Outdoor Guide Magazine July-August 2023

Ruben Perez is an idiot, and the bad part is that he is not unique. I have been wanting to write about Ruben since I took a trip to Rocky Mountain National Park last year, but I’ve been sticking to more local issues.

I have never met the man who has offended me so significantly, and I am certain there are other Ruben Perezes in the country to whom I apologize for my abrupt assessment. I’m sure there are people who do not hold me in high regard, and I hate to think other John Winkelmans may be misjudged because of me.

But I am certain that the aforementioned Mr. Perez is a selfish jerk, and he has company. Ruben carved his name into the white bark of one of the signature aspen trees at

Defacing property is criminal, and it can really hurt

the wildlife, ignite wildfires, and whittle the woodlands for their own satisfaction are all criminals.

THE BIG TREE

Rocky Mountain National. His handiwork stands out among the destruction because he used his full name, while many others proudly defaced the pristine nature of the national park with only their initials.

Many may consider the vandalism a minor infraction. Obviously there are a lot of people who commit the crime. There are millions of aspens in the national park and throughout the Colorado range, so why worry about a few getting knifed on along the trails. The thousands of hikers who compact the soil around the trees may be doing even more damage.

On the contrary, those who take only pictures and leave only footprints are much better stewards of the public resource. People who leave their litter, pick the wildflowers, poach

Aside from evidence of those obvious transgressions, everything else about our visit was awesome. Ruben and his ilk could not ruin the trip. From the highest peaks of the continental United States to the falls and streams that flow with pristine waters, Rocky Mountain National is a true treasure. Abundant wildlife navigate the unspoiled parts of the wilderness, while roads and trails allow access to visitors of all capabilities.

I was reminded of Ruben and the Rockies recently when I went to visit another natural wonder a little closer to home. With nothing else in its vicinity, the state’s largest bur oak tree stands sentry amid the vast Missouri River bottomlands southwest of Columbia. For about 400 years it has been witness to history, and now it attracts attention from motor-

ists who drive under its large shadow.

The National Park Service recognizes it as a landmark along the Lewis and Clark Historic Trail. It wasn’t as big when Meriwether and William passed it 200-plus years ago, but “The Big Tree” was part of the landscape as the Corps of Discovery worked their way west.

An NPS release lists the tree’s circumference at 287

inches. It is about 90 feet tall with a 130-foot spread. “It would take four full-grown men to be able to wrap their arms around the trunk,” it states.

THE PERILS OF PAINT

The tree has survived storms, floods, droughts, lightning strikes and fire, but its biggest scar is the damage done by vandals who spray-painted it with vulgarities and slurs among other lettering. The paint has

the potential to complicate the tree’s ability to absorb carbon dioxide and expel oxygen, but using chemicals to clean the graffiti off would be more dangerous for the tree.

According to a story from the Columbia Missourian online, the vandalism took place in 2016. The recommendation at the time was to let time allow the paint to fade, but in 2023 the damage is still obvious and ugly. I took pictures of the mess, but the offending words are still legible. The photo from across the road still looks majestic.

Ruben Perez is an idiot for carving his full name into a national park tree, but that term doesn’t adequately describe whoever is responsible for the defacing an historic landmark that has stoically and solidly stood the test of time and then some.

John Winkelman is Associate Editor for Outdoor Guide Magazine. If you have story ideas to share, e-mail ogmjohnw@aol.com, and you can find more outdoor news and updates at johnjwink.com.

CLEAR YOUR SCHEDULE. GET TO PULASKI COUNTY, MO!

Sometimes a change of scenery is all you need to clear your head and gain a fresh perspective. ankfully, our quiet shores – located in the heart of the Ozarks on Route 66 – never disappoint. With over 100 miles of clear waters, your whole family will love our unhurried pace and breathtaking views. From laid-back float trips and historic walking trails to first-class fishing holes, it’s all here for you to explore!

Plan your trip at pulaskicountyusa.com.

DEVILS ELBOW

Carving your initials – or full name – into a tree in a national park may be common, but it is no less wrong. – MDC photos.

What do good guides do?

are biting.

They make the trip more about the people who hire them than their own abilities.

THE OTHER ONES

GUN SHOW SCHEDULE!

July 21-22-23

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July 29-30

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Sept 15-16-17

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October 6-7-8

Steel Shop Athletics St. Charles, MO

October 20-21-22

STL Athletic Center Fenton MO

December 8-9-10

Steel Shop Athletics • St. Charles MO

FOR SHOW TIMES AND DETAILS

CALL 610-GUN-SHOW or visit bkpromotions.us

By BRENT FRAZEE

I remember an old fisherman who obviously would have flunked Dale Carnegie’s course, “How to Win Friends and Influence People.”

To put it simply, he was obnoxious. He would show up at the marina and boast to anyone who would listen. He bragged about any and every thing.

“I can catch a 5-pound bass on this lake any time I go out,” he said.

When someone would come in, excited about catching his personal best bass, he would deflate them by saying, “There are a lot bigger fish in here.”

He would constantly argue with others about the best lures or patterns to use. And he ridiculed others when they came in and admitted they had only caught a few fish that day.

WHY NOT GO PRO?

It was all I could do to keep from laughing when a few brave souls got sick of his boasting and said, “If you’re that good, why don’t you go pro?”

He had an excuse, of course. “I’m just too busy with my job to spend all that time on the road.”

It got to the point where people, myself included, would avoid him when he would come in.

In a way, though, he taught me an important lesson. Nobody likes a braggart. In fishing, it’s put up or shut up.

A pro I once interviewed told me an amusing story about a fellow competitor who would always brag about catching the heck out of bass during practice and how he was a lock to win the tournament. Curiously, that guy would never catch fish once it counted, and he finished far down the list in the final standings.

Don’t be that guy.

golden rules about winning friends and influencing others. “What does that have to do with fishing?” you might ask.

But examining his list of 30 principles could help you become a better angler by making friends and getting help rather than disdain from others.

A few of his suggestions struck home for me:

• Don’t criticize, condemn or complain.

• Become genuinely interested in other people.

• Be a good listener; encourage others to talk about themselves.

• Make the other person feel important – and do it sincerely.

• Know that the only way to get the best of an argument is to avoid it.

• Praise

• Use encouragement. Make the fault seem easy to correct.

WHAT TOP GUIDES DO

Some of the best guides I have met indirectly followed these suggestions.

They praise others and make a big deal over the success of their clients. They make them feel important.

They are good listeners. They want to learn more about the person at the other end of the boat.

They always let their clients take the first cast at good-looking spots, and often don’t fish at all when the bass or crappies

Conversely, I’ve seen guides who act selfishly, like their goal is to catch fish themselves rather than put their clients first. They communicate little with the novice fishermen in the boat, figuring they could learn by following the guides’ example.

They end up catching many fish, hitting most of the best spots themselves. Their clients don’t fare as well and leave frustrated.

I remember one guide who likened guiding to babysitting. “What a terrible attitude,” I thought.

He’s not in business anymore.

I try to remember these things when I take others out on the lake I live on. I get to fish whenever I want; they get to fish on this private lake only when invited. My goal isn’t to show off and catch as many bass or crappies as I can. My goal is for them to have one of the best trips of their lives. It doesn’t always work out that way, of course. But I would much rather see them catch a big bass than do it myself.

Brent Frazee is an award-winning writer and photographer from Parkville, Mo., a suburb of Kansas City. He spent 36 years as the outdoors editor of The Kansas City Star before retiring in 2016. He continues to freelance for magazines, websites and newspapers.

I go back to Carnegie’s

A perfect place for families

Onondaga, a great park in Missouri

By BILL COOPER

After Memorial Day weekend, the beginning of the summer outdoor season in the Ozarks, campgrounds bulge at the seams with thousands of people and families anxious to get into the outdoors and have a good time.

Onondaga State Park near Leasburg, MO, was no exception on our recent visit. The park was near capacity as people came from far and wide to enjoy the beauty of this outstanding state park.

Four of my grandkids and I chose to wait out the crowds. We arrived on late Tuesday afternoon, the day after the Monday holiday. What had been a park full of people was now virtually abandoned. Less than half a dozen campers dot-

ted the beautiful campground, which stretches out hundreds of yards in a narrow valley bordered by a small creek and high oak-hickory studded ridges on each side.

RESERVED SHADE?

Towering oaks shaded most campsites as we pulled into our chosen campsite. I had reserved our campsite online a few days previously. Site descriptions included information about whether any given site was shaded. Ours was said to be shaded. However, when we arrived at 3 p.m. it was fully exposed to the sun. I could see, however, that as the sun continued to rotate we would soon be in the shade once again. With temperatures in the mid-80s, the concrete slab where we parked our camper radiated the warmth. I broke

a sweat setting up camp, but it was a mild inconvenience to be able to enjoy the beauty and quietness of the outdoors.

The kids hopped on their bicycles and began riding around the well laid-out campground. They met other bicyclists along the way, often stopping to chat and visit. Meeting like-minded kids is always an important part of the camping experience in Missouri’s state parks. And it is a thrill for me to see children enjoying the outdoors, having fun and gaining some much-needed exercise.

SET THE GADGETS DOWN

My grandchildren love their electronics just like most other kids in our society today. However, I’m pleased that they are not so wrapped up in electronic devices that they must have

July-August 2023

GUIDE

them in hand practically ever hour of every day.

The use of electronics by our nation’s children is a major concern of the medical profession and others. Dr. Richard Louv, of Kansas City, predicted this onslaught of interest in electronics over two decades ago. His book, ‘Last Child in the Woods,’ discussed a group of symptoms in our children that he called nature deficit disorder. Included in the symptoms were the effects of too much time spent on electronic devices.

With the state of our society today, many parents who live in the cities and suburbs do not allow their children to play outside to the extent that they were allowed in their own childhoods. The play area of children several decades ago included several blocks. Now parents are reluctant to allow their children to play on their own in their own backyards. The impact on our children’s physical and mental well-being is substantial. The United States is now the second most obese population in the world and mental issues are at an all time high.

TIME OUTDOORS

Simply said, spending time in the outdoors enjoying nature is good for us. It is such an understood fact today, that some insurance companies pay on claims to help get patients into the outdoors.

For most of our U.S. population, there are parks and open areas within a short distance of home. In Missouri, we are particularly fortunate. We have one of the best state park systems in the nation and a highly ranked conservation department. As citizens we pay sales tax to support both institutions. The result is that we have an abundance of beautiful, well-maintained parks and conservation areas for people to enjoy.

The kids and I loaded into the truck to take a tour around the park. Not far below Onondaga Cave is the Meramec River. Just below the nearest ridge is a natural slough area fed by seep springs. With the surrounding short grass areas, it is the perfect habitat for Canada geese.

We observed several dozen wild geese and their gosling families. We paused several times to watch the goose babies graze on the grassy areas in the

park. The young goslings were voracious feeders. It is one of the true marvels of nature at how fast these birds grow. It’s hard to believe that some of the survivors will migrate with their parents this fall. Others will remain in the area as local residents.

We also saw a beautifully colored wood duck with her clutch of five babies. These incredible birds nest in hollow trees 40 to 70 feet up. As soon as the ducklings hatch, they use their sharp toenails to climb to the cavity opening. They hurl themselves into the air and tumble head over heal to the ground. They bounce like rubber balls and immediately begin a dangerous journey to the nearest water source. They are extremely vulnerable to predators during this precarious journey.

TIME FOR PORK STEAK

Evening came quickly and the kids and I gathered around a campfire to enjoy a pork steak dinner followed by the usual tradition of roasting marshmallow. It’s a special kind of pleasure to watch children enjoy one another’s company around a campfire. They laugh and giggle and poke fun at one another. It’s time well spent,

and memories are being made that will last a lifetime.

I’m typing this article on my laptop at daybreak the following morning. I’m trying to complete it before the kids awake and give me grief about being on my electronics.

I’ll soon begin cooking a breakfast of sausage, pancakes and scrambled eggs. The hearty breakfast will fuel our day’s activities. We plan to tour Onandaga Cave, then head over to Courtois Creek for an afternoon of swimming and paying in the sand. There is nothing quite like enjoying the outdoors with your grandchildren.

Photo and Text

Jaryd Cooper and Abel Decker enjoy roasting marshmallows over the campfire.

Onandaga Cave

Clearwater Lake & Webb Creek Park – Hwy H

–Bring the family to camp, boat, fish, and unwind on crystal clear Clearwater Lake. This area of the lake is formed where Webb Creek and Logan Creek empty into Clearwater Lake. The lake is known for its crappie, catfish and bass fishing. Camping is available at Webb Creek Recreation Park; plus a full service marina with boat/wave runner rentals on site. Webb Creek Park features over 40 campsites, swim beach, playground, showers, picnic pavilions, boat launch, and more. Services are limited after mid-September but camping is still permitted. Call Webb Creek Marina at 573-461-2344 for marina, boat rental and campsite information or visit www.recreation.gov to make reservations. If you are interested in all the conveniences of home call Webb Creek Cabins for cabin rentals, 573-461-2244.

Black River and K Bridge Recreation Area – K Hwy – Float, canoe, fish and explore the beautiful Black River. Enjoy swimming, camping and picnicking right on the banks of the Black River. K Bridge Recreation Area and Campground offers playground, showers, electric and comfort station, visit www. recreation.gov to make reservations. Floats (raft or canoe) can be arranged on site by calling Jeff’s Canoe Rental at 573-598-4555. A small general store is also available on site.

Current River & Log Yard Gravel Bar – Hwy 106 to HH Highway- Fish, swim, camp and relax on majestic Current River. Great place to explore Current River. This area is often referred to as Cardareva by locals and is a favorite summer hangout. Primitive camping is available right on the river bank, camping is also available at the nearby School Yard with picnic tables, lantern hooks and fire pits. These sites are available on a first come basis. Bring your canoes, rafts and kayaks; a perfect day float….Powder Mill to Log Yard. Boat launch available. Powder Mill Recreation Area and Campground re-opened. Camping available with views of the Current River. Picnic table, firepit & lantern hook available at each site, reservations not available. Water/elect not provided.

Current River, Blue Spring & Powder Mill

Recreation Area – Hwy 106 near Current River bridge Powder Mill reopened summer 2020. Camping is available with views of the river, picnic tables, fire pit and lantern hook. Reservations are not available. Powder Mill is a perfect camp base for day trips to area attractions like Blue Spring, Rocky Falls, Peck Ranch, Johnson Shut-Ins, Elephant Rocks and more. Wild horses are often seen in the fields near the bridge. The Ozarks offers countless options for family adventure.

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

Current River Conservation Area –Consists of 28,000 acres of state land. Deer, turkey, eagles, elk and a multitude of wildlife can be seen. UTV’s, ATV’s and vehicle traffic are welcome on miles of gravel roads and trails that wind through some 60+ food plots. Buford Pond, Missouri’s first fire tower, a 1926 log cabin and an earthen Fort Barnesville can all be found here. Buford Pond provides fishing and picnicking and is a favorite location of all. For hunting enthusiasts an unstaffed rifle and archery range are provided.

Current River Conservation Area is home to the Missouri Ozark Ecosystem Project, the world’s most comprehensive forest management study. This 100 year project spans over 9,000 acres.

Main park entrance located on South Road in Ellington, other entrances located off Hwy 106 and HH highway. Primitive camping is available. Elk viewing and maps of the area are available at the main park entrance.

Local Flavor – While in town you won’t want to miss the Reynolds County Museum. This Museum is filled with relicts from days gone by and the rich history of the Ozarks. Volunteers staff the establishment and are happy to answer questions; Open March-November, Tues-Fri, 10-4 or by appointment. Call 573-663-3233 for more information. Want some nostalgia from a couple decades back; how about a drive in movie? One of only a few drive-ins left in the Midwest is located just south of Ellington on highway 21. 21 Drive-In opens in May with summer family favorites and offers movie events into the fall including Halloween and Christmas.

Scenic Highway 106 - This 26 mile drive between Ellington and Eminence is known state wide for its scenic views and beauty, and is especially a favorite in the fall. This section of highway is also home to the Trans-America Trail and sees many bicycle travelers from April-October. Bicycle enthusiasts say it’s one of the “toughest sections on the trail” and known for the steep hills & hollers.

Blair Creek- Hwy 106 – This area is a favorite of the local’s spring, summer and fall. For the person who is looking for the unknown, adventure into the wild Ozark hills for the beautiful views, caves, swimming, picnicking. Here riding the back roads in ATV’s, UTV’s and 4-wheel drives is exciting and fun. Entrance located North of Hwy 106 across from Blue Spring entrance.

Ozark Trail- Hwy 106- Blair Creek & Current River section; Hwy 106 – Whether you are looking for a one day hike or want to make a few days of it; hiking these sections of the Ozark Trail is rewarding and adventurous. Such splendid locations as Rocky Falls, Klepzig Mill and Buzzard Mountain Shut-Ins are located right on the trail. For the adventurous visitor this is a must!

Peck Ranch- H Highway, Shannon County- Listen for the bugle this fall! Elk are now roaming the hills of the Ozarks and can be seen in Peck Ranch, Current River Conservation Area and the surrounding region. Thanks to the Missouri Department of Conservation’s recent Elk Restoration Program elk were released into the elk zone beginning in the summer of 2011. With the third release the summer of 2013 the elk herd is nearing 200 bulls, cows and calves. Peck Ranch is open from sunrise/sunset daily and offers a driving tour. Bugling occurs in the fall, Sept-Nov. Check the Missouri Dept of Conservation website for park closing details. Maps are available at park entrance.

Webb Creek Marina

Klepzig Mill

Blair Creek Reynolds Co Museum

Recovering Wildlife Act is still needed

By BRANDON BUTLER

The Recovering America’s Wildlife Act (RAWA) is bipartisan legislation that if passed, will dedicate $1.3 billion annually to state fish and wildlife agencies and an additional $97.5 million for tribal fish and wildlife management.

The funds will be used to conserve fish and wildlife through science-based wildlife action plans.

conservationist leading the way in Washington DC. He walks the walk.

“Over the past few years, the outdoors have proven to be a real uniting force in Congress,” Heinrich said. “I’m proud of the momentum and widespread bipartisan support we built with Senator Blunt this past Congress, and I look forward to doing the same with Senator Tillis as we work to move this bill across the finish line.

The Life Outdoors

Uncle Bud was one great fly fisherman

BY RICHARD W. AITES

Editorial

During the last session of Congress, RAWA passed the House of Representatives but failed to make it across the finish line in the Senate. Reports from polling and public opinion research indicate broad bipartisan political support for passage of this bill remains. U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich, D-New Mexico, carried the legislation in the past along with now-retired Missouri Sen. Roy Blunt.

On this go-round, Sen. Thom Tillis, R-North Carolina, is sponsoring the legislation with Heinrich.

The Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (AFWA) serves as the collective voice of state, provincial and territorial fish and wildlife agencies. The organization issued a press release acknowledging the advancement of the act and their support for its final passage.

“The Recovering America’s Wildlife Act is a transformational bill that will give state fish and wildlife agencies the sustainable resources needed and will empower local stakeholders to work together with states to implement the wildlife action plans they’ve had in place for years,” said Ron Regan, AFWA executive director. “We know what needs to be done on the ground for wildlife – and that it takes time and dedicated funding to achieve it. That is why this bill is so critically needed.”

LIFE AND DEATH ISSUE

Funding for fish and wildlife conservation is truly a matter of life and death. Not necessarily so for us, at least not in the short term, but for thousands of species, some you’ve likely never heard of, facing dire circumstances. The prairie chickens and monarch butterflies are just two examples.

“The need for the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act is indisputable and the urgency never greater,” said Curt Melcher, director of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and president of the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies.

“This is common sense, collaborative conservation, and it is widely supported by a growing and diverse national coalition. We applaud Senators Heinrich and Tillis for their leadership and perseverance and stand ready to assist them in passing this bill for our fish and wildlife and for future generations,” Melcher said.

Senator Heinrich is an undisputed champion of wildlife conservation. I have actually eaten dinner at his home in Albuquerque. where he made myself and Jesse Duebel, executive director of the New Mexico Wildlife Federation, a stew made with caribou meat from a hunt in Alaska. In Heinrich we have a true

“Without enough resources, state and tribal wildlife agencies have been forced to pick and choose which species are worth saving. Instead of doing the pro-active work that is necessary to maintain healthy wildlife populations on the front end, they have been forced into using reactive measures to rescue species after they are listed as threatened or endangered. We urgently need to change this paradigm and save thousands of species with a solution that matches the magnitude of the challenge.”

Heinrich added, “The Recovering America’s Wildlife Act offers us a constructive path forward. Passing RAWA into law will mean our grandchildren will be able to experience the same rich and abundant American wildlife – from bumblebees to bison – that we have been so lucky to grow up with.”

THE NEXT MAN UP

With Sen. Blunt’s retirement, we lost a strong advocate for wildlife. His friendship with Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris helped drive legislative action. But thankfully, we have the next man up in Sen. Tillis, who represents North Carolina, another state rich in outdoor heritage.

Said Tillis: “Congress has a long history of being champions of conservation efforts in the U.S. to protect our unmatched landscape and wildlife population. Today, we are facing another crisis, with too many fish and wildlife being placed on the endangered species list, negatively impacting businesses, farmers and landowners.

“This situation must be avoided at all costs, and RAWA gives state and tribal wildlife commissions the tools needed to perform pro-active, on-the-ground conservation to prevent threatened species from becoming endangered.

“This is the first step in a long road to build consensus, and I look forward to partnering with Sen. Heinrich and my colleagues in Congress to work on this legislation so we can avoid those situations and keep more fish and wildlife off the endangered species list, saving tens of millions of dollars in compliance costs for Americans, and protecting our country’s rich natural resources.”

A MONUMENTAL EFFORT

The significance of RAWA is monumental. Without a serious influx of funding for critical fish and wildlife work, we will continue to lose species to extinction. If you care about fish and wildlife, and the overall health of our natural environment, take a moment to contact the offices of your congressmen and senators, and ask them to support RAWA.

See more of Brandon Butler’s writing at DriftwoodOutdoors or go to the podcast at www.driftwoodoutdoors.com.

My uncle, Charles Henry Ossenfort, served 30 years with the Chesterfield, Mo. fire department. His siblings (my mother included) called him “Buddy” from a very young age. This later led to his nieces and nephews referring to him as “Uncle Bud.”

Around town and at the fire station, friends, neighbors, and other fire fighters called him “Chuck.”

As far back as I can remember, my Uncle Bud enjoyed fishing. During my grammar school days (before my family moved to Pennsylvania) he’d take me along with his own sons to the Meramec River, not far from their Eureka home. Most of the fish we caught were considered trash fish, but as a kid, landing a 4- or 5-lb.freshwater drum or carp was a lot of fun.

Around the time of his retirement in 2001, Uncle Bud developed a passion for fly fishing, so much so that every spring he’d travel up into Canada to fish for smallmouth bass, northern pike and walleye with his fly tackle. He once told me how much he enjoyed the shore lunches the guides served up from the walleye the fishermen caught earlier in the morning. Hell, I didn’t even know you could catch a walleye on a fly!

Yet from what I’ve learned over the years, Uncle Bud could catch anything on fly tackle. He became so passionate about fly fishing that he began tying his own flies, and he got so good at it, that he landed a retirement job tying flies for Feather-Craft Fly Fishing in Brentwood.

RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT

In 1990, following my military service, I moved back to the St. Louis area, where I reconnected with Uncle Bud and his family. It was around the time of his retirement (2001) when I rented the movie, “A River Runs Through It,” starring Brad Pitt and Tom Skerritt. Shortly after viewing the film, I too caught the fly fishing bug.

I remember receiving a $100 Bass Pro Shop gift card the following Christmas, and shortly thereafter had my Uncle Bud accompany me to the St. Charles store to shop for a fly rod. Not knowing anything about fly rods, I needed his expertise in selecting the right one.

After purchasing one, we drove to my parents’ place, where we spent the next couple of hours in the large, vacant lot next to their house. This is where my Uncle Bud taught me how to fly cast.

A few weeks later, he gifted me a dozen or so wet and dry flies that he tied himself. Yet, like a mild case of the flu, I got over the bug nearly as quickly as I had caught it.

During one outing of fly-fishing at the August Busch Conservation Area, I landed several bluegills, a couple of small bass, and a 24-inch channel catfish. But I soon lost interest –when I realized that I didn’t enjoy fishing nearly as much as I had in my adolescence. I guess I’m more of a hunter now than a fisherman. And now that ole’ fly rod rests in the rafters of my garage, collecting dust and cobwebs.

GOOD MAN, BIG HEART

During his fire-fighting days in the 80’s and

90’s, Uncle Bud took part in charity events around St. Louis. In particular, he helped raise money for the local Shriners Hospital, where he’d dress up as a quirky clown and buzz around the streets in a go-cart during the parades. I can still recall, as a kid, admiring the paintings of clowns hanging on the walls of his Eureka home.

Of course, this was before the latest version of Stephen King’s IT, when clowns weren’t so terrifying.

For several years, he also drove a bus (as a volunteer) to transport elderly citizens around his hometown of Eureka for shopping and recreational activities. In December, 1998, shortly after my first-born son was admitted into the NICU at Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital, my Uncle Bud and Aunt Janice visited me and my wife to show their support.

Being a brand new father, I was deeply depressed about our newborn’s dire condition, but Uncle Bud comforted me by simply implying that my son would be all right. The confidence and reassurance in his face and voice made all the difference in the world to us. And less than a month later, our son left Cardinal Glennon a healthy baby boy.

FISHING INTO HIS LATE 70s

As recently as five years ago, and nearing 80, my Uncle Bud was still fly fishing the Meramec River near his Eureka home. Much of it was done from a kayak. About a decade ago, on one nice Thanksgiving morning, we decided to do a little fishing at a local stock pond that was only open to residents and their relatives. Because of the holiday, we pretty much had the place to ourselves.

While my brother and I baited our hooks with worms and minnows, Uncle Bud broke out the fly rod and put us to shame by the number of bass and blue-gills he landed using his homemade flies. It was also the first time I’d ever witnessed a “roll cast.”

Sadly, just before the COVID pandemic started, a serious medical condition and declining health ended his fishing days. This past June 1, a few days before his 84th birthday, my Uncle Bud peacefully passed away. In the coming weeks, I plan on blowing the dust off my ole’ fly rod and heading to the Meramec to honor one hell of a fly fisherman, and more importantly, one hell of a man.

Photo and Text

Uncle Bud Ossenfort with the twins

Prepper’s Guide Starting fires in emergencies

Photos and Text

By DAVID HOSKING

Previous Pepper’s Guide articles have discussed why emergency preparedness is important and some of the steps that one can take for emergency readiness.

For this article, I thought it would be fun to look at primitive fire-making methods for when your matches are wet, butane lighters don’t work, and you have no other modern way to make a fire in your fireplace or campsite.

IMPRESS YOUR KIDS

This is also a great way to impress your kids with your skills as a wannabee Grizzly Adams mountain man. Before friction matches

(e.g. strike-anywhere wooden matches) were invented in the early 1800s, lighting a fire, or even a candle, was difficult.

In early times, pioneer homes and every mountain man, trapper, and soldier carried a tinder box containing a flint, a steel striker and tinder. To start a fire, they would strike a hand-held bar of steel against a piece of stone flint to create sparks that ignited the tinder.

When the tinder started to smolder, they would gently blow on it to keep it going and then they placed it under some very small twigs, which would begin to burn. Gradually, larger pieces of kindling were added to make a heartwarming campfire.

Before starting the process, it was critical to gather together all components, such as tinder, shavings, kindling and firewood, and to have them readily on hand throughout the process.

A traditional steel striker works best with a piece of stone flint. This combination

has been used since days of old, and the steel’s bent shape prevents injury to your knuckles when striking the flint. This kit was very convenient because the flint, striker and tinder were small enough to carry in a pocket-size leather bag or tinder box.

or scraped with steel, such as the backbone of a carbon alloy knife blade (stainless steel knives don’t work), it produces many sparks that can quickly ignite tinder.

A more modern replacement for the stone flint is a Ferro rod made of an iron-cerium alloy and only a few inches long, available today for very little money on Amazon or eBay. When struck

Another option is a short magnesium block with an embedded Ferro rod. A knife is used to shave off flakes of magnesium onto the tinder, and then the Ferro is struck with a piece of steel (e.g. knife) to produce sparks onto the magnesium shavings and tinder; the magnesium will erupt into an intense flame.

This is my favorite fire starter, but instead of a knife, I attach a short section of a broken hacksaw blade to the block with a string. I detach the blade and then use the serrated saw blade to shave off magnesium tailings onto the tinder and then strike the Ferro rod with the back of the hacksaw blade.

This fire starter combo works exceptionally well even under wet conditions, and a magnesium fire starter bar costs only about $2 or $3.

Many kinds of tinder can be used, and I thought it would be fun to experiment with several, including a mouse nest, shavings of cedar bark, lint from a clothes dryer, pure cotton balls soaked in melted Vaseline, and char cloth.

I tested these five types using sparks from a Ferro rod and knife:

• Tinder from a mouse nest ignited quickly and burned long enough to kindle small twigs.

• Tinder from cedar bark shavings was difficult to ignite with sparks from the Ferro rod but eventually caught fire after further shredding the bark into tiny pieces.

• Tinder made of clothes dryer lint was very effective. It caught fire almost immediately and burned with a strong flame and for long enough to ignite the twigs. Note that lint made from polyester or other manmade fabric will likely just melt instead of burn.

• A Vaseline-soaked cotton ball offers the best tinder that will work under wet conditions and provides a long-lasting hot flame. These balls can be squished into wafers and a dozen or more can be carried

in a pill bottle. From personal experience, these work best with magnesium shavings and a Ferro rod.

• The sparks on char cloth produced only small glowing embers, but blowing on them was sufficient to ignite twigs and kindling.

Char cloth is the time-tested tinder carried by nearly all early pioneers and frontiersmen. It is made by heating small pieces of cotton fabric in a metal can until the fabric converts to carbon.I cut pieces from an old cotton T-shirt, placed them in a shallow can with a small hole in the top, and then heated the contents over a hot flame. A flame will spew from the small hole for a short time, and when it stops the process is finished. Let the can cool before opening it, and then you’ll find blackened pieces of tinder.

FINAL WORDS

Kits like these are easy to assemble and every home, gobag, get-home bag and camper should have one. Frankly, these are fun to use, and your fire-starting skills using primitive means will likely impress your kids on your next camping trip.

State offers prescribed burn workshop July 6

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) will offer a free prescribed burn workshop from 1 to 5 p.m. on Thursday, July 6, at the Nodaway Valley Conservation Area east of Mound City in northwest Missouri.

Prescribed fire can help landowners reduce unwanted vegetation, and the burns can boost native grasses and wildflowers that enhance wildlife habitat. Prescribed burns can also be used to

improve forage conditions in grazing or haying pastures.

Once registered for the workshop, participants will receive an email from instructors with links to an online course that must be completed before attending the workshop. The combined online and in-person sessions will give participants the knowledge they need to safely conduct prescribed burns on private land.

Instructors will provide

information on how to plan a burn, neighborhood burn co-ops, equipment, weather conditions, and safety. All ages are welcome. If weather permits, a demonstration burn will be conducted. Participants should have leather boots, leather gloves, and wear all-cotton clothing. Bandannas are also helpful. Registration is required.

To register, visit https:// short.mdc.mo.gov/4Pg .

Claudette’s Kitchen

Photo and Text by CLAUDETTE ROPER

As I sit and write, I’m only a few steps away from a remarkable view of the Colorado Rockies. It has not inspired my writing, but the breath-taking view never grows old, regardless of how often I visit.

What being here is teaching me is not about cooking, but about life. My uncle passed away in December, and now my aunt and I are preparing for her move to a retirement apartment. At almost 93 years old, she is still tending to her home, the landscaping, the fruit trees and the vegetable garden. She impresses and inspires me.

One of her most-repeated phrases lately has been, “I didn’t know that I had so much stuff.” In a home with lots of storage, it’s easy to accumulate too much over 63 years. Divesting oneself of it is not as easy.

THE THRIFT STORE

Where are we going with this? Potentially, we could go many directions. For starters, it has encouraged me to know that I have been doing the right thing over the past few years by making regular trips to the thrift store with my “treasures.”

Secondly, it has helped me put some things into perspective. Who really wants to look at your slides from a trip to Mexico? The scenery is gorgeous, but you can find that online or better yet, go see it for yourself.

When she had me dump literally thousands of slides into the trash can, I swallowed hard and my heart skipped a beat.

Now before anyone gets up in arms (can we still say that?), she had already sorted through all the old prints with photos of family members and friends.

She didn’t dump everything, but what is left will go to me, and then what?

Thirdly, we removed a lot of unused or seldom-used kitchen gadgets, pots and pans and sundry items.

even with all of those out of the kitchen.

BACK TO THE KITCHEN

Now for a quick step back to me and my kitchen. I have resisted the purchase of an air fryer since they came out.Avisit to a son and daughter-in-law changed my mind. Whether it was chicken or asparagus, grilled cheese or warming leftovers, it came out perfectly!

All of you know what a tightwad I am. After Googling air fryers, it didn’t seem like such a great idea. On the other hand, with being alone, a smaller model would be great for me, and in the summer heat, it could replace my oven.

Since Mountain Man was the griller in the family, I could actually use the air fryer in place of the grill and feel at ease with it.

You guessed it, I talked myself into it. Thankfully my aunt – the bargain-finder extraordinaire – found a used one online, and of all places it was in Colorado and not far away.

Aside from the ridiculously low price, it was rather exciting to know it was the head chef of the Colorado Avalanche who sold it to her. Instead of getting packed away for the trip home, it has been getting used like crazy and with impressive results.

HOMEMADE IS BEST

While here, a lovely Mexican family across the street confirmed my belief that homemade salsa is best when at least the peppers and even the tomatoes are roasted first. The caramelization adds so much flavor, which benefits many other dishes, not just salsa.

Considering the hot weather when tomatoes and peppers ripen in the garden, the thought

of turning on the oven after coming in all hot and yucky is repulsive. Hello air fryer!

The guides I used for time and temperature can be found here:

• https://bitesofwellness.com/ air-fryer-roasted-peppers/

• https://www.momknowsbest. net/2020/08/roasted-tomatoes-made-in-air-fryer.html

Unlike the instructions on the website, I prefer to place peppers in a paper bag and roll the top down to hold in the steam for 10 minutes.

The recipe here is based on one that I use for canning. It is scaled down and slightly changed for making fresh salsa. I also learned from the neighbors that when making fresh, you can throw the peeled and seeded tomatoes, peppers and onions, etc. into a blender or food processor without chopping them first.

For canning, I still prefer to chop by hand to maintain chunks after the canning process.

PEACH SALSA

1 cup tomatoes, seeded and chopped

1 cup peppers, seeded and chopped

1 1/2 cups onions, chopped

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/4 cup lime juice

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 teaspoons cumin

4 teaspoons oregano

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/8 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

1 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar

Pinch of habanero powder (about 1/32 teaspoon or to taste)

1 cup peaches, chopped

Combine all ingredients and serve.

We’re still cooking delicious meals without any feeling of inconvenience, Peaches are great for warm-weather salsa.

The importance of RV slide inspections

By JESSICA RIDER

Recently I was at an RV industry event, chatting with some suppliers about the evolution of RV’s and about how often manufacturers are cutting holes into the sides of rigs these days.

I listened intently as the discussion turned on whether the integrity of the RV structure is damaged the more you cut into it. As a consumer, I love that my RV has four slides that open up

to so much more space, but as a mobile RV technician, slide issues are the second-highest complaint call we get.

The beauty of slides in our RV’s is that we do get so much more livable space, which allows for more comfort and in some cases for full-time RV’ers, a more “at home” feeling. It gives us the opportunity to have more people join us on our adventures, creating lasting memories.

Take Aim at the Summer

On one trip we had six adults and four kids in our RV for a weekend trip, thanks to the space that our slide-outs provided. They really do make all the difference when it comes to a more comfortable camping experience, but they can also come with some downsides as well.

BOTTOM STICKS OUT

We were called out to a look at a slide on an RV that was

giving an error code of loose or faulty connection. Upon arrival we noticed the bottom of the slide was extended three inches further than the top. Clearly this slide was malfunctioning somewhere. After doing a thorough investigation, we determined the rails on this system had not been installed properly, and as it turned out. it was a known manufacturer challenge on this specific model.

Fortunately for this cus-

tomer it will be covered under warranty. However, the repair consists of removing the slide completely from his unit, replacing the entire slide system and reinstalling the slide. This is considered a major repair and one we had to refer to a physical repair shop, as we are not able to do that in the field.

In other cases, though, we are able to walk customers through necessary actions to get their slide systems to operate correctly.

WHAT’S WRONG?

The first thing we always ask when someone calls about a slide issue is what type of slide system do they have. There are three main types, Schwintek, hydraulic and cable, with the Schwintek system being the most common one we see. This system has rails with what look like teeth on the top and bottom of the slideout room and has motors typically on either side of the slide room.

The beauty of the Schwintek system is that it will typically tell you, via error code blinks, what is wrong with it. Somewhere in a storage compartment of your unit is the control box for the slide system. When your slide is not working properly, that box will blink between one and eight times and tell you what is wrong with it.

In the case of my story above, it was blinking eight times, indicating a communication error/wiring problem. In other cases you may be in a situation where your slide room is stuck at extended and you cannot get it to retract. In this case, with the Schwintek system you can unplug the wires from the control box and physically push the slide room in, although it will take several strong people to do this.

MORE TIPS

Here are some tips from the manufacturer to maintain your Schwintek slide room system:

• An electric slide-out motor draws considerable current and needs a fully charged battery to operate. Plugging in to shore power will help supply the needed voltage and current and prevents overstraining the system.

• Maintaining the slide mechanism is important. The rollers and rails need to be lubricated from time to time to prevent wear and to protect the metal components from rust and corrosion. Slide-out lubrication

or dry lube protectant penetrates around moving parts to prevent rust and corrosion.

• The seals on the slide-out keep the weather and pests out of the RV. Keeping the seals working and looking like new requires periodic maintenance. Keep an eye out for unusual wear areas or places where the seals may become dislodged by the movement of the slide room. It is also a good idea to keep your slide-out closed when not in use. This will help protect the seals, roof and other components of the slide-out from the sun and other elements. Slide-out Seal treatment products can extend the life of rubber seals by protecting them from excessive wear and the damaging effects of the sun, road grime and pollutants.

If you have an RV, like I do, with a cable system for your slide rooms, many of the tips above are also important when it comes to checking the seals on your slide rooms. Other than this there is not too much more you need to look for other than a visual inspection of your cables at least every other trip with this type of slide system.

FRAYED CABLES

We have had several frayed cables over the years and have had to replace them. We actually keep spare cables in our rig at all times now just in case. Frayed cables are the biggest issues you will have with this type of system, and it is best to have a technician come and change those out for you. You may have a motor that doesn’t function properly, but again you will know the motor is out if it doesn’t move the slide at all. In this case you can use a bit on a drill that you put on the motor that will pull the slide room in, but you will then need to secure the slide by bracing a piece of wood between the end of the slide room after it is fully retracted and the wall of your RV to ensure it doesn’t fall out during transport.

When it comes to slides, the list of regular maintenance is fairly easy, with mostly visual inspection of things and some lubrication as needed. Keep an eye on the teeth of your tracks for cuts or grooves which could cause the room to malfunction as well. If you notice anything abnormal, it is best to have it inspected before you start using the slide again to avoid any further damage.

Bluffing for bass in the summer

By JOHN NEPORADNY JR.

Denise Dill likens a lake’s bluff to a grocery store checkout lane.

She notices how current along a bluff funnels food to a bass similar to the way the conveyor belt at the grocery checkout pushes food down to a bagger.

The food funneled to bass hanging on bluffs becomes a good summertime pattern for

Dill, who guides on Lake of the Ozarks with her husband James Dill.

“The fish can kind of position themselves either right on the (bluff) points or off the points a little bit and are able to feed on their food that is coming down through the current,” Dill said in an interview.

A bluff is also a perfect feeding spot for summer bass because the structure provides quick access to shallow and deep water. Bass can move up

to the shallows of the bluffs to feed and can quickly retreat a short distance to cooler deep water when the fish finish feeding. Dill prefers targeting main lake bluffs rather than bluffs in creek arms of a lake in summertime because the current is stronger and more fish are out on the main lake then.

FINDING SWEET SPOTS

Short bluffs allow Dill to fish the entire length of the rock

wall, but bluffs that stretch for thousands of feet or even a mile require her to look for sweet spots along the structure. She mostly avoids fishing the sheer walls of bluffs because the structure lacks the ledges bass prefer holding on during the summer.

“I always look for irregularities in the rock where there is a rock slide of bigger boulders,” Dill said.

Dill also targets any isolated large chunk rocks sticking out from the bluff wall. The

Missouri guide positions her boat close enough to the bluff to where she can cast her lure to the shallows and stair-step it down the ledges of the rock wall.

“I get about two boat lengths away, or sometimes even closer to the bluff,” Dill said. She notices most of the fish she catches are about 10 feet deep.

Her favorite lures for summertime bluff bass are a finesse worm or Zoom Mag Trick Worm attached to a quarter-ounce Crock-O-Gator Bait Co. Shaker Football Head jig, a Crock-O-Gator Swamp Bug with the same Shaker Football Head and a half-ounce CrockO-Gator Zapper Jig tipped with a Crock-O-Gator Ring Craw or Zoom Brush Hog. She throws all three of those lures on a 6-foot, 10-inch Falcon Cara Finesse Jig rod and Lew’s Tournament Pro Speed Spool baitcast reel filled with 15-pound test Berkley 100% Fluorocarbon line.

ON THE LEDGES

Dill casts her lure as close to the bank as she can and then experiments with her retrieve until she gets a bite. “A lot of times I will start my retrieve fairly slow, just bouncing it right off the rocks or the ledges, and then sometimes I kind of hop it a little bit more and work it a little bit faster to give it a little more action,” she said.

Bass frequently hit her lures on the fall, so Dill prefers the lighter-weight jigs because the lures more slowly and stay in the bass’ strike zone longer. Heavier jigs tend to fall past the fish too fast and hang up more in the rocks.

The Missouri guide and tournament competitor works all three of her lures the same way, and the key to her presentation is keeping constant contact with the rocks. “I am creating a disturbance that is drawing the fish to my bait by knocking it up against the rocks and crevices,” she said. “It’s a big help on the bite.”

Dill bounces her lure down the rocky ledges until it falls off into the deep. “Once the lure starts free falling, that is when I usually reel it back in and recast,” she said.

THE BIGGEST MISTAKE

When she is guiding, Dill notices the biggest mistake her clients make while fishing bluffs is working their lures

too fast to avoid snagging up in the rocks. “It’s a Catch 22 situation,” she said. “You need to work the bait slow, but if you work it too slow then you are getting hung up all the time.”

Dill suggests that bluffs are good spots to catch summertime bass for anglers who lack experience using electronics.

“The good thing about bluff fishing is a lot of it is visual,” she said. “A lot of people can fish bluffs because of that aspect where they can look for those irregular spots on the bluff. It is something that anyone can fish.”

The Missouri angler mainly refers to her electronics to keep her boat positioned close to any drop-offs or cover along the bluffs.

“I don’t necessarily need my graphs except to know where some brush piles are,” she said. “I am just fishing in the shade of the bluff most of the time.”

ALONG THE BLUFFS

Dill relies on her lures to determine the depth she needs to fish along the bluffs. She bounces the lure down the bluff ledge and reels it in when she no longer feels the lure hitting the bottom.

The bluffs produce good numbers of bass for Dill throughout the summer. “I have caught some good ones out on the bluffs, but it’s more so 2- to 3-pounders,” she said.

Photo and Text

Bluffs produce summertime action for Missouri guide Denise Dill and her clients.

Bowhunting groundhogs good training for deer hunt

Photo and Text

By DON GASAWAY

The dark furball shuffles along with the characteristic waddle of all rodents. He appears dark in the gray of pre-dawn. Holding his draw, the archer must be sure of the shot. The “thunk” of the string release is a warning too late for the woodchuck.

Woodchuck or ground hog season in Missouri runs from early May to mid-December.

There are no exact figures as to what the seasonal harvest is in number of animals taken by hunters. Most of the woodchucks fall to hunters with firearms. Each year some fall to hunting archers in search of a summer warm-up for the fall deer season.

An adult woodchuck will be 20 to 25 inches in length from the tip of his nose to the end of his short, bushy tail. Early in the year, they will weigh 6 or 7 pounds. By the end of hunting season, in the fall, they can weigh twice that much, as they gain weight to make it through the hibernation period.

Woodchucks vary in color from yellowish brown to a dark reddish brown. Their coat has a grizzled effect due to the lighter tips of the hair.

EYES ON TOP

They have a stout body with a broad flat head and eyes located near the top. The location of the eyes enables the animal to look out of his burrow for danger without exposing much of his body. It is a defense frustrating to hunters.

Woodchucks are one of the few game animals pursued during the summer.

Many of the skills and much of the tackle necessary to take “whistle pigs” are the same ones required for hunting deer. To begin, one needs a bow of hunting weight (40 pounds or greater pull), a full camouflage suit with facemask or camo makeup, and hunting arrows with broadheads. The broadheads must be razor sharp. One must be able to stalk without being seen by the quarry and able to shoot accurately at a spot on an animal. Many beginning bowhunters make the mistake of

shooting at the whole animal and not a spot on the animal. If one can shoot at the kill zone on a woodchuck, it is even easier to find the kill zone on the much larger deer.

PLAN THE STALK

With the aid of binoculars, one can spot a chuck in a field and then plan a stalk. If a field does not have any sign of woodchuck activity through binoculars, there is little sense in wandering all over it. One can just go on to another area in search of the quarry.

Woodchucks are particularly wary animals. The bow is a silent weapon, but if you miss the woodchuck, he is the one that is gone. Usually, he will stay there for a rather long time.

However, if one uses a turkey call softly, they will come back up to see what is happening. Often, they will come completely out of the den. No one seems to know why this technique works.

If woodchucks are in an area, it is usually not difficult to find their dens. They make a den on a hillside with good drainage. The mouth of the den is generally about a foot in diameter and is in the root system of a large tree or under a rock. That makes it more difficult for a predator to dig into the burrow. The mouth of the burrow will face the rising sun as if to catch the warming morning rays.

CREATURE OF THE EDGES

Living alone, woodchucks seldom stray more than 100 feet from the mouth of the den

except during the breeding season. By late summer, their trails to the den site are rather pronounced. They use them to go to and from feeding areas in the early morning and late afternoon. During the hot parts of the day, they stay near the den entrance. Nevertheless, generally during the day, they tend to stay in the cool protection of the den. The exception to this practice seems to be just after a rain or on a cloudy day. Then they will come out at almost any time.

Being creatures of the edges, woodchucks often locate their dens in hedgerows with trees or on the edge of a woodlot that is next to a meadow or grain field. They feed on such plant life as alfalfa, clover and soybeans. Their favorite foods are dandelion and plantain. The woodchuck’s fondness for grain crops helps the hunter find landowners willing to allow hunting. A woodchuck will sit in a field and shear off young grain plants, and sitting upright, eat them while watching for danger. When possible, they prefer to feed uphill from their den entrance so that they can run downhill to the den for safety.

The whistle-pig defense mechanisms that lead to flight are very keen. That makes him an interesting and challenging quarry for the bowhunter.

Don Gasaway is a freelance writer from Marion, IL.He can also be found at www.facebook.com/#1/ DonGasawayWriter or www. facebook.com/Don”sJournal. Comments and reviews are welcome.

• Explore an inflatable cave

• Dissect owl pellets

• Meet entomologists from the Butterfly House

• Learn about bats, frogs, owls, and moths

• Nocturnal mammal touch tables

• See night insects attracted to a lighted sheet

• Perseid Meteor Shower and telescope viewing

• Guided night hikes

• Make a bat mask

• Visit with the International Dark Sky Association The

The woodchuck provides off-eason bowhunting most of the year. It is an opportunity to hone deer-hunting skills.

Bear’s death reminds us not to feed them

Missouri Department of Conservation

On May 23, a bear was struck and killed on Interstate 55 near Festus – a reminder that bears are especially active this time of year, and that bear-human encounters are more likely.

So the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) reminds St. Louis region residents that black bears are becoming a growing part of the St. Louis area landscape, even at times in highly populated areas.

MDC’s ongoing bear research indicates the state is currently home to around 900 black bears and that population is growing by 9 percent each year. Only one species can be found in this state – the American black bear (Ursus americanus) – though multiple color phases can occur in Missouri other than black, such that a bear’s fur can be brown, red, or cinnamon in color.

Most of our bears are found in the southern part of Missouri, which is where the largest tracts of forested habitat are. Despite their primary concentration in the Ozarks,sightings and potential encounters with bears are likely to increase in the St. Louis region as the population continues to grow.

RANGE EXPANDING

Research shows the population is expanding its range, too, which might explain the uptick in sightings in recent years. As the population grows and expands, bears are showing up in areas further north.

Additionally, spring and summer are prime times for bears to be on the move. Young bears begin to wander seeking food and new areas to settle, and adult males begin moving large distances in search of females.

These creatures are part of the state’s natural history, and many people enjoy the thought

of seeing one of these impressive animals. While generally not aggressive, like any wild animal, black bears are driven to find food. It takes a lot of calories to fuel an animal that typically weighs several hundred pounds, and as they emerge from hibernation in spring, they’re especially hungry.

Bears are attracted to a variety of food sources this time of year. Food, or rather the lack of it, is key to avoiding conflicts with bears. The last thing homeowners should do is tempt them with any sort of food source, whether it be intentionally or unintentionally. Feeding bears is dangerous as it makes the bears comfortable around people. It can also lead bears to cause significant damage to property while searching for a meal.

MDC suggests the following tips to avoid issues if a bear has been sighted in the area:

• Store garbage, recyclables, and compost inside a secure building or in a bear-proof container or location.

• Clean and disinfect trash containers to minimize smells that could attract bears.

• Keep grills and smokers clean and store them inside.

• Don’t leave pet food outside. Feed pets a portion at each meal and remove the empty containers.

• Refrain from using birdfeeders in bear country from April through November. If in use, hang them at least 10 feet high and four feet away from any structure. Keep in mind that even if a bear cannot get to the birdseed, the scent could still attract it to the area.

• Use electric fencing to keep bears away from beehives, chicken coops, vegetable gardens, orchards, and other potential food sources.

These measures will also reduce problems with more common critters like raccoons and coyotes.

American black bears, as seen in Missouri recently. – MDC photo

New ways to maintain readiness

By TED NUGENT

Happy, my beloved, gung ho Catahoula hunting partner, was maniacally raising cane, barking and howling like a hound possessed at the base of the old Live Oak tree.

Scrambling into position and raising my suppressed Ruger 10-22 into readiness, I had no doubt whatsoever that my reliable hunting sidekick was snorting ultra-fresh limbrat aromas, and I could almost taste the imminent fricassee in the air.

Momentarily, Sadie, my yellow lab girlfriend and her big sister Coco, the world’s greatest hunting German Shepherd, chimed in and the flying

Wallenda acrobat bushytail had no choice but to slither tight against the limb in its desperate and futile attempt to avoid the bloodthirsty foursome below on our mission from God.

I don’t really know how, but my old 74-year-old predator eyeballs zeroed in, way, way up there, on a miniscule patch of russet fur that didn’t quite belong against the dark oak bark, and through the ancient riflescope, I confirmed the tiny ear of my target.

DOWN HE CAME

Without a hint of hesitation, the 3-power, 4-plex crosshair found the barely visible quarter-inch of forehead attached

to the little ear, and with a subtle crack of the .22, down came the rodent of the canopy, plummeting earthward where Happy caught it in a mad-dash flicker before it hit the ground.

I don’t know about you, but such simple wildlife “triggertime” adventures are as thrilling as elephant hunting in the wilds of Africa, or even elk hunting out west. And lucky, lucky me – I do it literally every day in one form or another, developing a connection with my trigger finger that pays off in extremely gratifying marksmanship fun.

FUN AT THE RANGE

I also dedicate a few minutes each day at the reactive firing

range with my daily carry handgun as well as various new and old rifles and other firearms, just to make sure I accomplish not only one of my favorite things in life, gun fun, but also the increasing priority to be capable of neutralizing the ever-increasing runaway skyrocketing violent crime as engineered by our embarrassingly failed justice system here in the once great U.S. of A.

I like to keep up to speed with new guns and the always developing firearms technology, just to make sure I can knowingly and effectively handle any gun that may come into play under always unpredictable circumstances.

When it comes time to pop a squirrel or cottontail for the hounds and the pot, or just increasing my timing proficiency and accuracy at the range, I think we can all agree that constantly honed comfort, control and effectiveness with firearms is and always will be one of life’s greatest challenges and joys.

LASER TRIGGERS, TOO

Not everybody has small game hunting opportunities right out the backdoor like I do, but back when I didn’t have such luxuries, I was always able to improvise, adapt and overcome, and find a place to touch off some rounds.

Add to the excitement,

beyond live-fire training, that new technology that allows us to shoot our guns with non-projectile, non-report laser products right in our living rooms, which goes a long way toward accomplishing the most important aspects of firearms control and confidence through repetitious functional handling. Go for it! There is a plethora of gun fun opportunities available to us these days, and before those magic days afield return next fall, those days will be that much more fun if we become one with our firearms and with the “triggerfinger” that determines the moment-of-truth magic that is the “aim-small miss-small” shootist dream.

Outdoor Gallery

BIG MOUTH CATCH – Hunter Crowe with his biggest fish caught yet. Caught with a Rapala on a private lake in O’Fallon, IL.

NICE BIRD – Six-year-old Warren Stoops, son of Jeremy Stoops and Megan Penrod, with his first turkey taken during the youth weekend earlier this year.

BIG BARRACUDA – David Boehle with nice barracuda caught in December 2022 in Isla Mujeres.

NICE GROUP OF FISH – Mark Winston (left), Tom Kube (center) and John Knittel with their great catch on a trip at Table Rock Lake.

THAT’S A SPOONBILL – Bob Hofstetter with his 80+-pound spoonbill at the Lake of the Ozarks.

Bowfisher lands state,world recordholder

Bowfisherman Mitchell Dering of Fairdealing, Mo., shot the third state record fish recorded in 2023, a 4-pound brown bullhead, while bowfishing at Duck Creek Ditch 105 on March 14. It also qualifies as a world record.

The previous state record was a 2-pound, 7-ounce fish caught in 1994 from Wappapello Lake.

“I got off work that day and went out to one of the ditches in Duck Creek and just got lucky, honestly,” Dering said. “We shoot a lot of smaller fish. I knew it was a bullhead but didn’t know

Minnesota expanding crossbow hunting

Crossbows will now be allowed for all Minnesota deer and spring turkey hunters with the correct license, following a law change passed by the legislature. Deer licenses go on sale Tuesday, Aug. 1

The new law expands the use of crossbows, which previously were allowed for

some hunters, with a permit and who were 60 or older during archery deer or turkey seasons, or during previous firearms seasons for deer or turkeys.

Crossbows were already allowed for all hunters during the fall wild turkey and bear seasons. Rough fish may be taken with a crossbow during the bowfishing season.

Mark Twain Lake archery benefits youth programs

The Missouri Department of Conservation and the Missouri Conservation Heritage Foundation are inviting young archers to compete in the new Open Outdoor 3D Archery Tournament on Aug. 12 at Mark Twain Lake Archery Park in Monroe City. The event is a one-day, family-friendly fundraiser to support youth archery and outdoor programs.

Archers of all ages and shooting levels are invited to attend the tournament. Multiple divisions and categories will be available, including bowhunters, traditional, compound and bare bow.

With two ranges, 40 total targets and challenge games,

there will be fun for all. The tournament is also being sponsored by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Mark Twain Lake Forest Council.

Pre-registration closes at 5 p.m. on Aug. 5. To learn more and to register, go online to https://mochf.org/3d-archery-tournament

it was a brown bullhead. But I knew it was large for its size.”

Missouri Department of Conservation staff verified the fish’s weight on a certified scale in Wappapello.

Dering is no stranger to holding state records – he briefly held the record for spotted gar in 2019. But qualifying for a world record is a new accomplishment. The previous world recordholder was 3 pounds, 4 ounces.

“That’s honestly pretty awesome,” he said with a laugh.

“I’ve bowfished for quite awhile. We’ve won a few tournaments in Kentucky and Tennessee and have placed in numerous other tournaments. That’s cool, I didn’t know that!”

In Missouri, the only confirmed, self-sustaining natural population of brown bullheads occurs at Duck Creek Conservation Area and nearby Mingo National Wildlife Refuge in Stoddard, Bollinger and Wayne counties in southeast Missouri.

Dering said he’s now working on his collection of state

records and plans to get his bullhead mounted.

“I’ve never mounted anything before,” he said. “I broke the state record for spotted gar a few years ago, but some guy broke the record two years later, so it’s not in the record books anymore. But I’m working on getting me a collection of state records, I guess potentially world records now!”

To learn more about world record fish, visit the International Game and Fish Association website at https://igfa.org./

Mitchell Dering shot this state record brown bullhead.

Tracking mountain lions in Missouri

By MIKE ROUX

Photo by JUSTIN GAILEY

This story begins a few years back in southeastern Missouri. My very best friends, Roger and Jeannie Lewis, bought a couple hundred acres in Iron County to be their “getaway” spot for themselves and their family for hunting and fellowship.

Their oldest son, Steven, was put in charge of several things at the farm, including placing a few trail cameras out and tracking their pictures. They have since collected an amazing number of wildlife pics. One of the cameras sends him video clips. I will come back to one of those videos shortly.

A few months ago, Roger read an article in Missouri Conservationist magazine

about Missouri mountain lion sightings and how to report them. Rog made the contact and subsequently sent in the mountain lion trail camera video that Steve had collected.

Some time passed before Roger was contacted by the Missouri Department of Conservation about his big cat video. Arrangements were made for a visit to verify and confirm the sighting and the video. A side note is that Steve also captured video of a large black bear on the same camera at the same location.

Scott McWilliams, a Wildlife Damage Biologist with the MDC, arrived at the Lewis farm to investigate. Recently I was honored to meet with Mr. McWilliams to learn more about what he does and exactly what he did on the Lewis property.

He said mountain lion sighting confirmations and black bears were his primary focus. He was accompanied by Justin Gailey. Their method for verifying mountain lion sightings is to go to the EXACT spot of the photo or video and recreate the scene.

HOW THEY DO IT

To do this, McWilliams uses a full-size mountain lion silhouette. He looks at the photo and, using the surrounding trees, rocks and plants, places the cut-out in the precise spot where the cat was standing in the picture. This way they can accurately estimate the size of the cat. While with McWilliams, I was able to gain a lot of knowledge about mountain lions in Missouri. Record-keeping began in 1994. Since then, hundreds of

mountain lion sightings have been reported statewide. However only 115 of these sightings have been confirmed by the Department of Conservation.

McWilliams told me that young male lions are the most common. These cats can travel thousands of miles as they search to establish their home range. He told me there is little doubt that the same cat could be seen in a dozen different counties.

So one of my main purposes in sharing this mountain lion information is that you can be aware that these animals are out there. I also want you to know the official methods in which you can report a sighting. You can obviously call your local Missouri Department of Conservation agent or contact the Department of

Conservation at mountain. lion@mdc.mo.gov

Interviews with Roger Lewis and Scott McWilliams, along with the mountain lion and black bear videos from the Lewis farm, can

be seen with a subscription to MID-MO REAPERS on YouTube. For more information and outdoor content, like and follow Mike Roux Outdoor ENTERPRISES on Facebook.

Minnesota, Wisconsin battle sturgeon poaching

Shovelnose sturgeon in many ways pale in comparison to lake sturgeon. They weigh less and aren’t nearly as long. They live much shorter lives, and they’re not as popular a target for anglers.

Nevertheless, shovelnose sturgeon are a native fish known for their flesh and roe, an important part of the ecosystem, and they are protected with conservative harvest limits to ensure their populations remain stable.

Minnesota conservation officers and conservation wardens with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources had this in mind in the spring of 2019, when they received a tip and began looking into the potential illegal take of shovelnose sturgeon in Pool 9 of the Mississippi River.

Over the course of the next two years, officers conducted an investigation that included hundreds of hours of surveillance and documentation of a number of violations.

As part of the investigation, officers discovered many fish with their abdomens cut open. Eggs had been collected from the females; the carcasses of females and males alike were tossed back into the river.

GUILTY PLEAS

Ultimately, six people were charged by the Houston Coun-

ty Attorney’s Office with 57 violations. All pleaded guilty last year to the charges, with the final case being resolved late last fall.

Three of the individuals pled guilty to gross misdemeanors for taking gross overlimits and lost their hunting and fishing privileges for 10 years. Two of the individuals also were charged and found guilty in Wisconsin of improperly transporting game from another state; those cases were resolved this spring.

“This case is a great example of teamwork across states, agencies and the county prosecutor’s office, and sends a clear message that wildlife crimes will not be tolerated,” said Tyler Ramaker, the Minnesota DNR’s lead investigator on the case.

Said Brad Parsons, DNR fisheries section manager:

“We put regulations in place in order to protect fish populations and ensure their sustainability into the future. Situations like this, especially when they involve slow-growing species like shovelnose sturgeon that may spawn just three or four times in their lifetime, really do have the potential to affect everyone’s ability to use and enjoy our natural resources.”

Scott McWilliams, left, of the Missouri Department of Conservation and author Mike Roux discuss Missouri’s big cats. – Justin Gailey photo

Squirrel hunting is big in Missouri

Missouri Department of Conservation

Missouri hunters may pursue two species of tree squirrels – fox squirrels, called “red squirrels” by many, and eastern gray squirrels.

Fox squirrels are the larger of the two. They often are found near the edges of timber stands, in isolated woodlots and open woods without much understory, along timbered ridges and uplands, and even in hedgerows.

Grays are more likely to appear in extensive tracts of forest and bottomlands, but it’s not unusual to find both species using the same areas.

Gray squirrels are early risers and become active at sunrise, while fox squirrels tend to come out later in the morning and are active during mid-day. Both species slow considerably in the mid-day hours on hot, humid summer days.

SQUIRREL BEHAVIOR

Gray and fox squirrels use both leaf nests and den cavities. Cavity nests are most often in the hollow trunk or large limb of a live tree, but squirrels will also use cavities in dead snags.

Cavity nests are used more in the winter and during the spring reproductive period. These locations are warmer, more sheltered from weather and predators, and help keep the young protected.

Leaf nests tend to receive more use in summer, perhaps because they’re cooler than den nests. Hunters should not shoot into leaf nests, and they should avoid shooting squirrels peeking out of cavities from where they are unlikely to be recovered.

Missouri’s squirrel season is long, running from late spring through late winter. Squirrel behavior and activity change throughout the year as they respond to differences in weather and food availability. Be observant and adapt your hunting according to what the squirrels are doing or eating.

GETTING STARTED

Those new to squirrel hunting should remember to move slowly through the woods, scanning the treetops for movement, and listening for the sounds of bushy tails jumping from limb to limb or cutting and dropping nut hulls.

Upon finding a lot of fresh cuttings on the ground, find a comfortable spot nearby and sit down awhile – you’ll usually have a shot or two shortly.

Hunters will need a .22 caliber rifle or shotgun, preferably of 410 or 20 gauge. No special clothing is required, but hunters need to be alert and quiet as they move through the woods. Being still is an effective way to find elusive squirrels. Walk slowly through the woods, as quietly as possible. Stop every 30 to 40 yards for 5 to 10 minutes to search the treetops for movement. When taking a shot, approach squirrels from an angle until you can get a good shot. Walking directly at them will make them nervous and eager to flee.

Especially during years of good acorn and hickory nut production, squirrels can become preoccupied with the abundant food sources, but the sound of snapping twigs or rustling leaves will quickly get their attention.

Move slowly and deliberately through the woods to avoid putting squirrels on high alert. If discovered (and it will happen), find a well-hidden spot and take a break for 20 to 30 minutes. This is often enough time for the squirrels to resume their feeding activity.

GRAY OR FOX?

The eastern gray squirrel and eastern fox squirrel are the most common members of the squirrel family in Missouri. The names aptly describe their general coat color. The first is usually gray; the other is usually reddish yellow.

The eastern gray squirrel is slender and smaller than the fox squirrel. The fringe of the tail and belly are white; the back and sides of the body are gray (rarely reddish or all black); the total length (tip of nose to tip of tail) reaches 21 inches.

Sometimes black individuals occur in the same litter with gray ones; these may be entirely glossy black or show various gradations between black and gray. Albino individuals occur occasionally. In some instances where this characteristic is common in the heredity of a local population, small colonies of albinos may be formed.

The eastern fox squirrel is heavy-bodied and larger than the gray squirrel. The fringe of the tail and belly are reddish yellow; the back and

sides of the body are reddish yellow mixed with gray (rarely, the body may be all black); the total length (tip of nose to tip of tail) reaches 29 inches. In Missouri, black or albino individuals occur only rarely.

Other members of the squirrel family that live in Missouri are the eastern chipmunk, woodchuck, 13-lined ground squirrel, Franklin’s ground squirrel, and the southern flying squirrel. None of these are likely to be confused with the two tree squirrels described here.

Both of these squirrels occur throughout Missouri, but the gray squirrel is more abundant in the Ozark and Mississippi Lowland region, while the fox squirrel is more common in the northern and western plains.

FEEDING AND MATING

The foods of squirrels are varied, but of the 100 different species of plants eaten, only a few are important staple sources. These are nuts, fruits and buds of hickory, pecan, walnut, elm and mulberry trees; and field corn. The importance of acorn and nut crops is shown by the fluctuations in squirrel numbers following years of good or bad production. These staple winter foods have an important influence on the physical condition of the females that must produce next year’s young.

In gray squirrels, the mating period begins in late December or early January and again from late May to early July. Pregnancy requires about 45 days. Most litters are born in February or March, and July or August. A litter comprises 1-8 young, but two or three are most common. The young are hairless at birth, have their eyes and ears closed, and possess well-developed claws. They come out of the nest for the first time when 6-7 weeks old, and in another week or so they are weaned.

In fox squirrels, the cycle is similar, but they begin breeding 10 days to 2 weeks earlier than the grays.

SQUIRRELNESS

From 600,000 to 700,000 squirrels are taken annually in Missouri. Squirrels furnish a large supply of meat each year for Missouri hunters.

Squirrels provide considerable pleasure for city dwellers who observe them around their homes and in parks.

Automobiles kill many

squirrels annually.

Economically, squirrels do some harm when they take food from cornfields.

They may girdle ornamental trees, particularly in early spring when they gnaw the inner bark.

Occasionally, they damage the insulation on outdoor electrical wiring and frequently become a nuisance when they gain access to the attics of homes.

Towns that support large populations of white squirrels (albino and/or white-furred variants of the eastern gray squirrel) have an enduring draw for tourism. Marionville, in southwest Missouri, bills itself as “The Home of the White Squirrel.” Olney, Illinois, and Kenton, Tennessee, also proudly tout their white squirrel populations and sell souvenirs and tee shirts to tourists. In these towns, residents build squirrel houses, feed the squirrels, plant nut trees, and enact ordinances

forbidding the killing of their local mascot animal. In some places, they’ve even captured and relocated normal-colored gray squirrels out of town.

Squirrels’ habit of storing nuts in the ground results in the eventual germination of many unrecovered nuts.Thus

they essentially plant nuts that grow into trees that furnish not only food and shelter for subsequent squirrel populations, but also timber of economic value to humans. This information can also be found on the MDC website, https://mdc.mo.gov.

A Missouri gray squirrel finds something to eat. – MDC photo

Wildlife Wrangling and Outdoor Ramblings

The war between family and snake

Photo and Text

By RANDALL P. DAVIS

They say, “Necessity is the mother of invention.” But when some folks are faced with a nuisance wildlife “crisis,” desperation becomes the father of innovation!

I know, for I have seen some marvelous, desperate innovations.

A RACCOONS’ BATHTUB

One homeowner had had enough of attic-dwelling raccoons pushing down loose ceiling drywall to access the bathroom.

If you think it’s annoying for the family dog to drink from the toilet bowl, it’s supremely disgusting to discover cute local wildlife

using the commode as a personal bathtub – with the handy roll of toilet paper as a convenient tub toy.

The homeowner solved the problem by wedging two cans of hairspray, one on top the other, between the vanity mirror cabinet and ceiling. Voila! No more midnight bathing.

The issue seemed averted

until a week later, when moisture from the raccoons’ lofty toilet weakened the drywall just above the homeowner’s bed.

At 3 a.m., I received their frantic call about a pair of raccoons ricocheting off their bed and bedroom walls. Later, after capturing the rogue residents, I learned how their simple and clever toilet in -

novation just didn’t produce the “desired results.”

MORE BRIGHT IDEAS

There have been other instances of creative thinking.

One client thought that throwing chewed bubble gum into a groundhog’s burrow would cause it to eat it and create a blockage in its bowel, thus causing it to “explode.”

The guy went through 10 packages of gum before asking me if it would work. Regrettably, for the dude’s jaw muscles at least, it would not.

Then there was the time a homeowner broadcast pounds of mothballs in his attic to drive out a bat colony. The bats were unimpressed

See WRANGLING page 28

Smoked Duck Confit always a special treat

Photo and Text

By RAY MAXWELL

Duck Confit is a dish that I fell in love with eating over the years, and I felt it was always a decadent and wonderful treat to enjoy.

Smoked Duck Confit combines this wonderful dish with smoked food into a very easy and special meal to enjoy when wondering how you wish to reward yourself for a good duck hunt, or for any excuse. The dish is very easy to cook, providing an extra reason to try it.

INGREDIENTS

• 4 duck legs

• 3 to 4 cups of rendered duck fat (based on size of pan and duck leg size)

• 1 tablespoon and 2 teaspoons of kosher salt

• 1 tablespoon of basil

• 2 teaspoons of whole black peppercorns

• 1 small to medium white onion (chopped)

• 9 garlic cloves (chopped)

• Half a bunch of parsley (chopped)

• 6 bay leaves

PREP WORK

Place the onion, shallots, garlic, basil and parsley into a food processor and pulse until finely chopped but not liquified. Place half the contents into a glass or neutral container with

the duck legs on top. Afterward, place the remainder from the food processor over the duck legs and then add the bay leaves, peppercorn and salt. Cover the container very tightly and place in the refrigerator for 24 to 48 hours.

The easiest way to prep for hunting camp is to place the duck legs into a Ziplock bag and pour the contents from the food processor into the bag, then add the salt, bay leaves and peppercorn. Seal the bag, mix all the contents until the legs are covered and place them into the fridge or cooler for the trip.

COOKING

Remove the duck legs from the container and rinse the mixture off. Pat the legs dry and place them into a deep pan, one layer deep.

Melt the duck fat over low heat and pour it over the duck legs until they are submerged in liquid duck fat. You can use a saucer, cast iron skillet or aluminum pan.

Cover the container with aluminum foil but allow an opening for the smoke to pass through with venting on two sides. Place it on the smoker and cook it between 225 and 275 degrees for three to four hours. The meat should then be totally tender, easily pulling away from the skin and bone.

You can store the confit for up to a month by keeping it submerged in the duck fat in a tight

container in your refrigerator. The duck fat can also be used more than once by straining out the solids and storing it.

I keep the fat that has been used for smoked duck confit in separate containers from unused duck fat. Taste the used duck fat from time to time to make sure salt, or other flavors have started to overpower the duck fat.

WINE PAIRINGS

I enjoy Missouri Norton and Syrah with Smoked Duck Confit, and there are two directions you can go on the Syrah – the fruit forward style from Australia or the more traditional style. All three wines work with this dish, and it is a matter of preference.

Persimmon Ridge Norton is a wonderful expression of what Norton Wine from Missouri can offer. Big aromas fill the glass with oak, blackberries, spice and coconut. The wine offers great weight, with wonderful flavors from raspberries to blackberries mixed with spice components and hints of oak. This wine pairs great with wild game and smoked food. You can visit Persimmon Ridge Winery in High Ridge Missouri and enjoy a bottle for under $25.

Red Hills Cellars Syrah from Applegate Valley in Oregon provides traditional wine drinkers and wine nerds alike with something fun and exciting – a 100 percent Syrah wine that re-

Rocky Mountain Elk volunteers’ work was worth $26 million in ‘22

The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation celebrated National Volunteer Week by shining a spotlight on the significant contributions of its volunteer army in 2022 that amounted to more than $26.3 million in value of donated time and labor.

“When I think of an RMEF volunteer, what I think about is our greatest asset this organization has,” said Kyle Weaver, RMEF president and CEO in Missoula, Montana. “They give us the most valuable thing they have, which is their time. And there’s nothing more important or more impactful for this organization than an individual’s time toward our mission.”

That time is also measurable.

According to the Independent Sector, which uses information supplied by the U.S. Bureau

of Labor Statistics, the current value of one volunteer hour is $29.95.

If you do the math, RMEF has approximately 11,000 volunteers of all ages and backgrounds from more than 500 chapters who each average about 80 hours of service annually. That equates to $26,356,000 of total conservation value for RMEF’s mission.

“Most people recognize RMEF for the work it does to conserve and enhance habitat for elk as well as the beneficial trickle-down effects on mule deer, moose, whitetail deer, wild turkey and a plethora of other wildlife species that result from that,” said Fred Lekse, board of directors chair and also a volunteer. “What they may not fully comprehend

minds me of a Croze Hermitage with a little more fruit. The wine has wonderful berry and spice flavors and hints of smoke aromatics. The tannins are heavy but soft and well rounded with a wonderful acidity that cuts through the food. You will love the way the slight bacon fat and smoke components of the wine complement this dish. You can find this single vineyard Oregon Syrah for around $40 a bottle.

Saldo Shiraz from the Prisoner Wine Co. provides a treat for those who enjoy different styles of Shiraz. This wine works great for those who want to sip on a red wine while working the smoker or grill. You will love the spice, berry and black fruit components. The wine has wonderful weight and acidity to stand up to food. In addition to the raspberry, blackberry and spice components, plum and coco are present, with a vanilla hint on the finish.

You can find the video version for this recipe at Wild Wine Life at Facebook and Youtube with other wild game recipes and ideas. Please Like and Subscribe to Wild Wine Life.

is how integral of a role our volunteers play in that process. We simply cannot do that work without each of them around the country.”

VOLUNTEERS LEAD

Volunteers plan and host hundreds of banquets and other events that generate vital funding to ensure the future of elk, other wildlife, their habitat and our hunting heritage. They also give of their time for boots on the ground projects.

NEVER TO MANY

“We’ll never have too many people involved. There’s always a need for more,” said Weaver.

The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation can be found online at https://www.rmef.org

These three fine wines complement Smoked Duck Confit.

Beat summer heat in northern states

and Text

By BRANDON BUTLER

Stepping outside through the sliding glass door onto my deck in the early afternoon is an unpleasant experience this time of year. The hot, humid air is heavy. It feels like you’re in a small bathroom with a closed door after taking a hot shower. I enjoy nothing about the heat of summer. Once the temperature is above 80, all I can do is dream of going north. Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota are what I mean when I talk about going north. Look, I’m keenly aware north is relative to where one lives, and in some sense, everywhere is north of somewhere. But, for folks from Chicagoland, like myself, going north usually means you’re heading to one of these three states. And when you get there, you’re probably going fishing.

My grandpa spent 50 weeks a year preparing for the two weeks he and grandma would go up north. One week in the spring. Another

in the fall. With the “Lady Dee” in tow, which is the boat he named after her because her name was Dorlis but people called her Dee. They’d descend on some small fishing lake where they’d stay in a rental cabin. They wanted to be far enough north to need a light jacket in the morning and evening while fishing.

THE BIG BREAKFAST

I think I was eight the first time I went north with my grandparents. We went to Yellow Lake in Wisconsin, near the town of Webster. It was the biggest adventure of my life at that point. My grandparents would explore the small towns along the way. I’ll never forget the big breakfasts, and being allowed to order fried shrimp for dinner. On one early trip, my grandma bought a giant sack of candy bars. We ate them all. It was a memory we’d recall and laugh about for 30 years.

So much of my love for the outdoors comes from these simple trips with people who

cared about me. I know how blessed I was. My parents took me camping as kid, and allowed me the freedom to roam about outdoors. Both sets of my grandparents were amazing. They took me on many trips that involved time in nature. Two of my uncles took me hunting before I was old enough to go on my own. These days I’m trying to pay it forward.

If you want to influence a young person in your life; your own child, a grandchild, a nephew or niece, or any young person who may benefit from your time and attention, you should take them outdoors. Do an activity with them. I vote for fishing, but camping, hiking, bird watching, bicycling and so many other activities also provide opportunities to capture the heart and mind of a youngster who may be forever grateful for, and better because of, the time you spent with them.

If you want to get out of the heat for a while this summer, you should head up north. Find a cabin and book it.

Up north this time of year, flannel shirts are still worn outdoors.

Take your family. There are all kinds of price ranges. Or take a tent, rent a room, pull a camper, or crash with family or friends. Whatever way you go, just have a good time. That’s what my grandparents did so right. They made sure we were having fun. Grandpa appreciated when that meant being in the boat and fishing hard. But Grandma made sure I had whipped cream on my pancakes.

YOU’RE WELCOME

Up north, people are generally very nice. It’s a welcoming part of the world,

with a Friday night fish fry in every town and supper clubs where the prime rib comes soaked with Au jus with a side of fresh horseradish. If lake perch and cheese curds aren’t on the menu, something’s amiss. You find a lot of transplanted Chicago Bears fans mixed amongst the Packers and Vikings loyalists. This makes for fun Sundays in the taverns. Most of which have the same knotty pine interior decorated with old, local taxidermy and fishing antiques.

Day dreaming about going north, and those long ago

trips taken with my grandparents, leaves me longing to load up the Lady D and hit the road. I’ve had the old boat since my grandpa passed away in 2004. I’m proud to say, she’s still fishing. I don’t know exactly where we’d go, but Hayward Wisc., Lake of the Woods Minn. and Gaylord, Mich. would all be top considerations where flannel shirts and shorts would be likely attire in the same day. For more Driftwood Outdoors, check out the podcast at www.driftwoodoutdoors. com or anywhere podcasts are streamed.

COMMUNITY NIGHTS

Photo

A long pursuit of kayak pedal power

Photo and Text

By TOM WATSON

In the evolution of propelled watercraft over several millennia, mankind’s propulsion mechanisms have advanced from outstretched palm to pole to paddle to sail and, finally, beginning in the late 1790s, Robert Fulton (of steam engine fame) experimented with a ship powered by a 4-bladed propeller.

Jump ahead two centuries, and propulsion mechanisms for kayaks were just getting off the ground. Most recently, in the past 20 years, kayaks have added new propulsion systems and pedal-drive mechanisms to their traditional and historic reliance on hand-powered paddles only.

Basically there are two types of pedal-driven kayaks. One is a push/pedal mechanism which requires that pedals are pushed down in an alternating motion to transfer force to a propeller mounted beneath the kayak. The other is a rotational pedal mechanism like a bicycle where force is applied to pedals in constant rotation to provide power to a propeller below.

ROBOTIC TUNA

Developmentally, some ideas were quite unconventional.

“We were working with a robotic tuna,” recalls Jim Czarnowski, who while working on his master’s degree at MIT in 1997 was engaged in research for a fin propulsion system for watercraft.

“We had cast its structure using the body of a real fish,” he said. “The robot swam like an actual tuna while tethered and connected to sensors that could measure thrust. Those findings showed that a back-and-forth motion was more powerful than a propeller.”

Czarnowski’s team ultimately looked to the way a penguin moves through the water. The bird doesn’t move its body, only its flippers, producing both speed and power.

NOT JUST A MIRAGE

At the same time, West Coast sailing enthusiast Greg Ketterman was exploring the concept of putting a sail upside down under the boat. Ten years later, both he and Czarnowski were

Hobie’s system relies on foot pedals providing propulsion below the boat.

on the Hobie team securing a patent for “…the means of propelling a vessel and more specifically [as] it relates to the design of a thrust-producing oscillating fin,” thus an Oscillating Foil Propulsion System, and the first step towards HOBIE’s Mirage Drive.

Andy Zimmerman, who co-founded Wilderness Systems in 1986, remembers it. “There were many backyard one-off’ers creating contraptions using propeller drives, but none that were really commercially viable,” he said.

Most all of these home-built

MDC urges public to leave wildlife wild

Missouri Department of Conservation

As you head outdoors to enjoy the warm weather, you may encounter a variety of newborn animals. Young wildlife can pull on our heartstrings as they appear to be abandoned, but that’s rarely the case.

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) reminds the public that interfering with wildlife does more harm than good.

State Wildlife Veterinarian Sherri Russell said young animals are rarely orphaned.

“When we see newborn wildlife alone, that means the parents are likely out searching for food and will return,” she said.

A common newborn species people can come across in the spring season is young birds.

“If you see a chick with feathers hopping on the ground, leave it alone, because it’s a fledgling and the parents are nearby keeping watch,” Russell said. “Fledglings can spend up to 10 days hopping on the ground learning to fly. If you find one that has no feathers, you can return it to the nesting

area if possible, as it likely fell out of its nest.”

RABBITS, TOO

“Rabbits seldom survive in captivity and can die of fright from being handled,” Russell said. “Even if the animal is injured, it’s best to return it to the nest, because the mother will most likely return.”

Human scent does not cause wild mothers to reject their young, and most newborn animals do not survive in captivity.

“It takes a lot of knowledge to care for and rehabilitate wild animals,” she added. “It requires special training, permits, and facilities, not to mention

mechanisms used a chain drive to transfer force to the propeller, something Zimmerman wanted to avoid, preferring to focus on an enclosed, chainless drive instead.

THE PROTOTYPE

By 2006, Zimmerman had started Native Watercraft and introduced the prototype for the Propel Drive. It was the second commercially sold pedal drive on the market.

But the differences were notable. Mirage Drive was a push-pedal foot mechanism that moved flippers beneath

the boat. Propel Drive used a bicycling motion to rotate a propeller.

The big difference? Propel let the boater move backwards – something the early Mirage Drive could not do.

MAKING IT BETTER

Shane Benedict, head of research and development at Native Watercraft, said the focus now is on refining the system to be smoother and more reliable. “Our biggest efforts are on gears and parts,” he said.

Benedict says propellers and pedal drives have stayed pretty

much the same, noting that the efficiency of pedaling versus a boat’s hull speed and human power limit a boat’s capabilities, regardless whether its thrust is created by even more aggressive propeller blades or fins.

Kayak anglers appreciate speed to get into position during tournaments, but efficiency, smooth cadence and maneuverability are more important, Benedict maintains.

Historically, the principles of the mechanism used to pedal-power fishing kayaks today reach back through thousands of years of human history to include ancient Egyptians, Chinese and the famed scientist Archimedes, and have been influenced by millions of evolutionary years biologically to get where they are today.

So which evolved system is best? Benedict uses the Tortoise/Hare analogy – that the propeller is slower but more efficient over the long haul than the flapper/fin design, which has higher initial speed but is harder to maintain over the long haul. It seems both have settled into subtle, satisfying differences.

–

that it’s illegal to possess many wild animals without a valid state or federal permit.”

Russell also noted wildlife can become dangerous as they mature and can carry disease and parasites and cause property damage.

“We know people have good intentions, and it can be tempting to take these cute, young animals in our homes, but the best thing we can do for wild animals is to leave them be,” she said.

To learn more about Missouri’s native wildlife, visit the MDC online Field Guide at https://nature.mdc.mo.gov/ discover-nature/field-guide/ search.

Newborn animals include cottontail rabbits like these.

MDC photo

Maintaining stands key to safe hunts

Photo and Text

By BRANDON BUTLER

If you’re looking for something to do that will help ensure you have a safe and successful deer season, taking care of your treestands is a good investment of your time.

Stands have come a long way in the past 20 years. When I began hunting in the early 1990’s, a fancy treestand was one made out of pressure-treated lumber. Lesser stands were slapped together with any scrap wood my friends and I could find. Such stands were used season after season until they eventually rotted away and were replaced.

These days, treestands are made of metal and, if properly taken care of, can last for many years. There are countless models, manufactured by too many companies to list. Ladder stands, climbing stands, fixed stands and tower stands are the different styles available for purchase. You need to take the time to maintain your stands properly. Every time you climb onto one of these treestands, you are potentially risking your life.

EVERY YEAR

Every year, you should remove and inspect your treestands so you can perform

routine maintenance on all of the many parts that keep a treestand together and securely fastened to a tree. Just to clarify, do not leave your treestands up year after year!

If you hunt in an area with extreme weather conditions such as ice, snow and below-zero temperatures, as found in most of the Midwest, it is best to pull your stands immediately after the season.

Once you begin inspecting and performing maintenance on your treestands, there are a number of parts you need to pay attention to. First of all, closely examine the straps or chain that secure the treestand to the tree. Straps are fabric, and when fabric gets wet, then dries, then gets wet, then dries again, it dry rots. Look for any signs of fraying or spots of weakness in the fabric straps. Especially check any areas of stitching. If you are using ratchet straps, make sure the ratchet area closes and locks properly.

REPLACE STRAPS

You should replace safety straps at least every couple years. Chains that are covered in rust need to go. Rust weakens metal, and you don’t want your life depending on a rusty, weak chain. Simply head to your local hardware

store and buy a replacement length of the strongest chain material they sell. Go ahead and spend an extra few bucks to replace the bolts and screws that hold the chain on. Some chains are coated in tubing to keep them taut. If the tubing is frayed, you should replace it. Not only does the tubing keep your chains quieter, it adds rigidity to the chain. The manufacturer intended for the stand to operate with tubing on the chain, so assume there is a reason for it.

BOLTS, PINS, JOINTS

Other areas of your treestand that you need to pay attention to are the bolts or locking pins, the cables that hold up the platform, and all the welded joints. Once bolts and locking pins become rusty, they must be replaced.

Threads on bolts may wear out when rusty and with the weight of a grown man on a treestand, you don’t want to rely on worn threads. Check the cables for fraying. If there is any, they must be replaced. Also examine the bolts that hold the cables in place. If there is any play in the bolts, they need to be tightened. If you examine the welded areas of your stand and find any cracks, no matter how small, you must have the stand

repaired or replaced. Don’t put stress on an already distressed piece of equipment. It’s only a matter of time until it completely fails.

CLIMBING IN OR OUT

Falling from treestands is considered one of (if not the number one) cause of hunting related accidents. Yet the majority of treestand accidents don’t occur when someone is already positioned in the stand. Most treestand accidents occur as someone is climbing in or out of their stand.

Whenever you go out to check your stands and take them down, always wear a four-point safety harness. And don’t just wear the harness and climb the tree unattached to a safety rope or lineman’s rig. You need to be hooked up the entire time you are off the ground.

Nothing is more important than being safe in the field. Don’t take unnecessary risks. Perform routine maintenance on your treestands every year and pay strict attention to safety. If you do, then chances are you’ll enjoy a lifetime of accident-free treestand hunting.

For more of Driftwood Outdoors, check out the podcast at www.driftwoodoudoors.com or anywhere podcasts are streamed.

Illinois battles popular but invasive crayfish

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) reminds the public and seafood distributors that importing and possessing live red swamp crayfish, also known as crawfish or Louisiana crawfish, is prohibited by law in Illinois.

“Red swamp crayfish compete aggressively with native species for food and habitat, and they’ve been known to cause structural damage to property. In fact, they are considered one of the most invasive species of crayfish in the world,” said Illinois Conservation Police Officer Brandon Fehrenbacher, who oversees the IDNR Office of Law Enforcement Invasive Species Unit.

“These crayfish spread by escaping from live crawfish boils and from fishermen illegally using them as bait,” Fehrenbacher added.

NO SPECIAL PERMITS

Illinois crayfish regulations only prohibit the importation or possession of live species.

The department does not issue special permits for live crawfish boils. Instead, Illinois residents should order frozen or steamed crawfish for their needs.

Any individuals and businesses that import, sell or possess live crawfish in Illinois are subject to fines and penalties that range from a petty offense with a fine of $195 to a Class 3 felony with fines and restitution totaling tens of thousands of dollars.

Illinois is one of many states, including Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan, that prohibit the sale or possession of live red swamp crayfish to prevent the spread of aquatic nuisance species.

HIGHLY INVASIVE

Red swamp crayfish are highly invasive and harmful to the environment if released. They burrow into the soil around dams, irrigation systems and levees, and they can cause severe and costly structural damage.

Red swamp crayfish destroy

Possessing the popular but highly invasive red swamp crayfish is illegal in Illinois.

nesting and nursery grounds of aquatic species, compete with other fish and crayfish species for food and resources, and prey on the eggs of other aquatic life. The department maintains an approved species list identifying species approved for aquaculture, transportation, stocking, importation and possession in Illinois. There are four native crayfish species listed on the approved list that are legal to import and possess alive – White River crayfish, papershell crayfish, northern

Illinois hunters bring home 16,000 turkeys

crayfish, and devil crayfish. However, these species are not commonly used by the food industry.

Questions about crayfish possession can be directed to the Illinois Conservation Police at DNR.lawreception@illinois. gov or to the department’s aquatic nuisance species program at DNR.aquaculture@ illinois.gov.

To learn more about protecting Illinois waterways from the spread of invasive species, visit https://www.transportzero.org

Turkey hunters harvested a preliminary statewide total of 16,121 wild turkeys during the 2023 Illinois spring turkey season. This compares with the 2022 statewide turkey harvest of 13,701.

The top five counties for the 2023 harvest were Jo Daviess, 595; Jefferson, 487; Pike, 419; Pope, 379; and Randolph, 370.

The record harvest total for the spring season was set in 2006 when 16,569 turkeys were taken.

The 2023 total includes the youth turkey season harvest of 1,309 birds, which compares with the 2022 youth harvest of 1,258. This year, 80,643 permits were sold compared to 81,672 last year. Spring turkey hunting was open in 100 of Illinois’ 102 counties. The 2023 season dates were April 3 to May 4 in the South Zone and April 10 to May 11 in the North Zone. The Youth Spring Turkey Season was March 25-26 and April 1-2 statewide.

Maintaining your treestand each winter will help ensure safety next fall.

– USGS photo

Zoo-raised hellbenders released in river

State and zoo project pays off in a big way

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) did something new this spring, helping a zoo-raised hellbender to successfully reproduce in the Current River.

“We are very excited to announce this news,” State Herpetologist Jeff Briggler said. “This is the first documented event of a zoo-raised animal fathering a clutch of eggs in the wild.”

Rivers in southern Missouri and northern Arkansas once supported up to 27,000 Ozark hellbenders. Today, fewer than 1,000 exist in the world, so it was added to the federal endangered species list in 2011.

A LARGE SALAMANDER

Hellbenders are large, aquatic salamanders. Missouri is the only state that contains both recognized subspecies of North American hellbenders, the Ozark hellbender and the Eastern hellbender, which are listed as endangered both by the state and by the federal government.

The primary threats are habitat alteration and degradation, over-collecting, disease, predation, and degraded water quality. Hellbenders are longlived (up to 30 years), slow-tomature amphibians that seldom venture far within the river.

Wrinkly folds of skin along the hellbender’s sides provide increased surface area for respiration. Capillaries near the skin surface absorb oxygen from the water. Because the species requires cool, well-oxygenated, clean-running water to survive, hellbenders are a major indicator of the overall health of a river or stream.

The adult is one of the

largest species of salamanders in North America, with its closest relatives being giant salamanders in China and Japan, which can reach 5 feet or more in length.

THE RESTORATION

MDC partnered with the Ron and Karen Goellner Center for Hellbender Conservation, a part of the Saint Louis Zoo WildCare Institute, and other agencies in the early 2000s to breed salamanders in captivity and rear eggs collected from the wild in order to combat drastic population declines.

Once the captive-bred larvae reached between 3 to 8 years old, they were released in their native Ozark aquatic ecosystem. Biologists began releasing a few zoo-raised hellbenders in Missouri in 2008, increasing the number to 1,000 or more a year in 2012. Since the conception of the breeding and raising of this animal in captivity, more than 10,000 Ozark and eastern hellbenders raised at the zoo and MDC hatchery have been released into their native rivers.

Biologists have monitored the population status of both wild animals and released animals reared in captivity, as well as locating natural nests in rivers during the fall in order to collect eggs that can be reared and released in the future.

“The majority of the hellbenders existing in the wild and all 10,000-plus released animals have a small chip embedded under their skin with a unique number to allow us to identify the animals in future encounters,” Briggler explained.

READY TO BREED

Though many have been released to the wild, most of the hellbenders are only just now becoming mature enough to breed. Because very few nests

with eggs are found each year, capturing the event of a male attending a clutch of eggs is a rare event.

“We’re lucky to find 20 nests in the wild a year, and finding a tagged father that was raised at the zoo was like finding a needle in a haystack,” Briggler said. “We have been patiently waiting for this significant achievement to occur.”

In October, 2022, biologists found that needle when they came across a tagged male Ozark hellbender that was tending a clutch of 128 healthy, well-developed eggs on the Current River. On a later visit, the biologists saw that the eggs were starting to hatch and the father was protecting them.

The male hellbender was collected from a natural nest of eggs in the Current River in the fall of 2013 by MDC and National Park Service staff, then transported to the zoo, where the eggs were hatched and reared.

“We have a dedicated team of hellbender keepers, life-support systems technicians, and veterinary staff who work tirelessly to make sure these animals get the best care possible,” explained Justin Elden, zoo curator of herpetology and aquatics.

FROM EGGS TO ADULTS

The zoo has nearly 20 years of experience and expertise in rearing hellbenders and has their care down to an exact science.

“This experience allowed for this animal to flourish for the six years it was reared at the zoo and to prepare for its release to the wild,” Elden said. “Caring for hellbenders through their lives, from tiny eggs to sub-adults, takes a tremendous amount of work, but it’s absolutely worth it, knowing we’re aiding in the conservation of wild animals and wild places.”

The hellbender animal was released into the Current River in July 2019.

“At the time of release, the male weighed 5.6 ounces and measured 11.8 inches,” Elden said. “At the time his nest was discovered in the fall of 2022, he weighed 8.9 ounces and measured 14.4 inches.”

Briggler said it was probably the animal’s first year reproducing.

“It was exciting to not only see the growth and healthy appearance of this father after living three years in the wild,

but to also see such a healthy animal successfully reproduce,” said Briggler.

EARNING THEIR WRINKLES

Eggs generally hatch in about 45 days, but it can take longer with colder water conditions. Upon hatching, the helpless larvae will slowly grow and develop limbs under

the protection of the father for several months. In late winter or early spring, the larvae will venture outside the nesting chamber to disperse into the surrounding river habitat. Larvae will breathe with external gills for a few years before they finally absorb their gills and take on the wrinkly appearance of an adult.

“Finding a zoo-raised Ozark

hellbender reproducing in the wild is one of the greatest accomplishments for our Zoo’s WildCare Institute conservation efforts, and we are incredibly proud to be partnered with MDC on saving this species,” Elden said.

In addition to the zoo, MDC partnered with the National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, and the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission to enhance propagation efforts to ensure hellbenders remain a part of the region’s biodiversity.

“It is our hope that such wild breeding events by zoo-reared hellbenders will increasingly become more common as more released animals become mature,” Briggler said.

For more about hellbenders, see the MDC Online Field Guide at https://short.mdc. mo.gov/4M9 and also Wildcare Institute at https://short.mdc. mo.gov/4MC

These Hellbender eggs proved that the salamander species can be raised in captivity.

The hellbender keepers celebrate their discovery.

Wrangling from page 22 and unfazed. The resident cat lost most of its hair from the fumes.

The attic mice, however, felt it would be best to relocate to the lower portion of the house and are currently occupying the same space as the owner – and one hairless cat.

‘GET HERE FAST!’

But one of the best examples of desperate innovation began when the call came in from a panic-stricken lady, her voice cadence rivaled

that of any tobacco auctioneer, and with each word the pitch elevated to where most dogs couldn’t begin to hear it.

I calmed her down, saying, “I have to understand your problem in order to help you.”

Finally, she gulped enough air and said, “There’s a viper or asp coiled up on top of my husband’s golf bag in the garage. It’s gray with black diamonds on its back. No rattles on the tail, so it’s not a rattlesnake. It’s tangled up in the clubs and

is just sitting there, flicking its tongue at us.

She continued, “My sons want to kill it, but I’m afraid it might bite them or get away. We need you to get here fast!”

After three attempts, she took my suggestion and lowered her voice to within my narrow hearing range. I was then able to secure her address.

While loading up my snake equipment, I got to thinking about her snake descriptions. When I think of asps, I conjure up something like Egyp -

tian cobras or such. Nothing like that around here. Vipers? That’s a wide range of venomous snakes, which can be found around here. But the colors and patterns didn’t add up. By then, I had my own suspicions of what I would be dealing with.

SCENE OF THE CRIME

Fifteens minutes later I pulled into the driveway and sat there for a bit, just soaking up the scene before me. There was one whom I would say was Mom, sitting

on a large John Deere lawn tractor parked just outside the garage door with the engine running.

An 8-year-old boy stood nearby, wearing a football helmet and carrying a Red Ryder BB gun. A lad of about 16 was posted just inside the garage, armed with a hockey stick and sporting a hockey mask and gloves.

I extracted my snake tongs and gloves from behind the seat then snatched up a lidded plastic bucket in which to place the quarry.

As I advanced toward the trio, Mom shut off the mower and pointed to the garage’s interior. Walking past the well-armed youths, I spied the golf bag, and the reason I’d been called – just as I suspected, a juvenile black rat snake. They are fairly easy to identify, consisting of a uniformly gray background with a vivid pattern of dark brown or black blotches running down the back.

I slowly moved in and gently pinched the serpent into the tongs, unraveled its coils from the 5-iron and the 4 wood driver, then slipped “Junior” into the plastic bucket and snapped down the lid.

You would have thought I had just captured a man-eating tiger barehanded from the cheers, salutes, and overhead waving of primitive weaponry from the family pod.

A NEFARIOUS PLAN!

I explained there was really no need for alarm, as it wasn’t an asp or viper, but just a teen-age black snake. It didn’t matter to them. The wicked witch was gone!

But I had to ask the lady what was the reason behind the mower and armaments? She said they had formed a plan that the youngest boy would sneak in close with the BB gun and get off a shot. The older boy would then use the hockey stick to flick the wounded reptile from the garage, and then she would barrel over the beast with the John Deere – blades engaged!

IF ONLY!

I had to laugh, thinking that if this had happened, when the husband got home he would have found blood, bone and scales sprayed all over his pristine Wilson golf bag and clubs.

You’ve got to love good old innovation!

There’s more than one way to snag a snake!

Tips, Tricks and Thoughts for the Great Outdoors

Another view of Independence Day

By LARRY L. WHITELEY

It was Independence Day, as dusk began to fall on the land. An old Indian stood on a hill with his son, enjoying the great view of the valley below. This land was once the land of their Native American ancestors. They lived here in peace with their families and other tribal members. They hunted, fished, trapped, and planted crops to help support everyone in their tribes.

Then white people started coming from a land across the great ocean. When they arrived, some of their people helped them survive the first winter and showed them how to plant crops and harvest food from the land.

As more white men came, they wanted the land and resources of the Native Americans for themselves. Buffalo herds, depended on for meat and skins, were slaughtered and left to rot. They killed many of their ancestors as they fought to take their land. Those that were left were put in government reservations. Their children were taken from them and put in schools where they tried to make them be like white people.

The Native American Indians were called savages. What would you have done if someone came to steal your land, possessions, and your way of life? You would fight to keep it. They were not savages. We were.

A FATHER AND SON

As the night got darker, the old Indian and his son sat and watched fireworks fill the sky. A gigantic, illuminated American Flag waved in the breeze. They both stood to attention and saluted the flag of the people who had stolen their ancestors’ lands long ago.

The son was a Vietnam veteran. The old Indian was a World War II veteran. He had been a Code Talker. Hundreds of Native Americans from more than 20 tribes used their indigenous languages to send secret coded messages that enemies could

not break. These men helped U.S. forces achieve military victory in some of the greatest battles of the war. Father and son fought in the white man’s wars because they still felt this was their land.

Some tribes use the 4th of July as a time to honor Native American veterans. When they finished their salute, the old Indian used the same hand to wipe a tear from his eye. Then, his son helped him back down the hill to the reservation.

As the battle continues in our country over immigration, remember that all of us, except the Native American Indians, are descended from immigrants. Some signed The Declaration of Independence, forever changing the lives of those whose land this was.

NATIVE AMERICANS SPEAK

“Out of the Indian approach to life, there came a great freedom, an intense and absorbing respect for life, enriching faith in a Supreme Power, and principles of truth, honesty, generosity, equity, and brotherhood as a guide to relations.”

– Luther Standing Bear, Oglala Sioux chief

“When a man does a piece of work which is admired by all, we say that it is wonderful. But when we see the changes of day and night, the sun, the moon, and the stars in the sky, and the changing seasons upon the earth, with their ripening fruits, anyone must realize that it is the work of someone more powerful than man.”

– Chased-by-Bears, Santee-Yanktonai Sioux

“We are about to leave our native land, the country the Great Spirit gave our Fathers. We are on the eve of leaving that country that gave us birth. It is with sorrow we are forced by the white man to quit the scenes of our childhood. We bid farewell to it and all we hold dear.”

– Cherokee Chief Tsalagi in 1838 as they began their journey on the Trail of Tears

WORDS OF WISDOM FROM OLD BOONE

“It is time to right some of the wrongs we have done as Americans. I personally believe the Native American Indian should be at the top of the list. They were here long before we came. Their family

LARRY L. WHITELEY has been an award-winning magazine and newspaper writer, radio host and blogger for more than 40 years. His book, “Seasons: Stories of Family, God and the Great Outdoors,” is on Amazon and Amazon Kindle.

ties were strong. Like most of you reading this, they loved the outdoors. They camped out under the stars every day. They hunted to provide meat and clothing for their families. They fished and harvested plants from the land. Nature was a part of who they were.

“Our ancestors came to their land and wanted it for themselves. What they did to steal their land is a sad chapter in our nation’s history. Most Native Americans still live on reservations located on worthless land. If you think their tribes are wealthy because they all have casinos

on them, you are wrong. Very few do. The white man is taking advantage of Native Americans again.

“We need to right the wrong done to the people brought to America as slaves, but we also need to right the wrong done to the people whose land we took from them.”

Hellgrammite imitations produce great smallmouth bass fishing.

By TERRY WILSON Photos by ROXANNE WILSON

Smallmouth bass will feed opportunistically on whatever the river provides, but in pale evening light, the swift water of a riffle offers a dietary staple – hellgrammites.

This larval stage of the Dobsonfly is a mean-looking critter with heavy mandibles capable of pinching an angler’s finger. They have a testy disposition to match, which causes them to use those powerful pincers at the slightest provocation.

Hellgrammites are most commonly found among the large gravel and chunk rock in swifter sections of streams, where they take refuge from the sunlight and feed mainly on other nymphs. They are most active at dusk and on into the night, a fact that must not be overlooked when fishing hellgrammite patterns.

Their three-year life cy -

cle enables growth to reach almost 4 inches in waters containing an abundance of nymphs and larva on which to feed. In healthy streams, there is a wide range of sizes of this mean-spirited, ugly bug, from tiny wigglers to gigantic old-timers.

Those most available to the smallmouth population are between 1 and 3 inches in length, and imitations should replicate that range of sizes.

UGLY AND OVERLOOKED

Even knowledgeable anglers often fail to recognize the importance of hellgrammites, because they seldom see adult Dobsonflies along the stream, and their rock-turning forays fail to uncover true representations of the numbers that are available. This may be because the fastest section of the river is the hardest place to obtain samples. We shouldn’t assume their numbers are low and fail to imitate these

brownish-black nymphs, so highly prized by the smallmouth bass population.

Flyfishing catalogs display an array of hellgrammite patterns, but few capture the flattened body, a realistic simulation of the menacing mandibles, or the flexible body of the live version.

The late George Grant, a

fly-tying legend, used aluminum nails on either side of the hook shank to create a flat foundation for his weighted nymphs. We substituted 50 pound test monofilament for Grant’s nails and borrowed the mandible material (black rubber 3/8-inch O-ring) used by the late Texas tier Michael Verduin, then added a jointed body to fashion our own hellgrammite imitation. The pattern has consistently given us good evening smallmouth action.

HIGH STICKING

“High-sticking” can be successful and involves landing the fly close enough to the caster’s position to allow the angler to hold the line off the water by utilizing the rod’s length to follow the drift, which causes direct line-contact with the fly. The result is a drag-free drift that enables the angler to target specific seams or breaks in the current. That tactic

also transmits fish contact immediately to the angler, thus reducing missed strikes.

Long leaders are necessary for high-sticking, and sometimes it’s helpful to extend the length of the leader if the fish-holding water is deep. Floating line with at least a 9-foot leader facilitates the high-sticking presentation, whereas leaders on a sinking line should be short (3½ to 6 feet) to prevent the fly from rising toward the surface.

Presentation depends, to a large extent, upon current speed. If the riffle being fished is slow enough to allow slack line recovery, casting up and across ensures the longest drag-free drift.

Intermittent fly action can be imparted even with a sinking line by lifting and then dropping the rod tip; strip the line only to remove slack. This lift, drop and strip retrieve is equally valuable in swift currents that require a down-and-across cast because it can be employed

either at intervals during the presentation or at the end of the dead drift. Especially if casting downstream, it is advantageous to find casting positions that involve as little wading as possible. Any silt, sand or gravel that is dislodged will be washed downstream through potentially productive water. If a dead drift is preferred, a reach cast (pointing the rod tip upstream as the fly is landing) will extend the length of the drift.

THE ROCK-BANGING TACTIC

Another successful presentation involves pocket water that is swift enough to harbor hellgrammites. Casting down and across allows the fly to tumble among the rocks. Then, then stripping brings the fly into contact with the rocks. This creates a clicking sound that causes nearby bass to investigate.

This “rock-banging” tactic is particularly successful when the water is so turbid that smallmouths are having difficulty locating their meal by sight. Barbell eyes, cone heads, and bead heads will do a good job of clicking against submerged rocks to attract bass.

Using a hellgrammite pattern offers great smallmouth fishing, but it’s important to remember the nature of this ugly bug. It shuns the light, waits until near darkness to become active, and prefers the fast, well-oxygenated portions of the stream. Success with hellgrammite imitations is best near dusk, in and near riffles.

This hellgrammite fly has given us good evening smallmouth action.

Hellgrammites imitations can prduce great smallmouth bass fishing.

Scouting with purpose for deer season

Photo and Text

By DON GASAWAY

Good hunters study their quarry all year.

Hunting season is often only a few weeks, plus months of talking and dreaming. But modern technology allows hunters to observe their quarry all year with the use of trail cameras.

For the hunter who consistently takes game year after year, deer season is most of the year.

This hunter is a naturalist who studies the habits and life cycle patterns of his quarry. It is the naturalist/hunter who takes his quarry and can guide others to similar success.

The hunter who consistently takes big bucks is the one who studies his quarry just as a naturalist would be inclined. He spends hours in the field, reads all he can find about the animals and makes effective use of trail cameras to pattern his quarry.

The trail camera provides indications of the population and health of deer in each area. Through it, one can decide if that area holds the quality of deer he wishes to pursue. It narrows his activities to areas that may be most productive.

WHITE TAILS

In the case of white-tailed deer, big bucks have different feeding patterns and travel different trails in summer and early fall than later in the year.

In most cases, deer change their travel patterns the second week in October. Hunting pressure from of an increase in human presence makes the deer react. Later rut activity makes for more changes as they drive away rival bucks and seek out the does still in estrus.

The bucks maintain these habits until late winter, when their feeding habits force them to change in concert with the change of diet from brose to grasses.

Sign found by the scouting hunter in spring is sign of most importance to the hunter in pursuit of a trophy buck, the dominant breeder buck, the guy with that big hat rack. Post season hunters can scout the deer’s home area and get a clear picture of where he will be in the fall when the hunting season returns.

Taking field notes is helpful. One can map the planned area of the hunt. You do not need to be an expert mapmaker. You must just be able to find the same terrain in the fall. Mark wooded areas, swamps, sloughs, ridges, scrapes, rubs, bedding areas, feeding areas, water, doe trails, buck trails and where you sight game. The use of a GPS can help by using way points in the same manner.

The notes and map present a picture of the hunting area and the game within it. By collecting and recording all

Game cameras tell you when and where deer are using your property. They are available in a variety of price ranges and with numerous apps, including wi-fi and standard photo images on a Sim Card.

the game sighted, one can plan other hunts than just deer hunts. Upland game can be the subject of hunts before deer hunting and a coyote after the season concludes. The map becomes a plan for all hunting.

MORE THAN ROADS

For those wanting a more accurate map, local highway departments often have maps for sale at a nominal price. They portray roads in the area, but the hunter still must add some of the things mentioned above. Some things to add might include changes in terrain such as small valleys with bluffs on each side that funnel deer activity. Creek crossings and fording areas often are full of sign as animals are dependent upon water. Small ponds, stock tanks, and creeks

become regular watering holes for wildlife.

A benefit of post-season scouting is that signs found are from animals that have made it through the season and the winter. They should be still around the next fall.

Due to the lack of vegetation late in the season, the amount of sign is not as clear as is the case in late summer. Rubs are a bit hard to find, as they are aged and difficult to distinguish from old rubs of previous years. Scrapes are easy to spot. Mark both for future reference later in the fall to see if they are fresh.

Fresh rubs in an area with older ones tend to leave the impression that the deer making them has been around for a while. Deer will return to old scrapes from one year to

another. Once they begin to use them, they will return to refresh them every 12 to 48 hours to keep them fresh.

CHECKING SCRAPES

Scrapes usually are located along field edges where there is a change from one type of vegetation to another. They are almost always beneath an overhanging branch and about 4 to 5 feet above the ground. In making the scrape the buck leaves his scent on the tree by depositing his saliva as he licks or chews the branch.

If no suitable tree is available, deer make scrapes next to saplings and leave a rub on the tree itself.

Rubs serve two purposes. They aid in getting the velvet from antlers during the early season. Later they mark the buck’s territory. The territory is the buck’s breeding ground. The best prospect is an area with both old and new scrapes and rubs in large numbers. The chance of a big deer being there is good.

DEER TRACKING

Deer tracks tell one of the presence of game. A single track of an animal wandering aimlessly through the woods is not one that needs recording. It is the track of a feeding animal and one probably not likely to use the trail again. Tracks of lots of deer indicate a major trail going to or from feeding and bedding

Fly fishing a creative sport with its own mystique

Photo and Text

By BRANDON

BUTLER

Of all the outdoor pursuits I partake in, none conjures more interest from non-sporting friends than fly fishing. There is a mystique to the sport – a romanticism developed through literature, imagery and marketing over a long period of time, like anglers dressed to the nines in the most beautiful locales on the planet. It’s alluring.

This creative vision of fly fishing does have merit. There are places you find yourself with a fly rod in hand that are so breathtakingly beautiful, it’s hard to accept the moment as reality. Yet, fly fishing a subdivision pond for bluegill or largemouth bass is also an option. The sport can be, and actually is, much simpler than most believe.

The weather was magnificent one recent week. I mean, were experiencing one of those

magical stretches we should take note of, so the next time it’s miserable outside and we’re complaining, we can reflect on the gift of a week in April of sunny, 70-degree days with birds singing and red buds in bloom. The perfection inspired me to grab a fly rod and head to a local pond.

LEARNING TO CAST

The golf course where I decided to make my first fly-fishing trip of the year was abuzz with activity. Foursomes were backed up on the tee boxes, and this was a Wednesday evening. The allure of outdoor activity had enthusiasts of all sorts out and about, soaking in the day’s last beams of sunlight. Young couples on walks pushed babies in strollers, while toddlers wearing helmets zipped around on bikes supported by training wheels. But I had the pond to myself, and the freshly mown grass

and open landscape behind me made for a perfect spot to knock the rust of my backcast.

A lot of Midwestern fly fishing is done on tree-lined or brushy rivers and creeks. Precision casting is at times necessary. Those are not when you should try to learn to fly cast. The pond I was fishing was perfect for that. It’s also perfect for experienced fly casters to find their rhythm for the first time in months.

I tied on a small woolly bugger, which is a very common fly, because it’s one in my arsenal that any fish in the pond will eat. There are smaller largemouth bass, bluegill and crappie where I was fishing, hungry after a dormant winter. Any activity in the presence of a fish right now in a pond like this could incite a strike. So don’t stress too much over what to use. This is the time of year they’ll eat about anything.

TIMING’S RIGHT

I approach the pond edge with the fly rod in my right hand. With my left hand, I strip line off the reel. When I have 20 feet or so of fly line at my feet, I use the rod to lift the line and throw it behind me.

I wait about two seconds for the line to completely stretch out to the point where it is flexing or bowing the rod tip away from me. Then, using energy loaded in the rod from the force of going backwards, I push the rod forward, firing the line similar to an arrow out in front of me.

I abruptly stop and hold the rod tip at 10 o’clock. Once the line is laid out flat in the air in front of me, I lower my forearm and, the line falls gently on the water, fully extended.

When the wooly bugger hits the surface, let it sink for a few seconds, then give it a twitch by pulling in a foot or so of your fly line. Continue to repeat this process until you have worked

areas. Record such trails and check frequently for activity. Check the tracks for size. If tracks are large and mixed with small ones, then you are looking at a trail used by does and fawns. Check the area to the side of such trails for large tracks running in the same direction but not on the trail. Bucks usually leave these tracks. Bucks like to stay near the does but seek heavier cover.

Tracks will lead you to either feeding or bedding areas which need marking on the map. Deer will move toward bedding areas in the morning and toward feeding areas in the evening. This tells you where to focus your hunting during those periods of the day.

A buck makes rubs along the trail on the side of the tree he is facing. This is another clue to which direction he is moving on a trail. Seldom does he use the same trail both coming and going to the feeding/bedding areas.

By setting up stands to use the appropriate trails at the time of day indicated by the sign, a hunter increases his chances of success.Aproperly marked map gives the hunter a picture of the deer’s activity all year.

Don Gasaway is a freelance outdoor writer from Marion, IL. He is on Facebook at www.facebook.com/#1/DonGasawayWriter and www. facebook.com/DonsJournal.

your fly through the water back to you.

Stop your retrieval in time to leave enough fly line out to have the weight necessary to begin your back cast. This is where you see fly anglers making false casts – when it looks like they are whipping the sky. This is to stretch more line into your back cast. All you really need for effective fly fishing is to be able to cast 30 to 40 feet accurately. So false cast conservatively. A pond is a perfect place to practice.

NICE RESULTS

I caught a couple of dozen fish in an hour from the pond. It wasn’t on every cast, but pretty close. Most of them were small bluegill under 8 inches.Acouple of stunted little largemouth put on acrobatic shows of jumping and splashing for the golfers.

I guarantee that a number of conversations were had on the golf course that evening

Fly fishing is a sport you can participate in across the country.

about fly fishing. I wonder how many people said, “I’ve always wanted to try fly fishing, but it looks so complicated,” while still trying to put a tiny ball in a little cup 400 yards away. For more Driftwood Outdoors, check out the podcast at www.driftwoodoutdoors. com or anywhere podcasts are streamed.