoyed the experience, consider cutting the cayenne, hot pepper sauce and chili powder in half. While I could have done that for you here, my preference is to offer recipes in their original form and let you do the tweaking. Regarding “but some do not,” if you are serving this to a wide range of hot or not-sohot fans, you may consider reducing the spices, leaving the hot pepper sauce out entirely and setting it on the table to be added to taste by each individual. Since the recipe does not specify which hot pepper sauce (a.k.a. hot sauce) to use, pick your favorite. Personally, I like the stuff made by a guy named Pete who lives in Texas. Mountain Man favors a guy named Frank. They vary from one part of the country to the other, much like barbecue varies from St. Louis to Kansas City, Memphis, North Carolina or Texas. It’s all a matter of personal preference. The most basic hot sauces are made mainly of hot peppers and vinegar. Some are more or less vinegary than others. There is usually some salt added and possibly a few additional seasonings. TONGUE ON FIRE Most of us know that the pepper variety influences the heat, but it’s less commonly known that peppercorns are used for an added layer of flavor or heat in some sauces. Apparently, white pepper is much hotter than black but lacks the flavor. Mountain Man always asks how you can taste anything when your tongue is on fire. Some flavor variations are the result of how the pepper was processed (e.g. roasted or fermented) or the kind of pepper that was used, some having citrusy, smoky or even nutty flavors. At least that’s what the experts say. They
sound like a sommelier. Next thing you know, they’ll be talking about them having an oaky bouquet! For those with peanut butter allergies, almond butter can be used in its place. The flavor will be slightly different, but pleasant. For either one, unless you enjoy pieces of nut in your soup, sticking to a creamy rather than a crunchy version is best. When thinking about sides to cool the heat, you have many options; these are just a few. This dish would be nicely complemented with dinner rolls and honey butter – sugar and fat help the heat. The fat in sliced avocados does the same job. Celery sticks with cream cheese, dairy-based dip and ranch dressing have proven themselves at most hot wing establishments. Bon appétit! MOROCCAN TOMATO SOUP 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 onion, chopped 5 cloves garlic, minced 1 28-ounce can of tomatoes, crushed 1 cup peanut butter 1 teaspoon each: cumin, salt, pepper 1 tablespoon each: chili powder, hot pepper sauce, sugar 2 tablespoons each: cayenne, white vinegar 1/4 cup tomato paste 2 cups water Using a medium-sized saucepan over medium high heat, fry the onions until clear and glassy. Add the garlic for about one minute and then add the crushed tomatoes. Stir. Add peanut butter and mix well. Add the rest of the ingredients and cook over low heat for 15 minutes. Cook until thoroughly heated, stirring occasionally. Use a stick blender to puree to a smooth consistency.
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January-February, 2018
Page 23
It Might Be the Greatest Sports Book By JIM CASADA
Sport in America has a rich and wonderfully varied literature. Among those who have contributed to the genre are Nobel Prize for Literature winners Ernest Hemingway and William Faulkner; John Burroughs Award winners Archibald Rutledge and Aldo Leopold; and a veritable host of other splendid sporting scribes. Yet for my money, one man and one book stand alone at the pinnacle of enduring, hold-your-soul-in thrall appeal – Robert’s Ruark’s The Old Man and the Boy. Originally published as a lengthy series of columns in Field & Stream, the rollicking, insightful tales of a Carolina boy coming of age under the fond tutelage of a wise and loving mentor, his grandfather, resound with a timelessness which goes to the heart of what hunting and fishing can mean to a youngster. The Old Man and the Boy pieces actually furnished the material for two complete books, with The Old Man’s Boy Grows Older being a sequel to the volume I consider in a class by itself. Decades later, an appreciable portion of a third work, The Lost Classics of Robert Ruark,
edited and compiled by the current writer, focused on those columns. Yet the pick of the literary litter from upwards of threescore columns, all of them top drawer stuff, appear in The Old Man and the Boy. In his author’s note to the book, Ruark, who was born in Southport, NC, and spent his youth there and in the nearby city of Wilmington, writes: “Anybody who reads this book is bound to realize that I had a real fine time as a boy.” SCRUFFY AND STERN The best and most impressionable of those grand times were spent with his maternal grandfather, Captain Edward Hall Adkins (the “Old Man”). An endearing figure, full of dry wit, homespun philosophy and an endless store of outdoor lore he patiently shared with his protégé (the “Boy”), Adkins
was a bit scruffy around the edges and could be stern, even vinegary, at times. But at heart he was a wise, gentle figure of great humanity with a shrewd mind and uncanny knack for sharing his accumulated knowledge. Ruark’s genius was the ability to share the Old Man’s teachings – “He knows pretty well everything” he once wrote – in an enchanting, deeply moving fashion. Ruark’s years with the Old Man were all too few, for Captain Adkins died when the Boy was only 15. But as Ruark gratefully acknowledged in a pair of stories, he didn’t die on the opening day of bird season and “All He Left Me Was the World.” Anyone who reads “But Not on Opening Day” and doesn’t have a catch in their throat and mist in their eyes needs some serious assessment – they have a hole in their sporting soul.
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EARLY EDUCATION Ruark assessed his emotions at the time of the Old Man’s passing in telling fashion: “It suddenly occurred to me that I was educated before I saw college. I made up my mind right then that someday I would learn to be a writer and write some of the stuff the Old Man had taught me.” He did so in incomparable fashion. At times spicy, liberally sprinkled with pithy language and the author’s vivid recall of both earthy aphorisms and the salty characters who uttered them, the stories range from belly-laughing jocularity to stark tragedy. In all of them, however, the Old Man dispenses his wit and wisdom, tinctured by ample doses of practical philosophy, on the outdoors and life in general. The stories are and will ever
remain a rare treat – fine fare unaffected by changing lifestyles, different approaches to life, and a dramatically altered world. Each of the 28 stories comprising The Old Man and the Boy stands alone, and the subject matter ranges widely across the hunting and fishing spectrum. CHUCKLE OR CHOKE UP Redolent of the special linkage which seems to bind the quite old and youth while skipping a generation, Ruark’s book is deeply moving on many levels. At times you chuckle at the plight of the Boy when he violates one of the Old Man’s rules of sporting ethics even as the tale revives half-forgotten memories of your own youthful transgressions. Or you may be a bit choked up as the author’s
account of his mentor’s passing evokes a time of surpassing sadness in your own life. Always though, the tales inform and entertain, evoking all that is good and gracious, endearing and enduring, about the sporting life. The Old Man and the Boy stands in a class by itself as outdoor literature. Those who have never read the book have a rare treat awaiting them, while others who have repeatedly sampled and savored its irresistible fare know that Ruark gave us a literary treasure beyond measure. To order signed copies of Jim Casada’s The Lost Classics of Robert Ruark ($35 plus $5 shipping) or any of his many other books, or to sign up to receive his free monthly e-newsletter, go online to jimcasadaoutdoors.com.
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Outdoor Guide
Page 24
An Outdoor Grill for Meals on the Go
January-February, 2018
Your Guide to
Who doesn’t enjoy a hot meal in the field when out camping or on a hunting or fishing trip? For those who like to travel light, the compact Cameron’s Portable Outdoor Grill and a bag of charcoal are all that’s needed to make time spent in the great outdoors more enjoyable. The grill is equipped with a 12-inch stainless steel grate – just the size for a few thick ribeyes or several fish fillets. Weighing about 4 pounds, with a powder-coated body and heat-resistant carbon steel fire box, the grill folds in seconds to 4 inches thick and stores in its carrying bag. It uses 12 to 15 charcoal briquettes at a time. The grate and fire box are dishwasher-safe. Cameron’s Portable Outdoor Grill is available from retailers or at cameronsproducts.com. The retail price is $34.95.
ChowPal Combines Tools with Knife, Fork and Spoon
Outdoor Edge introduces the ChowPal, an innovative approach to outdoor eating utensils that incorporates multitool functionality. The all-in-one utensil set combines a fork and folding knife-spoon with a can opener, bottle opener, flathead screwdriver and wrenches. The knife and fork lock together but easily slide apart when it’s time to chow down. Crafted of stainless steel, ChowPal set weighs just 2.4 ounces and measures 6.5 inches. The knife-spoon has a single-bevel blade that folds flat against the spoon. The fork has the wrenches, in 8, 10, 11 and 13mm, plus the can opener, bottle opener and screwdriver. It all comes in an orange nylon pouch. ChowPal is available from retailers or online at outdooredge.com with a list price of $27.50.
Legal Defense Is Offered for Hunters and Anglers
Hunters and anglers can assure themselves of expert legal defense by joining the new Hunter Shield program for about $14 a month, offered by U.S. Law Shield, which already has a program providing legal defense for gun owners. Sportsmen will be provided with up-to-date legal information and education. In case of trouble, such as unintended trespassing or misidentification of game, attorneys will support hunters and anglers through the legal process. Members will have access to: • 24-hour emergency hotline. • Attorneys well-versed in hunting and fishing laws. • Representation at legal proceedings. • Legal defense for landowners in accidental discharge cases. Hunter Shield is active in 20 states and working to add more. Among them are Missouri, Oklahoma, Kentucky and Arkansas. For more information or to sign up, call (877) 448-6839 or go online to huntershield.com.
Cut-N-Cue Barbeque Sets Are Sharp and Get Sharper
Outdoor Edge introduces two Cut-N-Cue barbeque sets, 10-piece and 14-piece, that will make impressing friends and family with grill-master skills easy and affordable. They both have professional-grade chef’s knives that are perfectly balanced and crafted from German 4116 stainless steel with non-slip handles. The 10-piece set has a 6-inch utility knife and an 8-inch chef’s knife, while the 14-piece set has the 6-inch utility knife plus a 7-inch santuku and an 8.25-inch carving knife. Both sets have a ceramic/carbide knife sharpener, silicone marinade brush, full-size cutting mats and extendable tongs and spatula. The big set adds an extendable fork, grill brush/ scraper and meat thermometer. Both come in hard-shell carrying cases. The new Cut-N-Cues are available from retailers or at outdooredge.com, with list prices of $79.95 for 10 pieces and $119.95 for 14 pieces.
Have a Great Day Outdoors with New Innox Boots
How many hunters or hikers have found themselves on a trail or crossing a field with the best guns, packs or clothing that money can buy, only to find their day ruined by boots that leak, chafe, slip on uneven terrain or just plain make their feet hurt? Lowa can prevent this scenario with handcrafted, European-made boots built to deliver comfort, performance and durability for anyone spending long days on the trail or in the field. Lowa’s Innox GTX Mid TF are lightweight, multi-purpose boots designed for moving fast on uneven terrain, built with injected midsole technology and Monowrap construction for long-lasting support and stability. Waterproof and breathable Gore-Tex lining keeps feet dry and comfortable while the rugged NXT sole provides sure-footed traction, great for moving quickly with a heavy pack. Lowa’s Innox boots are available for $200 to $220 from various retailers.
New Attractant and Protein Block Help Build the Herd
Travel Knife Set Brings the Kitchen Camping, too
Bicycling Gear Holder Doubles as Travel Bag
JEBS Choke Tubes Now Come in Shadow Grass Look
4S Advanced Wildlife Solutions is offering two new products, the 4S Draw deer attractant and the Pro20 Protein Block. The 4S Draw is a high-intensity, longdistance attractant with twice the protein and fat of corn plus added vitamins and minerals. It can typically draw deer within one to five hours. Pro20 has a carefully formulated blend of high quality ingredients to support overall herd health in a long-lasting, compressed design that lets a hunter offer supplemental nutrition without contaminating the hunting area. 4S Draw comes in two sizes, beginning at $6.99 a bag, the Pro20 Protein Block lists for $22.99. Both products can be found at retailers or the at website 4swildlife.com, which also has other 4S products.
The new Maratona 180 gear bag was designed as a cycling-specific travel bag for weekend riding trips and races but is versatile enough to be used as a general travel bag. The Maratona becomes even more useful after an event when riders want to keep ride-day kit separate from clothing and weekend essentials. Key features include a vented shoe bag with both internal and external access, a vented damp garment bag and water bottle holsters. The bag unzips to lay flat to form a small work area or place to sit. The bag meets airline size regulations for carry-on luggage and has three external handles and stowable shoulder straps that allow it to be a duffel bag or a backpack. The new Maratona 180 gear bag is available for $180 at silca.cc.
GSI Outdoors introduces the Santoku Knife Set that does it all – slicing, dicing, chopping, cutting, prep and paring for camping, in the RV or the kitchen. The set combines a stainless 4” paring knife, a 6” chef’s knife, and a 6” serrated knife with a cutting board, soap bottle and dish cloth. A durable cloth case keeps everything organized. The blades easily slice through meat, fish, chicken and veggies and even the crustiest of bread loaves. Ergonomic rubber handles provide a sure grip. Protective safety covers ensure safe handling and preserve sharpness. The quick-drying, microfiber cleaning cloth has a soft, non-abrasive side for more delicate items and a rough scouring side for scrubbing. List price of the Santoku Knife Set is $29.95 from retailers or at gsioutdoors.com.
JEBS Choke Tubes offers a new high-voltage waterfowl choke tube that is the first choke tube decorated in Mossy Oak Shadow Grass Blades. The design gives shooters a more consistent shot pattern, more distinctive and shortened shot stream and better knock-down power for longer shots. The chokes can handle steel, lead, bismuth and any other shot and are available in 12-gauge, with 10-gauge and 20-gauge to come soon. JEBS Chokes are made in the U.S. with a distinct interior bore design. The choke tube with Shadow Grass Blades lists for $110. To see it and other models, go online to jebschokes.com.
January-February, 2018
Outdoor Guide
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GREAT GEAR Zero Gravity Chair Is the Latest In Relaxation Feel Free To Drink With a Liberty Filter
Water everywhere, but not a drop to drink? Using questionable water sources won’t be a problem with the Lifesaver Liberty water filtration bottle that has replaceable filter capable of producing up to 530 gallons of potable water from rivers or lakes. The Liberty holds 14 ounces. Its inline filter removes virtually 100 percent of bacteria, cysts and viruses. The bottle is easy to fill. Just unscrew the base and pull it out, then scoop in water, keeping the top closed to block contamination. Screw the base back on and pump it twice to remove contamination. Then unscrew the lid, open the flow valve and drink. The filter has an activated carbon disk and will stop releasing water once it’s blocked with contaminants. It filters out chlorine, bad tastes and odor, too. Lifesaver Liberty also comes with a 5-foot “scavenger hose” for drawing water up without getting hands wet. The Liberty filter sells for $89 online at iconlifesaver.com.
Tactical Solutions Holster Is for Ruger Mark Pistols
Firearms accessories maker Tactical Solutions is offering the PAC-LITE Holster for the Ruger Mark Series pistols (MKI, MKII, MKIII, MKIV and 22/45r .22LR). The holster can be used with or without an optic, and it accommodates either right-hand or left-hand shooters in low-ride or high-ride. It is the only Ruger Mark holster that is injection-molded, ambidextrous, and with an open-top design to keep optics installed. The PAC-LITE Holster is available from retailers for about $36 in most cases. For more information, go to tacticalsol.com.
Mossy Oak Chew Toys Are as Tough as Your Dog
QT Dog has partnered with Mossy Oak, outdoor industry leader in camouflage design and outdoors lifestyle brands, to offer a new line of dog chews and toys. QT Dog includes long-lasting, natural deer antler chews, water buffalo horn chews and cotton rope tugs. The QT Dog chews and toys are available from brake-fast.net in sizes and styles ranging from $3.99 for the small buffalo horn to $23.99 for a jumbo antler. The slip-knot buffalo horn tug shown is $19.99.
The Infinity Zero Gravity Chair from Caravan Sports is an affordable way to enjoy a suspended, double bungee relaxation system. The Infinity features fingertip locking, adjustable headrest and lumbar support, with long-lasting Textilene fabric on a powder coated steel frame. It support up to 300 pounds, folds down to 6.3 inches wide and comes in beige, black, red, gray, camo or blue. Infinity Zero Gravity Chair is $39.99 at Amazon.com.
Ridge Wallet Protects Information, Fits the Pocket
The new Ridge wallet may be the last wallet you’ll ever need. It has the latest RFID blocking technology and longlasting materials to make it one of the most durable, secure wallets available. Made with either titanium, aluminum or carbon fiber, Ridge is incredibly light and fits perfectly in a front pocket, so users can ditch their bulky leather bifolds for a sleek, minimalist wallet that can be added to hiking gear without compromising space or weight. The wallet also slips into a windbreaker pocket or the breast pocket of a fine suit. The Ridge wallet is available at ridgewallet.com starting at $65 and can come with money clip or cash strap options.
Gun Tote’n Mamas Has Concealed Carry Bags, Accessories
Talkabout Two-Way Radios Designed for Hunters’ Needs
Motorola’s Talkabout T265 two-way radios are handy for use when out of cell-phone range at the lodge, on the trail or in the deer stand. They let hunters stay connected and hear weather alerts. Specifically designed for hunters, they have two push-totalk ear buds with microphones, reliable two-way communications up to a 25-mile range, hands-free capability, NOAA weather channels, 20 call tones and dual power. The radios comes equipped with two micro-USB wall charging cables and a handy camo carry case. Talkabout T265 sets are available from retailers and online at prices ranging from $65 to $75.
St. Croix Inshore Series Is Made for Saltwater
St. Croix, from Park Falls, WI, describes its new Legend Tournament Inshore rod series as a blend of the sensitivity, power and durability of Legend rods with components and technology designed for saltwater use. The blue rods are made of SCIV graphite and use Integrated Poly Curve tooling technology to eliminate transitional points, which fosters smooth action, increased strength and sensitivity. The rods are equipped with a Fuji TVS blank touch reel seat on spinning rods and a PTS blank-touch reel seat with built-in hoods on casting models. The Inshore series has seven spinning and three casting models at prices ranging from $280 to $340 and can be seen at stcroixrods.com.
Gun Tote’n Mamas is a line of leather concealed carry handbags and accessories launched in 2009 to combine fashion, utility and affordability with no compromises on design, construction and quality. All of its products are tested and review by instructors from facilities that train the FBI, the Navy Seals and CSI. The bags are designed by women for women and come with a one-year warranty. They also have products for men including briefcases, duffel bags, shoulder holster bags and shoulder saddlebags. The women’s shoulder pouch costs about $70, with other bags priced higher. See them at the website guntotenmamas.com or retailers including all Cabela’s stores.
Outdoor Guide
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January-February, 2018
The Old Man’s Last Campaign
Photo and Text By JOHN L. SLOAN Southern Editor at Large They said he hadn’t spoke a word in nearly a month, the old man. Could be true. I know he had got to the point he didn’t talk much unless he had something important to say. He’d been up on the mountain for 10 days when we rode into camp. It was dark when we got there, and the horses needed a breather. Mountains seem to have got steeper in recent years. The Old Man just nodded at us as we climbed down. He knew we was just taking a break before headin’ on to the main camp with the weekly supplies. He was settin’ in front of his teepee and was just starin’ at the fire. Never said a word, just nodded and stared at the back at the flames. There was a little forkie hangin’, so I knew he had made meat with his deer tag. I guess he wasn’t frettin’
about bears and it was cold enough to keep for a while. He looked clean and I surmised he’d hit the creek for a bath and had put on the new sweatshirt. He had a good fire built and was just studying the flames. No lantern lit, it was just hanging behind him. I reckon he was seein’ his life in flames. JUST FIRE SMOKE His image was a tad blurred to my eyes; maybe the fire smoke, maybe just my eyes but he didn’t stand out clear and sharp. “Howdy Clark,” I say and he don’t answer. I misdoubt he even heard me. Maybe he was listenin’ to an elk bugle from years back. I’ve done that. Well, after a bit we got the coffee pot workin’ and the horses squared away and I built me a cup of smooth and a smoke and set acrost the fire from him. The others made do with a log out on the edge of the dark.
I could see, from where I was, what with the firelight and all, his old longbow and quiver was layin’ next to his bedroll in the teepee. I couldn’t tell if an arrow was missin’ cause I never knew how many he carried. Doubt if he knew or cared. For Clark, the old man, this was not just another year in the high country, chasin’ dreams and elk and listenin’ to the wind work its way. He could have filled his tag the first day, most likely, was he just after winter meat. He was that good in the mountains. With Clark, it had become an obsession with just one elk. And … he hadn’t never seen him; didn’t know where he was. I kinda-sorta understood. Me and him, bein’ of about the same age and both bein’ alone again. He spoke to me about it a few months ago. HE HEARS IT We was at the feed store, settin’ on the porch and drinkin a Co-cola and lookin’ at the snow up on the Crags. “He’s up there in the Crags,” he said. At first I thought he was talking about his oldest son, lost in a big snowslide some years ago. But no, he was
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talking about a bull elk. “Sometimes at night, I hear him bugle. Wakes me up. He’s in the Crags… somewhere. He’s waitin’ and I’m going come fall. Reckon most likely it will be my last elk hunt.” “How long you reckon to stay?” I asked “Till one or both of us is dead.” I knew he wasn’t right, knew his cheese had about slipped off his cracker. Maybe Etta’s death, maybe Cleve’s, maybe just old age. But he wasn’t himself and I knew it. Scary thing is, I knew how he felt. Never had a thought or desire to talk him out if it. Truth told, I was of a mind to go with him. Course, I knew he wouldn’t allow that. He was always a solitary old cuss and I had a packin’ job for the early hunts. UP IN THE CRAGS I finished my drink and we pulled the cinches and caught up our pack horses. Dead dark and still two hours to go to hit the main camp. I still remember what he said, that day in late summer. “He’s up there in the Crags.” And now, I reckon, so is Clark. Reckon he always will be. Reckon he figured it
The old man was just staring into the fire.
that way. I hope he made his final kill. We left his teepee standing the way we found it, everything in it but his bow and quiver. They wasn’t there. Brought his horse out but that was all. Sometimes, always late of a night, I get up and go look out the windows toward the Crags or open the door and smell
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the cold air. Couple times I thought for sure I heard a bull bugle near the timberline. “He’s callin’, Clark,” I say, course I say it to myself. I don’t tend to talk much anymore. Spend a lot of time listenin’ to the wind. John L. Sloan of Lebanon, TN, has been writing about the outdoor life since 1959.
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January-February, 2018
Outdoor Guide
DIRECTORY Outdoor
MARINE SERVICE
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Page 27
FISHING JIGS
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Outdoor Guide
Page 28
HUNTING CLUB
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Outdoor Guide
Page 29
Outdoor Gallery Winner for January/February edition is Raven Austin Roach. Congratulations from OGM and Strike King!
Email your photo to ogmbobw@aol.com
MASTERS IN FISHING – In the photo at left, Amanda Masters and Logan Holder of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service took third place in the Lake of the Ozarks Fall Division of the USA Bassin’ Tournament. At right, Amanda shows a 6-pounder she caught at Little Dixie Lake Conservation Area in Callaway County.
NIANGUA FLOAT – Dave Miller and his friend, Will (at left), floated the Niangua River with guide Dennis Whiteside. Dave won the donated float trip as a sponsor with the Kansas Outdoor Writers Association and used the popular One Eyed Willy’s Campground and Canoe Rental near Bennett Spring, MO.
and enter to win a $100 prize package from Strike King Lure Company
STEVE’S TROPHY – It took 23 years for Steve Pokorny to draw a muzzleloader tag in Unit 61 of southwestern Colorado. Then he took his bull on the seventh evening of a nine-day hunt, hunting with the Weimer hunting camp.
BIG BUCK – Frank Sgroi of St. Charles, MO, took this deer on opening day of the Missouri hunting season in 2016 on the Casey Family Farm by Richwoods, MO, in Washington County. Its B&C score was 152 3/8 and it registered in the Missouri Big Bucks Club. It came to Frank’s horn rattling and grunting and was looking for a fight.
Page 30
Outdoor Guide
January-February, 2018
OZARKS KEEPER – Karen McMillin took this keeper on the Lake of the Ozarks on Oct. 20 on a fishing trip with guide Ed Franko, departing from Bass & Baskets B&B at Lake Ozark. JACKSON COUNTY – Few areas are as good for deer hunting as Jackson County in southern Illinois, as Logan Shields, 17, of Waterloo, IL, found out on Nov. 18, when he took this 9-point, 153-lb. specimen.
LIFE IS GOOD – Bob Ziehmer, conservation chief for Bass Pro Shops, reports an awesome adventure in the mountains of northeast New Mexico. This majestic elk came off the mountain and filled the brisk mornings with the sound of elk bugling to go along with the scent of spruce and aspen in the air.
HUNTER’S BIRDS – Hunter Whiteley (at far right) and his Kansas State University roommates show the limit of ducks they took.
HUNTING YOUNG – Raven Austin Roach, 11, took this yearling doe in Phelps County, Missouri.
BOONER SCOUT – Joey Rich of Marion, KY, bagged this 240-lb. “booner,” about 6 years old, with his bow on Oct. 25, producing a green score of 1766⁄8. It was the largest he has taken. The coal miner is a former U.S. Marine who served in combat in Iraq. He reconnoitered the hunting area and has many images of the deer, which carried a 10-point mainframe rack with two additional kicker points on the left base. The spread was nearly 22 inches at the tips of each main beam.
Outdoor Guide
January-February, 2018
Page 31
Better Posture, Better Kayaking
Graphic and Text By TOM WATSON
With any muscle-powered watercraft, the better you are in contact with the boat, the less fatigued you’ll be after a day of paddling. Whether maneuvering along a weed bed for bass or skirting the shoreline in a protected bay, the better contact you have with your boat, the more effectively you can direct the power of your paddle stroke from the water – and minimize the stress it puts on your body. As the paddler, you are pulling your kayak through the water by passing the resistance against your paddle blade up the shaft, through your body and out to the boat to make it move forward.
The more spread-out and balanced those contact points are between your body and the boat, the more effective your power stroke – and the less demand on any one point on your body. Even if you just make occasional, short distance moves, over an extended amount of time or distances, you’ll want those paddling power points to be well balanced. There are four key paddler’s contact points in a kayak – foot, knees/thighs, seat/back and arms/upper torso. Here’s why each area is important: • FEET – Feet provide a firm connection to the boat and channel the forward power from the paddle to the boat via this vital contact point. Foot braces, moreso
than heel wells, allow you to press firmly against the hull, transferring a part of that stroke power evenly to the boat. • KNEES/THIGHS – Traditional decked kayak cockpits usually have pads located along the coaming that enable the paddler to “grab” the boat with the knee/thigh to add additional contact support to the kayak. Sit-ontop kayaks have the option of a thigh strap (similar to what canoeists use) to provide a firm but easy-to-release strap that the paddler can slip a knee under. • SEAT/BACK – Without the firm support of your feet and knees, all the power of paddling goes through your butt and back area, putting all that stress squarely on
that pivotal region of your body. If you constantly have a sore lower back after paddling, start using your feet as a primary contact point. An adjustable seat makes a big difference, too. • ARMS/SHOULDERS – A good kayaker uses both upper body and shoulders to paddle – not just their arms.
Called “torso rotation,”, this technique relies on your arms, shoulder and upper body to provide power to your stroke. It’s much less tiring and requires only a subtle twist of your torso to distribute paddle power. Even with proper paddling posture you may still be tired after a day of kayak
fishing, but hopefully it’ll be because you’re worn out from repeatedly handling a landing net and not from a paddle! Tom Watson is an awardwinning writer, former Alaska kayak tour operator and a past president of the Trade Association of Sea Kayaking.
Larry’s Short Stories
African Journeys Teach Life Lessons Photo and Text By LARRY POTTERFIELD Outside of growing up with mom and dad, going off to college and then into the Air Force, working for a living, getting married and raising kids … outside of all that, many other events and circumstances have changed my life, such as our safaris in Africa. Our family trips to Africa provided an opportunity to experience things that a country boy from Missouri would likely never have been exposed to – things like proper dining, professional hunters, wildlife conservation, native trackers and the unique animals and natural wonders of
By MICHAEL WARDLAW The busy season is here in rural real estate! Buyers who have leased hunting ground for the past few years are tired of leasing, ready to buy a farm and are on the prowl. Sellers who just wrapped up one last hunting season on the farm are now willing to move on to other things. Not to mention this is the best time of year to walk hunting properties because, if whitetails call a tract home, the sign is easy to spot. This year, as this active time of year approaches, the market in Missouri and Illinois could be considered a seller’s market. Allow me to explain. The economics classes you took in school are front and center as the law of Supply and Demand kicks in. Supply is down while demand increases, and
the dark continent. There was also time to read, and for deep, critical thinking, during the long hours tracking elephant and buffalo – with nothing to do on the track but think and walk. All of these things, and more, allowed Africa to change my life. HOLDING A FORK Today, I hold the fork in my left hand and the knife in my right. That’s the proper way to hold them when dining, and it’s something we’ve seen everywhere we’ve been in Africa. Serving the ladies first, eldest to youngest, and then the gentlemen creates a bit more order around the dining table. Waiting until the eldest lady has started her soup,
The author catches up on some reading while on safari in Africa.
entrée or dessert is something our family practices at home and everywhere we go. Africa gave me an entirely new way to think about dining. Coming to understand the courtesy, the passion, the patience, the work ethic, the fitness and the courage of the many professional hunters we’ve hunted with taught me to expect more of myself than I might have otherwise expected. Who wouldn’t want all of those attributes? The natural world of Africa includes some interesting trees, plants and animals, along with spectacular sunsets and awesome views of the moon and stars. One cannot help but spend more time appreciating and thinking about nature.
AFRICA’S LESSONS Wildlife conservation is constantly at war with encroaching civilization and poaching in Africa – and we’re losing the war – but wildlife conservation in the United States is something to be proud of and to vigorously continue to support. Earning the respect of others and developing a high level of confidence are two of the most basic characteristics of leadership. Hunting dangerous game in Africa and developing a larger perspective of the world have been instrumental in my development as a leader – further changing my life. Larry Potterfield is the founder and CEO of MidwayUSA.
What to Do in a Seller’s Market
that equals an increase in price. Right now, there are significantly more buyers in the market for farms than there are landowners willing to part with their cherished ground. FOR BUYERS… I am personally working with six clients who are searching for the right farm and cannot seem to find what they are looking for. Thus, this is a seller’s market. Now before you start thinking, “I’m not going to buy now because I can’t get a great deal,” consider a couple of things. First, when the demand is high and sellers can command top dollar for their farm is when many of the really good farms hit the market. These are turnkey farms that have been managed and cared for over the years and really don’t have to be sold, but it makes good financial sense for the seller… so they put
them on the market. Secondly, when you consider the cost of borrowing money is likely to go up in the coming months, a buyer could be better off paying a premium for the land and locking in at a solid rate today versus getting a better deal on the land next year at a higher rate. FOR SELLERS… Now, a few words for sellers… Just because the market is leaning toward the selling side of the equation does not give sellers a proverbial “license to steal.” Landowners should not ask a ridiculous price and expect to sell their land. What it does mean is there will be demand for your property. This will allow sellers to market their farms at the upper end of market value and expect to hold reasonably firm on the asking price. A word to the wise … buy-
ers are not stupid. Paying a premium for a great farm is not the same as over-paying. Buyers are better educated, moreso now than any other time previously, and that means they know what your ground is worth, and overpaying typically is not part of the plan. The great news for sellers is
this: If you seriously want to sell your farm for top dollar, you have an opportunity to do that right now. Properties that are correctly priced on the upper end of market value will get action. Do your homework, work with a good agent and know what your farm is worth in the current market. If you need help in de-
termining the value of your property, email Mwardlaw@ trophypa.com. This isn’t a sales pitch. I am here to offer my thoughts on your property, no matter where it is. I enjoy working with landowners and helping them make good decisions with their properties to maximize the benefits for their families.
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Outdoor Guide
January-February, 2018
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