ASO Magazine March 2016

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FOLKS LOVE TO
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Sports Outdoors
March 2016
Wed. April 6th

Springfield, IL
IGOLD.ISRA.org
See ASO-TV
Sat., Mar. 26 at 5:30pm on
WTVP, PBS Ch. 47 & on
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ADVENTURE SPORTS OUTDOORS THE VOICE OF THE AMERICAN SPORTSMAN
March 2016
Great Lakes Boat Co. is Celebrating 60 Years!
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AND
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Phone: (309) 867-2961 Fax: (309) 867-3962
OPEN: Mon.-Fri. 7:30am-4pm &
Sat. 7:30am-12noon
SUZUKI EVINRUDE HONDA
EXPERT BOAT MAKERS
March 2016
ON THE COVER:
Brad Severs:
Taking a New Mexico
Monster Bull369 B&C!
Read his article on page 48.
Canterbury Tales
MAR. 2016 ISSUE #232

Copyright 1994
Published monthly by: Red Nose, Inc.

Harry & Cathy Canterbury, Owners
TREMONT OFFICE SALES
1408 Downing Ct. Tremont, IL 61568
(309) 925-HUNT (4868)
Home Office: (309) 925-7313
Harrys Cell: (309) 360-0487
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E-mail: ASOCathy@gmail.com
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PRODUCTION AD CREATION & LAYOUT:
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Deadline for ASO editions is the 10th

of each previous month.
Please send only digital media files.
Published by Red Nose, Inc. Red Nose, Inc. is not responsible for
any injury received as a result of information or advice given.
Contents may not reflect opinions of Red Nose, Inc.
SIXTEEN MARINE OPEN HOUSE

March 4 & 5 (Fri & Sat)
W Rt. 16 Shelbyville, 217-774-5050
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If you are like me youre ready

to do some crappie fishing and I
plan on going to Reelfoot Lake
this spring. That is one place
where you can enjoy southern
hospitality at its best without
going too far south. The Quake
Lake as it is called is one of the
best places in the mid-south
where you can really get into
some fine fishing especially
crappies. I am asked quite often
where a guy goes to get some
nice fish without going too far.
And the answer is two places
Reelfoot Lake and if you want
to stay in your own backyard
Lake
Shelbyville
near
Shelbyville Illinois.
This time of year over 40
years ago my old friend George
Ray and I would go up to the
Woodford County ditch near
Spring Bay Illinois. We didnt
have much money but always
had enough to buy some minnows and pack a lunch. We
DAILY HOMEMADE
LUNCH SPECIALS
Gebbys
would take a few chairs some

hot chocolate a couple poles
with Zebco 202 reels and have a
great time. Back then crappie
fishing was pretty good overall
in the old ditch. We were never
alone it seemed plenty of other
people had the same idea as
George and I.
It was just a neat place to go. I
will never forget one time the
crappies werent biting so
George and I went to the end of
the ditch towards the river and
fished for bullheads. We always
took some night crawlers along
in case the crappies were slow.
We caught over 50 and walking
down through the crowd with a
stringer of those big yellow bellies was something.
Its been a long time since
George and I took one of those
trips but I think it would be pretty neat to do that old trip one
more time. We were 18 then and
now both 62 it would be like
walking down memory lane one
more time.
I have found out over the
years that the simple things in
life are what bring back my
fondest memories. And it seems
they are the times we cherished
the most. I am sure you have
those same memories as I do.
And if you get the chance go to
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those old places and relive

the good old days, its
fun, try to do it. We are
only here for a short time.
It seems lately funerals
have taken a front seat in my
life. We are all going to die
someday but I hope that time is
far away. I still have fish to
catch and a few more ducks to
shoot before I go. But to reflect
on a special person we lost in
the family this last month who
had a special place in my heart.
His name was Milford Doc
Harrell recently from Marion IL
& Ft. Myers Florida. Doc as we
all called him was from the
Greatest Generation that fought
in WW2. He was a Marine with
the 4th Marine division in a
number of Island assaults in the
Pacific. He fought at Okinawa,
Tinian and the Marshall Islands.
Doc married my mother-inlaw Mary Ann Patterson in

September 2005 after both had
lost their spouses. Doc was one
of those guys that you liked
right away after a few minutes.
He loved to hunt, garden, golf
and enjoy company. We took
Doc and Mary Ann to Alaska in
2007 where he caught his first
King Salmon on the Kasilof
River. That was our first trip to
Alaska.
He & Mary Ann would come
to our farm and spend the weekend. I had a large garden and he
loved to roto till and work in it.
He was a very special man who
Contd. on pg. 8
GUIDE TO ASO WRITERS
7 .......Mom's Recipe: DUs Goose EnchiladaRoll-ups

8 .......Canterbury Tales continues
10 .....Illinois Spring Trout Fishing Season Opens April 2
11.......More Access & Spring Turkey Hunting Opportunities Added to IRAP
12 ......Richard Pearson ISRA, Executive Directors Message
13 ......ISRA Named Official Local Qualifying Location for American Marksman
13 ......ISRAs IGOLD Wed. April 6th, State Capitol Arena, Springfield
14 ......Norm Kelly, Peoria Municipal Tuberculosis Sanitarium
16 ......Brandan Mathus, Steel Buffalo Silhouette Shooting
17 ......David Hart, The Science of Gobbling, NWTF.org
18 ......Dave Genz, Well-balanced Presentations Trigger More Ice Fish
20 .....Bob Murray, Meandering Murrays, Mamma Moose
21 ......Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Banquet Sat. April 2nd
21 ......MARCH 2016 Calendar of Events
22 ....Ted Nugent, The 2nd Amendment has Nothing to do with Hunting
23 .....Angler Lands Giant White Marlin as North Carolina
24 .....Dave Shadow, Challenging Fun with Oklahoma Hogs and Dogs
25 .....Dave Shadow, Hunting & Sports Shows a Source of Valuable Information
26 .....Colby Simms with Ray Simms, World Class Redfish Angling
28 .....Tennessee Poachers Receive Lifetime Ban in 44 States
29 .....Bob Park, Raptor Premium Spinnerbaits, 2016 Tinley Park Fishing & Outdoor Show
31 ......Candice Davis, MDC: Resource Scientists Track American eels 688 mile journey
32 .....Bill Graham, MDC offers winter trout fishing in St. Joseph
32 .....Dan Zarlenga, Connect to MDC Jay Henges Shooting Range
32 .....Robert Hemmelgarn, MDC offers Discover Nature reloading workshops in Columbia Mar 15
33 .....Candice Davis, MDC announces new conservation area for Perry County
33 .....Candice Davis, MDC: Dial in to Cape Nature Centers new audio tour
34 .....Bill Cooper, Cold Weather Taneycomo Trout
36 .....Hunting with Rick & Braxton Kempf
37 .....Farm King
38 .....SECUR Bluetooth Flashlight & Powerbank
39 .....IDNR NewsBits
40 .....Missouri Officials Consider Banning Hunting of Feral Pigs
41 .....Woo's Corner, Establishing a Pattern
42 .....Daniel Vinovich, Just One
44 .....NWTF, 3 Tips to Enjoy the Turkey Woods as You Age & Tracking Turkeys
45 .....Dave Herschelman, Archers Alley in Decatur Illinois
47 .....NWTF Illinois March 2016 Hunting Heritage Banquets
48 .....Brad Severs Taking a New Mexico Monster Bull - 369 B&C
50 .....Colin Anthony, 6 Things I Learned from Fishing the Amazon
51 ......CPO Reports: Oct-Nov 2015
55......Roland Cheeks Campfire Culture, Attitude Modification
56 .....Kirby Schupp, The Shotgun Shop, Steel Shot Performance Improved
58 .....BAI NEWS, Ed DeVries
60 .....Ted Takasaki and Scott Richardson Poinsett Perch

62 ..... Play Bassmaster Fantasy Fishing for a Chance to Win Big
64 .....John E. Phillips, Build Semi-permanent Beds for Crappie Fishing Success
66 .....Steve Welch, Early Season Crappie
67 .....Lake Shelbyville Fishing Fun!
68 .....Gun Maker Releases Lightest Self Defense Revolver on the Market
69 .....Gerald Sampen, Outdoor Connection- A Lodge with Great Variety
72 .....Reelfoot Lake Tennessee Crappie Fishing
73 .....Eagle Nest Resort
74......Zukes Power Bones: Energy for Active Dogs
75......Reducing Stress to Optimize Performance in the Field forRetrievers
76......Richard Van Natta Waterfowl Hunting in Southern Illinois
77 .....Scott Leysath -thesportingchef.com Java-Rubbed DuckBreasts
78 .....Wade Bourne Waterfowler's Notebook: Strategies forSpecklebellies
79 .....Dave Jackson, Hunting Fun!
79 .....Waterfowling Tip: QuickConcealment
80 .....Decoy & Sporting Collectibles Show Room-to-Room Trading April 19-21
81 ......Contemporary Decoy Carvers at the Midwest Decoy & Sporting Collectibles Show
82 .....15th Annual Whitetail Classic Sport Show & Auction Mar 18-19-20
84 .....Rick Hamm, Show Me Your Snows
85 .....Thane Hunt, Hunts Guns Getaway: Overcoming a Loss
86 .....Margaret Smith, The Trumpet Call, Iowa Folks Come out in Droves to See Swans
88 .....Dan Gapen Sr., Indianas Goggle Eye
90 .....Darron McDougal, Hunting Purely Public Longbeards
92 .....Don Higgins, Higgys Stand: These Numbers Dont Lie
93......A Wilderness Life As I Lived It by Dan Gapen
94 .....Brainerd Mn Worlds Largest Ice Fishing Contest a Success
95 .....Fishing with Pat Sullivan & Uncle Kelly (Harry Kelleher) in San Diego
96 .....Norm Kelly & Bruce Brown, A Short Walk in Forest Park
97 .....Marlene Odahlen-Hinz, Taking a Step Back in Time
99 .....Joe Henry, One Day on a Charter
101.....Jason Houser, Warmer Weather Marks the Beginning of Camping Season
102 ....Brad Severs, What the Anti-Hunters Always Fail to Understand
103 ....Traditions Media Stacks the Deck with Storytelling Talent
104 ...Mary Ann Vance, Real Estate Chatter
105 ....Jack Hart, Shed Hunting & Morel Scouting
106 ....Sunday Funday NORM & BRUCE at the Midwest Truckers Show at Peoria Civic Center
107 ....Glenn Helgeland, Target Communications Wears a New Hat
108 ....US Mint Launches Shawnee National Forest Quarter
108 ....March 2016 Southernmost Illinois Events
109 ....14-year-old Hunter Shoots Charging Kodiak Bear at 15 Yards
110.....Annie Ottos Corner
111 .....Diana Storrs Daylight Saving Time
112 ....Dan Galusha, Dans Fishin Tales, 2016 RICC Winter Fishing Tournament
114.....Jason Mitchell, The Pursuit of Big Pike
116.....Keli Van Cleave, Time for Tags
Cope Marine
is the
Midwests
Boating
Headquarters!
WATCH ASO TV Sat. Mar. 26 5:30pm

On WTVP, PBS Channel 47
See previous shows on our YouTube Page!
YouTube.com/ASOMagazine
O P E N 7 D AY S A W E E K !
ICE COLD BEER!
On Rt. 9 at the Danvers Y, Danvers, IL 309-963-8300
DUCKBOATS
BOATS
Dont Miss An Issue!
18 95
Call Toll-Free 1-877-778-HUNT(4868)
$
12 BIGIssues! o n l y
or Mail payment & form to: ASO, 1408 Downing Ct., Tremont, IL 61568
Name________________________________
Address______________________________
City_______________ State____ Zip_______
Phone_______________________________
March 2016
BASSBOATS
Giant Selection of
Boats in Stock
100s to choose from!
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March 2016
Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes

or until the goose is cooked through.
Sprinkle with the cheddar cheese
and bake 5 minutes more.
Moms Recipe
Great Recipes From:
ducks.org
Goose Enchilada!Roll-ups
Submitted by DU Member
Keith!Frey
Mary Ann Harrell
picks.
Beat the egg in a bowl.
Dip the roll-ups in the egg and coat
in the tortilla chips.
Heat the oil in a skillet.
Add the roll-ups and fry until golden brown on all sides.
Remove to a baking dish.
Mix the seasoning mix, water and
tomatoes in a saucepan.
Cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Pour over the roll-ups.
Try this super easy recipe for a sure

party favorite! Leave out the green
chilies if you don't like your enchiladas spicy.
4 boneless skinless goose breasts
4 ounces whole green chilies
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded
Monterey Jack Cheese
4 teaspoons chopped black olives
1 egg
1 cup crushed tortilla chips
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 envelope enchilada seasoning mix
1/2 cup water
1 (16-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded
Cheddar cheese
Pound the goose breasts on a work
surface with a meat mallet to flatten.
Spread equal portions of the
chilies, Monterey Jack cheese and
olives over each goose breast.
Roll up and secure with wooden
Pan-Seared Snow Goose

Breasts, Peppers
and Onions
4 boneless snow goose breast

halves, skin removed
1/4 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
(Tabasco)
1 medium yellow onion, thinly
sliced
1 green bell pepper, coarsely
chopped
1 red bell pepper, coarsely chopped
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and
minced
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 cup tomatoes, seeded and chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Slice goose breasts thinly across
the grain of the meat.
Combine half of the olive oil,
Worcestershire sauce, garlic salt, and
hot pepper sauce in a glass bowl.
Add sliced goose, cover and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours.
Heat remaining oil in a large skillet
over medium heat.
Add onion, peppers and garlic.
Cook until onions are medium
brown.
Remove goose from marinade.
Drain well and discard marinade.
Add goose and stir-fry for 1 to 2
minutes or until just cooked, but not
past medium-rare.
Stir in tomato and season to taste
with salt, pepper and additional hot
sauce.
Serve over a bed of Cajun rice.
BT-99 Plus
Citori 725 Pro Sporting
High post ventilated rib, ported barrel, grade III/IV

walnut, adjustable comb, Pachmayr recoil pad, silver
nitride finish steel receiver
With Pro Fit Adjustable Comb.

Oil finish Grade III/IV walnut, gold engraving, Invector-DS
extended chokes, HiViz Pro-Comp
Maxus Sporting
Citori 725 Trap
Gas-operated autoloader Power Drive Gas System

reduces recoil and cycles a wide range of loads. Vector Pro
lengthened forcing cone
Raised cheek rest, semi-beavertail forearm with finger

grooves, gloss walnut, gold accented steel low profile
receiver, ported barrels, HiViz Pro-Comp sight,
Invector-DS chokes.
G.M. Bartelmay Guns Inc. M,T,W,F 9AM-6PM SAT 9AM-2PM CLOSED TH & SUN OPEN ANYTIME BY APPT.
Central IL Browning Headquarters 911 W. Jefferson St. Morton (309) 263-8032
Lake Sara Marina

Boat Show
March 3-4-5-6
Village Square Mall
217-342-6344
Effingham, IL
www.LSMboats.com
TREMONT SHELL
UNDER NEW OWNERSHIP! Gas Pumps

Best Prices on Gas!
Open 24/7!
Convenience Store
(with credit/debit purchase)
Pizza & Sandwich Shop
OPEN:
309-925-4217
Weekdays 4:30am-11pm
Weekends 4:30am-12am
Get ya some Agatuccis Pizza Tonight!

COLDEST BEER AROUND!
TREMONT OIL COMPANY

Your Small Town Full Service Station
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309-925-2251 gibby@dpc.net
TALES Contd. from pg. 5

will be missed by all who knew
him. I didnt know what all he
went through in the war till later,
for he kept it to himself. He was
involved in some of the worst
fighting in those invasions that
anyone could go through. He lost
a lot of friends, saw a lot of death,
but still was able to come home
and make a wonderful life in
Southern Illinois.
He was the kind of man who
was outstanding in every aspect
of his life. He went to the
University Of Illinois and became
an Engineer through the G I bill.
He became the vice president of
operations for United Electric
Coal Company for over 20 years.
Volunteered for all sorts of organizations in need of help, Doc was
there. He volunteered preparing
taxes for the vets and the elderly
for 20 years just to name a few of
the things he did. He was loved
by all who knew him and was
proud of being a Marine.
ASO TV will have an interview

with Doc in the Sat. March 26th
show at 5:30pm on WTVP channel 47. Then it will be on
YouTube.com/ASOMagazine.
Doc was very proud of our son
Billy who also was a Marine. I
cant tell you in words just how
important he was to all of us and
his family but I think you know
he was just one hell of a guy. For
a man who had so much responsibility most of his life he was
never in any way arrogant or over
baring, but humble and kind. I
never heard him say a bad word
about anyone. He was a fine
example of a great American
from that Greatest Generation.
Doc Harrell gone but not forgotten. 1924-2016
Snow goose hunting south of
Havana Illinois has been pretty
good. This week Ricky Hamm
has killed 100s of geese this
week and should finish this season way up in the numbers. In 2
days he has killed over 200
snows. He has figured it out and
Peoria Skeet & Trap Club
OPEN HOUSE
Sat., April 2 11am-3pm
(Rain date: Sun. April 3)
CALLING ALL CLUB MEMBERS!!!
A great opportunity to grow our sport
& encourage others to join the fun!
WE WELCOME YOUR PARTICIPATION
INVITE YOUR FRIENDS & NEIGHBORS!
Free InstructionGun Safety, Trap & Skeet Shooting

Shoot Fees $4 per round -25 birds all day
Free Food
Learn about club membership, youth shooting programs, spring/summer
trap leagues, hosting group shooting events on club grounds
MARIETTA
TAP
112 W. Coal St. Marietta, Il 61459 Eddie & Lorrie
926-6901
Hours:
Open Sundays
M-F @ Noon
Sat. @ 10am
Your Friendly Neighborhood Tavern

Where Its Easy To EnterBut Hard To Leave.
We Feature The Best Drinks In Town &
The Coldest Beer Around!
WHERE GOOD FRIENDS &

GOOD TIMES GET TOGETHER
Stop in For a Cold One This Upcoming Season!
has a great place to shoot snow

geese near Havana. Call him to
book a hunt: 309-635-5200.
I hate to admit it but duck season for me last year was a big
zero. I went 5 times and never
pulled the trigger. That unfortunately was like that all up and
down the river. Oh yes I know a
hand full of folks who actually
shot a few. But for me it was
nothing but one snow goose and I
shot it in front of my cabin on a
foggy day in the field. No deer, 1
dove and that was it. Could have
shot plenty of deer but not Mr.
Right.
If the cartridge makers and suppliers of hunting equipment
depended on my shooting habits
to make it, they would be in a
world of hurt. I remember when I
use to buy at least 3 cases of
shells to get me through the season. I would shoot at least a case
at ducks and I dont mean those
half cases they have today. I
would shoot 3 cases at the trap
range with no trouble. A box of
shells was $2 and a full case was
$40. Same shell today is 125 to
160 bucks a case, a real case that
is.
I love the smell of gun powder
and still like to smell the first few
out of the gun when dove season
starts. Oh well hopefully next
year will be a better than last year.
March 2016
We lost another great American

last month and that was Chief
Justice Scalia. He was not only a
loss in the Supreme Court for his
conservative ideas. But this man
was an outdoorsman through and
through. And a fine example of
what being a constitutionalist is
all about. His interoperation of
our Constitution was true. He did
not deviate from the meaning of
its writers and always defended
its purpose for argument and
meaning. He was a great man and
a heck of a wing shot.
I saw an interview with Justice
Scalia and Piers Morgan on TV.
Piers asked the Judge, what do
you say about torture of the
enemy during war? His comment
was, It is illegal but it is not in
the Constitution, I dont rule on
that type of thing. I am sure glad
that Piers Morgan has gone back
to England. He didnt fit in our
lives at all, I hear he is not all that
liked in England.
Enjoy yourselves and please get
outside even if it is just a walk in
the Park. Life is short so make the
best out of it each and every day.
Love those who love you and
never give up no matter what.
Have a great fishing season.
Remember our Veterans.
Keep your powder dry and your
worm wet.
Harry
Black Top Inn
10956 N. Manito Rd., Manito, IL 309-545-9980

Home of the 1/2 pound Burger, Ice Cold Beer & Good Spirits!
Open: M-F 7:30am - 4:30pm
Sat. 7:30 - 11:30am
Rocket Tire has been giving customers the highest

standards in sales & quality service for over 50 years.
300 Edmund St. Peoria, IL
(309) 676-0124 RocketTire.com
March 2016
In Memory of
Doc Harrell
WW2
circa
1942
Here is Docs daughter Lee

Ann Hogg. She said, Last
dance with Dad. May he rest
in peace. I love you Dad!!
Mary
&
Doc
Harry & Doc went for

breakfast at The Perfect
Cup on Matlacha Island.
KELLY SEED & HARDWARE CO.

202 Hamilton Peoria, IL (309) 674-0368
BIRD SEED, FEEDERS, HOUSES & BATHS
Wildlife Plot Mixes Wildlife Plantings

Deer Clovers Buckwheat Japanese Millet
Proso & Pearl Millet Sorghum Sunflower Seed
~ Nice Selection of Prairie Grasses for Filter Strips ~
The Hialeah Club
Goofy Ridge, IL
Video Gaming Food & Spirits OPEN EVERYDAY
Breakfast Served 5am-1pm Mon-Sat & Sun til Noon
MENU SERVED ALL DAY!
(309) 535-3442
10
IL SPRING TROUT
FISHING SEASON
OPENS APR. 2
Spring Catch-and-Release Fly
Fishing-Only Season Opens
March 19 at select sites
The 2016 Illinois spring trout fishing season opens
on Saturday, April 2 at 50 ponds, lakes and streams
throughout the state. Prospect Park in Moline has
been added to the list of spring trout fishing locations.
The Spring Catch-and-Release Fly Fishing-only
season will be available at nine sites beginning on
March 19. Fly fishing anglers can use fly fishing gear
to catch and release trout beginning March 19 at the
nine select sites designated in the list below.No trout
may be kept during the fly fishing-only period, but
anglers can keep trout after the opening of the regular season beginning April 2.
The Illinois catchable trout program is funded
entirely by those who use the program through the
sale of Inland Trout Stamps.The IDNR stocks more
than 80,000 rainbow trout each year in bodies of
water where trout fishing is permitted during the
spring season.
No trout may be taken from any of the stocked
sites from March 11 until the spring trout season
opens at 5 a.m. on April 2.Anyone attempting to
take (harvest) trout before the legal harvest season

opening will be issued citations.
All anglers including those using fly-fishing gear
who intend to release fish caught before April 2
must have a fishing license and an Inland Trout
Stamp, unless they are under the age of 16, blind or
disabled, or are an Illinois resident on leave from
active duty in the Armed Forces. The daily catch limit
for each angler is five trout.
Not all sites open at 5 a.m. on opening day. Anglers
are reminded to check the opening time of their
favorite trout fishing location prior to the season.
For more information on trout seasons and other
Illinois fishing opportunities, check the website at
www.ifishillinois.org.
Illinois fishing licenses and Inland Trout Stamps
are available at DNR Direct license and permit locations, including many bait shops, sporting goods
stores and other retail outlets.For a location near
you, check the IDNR website at this link:
dnr.illinois.gov/DNRDirectMonitor/VendorListing.aspx
Fishing licenses and trout stamps can also be purchased by using a credit card through DNR Direct
online via the IDNR website at www.dnr.illinois.gov, or
by calling DNR Direct toll-free at 1-888-6PERMIT (1888-673-7648).
For more info. about all site regulations,
anglers should contact individual sites that will be
stocked with catchable-size trout. The 50 locations
that will be open for spring trout season are listed
below:
DECATUR BATTERY
NEW & REBUILT BATTERIES
Automobile
Farm
Discount Center 543 N. Van Dyke
Industrial
Free Installation A Battery for Every Need
Marine
Motorcycle
Midwest Leading Battery & Accessories
Commercial
Supplier to the Outdoorsman!
Imports
EXIDE
BATTERIES
Dwight Hill
(217) 429-6642
Hours:
M-F 8-5
SAT 8-12
March 2016
2016 Illinois Spring Trout Locations (** Denotes Sites

Open for Catch-and-Release Fly Fishing-Only Early
Season)
North --- Boone Co. --- Mill Race Ponds, Belvidere
North --- Bureau Co.--- Hennepin Canal Parkway
North --- Cook Co. --- Wolf Lake at William W.
Powers State Recreation Area, Chicago
North --- Cook Co. --- Green Lake in Calumet City,
Cook Co. Forest Preserve District
North --- Cook Co. --- Axehead Lake, Cook Co.
Forest Preserve District
North --- Cook Co. --- Belleau Lake, Cook Co. Forest
Preserve District
North --- Cook Co. --- Sag QuarryEast, Cook Co.
North --- DuPage Co. --- Silver Lake, DuPage Co.
North --- Jo Daviess Co. --- Apple River, Apple River
State Park **
North --- Kankakee Co. --- Bird Park Quarry,
Kankakee
North --- Kankakee Co. --- Rock Creek, Kankakee
River State Park **
North --- Kendall Co. --- Big Lake, Silver Springs
State Fish and Wildlife Area
North --- LaSalle Co. --- Illinois and Michigan Canal,
Utica
North --- LaSalle Co. --- Lake Mendota, Village of
Mendota
North --- Lake Co. --- Sand Lake, Illinois Beach
State Park
North --- McHenry Co. --- Lake Atwood, McHenry
Co. Conservation District
North --- McHenry Co. --- Piscasaw Creek, McHenry
Co. Conservation District
North --- Ogle Co. --- Pine Creek, White Pines
Forest State Park **
North --- Rock Island Co. --- Prospect Park, Moline
North --- Stephenson --- Waddams Creek, Lake LeAqua-Na State Recreation Area
North --- Stephenson --- Yellow Creek in Krape

Park, Freeport
North --- WhitesideCo. --- Centennial Park Pond,
Rock Falls
North --- Will Co. --- Lake Milliken, Des Plaines
Conservation Area
North --- Winnebago Co. --- Four Lakes, Winnebago
Co. Forest Preserve District
Central --- Adams Co. --- Siloam Springs State Park
Lake **
Central --- Cass Co. --- Gridley Lake, Jim Edgar
Panther Creek SFWA **
Central --- Champaign Co. --- Lake of the Woods,
Champaign Co. Forest Preserve Dist.
Central --- Christian Co. --- Manners Park Pond,
Taylorville Park District
Central --- Coles Co. --- Eastern Illinois University
Campus Pond, Charleston
Central --- Hancock Co. --- Horton Lake, Nauvoo
State Park **
Central --- Macon Co. --- Sportsmans Club Pond,
Macon Co. Conservation District
Central --- McLean Co. --- Miller Park Lake,
Bloomington
Central --- Morgan Co. --- Morgan Lake at Nichols
Park, Jacksonville **
Central --- Moultrie Co. --- Wyman Lake, Sullivan
Central --- Pike Co. --- Kings Park Pond, Pittsfield
Central --- Sangamon Co. --- Southwind Park,
Springfield
Central --- Sangamon Co. --- IDOT Lake, Springfield
**
Central --- Sangamon Co. --- Washington Park
Pond, Springfield
Central --- Shelby Co. --- Forest Park Lagoon,
Shelbyville
Central --- Vermilion Co. --- Clear Lake, Kickapoo
State Recreation Area
Morrells Package Liquors

1/2 mi. West of Astoria, IL on Route 24
309-329-2826
Owners: Zane & Joanie Morrell
DUCKS
TIRE REPAIR
Fast Service Since 1988.
Firestone & all tire brands
available as well as farm tires.
Service truck will come to you!
Gale Duck Duckwiler

309-759-4447
8950 E. Sand Branch Rd.
Summum, near Astoria, IL
Emergency Service 24/7: 309-759-4272
Silver DollarOne of the Peoria

Areas Oldest Watering Holes
Drink Specials Everyday!

Full Menu with a Fabulous Breakfast!
M-F 7am-11pm Sat. & Sun. 7am-2pm
Owners, Mike & Kathy Morris invite you to
come by for a drink and delicious meal!
4322 N. Prospect Peoria Hts 309-685-9413
March 2016
South --- Jefferson Co. --- Mount Vernon Game

Farm Pond
South --- Johnson Co. --- Ferne Clyffe State Park
Lake
South --- Marion Co. --- Boston Pond, Stephen A.
Forbes State Recreation Area
South --- Massac Co. --- Fairgrounds Pond, Fort
Massac State Park
South --- Randolph Co. --- Derby Lake, Sparta
(World Shooting and Recreational Complex)
South --- St. Clair Co. --- Frank Holten State Park
Main Lake
South --- St. Clair Co. --- Jones Park Lake, East St.
Louis
South --- Willow Lake at Peabody River King State
Fish and Wildlife Area **
South --- Wabash Co. --- Beall Woods Lake, Beall
Woods State Park
South --- Wayne Co. --- Sam Dale Trout Pond, Sam
Dale Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area
More Access & Spring Turkey

Hunting Opportunities
Added to Illinois Recreational
Access Program
Youth Hunters Should Apply by Feb. 26
for Youth Turkey Season;
First-time adult and young hunters apply
by March 10 for Seasons 3 & 4
SPRINGFIELD, IL The Illinois Recreational Access
Program (IRAP) has added first-time adult turkey
hunting to its growing list of public access activities. A
first-time adult hunter includes anyone who hasnt
hunted turkey in the past five years. In addition, the
IDNR has changed the age restrictions for youth turkey
hunting to 17 years and younger. This will allow IRAP
to permit more young turkey hunters on youth turkey
ILLINOIS STAT E MUSEUM TO REOPEN TO T HE PUBLIC

Director Rosenthal Announces Sustainable Model to Prepare the ISM System for the Future
The IDNR Director Wayne A. Rosenthal announced Monday February 8th that an agreement has been
reached to reopen the Illinois State Museum to the public. IDNR has worked closely with Governor Bruce
Rauners office to develop a new, more sustainable model for operating the museum that will save
about $1 million per year by closing two museum branches, consolidating human resources and
accounting functions within IDNR, and by development of a new management and organizational structure. The museum will also seek to improve revenue by charging an admission fee, and increase
fundraising efforts through an improved partnership with the Illinois State Museum Society.
WAYNES 121 CLUB
Located in Tremont, IL on Old Rt. 121 250 S. Baer Rd.
Celebrating
29 Years!
11
hunting sites.
IRAP is a public access program that leases property from private landowners throughout Illinois and
makes it available to registered IRAP participants for
specific activities, including:
Spring youth turkey hunting for youth season and
seasons three and four
First-time adult turkey hunting for seasons 3 and 4
Pond and riverbank fishing
Boat access on public waterways
Hiking, birding and outdoor photography
Archery deer hunting
Small game hunting
Waterfowl hunting
To apply for an IRAP spring turkey hunting site,
hunters must go to IRAP website and download an
application and liability waiver, complete and sign
those forms and mail them to IDNR.
Deadlines for applications are February 26 for
youth turkey season and March 10 for regular spring
turkey seasons 3 and 4. In order to apply for seasons
3 and 4, applicants must first apply for a turkey permit
through IDNR spring turkey lottery system.
The Illinois Recreational Access Program is an
innovative way for us to partner with private landowners to provide much-needed access for hunting and
other outdoor activities, said IDNR Director Wayne
Rosenthal. In exchange for a small lease payment,
landowners allow public access to their property. In
addition, landowners receive assistance with habitat
restoration of their property. IRAP is an ideal public/private partnership that provides positive results
for everyone.
Applicants applying for Youth Turkey Season
through IRAP can download an application at:
http://www.dnr.illinois.gov/conservation/IRAP/Page
s/YouthTurkeyHunting.aspx .
For first-time adult turkey hunters applying for an

IRAP site, go to http://www.dnr.illinois.gov/conservation/IRAP/Pages/First-time-Adult-turkey-hunting.aspx and download an application and liability waiver.
All applications must be returned to IDNR four weeks
prior to hunting season. Successful applicants will be
notified by mail of their hunting site location, be given
a map, and an IRAP permit allowing them to hunt on
their assigned turkey hunting site. For youth turkey
season, young hunters will also need to get an overthe-counter IDNR youth turkey permit once they
receive their IRAP permit packet.
Youth and first-time adult hunters applying for an
IRAP site for regular spring turkey seasons 3 or 4 will
need to apply online for an IDNR turkey permit as soon
as possible. The application deadline for the next lottery drawing for 2016 spring turkey permits is
February 6. Successful applicants receiving a turkey
permit for their choice county in season 3 or 4 will
then need to send in an IRAP turkey application. IRAP
sites for turkey seasons 3 and 4 are awarded on a
first-come, first-served basis.
Turkey hunting on IRAP-leased property is available
during three spring turkey seasons:
Youth Season:
March 26-27 (south zone)
April 2-3 (north zone)
Third Season:
April 5-20 (south zone)
April 22-27 (north zone)
Fourth Season:
April 21-27 (south zone)
April 28-May 4 (north zone)
To date, IRAP has leased more than 12,000 acres
in 29 counties to provide for public access opportunities. For more information, visit: http://www.dnr.illinois.gov/conservation/IRAP/Pages/default.aspx
E-mail Tammy Miller at Tammy.Miller@illinois.gov.
Carters Gun Shop, Inc.
VIDEO GAMING,
Darts, Pizza,
Snacks,
Cold Beer & More!
202 W. Comanche Shabbona, IL 60550 cartersgunshop@aol.com
(815) 824-2354
Stop By & Say Hello!
Open: 8am-12noon & 1pm-5pm Closed Sunday & Tuesday
Upland Hunting & Fishing at its Finest!
Your Northern Illinois Gunsmith Antique To Modern

Firearms Repair A Specialty New Rifle Barrels Installed
Same Location Since 1951
Operating since 1991
DAILY & YEARLY MEMBERSHIPS AVAILABLE
Hunt Lick Creek Game Preserve, located on 991 acres of

beautiful terrain in Central Illinois, with 189 CREP acres
and a 55 acre lake that offers great fishing!
HUNTING SEASON: Oct. 15th - Mar. 31st
FISHINGSEASON:Mar. 15th - Nov. 1st
Pheasant, Chukar, Quail and are a full service club.
ALSO...We waive the membership fee on active duty military!
(309) 347-7191
Cell: 309-645-6157
www.lickcreek.com
We Now
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12
From the
Desk of:
Rich
Pearson,
ISRA
Executive
Director
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S MESSAGE
A champion has fallen! Antonin Scalia was a
champion for every American because he was a
champion for the Constitution of the United
States. Justice Scalia was an "Originalist" which
means he applied the meanings of the words in the
ISRA.org
Constitution as they were understood then, and

not a perversion of the meaning that has occurred
over time. Because Scalia applied his interpretation of the meaning of the Constitution this way,
he reversed a trend known as "the living document" interpretation which was eroding our free-
doms. Whether Scalia's interpretation continues

is what is at stake in this Presidential election.
I have mentioned the critical nature of this
election with regard to its effect on the United
States Supreme Court several times in the
Thursday Bulletin but I never thought we would
face the consequences so quickly. In a sad and
dark way, it is good that we must face this now
otherwise many would never know the importance
of this election until it was too late. The nomination of the next Supreme Court Justices is a consideration that overrides all other issues in my
view.
We are already seeing the importance of this
issue to both sides. I'm sure the President will
nominate a political hack to fill the vacancy to further divide the country. It is the usual divide and
conquer ploy we have seen in the past. If there was
ever an election that was for "all the marbles" this
is it.
In 1991, a nasty letter to the editor appeared in
the Bloomington Pantagraph newspaper. The letter berated hunters, calling them slobs. Hunters in
the area were furious. Newspapers in 1991 had a
lot more influence than they do now. Those were
the days before widespread Internet use,
Facebook, Twitter and texting. Being furious doesn't much matter if you can't turn anger into positive action.
Ronald Hamilton, an avid outdoorsman from
Bloomington, decided to take positive action. Ron
and a few of his friends formed the McLean County
Sportsmen's Association (MSA), an organization
dedicated to educating children in the outdoors.
Over the last 25 years, Ron, the MSA board members and hundreds of volunteers have educated
thousands of children in hunting, fishing, shooting
and gun safety. On Saturday, February 6, 2016, I
was privileged to attend MSA's annual banquet,
along with about 800 other people. If there was
ever a group of people who turned a lemon into
lemonade, Ron Hamilton and the MSA are it - well
done Ron!
If you have been watching the news, you have an
idea about what is going on with concealed carry
permits in Lowell, Massachusetts. In
Massachusetts, concealed carry permits are
issued by the state but local municipalities
approve or disapprove the permits through the
local police department. Each department gets to
make their own rules. The local Police Chiefs are
essentially agents of the state of Massachusetts.
In Lowell, Massachusetts, as well as some other
communities in the state, they have adopted draconian rules to get a permit. All of these residents
must take one of twelve approved courses. In
Lowell, you also have to write an essay of 1000
words or more explaining why you should be
allowed to exercise your Second Amendment
Rights. Moreover, Lowell wants to add another 40hour course on top of everything else. If you are a
citizen of Lowell, you will have about $2000
invested in classes covering six days, your license
fee, your firearm and accessories, and a 1000word essay. After all of that, the Police Chief doesn't have to approve the license. In Massachusetts,
March 2016
the state legislature has finally decided to appoint

a committee to study the problem.
The example of Lowell, Massachusetts explains
why we wrote the Illinois Concealed Carry Act as
we did. I know it is not perfect. What
Massachusetts does not have is preemption.
Preemption is critical to concealed carry and all
firearm laws. What "preemption" does is turn over
control to the state and prevents local governments from tampering with the law. One of the primary goals of the Illinois Concealed Carry Act was
preemption. Lowell explains why Illinois does not
have preemption for all firearms laws but the ISRA
is working on it.
We have preemption for transportation of
firearms. It is important that ISRA members be
aware of the problems that have to be anticipated
when proposing preemption legislation. Local city
councils and village trustee boards hate preemption and will fight tooth and nail against it. The
problem with many of these local governments is
that they see themselves as God's gift to us all.
They feel that they should determine what civil
rights you have.
In Springfield we are leading off with some very
nasty anti-gun and anti-gun owner bills. I will not
reiterate on them at this time. Please check the
latest alerts for the distasteful flavor of what is
coming our way. The future won't be any better.
Recently we have seen bills introduced such as
SB2211, HB3160 and HB6008 which all are
attacks on the Second Amendment. We are going
to see more of these attacks this session of the
Illinois General Assembly. What these bills and the
ones that follow will show is ever increasing well
organized vile attempts to chip away at the rights
of hunters, sportsmen and gun owners. We are
entering a critical period in which all gun owners
will have to stick together.
The big day will be March 15th. There are several primaries that day, including Illinois. By midnight on March 15th we will know much more. By
the way, if you are not registered to vote, you need
to get that done right away.
Hillary Clinton has all but guaranteed that if
elected, she will appoint Barack Obama to the
Supreme Court. That would be a disaster not only
for gun owners but the entire country; it would be
the perfect solution for the Clinton's, however.
When a person becomes a member of the Supreme
Court, they essentially have a gag stuffed in their
mouth. I can think of nothing that would make the
Clinton's happier.
Second Amendment Rights are going to be the
Civil Rights Movement in the 21st century. That is
why this election is so important. It is also important that the ISRA remain strong. Please join or
renew today.
There are openings for the March 5th Women On
Target clinic held in Chillicothe Sportsmen's Club.
Please call the ISRA office to register.
The 2016 IGOLD bus schedule is now up on our
website. Visit us at www.isra.org to purchase your
charter bus seat. See you in Springfield on April
6th!
Thanks for being a member.
March 2016
ILLINOIS STATE RIFLE ASSOCIATION NAMED OFFICIAL

LOCAL QUALIFYING LOCATION FOR AMERICAN MARKSMAN
New Nationwide Target Shooting Competition Coming to Bonfield
Bonfield, IL Illinois State Rifle Association has been approved as an officially recognized
Local Qualifying Location for American Marksman - a new concept shooting competition
TV show by Outdoor Sportsman Group. Amateur target shooters from the Bonfield area
will have the chance to qualify to earn bids to the Great Lakes Regional Championship and,
ultimately for the American Marksman national championship, where they will compete for
a grand prize of $50,000 and the title of the very first American Marksman.
After registering on www.AmMarksman.com, competitors will come to the Illinois State
Rifle Association Range on Saturday and Sunday mornings from 8:00am until noon during
March, April and May of 2016 where they will be taken through the local qualifying course
of fire that includes .22 caliber rim fire ammunition fired from .22 caliber rifles, handguns
or both. Scores will be uploaded to the American Marksman leaderboards on the website as
soon as they complete the contest.
We couldnt be more proud and excited to be named an official local qualifying range
for American Marksman, said Richard Pearson, Executive Director of the Illinois State
Rifle Association. Our organizations share the same goal, to bring new folks into the shooting sports in a safe and fun environment. We look forward to welcoming competitors into
our facility beginning in March.
American Marksman, owned by Outdoor Sportsman Group in Denver, Colorado, will
also produce a television show that follows the tour and select competitors as they advance.
The show will air, beginning in December 2016, on both the Outdoor Channel and
Sportsman Channel television networks.
American Marksman is thrilled to have the Illinois State Rifle Association on board with
us as an official local qualifying location, said American Marksman Tour Director, Brian
Tatum. Richard and his staff have done a tremendous job promoting the shooting sports
in Illinois and have taught many new target shooters how to have fun and do things in a safe
manner. We couldnt be happier to be working them to continue that mission.
For more information about the Illinois State Rifle Association, visit www.isra.org or call (815)
635-3198. For more information about American Marksman, visit www.AmMarksman.com
After a good day of hunting
Come stay with us!
Irish House Hotel

Manager: Kristen Schenk
Indoor Pool
Continental Breakfast
We enjoy your company!

IRISH HOUSE HOTEL
Rt. 99 S. Mt. Sterling, IL 62353
OPEN HOUSE

Free Food
Zanchas Guns & Ammo

BUY SELL TRADE
Areas Largest Stocking Gun Dealer!

Glock Stocking Dealer, Henry Gold Dealer
We Carry All Major Brands!
Find Lots of Accessories & Reloading
Supplies: Brass, Bullets, Powder,
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Mon.-Fri. 10am-6pm
Sat. 9am-4pm
108 East State St. Lovington, IL 61937 217-873-6567

guns@zanchasguns.com www.ZanchasGuns.com
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2470 235th St.

Fort Madison, IA
1-877-BIRDHUNT
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13
DISCOUNT
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Matanza Beach 309-543-9163

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Halfway Between Havana & Bath, IL on Rt. 78
14
Peoria Municipal
Tuberculosis Sanitarium
by Norman V. Kelly
Folks around here called it The

San. In fact newspaper articles and
editorials always referred to this
magnificent hospital that way. The
patients did as well and through the
forty years of the in house newsletter Peoria Fluoroscope, patients
and editorials called the TB
Hospital The San. Some people
dropped the and just called it San.
I have written hundreds of historical
stories about buildings and famous
people in our town, but none of
them had a heart and soul like The
San. It was like a living thing to
the patients and their loved ones.
As usual behind every major com-
munity project the dreamers, the

planners, and the forward thinking
people here in Peoria worked hard
and long to get this hospital up and
running, and it lasted from 1919
until January 1, 1973. Almost 6,000
patients went through the precious
care the hospital delivered, saving
thousands of lives as it cared for
anyone that needed its services. Of
course, their was a political element
in such a project but the historical
record shows that legislation was
passed allowing cities to tax their
citizens for the fund to build and
maintain TB hospitals in 1908.
However it was not until 1919 that
the hospital was finally opened.
Again, no thanks to the politicians,
they passed the taxing law but that
is as far as their participation in the
process went. It took the efforts of
men like Dr. Sumner Miller who got
tired of waiting for a political boost
and he formed a group in 1911
called The Peoria Tuberculosis
Association; that group got little to
no help from the city council.
TB ASSOCIATION
The Association formed a TB
Dispensary inside the Bacon
Mission located on the Southside of
March 2016
Peoria, Illinois in 1912. Mayor

Woodruff, in 1914 appointed a
board of Directors for The San that
had not yet been built and the dispensary hired its first nurse,
Catherine Connor.
Dr. Miller pressured the city council and they finally voted for a new
tax and on November 4, 1914 the
City of Peoria bought the Hartwig
farm for $5,750.00, on a beautiful,
restful place about eight miles up
Galena Road. They bought the
Koch Farm, adding additional acres
totaling fifteen acres. Everything
was ready to go but WW1 intervened. The TB Dispensary group
decided to push ahead and had two
cottages built on the land while
awaiting the wars end. When WW1
ended building proceeded and eventually The San acquired twenty-six
acres and a lot more buildings. It
was a city within itself, self-contained and later included a home for
the nurses and the resident physicians. In January 1972 the ten
patients still in the hospital were
transferred to the Pulmonary
Department of Saint Francis
Hospital in Peoria. The TB Hospital
then closed its doors and faded away
as time rolled on.
AN EIGHTH GRADE PATIENT

Mary Linn lived in ElVista when I
lived there. She was looking forward to her last year at Woodrow
Wilson Grade School when she
became ill with Tuberculosis. Her
father was in The San and now she
was going to join him. Her father,
at the young age of 40 died of complications from the disease and now
she wondered what was going to
happen to her. That was August of
1950 and instead of going back to
school, she was admitted right away
into The San.
I was put in one of the cottages
just away from the main building.
They told me that my disease was
not positive, which meant that I
was not contagious. My disease was
discovered in an early stage so I was
lucky they found it so soon.
Naturally I was not a happy girl, I
felt alone, I could not see my family and I was scared. I quickly
enrolled in the school and had a
tutor for my eighth grade. I certainly did not like my teacher but I managed pretty well and was happy that
I would not have the eighth grade to
do when I got back home. The routine was pretty boring, lots of bed
rest, and very good food three times
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March 2016
a day which I ate over in the main

building.
Mary got along rather well but
really missed her sister Norma and
the rest of her family. I got a shot
of Streptomycin every day and
twelve pills a day; something they
called Pas. Everyone treated me
rather nicely but my tutor. I started
to get used to everything and the
daily routine. You know, Norm, the
doctors, nurses and just about
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everyone smoked inside the hospital, which I thought was strange but
of course we did not know how dangerous that was way back then. I
told you I went in the hospital in
August and on November 11, 1950
my father died; he was only forty
years old. Since my father died of
TB perhaps they watched me a bit
closer because I remember getting a
lot of x-rays and an awful lot of
additional tests. It was during
March that I was released from the

hospital. I could not go to school
and I spent most of my time in bed.
At least I did not get anymore injections but I still had to take all the
pills. The doctor and nurses at The
San took very good care of me and
I am grateful for all their kind words
and treatment.
So, the hospital stayed open for
53 years and then sent the remaining 10 patients to the Pulmonary
15
Department at room 2-A in Saint

Francis Hospital on December 31,
1972. Through the efforts of all the
doctors and nurses and dedicated
staff, TB was no longer the deadly
disease it was for so many years.
Editors Note: Norm is a Peoria
Historian, fiction and true crime
writer and a monthly contributor
to Adventure Sports Outdoors.
norman.kelly@sbcglobal.net
16
STEEL BUFFALO
SILHOUETTE
SHOOTING
By Brandan Mathus,
Route 24 Gun & Pawn
Your Outdoorsman Pawn Broker

Shooting steel silhouette targets
is probably one of the best types of
target shooting in my opinion.
They will last a lifetime and they
report back to you if the bullet hits
it. It is really exciting when you are
shooting a couple hundred yards or
more and hear that. Now that my
trapping season has ended and the
traps are all put up in the shed, its
time to break out my steel buffalo
target.
I fabricated my own targets and
they are available for order. My
target has a steel flapper in the area
of all vitals. When the bullet
impacts the flap swings up and
gravity brings it back down to position for another shot. My targets
are black with white flaps. Its also
fun to have more than one target. A
lot of times we will set them up 25
to 50 yards etc. As far as we can
accurately shoot. The closer targets
are good for beginner shooters and
that is where I have my sons shooting. Its a great confidence builder
and they like the reaction of the
target.
Since the fur shed isnt demanding so much of my time I have been
able to get some cartridges
reloaded. I reload 45.70 its my
March 2016
Coltan &
Daxtan with
steel buffalo
target. Target
is 3 1/2 x 3.
Lots of fun!
favorite
cartridge to shoot
and is very
expensive
to
buy so it just
makes sense to
reload. I can
reload my favorite cartridge at
close to a quarter of the cost, which
means more time at the range for
me. My bullets are 405 grains and
give off a nice ring on impact.
I shoot a Marlin 1895 Cowboy
and a Winchester 1886. Both rifles
have ladder sights for shooting

longer distances. In my area the
steel silhouette shots are generally
no farther than 300 yards and the
ladder sight works fine for me.
There are a number of ranges that

have Steel Silhouette Shoots. The
one closest to me is Chillicothe
Sportsman Club. These shoots are
the first Sunday of the month but
you should probably contact them
to confirm before making the trip.
If you are interested in just having
your own target and maybe reloading stop down by my shop and we
will be more than willing to help
you get out and do some shooting.
Route 24 Gun & Pawn
904 McKinley Ave. (Rt 24)

Bartonville, IL
Mon. - Fri.: 10am - 6pm
Sat. 10am-3pm
309-633-1050
brandanmathus@yahoo.com
www.24GunandPawn.com
Thank You & Semper Fi!

Brandan Mathus
March 2016
17
The Science of
Gobbling
by David Hart
NWTF.org
Why do birds gobble some days but not others?
Its a question even the most dedicated turkey
hunters ask. Its also a question biologists want
to answer. Lets look at what the research says.
Studies and findings are brought to you by
research from Dave Godwin, turkey project leader
for Mississippi Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks, and
Derek Colbert, graduate student at the
University of Georgia.
Age
Godwin found the higher number of turkeys,
particularly 2-year-olds, the higher gobble count
throughout the season. Two years after there are
a large number of brood sightings, gobbling
activity is high. More jakes translates to more
gobbling the following season.
Overall turkey numbers, however, dont seem
to play a role in day-to-day gobbling activities.
Even when populations are high, the birds simply
dont gobble much on certain days. Colberts
research may explain why:
bling activity decreased dramatically.
Weather
Gobbling activity was highest when winds
were about 3 mph, and reminded high when wind
speeds increased to 6 mph. Activity tapered off
after that and almost no gobbles were recorded
when winds exceeded 12 mph.
Wind direction did not factor into gobbling
activity, neither did relative humidity.
The average daily temperature played a role
in gobbling activity, as birds sounded off the
most when the average daily temperature was
between 60 and 69 degrees. As the temperature
increased, gobbling decreased.
The average barometric pressure affected
gobbling activity, as well. Lower pressure, often
associated with rain, meant less gobbling. Birds
were most active at 29.9 to 30.2 inches, and
when the pressure fell below 29.7 inches, gob-
Hunting Pressure
Many people assume hunting pressure negatively impacts gobblers, but Colberts research
did not find a link between gobbling activity and
hunting pressure. Gobbling activity varies widely
during a season, but hunted birds are still vocal.
Hen Factors
Biologists have long assumed there were two
peak gobbling periods: one during flock break-up
and a second during the start of nesting. Godwin
said thats not necessarily what the data
showed. Several studies indicate just one peak,
and it doesnt always coincide with the peak of
nest initiation, nor was it readily identifiable.
Population dynamics and weather patterns can
shift the peak gobbling activity by a week or
more.
Other Factors
Habitat also caused variations in gobbling
activity. Colbert detected a considerablylarge
percent of gobbles near water compared to other
areas of the research site, but that doesnt mean
toms near water gobble more. More likely, it
means gobblers prefer to roost near water.
All in All
Despite all the research and data, Colbert still cant
look at the various weather conditions and predict
gobbling activity. His study examined daily averages
and not averages during the peak morning activity and
therefore, his data might not help hunters much.
A turkey hunter, Colbert said the science of
gobbling matters far less than one simple rule: You
cant kill a turkey if you arent in the woods.
You can read the full article in the
January/February 2016 issue of Turkey Country
magazine.
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18
Well-balanced
Presentations Trigger
More Ice Fish
Role of the rod and line
in ice-fishing success,
plus late-ice tips
This winter, weve focused on

what Dave Genz considers the keys
to presenting a bait to fish under
the ice. About the effectiveness of
horizontal jigs, knot positioning,
and cadence of the presentation. To
tie a bow around the topic, a bit
about the crucial role the rod and
line play in your ability to execute
the Genz pounding presentation
and experiment with cadence.
Line
The line you use for ice fishing
has to be fresh, and has to match up
well with the weight of your bait.
Everything else you do can be perfect, but if your line is too thick
(heavy) for the bait, it wont
hang straight, says Genz. Even if
its just a little too heavy, it robs
you of the feel you need to fish the
bait and detect bites.
Genz is meticulous about his
line, changing it frequently, and
often hand-stretching the first 20
feet or so at the start of the day, to

remove any tendency for the line to
coil when lowered down the hole.
Fresh, limp line matched well with
the bait provides you with a direct
connection between the rod and the
bait. You can make that bait do
what you want it to, he says,
when your line is hanging straight
and does not have memory. If its
too heavy and has coils in it, you
cant feel much and the bait doesnt
react to what youre doing with the
rod.
Rod
Genz has spoken many times
about his rod preferences for ice
fishing.
They need to function, he says,
like long rods in miniature.
Genz prefers ice rods that are relatively stiff and very crisp, so
that the bottom of each jigging
cycle can be felt in his hand. The
right rod, he says, allows me to
do anything from hard pounding to
a softer, slower, smoother presentation.
Its well known that Genz does
not like spring bobbers, because of
how they smooth out and slow
down cadence in presentation.
If a slower, smoother presentation is what the fish want, he says,
you can easily do that with a good
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March 2016
graphite rod. And

there are ways of
detecting light bites
by watching as much
as feeling; youre
watching the rod tip
all the time, and you
can see when the line
moves slightly to the
left or right, or if the
rod tip dips slightly.
When that happen,
you set the hook.
On light-biting fish,
if you miss on the first
few hooksets, Genz
advises, try dropping
the rod tip when you
see a bite occur. Drop
the rod tip, hesitate,
then set the hook. The
time, and slack line,
often allows the fish
(if it is so inclined) to
take that second bite
and get the hook into Great panfishing days await March ice anglers,
its mouth. A lot of as increasing daylength and strengthening sun
times, says Genz,
bring life to shallow water. A well-balanced
the fish will just kind
rod, line, and lure setup allows ice fishing
of softly suck at it the
legend Dave Genz to experiment with the
first time, and the bait
cadence of his presentation, and to detect
is touching on the outeven light biters. (Photo: davegenz.com)
side of the mouth.
fish swims up to it. They just hold
When you drop the rod tip, if they
it still and watch for the spring to
decide they want it, they will suck
move. But when you do that, if
it in and you can catch them.
your line has any twist, the jig
On most days, a rapid cadence,
starts to spin. Most of the time, the
giving off good vibration, will
fish dont like a spinning jig.
attract and trigger more fish than a
When youre using a rapid
softer, more muted cadence. After
cadence, and keep it going after the
all these years of fishing almost
fish comes in, the lure doesnt spin.
every day all winter, Genz has conAnd if you keep doing what
cluded that the biggest mistake
brought the fish in, and experiment
anglers make is slowing down or
with raising or lowering the jig as
stopping their jigging motion when
you keep it vibrating, it gets more
fish show up.
of the fish to bite. And they tend to
You should keep the movement
bite down on it harder, because
going, he says. I see most of the
they tend to chase it more, and
spring-bobber people stop when a
March 2016
work harder at getting it all the way

into their mouth.
After each fish or missed bite,
when you reel up to put on bait or
rotate the knot on the eyelet of the
jig, take a few seconds to let the
line un-spin to further minimize
the curse of the spinning jig.
As we head into prime late-ice
panfish time, heres one example of
a well-balanced setup, featuring a
new rod Genz designed in the Ice
Team Professional series. Match
the 26-inch bluegill rod with 2- or
4-pound-test line, and the new
Dave Genz Drop-Kick tungsten jig.
Any size jig in the series will
match up well with this system.
March Ice Fishing
We wont leave you hangin
when it comes to late-ice panfish
action. Here are key tips from Genz
for catching fish during some of
the nicest days of the year.
* First, be safe out there. Across
the Midwestern Ice Belt, the landscape varies from ice-free on the
southern fringes to thick and sturdy
ice in northerly strongholds.
Regularly check ice conditions,
and wear a life jacket.
* This is the time of winter when
shallow water comes alive, as oxy-
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gen returns and water temperatures

warm. Daylength increases and the
sun eats away at snow cover, especially around shorelines. Sun penetrates the ice, and weeds can even
begin to grow again. As a result,
shallow spots that held no fish at
midwinter can be teeming with life.
* Larger lakes tend to be better
than smaller lakes, because, all
things being equal, fish come out
of the midwinter doldrums in better
condition and tend to be more
active.
* Head for bays on the north side
of these larger lakes. A bay on the
north side receives southern exposure, which means it gets more lifepumping sunshine on an average
day, as late winter prepares to give
way to early spring.
During the transition between
midwinter and late ice, says Genz,
look for fish to start moving
toward the shallows. They might
still be in deeper water, but they
might be staging close to the shallows. Thats why this can be a
tricky time, so you have to look,
keep moving, and drill enough
holes to find where they are.
If you dont find fish deep, look
shallower. If you dont find them
shallow, look deeper, especially
close to large south-facing bays,
inflowing creeks and rivers, manmade inlets and canals. Be
extremely careful around current,
as you always should.
But get out there and take part in
one of the best portions of the icefishing season.
19
Note: Dave Genz, known as Mr. Ice Fishing, was the primary
driver of the modern ice fishing revolution. He has been
enshrined in the National Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame
and Minnesota Fishing Hall of Fame for his contributions to
the sport. For more fishing tips and to order his new
info-packed book, Ice Revolution, go to
www.d av e ge nz.c o m
The Armory
Buy Sell Trade
Guns
Guns Ammunition
Ammunition Army
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20
The Meandering
Murrays
By Bob Murray
bigmur2@aol.com
Mamma Moose
I was speaking with a friend the other

day about the days Cheryl and I were traveling around the country in our RV. If
youve been following the Meandering
Murrays from the beginning you know
that that setting is where I began to write
for ASO.
Initially we headed for any body of water
that looked to contain fish, as well as some
major tourist destinations sprinkled across
this wonderful country. I kept a diary of
sorts and use it to inspire my contributions
to this magazine. In the later years our
meandering focused mostly on our time in
Louisiana and the wonderful friends that
we made there.
I thought that I had covered all the high
points from Cheryls first deer in West
Texas, to an ant playing rhythms on my
eardrum all the way out in Montana. My
conversation with that friend brought to

mind an experience that never made it to
print and I dont know why, as it was truly
a unique as well as exciting experience.
It took place in the far NE section of
Idaho, very near the western entrance to
Yellowstone National Park. It was part of
our way west meanderings and it found us
at Upper Coffeepot State park near Island
Park Idaho and located on the Henrys
Fork of the Snake River.
The water according the campground
hosts was a yearlong temperature of 55
degrees and was fed by mountain runoff.
It may be one of the best camps we
encountered on our entire trip. Once we
got that beast of an RV maneuvered into a
slot, the frustration of that job melted away
and we just stood enraptured by the sheer
BOWLING BAR
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Closed on Mondays.
(309) 274-WOLF (9653)

WolfHollowArchery.com wolf@mtco.com
March 2016
beauty of such a secluded wonderland.

It was a semi full service camp. We got
one of the few sites that had a sewer
hookup. Had a fire ring, a water hydrant
and direct access to the crystal clear water
gliding almost silently past us. TV and
radio reception were not remotely available, but sitting there at night with the animal sounds backed up by gurgling water is
a symphony that would melt the stress
away from a Presidential candidate on
Super Tuesday.
The gentle water we experienced flowed
down stream to white water that could be
navigated with a kayak or raft. I wouldnt
want to tackle it in a canoe. Maybe when I
was young and immortal I would have, but
you lose some of that bulletproof attitude
later in life. But I could fish!
What a great fishery! Cutthroat and
rainbow trout and their apparently illegitimate offspring known logically as cutbows were abundant, and so much fun.
That my dear readers brings me to the subject I was discussing the other day. I had
risen early and was standing in the middle
of the river in a pair of shorts and sneakers
playing a fly that was tied by our neighbor
in the camp.
I had landed two very nice cutbows, one
with the help of Cheryl and the kid playing
on the shore. Between the two of them I
managed to land the first fish after the kid
got my net from Cheryl that I had left on
the picnic table back at camp. Cheryl was
actually running! Not long after I landed
the second one, I got to see an osprey circle

above then drop into the water like a bowling ball and come out with a white fish
which were schooled all over the place. It
was, what I thought was going to make my
morning all the more memorable. It did,
but it wasnt over yet.
After a few more casts while still thinking
about what a great sight that was to watch
that amazing bird hit the deck not more
than thirty or forty feet from me, I looked
down river a bit and just as I did a momma
moose and her calf entered the water
maybe thirty or forty yards away from
where I stood. I froze by the way. Momma
dont like people messin with her babies.
They began feeding on the almost chartreuse colored water plants. The momma
would raise her dripping head from the
water and look as if she had just harvested
the entire growth from the bottom and she
proceeded to chew and share of it with her
calf.
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I stood there silent and still, amazed that

I was actually getting to watch this rather
ordinary event happen before my eyes. It
was ordinary for the moose, but it was
spectacular for me. After what seemed a
quite long time, maybe 20 minutes they
slowly turned and walked back into the
thick woods and had never once even
looked to see if I was a threat of even if I
was there.
That was it for the morning. My nature
meter was in the red zone. I had two gorgeous fish in my creel, an image of an awesome bird diving in front of me and the
vision of maternal care that is still fresh in
my mind even allowing for 15 or so years.
The guy that tied the flys was a taxidermist from Wyoming and we parted with
him in possession of my matching set of
cutbows in what was to be an exchange for
a walleye from the upper mid-west.
Well, I never sent the walleye and we
had treated the trout with borax and
wrapped them in newspaper so for sure
they didnt get eaten, hopefully he has
them mounted and on display in his shop.
That western US recollection was fun to
write about. Maybe Ill go back thru the
diaries and dredge up some others that didnt make it to press either. Heres looking
forward to spring and some more ordinary
fishing. In any case rememberyou are
the other guy.
Keep it clean out there.
MAR.
& APR.
2016
CALENDAR
OF EVENTS
For more info: dnr.illinois.gov
March 5
Kaskaskia Eagle Fest, Jerry F.
Costello Lock and Dam, Modoc,
IL, 9 am-3 pm
Butterfly Program, Cache River
Wetlands Center, 8885 State
Route 37 South, Cypress, IL,
1 pm
March 5-6
IDNR Booth at Elmwood
All Outdoors Show,
Elmwood Community Schools,
Elmwood, IL
www.elmwoodalloutdoors.com
March 31
Final day of Conservation
Order light goose hunting
season
Final day of beaver trapping
season, north and south zones
Final day of river otter
trapping season, north and
south zones
April 1
2016 Illinois fishing and
hunting license year begins
April 2
Spring Catchable Trout
fishing season opens
www.dnr.illinois.gov/fishing
National Archery in the
Schools Program (NASP)
Illinois State Tournament,
State Fairgrounds, Springfield
Follow the IDNR on

Facebook & Twitter!
April 2-3
Youth Turkey Season,
North Zone
www.dnr.illinois.gov/hunting/
turkey
OPEN HOUSE
MARCH 4 & 5
W. Rt. 16
Shelbyville, IL
SIXTEEN
MARINE
217-774-5050 SixteenMarine.com
See ASO-TV Sat., Mar. 26 at 5:30pm on WTVP, PBS Ch. 47 & on YouTube.com/ASOMagazine
Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

Banquet Sat. April 2, 2016
East Peoria Holiday Inn
Terry McLaughlin
309-678-8105
RMEF.org/Illinois
GCR Tire Center

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March 26-27
Youth Spring Turkey season,
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21
Brake Service
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22
THE 2ND AMENDMENT

HAS NOTHING TO DO
WITH HUNTING
by:
TedNugent.com facebook.com/tednugent
As we jettison passionately into

making this New Year 2016 the best
year of our lives, we must constantly
remind ourselves as hunters that freedom is not free. As hardcore hunters
celebrating this cherished lifestyle
nobody knows better than us how this
unique hands on conservation lifestyle
represents the essence of American
freedom to own land, keep and bear
arms, own the wildlife, to pursue our
own individual happiness and to be
financially compensated based on
work ethic, sacrifice, risk taking and
never giving up.
As I proudly slam headfirst into my
68th American Dream year, I find
myself once again recoiling in abject
anger at the runaway criminal oath
violating, clear and present infringing
of our precious 2nd Amendment rights
by a government gone mad.
Perpetrating another one of his Saul
Alinsky scams on an ever increasing
dumbed down American public, the
president of the United States and his
gang of America hating cronies are
overly confident that there are enough
Americans clueless to his freedom hating agenda and his intentional deception on the relationship between crime
and guns that he can actually get away

with more and more criminal oath violating infringing.
It is painfully clear that this man lies
every time he opens his mouth, from
his all of the above energy lies, to his
Benghazi video lie, to his you can
keep your doctor Obama-care lie, to
his maniacal firearms background
check scam.
Know that not one of his new 2nd
Amendment infringements would
have stopped nor will ever stop any
mass shooting, or any criminal misuse
of firearms.
While he directs his so called
Department of Justice to not prosecute
the glaringly guilty IRS power abusers
or the vile Veterans Administration
violators, his Fedzillacrats continue to
turn a blind eye towards the daily
criminal carnage in Chicago, Detroit,
Baltimore and elsewhere, refusing to
enforce dozens of federal gunlaws
already on the books.
He lies that somehow it is the NRA
members of America, average family
gunowners who are to blame for violent crime while he releases tens of
thousands of violent, dangerous felons
back onto our streets and supports the
Frank's Real Bait Shop

& Trading Post
insanity of sanctuary cities

where illegal invaders and
violent criminals can avoid
prosecution.
his
US
Meanwhile
Attorney General dares to
threaten
law
abiding
American gunowners while
ignoring the gangbangers
assaulting the streets of
America.
I have conducted federal raids
going after released dangerous felons
with the US Marshal Service, FBI,
DEA and Texas Rangers. Why are we
going after dangerous violent felons?
Why are they released from their
cages? Who is letting these evil doers
out to repeat their violent crimes?
What does this have to do with deerhunting?
Everything, because if just the twenty or so million licensed deerhunters in
America were all NRA members and
we signed up all our families, friends
and coworkers, that would be enough
to put an end to the insane claim by
Tom Brokaw and other zombies that
the 2nd Amendment! is limited to
sporting arms.
I assure you that when courageous
American patriots stood up against the
insidious tyranny of King Georges
punks at Concorde Bridge, they were
not willing to die for sporting, conservation or dinner killing considerations.
They fought and died and wrote the
US Constitution and Bill of Rights to
list the self-evident truths that outlined
freedom. Individual, God given, we the
people freedom.
March 2016
We will continue to share

ideas, thoughts, experiences
and our love for hunting and
the Great Outdoors, but be it
known by all good men
everywhere, that American
freedom is on the line, and
the best counterpunch available to American citizens is
to be members of the mighty
National Rifle Association.
If you are not a member,
please join today. If you are a current member, please consider upgrading. Give gift memberships to family,
hunting buddies, coworkers, schoolmates, friends at church and to
whomever you can whenever you can.
As far as Im concerned, now more
than ever, it is the #1 duty of real freedom loving and freedom demanding
Americans everywhere to be members
of the NRA. A human being denied the
un-infringed right to keep and bear
arms is a slave to power abusers.
History makes that perfectly clear.
Keep- means its mine and you cant
have it.
Bear- means Ive got one or two on
me right now and theyre loaded.
Anything less is a treasonous
infringement violation and we all had
better refuse to tolerate it any longer.
Go to NRA.org and be a warrior for
American freedom. A US military hero
died so that you can. How dare we
not?
TedNugent.com
facebook.com/tednugent
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March 2016
23
L-R: Derek
Nelson, Neil
Manning, &
Captain
Kenny Koci
A white marlin 5-men

wideWhat a specimen!
ANGLER LANDS
GIANT WHITE
MARLIN AS
NORTH
CAROLINA
RECORD
by Daniel Xu
North Carolina has a new state record

for white marlin, and it goes to a visiting
angler from Ashburn, Virginia. The state
Division of Marine Fisheries announced
the last week of January that Neil Manning
caught a 138-pound white marlin while
fishing off Hatteras late last year. The large
fish measured 85 inches from the tip of the
lower jaw to the fork of its tail. It also measured 37 inches in girth.
According to Captain Kenny Koci of Fin
Again Sportfishing, the anglers originally
thought it was just a very small blue marlin.
I noticed the rounded fins and pointed
them out to the others, Koci told North

Carolina Sportsman. I told them this was
a white marlin, not a small blue, and it was
the biggest white marlin I had ever seen. I
guessed it would go 150 pounds. We talked
about it for a minute or so with the fish
swimming beside the boat, and I made the
call to bring it in.
Manning brought the fish in on live
menhaden using a 30-pound test line with
a Cape Fear Rod and Shimano TLD-25
reel. Koci wrote on Facebook that the trip
also resulted in 17 black fin tuna catches,
three large wahoos, 12 yellow-fin tunas,
and 13 king mackerel.
White marlin generally average around
65 pounds and are considerably rarer than
their more famous blue cousins. North
Carolinas previous record for white marlin
was a 118-pound, 8-ounce fish caught off
the coast of Oregon Inlet in 1976.
Mannings fish exceeded that record by
nearly 20pounds.
Images from Facebook
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24
CHALLENGING
FUN WITH
OKLAHOMA
HOGS AND DOGS
by Dave Shadow
davidsha@consolidated.net
Chronicling my many encounters

when hunting wild boars or coyotes
in the past you can figure out that
Ive been somewhat successful while
making most all of the mistakes possible. Hunting both of these species
can be very rewarding or very frustrating depending on your mindset,
your level of expertise, and some
degree of luck. I just returned from
the Pawnee Oklahoma area following a very educational and enjoyable
hunt for both species. Ill relate my
coyote experiences in this first piece
and maybe follow up with a hoghunting bit next week.
I had arrived at my rented cabin
about mid-afternoon and contacted
an old friend who operates the
Oklahoma Boar Hunters Ranch on PH Farms near Pawnee. This guy is an
entrepreneur who knows everyone
and also runs the local Golf Course
and country club. He is a busy fellow
but took time from his activities of
remodeling the clubhouse to line me
up with some local ranch properties
where I could attempt to call in some
coyotes.
I made the circle of locating the
properties and marked the entry
points on my handheld GPS unit so
that I could find my way back in the
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ed in alarming both the dog and the

coyote. The coyote blew past the dog
and almost ran over the decoys while
trying to determine just what was
going on in his favorite hunting
grounds. He panicked at turned to
leave the area at a hard run. I
woofed at him, drawing his attention and causing him to stop momentarily to see what the noise was. The
moment was long enough for me to
adjust my shooting sticks, center the
crosshairs on my Thompson Center
Venture rifle and squeeze the trigger.
This concluded my first Oklahoma
coyote hunt on a successful note and
eliminated a critter that wont be
bothering the ranchers baby calves.
My second setup was also plagued
by unwanted critters but rather
humorous. I just got setup and called
a bit when a herd of cows accompanied by a number of very nice calves
showed up to investigate my call and
decoy. They would circle the decoy
and stretch out their necks trying to
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event I wandered too far into remote

portions. That took the remainder of
the afternoon and since I was already
out in the countryside, I swung back
thru town and visited my favorite
Mexican restaurant. Now being
almost too full to navigate, I made
my way back to the cabin and
crashed till early-thirty the next
morning.
By the time the sun was rising over
the eastern horizon I was set up in
front of a big round hay bale where I
could watch the open field and the
adjacent brush country. The setup
was textbook. I had the sun to my
back and the wind in my face. Just
right! My electronic call was out in
front and a bit off to one side and my
mouth call was around my neck. I
had a bird decoy on the call and a
second rabbit decoy setting about ten
yards away. I hadnt called for more
than a minute when my first
encounter showed up. Unfortunately
it was a large black and tan German
Shepherd dog. He took considerable
offense to my noises and my decoys
and proceeded to bark his head off
while circling them. To say the least,
I was upset! I really wanted him to go
away. I figured that this was the end
of this set-up but continued to call for
a few more minutes hoping he would
get tired and leave.
Twelve minutes into this first set
the shepherd was tiring with the
affair and was drifting away when a
coyote burst out of the brush and ran
toward the decoys. The coyote
almost ran over the dog and succeed-
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get a sniff of it. Again, I was wishing them to leave. I would wait
until they were sniffing and then
play a angry bobcat sound and
they would jump back only to
regroup and do it all over again.
Sometimes the mothers would herd
their calves away from the sound.
Anyway they finally left and all I
called in later was crows and
hawks.
I tried another ranch with different terrain that had rocky cliffs and
areas that I hoped would house
some bobcats. I was unsuccessful
at locating bobcats but did locate
some turkeys that Im hoping to
revisit during the spring season.
The locals tell me about massive
flocks of turkeys just waiting for
me to visit again and attempt to
take one with my bow.
That concluded the time I had
allotted for coyote hunting and my
bed was calling me. It seemed like
I had walked for miles across this
beautiful red and rocky terrain.
After a good nights sleep some
hog hunting awaits me. See you
next week with some hog hunting
escapades.
Its Health, Honor and Hunting!
Hunting & Sports

Shows a Source
of Valuable
Information
by Dave Shadow
It doesnt seem like it could have

been a year since we were last going
to all of the sports and tackle shows.
These shows are a welcome break
from the severe cold and a good
source of essential information.
Some variations in the show titles or
types of shows are to be expected.
They are touted as trade shows, gun
and knife shows, sports expos and
many other monikers, but it all comes
down to marketing efforts on someones part. Thats not a bad thing
however. This is a way to see many
of the new products and all of the old
products in new colors, sizes, and
shapes. Its time to marvel at modern
technology, and maybe be astounded
at some of the prices demanded by
the same. The shows are a great place
to compare products from different
manufacturers as well as explore new
ideas. Most dealers have only one or
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two brands at their dealership while

virtually all the manufacturers are
represented at the larger shows. You
can do a comparison in a few minutes
that might take days of driving and
note taking.
Joe and I went to Springfield last
Saturday to a big sports show at the
state fairgrounds put on by
ECAHuntingandTradeShows.com.
We spent several hours delving into
the hundreds of exhibits of firearms,
knives, tools, ammunition and other
paraphernalia assembled there. We
did however get to look at some cool
products and answer some questions
concerning the differences in various
models. The opportunity to get
hands-on experience on tools such
as handguns is priceless. Everyones
hands are different sizes and shapes
and all of our preferences vary. What
feels right for one shooter may not
feel right at all to another. These
shows provide many answers. We
managed to escape without breaking
the bank and ventured to the local
Golden Corral for lunch. There went
my efforts to take off a few pounds!
The next few weeks will be bringing many sports shows to our areas as
the manufacturers and dealers anticipate the coming of spring and more
lucrative sales. Boats are the big
drawing card for many of these
shows since they are the big ticket
items. Theres everything from
dinghies to yachts represented here
and price tags from $100 to more
than $100,000. The fishing boat market is a big percentage of the market
with glittering bass boats getting the
most attention in this part of the
country. A bit farther north we find
the walleye models and boats that
deal with the larger, rougher, waters
of the Great Lakes.
Im not a lover of a pushy salesman, but I like to hear one try to sell
25
his boat to someone else and see how

he deals with certain questions.
When listening to the salesmen
attempting to market their particular
brand of boat it always amuses me
that they almost invariably get
pushed into the corner and declare;
Mines just as good as a RANGER.
Its true that RANGER has long been
the benchmark of quality for the
boating industry but it still tickles me
to hear their competition try to deal
with it.
Being a dedicated people-watcher I can spend hours around these
shows, after I get thru looking at the
new products, just watching the people. Its almost as good as fishing or
watching deer in the wild and its a lot
less predictable. One of the neat new
products that you may want to watch
for is the SPORTSMANS fishing
maps. These are now available in
both Northern Illinois and Southern
Illinois versions and have an amazing
number of the lakes complete with
intricate features and hotspots. Also
the mapping programs for all types of
GPS units are amazing.
Most of the larger shows also have
some big name celebrity anglers
and speakers attending and conducting seminars. These guys and girls
share a lot of valuable information
that will limit mistakes as well as
enhance a sportsmans abilities.
Besides its just neat to see those
same sportsmen that you watch on
TV, in person.
It doesnt feel like it today, but it
will soon be time to go to Lake
Mattoon for some fine spring crappie
and bass fishing. Its a good time to
clean and check your gear and tackle
for the upcoming season. Oil the
reels and checkout the guides on the
rods. And dont forget to check the
hooks on all the crankbaits etc.
Its Faith, Family, and Fishin
Quail & Pheasant Hunting
26
March 2016
WORLD CLASS REDFISH ANGLING

Red Hot Trophy Fishing for Huge Red Drum
By: Colby Simms with Tim Garner & Andrew Veach
Photos by: The Colby Simms Outdoors Team
When my good friend Mark Davis talks fishing,

everyone listens, at least, everyone who knows
anything about fishing that is. And when Mark
starts talking redfish, youd better pay attention.
The mighty redfish, or red drum, is one of the
worlds most popular saltwater species, and for
good reason. Redfish strike and fight harder than
most other fish, bulldogging for the bottom with
strength and power thats almost indescribable.
They hit a lure like a runaway freight train and
their many runs are long and fast.
*All Aboard
Reds can be caught on bottom with jigs and
plastics, on the surface with top water lures,
and everywhere in between, with offerings ranging from spinnerbaits and spoons to popping
cork rigs with swimbaits. Redfish angling is
tremendous fun. Its a roller coaster thrill ride
at a mile a minute that keeps anglers on the
edge of their seats and begging for more.
*Big Water Adventure

A world class angler in saltwater and freshwater fishing, Davis is also a sports writer, former Director of some of the fishing industrys
most successful companies, and the Host and
Star of the award winning Big Water Adventures
TV Show (BigWaterAdventures.com) on the
Outdoor Channel. If you havent already, youve
got to check out BWA. Its the best saltwater
fishing show on any network. The first time I
fished reds, was on a media event Mark set up
over a decade ago, and Ive been hooked ever
since. Mark and I have been traveling to many
of the worlds best fishing destinations for
years, and his suggestion that I try out the redfish in Venice was nothing short of life changing.
Louisiana is it when it comes to redfish, and
especially bulls. Ive had great experiences targeting reds in other U.S. states and Mexico, but
nothing compares to Louisiana. Bulls are what we
Internationally renowned championship title winning pro angler &

media personality Colby Simms displays a giant Venice bull red he
caught with world class redfish!guide!Captain David Iverson.
March 2015
The author
and
Captain!Ivers
on with CSO
Pro Staffer
Andrew
Veach,
showing
off these
three big
reds!caught
at the
same timeBull!triple
headers are
common in
Venice!
refer to as the big ones, the trophy caliber red

drum of dreams. The small town of Venice, about
90 minutes southeast of New Orleans, has
become the very best of the planets top redfish
spots. The angling here, for both trophies and
numbers is almost mind boggling.
*Year Round Thrills
Mark has filmed many fantastic BWA shows in
Venice for years with Captain David Iverson. As
one of the very best redfish guides in the world,
David knows how to get numbers of big bull reds
all year round. In fact, the fishery never really
slows down. David and his clients catch lots of
quality redfish during every single month of the
year, and bulls are landed with regularity. Yes,

for any angler looking for a wall hanger red drum,
this is the place to be.
Most of the year, anglers access these huge
predators in shallow water. This is a good place
for visitors to bring their own boats and expect
to catch some fish on their own, but really only
after fishing with a guide first. A couple of days
with David and his staff make all the difference in
the success of a trip. This is a huge area, in the
massive Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of
Mexico, and bulls can be spread across large
areas. The maze of channels through tall grass
can be confusing, but are sometimes where the
fish hold. Open areas can be just as intimidating,
27
if you dont know

where to go, but these
are also sometimes
the places to find both
numbers of fish and
trophies too. Once you
learn the area and
where the bulls are
holding youre set for
some of the very best
fishing of your life!
We towed a 21
fiberglass bass boat
down, and found bass
and john boats just as
commonly used there,
as classic inshore
saltwater boats the
guides prefer. The low salinity doesnt present
engine problems for freshwater rigs. We fished
on our own the first day, and even though one of
us had fished the area before, we experienced
limited success. We fished two days with guides,
one with Captain Iverson, and another with his
friend he works with, and both days were truly
incredible for trophy bull redfish. The fishing was
so good, that it was almost unbelievable in fact!
After getting out with the guides, the remaining
time that we spent fishing by ourselves was also
highly productive. We were able to slam lots of
big bulls on our own, armed with location and
presentation information we learned while fishing with our Captains.
Colby Simms
Outdoors Field
Staff angler Tim
Garner!and Captain
Iverson!with another
giant redfish!
It was a truly amazing trip, a once in a lifetime

trip for most anglers, and were already planning
another one. A former champion bass tournament angler, Captain Iverson switched his focus
exclusively to giant redfish many years ago. Hes
very personable, and an incredibly knowledgeable
guide that can put you on the trophy reds, and
teach you everything you need to know about
chasing them, and fishing the Venice area. Its an
experience that youll never forget.
*Get Out There
Nothing compares to the times we spend in the
natural world. The smells and sounds of the sea
Contd. on next pg.
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28
TWO TENNESSEE
MEN BANNED FROM
HUNTING IN 44 STATES
AFTER POACHING
Two young men have lost privileges to hunt in
Tennessee and most of the United States because
they pursued unethical poaching methods rather
than following the lawful path of ethical hunters.
Eddy Albert, 21, and Densibel Calzada, 23, both
residents of La Vergne, might not have known that
a permanent hunting ban for poaching deer in
Tennessee could also mean no hunting in other
states, but after illegally killing numerous deer
they learned a message that will last them a lifetime.
Their actions were among the worst I have
seen for their lack of respect to our landowners
and to our wildlife, said Matt Brian, a Tennessee
Wildlife Resources Agency sergeant assigned to
Rutherford County. Most of our states now abide
by what is called the Interstate Wildlife Violator
Compact, which means a ban in Tennessee is
upheld by every compact member.
Currently, 44 states are members of the
Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact
Albert and Calzada entered guilty pleas Feb. 3,
2016 in Rutherford County General Sessions
Court. The result of their misconduct included the
hunting bans, thousands of dollars in lawyer
expenses and court costs, confiscated rifles and
bows, $5,000 each in restitution fees, and at
least $1,800 each to post bail.
General Sessions Judge Barry Tidwell presided
over the case where Sgt. Brian and Sgt. Jonathan
Lee, also a wildlife officer in Rutherford County,
explained that Calzada and Albert documented
their numerous illegal kills with cellular phone
video and photographs.
The wildlife officers noted that the poaching
took place on private property and often at night
when deer hunting is illegal. Judge Tidwell ordered
Albert and Calzada to serve 100 hours of community service supervised by TWRA, along with placing each on probation for 18 months.
If they decide to hunt or poach again, they
face the likelihood of going to jail, explained Sgt.
Lee. With their actions they have created a bad
situation for themselves.
Considering that most wildlife violations in
Tennessee are misdemeanors, the judgments
against Albert and Calzada neither with prior
criminal records indicated the seriousness with
which Judge Tidwell considered their offenses.
Charges brought by Tennessee Wildlife
Resources Agency included hunting out of season,
hunting without permission, illegal transportation
of wildlife, and failing to report to Tennessee
Wildlife Resources Agency the deer they had killed.
Sergeants Brian and Lee became familiar with
Albert and Calzada in late December after
responding to a landowner call about trespassers.
March 2016
ANGLING Contd. from previous pg. Colby shot this photo!on one of
his first redfish trips, of Big
presented, to make all the cares of the outside world

Water Adventures TV Host!Mark
melt away. This is the kind of trip thats perfect for
Davis landing a beautiful red
serious anglers and new anglers alike. The challenge
from shallow water.
and excitement are incredible. But, because of the
of a lifetime with Captain David Iverson and his team
often hot action, and the simplicity of the presentacan
contact:
225-978-6649
or
tions on light tackle, even beginning anglers get
dsiverson3@cox.net . You can also find him on the
hooked quickly, and this would be a great place to
Guides page of the Big Water Adventures web site.
get someone new to the sport addicted to fishing for
Good luck and remember, get out there
life. Anglers looking to book the trophy redfish trip
COLBY SIMMS is a multiple-time bass & muskie tournament champion & multiple-time circuit championship
title holder, a record holding fishing guide, award winning national network TV personality, popular radio
personality, a famous international public speaker, and an internationally renowned award winning writer.
Hes Founder & Owner of the Colby Simms Outdoors group of businesses offering a free online magazine,
American made lures, media services, professional promotions, sponsorship opportunities, seminars & public
appearances, as well as guided trips & fishing vacations in the United States, Canada, Mexico & Costa Rica.
www.ColbySimmsOutdoors.com 618-521-0526 / 573-358-5948

colbysimmsoutdoors@hotmail.com www.facebook.com/ColbySimmsSportFishingPro
Both men received citations from the officers for
hunting without permission.
Approximately 48 hours after this initial
encounter, the officers responded to a midnight
call from the Smyrna Police Department, which
had detained the suspects following a report of
firearms discharged near the citys airport.
The wildlife officers began their investigation
after Smyrna Police Department officials told
them that Albert and Calzada had a rifle and dead
deer in a pickup truck, and were probably responsible for the reported shots.
In the weeks that followed, questioning of the
suspects would lead to search warrants issued for
their homes and cell phones, said Sgt. Brian. The
cell phone searches provided wildlife officers with
their most incriminating evidence.
Images of dead deer lined up alongside each
other and video of the two men celebrating their
kills were among collected evidence.

We will never know how many deer these two
killed, but we believe they could have poached at
least 40, said Sgt. Brian. We charged them with
violations based on the strongest evidence we
found showing the seriousness of their poaching
crimes.
The agency said a new law will allow judges to
set cash penalties (restitution) for deer more
severely than ever. While most wildlife violations
are misdemeanors, the new law raises the stakes
for those who poach deer.
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March 2016
29
2016 TINLEY PARK

FISHING &
OUTDOOR SHOW
The Raptor Premium

Spinnerbaits booth at
Tinley Park Show
By Bob Park, Owner/Maker

Raptor Premium Spinnerbaits
raptorpremiumspinnerbaits.com
(309) 694-1774
My wife Deb and I recently
attended the 2016 Tinley Park
Fishing & Outdoors Show held
annually at Tinley Park High
School south of Chicago, hosting a
booth space in the east gymnasium
featuring my Raptor Premium
Spinnerbaits. This was our second
year working the show and we
looked forward to offering the
spinnerbaits for sale to the fishermen and others in attendance during the two days of the show from
February 13th thru the 14th.
Check-in and booth space set-up
was scheduled for Friday night the
12th, and we arrived promptly at
4:00PM and had our booth and
products set-up by about 7:00PM
and ready to open for business the
next morning at 9:00AM.

The booth spaces ran 10 by 10
and we had familiar neighbors
again this year on both sides of us.
This year was a bit different as I bit
the bullet and purchased a professional booth space Back-drop and
product racks to display my lures.
The racks displayed about 450
lures in 35 different patterns quite
efficiently and I was really happy
with the very organized manner in
which they were offered. In addition we had a 24 digital TV monitor set up showing a slide show
consisting of alternating pictures of
me, my wife Deb, friends and other
customers holding a variety of
Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth
Bass, Muskies and even a trophy
Walleye, all caught on Raptor lures
with the entire 70 lure color selection pictures interspersed throughout the slideshow.
Our Raptor Lures drew rave
reviews from previous customers
who came back this year for more
lures to add to their arsenals for the
upcoming fishing season, as well
as some great fishing stories of
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Bob & Deb Park at the 2016

Tinley Park Fishing and
Outdoors Show
their experiences using Raptor

Premium Spinnerbaits. In addition,
repeat customers either sent or
brought along more new customers
to procure some of my lures.
Its a great feeling when word
spreads about your product and
both new and old customers comment on how unique and unlike any
other spinnerbaits my lures are. Its
really nice to know I am moving in
the right direction and have a product that not only catches fishermen,
but actually catches fish!
I myself have been a victim as a
fisherman and have been caught
by purchasing lures I liked but that
never truly panned out by successfully catching fish. Im sure many
of you out there have had similar

experiences. I was asked several
times over the weekend if I actually fished with the lures I make and
I proudly replied each time with a
resounding YES! I have actually
fished with, and caught fish on
each and every color pattern I offer
for sale!
Before any color pattern was
added to the color chart, I tested
the prototype on a local lake, pond
or river to see if the pattern I developed would really produce results.
And there are a number of those
prototypes sitting on a lure rack in
my workshop that didnt cut the
mustard so to speak and never
became a Raptor Premium
Spinnerbait. I am however proud
to tell all my customers that I am
the only Spinnerbait maker I know
of who offers over 70 different and
unique color patterns for fishermen
to choose from. And with the addition of Muskie lures to the offering, I have been finding success
with that species as well!
During occasional lulls in the
wave after wave of people filing
throughout the 3 gymnasiums, 2
cafeterias and various hallways
Contd. on next pg.
Hunting & Fishing

Wineries & Orchards
Shawnee National Forest
Zip Lines
Hiking & Bicycle Trails
Historic Sites
Casino Action
Festivals & Events
Cozy Bed & Breakfasts & Cabins
All Close Enough For A Great
Weekend Escape!
30
March 2016
SHOW Contd. from previous pg.

where the many different vendors
had their booths set up, Deb and I
both had the opportunity to look at
everything from fishing tackle to
outfitters to home dcor sellers as
well as those booth selling
munchies for both humans and
their pets!
There were even test rides in
Jackson Kayaks in the schools
swimming pool! I chose not to participate in that one as with my lack
of balance I would have surely
gone swimming instead of paddling the kayak! And after all it
was more than a bit chilly out that
weekend.
We both did manage to purchase
some hard to find lures for ourselves from some of the other vendors and added some really great
finds to our personal tackle boxes.
After all, we dont throw Raptor
lures all of the time as any of you
who read my articles can tell. I do
use a wide variety of tackle
depending on the type of fish Im
after, water and weather conditions
and time of year. But it is true that
I prefer the spinnerbaits, and thats
why I spend so much time developing the many patterns and lures I
make!
Deb even managed to drum some
as well) with everyone. And well

have some really great deals on
our lures for all you fishermen
who have been wanting to try
them out, as well as you guys who
have already been using them! So
until next month, good luck, good
fishing and hope to see you on the
water somewhere!
Bob Park comparing

lure patterns with a
customer at Tinley Park
business up for herself with a few

of our vendor friends and neighboring booth operators seeing the
shirts, hats and other embroidery
work she does for me and Raptor
Lures. Several orders for shirts and
directors chair backs were placed
with her from a few different folks!
She is quite the accomplished
Artist in her own right and I couldnt be prouder of her and her products! Heck, I wear them at all my
show outings and when Im fishing
or even out and about on the town
running my various errands.
My hat goes off to Rich Komar
and his staff and all the students of
Tinley Park High School for putting on a really great outdoor
show! This year was their 23rd in
a row and the show just gets bigger
and better each year. We have
Bob Park making a sale at

the Tinley Park Fishing &
Outdoors show
already paid for our Booth space

next year and look forward to our
3rd year of making and selling
fishing lures to the folks attending
that great show. Its a lot of work
getting ready for and working the
weekend of the show, but its also a
heck of a lot of fun talking fishing
and hunting with all the guests and
vendors for the 3 days we are up
there!
Next stop for Raptor
Premium Spinnerbaits will be a lot
closer to home for all of you out
there. The weekend of March 5th
and 6th well be attending the
Elmwood All Outdoors Show at
Elmwood High School and you can
find us right inside the Main Gym
with our booth and all our lures and
other items for sale. We look forward to seeing all of you there and
talking more fishing (and hunting
ILLINOIS GUN OWNER

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1:00 p.m.March to the State Capitol
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3:00 p.m. Rally at the Rotunda!
4:00 p.m.Buses depart for home
(north side of Capitol on Monroe St.)
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31
M D C : R ES O U R C E S C I E N T I S T S T R A C K
AM E R I C AN E E L S 6 8 8 M I L E J O U R N E Y
By Candice Davis Photos courtesy of MDC
Missouri Department of
Conservation (MDC) resource scientists recently tracked an
American eel on what they called an
extreme long distance migration of
688 river miles. The eel was one of
20 eels implanted with transmitters by MDC scientists working on a
special project to identify American
eel habitat and movement patterns.
"American eels have a unique life
cycle which requires long migrations to complete," said Andy
Bueltmann, a Southeast Missouri
State University graduate student
working on the project.
In Missouri, American eels are
mainly located in the Mississippi
River, but little information exists
Andy Bueltmann, a Southeast MO State University about the habitats they use, what
graduate student working with MDC resource
they eat and where the eels travel
scientists holds an American eel.
within the big river. This is why scientists with the MDC's Big Rivers and Wetlands Field Station in Jackson began the tracking study in 2014;
implanting 20 eels near Cape Girardeau.
Eel number 13038 was implanted and released April 14, 2015. Five months after release, Sept. 21, the
eel was detected by U.S. Army Corps of Engineer researchers near the Gulf of Mexico, 688 river miles south
of the release site and about 300 miles north of the Gulf of Mexico.
"This detection most likely signifies that Eel 13038 was migrating back to the Sargasso Sea for spawning purposes," Bueltmann said. "Overall, this is an interesting piece of information which helps us better
understand American eels in the Mississippi River."
The Sargasso Sea, located in the North Atlantic Ocean, is where American eels begin their life cycle.
After hatching in the Sargasso Sea, they drift along oceanic currents until they reach the continental
coast, Bueltmann said. Then, they either move up into freshwater like the Mississippi River or remain in
This map shows the distance traveled by eel number 13038 after it was implanted
and released in the Mississippi River near Cape Girardeau. Five months after
release, the eel was detected!near the Gulf of Mexico, 688 river miles south of the
release site and about 300 miles north of the Gulf of Mexico.
waters near the Gulf Coast while they grow.

"We think the [American] eels that enter the freshwater rivers are all female, while the males remain
along the continental coast," Bueltmann said. "After they grow to a certain size, they mature and begin to
migrate back to the Sargasso Sea, like it seems this eel was doing."
Bueltmann said after the adult eels return to spawn in the Sargasso Sea, they die, leaving the next generation to continue the cycle.
"Knowing where the eels go helps us to identify their habitat needs and the overall health of our big river
habitat," Bueltmann said.
Learn more about American eels at mdc.mo.gov/node/4256.
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32
MDC OFFERS
WINTER TROUT FISHING
IN ST. JOSEPH
By Bill Graham
St. Joseph, Mo. Starting Feb. 1,
anglers may keep trout caught at Everyday
Pond in St. Joseph. The Missouri
Department of Conservation (MDC)
stocked the trout last fall to give anglers an
additional winter fishing opportunity.
Only catch-and-release fishing is allowed in
the opening months. But the catch-andkeep season opened Feb. 1, 2016.
MDC last autumn stocked 800 rainbow
trout in Everyday Pond, which is on the
north side of the Missouri Western State
College Campus. Also stocked were 12
brood fish, lunker trout, from MDC's
Bennett Spring Fish Hatchery.
Anglers with a valid Missouri fishing permit can fish for the trout on a catch-and-
CONNECT TO MDC JAY

HENGES SHOOTING RANGE
WITH A TEXT
By Dan Zarlenga
release basis. Now anglers with valid fishing
permits and a trout permit may keep up to
four trout. All Missouri residents over age
15 and under 65 must have a valid fishing
permit, and all non-residents over age 15
must have a fishing permit.
Missouri is a great place to fish, and winter trout fishing can be a warmup for summer trips to the cold-water rivers and lakes
in southern Missouri that support trout
fisheries year round.
For information about rainbow trout in
Missouri, visit mdc.mo.gov/node/975.
Information about all MDC fishing programs is available at mdc.mo.gov.
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We Accept:
The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC)

connects people to nature . . . through technology.
MDC's Jay Henges Shooting Range now offers text
alerts to help subscribers keep up to date with all the
happenings and programs at the range.
"The plan is to send out about four-to-six text
reminders a month. We will also use texting to notify
shooters of unexpected weather or other closures,"
said MDC Jay Henges Shooting Range and Education
Center Supervisor Tony Legg.
Legg explained that the easiest way to sign up for
the texting alerts is to text "MDC Henges" to 468311
using your phone. Individuals can also sign up for email
notifications by going to the Henges web page at
mdc.mo.gov/node/299 and click on the "subscribe by
email" link on the right-hand column. Subscribing to
the text alerts can also be done directly on the MDC
website.
Shooting facilities at Henges Range include a 100yard rifle/pistol range for seated or standing shooting,
shotgun trap and patterning ranges, along with
archery/crossbow facilities that include both static
and 3-D walk-through ranges. A fee of $3 per hour is
charged to use the facilities.
Henges Range also features a 100-seat classroom
where free educational programs on shooting, hunting
March 2016
and other forms of outdoor recreation are offered

each month.
Henges Range is located along I-44 at 1100 Antire
Road in High Ridge. For more information, call 636938-9548. Winter hours for the range are
Wednesday through Sunday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
MDC OFFERS DISCOVER

NATURE RELOADING
WORKSHOPS IN COLUMBIA
MARCH 15
By Robert Hemmelgarn
The MDC offers a workshops on the basics of

reloading metallic ammunition cartridges. Workshops
will be held from 5:30 9 p.m. at the MDC Central
Region Office located at 3500 East Gans Road in
Columbia. The first workshop took place on Feb. 16,
and the second workshop will take place on Tuesday,
March 15.
Participants must be at least 18-years of age, or at
least 15-years if accompanied by an adult. To attend,
participants must register by contacting MDC
Outdoor Skills Specialist Brian Flowers at brian.flowers@mdc.mo.gov or (573) 815-7901 ext. 3388.
Please register for the March workshop by March 8th.
Whether participants want to enjoy more time on
the shooting range or develop a special load for their
next hunt, this class will teach the basics.
Participants will learn about safety, techniques,
equipment, and more. This program will consist of
classroom lessons mentored by an experienced
ammunition reloader.
Discover Nature programs, such as these workshops, aim to help Missourians explore nature and
master outdoor skills together. To learn more about
Discover Nature programs, visit mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/discover-nature-programs.
SHARE YOUR OUTDOOR

PHOTOS WITH ASO!
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March 2016
MDC ANNOUNCES NEW

CONSERVATION AREA FOR
PERRY COUNT Y
By Candice Davis
The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC)
announces the opening of Blue Spring Branch
Conservation Area (CA) in Perry County. The area
encompasses Ball Mill Resurgence Natural Area as
well as an additional 71-acre tract, known as the
Riney Tract. Ball Mill Resurgence and the Riney Tract
are owned by the L-A-D Foundation and managed by
MDC. The Riney tract includes woodland stream
frontage and restoration of native grassland.
"The L-A-D Foundation hopes to help protect a portion of Perry County's original landscape for residents
of the area and visitors to enjoy and learn from," said
John Karel, president of the L-A-D Foundation.
Leo Drey, L-A-D founder, purchased the Ball Mill
Resurgence Natural Area from Perry County residents
Elmer Shafer and Paul Lowes in 1978. Drey and his
wife Kay donated that land to the L-A-D Foundation
and in 1979 it was recognized as a Missouri Natural
Area, ranking among the state's most important natural features.
Ball Mill Resurgence Natural Area is a 19-acre tract
located about six miles north of Perryville, near Saline

Junction. It includes a short walking trail that encourages visitors to explore the forested area and learn
about how water influences the karst landscape, both
above ground and below.
Ball Mill Resurgence acts as a sinkhole most of the
time, funneling surface water downward through a
hole at the base of a 50-foot limestone bluff. Following
heavy rain events, it is often roaring with water when
it backs up and exits the hole like a spring.
The 71-acre Riney addition straddles Blue Spring
Branch. There is a small parking area on the east side
of the road, but most of the land is across the county
road to the west. From a high point of more than 580
feet visitors have an outstanding view across the
Mississippi River to the river hills in Illinois. The conservation area will be open to hunting under special
provisions.
State and federal officials recently determined that
the entire area is important habitat for the federally
endangered grotto sculpin, which depends on the
underground
streams
within the
area's extensive cave systems. Ryan
Dirnberger,
MDC's area
manager for
Blue Springs
Branch CA,
said the MDC
will continue
work
to
restore
native grasslands, woodlands, glades
and stream
bottom areas
to benefit
wildlife.
"We'll
continue to
improve the
habitat while
p ro m ot i n g
outdoor
recreation
opportunities in this
unique
area,"
Dirnberger
said, adding
that
the
restoration
efforts
promise improved habitat for bobwhite quail, grassland birds, pollinators, deer and turkey.
MDC's mission is to manage Missouri's fish, forest, and wildlife. The L-A-D Foundation was established in 1961 and has been active mostly in southeast Missouri acquiring and protecting outstanding
natural areas in Missouri. In addition to Blue Spring
33
Branch CA, L-A-D leases six other areas to MDC.

To get to Blue Springs Branch CA, take Highway 61
north from Perryville, then Route V north until the
pavement ends and follow County Road 916 into the
area. For more information on this and other
Missouri Conservation Areas, go online to
mdc.mo.gov.
DIAL IN TO CAPE NAT URE

CENT ERS NEW AUDIO TOUR
By Candice Davis
The Missouri Department of Conservation's (MDC) Cape
Girardeau Conservation Nature Center has added a new dimension to
their exhibit space and hiking trail. An eight-stop audio tour is available by cell phone to give visitors the inside scoop on their own time.
"As people enter the center, they can dial the number posted on
the sign, or scan a QR code, and listen to the tour to hear all about
our most popular exhibits," said Sara Turner, manager of the center. "We are always looking for ways to make it
easy and fun to discover nature and this is another method to increase convenience for our visitors."
The audio tour starts inside the front door and gives visitors the background information on the bee-hive, the
alligator snapping turtle and the two-headed snake before they head outside to the trail. The tour then picks up
along the Ridgetop Trail, explaining trail hazards, and helps hikers recognize plants, trees and aspects of the forest as they approach the observation deck. The last stop takes visitors by the replica sand prairie, an important
habitat to the southeast Missouri region.
"We like to give personalized information whenever we can," Turner said. "With the addition of the audio tour
component to our exhibits and trail, we hope to give people another personalized experience with information
they can really grasp onto and enjoy."
The Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature Center is located inside Cape Girardeau's North County Park, just
east of Interstate 55 (Exit 99) and Kingshighway (State Highway 61). For more information on exhibits and formal programs at the center, go online to mdc.mo.gov/CapeNatureCenter, call (573)290-5218, or text nature
to 91212.
34
COLD
WEAT HER
TANEYCOMO
T ROUT
by Bill Cooper
Reverend John Edie, the executive-pastor of Second Baptist Church in
Springfield, Missouri began trout fishing at
Taneycomo Lake over 40 years ago.
Born at Exeter, Missouri Rev. Edie
watched the completion of Table Rock
Dam in 1958.
Bill Anderson, a recent Missouri
Department of Conservation fisheries biologist at Taneycomo , believes that the lake
is one of the nations premier trout fisheries. Taneycomo has undergone some
ups and downs in regards to its trout fishery, but establishment of new regulations
have brought the lake to the forefront of
trout fishing again.
Anderson, who grew up in the area, was
responsible for the creation of a Trophy
Management Area on the upper portion of
the lake which runs from the dam at Table
Rock to Fall Creek. Throughout the length
March 2016
TROUT STUFFED WITH CRAB MEAT

3 stale rolls or several
8 ounces crabmeat
Pieces of stale bread
Pinch of oregano
1 cup milk
1 egg
Juice of a half a lemon
Salt and pepper
2 dashes of Worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup chopped, raw bacon
1/3 cup chopped, raw onion
of this 3-mile stretch of water enforced
regulations control fishing methods and
harvest rates. A slot limit requires that only
one rainbow trout smaller than 12 inches
and one larger than 20 inches may be kept
by fishermen. And hard lures or flies are the
only baits allowed.
The slot limit is the best thing that has
happened to Taneycomo trout fishing,
said Rev. Edie.
Anderson agrees. Until the regulations
were put into place, the average life span of
a rainbow trout stocked in Taneycomo was
about 30 days. They grew very little in that
time frame.
Evidence shows that the regulations are
working. In Andersons 1986 electrofishing
studies he found 135 rainbows per hour,
none over 13 inches in length. In 1996, the
catch rate had dropped to 23 fish per hour.
By 2004, just five years after the regulations change, Andersons electrofishing
data showed 277 fish per

hour, 43 percent being larger
than 13 inches and 9 percent
over 16 inches.
Anglers have greatly benefited from the establishment
of the Trophy Management John Langcuster landed a 30-in. brown trout
Area, said Brett Rader, from Taneycomo while fishing a G-Bug.
owner of Chartered Waters
Trout Shop and Guide Service in Hollister.
John Langcuster, of Leawood, Kansas,
Rev. Edie concurs. I have had the
landed a 30-inch brown in October while
opportunity to fish all over the world.
fishing with Rader.
Taneycomo is one of the best trout fishing
There is not a day that goes by that I dont
destinations in the country. It is great for
think about that fish, Langcuster said.
beginners because they can catch a lot of
We caught a day when the water flow had
fish. Too, it is good fishing for veteran
been shut down. We found lots of big
anglers, because they can expect to catch
browns holding near the North Star area.
quality rainbows and browns. Tanecycomo
Langcuster cast one of Raders G-Bug
is especially known for its trophy brown
creations to one of the largest fish. I
trout.
couldnt see it well, he said. However, I
Whens the best time to fish Taneycmo?
saw the white inside of its mouth when it
Both Rader and Rev. Edie agree that the
went after the fly. I leaned back on my rod
cold weather months offer the best fishing
when I saw the white disappear as the fish
opportunities at Taneycomo. October
closed on the fly.
through March are the prime times to go.
Rader attempted to net the massive fish
I like to begin fishing Taneycomo
for Langcuster, but did not have a deep net
around Thanksgiving, said Rev. Edie. I
with him that day.
continue throughout the winter months
The huge fish jumped out of the net,
and experience my best success.
Langcuster laughed. I grabbed that big
Brown trout begin a spawning run in
fish with my arms and hauled it ashore.
October. The fish congregate in the upper
The angling duo photographed the
part of the lake, within the boundaries of
goliath brown and released it to fight
the Trophy management Area.
another day.
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March 2016
Rader specializes in sight fishing for big

trout. Brett has great eyes, said
Langcuster. I have fished with him
enough to know that if he says to drop a fly
on spot X, I drop a fly on spot x. There
will be a fish there.
Rader fishes with his original fly patterns. He majored in wildlife management
in college, with a minor in art. He worked
in the commercial art business before coming to Taneycomo six years ago.
Rader creates new patterns by flipping
rocks and studying the aquatic insects and
invertebrates he finds, said Langcuster.
He goes back to his tying bench and creates look-alikes.
So, what flies do the experts use for cold
weather trout? It all depends on water
flow, says Rev. Edie.
When there is a lot of water, I like to
use bigger flies, like weighted Wooly
Buggers Rev. Edie noted. If the water
flow is low, I go to smaller flies. Small scud
patterns are among my favorites.
Rader explains, I catch big browns on a
variety of scud patterns. I normally use size
numbers - 14 and 16. He also ties midge,
sowbug and sculpin patterns.
When fishing for rainbows, I size down
a bit, Rader explained. Numbers 20 and
22 are the norm. A bunch of those will fit
on a dime.
How does one begin trout fishing at
Taneycomo?
Hire a guide, at least for a half day,
exclaimed Rev. Edie. It is money well
spent. A person will learn how to fish,
where to fish and what to fish with. It saves
a lot of time and frustration, besides being
fun and educational.
Rev. Edie and Langcuster highly
recommend
Brett
Raders
Chartered Waters Guide Service:
www.CharteredWaters.com.
Lillys Landing: www.LillysLanding.com is
another good option.
Former trout biologist Spence Turner,
who was responsible for the establishment
of trout fishing in Missouri, says that
Taneycomo is the best trout fishing loca-
35
the halves. To prepare the stuffing, soak

bread in milk, squeeze dry and add egg.
Saute` bacon and onions until onions are
limp but not brown. Add the crabmeat
and saut for five minutes. Add to bread
mixture then stir in remaining ingredients.
Spread the stuffing on of each trout
and fold the other half on top. Sprinkle
top of trout with paprika and brush with
melted butter. Bake in 400 degree oven
until skin is brown and crisp.
This recipe is great for company. The
ingredients make enough for four 12-inch
trout.
The cold weather months,

October through March, are the
best times to fish at Lake
Taneycomo.
tion in the state and one of the better places
in the country.
We can usually have people on trout in
a matter of minutes, said Rader. We are
very flexible and can adapt to the needs of
individual fishermen. There are no length
limits on trout outside the Trophy
Management Area, which includes most of
the lake.
Take someone with you, Langcuster
suggested. My 13-year-old son Jackson,
and I have the best times of our lives
together while trout fishing at
Taneycomo.
You may become addicted. I dont get
to go as often as Id like, said Rev. Edie.
He spends a good deal of time fishing for
men as well. His church, Second Baptist,
offers fly tying classes, a great place to meet
other Taneycomo fishermen.
Split and bone trout but do not separate
MATCH THE HATCH

Matching the hatch, is a term used
regularly by fly fishermen. It is the act of
selecting the right fly and presenting it
correctly to fool selectively feeding trout.
To accomplish this feat, the angler must
be able to identify the insect hatching at
the time he is on the water. He must also
be familiar with its behavior, size, shape,
and color. Then the anxious fishermen
must search his fly boxes in hopes of finding a fly which will imitate or closely
resemble what he has seen on the water.
The process is very simple on Lake
Taneycomo. There is only one insect
hatch of any consequence on the lake. A
midge hatch takes place almost every day
of the year. These aquatic insects are
miniscule. Transposed to fly fishing
terms, that means hook sizes from 16 to
26. Eyes or spectacles must be in top
shape to tie these babies on.
Midges begin their life cycle in the mud
at the bottom of the lake. They soon hatch
into larvae or worm-like creatures and
scatter themselves along the bottom where
they feed on both living and decaying
plant material.
Trout above the mouth of

Fall Creek must be released if
12in. or more, or less than 20in.
Large groups of larvae migrate up the
water column in search of better water
quality. Trout quickly key in on these
smorgasbord migrations.
When the remaining larvae mature,
they begin pupation. Wings, legs and large
abdomens develop. Next, pupas struggle
towards the surface where they attach their
heads to the film surface of the water.
The next transformation involves the
pupa emerging from their skin with a
head, body and wings. Now you know
where the horror movies get their emerging monsters.
Trout easily feed on the pupa as they
make their way to the surface. Once the
midges emerge and begin to fly off, feeding becomes more difficult.
Moral of the story: you will catch more
trout fishing flies which imitate the pupa
stage of the midge. Fly names to remember include: Brassie, Midge Pupa, Loop
Wing, WD40, Krystal Pupa and Zebra.
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36
A G REAT FATH ER
& SO N DAY H UNT!
By Rick Kempf
Awesome morning with my son and little best friend, Braxton age 6,
attempting some predator management, and teaching him about the
land our good Lord has blessed us with. Followed by some family time,
its days like these that make the bad moments in life seem so tiny!
Braxton loves to hunt and hunt all the time. He has shot everything
we have from a 223 to a 12 ga. He also cleaned his own gun when we
were done.
The best story about Braxton hunting was when he was 4. He and
Rick were in a box tree stand. Braxton fell asleep and kept falling over.
Rick wrapped him in blankets and then took bungee cords hooked him
in an upright position to a corner post and kept hunting!
Thanks to ASO friends Grandparents Cricket & Gerald Kempf of Mt.
Sterling for sharing some of Rick and Braxtons hunting experiences
with ASO!
Keeping you on the Water Since 1964!

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37
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March 2016
Bruce Rauner, Governor

Wayne Rosenthal, Director
One Natural Resources Way
Springfield, IL
62702-1271
www.dnr.illinois.gov
IDNR NEWSBITS
News and Events
Kaskaskia Eagle Fest on March 5: The 2016 Eagle
Fest event will be held on Sat., Mar. 5 from 9 a.m.-3
p.m. at the Jerry F. Costello Lock and Dam in Modoc, IL
(4800 Lock and Dam Road). Enjoy eagle watching
with spotting scopes, programs from the World Bird
Sanctuary at 10 a.m., 11 a.m., and 1 p.m., and much
more. Tours of the lock and dam will be available.
Sponsors include the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, IDNR, Randolph County
Economic Development, Lower Kaskaskia
Stakeholders, Inc., Randolph County, Chester
Tourism, North County Savings Bank, Evansville
Booster Club, Horse Prairie Mutual/FarMutual,
CLIFFTOP, Kaskaskia Valley Audubon Society, and
Kaskaskia River Port District. For more information
and directions contact the Kaskaskia River Project
office at 618-284-7160 or e-mail
KaskyL&D@usace.army.mil.
Buy 2016 Illinois Licenses/Stamps: Illinois fishing,
hunting and sportsmans combination licenses and
stamps for 2016 are available from DNR Direct license
and permit vendors, online through the IDNR website
at www.dnr.illinois.gov or by calling 1-888-6PERMIT
(1-888-673-7648). The 2016 licenses and stamps
will be valid through Mar. 31, 2017, unless otherwise
noted.
Spring Turkey Applications:Hunters may apply for
the third lottery for 2016 Illinois Spring Wild Turkey
Season permits online through Feb. 9. Go to the IDNR
website for more information at this link:
www.dnr.illinois.gov/hunting/turkey
Spring Youth Turkey:Spring Youth Turkey Special
Hunt Area permit applications will be accepted online
through Monday, Feb. 15.Spring Youth Turkey Season

County Permits will be available over-the-counter
from IDNR license/permit vendors beginning on March
1.For information on spring turkey hunting, check the
IDNR website at www.dnr.illinois.gov/hunting/turkey
IRAP Spring Turkey Hunting: The Illinois Recreational
Access Program (IRAP) has added first-time adult
turkey hunting to its growing list of public access
activities. A first-time adult hunter also includes anyone who hasnt hunted turkey in the past five years. In
addition, the IDNR has changed the age restrictions
for youth turkey hunting to 17 years and younger. This
will allow IRAP to permit additional young turkey
hunters on their youth turkey hunting sites. IRAP is a
public access program that leases property from private landowners throughout Illinois and makes it available to registered IRAP participants for specific activities. To apply for an IRAP spring turkey hunting site,
hunters must download an application and liability
waiver, complete and sign them, and mail them to
IDNR. Deadlines for applications are Feb. 26 for youth
turkey season and Mar. 10 for turkey seasons 3 and 4.
In order to apply for seasons 3 and 4, applicants must
first apply for a turkey permit through IDNR lottery
system. Links are available on the IDNR website at
www.dnr.illinois.gov/conservation/IRAP/
Hunter and Boating Safety Education Courses:
Register now for Hunter Safety Education and Boating
Safety Education courses from the IDNR. Spring
classes are being scheduled. Check the IDNR website
for class dates and locations.The website link for all
IDNR Safety Education course information is
www.dnr.illinois.gov/safety
Prairie State Hike App: Visitors to Starved Rock
State Park can now take a guided hike on the parks
most popular trails by using a new smartphone app.
Download the Prairie State Hike App for 99 cents from
iTunes here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/
prairie-state-hike-app/id646231308?mt=8 or
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store?hl=en.
Features of the app include a map, points of interest,
audio for each stop, photographs and video. Hikes will
be continually updated and new hikes added in the
coming months will be available at no additional
charge. The app was developed by the Prairie State
Conservation Coalition, a non-profit organization created to assist conservation land trusts, land owners
39
and communities in their efforts to protect land and

water resources in Illinois. Hikes from other conservation organizations statewide also are available
through the app. To find Starved Rock, open the app
and choose Illinois Department of Natural Resources
from among the conservation organizations listed.
RTP Application Deadline March 1: IDNR is accepting applications for the Federal Recreational Trails
(RTP) grant program, with an application deadline of
5 p.m. on March 1, 2016. While grant awards cannot
be made at this time, those applications submitted
will be reviewed and prepared for the awarding of RTP
grants when a state budget is approved.The Illinois
RTP grant manual has been revised and updated, and
applicants should pay particular attention to changes
in land acquisition procedures and processes to avoid
ineligibility of proposed projects.For more information on the Federal RTP grant program, check the IDNR
website at http://dnr.state.il.us/ocd/newrtp2.htm
Camping Reservations: Make your reservations
now for campsites and shelters for many IDNR sites for
2016.Reservations can be made online through the
ReserveAmerica website at www.reserveamerica.com
using a Visa or MasterCard.For more information,
check the IDNR website at http://dnr.state.il.us/
lands/Landmgt/Programs/Camping/index.htm.
Scholarships Available: The Friends of Volo Bog is
offering an Entering College scholarship and a
Continuing College scholarship for $1,000 each to
outstanding students interested in pursuing an environmental career. To be eligible for the Entering
College scholarship, the applicant must reside in Lake,
McHenry, Kane, Cook, DuPage, Kendall, or Will
County, attend a high school in one of these counties,

have a minimum B average for the first three years,
and plan to attend an accredited college or university.
The applicant should be planning to enter a career
directly related to preserving the natural environment.
To be eligible for the Continuing College scholarship,
the applicant must be currently enrolled in an accredited college or university pursing a degree directly
related to preserving the natural environment, have a
permanent residence in Lake, McHenry, Kane, Cook,
DuPage, Kendall, or Will County, have graduated from
a high school from one of these counties with a minimum B average, and currently hold a minimum B average in their college studies. Applications are due by
March 31 for the school year starting in
fall.Applications are available at www.friendsofvolobog.org.
Site Permits for Archery Deer Season: Archery
deer hunting applications for the 2016-17 season are
available and can be submitted March 1-31 for the site
drawings for Beaver Dam State Park and Goodes
Woods Nature Preserve in Macoupin Co.Drawings for
the site permits will be held on Fri., April 1. Both
Beaver Dam and Goodes Woods require the harvest of
an antlerless deer at the site prior to harvesting an
antlered deer.Hunters can obtain an application from
the park office at Beaver Dam State Park, 14548
Beaver Dam Lane, Plainview, IL 62685 (phone 217854-8020) or on the IDNR website through the site
links at http://www.dnr.illinois.gov/hunting/
FactSheets/Pages/WestCentral.aspx
Follow the IDNR on Facebook and Twitter
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40
Missouri Officials
Consider Banning
Hunting of
Feral Pigs
By Daniel Xu
Every year feral pigs cause an estimated $1.5 billion worth of agricultural damage in the United States.
Just one group of 10 hogs is capable
of destroying up to 20 acres of crops
in a single night, so it is no great surprise why many biologists want to
see the invasive animal eradicated.
Yet late last month the Missouri
Conservation Commission (MDC)
proposed a rule change that perplexed many hunters. The agency
now wants to halt all hog hunting on
any land owned by the MDC.
According to officials, the proposal
came after complaints from staff!that
hunters were disrupting trapping
attempts.
The proposed ban on hog hunting
on conservation lands is a direct
result of misguided hunters disrupting trapping efforts by MDC staff,
MDC Wildlife Division Chief Jason
Sumners explained. MDC staff set
large, corral-type traps on areas
where there are known feral hogs.
They then bait the area with corn for
several days or weeks to attract the
March 2016
Officials say
that hunters
showing up and
disrupting
trapping
attempts is one
of the reasons
why they may
soon be banned
from hunting
hogs on certain
state-owned
lands.
targeted group of hogs, get them used
to the surroundings, and get them
concentrated in the trap before triggering it. This work takes weeks,
with the goal to trap the entire group
of hogs.
After weeks of work to catch the
sounder of hogs, we then get an individual hunter who finds out about the
site and shows up at some point and
shoots a hog or two. The rest of the
group then scatters and moves to a
new location. As a result, weeks of
work have been wasted and new
areas now have feral hogs.
The department added that some
hunters have also illegally released
pigs for the purpose of hunting.
Officials are now encouraging
hunters to report pig sightings instead
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of shooting them.
Hunters however, say that the
actions of a few bad apples should
not led to an all-out ban. Many
hunters do not specifically target pigs
but will harvest them when hunting
for other animals, such as deer. They
say that a ban would not only reduce
opportunities to take wild pigs, but it
is also not the best way for the MDC
to approach managing the species.
Some sportsmen, such as David
Karmi of St. Louis, said the department should put a bounty on the animals.
I think it would be a great idea to
put a bounty! on em, and maybe
work with hunters who want to trap
them, he told the Springfield NewsLeader. !Its pretty rampant as far as
the carnage they can do, and they
breed like rabbits.
Other hunters say that the department should notify the public when
trapping pigs, or otherwise close off
areas where they are conducting a
cull from the public. This, they say, is
preferable to a hunting ban.
If we knew where they had their
traps set out those would be areas to
avoid, James Wilson of Pleasant
Hope said. !Close those areas 30 to
60 days and prosecute people who go
into that trapping perimeter. I think
that might be a better way to handle
it.
The MDC is holding a 30-day public comment period on the proposed
rule change. A final decision will be
made later this year, and the ban
could begin as early as September.
Image courtesy Missouri
Department of Conservation
OutdoorHub.com
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March 2016
WOOS
CORNER
BY WOO DAVES
Establishing a Pattern
March is my favorite month for big fish
as the water is warming and the big females
are moving into the shallows to fatten up
and looking for spawning areas. Hopefully
you got to attend one of the Spring
Classics at Bass Pro Shops and picked up
some good tips on spring time fishing.
March is one of the few months that offer
such a large variety of ways to catch bass. It
is 95 percent shallow water tactics which
we all love; jigs, spinnerbaits, plastics, and
crankbaits all come into play which makes
it even more fun to fish.
Normally March is a very windy month.
This helps you to eliminate half the lake
because you want to fish the windy side of
the lake. This is where the warmest water
is going to be along with most of the bait
fish feeding on plankton stirred up. Simple
math bait equals bass, put it to use.
When I start up the lake from the lower
end in my Mercury powered Nitro I am
paying close attention to my Raymarine
A12 electronics watching the temperature
gauge looking for the warmest water in the
lake. If Im going up the lake and notice
the water start

to cool, then I
am sure its
only going to
get cooler the
further I go, so
I ease back
down the lake
to the warmer
water and start
looking. As a
rule the shallower water in
the creeks and flats will be the warmest
and a good place to start. But if the water
temperature is pretty even around the lake,
fish can be anywhere.
The fish are pretty easy to pattern once
you get a couple bites as a rule. I start
again on the windy side of the lake and
fish usually on a point and just work the
shoreline with my MotorGuide, never
starting the big engine as long as I can
stand it. In other words fish slow around
points and into the back of coves until you
figure something out. But be very conscience of your water temperature remembering it will warm in the back of pockets
quickest so as the day goes on the fish you
find on points will move to the back of
pockets later in the day. Now if you catch
a fish on a point, skip the back of the
pockets right over to the next point and
even if you dont get bit there try a couple
more points before going back to fishing
everything. The same goes for the back of
the pockets, if you are catching fish there,
skip the point

and get right
around to the
back of the next
pocket to see if
you have a pattern going.
If Im fishing
a lake that has
sparse cover I
usually start out
with a Carolina
rigged Zoom
lizard or Brush hog. Ill fish points from
the main lake back into the creeks trying
to establish where the bait and bass are
located. Ill also throw Hookset Lures
Mad Max crankbait or a Bass Pro Shops
Laser eye spinnerbait. Again, even though
you have very little cover your bank features such as rock, pea gravel, red clay,
sand, etc. can be your pattern, so pay
attention.
Now if Im on a lake that has a lot of
cover Im going to get my Johnny Morris
Titanium flipping rod out and go to cover.
Now Im flipping Zooms Brush Hog, a Zman, or a Magnum lizard around and into
cover such as logs, bushes, willows and
dock pilings. Again Im paying attention
to water temperature and where I catch my
first bass and letting the bass tell me where
to fish. One bite can put you on a pattern.
Another great spring time pattern is to
locate flats with your Navionics chip in
your A12 and just go back to about 5 feet
of water and just fan cast a lipless Hookset
Shad Daddy. Again Im trying to fish the
windy flats and this is when your Power
Pole comes in real handy by being able to
anchor you while you fan cast. Then move
41
forward a short distance, re-anchor and

fan cast and this way not only do you
cover the water thoroughly but if you get
on a school of bass you wont spook them.
This month can be great for schooling
bass.
If you have a lot of brush or grass, I like
to throw a weightless Zoom Fluke in pearl
white and just work it back to the boat
slowly with a twitching action. I have
caught some monster bass doing this over
the years.
This month is good especially for trying
to catch a lunker bass, its hard to go
wrong and there are a lot of other techniques that work great. It is a good time to
take a kid fishing and let them catch a big
one.
Remember to get your tow vehicle at
www.hendrickcars.com and for a good
investment look up Just- icellc.com.
Thank you and thank all military for a job
well done. God Bless You!
WOO
SHOES
www.woodaves.com
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42
JUST
ONE!
by
Daniel Vinovich
The newly emerging weeds gave

the water a greenish gray tint. The
fish breaking the surface, Canada
geese fighting over a nest and
blackbirds bouncing on the ends of
the newly emerging cattails sent
chills up my spine. The chills were
not caused from a cold, northwest
wind like the month before, but
rather from the feeling one gets
when you know something great is
about to happen.
I took one more glance over the
lake. It looked like something out
of the movie, On Golden Pond.
It was a perfect start to what was
sure to be a day to remember. All
the signs were present, and a quick
look at the temperature gauge on
my electronics confirmed my original assessment of the conditions I
had observed. We were entering
the post spawn period. The time
when the Muskies once again put
on their feed bags.
Many of the fish took a ride to the
hatchery with our biologists
Wayne and Rob to perform their
duties. What duty you ask?
Restocking the many lakes in this
and other states to ensure that the
bite is always on. The lake was
void of the tons of boats that had
beat her to death the month before

and the piles of floating pad stems
had long since settled to the bottom, returning their nutrients to
watershed. The lake again looked
in sync with its surroundings.
This was to be my day. A day to
reconnect with the lake. A day to
seek out some new spots for the
upcoming weeks when a new
batch of rookie, and seasoned
Muskie-anglers that would again
step on my casting deck and send a
bait towards what was sure to be
another story to add to their list of
conversation pieces. We had
hooked over 50 Muskies in the
weeks before the spawn, and they
had put many a smile on the face
of people from all walks of life.
From a seasoned tournament fisherman to a 14 year old kid that
somehow managed to stick a 43
incher and get it to the net. I still
dont know how he did it. He did
nothing right, and if we had caught
it on video, we could have won the
grand prize on one of those television shows. Not all the fish were
Giants, but they were all Giants to
the ones who hooked them. These
were my thoughts as I slowly
motored toward the center of the
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lake.
It didnt take long to reach the
first patch of newly emerging
weeds. I killed the gas kicker and
dropped the Minn Kota in the
drink. The small ripple sent bait
fish scattering towards cover. This
looked good. I reached down and
grabbed one of the rods I had set
up the night before. It felt heavy
and clumsy in my hand, not like
the lighter gear that I had been
using in the colder month before.
The gear in my hand screamed
power, the power to land one of
these post spawn devil fish. Now,
why would I call them devil fish,
especially after the smiles they had
put on the faces of so many people
the weeks before? Well, let me tell
you, these!fish were no longer running on 4 cylinders. The warmer
water temps had kicked in the
other 4 cylinders and with some,
the turbos. The short runs and half
a. jumps would now be nonexistent. Instead, you get it all, the
long drag screaming runs, the wild
acrobatic jumps, and the tackle
busting hits these fish are known
for. Oh, yeah! The stuff that keeps
March 2016
you coming back again and again.

I sent an 8 inch buck tail flying
towards the edge of the weed bed.
The 65 pound Bass Pro Shops
braid made a distinctive sound as it
rolled off the reel then returned.
The sound gave me the same feeling I get while hunting Snows. Just
that moment, like the sound made
by the magazine extension on my
auto-loading shotgun as it empties
its reservoir of 9 magnum Snow
goose loads.
A feeling of strength, almost
identical to the one you get after a
good lift at the gym. My mind was
at peace reliving the month before
and soaking up the warm morning
sun. Suddenly, I heard a splash that
awoke me from my trance. Was it
a Muskie hitting the big buck tail?
I felt no weight on the rod. A quick
glance toward the surface reassured me I had not missed a
chance as a big Large Mouth was
spooked from a shallow pocket.
Okay. It was time to get down to
the business at hand. Once again, I
was in the zone, methodically
breaking down the edge of the
emerging weed beds. Slowly, I
March 2016
Jeff Rule with his first Spring Lake Muskie a 40 incher
worked looking for where the fish

my clients towards their next cast
had taken up housekeeping. I
and maybe to the battle of their
looked!at a lot of water that mornlife. A confidence that makes you
ing in and out following the edges,
able to keep chuckin those baits.
looking for the newly formed
A confidence that keeps the spirit
pockets, the perfect ambush spots,
high and the line wet. Wow, was
as well as looking for the newly
that a mouthful, long but true.
developed trolling lanes.
You see, truly good outdoorsmen
This was
spend more
a day worth
time doing
its weight in
homework
gold, a day
and practicto become
ing
their
back
in
craft, than
touch with
fishing or
the lake, a
hunting. It
day
of
is true with
research
all of the
and relaxoutdoor
ation, a day
sports, deer,
that would
turkey, and
give me the
wing shootfeeling of
ing. If you
Another one of those Baitfish,
confidence
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I think he is growling at me!
homework, you are merely trusting Dumb Luck that your day off
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you hear the stories of the guys,
gals, and even kids that bagged the
big one by chance. Everybody has
one of these stories. Yes, ONE.
If you want to try some of these
tackle bustin devils, I take a very
limited number of trips this time of
the year because it wont be long
before the water is too warm and

the surface of the lake is covered
with its cooler like lid of vegetation. The pockets and casting lanes
will be closed until the fall, so you
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44
HUNT WILD
TURKEYS
3 Tips to Enjoy the Turkey Woods

as You Age
In your younger
years you were full of
spit and vinegar and
were beyond ambitious
to walk and call, walk
and call, walk and
call but if your beard
has turned gray while chasing
longbeards, these adjustments may
make the difference.
1. Sleep in
A brief night of sleep can take its
toll throughout the day when
youre expected to be awake and
social, heres how to make the most
of your existence:
Hit the woods later, birds dont
disappear after first light
You can still
participate
in
pre-dawn outings, just not as
many
Grab sleep
when you can,
partake in afternoon naps and
early bedtimes
Conserve
energy to keep
yourself conditioned for the
demands of a
hunt
2. Walk less
If mountainsides make you
tired by just
looking at them,
its time to profit
from the land
you do make it
to:
Take
your
time and be safe,
climb slow and
take necessary
breathers
Use
your
experience
to
identify the areas
youve
seen
birds before
Intelligently
position yourself
at each location,
considering your
surroundings
Settle in and
stay
camouflaged
Appreciate
the total experience
turkey
March 2016
hunting offers, nature

is beautiful
3. Give back to younger generations
Use your skills,
expertise and age to
help others benefit from your experiences:
Take responsibility to introduce new people to the turkey
hunting experience
Show the way to anyone who
might be interested in the tradition
Embrace your senior moment
when you call in the first tom for a
new hunter
Age is pride, keep on, keepin on.
Glenn Sapir
TRACKING
TURKEYS
Scouting is the easiest way to

make sure there are turkeys in the
area we intent to hunt. Look for
tracks, droppings, dusting sites,
strut marks, scratching and maybe,
if you are lucky, a few dropped
feathers.!
Of all the signs turkeys leave,
tracks are found must often.
Turkeys walk just about everywhere, so they leave tracks in the
sand, soft dirt, snow, mud, and
even defrosting ground. Tracks are
not always obvious. Complete and
partial tracks, such as the imprint
of a toe, are easy to miss.!

Study the markings to determine
two!things:
The estimated number of
turkeys in the group. Count the sets
of tracks to determine flock size.
Whether hens or toms, or both,
were in the flock. Gobblers have
tracks that are approximately 4 1/2inches long from the base of the
heel to the tip of the center toe,
while hen tracks are an inch shorter. Poults leave smaller tracks than
hens.
Start taking scouting very seriously a week or two before the
spring season opens. That's usually! when winter flocks break up,
and fresh tracks found a few days
prior to hunting season can hold
promise that the turkeys will still
be in the particular area when it
really counts.!
Tracks are one of the few sure
things in turkey hunting. They are
irrefutable evidence there are
turkeys in the area. Tracks give you
a place to start, it's your job to put
yourself in the right place from
there on.!
John Higley
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US mail: ASO Magazine, 1408
Downing Ct., Tremont, IL 61568
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March 2016
45
ARCHERS ALLEY IN
DECAT UR ILLINOIS
by Dave Herschelman
The
Archery
Deer season now
behind us necessitates the task of
removing stands
from the trees and
sewing the holes
created by battles
with multiflora rose
bushes and barbed
wire fences in
clothing and pack gear. Now is also the
time to assess the need for new or maintenance of existing equipment. The
plan to acquire new hunting areas and
enhance land already within your possession should be initiated. With a solid
week of battling the infestation of Bush
Honeysuckle on several of my hunting
spots and with most of my stands now
in the barn, my concentration switched
to Archery Equipment.
Admittedly, the reason for my shortcomings during the past Whitetail
Archery season was not the fault of my
bow but of the operator! Although
always hesitant to ask for assistance
from others, when technical expertise
beyond my abilities is required I have
found visiting the experts will eliminate
a great deal of operation deficiency
(heartache) in the future.
Walking into the Archers Alley Bow
Shop located in Decatur, Illinois with
my old bow Betsy was the smartest
action to date in 2016 by yours truly!
Owner, Nathan Frazier took control
over the analysis of Betsys vital measurements and after readjusting the tune,
raising the nock point and adjusting the
drop away rest attachment cord, she
was back in race ready form! If only he
could work the same magic over my
Nathan Frazier with Dave

working on a bow.
Nathan monitoring Daves shooting

form and bow performance.
Front of Archers Alley with

the Jeep displayed.
sagging measurements!
We discussed upgrading new sights,
quiver and possible rest on old Betsy or
a possible new bow altogether (out of
earshot of Betsy) with every state of the
art upgrade but in the end, the decision
was made to stick with old Betsy!
Although I did test a few of the newer
bows, my faithfulness remained intact
with my old girl! Nathan watched my
form and the performance of bow and
shooter with intent analysis. He actually noticed my habit of closing my left
eye during aiming and release. I
explained that although being left eye
dominant, I have created the habit of
closing my left eye for both gun and
archery shooting to maintain my right
hand shooting form. He covered the
possible remedies through relearning to
shoot left handed but in the end my
habit will remain although I am losing
depth perception and light gathering
capability in doing so!
I could not help but notice the comfortable temperature, spacious shooting
lanes and overall quality of lighting in
his facility. Targets can be moved from
point blank to 35 yard distance as they
are all on wheeled carts designed by one
of his family members. Their Targets
are made internally by recycling shipping cardboard and shipping wrap into
unique and long lasting targets. To
accommodate the very young archery
shooter, targets are made to ensure the
arrows actually penetrate and stick!

After all, to a very young shooter with a
very low poundage bow, having your
arrows bounce off the target would be
devastating! On an individual basis, the
range area can be adjusted for shots up
to 46 yard distance. To a bow hunter
the ability to set your sight pins out to
this distance in a controlled windless
environment can be priceless!
While on the range, I could not help
but notice a tall, lithe, female shooter
whose form was exceptional in both the
archery and other perspective shooting
the x center of the bullseye with rock
steady consistency! This individual,
Sarah Lester, from Forsyth, Illinois has
just competed in the recently held
Illinois Target Archery Association
Indoor State Archery Competition held
at Kishwaukee Archery Club in

Sycamore, Illinois winning the State
Championship in the Young Adult
Womens Freestyle Three Spot Target
Competition. I asked Sarah about her
training regimen and how she controlled the effects of Target Panic
both in training and competition. She
shoots five days out of the week for
about two hours each session. She
practices extreme concentration on her
form and learns to tune out any distractions around her. She practices form
over score in importance while knowing the correct form and release will
bring the score needed! She also suggested using different release aids in
order to keep her mind guessing when
the release of the arrow will come forcContd. on next pg.
46
March 2016
DAVE Contd. from previous pg.
ing one to keep the correct form!

She indicated by practicing at Archers
Ally, she has state of the art facilities
and with others around her while she is
shooting, she is able to practice the art
of tuning out everything during the
shot! In addition, staff can watch her
shoot possibly noticing any slight alteration in her rock steady form.
Archers Alley offers a multitude of
shooting activities in the form of Indoor
3 and 5 Spot Shoots and Leagues and
3D Target Shoots and Leagues or just
shooting on an informal basis by using
the facility. Especially unique is the
Training classes for beginning archers
and young archers. Steve Frazier is the
Unique mobile targets.
Nathan explaining target updates.
master of these classes as he has the

patience and temperament to facilitate
the younger learning archer. Maybe my
girls would have developed within this
sport with this sort of training rather
than endure their fathers Bobby Knight
antics!
Archers Alley is an Archery Shop
catering to the family, although archery
hunters use the facility, purchase their
equipment here and benefit from their
expertise, the shop is not a hunters den
filled with Game Mounts, Trophy
Pictures and Hunter Braggadocio (well
maybe a little) but it is a great environment for all manner of archery users
from the beginner to the State
Champions in the sport.
Nathan Frazier, Owner, is first and
Nathan Frazier watching Daves form.

foremost a businessman with experience in satisfying his clientele. He is
assisted in the shop by his father, John
Frazier and brother, Steve Frazier on a
daily basis. His business is a welcome
addition to the Decatur area eliminating
long travel times to out of town stores
with facilities and inventories lacking as
compared to Archers Alley. Visit their
website at www.archersalley.com to
learn the history of the facility, shop
their inventory and examine the full
range of planned activities. They offer
a full line of Archery Equipment from
the major manufacturers in the sport
and can work on any brand of bow!
You will know how to properly shoot
your bow before leaving the facility!
While the march of time continues, I
plan to improve my archery shooting
skills and develop better habits to
improve my ability to gain success in
Nathan adjusting my bow.
the upcoming 2016 Bow season.

Maturity now forces me to improve
every possible variable within my control to offset those I cannot! Archers
Alley provides the facility and professional expertise to keep your practice
and equipment in tune and to have fun
doing so! Visit them soon!
David Herschelman, Feb. 11, 2016
Sarah Lester State Champion Archer

practicing at Archers Alley.
2525 N. Grand Ave. East Springfield, IL 62702

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March 2016
Pyramid Golden Gobblers

SAT. March 19th
Knights of Columbus Hall,
Pickneyville
For more info call Danny
Kellerman at 618-357-6709
ILLINOIS MARCH 2016

HUNTING HERITAGE BANQUETS
Big Muddy Longbeards
SAT. March 5th
Holiday Inn, 222 Potomac Blvd,
Mt. Vernon, IL
For more info call Jonathon Beal
at 618-495-9025
email: jon@wildreality.tv
Silver & Shoal Creek Strutters

SAT. March 12th
Knights of Columbus Hall,
Rt 143, Highland
For more info call Tony Miles at
618-651-9669
email: bdogbarber@yahoo.com
River Valley Gobblers

SAT. March 12th
Pekin Moose Lodge #916,
2605 Broadway, Pekin
For more info call Jed Heisel at
309-657-5601
email: jedheisel@gmail.com
Embarras Chapter
SAT. March 12th
VFW Post 1592, 1821 20th St.,
Charleston
For more info call Mike Elam at
217-345-4660
email: elams3@consolidated.net
Mackinaw Valley Gobblers

SAT. March 12th
Bloomington Chateau Hotel,
1620 Jumer Dr.
For more info call Roger Wolf
at 309-319-1661
email: rjwhunter@gmail.com
Cumberland County Longbeards

SAT. March 19th
Toledo American Legion Post
764, 206 So Jersey St, Toledo
For more info call Michelle Foote
at 217-276-3469
email: michelle.wilson.foote@
gmail.com
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Fax: 309-353-2884
Spoon River Gobblers

FRI. March 25th
Big Racks Steakhouse,
1920 North Main, Canton
For more info call Dan Daly at
309-785-3581
email: madedfmcs@
yahoo.com
Salt Creek
Ridgerunners
SAT. March 26th
American Legion,
1740 5th St.,
Lincoln
For more info call
Alison Pharis at
217-871-9657
email: pharis@
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47
Edgar County Longbeards

SAT. March 26th
Knights of Columbus,
North Main St, Paris
For more info call Jon
Hollingsworth at 217-202-5032
email: sspike76@gmail.com
Jackson Co. Wild Turkeys
SAT. March 26th
American Legion, 1700 Gartside St,
Murphysboro. For more info call
Linda Goforth at 618-457-7717
48
TAKING
A NEW
MEXICO
MONSTER
BULL -
369 B&C
By Brad Severs
October elk hunting in New

Mexico is one of my favorite North
American hunts.! As the rut nears
its end, the bulls continue their
screaming calls to resident cows.
March 2016
Incredibly, they move with purpose

and speed as they face-off with
opponents in epic battles for breeding rights. Enter, the hunter. An
unwanted and oft unheeded intruder into this annual athletic competition for dominance.
If life has taught me anything,
its that success is not the result of
greatness, but of strong desire, diligence and commitment to achieving a goal.! It requires planning and
importantly, a work ethic of dedication that does not consider failure an option.! This is my approach
to life.! It is my approach to hunting.
Another lesson life has taught me
is that as the body ages it requires
more effort to maintain it. An
important part of my daily routine
has become the time spent in the
gym and healthy dietary choices. It
is now one of the most important
aspects of my hunt preparation.
Elk hunting can be very demanding, and so, I took advantage of the
12 month window prior to the trip.
My desire for a successful elk
inspired me to excel in the gym.
And so, I pushed my limits, hoping
to have the reserve needed to close
the distance on a big bull.! It is that
final distance that can make the
difference.! These majestic animals
appear in your binoculars or spotting scope for an instant and then
disappear. The ground they can
cover is simply
amazing.
Another
huge
aspect
of! the planning
process is finding a stellar
guide and property/unit to hunt.
Knocked it out of
the park on this
one.! Drummond, my guide and

good friend, has access to some
incredible New Mexico elk country.! I have hunted with his outfit
for the past two years with success.
His knowledge of the land and its
occupants helps so much in efficient use of hunting time.! He
scouted heavily the week before
my arrival using trail cameras and
canyon walking.! Even so, the first
four days on my feet on the ground
meant frustration.! The property is
HUGE, roughly 110,000 acres.!
After a particularly grueling day,
and during our fireside chat, we
decided to check out an area called
Dark Canyon. Drummond admitted
that after weeks of scouting the
perimeters of the Dark Canyon
area, in search of a particularly
large bull, hed been beaten.
Efforts to study water holes and
pattern his movements had been
unsuccessful. Other, lesser bulls,
SEND ASO YOUR

TROPHY PHOTOS!
Email:
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US Mail: ASO Magazine,

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See ASO Subscription Form on pg. 6!
March 2016
came in but the Dark Canyon bull

never showed. Dark Canyon was,
in fact, the area where I had previously harvested nice bulls. Dark
Canyon would be our new focus.!
The next morning rewarded our
efforts.! While glassing we spotted
a magnificent bull at about 1500
yards. Though he had seen him
once during archery season, this
bull eluded all of Drummonds
prescouting efforts.! Even at this
distance, I knew it was the biggest
New Mexico bull I had ever
seena bull of a lifetime.!
The hunt was on and with it that
adrenaline rush started to happen.
The kind of rush I can only compare to sacking a quarterback to
win the homecoming game or
entering the boxing ring on Texas
Fight Night.! Its why I hunt.
The bull had a single cow with
him and she was getting all of his
attention.! Now we had to plan our
approach and close that great distance.! To our good fortune, the
topography allowed us to move
through the brush and trees undetected with the wind in our face.
As we closed the distance without
detection, my confidence rose and
I caught a glimpse of the top of his
antlers moving through the brush

and trees.!
Range? I whispered to
Drummond.
To
which
he
answered, 325.! And then,
335.! The bull was moving away,
but I had my 338 Lapua well rested on my bi-pod and set the
crosshairs behind his left shoulder.
Deep cleansing breathsqueeze
the trigger.! The 250 grain Nosler
Accubond hit the bull and knocked
him off his feet.! To my amazement, he jumped up, ran 30 yards
straight uphill and then collapsed.
A powerful animal to the end. Oh
Happy Days!!
The Dark Canyon bull was an 8 x
7 with an immense body.! The top
of his neck measured a 42 circumference and Drummond estimated
his body weight at 1,100 lbs.! We
dressed him out and carried meat
for the rest of the day.! Each rear
quarter weighed 175 lbs.! This is
where the weight room training
really paid off.!
We shared the meat, a favorite
back home, and thanked God for a
successful hunt.! This magnificent
bull scored 369 Boone &
Crockett.! I live in anticipation of
the next hunt in New Mexico.
49

Open House Sat. April 2
Peoria Skeet & Trap Club announces its annual Club Open House, Saturday,
April 2 (rain date Sunday April 3), 11 am to 3:00 pm. The public is invited individuals, families and groups.
Join us for a day of fun and education. Visit with current members, learn
about club membership opportunities, youth shooting programs, spring/summer trap leagues and hosting group shooting events on the club grounds.
Hands on instruction in gun safety and trap and/or skeet and unlimited
shooting throughout the day; $4 per round (25 birds). Participants must provide their own shotguns (12 or 20 gauge). Hearing and eye protection is
required and will be available at shooting ranges. Shotgun shells available for
sale at Clubhouse (FOID card required for all shell purchases).
Peoria Skeet and Trap Club is located at 1470 Spring Bay Road, East Peoria
on IL Rt 26; 5 miles North of Rt 116 and Rt 26 junction. Club facilities include
10 combination Skeet/Trap shooting ranges, air conditioned, non-smoking
clubhouse, outdoor covered pavilions, ample parking, handicap accessibility,
a family friendly environment.
PREDATOR GUIDE SERVICE
309-347-1728 309-267-8309 trolling@mtco.com

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50
6 THINGS
I LEARNED
FROM FISHING
THE AMAZON!
The author with a peacock bass he caught on a recent fishing trip in

the Amazon rain forest.
Image courtesy of Colin Anthony.
by Colin Anthony
Dont skimp out on services.

Would you rather fish and stay on
a boat like this or in a shanty?
Image courtesy of
Colin Anthony.
Ifyou want to take a trip of a lifetime to

slam monster peacock bass in the Amazon
rainforest, there are a few things you should
absolutely know before you go. I recently
went on a fishing trip to the Amazon and
learned many of these things the hard way.
These six things can make or break your trip.
1. Have the right gear or suffer the consequences
You are going to be in the jungle where the
local bait shop doesnt exist. You either have
the right gear or dont. That said, you dont
need to bring an entire tackle shop with you.
Reels: You will be retrieving baits fast, so if
you dont want to burn out before lunch a
high retrieve-ratio reel like the Abu Garcia
Revo Rocket is an absolute must-have. In
addition, for punishing massive peacock bass,
I recommendthe Revo Beast for its drag
system.
Rods: Almost all of your baits will be best
thrown on a medium-heavy or heavy action
rod. Bring three rods every day and keep one
at camp for backup. You will want to have
different baits strung up to make quick follow up casts.
Baits: You can bring everything you own,
but Im willing to bet youll only throw
woodchoppers, musky-style jigs (piranhawill
destroy material so bring plenty), X-Rap
SubWalks, and jumping minnows.
March 2016
Swimbaits on schooling rigs can also be effective and lipless crankbaits or spoons are nice
to have to catch piranha.
Line: Bring 80 pounds of braided line and
a few steal leaders (for piranha) and you
should be good.
2. Pack smart for daily battles
The right clothing, medicine, and gear can
make or break your entire trip. There isnt a
superstore so come prepared. Every morning
when you head out its nice to have a compact dry bag with all your essentials to enjoy
the day and survive the elements. This bag
should include first aid, sunscreen, reel lubricant, survival items (you never know), and
pain meds and vitamin K from all the big fish
you will be landing. Billy Chapman of
Anglers Inn International offers his fishermen
an Amazon Tough Bag for around $199 and
I highly suggest you pick this up.
Its going to be 95 degrees almost every
day, so dont be ignorant and be sure to pack

lightweight pants and long-sleeved shirts.
Pack your buff and pick up some sun gloves
if you dont buy the Amazon Tough Bag. Be
smart about sun protection or stay at the
lodge with a sun burn while someone else
catches your fish.
3. Travel prep and execution is vital
Dont leave for yourtrip and not know the
details about your timeline, lodging, and
transportation. Transportation is really critical and often overlooked.
Remember that Portuguese isnt Spanish.
Do yourself a favor and try and learn a few
simple phrases before and during your stay,
because if you have a guide that isnt native to
the jungle speaking perfect English youre
probably doing something wrong. You
alsomust get a visa to travel to Brazil if you
live in the United States. The process is somewhat long, so apply four to five months out.
4. Dont cut corners on service, its not

worth it
Sure you can fish the Amazon for different
prices, but dont be that guy jealous of another group that had Wi-Fi, premium meals,
daily laundry service, and compete end-toend service. Saving $1,000 for a lesser experience isnt worth it if your fishing boat breaks
down, you are uncomfortable, or your safety
is compromised. Go with someone who sells
out every year and often to repeat customers.
I fish with Anglers Inn International
because they set the bar in the Amazon for
top service. One of the options they offer is
called the mothership experience, which
entails living aboard a three-level yacht traveling up the Rio Negro and pulling bass
boats. Late nights on the rooftop drinking a
beer watching shoreline stream past while
smoking a cigar is unforgettable. You can
also opt for the jungle lodge, allowing you to
be deep in the jungle with access to Wi-Fi, air
conditioning, and a swimming pool. The Rio
Negro Lodge is a great spot to take on peacock bass.
5. Spend time in Manaus to eat and absorb
Manaus is acity of 2 million people that
was built by river boats and has a fascinating
dichotomy of new construction and abandoned buildings. From high-end malls to
wild roaming dogs and crazy drivers, Manaus
is exceptionally unique. If you dont eat at a
Brazilian steakhouse while in Brazil, you are
probably crazy! One of my favorites
was Bufalo. If you want a killer hotel for a
night in Manaus, then try Tropical and ask
for their fishermans rate.
6. Fish missed strikes
There is no shame in being at the back of
the boat when fishing for peacock bass.
Often a fish will strike on your buddys bait
and miss, thus giving you time to pick up the
reward. Although both you and your buddy
can be throwing woodchopper baits, it can be
more lucrative to have a woodchopper paired
with a subsurface bait pounding the same
water. Work together with your fishing partner to share the upsides of double-teaming
the same wateryou will catch more fish.
March 2016
This report represents some events

the OLE handled over the last
couple of weeks; however, it does
not include all actions taken by
the Office of Law Enforcement.
Weeks of Oct. 28 Nov. 13, 2015
REGION 1 Captain Laura Petreikis
District 1 Sgt. T. Petreikis CARROLL Co A 47 year old man from
Madison, Wisconsin was checked by
CPO Beltran and failed to properly
check his harvest. He used his customer
number on his license instead of his
required permit number. This false
record looked like the deer was never
checked in. A written warning and
instructions on how to properly check a
deer were given to the man.
JODAVIESS Co CPO Hoogerwerf
patrolled the Iris & Jack Witkowsky
Wildlife Area. Tickets were issued to
three Chicago area hunters found
archery deer hunting in a restricted area.
CPO Hoogerwerf issued written
warnings to speeders entering and exiting Apple River Canyon State Park.
OGLE Co A 71 year old man from
Roselle was given a citation for feeding
wildlife. The property he hunts had several blocks and mineral out with several
cameras in a known CWD area. CPO
Beltran took enforcement action.
District 6 - Sgt. Hank Frazier,
BOONE Co CPO ALT is currently

investigating a complaint of criminal
trespass to real property and possible
hunter harassment. An unknown subject dressed in camo with a backpack
was caught on two trail cameras on two
One property
adjacent properties.
owner reported bait had been placed
near his deer stand while the second
reported one of his trail cameras had
been stolen after the tree it was located
was cut. Investigation ongoing.
LASALLE Co CPO Jansen arrested a
subject from Utah hunting whitetail deer
without license, permits, or habitat
stamp. Three citations and one written
warning were issued.
CPO Jansen arrested 3 subjects for
hunting without permission. Three citations and 3 written warnings were
issued.
CPO Jansen was on patrol when he
observed a whitetail deer in a pen with a
dog. The owner stated he found it in a
field when it was only a couple days old.
The deer was in their possession for over
a year. A citation was issued for taking
and retaining live wildlife. Two written
warnings were issued for unlawful take
of whitetail deer and feeding wildlife.
CPO Wire (LaSalle Co), CPO Reeves
(Champaign Co), and CPO Wollgast
(Grundy Co) worked together and
recovered a stolen pontoon boat and
stolen trailer in Livingston Co. The 75
year old woman that owned the boat
was happy to hear that the responsible
party had been arrested and taken to jail
on felony charges.
CPO Filipiak was on numerous foot
patrols at Matthiessen State Park and
Starved Rock State Park. Numerous
violations were discovered: three individuals were issued citations for climbing the sides of the canyon walls, one
individual was issued citations for possession of alcohol on the trails, three
individuals were issued six citations for
possession of drug paraphernalia and
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possession of less than 2.5g of cannabis

and two individuals were arrested for
exposing genitalia.
CPO Filipiak was on patrol observing
sport fishermen: five individuals were
issued citations for unlawful snagging in
waters closed to snagging.
CPO Filipiak was on patrol and
observed two individuals operating
ATVs on private property. Those individuals were issued citations.
CPO Wire was on his way home and
observed individuals waving on the side
of the road to gain his attention. Eye witnesses observed a vehicle crash into
numerous trees at Starved Rock State
Park Nature Preserve. CPO Wire was on
light duty so CPO Filipiak handled the
crash identifying numerous violations.
The individual was operating a motor
vehicle where a BAIID system was
required; the vehicle did not have a
BAIID system inside. The individual
also was driving on a revoked drivers
license.
After a day of deer scouting and at the
end of his shift, CPO Kaufman decided
to check a couple of fishermen on the
Illinois River. When CPO Kaufman
asked them where their fish were they
pointed to a basket in the water. He
found all the fish in the basket to be legal.
The fishermen failed to mention the
bucketful of fish under one of their
chairs. In the bucket along with legal
bluegill and crappie CPO Kaufman
located one short sauger, one short small-
51
mouth bass, and two short largemouth

bass. A citation was issued.
CPO Kaufman received a call of two
lost hikers at Matthiessen State Park.
The two men had been walking for three
hours when it became dark. CPO
Kaufman was able to contact them on
their cell phone. CPO Kaufman drove
around the parks perimeter turning on
his squads emergency lights and siren
every five minutes hoping the men
could see or hear the lights or siren. The
man that CPO Kaufman was talking to
then said his map application on his
smart phone said he was near Oglesby.
The man could not give a better location
so CPO Kaufman asked him to text him
a drop pin. The man had no idea what
CPO Kaufman was talking about.
While trying to tell the man how to do a
drop pin CPO Kaufman found the men.
WINNEBAGO Co hunting without
permission. The landowner had photographs of the trespasser on his property
carrying a bow on several occasions and
several photographs of the trespassers
truck on his property. CPO Fraser contacted the trespasser who stated he had
permission to hunt a neighboring property and got lost. Citations for trespassing and hunting without permission
were issued at the landowners request.
While returning from a late night deer
decoy detail, CPO Fraser and CPO
Murry found themselves behind a driver
swerving all over the roadway. Upon
Contd. on next pg.
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POLICE Contd. from previous pg.

stopping the vehicle CPO Fraser noticed
a strong odor of alcohol coming from
the vehicle and the driver had glassy,
bloodshot eyes. The driver failed field
sobriety testing and provided a breath
sample resulting in a 0.181 BAC. CPO
Fraser arrested the driver for driving
under the influence of alcohol.
An administrative deer investigation
quickly snowballed into a multi-year
falsification case for CPO Fraser. An
investigation into suspicious activity in a
young, female hunters deer harvest
records revealed she had never killed a
deer in her life. After interviewing the
female hunter and her father, CPO
Fraser learned the father had been buying deer permits for his daughter and
using them to tag bucks because he did
not want to use his own buck permits.
The hunter admitted to violations in
2015 and one prior year and was issued
three citations and one warning. CPO
Fraser also requested the court impose a
civil penalty of $250 for the deer unlawfully taken in 2015, the case and following hunting privilege suspension are
pending.
CPO Alt arrested a subject for fishing
without permission along the Rock
River in downtown Rockford. The subject was wanted on a warrant for parole
violations but was out of geographic
limitations and could not be taken into
custody.
CPO Alt and CPO Schoonoven
responded to a call of a missing person
in Rock Cut State Park.
CPO
Schoonoven searched the trails near
where the missing subjects motor vehicle had been located by family members
while CPO Alt searched adjoining trail
loops via department issued ATV.

Regrettably, the missing person complaint became a death investigation
upon finding the subject deceased, off
trail.
While working an ongoing complaint
of multiple baited deer stands on a single
property in western Winnebago Co,
CPO Alt came upon three archery deer
hunters hunting over this baited area.
The bait placed down to attract deer
included a brown mineral block, a white
sugar block, wildlife food pellets, corn,
and white Deer Kane powder. In addition to hunting by aid or use of bait,
additional wildlife violations were documented with each hunter. The first
hunter encountered was found hunting
with unsigned deer permits. The second hunter encountered was hunting
without their hunting license/habitat
stamp, archery deer permits or crossbow
permit in possession and was unlawfully transporting an uncased crossbow on
a vehicle or conveyance (ATV). The
third hunter encountered was found
seated in a tree stand dressed in camo
clothing in possession of his hunting
license/habitat stamp and archery deer
permits, but did not have an archery
device in possession. Instead, the hunter
was in possession of a loaded 9mm
semi-automatic pistol with an additional
loaded magazine. The hunter claimed
he was not hunting but merely possessed
the pistol for protection against black
bears and mountain lions.
CPO Alt was called to inspect a watercraft for registration and title transfer
due to lack of documentation submitted
by the applicant (new owner of the
boat). The inspection revealed a covered hull identification number and the
seller failed to provide certificate of
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required. It was discovered the boat had
changed ownership multiple times in the
past decade and had never been properly documented. An investigation is
ongoing to locate the owner responsible
for the altered H.I.N. to establish if the
boat is stolen and determine why it is
undocumented.
CPO Alt issued a nuisance permit for
squirrels and groundhogs causing property damage to a resident in Winnebago
Co.
District 7, Sgt. Scott Avery
FULTON Co CPO Thompson was on
patrol in rural Fulton Co on Halloween
weekend targeting poachers. After
receiving TIP information from an
informant, CPO Thompson was interviewing a potential witness. While at the
residence CPO Thompson watched a
pickup traveling slowly near the adjacent intersection. The truck stopped and
went in reverse at the intersection; he
approached the truck on foot and
observed from a short distance under the
cover of darkness. The passenger hoisted a .17 caliber rifle out the window and
fired one shot from the roadway. CPO
Thompson could not see the intended
target in the roadway and approached
the vehicle. The suspects were arrested
for unlawful hunting by use or aid of a
vehicle, unlawful transportation of an
uncased and loaded firearm, and discharge of a firearm from the roadway.
The rifle and ammunition were seized as
a result. The suspects claimed to be
hunting coyotes and the passenger stated he was aiming at a coyote and hit a
household cat that was running with
the coyote. CPO Thompson confronted
the suspects with the likelihood of this
occurrence being next to none. Shortly
thereafter, the driver admitted there was
no coyote and the household cat was the
intended target.
HENDERSON Co CPO Reid
encountered an individual in Henderson
March 2016
Co hunting whitetail deer. The subject

used an antlerless only tag on a buck
deer. Appropriate enforcement action
was taken.
KNOX Co CPO Reid is involved in
an ongoing investigation where a hunter
shot a buck with no valid tag. The individual purchased an either sex tag after
the fact to hide the violation.
PEORIA Co CPO Lazzell arrested a
Morton man for unlawfully hunting deer
in a Peoria Co Nature Preserve and
unlawfully hunting deer with a crossbow. The illegally used crossbow was
seized and three citations were issued
for Wildlife Code violations.
CPO Gerard cited a Chillicothe man
for unlawfully hunting deer with the aid
of bait.
TAZEWELL Co CPO VanZant cited
two subjects after a two month long
investigation in Tazewell Co
. The first subject was found to be
hunting over a baited area and hunting
deer without a valid permit. After talking with the hunters, the second subject
was cited for hunting over a baited area,
failure to tag deer after harvest, and illegal take of deer.
REGION 3 Captain Jim Mayes
District 11 Sgt. Brian McReynolds
COLES Co CPO Wellum cited a
Mattoon man for not tagging a deer
upon kill. The man did not want to use
up his either sex tag. So he purchased
another deer permit after he had already
killed the deer.
MOULTRIE Co CPO Moody cited a
Findlay man on the Lake Shelbyville U.
S. Army Corps of Engineers property
for archery deer hunting with no deer
permits.
CPO Moody cited a Sullivan man on
the Lake Shelbyville Wildlife
Management Area for illegal take of
white tailed deer and failure to report a
harvested deer by 10 p.m. Upon checking the man, CPO Moody was able to
obtain that the man had killed a doe the
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previous day. He removed the tag once

at home. He then tried to use the tag
again after not checking in the deer as
required.
CPO Moody cited a Sullivan man for
hunting on the WMA (Wildlife
Management Area) with no site permit.
The man received a written warning for
an uncased bow in his truck as well as
other violations.
REGION 4 Captain Jamie Maul,
District 13 Sgt. Eric Manker
CLINTON Co CPO Tapley and
CPOT Roper checked 3 fishermen who
were fishing together at Carlyle Lake
near Dam West. One man had 19 short
crappie, the next had 12 short crappie,
and the 3rd had dumped the fish out of
his bucket, however, 2 short crappie
were recovered. All 3 were issued citations.
2-men were cited for snagging for fish
below the Carlyle Lake Dam.
MADISON Co CPO Lentz and CPO
French, while on a DUI stop, observed 3
individuals spotlighting a field. A traffic
stop resulted in the recovery of a spotlight, loaded .22 pistol and blow dart
gun. Charges are pending.
CPO French and IDNR Herpetologist
Scott Ballard conducted an investigation
on a Granite City subject for illegal
sale/possession of 2 alligators. The 2
alligators were seized and the subject
was arrested on FTA (failure to appear)
warrant out of St Clair Co. Charges are
pending.
PERRY Co CPO Ralph Sievers
received a call about 2 dead deer in a
couples front yard near Swanwick. A
10 point buck & an 8 point buck had
battled in the mans front yard during the
night and their antlers locked up. Both
deer had died. CPO Sievers issued the
man a deer salvage permit so he could
keep the antlers. The deer had begun to
spoil so he was going to bury the carcasses.
RANDOLPH CO CPO Schachner
and CPO Trainee Knop were utilizing a

deer decoy at night when two side by
side ATVs with 5 occupants spotlighted
the decoy. The officers stopped the
ATVs and issued 4 citations for open
alcohol & 7 additional warnings including unlawfully spotlighting deer.
CPO Ralph Sievers was contacted by
the Randolph Animal Control about a
Chester family who was in possession of
a young raccoon. The raccoon bit a
child on the side and the child was taken
to the local hospital. DCFS was contacted and then DCFS contacted
Randolph Co Animal Control. He went
to the residence and talked to the parents
of the bitten child. The couple explained
that their cat brought the baby raccoon to
their house this spring so they raised it in
their house. The parents stated that
when the raccoon bit their child, it left a
blood blister on his side but did not
break the skin. They took the child to
the doctor and the doctor advised them
to keep the raccoon for 10 days to verify that it did not have rabies. CPO
Sievers issued a written warning for the
possession of the live raccoon and
seized the raccoon. The raccoon was
transferred to the Red Bud Veterinary
Office for the remaining three days of
observation. After the completion of the
observation period, the raccoon was
released into the wild.
CPO Ralph Sievers had checked a
baited deer stand for three years. This
year, Sievers located a hunter hunting
over the salt licks. The hunter admitted
to making a water and salt solution at
home and pouring the solution over the
stumps that were in front of his stands.
CPO Sievers issued a citation for hunting by the aid of bait and written warning for not having his hunting license in
possession.
REGION 5 Captain Tim Daiber
District 14 Sgt. Jeff Cariens
FRANKLIN Co CPO Lay cited an
archery deer hunter hunting in Wayne
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his deer immediately upon kill. CPO
Williams worked a night patrol near
Thompsonville that resulted in the arrest
of a suspended driver. He arrested a
man who was checked while fishing at
Rend Lake. The angler was found to be
wanted on a failure to appear (FTA)
warrant out of Jefferson Co for driving
while license suspended.
HAMILTON Co CPO Folden is
investigating more complaints on an
outfitter in Hamilton Co for allowing
hunters to access property for which
they do not have permission. CPO
Folden is investigating 2 separate
administrative investigations involving
out-of-state residents who reported harvests of deer in Hamilton Co outside of
typical hunting practices. A non-resident is under investigation by CPO
Folden for the unlawful use of an Illinois
landowner's permit to tag deer he harvested in Illinois.
One of 3 subjects
pleaded guilty on multiple charges for
unlawful take of deer in Hamilton Co.
Total fines/retribution for one subject
was $2989.00. The same subject forfeited 2-compound bows and one buck
deer head. Charges are still pending on
other suspects.
JEFFERSON Co CPO Jourdan con-
cluded an investigation with Tennessee

Fish & Wildlife. An Illinois landowner
had been allowing family & friends
from Tennessee to use his deer permits
since 2007. The Tn hunters had been
purchasing antlerless-only deer permits
and killed 6 bucks over the last few
years that DNR was able to identify.
Some of the bucks were tagged with the
landowners permits and others went
untagged. Ten citations were issued for
the violations. The Tn residents are also
facing charges there & await trial.
CPO Johnson responded to a complaint
and issued 4 written warnings to nonresidents for having uncased bows in
their truck.
POPE Co CPO Johnson received
information about Mississippi hunters.
CPO Johnson discovered the location of
the deer camp and went to the location.
The hunters were preparing to leave in
the morning and had many items packed
in the trucks. CPO Johnson observed
blood on one of the coolers and blood on
the ATV. His investigation revealed the
3 unlicensed hunters killed an 8 pointer
and 3 does and they were not properly
tagged. The deer were seized and the
hunters received 8 citations & 11 written
warnings for deer violations. The deer
Contd. on next pg.
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54
POLICE Contd. from previous pg.

meat was donated to a family that helps
feed less fortunate individuals in the community. CPO Williams was meeting with
a witness to an earlier complaint to obtain
a statement when a group of Georgia
hunters were checked exiting their adjacent
hunting lease. During the check it was discovered the passenger had a compound
bow riding between his legs in the front
seat without it cased, unstrung or made
inoperable. Further, he was wearing the
release on his wrist. To compound matters,
the driver had a loaded, uncased .308 single
shot rifle stashed under a jacket in the back
seat. Both violators were issued citations.
SALINE Co CPO Diggins cited a Cerro
Gordo hunter for failure to tag deer immediately upon kill while hunting in the
Shawnee National Forest.
CPO Diggins investigated a complaint
of a felon in possession of a firearm while
illegally road hunting at night. Additional
charges of hunting with the use of motor
vehicle, hunting from the roadway, hunting after sunset and before sunrise, unlawful take of deer with a rifle and no hunting
license are requested. The report has been
sent to Saline Co States Attorney to review
for charges/warrants.
CPO Williams
responded to a call of 2 subjects hunting
deer with a firearm. The caller had
observed a subject shoot a deer with a shotgun and provided the CPO with a location
and vehicle description. The subjects were
located and it was determined they had
shot the deer with a shotgun while tracking
it after wounding it earlier in the morning
while archery hunting. The hunter was
issued a citation for unlawfully using a
firearm during closed season.
District 15 Sgt. Dave Hyatt
CRAWFORD Co CPO D. Taylor
investigated a deer baiting complaint. For

the past 2 years the subject has thrown
apples in front of his tree stand. After
checking the stand multiple times and getting a trail cam picture of the subject
throwing out the apples, CPO Taylor
interviewed the subject at his residence and
obtained a confession. The subject was
issued a citation for unlawful feeding of
deer.
CPO Smith met with a complainant
regarding bait placed on the ground in
front of a trail camera close to the area
where he hunted. CPO Smith walked in
and found the bait. CPO Smith went back
to the area the next day and found a subject
hunting from the stand adjacent to the
bait. CPO Smith asked the subject about
the trail cam and he advised it was his along
with the bait. The bait was a pile of deer
cocaine. CPO Smith issued the subject one
citation for hunting deer over bait and one
written warning for feeding whitetail deer.
MARION Co CPO Holland discovered
a subject feeding wildlife with approximately 100 lbs. of corn. The subject was
issued a citation.
District 16 Sgt. Kris Taylor
ALEXANDER Co CPO Vasicek
charged a subject with unlawfully taking of
a wild turkey without a permit.
CPO Vasicek visited with and spoke to a
group of hunters at a banquet and subsequent hunt held at Horseshoe Lake State
Fish & Wildlife Area. The young hunters
were on a hunt sponsored by the United
Special Sportsman Alliance whose members have disabilities or terminal illness.
CPO Vasicek contacted two coon
hunters with a loaded rifle in the vehicle.
There were also licensing violations.
JACKSON Co CPO Mohrman, acting
on a tip from CPO Tapley, cited a
Carbondale subject for failing to report the
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harvest of an archery deer kill. The subject

killed his second buck and not wanting to
be "bucked out" failed to report it,
although he did post the kill on Facebook.
The subject realized the error in his way
and provided CPO Mohrman with a full
confession.
He responded to Lake Murphysboro
State Park to take a report of a stolen
IDNR truck. Before arriving at the park it
was learned the truck was located north of
Murphysboro. The truck was recovered
undamaged and returned to the park.
Further investigation by the Murphysboro
Police Dept and the Jackson Co Sheriff's
Office revealed the IDNR truck was used
to facilitate the theft of a Polaris Ranger
UTV and utility trailer. The UTV and
trailer were recovered and a subject is currently incarcerated for these thefts.
JOHNSON Co CPO Thompson investigated a report of a deer feeder; now waiting on hunters.
CPO Thompson investigated complaint
of trespassing hunters but they had fled the
area before he could arrive.
CPO Thompson provided a security
patrol for Al Roker of the TODAY morning show. He was filming his weather
show at the Ft Defiance State Area in
Cairo.
CPO Thompson encountered a group
hunting on the west side of Johnson Co
and noticed one hunters either sex tag had
been detached. When asked he said he had
killed a doe the day before. POS was
checked and it was discovered that he had
not reported the harvest. I also noted his
license and tag had not been signed. He
was issued a citation for failure to report
harvest on day of kill.
CPO Thompson encountered another
group of hunters on the east side of
Johnson Co & they had 2 deer hanging in
their camp. Neither deer had a confirmation # on the attached tag. After waiting
for the hunters to return it was learned that
one deer had been killed the day before and
one had been killed early that morning. It
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was also discovered that they were transporting their bows without making them
inoperable and also had failed to sign their
licenses and tags. A citation was issued for
failing to report the harvest & written
warnings were issued for the other violations.
CPO Thompson investigated a hunting
accident involving archery deer hunter
from Mississippi. He fell out of his stand
while hanging it, suffering a broken wrist,
ankle and back injury. He was not wearing
a safety harness.
PERRY Co CPO Lewis completed 3
commercial timber buyer inspections in
Perry Co. Despite the huge number of
purchases made by the buyers, no violations were noted.
CPO Lewis cited a deer hunter at
Pyramid State Park for unlawfully hunting
in the waterfowl rest area.
UNION Co CPO Vasicek was advised
of a mountain lion sighting in the Shawnee
National Forest.
CPO Vasicek fielded two calls referencing mountain lion sightings in the Shawnee
hills
CPO Boston is investigating a hunting
deer without permission, unlawful baiting
and damage to property case in Williamson
Co. He conducted an inspection of a
Jackson Co timber buyer. No violations
were found. CPO Boston conducted
investigations of deer permit violations.
One subject received a citation for hunting
deer without a valid deer permit. A separate case is ongoing but may involve a subject falsifying records to show he is an
Illinois resident.
CPO Boston came across two young
men bow hunting on private property. The
two were walking out of the woods toward
their truck. Upon contact it was found that
they had both left their wallets & permits
in their truck. One subject had shot a small
buck and they had dragged it to the edge of
the woods untagged. The young men were
explained the law and issued written warnings.
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March 2016
CAMPFIRE
CULTURE:
by Roland Cheek
www.RolandCheek.com
ATTITUDE
MODIFICATION
It is said the only constants in all the
world are death and taxes. But after
almost four score years on this planet, I
think one more can be added to the list
of certainties: talking about the weather.
Go to Puget Sound or Pensacola,
Bangor or Baton Rouge, Green Bay or
Green River, wherever two people get
together they talk about weather. Age
makes no difference. Male or female (or
male AND female) makes no difference.
Where two or more people gather, they
talk about the weather.
Know what else? When people talk
about the weather, it's always to complain.
You ever hear anyone say the weather
is perfect? Of course not. Even if the sky
is blue and the temperature at 78
degrees, it'll be to grouse about the lack
of rain and that the crops will "sure to
God dry up if we don't get some moisture." Or if they do get rain, somebody'll worry about a flood because
there's too much wet stuff.
Floods will be on minds, too, if there's
a big snowpack in the mountains. Or if
there's a light pack somebody'll say,
"Won't be no use sowing crops 'cause
they'll burn up in the field."
This winter is unseasonably warm. So
Order Rolands books

& read his blogs at
RolandCheek.com!
to some folks it's for certain we're headed into a drought. However, others predict a cold, wet summer because of our
warm, dry winter. The point is, both
kinds of people talk about the weather.
And none of them know squat about it.
"Too damp," they'll say if the humidity
is high. Or they'll complain about low
humidity as being too arid on their skin.
It's too hot or too cold, too cloudless
or too cloudy, sky too lowering, or sun
too bright. And the wind! Let's not forget the wind. Like the story of the newcomer who asked a native if the wind
always blows like this? "Naw," said the
native. "Sometimes it turns around and
blows from another direction."
When I was younger and even dumber than now, I thought proper topics for
conversation would be the Green Bay
Packers or the World Series. Or maybe
talking about girls might be a normal
guy thing. But no, the hottest topic,
then as now, was the weather. The most
boring topic, too, was the weather. And
certainly the most profitless topic was
and isthe weather.
Will we change it? No. CAN we
change it? No. All we can do is commiserate about it. I can't change the humidity. Nor can I change the temperature. I
can, however, modify my behavior in
order to cope with the weather. If it's
raining, I can huddle under a spruce
tree. If the bottom drops from the thermometer, I can throw another log on the
fire. If the red stuff hits the high-90s I
can find shade.
Instead, we try to modify weather's
impact by modifying everything around

us. We build dams to provide rain for
our fields. We've tried cloud seeding. If
we could reach into the heavens, we'd
alter the very winds that bring spring.
55
I'll submit that we should quit talking

about the weather and quit trying to
modify its impacts, but instead channel
our energies into learning to live with
it.
GOBBLERS KNOB
HUNTING PRESERVE
26471 E. State Hwy 9, Canton, Illinois 61520

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4.5 miles east of Canton, Illinois on Route 9
BOOK HUNTS TODAY!

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(309) 647-3641
Cell: 309-219-2343
56
Gunsmithing with Kirby Schupp
March 2016
Steel shot performance improved by forcing cone lengthening

Most just drive with the rubber on the car with little thought given to improved performance unless some limit is discovered, such as a lack of traction in deep snow that shows
a need for winter tires. Shooters that realize conventional shotguns have limitations can gain
The Shotgun Shop PO Box 212 Arnold, MO 63010
improvement, but only if there is knowledge of that specific improvement for their situa636-282-4379
tion. Extended range turkey chokes are becoming more well-known, but the improvement
from forcing cone lengthening has not had the same exposure.
theshotgunshop@hotmail.com TheShotgunShop.net
Steel shot patterns have been notorious for lack of uniformity or consistency in hunting
12 years published in ASO Magazine!
use, but over 30 years ago the improved performance effectiveness was substantiated from
SHOTGUN CHAMBER FORCING CONE WORK FOR PATTERN IMPROVEMENT, PT 1
special lengthening alterations, and some shooters stated 10 yards additional reach with the
same chokes and loads. Many have called to recount that they were
now so effective (after comprehensive steel shot rework) that their
hunting partners made them become the clean-up shooter since
their guns now had the longest reach capability of the group.
Steel shot wads are all that protect the barrel and choke from
hard pellets, and wad dents that are inconsistent from mistreatment
by conventional forcing cones inhibit uniformity and reduce performance. The shot and wad must be reduced in diameter from the
crimp opening to the bore of the gun by cramming through the
stiff-angled forcing cone, and so much reduction in such a rapid
time frame/short distance causes major dents of the wad in some
random locations, depending on the particular configuration of the
pellet stacking that is never the same in one shell to the next.
Pattern uniformity improves performance consistency, so reducing
the dent severity and lessening the dent differences helps the consistency and protective effects from the remainder plastic not
severely dented from rapid squeeze of the short conventional forcing cone. Doing the same work of shot column reduction in sometimes as much as 10 times the length (in the extra-long gentler forcing cone funnel) must greatly reduce the pressures exerted against
the steel wad and thus reduce the magnitude of the pellet dents in
the wad.
The amount of cushion plastic remaining between each individual pellet and the shotgun barrel has a direct bearing on the
amount of input each particular pellet receives from the choke
squeezing effect, and any differences in cushion makes differences
in individual pellet reaction. In other words, shallow remainder
Vehicle Title
plastic (deep dent) will have a hard pellet kick-off, and thick cush& License Services
ion (shallow dent) makes a lackluster pellet kick-off in comparison.
Vehicle Sticker
Inconsistent input to each pellet interferes with smooth and consisTanning Packages
Renewals
tent patterns, since the hard input makes that specific pellet drive
Available!
ahead into the other pellets and scatters the shot stack like a cue-ball
Fishing & Hunting
during the break in billiards. There is the exact reason that the
(2 Beds)
Licenses
patterns are never the same effectiveness, since the cue-balls that are
driven harder than the other pellets are always in some different
Propane & Ice
location in the shot stack for each shot. Reducing the heavy denting reduces each individual cue-ball effect, so patterns are more
effective from the lengthened forcing cone for that very reason. The
Groceries
Kodak
reduced dent severity also improves the choke protection since there
Party
Items
is generally more plastic cushion between each pellet and the choke.
Picture
Now you know what specific benefits are available from this type of
Household Items
Kiosk
alteration here at The Shotgun Shop.
This first picture has a recovered steel shot wad petal examined
Personal Products
Stop by for a
for
variance
in pellet dents, with the green arrows indicating shalFREE 4x6
Outdoor Items
low dents and plenty of plastic protection left for the barrel and
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March 2016
choke. The dark red chevrons indicate heavy denting adjacent to the wad edge and notice the edges are thinned
by the dents. Those locations are where complete loss of protection can more easily occur and that enables barrel and choke scoring/ grooving and choke denting and bulging deformities. The orange arrows point out heavy
dents that are randomly in between shallow dents, so choke input varies down the length of the shot column in
this specific zone. Each wad petal shows unique characteristics like this, and there can be no doubt that varied
dents and random locations makes varied performance and compromises protection at the deeper dent locations.
Picture 2 shows pellet grooves in a choke, with a couple at the
arrows having deformity of the base metal seen at the close groove
end. Notice at the location of the orange arc that the metal is bulged
outward (more shadowy) from excessive pounding and subsequent
metal fatigue, with the grooving in that area being even more substantial than that indicated by the arrows. All the striations of the
periphery are steel shot grooves impressed into the choke metal. The
front line circumference inside the end is the edge of the bore chrome
removed toward the muzzle to enable opening the choke to lessen
total constriction pressures against the steel loads expected to be used.
Notice also that the
chrome was not able to
stop metal deformity, so
anyone thinking chrome is
proof against steel shot damage, take a closer look.
Picture 3 has an example of a supposedly steel-shot safe stainless
choke tube of quite modern manufacture from an old-line gun company. This choke (modified constriction) had been pounded and
bulged so severely that the shooter was unable to remove the tube,
and it actually needed to be machined from the hole to salvage the
(about $800 replacement cost) barrel or negate the use of the hacksaw and install a replacement choke hole. The arrows show the ends
of the most major bulged section seen in the photo, and notice the
expanded low spot in shadow alongside the orange arc.
57
HISTORICAL NOT ES
The shotgun shell has undergone much improvement in the century from 1880 to
1980, from paper hull to plastic, no shot surrounding protection to advanced plastic
wads, generic lead pellets to higher hardness antimony alloys, and then steel became an
alternate necessary for legal waterfowl use. These changes were not accompanied by
any significant chamber adjustments except for advances of shell length. The funnel at
the chamber mouth referred to as the forcing cone was not significantly different during
passage of that same century, and changes have only recently been seen in factory configurations that had been practically static since the invention of the shotgun shell.
Gunsmiths had been experimenting and altering the forcing cone configuration for
quite a while, with this procedure being generically offered and becoming more known by
the 1970s for improving the lead shot patterns especially since the information from
Ralph Walker became more well-known. That bit of data gospel was considered as chiseled in stone by some, as if no other information concerning improvement could build
upon the gurus foundational tome. This precluded the consideration of lack of scope for
experiments by Walker or the notion of shell improvement that continued past the 70s
might alter any outcome for newer experiments. Much of the problem with replication of
Walkers data hinges on the lack of anything but obtuse reference to length changes,
having no mention of surface finish i.e. consistency matching, blending at either end of
the funnel, shell types used and other necessary data points that have to be known characteristics for any attempt at duplication by others. Making note of that lack of necessary information has been used as a bully point making such questions to be sacrilege
against Saint Walker, who apparently, according to those icon protectionists, must
never to be impugned with such irreverence as pointing out the lack of details.
Discussions and offerings that imply that one forcing cone job is the same as all
else (so similar to be considered generic) have little thought given to the wide range
of possibilities concerning tool design, depth and blend, surface finish from rough
tool scrape to mirror polish and all points between. (It might just as easily be said the
term hot-rod engine has only one generic meaning, as well, and that is pointedly
ludicrous) A quick calculation could generate perhaps a thousand different configurations of taper angle (or multiples combined), length, and finish, and with having
just one detail change make some difference in performance at least with some
shells. Much of the improvement available for steel shot was found from testing here
over 30 years ago. Lead shot pattern improvement will be discussed in part 2.
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58
March 2016
BAI Show Range
BAI
News
By Ed DeVries
IllinoisBowfishing.net
BAI AT THE CHICAGO OUTDOOR SHOW

The BAI set up a booth and bowfishing range last month at the annual
Chicago Outdoors Show held in
Rosemont Illinois. And once again thousands of people came thru and took a few
shots with our Muzzy Recurve bows.
The Chicago show is a big area favorite
and always packed with people eager to
learn about bowfishing. The Muzzy
bows and spinning reels are now on their
third show with literally tens of thousands of shots thru them and are holding
Tim Crumly teaching at the

Chicago Show
up great without one problem. This is a

very good testament to these products
toughness and durability. A great starter
combo for anyone getting into the sport.
We want to thank everyone who came
out to the show to check bowfishing out,
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and most importantly thank all our

members who continue to work these
shows in order to grow our sport.
NEW RULE FOR BAI TOURNAMENTS
We are very sad to have to report
that two bowfishers from the state or
Arkansas lost their life when they were
ejected from their boat without wearing a life vest. In the past three years
there have been five known fatalities
and several very close calls with people
being thrown from their boats while
bowfishing and not wearing life vests.
The BAI urges all bowfishers to be safe
and wear your life vest while bowfishing. There are inflatable vests and belts
that do not hinder the bowfisher one
bit while shooting and do not get hot.
Do your loved ones a favor and wear
your life vests. Its not worth your life.
The BAI will be giving several life vests
out at shoots this year, and we have
made a new rule for all who take part
in a BAI shoot. The BAI board of
directors have implemented the following new rule for all BAI tournaments and on water activities;
LIFE VESTS AND PFD WEAR

At all BAI tournaments and on water
activities all participants must wear coast
guard approved flotation devices while
under power with the boats main motor,
leaving the tournament launch sites or
fishing within a marked river channel.
This rule will be strictly enforced and any
participant seen breaking this rule will be
disqualified from the tournament.
ALMOST TIME FOR THE BAIs MUZZY
BOWFISHER OF THE YEAR COMPETITION
On April first the BAI will once again
start the annual Big Fish Championship!
This is a yearlong contest where bowfishers take pictures of their fish next to a
ruler and send them to us or post on our
contest Facebook page. This year the
winner will get a brand new Muzzy
Addict
Recurve/reel/rest
combo
INCLUDING a new Muzzy Arrow! We
will also have a drawing as always for
some other great prizes! Each point you
earn will be one chance for a prize!
SO......sign up at www.illinoisbowfishing.net or submit pictures to baibowfishing@yahoo.com.
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Free Food
March 2016
Pat
Horkan
working
the Range
NEW ONEIDA OSPREYS WILL BE IN AT
BOWFISHING EXTREME SOON!
Scott at Bowfishing Extreme tells us
the newly reworked Oneida Osprey
bowfishing bows will be available thru
him at the end of February. These will
be the orange and green bows. If you
want to get one of the new white dead

fin bows it will be in in about
mid-March. Also heard the patterns
fish will be about 50% smaller. So
if youre looking for one give Scott a call
at 417-838-9291 or at www.
bowfishingextreme.com
Congrats to Jason
Houser with a
spoonbill he
caught on the
Grand River in
Oklahoma earlier this
month while filming an
episode for his show,
Total Outdoor Pursuit
Television, airing on
Fridays at 9am beginning in July!on the
Hunt Channel,
DISH ch. 266.
FOR THE BEST IN QUALITY TEAM SHIRTS CHECK

OUT BAI SPONSOR NDESIGNS/SHIRT GUYS!
The BAI now have club and shoot
shirts from print shops run out of
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quality and customer service of
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team logo? Give Jeff at N Designs a call
and he will make you the best designs
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BAI ILLINOIS RIVER SPRING CLEANING DAY
Join the BAI for the Illinois River
Spring Cleaning event Sat. April 23rd at
Starved Rock State Park! Bring the boat
and the fish barrels to fill with as much
junk as you can! Plastic, cans, old fishing
line, ropes and any other junk we can get
out of the water or off the shoreline as
we try our best to clean up the river so
many sportsmen and women love to use!
If youre not a bowfisher come out anyway! If you dont have a boat there is
plenty of shoreline to walk. And bow-
59
fishers, bring your bow and a cooler of

ice because we are also going to shoot a
few and enjoy an Illinois River fish fry
and grill in the afternoon! The Illinois
Dept. of Natural Recourses will be providing a roll off dumpster at Starved
Rock SP that will handle the biggest
chunk of junk you can carry! So lets all
pitch in and help the river we love so
much on the Illinois River Spring Cleanup Day!
CABELAS WINTER LEAGUE STANDINGS
A little more than a moth to go in the
Cabelas Winter League! We have had
some real nice fish entered in the contest
this year but the mild weather ahead
promises many more. Here are the latest
standings:
ED DEVRIES 10 POINTS
GENO GRAUSAM 18 POINTS
TYLER HODAPP 1 POINTS
RICK URBAN 12 POINTS
JAKE SWIETEK 16 POINTS
JUSTIN SWIETEK 6 POINTS
JASON RADDATZ 4 POINTS
Thats it for this edition of the BAI
News. We will have our first tournament
Sat. April 9th on the Des Plaines and
Kankakee Rivers out of 3 Rivers Marina
in Wilmington starting at 6pm. Come
on out, the shootings gonna be great!
BACKCOUNTRY HUNTS
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60
Poinsett Perch
March 2016
By Ted Takasaki &

Scott Richardson
Make Your Memories On the Water
BOAT SHOW
March 3, 4, 5 & 6
Thurs. March 3: 10am-8pm
Fri. March 4: 10am-8p
Sat. March 5: 10am-8pm
Sun. March 6: 11am-4pm
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NEW STORE LOCATION!
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After several weeks of sub-zero temperatures, the ice fishing season across the
upper Midwest is finally in full swing. We
were able to at last get out on the ice a few
weeks ago and what a day it was! Warm
temperatures in the mid-30s greeted us as
we drove out onto Lake Poinsett in South
Dakota.
The ice conditions on Poinsett: more
than 12 inches. Permanent fish houses and
pickup trucks were scattered all over the
lake. Large groups of anglers were congregated throughout the basin of Poinsett and
it took some time to figure out where to
start. We were traveling with my good
buddy, Scott Bauer, and we drove our
truck outside of and around the packs of
ice anglers until we felt the location was
suitable for drilling some holes.
Lake Poinsett is one of the largest lakes
in South Dakota at almost 8,000 acres,
with a maximum depth of about 22 feet.
This lake is located in Hamlin County and
has several accesses that make it easy to get
out to where the fish are. There is a variety
of fish that inhabit this lake, including yellow perch, walleyes, northern pike, smallmouth bass, and crappies. It is one of the
best lakes for fishing in South Dakota.
After drilling a few holes at 16 feet along
the edge of the mud basin and checking
them with our new Humminbird Helix 5
Ice Machine, we found several marks
which indicated there were some fish
under us.
Scott immediately caught four jumbo
perch and a couple small walleyes, before
the rest of us could even get our rods out
of our carrying cases! There was no doubt
that we were excited about a great fishing
day.
The action was tremendous for the next
few hours. Another good friend of ours,
300 pounds of Smitty, joined us, and we
proceeded to pound on the fish. We
released numbers of smaller fish and kept
some of the extraordinarily large perch
that Poinsett is famous for.
After talking to some of the local anglers
around us, it appeared that the bright,
warm and sunny conditions had really
turned the bite on. We didnt even get
there until mid-morning. The extreme
early morning bite was tough and the also
action slowed down for us as the sun drew
closer to the horizon.
Ted found that banging the bottom
with a spoon tipped with a minnow head
or wax worms was the best technique. It
seemed like the fish would be attracted by
Ted Takasaki with a couple

jumbo perch caught on Lake
Poinsett, South Dakota.
(Photo: Ted Takasaki)
smacking the muddy silt basin bottom. By
lifting our lures a few inches at a time, we
were able to trigger bites. It is always a
good idea to change your jigging motion
several times during the day. This allows
you to determine what the fish want at
that very moment.
Ted was using St. Croixs new Avid
Glass rods and it appeared that they were
instrumental in detecting some very light
bites. The limber fiberglass tip acts as a
spring bobber, which allows you to see
very subtle biting fish. The trick to catching the light biters is to see the bite, then
let the limber rod slowly bend and then set
the hook. These new Avid glass ice rods
have just the right action to allow the fish
to bite, but not feel the rod above, thus
allowing us to get a hook into the fish.
We were very comfortable fishing out in
the open on the ice during this warm,
sunny day. But having a portable fish
house/heater available is always a good
precaution in case you are going out in
more cold, adverse weather conditions.
We believe that when fishing on ice, being
comfortable catching fish is much more
enjoyable than being miserably cold and
catching fish.
So try taking a trip out to Lake Poinsett,
South Dakota and enjoy some of the great
ice fishing the state has to offer. It is
advantageous to check out all of the online
reports and then make a decision on where
you want to go. Theres always fish to be
caught and fresh perch frying on the pan
to be enjoyed.
March 2016
61
Congrats to 7 year old

Caiden Whitman for taking
this doe on a Fulton County
farm. His dad Charlie
Whitman has worked with
him for the past 2 years to
help make this moment
happen! Thanks to
proud grandpa Dave
Nutter from Pekin for
sharing Caidens doe
kill with ASO!
Grandpa Denny Cleaver, of Kewanee, went ice fishing with

Grandsons Caleb & Evan at Lake Story in Galesburg.
Also pictured is Denny with a big ol crappie!
Thanks for sharing your memorable fishing trip with ASO!
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62
March 2016
Play Bassmaster Fantasy Fishing

for a Chance to Win Big!
Bass fishing fans get a taste of competing on the Bassmaster Elite Series trail, without having to qualify
or pay entry fees, by playing Bassmaster Fantasy Fishing. The free fantasy game is now open at www.bassmasterfantasy.com.
Fantasy Fishing opens in time for the 2016 GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by GoPro. The Fantasy
Fishing player who performs best overall during the Classic wins a $2,500 gift card to Bass Pro Shops. New
this year, the player who gets second place wins a GoPro Hero 4 Black Camera valued at $499.
Anglers can compete against their friends for a chance at prizes, said Jim Sexton, B.A.S.S.s vice
president of digital. Were really excited to increase the opportunity to win this year, by adding a GoPro for
second place and by increasing the number of regular-season tournaments to 10.
To play, go to www.bassmasterfantasy.com, register, and then set your team by choosing the angler you
think will perform best in each of five buckets, and guess the tournament winners weight as a tiebreaker. Then, you can choose to play in a league or on your own.
Play continues with the commencement of the Bassmaster Elite Series season, March 17. From then on
through the rest of the season, the top player for each event wins a $2,500 gift card to Bass Pro Shops,
and the runner-up gets a GoPro. The player who accumulates the most points over the course of the Elite
Series season wins the grand prize, valued at $37,793 a Triton 189TrX boat with a Yamaha VF150LA
motor, MotorGuide trolling motor and a Lowrance Mark 5 unit.
Every day of a tournament, each player will receive a custom email that shows how his or her team performed. In addition, Bassmaster Fantasy Fishing helps players who occasionally score zero by forgetting to
set their team.
Now, if a player accidentally neglects to set a team for a tournament, well pick up the players selections from the previous tournament, said Sexton. If an angler is no longer available in that bucket, well
add the most popular angler in that bucket to their roster. That way, the player isnt out of contention for
the grand prize just from one oversight.
B.A.S.S. members get an extra opportunity to win. If the Fantasy Fishing winner of a tournament is also
a member of B.A.S.S., he or she will earn an additional $500 gift card to Bass Pro Shops. To sign up for a
B.A.S.S. membership at BassMaster.com.
The number of points a Fantasy Fishing player earns is based on a scoring system similar to the Toyota
Bassmaster Angler of the Year points, in which an angler is awarded points based on his finish in each tournament. In addition, points are awarded for the angler who caught the biggest bass and the biggest bag in
each event.
B.A.S.S. also provides several articles on Bassmaster.com prior to each tournament offering pundit
picks to help guide Bassmaster Fantasy Fishing players on their choices.
Playing Bassmaster Fantasy Fishing is free.
Be sure to choose your team before 6 a.m. ET, March 4, the first day of 2016 GEICO Bassmaster Classic.
Then, update your team before the beginning of each Bassmaster Elite Series event throughout the season.
We are looking forward to another strong competition this year in the Classic and on the Elite Series
trail and in the Fantasy Fishing leagues, said Sexton.
About B.A.S.S.: B.A.S.S. is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport.
Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the 500,000-member organizations fully integrated media platforms
include the industrys leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website Bassmaster.com, television show (The Bassmasters on ESPN2), social media programs and events. For more than 45 years,
B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing. The Bassmaster Tournament Trail
includes the most prestigious events at each level of competition, including the Bassmaster Elite Series,
Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Open Series, B.A.S.S. Nation, Carhartt Bassmaster College Series presented by
Bass Pro Shops, Costa Bassmaster High School Series, Toyota Bonus Bucks Bassmaster Team Championship
and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by GoPro.
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64
Authors note:
Steve McCadams
has guided fishermen
to crappie on
Kentucky Lake for
40+ years. This info
on crappie beds
comes straight from
the accomplished
angler himself.
Build Semi-Permanent
Beds for Crappie
Fishing Success
By John E. Phillips
I put out stake beds where crappie can
live. I drive wooden stakesusually 1x1s
or 2x2sinto the bottom of the lake.
Often, theyre called tomato stakes,
because this type of wooden stake is used
to hold up tomato bushes. These wooden stakes are four to six feet long, and I
drive them into the lake bed about 12-to
18 inches deep. I want the stake beds to
stick up three to four feet off the bottom. I use a 12- to 14-foot manualpower stake driver made of either PVC
pipe or light aluminum. Then, I use a
small handle so I can drive the stakes
down into deep water.
SCHMICK
AUCTIONS
Col. Gary Schmick

Col. Tyler Myers
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March 2016
I also like to plant wooden shipping

palletseither 44 or 46 pallets. I put
a concrete block in the

middle of the pallet. I
nail my stakes around
the sides and/or attach
them to the middles of
the pallets. On a wooden
pallet, I like my stakes to
be about six to
eight inches apart, and I
try to put 40 to 50 stakes on each wooden palletabout the same number of
stakes that I drive into the bottom when
Im using my homemade pile driver to
create a stake bed.
Where to place stake beds for crappie
Certain factors determine where I put
out brush or stake beds for crappie. The
first factor is wind direction. If theres a
really strong south wind, northeast wind,
or northwest wind, I decide how many
stake beds I have where my clients and I
will be out of the wind on those different
wind directions. I try to make sure that I
have several stake beds or brush piles that
I can go to with my customers that are in
protected waters, so we dont have to
fight the wind to fish.
Another very important factor to consider is the depth at which I want to put
my stake beds. Ill get a lake map and
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look for humps, drop-offs, creek ledges,

river ledges, and any other type of irregularity in the bottom of the lake. I like
to sink beds in those kinds of areas,
because bottom irregularities are generally highways that crappie travel to get to
and from spawning regions. These same
places are usually great spots to locate
crappie during the fall and winter, when
crappie travel back and forth to shallow
water and deep water areas
I look for two different extreme
depths on the bottom. For instance, on
the top of the underwater drop-off, eight
to 10 feet of water may drop off into 20
to 30 feet of water. Ill search for shallow
water thats really close to deep water.
When I find those locations, I dont just
place one crappie attractor there, but
generally will put out at least three. Ill
put one fish attractor on top of a ledge,
maybe five to 10 feet away from the
drop-off. The second fish attractor Ill
place right on the edge of the drop-off,
and the last fish attractor Ill sink on the
deep side of the drop-off. This way, I
can let the crappie decide which one of
those crappie attractors they want to
hold on, the day Im trying to catch
them. Also, by using this system of putting out fish attractors, you easily can
fish your shallow attractor, move 10 to
20 yards, fish the attractor on the edge
of the drop-off, and then move out just
a little bit farther and fish your deep
water fish attractor.
When Im building stake beds using
my pile driver and driving the stakes into
the bottom, these type stake beds generally will usually be no deeper than 12 to
18 inches deep, because thats as deep as
my pile driver will let me put in stake
beds. To put stake beds in deeper water,
I use pallets with stakes attached to them
and a concrete block in the center of the
March 2016
stake bed. If I need to, I can build a stake

bed in even deeper water, or I can sink
treetops in the deeper water. If Im putting in a brush shelter from 18 to 25 feet
deep, Ill usually sink a treetop in that
depth of water. The shallowest I ever
have put in a stake bed is in about 4 feet
of water. These stake beds that are just
barely under the water are so shallow
that I often hit the stakes with my
trolling motor.
Whytend to a stake bed garden?
Stake beds dont last forever. I have a
procedure I call Tending to my garden. When I create a stake bed, I log
where each stake bed is located with
GPS coordinates. So, when I refurbish
the stake beds, I easily can locate them.
About every three to four years, I return
to the sites where Ive put stake beds,
and Ill add new brush or stakes to each
stake bed. If a stake bed hasnt been producing very well for a couple of years,
instead of refurbishing that stake bed,
Ill create a new stake bed somewhere
else. In an average year, Ill either refurbish 30 stake beds or put out up to 30
new stake beds. I tend to my garden in
this way every year. If I dont keep constantly trying to improve some portion
of my crappie farm every year, I cant
expect to harvest a crop of crappie every
day I fish.
Whats the pay-off for sinking beds
and attractors?
I can honestly say I think the time and
effort Ive put into sinking beds and
attractors for crappie has paid off with
crappie dividends. For instance, I never
fish my shallow water stake beds, except
when crappie move up to spawn. I never
fish my extremely deep brush tops,
except in the coldest parts of the winter.
I have some fish attractors that I may not
fish asidefrom two weeks per year.
Even small crappie attractors may produce 30 or 40 keeper-size crappie in one
day. I have caught 50 or 60 crappie off a
small fish attractor a few times. I try to
build these fish attractors, so theyll produce six to eight keeper crappie every
time I fish them. To keep these numbers
up, I dont put too much fishing pressure on any one spot, at any time of the
year. On an average day of crappie fishing, Ill plan to fish 18 to 20 different
fish attractors. Most of the time, if the
crappie are biting aggressively, theyll
take minnows or jigs as soon as the bait
hits the water.
To receive for free the Crappie
Catchers Cookbookby John and Denise
Phillips that offers free recipes, go to
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OutdoorHub.com
Zeigler Animal Control

Officer Ryan Thorpe
captured this bobcat in a live
trap on the outskirts of town.
The bobcat was unharmed &
was released back into the
wild. We are proud of our
Animal Control Officer for
handling calls of all kinds!
Thanks to Lisa (Mulkin)
Potter of Ziegler for sharing
this on Facebook! Lisa is
Cathy Canterburys lifelong
best friend from Herrin.
65
66
www.LakeShelbyvilleGuide.com
Early Season
C ra pp i e
By Steve Welch
For those of you dying to go catch

some tasty crappie March is a very
good month on Lake Shelbyville.

This lake is an Army Corp flood
control lake and hopefully it will be
down to winter pool this year. At
the time of this writing they are
eleven feet above winter pool. The
big flood in December brought it up
twenty-three feet above winter pool
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so you can see how far they have

dropped it and continue to do so at
nearly six-inches a day.
Once we get close to winter pool
the fish will pull out of the coves
and position themselves out on
river channel banks and points in
the mouths of coves. They will
bunch up and this makes fishing
easy.
The water temps are still low so I
am using jigs. I usually switch over
to minnows during pre-spawn or
about fifty-eight degrees. The fish
will suspend tight to larger branches to get whatever heat they can get
from them. So standing timber and
big laydowns are their favorite
early season.
I tell all my listeners that water
temps are the most important key to
this puzzle in spring. We use it to
judge when we are in pre-spawn,
spawn and we even use it to locate
active fish during the early season
bite.
Full sun is what you want when
fishing in March and little to no
wind. This allows light penetration
to warm up the top layer. This is
why standing timber is a good
choice in March. Heavy branches
will be a degree or two warmer.
So you must be armed with two
different set-ups to fish in March.
Start your day off tight lining a
small jig and tube or try my Brush
Bugs. I usually switch over to bug
like baits in winter since the black
crappie switch up their feeding
habits from shad to bugs in cold
March 2016
water. Tight line these on points

leading into coves that they will
eventually go into to spawn. Look
for big laydowns out in fifteentwenty feet of water. Slow is the
pattern so use as light of a jig as
you can feel. I use Fireline Crystal
8/3 braid most of the year due to its
hi visibility, low line diameter and
great feel.
I make my Brush Bugs in 1/8 oz.
& 1/4 oz. and of course my Deep
Ledge Jigs in 3/32, 1/8, 3/16, 1/4
oz. I use the small 3/32 oz. when
water temps are in the high thirties
low forties.
As for what color to use that
depends on water color but I will
tell you on Lake Shelbyville you
can find clear water somewhere and
that is my preference since crappie
feed by sight for the most part. This
means fish mid lake to south end
where it is much deeper.
In clear water I like to use pearl
or white or pink or chartreuse and
mix these colors up. In stained to
dirty water I use orange or black or
purple or brown mixed with chartreuse.
I said earlier you must be armed
with two different set-ups and the
second one is a light/medium action
spinning rod spooled with light
braid so you can feel the bites. We
use a fixed cork and set it up at
about two-three feet. We then stay
way off standing timber in the
mouths of coves or if you are on the
north end right out on river channels since the lake is so low you can
now see the defined river channels.
Below the cork we use a 3/32 oz.
or 1/8 oz. jig so a small cork is best.
I even go one step further and use
an oval cork since it rolls over on
its side easier than a round one. You
cast this set up past the tree and
then very slowly reel it back popping it from time to time. You need
the braided line to feel light pickups. So you must keep your line
tight to feel these bites. Some fish
will hit as you slowly reel it back.
This pattern works best in late
afternoon when water temps can
climb ten degrees or more in a single day. Fish will suspend very high
in the water column in deep water
but they are very spooky so keeping
back is a must.
We use this two pronged attack
all through March and well into
April, but once we hit pre-spawn I
change it up but that is for next
months article.
March 2016
67
JR
Radde
&
friend
Mike
with a
3-man,
45-fish
limit
in
only 3
hours!
Mike Hamilton and friends Dave & Pete with their 60-fish,
4-man limit of crappie caught on Shelbyville.
BOOK WITH STEVE!

217-762-7257
Cell: 217-840-1221
LakeShelbyvilleGuide.com
West IL Rt. 16
Shelbyville, IL
RIGHT:
Dorian Lofton & crew
still managed to catch
a 4-man, 60-fish limit
of crappie even with
all the wind we had
last spring on Shelbyville!
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INN
68
Gun Maker
Releases Lightest
Self Defense Revolver
on the Market
A gun manufacturer in India

has claimed that its latest design
is the absolute lightest of any
self-defense revolver on the
market, short of derringers and
other very small firearms. The
state-owned Ishapore Rifle
Factory recently unveiled the
8.8-ounce Nidar,!which boasts
a capacity of eight .22 rounds.
The barrel length of the tiny gun
is only 1.58 inches, with a total
length of just 5.5 inches overall.
Ishapore is marketing the
revolver as a light, easily concealable self-defense weapon
for women.
I believe our customers
would be people who travel a
lot, who have security risks.
They will buy this gun for their
personal safety, factory

supervisor
PK Agarwal
told
the
BBC.!I think
it will be
ideal
for
women. If a
woman takes
a
taxi
at
night,
the
driver
will
think
10
times before
trying anything with her
because he knows she has a gun
in her purse.
The same factory made headlines two years ago when it
launched another revolver
called the! Nirbheek, a .32-caliber revolver also marketed to
women. It was significant at the
time due to wide press coverage
of violence in India towards
women, especially the muchpublicized gang rape and mur-
der of Jyoti
Singh, who
was killed in
Delhi
in
2012. Both
the! Nirbheek
and Nidar are
named
in
remembrance
of
Singh,
who
was
nicknamed
Fearless
after
her
death.
The
Indian press also reported an
increase in women gun owners
over recent years, and gun manufacturers have stepped up production to match. Officials
at! Ishapore say that carrying a
firearm may make people feel
safer and more confidant.
According to the latest Small
Arms Survey, India has the second highest number of guns in
private hands, only behind the
United States. Indians own
March 2016
roughly 45 million firearms,

although not all are legal.
Firearms manufactured by
major gun makers such as
Ishapore are very expensive and
are out of reach for most
Indians. The Nidar is currently
priced at 37,000 Indian rupees,
which comes to about $548 dollars. Imported firearms, such as
1911-style pistols, can go for as
much as three times their retail
price
in
the
United
States.! Firearms are so prized
that it is not unknown for guns
to be included in dowries.
Ishapore officials say they
expect to sell 10,000 Nidar
revolvers before the end of the
year. The factory is one of the
largest arms producers in India,
having been established in 1904.
Ishapore currently produces the
INSAS rifle for the Indian
Army, as well as other weapons
like the Pistol Auto 9mm 1A, a
Browning Hi-Power derivative.
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March 2016
OUTDOOR
CONNECTION
By
Gerald
A.
Sampen,
O.C.
Salesman
A Lodge with
Great Variety
MESSAGE:
Remember: Outdoor Connection
offers fishing, hunting, and outdoor
adventures over a large part of the
world. We book virtually any size group
or party; from a single moose or bear
hunter, a family fishing trip, an Alaskan
yacht cruise for 10, corporate group
trips, incentive trips, conventions and
trips to help for fundraising.
We represent over 300 lodges and
outfitters for your hunting, fishing, and
outdoor pleasure and remember if we
represent them weve been there.
Gerald A. Sampen (Outdoor
Connection Salesman)
69
offer to their guests.

Fishing
They have trips for the
novice, family, and diehard fisherman.
Contact
Outdoor
Connection for a fishing
adventure tailored to fit your
needs.
Hunting
They have been outfitting and guiding in Wyoming for over four generations and while they utilize modern
hunting techniques, you will still enjoy
an old western atmosphere. Their hunt
areas cover a large portion of Wyoming
and they are a member of the Wyoming
State Board of Outfitters and
Professional Guides.
Summer Vacations
This outfitter offers the finest selection of Western Horseback Vacations
available. Their summer (May to
August) trips are based out of the southern region of the Wind River
Mountains. This location allows for
easy access to historical landmarks and
How Bout 1 Outfitter with 15

Species??? WYH4/WYF3 Brochure
At this outfitter, they appreciate your
interest and look forward to sharing
with you their passion for horses, hunting, history and the Western way of life.
They are a fourth generation, family
owned business, and take pride in the
professional services and products they
gold rush towns. The land is rugged,

big, and spectacular-open as far as the
eye can see, covered with sage brush,
rocks, junipers, wide basins and steep
sculptured canyons. Large herds of
antelope and wild horses roam this area.
Duration, distance, and vacation activities are custom made according to the
wishes of the group.
The outfitter is a small, high quality,
professional family outfitting business
with over three generations of experience. They believe in offering custom
western horseback vacations to small
groups and families of 10 to 15 individuals. No skill or experience is required;
only a spirit of adventure and love of
the outdoors. If youve never ridden a
horse or it has been a long time, dont
let that stop you. With their dependable,
gentle horses and expert instruction

even beginners feel comfortable in the
saddle. They will match you to a horse
which suits your riding ability and is
yours for the length of the vacation.
This outfitters vacations are full of
entertainment and education. The sound
of a guitar around a crackling campfire
intertwined with singing, story-telling,
and the distant serenade of coyotes will
be heard. Additionally, as the sky fills
with a million tiny diamonds you will
learn not only how things were done in
the west but why. One evening, your
group may also wish to visit the nearby
quaint old mining town for a great steak
dinner in an authentic, rustic atmosphere followed by entertainment at an
old west style saloon. By combining
Contd. on next pg.
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70
March 2016
O.C. Contd. from previous pg.

entertainment and education in conjunction with authentic landscapes and
scenery, great horses and professional
wranglers these vacations will never
be forgotten!
Location & Transportation
The first base camp is accessible by
vehicles and is the staging area for our
back country wilderness summer vacations and hunting trips. It is located on a
scenic river. Our base camp utilizes a historical log cabin which has been preserved for future generations.
The next two camps are located in the
wilderness and are our home away from
home while on summer vacations or
hunting trips. Federal laws prohibit any
motorized or mechanized equipment in
wilderness areas to preserve it as a truly
undisturbed wilderness environment.
The only way in and out, is by foot or
horseback.
We are a historic gold mining town
located at the southern end of the Wind
River Mountains on the edge of the Red
Desert. We offer great summer vacations
as well as fall hunting trips. Restaurants
and cabins for lodging can be found nearby.
This town is home and headquarters
for all of Wyomings business operations.

There are various restaurants and hotels
in and around the scenic valley.
We offer the finest selection of Western
Horseback Vacations available. Our
summer (May to August) trips are based
out of the southern region of the Wind
River Mountains. This location allows
for easy access to historical landmarks
and gold rush towns.
The land is rugged, big, and spectacular-open as far as the eye can see, covered
with sage brush, rocks, junipers, wide
basins and steep sculptured canyons.
Large herds of antelope and wild horses
roam this area. Duration, distance, and
vacation activities are custom made
according to the wishes of the group.
We are a small, high quality, professional family outfitting business with
over three generations of experience. We
believe in offering custom western horseback vacations to small groups and fam-
ilies of 10 to 15 individuals.
No skill or experience is required; only
a spirit of adventure and love of the outdoors. If youve never ridden a horse or
it has been a long time, dont let that stop
you. With our dependable, gentle horses
and expert instruction even beginners
feel comfortable in the saddle. We will
match you to a horse which suits your
riding ability and is yours for the
length of the vacation.
Our vacations are full of entertainment
and education. The sound of a guitar
around a crackling campfire intertwined
with singing, story-telling, and the distant serenade of coyotes will be heard.
Additionally, as the sky fills with a million tiny diamonds you will learn not
only how things were done in the west
but why. One evening, your group may
also wish to visit the nearby quaint old
mining town for a great steak dinner in
an authentic, rustic atmosphere followed
by entertainment at an old west style
saloon.
By combining entertainment and education in conjunction with authentic
landscapes and scenery, great horses and
professional wranglers these vacations will never be forgotten!
HUNTING
Wilderness hunts take a half a day
packing in and out.
The
n
i
b
a
C
Alan Thompson, Agent

623 E. Jackson Macomb, IL 61455
Bus.: 309-833-2400
Cell: 309-333-0100
www.Alansf.com
Max Thompson, Agent

108 N. Orange Havana, IL 62644
Bus.: 309-543-6248
Fax: 309-543-4899
www.Maxdthompson.com
You can own the vacation home of your

dreams for less than you think!
Late Season, Bear, and Antelope

Hunts everything is included except:
food, lodging, tags, stamps and airport
transportation.
Hunters are responsible for: taxidermy,
and meat processing.
Member of Wyoming Outfitters &
Guides Association and National Rifle
Association
Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation
Life Member
North American Hunting Club Life
Member
Fishing is included in a non-resident
elk tag. Hunters purchase a fishing
license for all other trips.
Accommodations
- Two wilderness tent camps, 2 hunters
per tent with cots and wood stoves.
- One base camp one room historical
hunting cabin with kitchen and electricity: no running water.
- All other hunts are hotel accommodations.
Guides
- 4 guides in the family
- 80+ years experience between family
members.
- 2 on 1 or 1 on 1
- We archery hunt ourselves.
- We gut, quarter, and pack the meat
back to the trail head or local processing
plant; cape or hide transported to local
taxidermist.
- No extra cost, no trophy fees.
Hunting Area
- Wilderness, National Park, Forest
Service, BLM, and State.
- Spot and Stalk, Stands
- 7,000. 10,500 Elevation
- Wilderness Exclusive Outfitter
The Cabin Features:
Rustic Pine Millwork

Six-Panel Pine Doors
Vaulted Ceilings
EL Baseboard Heat
Tile Floor - Kitchen/Bath
Cedar Siding or Log Siding
Pine Wood Floors
Pella Dbl. Hung Windows
866-937-5544 www.csihomesonline.com
Natural Hickory Cabinetry

Rustic Lighting
Modular Construction
Ready for Occupancy
Approx. 3 Days After
Delivery
Buyer Must Provide
Foundation & Hook-Ups
Building Top Quality Homes for Over 38 Years!
CSI Manufacturing, Inc.

PO Box 138 Cambridge, IL 61238
March 2016
Rights, no non-resident can go into the

wilderness without a guide.
- Rarely see other hunters after opening week.
- Terrain varies from rolling meadows to steep dark timber. Late Season
migration hunts the terrain is flat to
rolling.
- Best time of year depends on what
the hunter wants to accomplish.
- Archery and rifle hunt; muzzle loaders can be used during rifle season;
crossbows are legal archery; tags can be
used for archery or rifle.
- No outfitter tags, lottery system
only.
- Buffalo can be lottery or no tag
ranch hunt.
FISHING
June 15th August 30th
- No Boats
- Pack in and base camp fly-fishing
- Everything included but license,
poles, and personal gear.
- Hunting, fishing, horseback vacations, and summer pack trips
- Angler should bring their own fishing equipment and sleeping bag
Accommodations
- Wilderness tent camps 2 people
per tent
- Drive to base camp 1 room cabin
with kitchen and electricity, no running
water
- Can fish within feet of each camp
- Rivers, creeks, high mountain lakes
- Clients must drive to base camp
- Airport pickup optional
Guides
- 4 guides, all family, owned and
operated
- 2 anglers 1 guide
- Anglers hook fish
-Sun up till sun down
-Will pack out fish to base camp
Fishing Areas
- Rivers, creeks, and high mountain
lakes
- Rarely see other anglers
- No boats
- Weather rarely affects trips
Species
- Brown, Brook, Rainbow and
Cutthroat
- Good numbers
- Creel limit, 6 trout. No more than 3
Cutthroat, only one cutthroat over 12,
only one trout over 20.
- Brook trout limit of 16, no more
than 6 exceeding 8.
- Anglers are on their own fishing
71
- We supply food, lodging

and transportation,
- Area known for fly-fishing
river, several creeks and several high mountain lakes.
Summer Horseback Vacations
Wilderness pack trips
$300/Day
Wild Horse Discovery Ride
$300/Day
Historic Horseback Escape
$300/Day
Long Rider Adventures $300/Say
Western Reenactments $350/Day
Trial Rides $300/Day
Back Packing and Hiking $275/Day
Horse Supported
- Everything provided but sleeping

bag, personals and fishing equipment.
- Minimum of 2 people for 2 days
- Fishing can be included with these
trips
If you are interested in any of the adventures featured in this article or

in any of the other adventures that Outdoor Connection offers give us
a call. These adventures make excellent gifts for graduations, weddings,
holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, fundraisers, etc.
TIME TO BOOK NOW!
Your OC Salesman:
Gerald Sampen, 1571 Hunter Ct. Geneva, IL 217-376-3873
Your OC Agent:
Justin Montgomery 217-871-0524
jmontgomery@jamig.com MontysOutdoorConnection.com
SHARE
YOUR
Hunters in Fulton, Schuyler & Mason Counties PHOTOS
WITH
AFFORDABLE LODGING IN THE HEART
OF DEER COUNTRY AT THE
ASO!
Boomerang Lodge-Bar-Grill
Email:
104 E Broadway, Astoria, IL
asoCathy
Always
ALL-IN-ONE
@gmail
Come Back
LODGING BAR & GRILL
.com
Call: 309-313-2767 309-329-2824
US mail:
Mels Sporting Goods ASO
Magazine
Custom Built Bowstrings
HOURS:
M-F 10am-7pm
Pro Shop
1408
&
Sat. 9am-4pm
Indoor Range
Downing
NOW SELLING FIREARMS!
Court
Tremont,
520 S. Elm Flora, IL 62839
Illinois
618-662-8663
61568
ATTENTION:
Rt. 50 to Flora, Main St. South over tracks, right at 3-story Self Storage
Is your pond ready for next season?

We can help!
72
Reelfoot Lake, Tennessee

Crappie Fishing
We arrived at Blue Bank Resort, checked in and
had dinner. Wow, what a dinner. Owner Mike Hayes
suggested Bang Bang Shrimp for an appetizer. They
were huge, the size of a small fist. And they tasted
great as well. But even before the appetizers we had
warm rolls with Strawberry Butter. Yeah I said that
right, Strawberry Butter with real chunks of strawberries in it. Very good.
Reelfoot Lake, what a super place. The
"Earthquake Lake" as they call it, provides gorgeous
views. Reelfoot Lake was formed as a result of earthquakes back in 1811 and 1812. It's loaded with
Cypress Trees, and has miles of Bayou like ditches
that run through the Cypress Trees. History claims
the Mississippi River flowed backwards for days to fill
the lake up after the earthquakes.
On to
fishing. We
started off
Spider
Rigging live
minnows. It
was windy
so we used
a
wind
sock. We
used twelve
rods, two
I caught one!
hooks per
rod. 24 minners out there fishing for us. Reelfoot

Lake is wild, stumps everywhere in the water. You
really have to know where the stump fields are and
where they are not. They get real thick in places and
you're guaranteed to hit them. I'm serious, it's guaranteed. With 12 poles and 24 hooks it's always
exciting. We had a great time fishing with Red.
Prime Fishing season at Reelfoot Lake starts
March 17th this year. Find several great resorts in
ASO!
Blue Bank Resort has a really

nice setup with good food. Its
definitely worth the trip to give'em
a try. Reelfoot has many great
places to stay like Eagle Nest
Resort has an excellent setup for
some great fishing and family
fun. Sportsmans Resort &
Boyettes Resort are owned
and operated by really nice folks,
offering great fishing, views
and accommodations.
ROCKY MOUNTAIN ELK FOUNDATION
Banquet Saturday, April 2nd

Great prizes, Fun games, Live Auction
Come Join Us for the Time of your Life!
Holiday Inn & Suites East Peoria, IL
Terry McLaughlin 309-678-8105 RMEF.org/Illinois
PEORIA SPORTSMEN'S CLUB
April 23-24 Spring Lake 35th Bass Tournament

Sat. April 2 Tournament Sign Up Chicken Fry
Sign up starts at 5pm Dinner to follow
Please contact the Peoria Sportsmen's Club at:
6404 Bass Road Manito, IL 309-545-3007
Midwestern
Building
Supplies Inc.
Where Quality Matters!
The Building Contractors Headquarters

3 LOCATIONS:
508 East Pearl St. Tremont, IL 61568
Phone: 309-925-2911
2800 West Main St. Galesburg, IL 61401
Phone: 309-344-9171
240 North Bower St. Macomb, IL 61455
Phone: 309-836-8058
You see duck blinds everywhere.

Reelfoot is a great
duck hunting lake as well.
This is Red's neighbor

showing us the set up.
Drift socks off the back, and
a bunch of rods off the front,
just like we were fishing.
Doing this alone has to be
crazy, especially with all those
poles and all those stumps, but
these guys do it, and they are
quite successful at it.
March 2016
Here's Red, of Big Red's

Crappie Fishing Adventures. aka
Quint Dupoyster. He was our
guide. Great guy, really
knows his stuff.
Here is our host Mike Hayes,

and local guide Billy Blakely.
We all hung out together for
lunch. What a great bunch. If
you get a chance to meet them
tell them I said hi. And don't
forget to ask Mike for some
Bang Bang Shrimp.
Roland Rich Ford, Inc.

Route 122 East Delavan, IL 61734
309-244-8249
VA L U E P R I C E D V E H I C L E S !
2015 Ford F350 Platinum Crewcab 4x4 Diesel ............$55,500

2014 Ford F350 Lariat Crewcab 4x4 Diesel CORRECT PRICE: $47,880
2014 Ford F150 XLT Supercar 4x4 ............................$29,550
2013 Ford F250 XLT Crewcab 4x4 gas........................$34,330
2013 Ford F150 XLT Supercrew 4x4 ..........................$29,550
2012 Dodge Ram 2500 Laramie Crewcab 4x4 Diesel ....$40,650
2012 Ford F250 Lariat Crewcab 4x4 gas....................$38,550
2011 Ford F250 XLT Crewcab 4x4 Diesel ....................$32,840
2011 Ford F250 lariat Crewcab 4x4 gas ....................$30,480
2009 Ford F150 FX4 Supercab 4x4 ..........................$22,880
2008 Ford F150 XL Regular Cab 4x4 ..........................$13,940
2008 Ford F250 Lariat Crewcab 4x4 Diesel................$25,930
2007 Ford F250 XLT Supercab 4x4 Diesel..................$20,500
2007 Ford F150 XLT Supercab 4x4 ............................$15,740
2007 Ford Sport Trac Limited 4x4 ............................$16,880
2006 Ford F250 XLT Crewcab 4x4 Diesel ....................$19,880
2006 Ford F250 Lariat Crewcab 4x4 Diesel ................$21,330
2006 Dodge Ram 2500 SLT Quad Cab 4x4 Diesel ........$20,730
LARGE INVENTORY OF LATE MODEL PRE-OWNED VEHICLES!
March 2016
Year-Round Fishing Special $269!
NO LIMIT ON CATFISH OR BLUEGILL!

P.O. Box 187 Samburg, TN 38254 info@eaglenestresort.com
w w w. E a g l e N e s t R e s o r t . c o m
1-877-EAGLE-01 1-731-538-2143
FISHING SPECIAL:
All
packages
Feb. 1 Mar. 15 & Starting May 23 include:
Any 4 Days & Nights ONLY $239* Lodging,
Boat, Motor,
PRIME TIME PACKAGES: Bait, Gas
& Ice!
Mar. 17 May 21
3 Days & Nights (Starting Thurs.)

or
4 Days & Nights (Starting Sun.)
Kitchen $329* No Kit. $289*
Complimentary
Cookouts
Twice Weekly
During Prime
Season!
7 Days & Nights (Starting Thurs. or Sun.) $589*

*Prices Per Person, Plus Tax & Subject to change.
Minimum of 2 people. No pets allowed.
$75 non-refundable deposit per person required.
2016
$149.00
PRIVATE 2 HOUR EAGLE
TOURS AVAILABLE!
Good for 2 people with 2 nights lodging

included. Deposit required. Guided Eagle
Watching Tours not included.
DUCK & GOOSE

HUNTING
PACKAGES:
2 Days
$599
3 Days
$699
Min. of 4 People. During Duck

Season Dates. Hunts Available
for Small Parties & Drive-Ins.
Large Groups Welcome!
Shooting Times: 30 minutes
before sunrise until 3:00 P.M.
Blinds are spacious, well
heated, equipped for cooking &
well camouflaged. Decoys are
already set at the blind site &
may consist of 500-1000 decoys!
Packages include lodging, guide
& 2 meals each day in the blind.
All Licenses available
at the Resort.
73
74
HUNTIN
March 2016
DOGS
Welcome to the ASO Hunting Dog Section

Zukes
Power Bones:
Energy for Active Dogs

Flagship Product Lineup is
Packed with Protein,
Superfood Carbs, and
Healthy Antioxidants
Durango, CO Zukes
founder Patrick Meiering was on a
hike when he noticed that his typically energetic dog companion,
Zuke, had become exhausted. He
broke off a piece of his energy bar,
tossed it to him, and Zuke perked
right up. It was then Patrick realized that pets need healthy, all-
natural treats just as much as people do. This was the inspiration
for Zukes flagship product,
Power Bones.
Developed in 1995 to provide
quality nutrition to canine athletes, Zukes Power Bones (a
conscious play on PowerBar) are
still the perfect treat to keep your
pooch energized and ready for
adventure. Loaded with pure protein and superfood carbohydrates,
Zukes Power Bones support
strong muscles and peak performance. Tasty chicken, beef and
fresh peanut butter are combined
with apples, carrots and sweet
potatoes. In addition, cherries,
coconut oil, rosemary and turmeric provide antioxidants to promote
a healthy lifestyle.
Shared Zukes Director of
Innovation Chris Meiering,
Zukes Power Bones are the
perfect blend of natures ingredients to help your dog power up

before, sustain during, and replenish after exercise.
Made in the USA and free of the
common allergens wheat, corn
and soy, Zukes Power Bones
are available in the following flavors: Tasty Chicken Recipe, Tasty
Beef Recipe, and Fresh Peanut
Butter Formula. The product lineup is sold across the country at
pet-supply chains, independent
pet-product stores, natural-food
retailers, and online for an SRP of
$6.99 for a 6oz pouch.
About Zukes
Located in Durango, Colorado,
Zukes is a leader in the natural
pet treat category. Named after
founder Patrick Meierings
beloved Labrador retriever,
Zukes has been powered by
passionate pet lovers for over 20
years. The Zukes team is driven
by the joy that comes from
exploring with their dogs and the
pursuit of a healthier life that
makes pets and people happier.
Creating treats with only the
finest natural ingredients and no
harsh additives or preservatives
has been a priority at Zukes
since day one. With the exception
of Genuine Jerky and Genuine

Jerky Steaks, which feature
100% grass-fed beef from New
Zealand, all of Zukes products
are made in the USA. The companys unwavering commitment to
product quality has helped
Zukes become a successful,
sustainable, and philanthropic
business. Zukes donates a portion of all sales to The Dog and
Cat Cancer Fund (DCCF). Visit
www.zukes.com for more information and find @ZukesPets on
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and
Pinterest.
English Pointers & English Setters
(Handle most pointing breeds.) ~ Specialize in Training ~
For Sale:
Trained dogs
Started dogs
Puppies
Bryan Camper
815-716-3597
302 Harmon Rd. Walnut, IL
dogcamp1@wmccinc.com
www.swiftrockkennel.com
March 2016
REDUCING
STRESS TO
OPTIMIZE
PERFORMANCE
IN THE FIELD
FOR!RETRIEVERS
As the owner of a hardworking
dog bracing for the upcoming Light
Goose Conservation Order season,
you know that he is prone to stress
from days spent retrieving in the
field. The duration and intensity at
which your dog retrieves, combined with cold weather, travel and
exposure to other dogs in a new
environment, are contributing factors to this natural stress that challenges a dogs gastrointestinal (GI)
tract.
A dogs GI tract is associated
with a large portion of his immune
system. Here, specialized cells help
protect his body against invading
organisms, such as pathogenic bacteria and viruses, while recognizing beneficial bacteria. When the
digestive tract is inflamed,
digestibility and absorption of
nutrients are reduced, which can
compromise your retrievers performance.
Because 70 percent of a dogs
immune system is associated with
the gut, an upset digestive tract can
result in reduced immunity, says
Purina Senior Research Scientist
Arleigh Reynolds, DVM, PhD,
DACVN. When digestive tract
inflammation and reduced immuni-
ty occur, Photo by
an imbal- Stephen Patteson
ance
of
the intest i n a l
microflora
also
can occur,
resulting
in digest i v e
upset.
If your
dog experiences
digestive
upset, you may notice a decrease in
stool quality and a reduction in
energy levels and performance.
Other signs include loss of
appetite, excess gas, vomiting, constipation, loose stools, and fatigue.
To help handle stress and promote a healthy immune system,
your dog can be given Purina Pro
HUGE
SELECTION!
LOW PRICES!
In Store Specials: Dog & Cat Food Cat Litter Livestock Feed
Rabbit & Poultry Feed Bird Seed Bones, Biscuits, Treats
Accessories Water Softener Salt
Purina ProPlan Diamond ProPac Earthborn Holistic Sportmix
Showtime Taste of the Wild Heinold MidSouth Many More Top Brands!
Retriever Training
Specializing in
Training of Retrievers for
AKC Hunt Test and Hunting
Year Round Training
Located in Central Wisconsin

with Winter (Jan-Apr) Georgia Trip.
home to
Companion Hunting Dog
3 month program geared toward getting

your dog ready for hunting season.
"7x AKC Master National Qualifier

Lance's Little Mis Runaway, MH, MNH
Plus many AKC Master National Qualifiers,
Master, Senior, Junior titled hunt test dogs
and companion hunting dogs.
AKC Hunt Test
Geared for those wanted to compete in

events set up to resemble hunting activity.
by starting FortiFlora before a big

hunt.
After a day of hard work in the
field, its important to make sure
your retriever recovers and is wellrested. Maximizing rest helps to
minimize stress. Warm, soft, dry
bedding is crucial, as is comfortable, not cramped, quarters when
traveling.
You also can maintain your dogs
immune function by feeding a
high-performance dog food, such
as Purina Pro Plan SPORT
Performance 30/20 Formula. The
foundation of optimal performance
and recovery, this complete and
balanced formula sustains a dogs
energy needs and helps keep him
properly conditioned.
The role of the GI tract as a dogs
natural defense system often is
overlooked. Supporting digestive
health in your dog is key to reducing stress and to helping ensure he
performs in peak condition from
the blind.
NOW
OPEN!
Lance Kennels, LLC

Programs
Offered:
P l a n
Veterinary
D i e t s
FortiFlora
c a n i n e
nutritional
supplem e n t .
Prescribed
by veterinarians
and containing a
special
strain of
probiotic
that has been proven to restore normal intestinal health and balance,
Enterococcus
faecium
SF68,
FortiFlora may help nutritionally
manage diarrhea from stressful situations that can disrupt a retrievers digestive system.
You can begin using FortiFlora
as early as during training,
Reynolds says. Support healthy
immune function in your retriever
75
BOARDING KENNELS
40 Years Experience!
26 Indoor Heated/AC, 14 Outdoor Runs

Plenty of Airing/Exercising Area
lancekennels-wi.com
15707 Schmidgall Road, Tremont IL 61568
309-925-5125
Store: 309-359-3773 After Hours: 309-275-6083
OPEN: Mon.-Fri. 10-5 Sat. 9-1

30216 IL Rt. 9 Mackinaw, IL (Behind Hicks Gas)
Morton Animal Hospital

offers first class
veterinarian care to
large & small animals!
OUR DIAGNOSIS & SUGGESTED TREATMENT PLAN ARE
CUSTOMIZED TO YOUR INDIVIDUAL PETS NEEDS & CONDITION.
SERVICES: VACCINATIONS, SURGERIES, DENTAL,
ON SITE LAB WORK, WELLNESS EXAMS
The Companion Therapy Laser offers the latest technology for the treatment of Joint &
Soft Tissue Pain. Dr. Herm Cares! He is very concerned about pain management in pets.
657 W. David St. Morton, IL 61550 Open Mon.-Sat.
(309) 266-5378 MortonAnimalHospital.com
76
March 2016
WATERFOWL 2016
Jordan Van Natta
&
Jarrett Halley
The next
generation of
waterfowl
hunters
Father & son,

Richard &
Jordan Van
Natta, with
the best
hunting dog
everJager.
This hunt
was at
BTS
Farms!
Ryan Johns
&
Mike Smothers
Jarrett
Halley,
Mike
Smothers,
Ryan
Johns,
Danny
Snider,
Jordan
Van Natta
and Jager
March 2016
Richard Van Natta and

his wife Marilyn
are natives of Herrin and
were classmates with
Cathy Canterbury.
Richard owns & operates
VanNattaFuneralhome.com.
Thanks for sharing
your waterfowl
hunting photos with ASO!
LEFT:
Jager with
a trophy!
RIGHT:
Richard &
Jordan
after a great
December hunt!
Java-Rubbed DuckBreasts
Seared waterfowl seasoned with
coffee is brimming withflavor!
T H E S P O R T I N G C H E F. C O M
I'm not much of a coffee drinker. While my duck blind partners are finishing off their last
cup of java, I'm drinking water. I do, however, like the smoky flavor that coffee imparts to
seared meat, and especially to a big, fat mallard in a cast-iron skillet. Most folks will be surprised to discover just how good pan-seared duck tastes after a nice rub of ground coffee,
salt, pepper, brown sugar, and a few other seasonings.
Coffee imparts more than just robust flavor to the outside of any piece of meat. It also
creates a dark, crispy crust when cooked over high heat. This crust adds an extra dimension
to a well-prepared duck or goose, making it moist, tender, and delicious on the inside and
crispy on the outside.
There's no need to fuss with a sauce to serve alongside this dish. Simply deglaze the pan
with a splash of freshly brewed coffee or beef broth after the duck has been set aside to rest
a few minutes. Deglazing the pan with liquid will loosen any of the bits that stuck to it while
cooking. It's a good time to add a minced garlic clove, some fresh herbs, and perhaps a pinch
or two of the rub. Give it a stir and reduce the liquid to just a tablespoon or two before
removing the pan from the range and whisking in a few tablespoons of butter. Drizzle a ribbon of the pan sauce over the duck.
The coffee rub works best with ducks that are plucked rather than skinned. The fatter the
duck, the better the end result. A large puddle duck with a good layer of rendered fat will
balance the slightly bitter taste of the coffee. The rub also has just enough brown sugar to
give the cooked duck a sweet edge. If spicy heat is your thing, add a pinch or two of cayenne
pepper for a crispy duck that is sweet, spicy, and earthy.
Using freshly ground coffee will give you a more aromatic rub. This recipe makes about
1 cup of dry rub, but you can prepare extra if you like by doubling or tripling the ingredients. The leftover rub can be stored in the refrigerator for a few months.
Ingredients
6 to 8 ducks, split in half with
backbone removed
1/3 cup ground coffee
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons kosher or coarse sea salt
2 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
Directions
#1: Combine the dry-rub ingredients.
#2: Brush both sides of the skin-on duck breasts with olive oil. Rub a liberal coating of the
dry rub onto the ducks. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours.
# 3: Heat a heavy cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Place the duck breasts, skin side down,
in the skillet and cook for 4 to 7 minutes, depending on the size of the birds. Once the skin
is crispy, flip the ducks over and cook the other side until done.
#4: Remove the ducks from the pan and allow them to rest for a few minutes before serving.
Support Ducks Unlimited! Ducks.org
77
ALTERNATIVE
LIVESTOCK &
TAXIDERMY
AUCTION!
APRIL 6-7-8-9
704 Main St. Macon, MO

660-385-2516
www.LolliBros.com
LARGEST SALE OF ITS KIND IN THE WORLD!

2 HUGE SALE RINGS!
Giant Taxidermy Auction

April 6 & 7!
Wed. 6th - 9am: Pink Tag Taxidermy Blow Out Sale
9am: Nursery Auction, Rarities
6pm: SWAP Auction
Thu. 7th - 9am: Blue Tag Taxidermy Auction
9am: Llama & Alpaca, Bison, Cattle,
Fri. 8th - 9am: Sheep, Goats, Elk,
Reindeer & All Other Deer, Camel,
Zebra, African Hoofstock
Sat. 9th - 9am: Mini & Standard Donkeys,
Mini & Standard Horses, Ponies
78
Waterfowler's
Notebook:
S T R AT E G I E S F O R
SPECKLEBELLIES
Try this expert advice to bag
more white-fronted!geese
By Wade Bourne
"Specklebellies" and "specks" are

common nicknames for white-fronted geese, which nest in the high
Arctic and follow the Mississippi,
Central, and Pacific Flyways to their
primary wintering grounds in the
Central Valley of California,
Mississippi Alluvial Valley, and Gulf
Coast region. Populations of these
birds are healthy, and opportunities to
hunt them are plentiful and growing.
But specks aren't pushovers. To consistently lure them into gun range,
everything must be just rightyour
concealment, decoys, and calling.
The following tips from two speckle-
belly "pros" will help you bag more

of these highly prized birds anywhere
you find them.
Jay Gunn, who hunts waterfowl in
harvested rice fields in the
Mississippi Delta, frequently takes
limits of specklebellies with his sons
and friends. He believes that calling
is crucial when hunting white-fronted
geese. "Specks are very callable
birds," Gunn explains. "You don't
necessarily have to be on the X to
lure them in. With good calling, you
can turn them and pull them into your
spread."
According to Gunn, the first step in
learning to call specklebellies is to
buy a good call. (He prefers
RedBone, Riceland, and Gaston
calls). Finding a mentor who can
teach you how to operate a call and
make basic sounds is the next step.
"Another good way to improve your
calling is to listen to how specklebellies communicate with each other,
especially when birds in the air are
working a feeding flock on the
MACEDONIA GAME PRESERVE

Guides & Outfitters
618/728-4328
Services provided by this preserve will depend upon each individual and the type of
hunt they would like to have. Package prices are available upon request. Our goals are
to provide a good hunting environment, and have a quality deer management program.
H
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& T
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!
Owner: Keith Neal

From Interstate 57 - get off at Benton Exit 71
Take Route 14 East - 11 miles to Macedonia sign, turn south, follow signs
www.macedoniagamepreserve.com
ground,"
Gunn
says. "They make a
lot of different
sounds, and you
should learn to imitate as many of
them as you can."
When
calling
specklebellies from
distances,
long
Gunn and his hunting partners work
together to "make a
lot of noise" to get
the birds' attention.
When a flock turns in their direction,
however, the other callers go silent
and leave it to Gunn to close the deal.
"I like to get a good back-and-forth
conversation going with a few birds
in the flock," he says. "They call, and
then I'll call right back. I keep quiet
when they're right overhead, but start
calling again when they pass by to
pull them back around. I don't stop
calling until they put their feet down
to land."
In addition to calling, thorough
concealment is essential when hunting specklebellies. "You've got to be
totally camouflaged, whether you
hunt from a permanent blind, layout
blind, or pit. You've got to cover up
anything that doesn't look natural.
We always wear face masks or camo
paint," Gunn advises.
Grayson Smith, who hunts waterfowl in Missouri's Bootheel region,
routinely brings specklebellies into
close range over his mixed spread of
duck and goose decoys. "My partners
and I hunt from a pit in a levee
between two 40-acre rice fields," he
explains. "We set duck decoys in
March 2016
front of the pit and speck decoys in

back. We use approximately 50
flocked full-body specklebelly
decoys on stakes. We set them in a
random pattern in the field with just a
few inches of water."!
Smith moves his goose decoys as
needed to ensure that specklebellies
working upwind will be within close
shooting range of the pit. Moreover,
he turns off the spinning-wing decoys
in his duck spread when specks are
flying. "In my experience specklebellies don't work well when those white
wings are flashing," he says. Like
Gunn, Smith is a stickler about concealment. "As the season progresses,
we keep adding camouflage to the
pit. You've got to stay down and covered up," he says.
Smith offers a final tip, also learned
through experience: the best weather
conditions for hunting specklebellies
are sunny, windy days. "The sun creates shadows that help hide hunters
and blinds, and a good wind keeps
the geese flying lower and encourages them to commit earlier," he
notes.
BACKWATERS
4136 Pontoon Rd. Granite City, IL

sales@backwatersmarine.com
618/ 931-0919
~~~ MARINE ~~~ www.backwatersmarine.com
OUR PRICES WON'T BE BEAT ON 2014 WAR EAGLE BOAT,

EVINRUDE E-TEC OUTBOARDS & TRAILER PACKAGES!!!
OPEN: M-F 10am-6pm
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March 2016
79
Waterfowling Tip:
Quick!Concealment
TOP:
David
Jackson
of Pekin
with his son
Derek on a
Swan hunt
Jan. 2016.
They
hunted with
Gurgangus
Guide Service
at Swan
Quarter
in N.C.
Congrats to Dallas Farlin, 16, (Davids

cousin), with his nice bow kill on Oct. 17,
2015 & a beautiful shotgun buck taken
Nov. 22. WAY TO GO! Keep em coming!
Thanks to David Jackson for sharing
some fun in the field! Get great game
calls from Dave at DJcalls.com also
known as Illinois River Valley Calls,
same as the Olt Calls.
Excellent Quality
Buy yours online Today!
Heres a tip to hide the shine

from your hands and face on
your next trip to the fieldBurn
the end of a wine cork with a
lighter until you have a nice
charcoal tip. Once cooled, rub
the charred tip on your skin. To
remove, simply use a wet rag (the
charcoal washes off more easily
than paint). Store in a zip-lock
baggie and keep in your blind
bag. To freshen up, simply burn
the tip again and reapply as
needed.
~ Spring Snow Goose Hunting ~
Show me your Snows Outdoors

Hunting in Central Illinois
Booking for February & March
Hunt from Heated Pits Over 10,000+ Decoys!
Find us on Facebook at Rick Hamm Snow Fox

and Show me your Snows Outdoors
Call Rick Hamm: 309-635-5200
80
The 51st North American

Vintage Decoy and
Sporting Collectibles Show
March 2016
Room-to-Room
Trading Offers
Sporting
Collectibles
Enthusiasts a
Mix of Fun &
Education at
the 51st North
American Vintage
Decoy & Sporting
Collectibles Show
in St. Charles,
Illinois
Pheasant Run Resort, St. Charles- April 19-21, 2016: The 51st North American Vintage Decoy and Sporting Collectibles Show sponsored by the Midwest Decoy Collectors Association (MDCA) will be held at the Pheasant Run Resort near St. Charles, Illinois April 1923, 2016. While many attendees only come for the tabled show in the resorts MegaCenter Exhibit Hall starting on Friday, the 22nd, they
miss one of the weeks unique events: Room-to-Room Trading.
By the morning of Tuesday, April 19, collectors from all over North America will have begun descending upon Pheasant Run Resort
and rooms will already be overflowing with every imaginable kind of sporting collectible. There will be duck decoys by
the thousands, fishing lures, spearing fish decoys, traps, rods, reels, duck calls, paintings and prints, and items so unique
there may be only a few in existence. Attendees will weave their way through the resort as the overflow of offerings from
the room spills into the hallways. There will be outboard motors, canoe paddles, stacks of wooden ammo boxes and, of
course, baskets and tubs full of decoys. All in a welcoming environment is teeming with camaraderie.
Room-to-Room trading is not just for the seasoned collector. Novice collectors can learn more about decoys and related items in a couple days in these rooms than they can in a whole year going to other shows. Here a new collector can
handle thousands of decoys. Want to know how to spot original paint? Or the difference between a Mason and a
Dodge? The dealers in the rooms are the most experienced and knowledgeable in North America and they are anxious
to share what they know to help new collectors make informed decisions.
Stay for the Guyette and Deeter Decoy Auction April 21 at 11am & April 22 at 10am (Thurs & Fri)
There is simply not another event that compares to the Room-to-Room trading experience at St. Charles starting April
19th. Its just the beginning of a full five days of events that offer something for everyone with an interest in great
American folk art, including a two-day decoy auction and the tabled show in the resorts MegaCenter exhibit hall.
CORSAW LUMBER, INC.

Manufacturers of Quality
Hardwood Products
Chuck, Marie & Mark Corsaw

Family Owned & Operated Since 1968
OPEN: 7-4 M-F 8-12 SAT EXCEPT HOLIDAYS
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Distributors of Appalachian Doors
& Old World Stair Systems
Trim Standard & Custom Made
Stair Systems & Parts Interior Door
Pre Hung or Slabs Hardwood Mulch
Wholesale & Retail Hardwood Floors
Custom Jams Built to Your Specs
Kiln Dried or Green Lumber
BUYERS OF STANDING TIMBER
GOOD TIMBER MANAGEMENT, SELECT CUT
26015 North County 2 Smithfield, IL 61477
309-293-2055
Russ Watson, Logger: 309-696-5461
March 2016
Ben Heinemann & Other Contemporary

Decoy Carvers to showcase their
unique talents at the
50th Annual North American Vintage

Decoy & Sporting Collectibles Show
April 22-23, 2016
Every spring, a passionate and extremely talented group of master decoy carvers from across
the country descend on Pheasant Run Resort in
St. Charles, IL to unveil their latest creations.
This year North Carolina resident Ben
Heinemann, one of the countrys most accomplished and awarded decoy makers and folks
artists, will display a broad range of his work
including duck, shorebird and fish decoys, as
well as other folk art carvings. His award-winning work is among todays most admired carvings, sought after for its wonderful sculptural
form. In addition, a number of other contemporary artists will demonstrate how they create
these masterpieces live for all to see. Their talent
is rare, and comes from family traditions, study
of the old masters, and an intense love of the
outdoors. It is easy to feel their passion as pieces
of wood are transformed into wonderful folk art
-- a heritage that is uniquely American and has become a part of the story of our country. A display of the best work from these carvers will also be featured. This contemporary work is part of a nearly week long show that includes over 30,000 antique
sporting collectible items available for viewing, buying, and trading.
ALL EVENTS OPEN TO PUBLIC
April 1921: Room-to-Room Trading (All Day)
April 21: 11:00am and April 22 at 10am:
Guyette and Deeter Decoy Auction
April 22-23: Tabled Event: Friday, 2-7pm
& Saturday 9am-2pm; Pheasant Run Resort
MegaCenter
--Display of Antique Minnesota Waterfowl
and Spearing Fish Decoys
-- Display of Vintage Animal Traps
-- Display of Vintage Shot Gun Shell Boxes
-- Display of Vintage Shooting Boxes
-- Ben Heinemann Decoy & Folk Art
Exhibit
-- Contemporary Waterfowl and Fish Decoy
Carver Displays & Demonstrations
-- Hourly, no reserve silent auction
-- Free identification and appraisal service
The Midwest Decoy Collectors
Association is a non-profit organization
whose purpose is to collect and preserve the
history of the decoy as original American
folk art. As the largest gathering of its kind,
the North American Vintage Decoy and
Sporting Collectibles Show is the premier
opportunity for the novice, antique dealer
or experienced collector to network and
learn more about the decoy as functional
folk art or to add to their collections. For
more information, please visit:
m i d w e s t d e c o y. o r g
81
82
March 2016
15th ANNUAL WHITETAIL CLASSIC SPORT SHOW & AUCTION

MARCH 18 20 Jackson Co. Fairgrounds Maquoketa, IA
Late Model Recycled Auto & Truck Parts

18561 Knight Rd. Virginia, IL
800-346-4540 www.ScottysAutoParts.com
Mon. - Fri. 8am - 5pm Closed Sat. & Sun.
6 MONTH WARRANTY ON MOST PARTS!
Darnalls Gun Works & Ranges

Public Range with Membership Benefits
Where Sportsmen Have Been Serving Sportsmen Since 1923
Bloomington-Normals Only Indoor & Outdoor Range with Trap, Skeet & Sporting Clays
Guns & Shooting Supplies for Sale
Full Line Gun Repair Service
Rebluing & Parkerizing
Certified Staff
Instructional Classes
Basic Handgun Training
6125 East 1175 North Rd. Bloomington, IL 61705

309-379-4331 darnalls1923@gmail.com Darnalls.com
Open: Tues.-Thurs. 9am - 9pm Fri.-Sun. 9am - 6pm
Call ahead as special events might affect normal hours.
Big Selection of Poundage &

Trophy Antler of all Kinds!
Taxidermy Mounts & Tanned
Furs from North America &
Around the World. Log Home
Furniture & Rustic Dcor. Big
Variety of Guns, Vintage &
Contemporary Sporting Goods,
Antique
Americana,
Boats,
Canoes, Kayaks, 4 Wheelers &
Other Outdoor Fun Items All
Offered For Auction!
3 BIG DAYS in Maquoketa
IOWA!
Great Lineup of Vendors with
Items Available for Immediate Sale
All Three Days!

We never charge a Buyers premium for in house bidders!
(Online buyers are charged premiums only to cover our time &
efforts.)
ATTENTION! There is a huge
difference between the items that
are advertised on our website &
what just shows up unannounced
right up until sale time! Find hundreds of unadvertised bargains at
this sale so plan to attend!
We are expecting a large sale all
3 days with some great collections
coming from around the country!
March 2015
Keep checking website as we get

closer to sale time!
FRIDAY MARCH 18th
BIG ANTLER AUCTION!
Buy it now starts @ 8:00 am
Auction starts @ 10:00
All unmounted antler sells on
Friday including trophy sheds &
racks as well as poundage & craft
grade antler whitetail, moose, elk,
fallow, axis, sika & more!!!
We are expecting record amounts
of antler for 2016!
SATURDAY MARCH 19th
TAXIDERMY, RUSTIC
DECOR & MORE!
Auction starts @ 10:00 am
Taxidermy Mounts from North
America
&
Around
the
World!
(Including
Antlered
Specimens), Tanned Furs, Fish
Mounts, Rustic Decor, Log
Furniture & Log Home Decor,
Antler Lighting & More!
SUNDAY MARCH 20th
GUNS, SPORTING GOODS
& MORE!
Auction starts @ 10:00 am
Auction Starting with Guns
(Sales Average Around 150 Guns!)
Vintage & Collectible Sporting
goods, Boats, Canoes, 4 Wheelers
& Outdoor Fun Items, Antique
Americana & More!
CHILI COOK OFF Saturday
& Sunday!
$200 TOP PRIZE PEOPLES

CHOICE AWARD!
Lots of Maquoketa nice area
hotels available see:
The Historic Decker House Hotel
ph. 563-652-1875
Comfort Inn!ph. 563-652-0222
Squires Manor B & B ph. 563652-6961
Maquoketa Inn & Suites ph. 563652-6888
Baymont Inn & Suites located
right on the bank of the Mississippi
River 4115 North Riverview
St.! ! Bellevue, IA 52031 ph. 563872-5000
Find a great selection of lodging
to choose from in Dubuque, just 30
miles away.
83
Contact Steve Morehead www.CircleMAuctions.com

611 North Main Maquoketa, IA 52060
563-652-9780 circlemauctions@yahoo.com
Located in the beautiful Piney Region of Central Missouri.

It's really Hog Heaven! Beautiful lodging accommodations!
Wild
Hog
Hunting!
Hunt Hogs Rams

Spanish Goats Sika Fallow
Red, Whitetail & Axis Deer
Black Buck Elk
Call Justin at 314-952-4346
w w w. s t o n e c r e e k h u n t i n g . c o m
84
March 2016
Show me your Snows Outdoors
SNOWED IN!!! Sun. Feb. 14, Snow geese came in low 3-10 in a flock,
silent and you couldn't hardly see them before they were on you. We had
some really good shooting, 44 hit the snow! ~ Ryley Hamm, Zach
Entwistle, Adam Ren, Jimmy Schupp, Wes Schupp, Trent Gustafson
Now is the time to give me

a call to get your hunt
booked for March! We are
going to keep lots of decoys
out and kill a lot of geese.
That alone will make a lot
of happy hunters!
~ Rick Hamm, owner of
Show Me Your Snows
Outdoors Extreme Snow
Goose Hunting
Find him on Facebook &
Call 309-635-5200
Decent day for Snows with

an all XRail pit. Recommend
getting with Rick Hamm for
a good hunt. We had literally
a blast! ~ Mark Roth
March 2016
OVERCOMING
A LOSS
85
Doug Williams in his shooting grip and resting grip
by Thane Hunt
Hunts Gun
Getaway, LLC
Illinois
Conceal
Carry
Instructor
In todays world we have many people who
have served in the armed forces, have had an
industrial accident, and been involved in car or
motorcycle accidents. With the advances in
medical science, should a limb be severed in any
of these situations, many times it can be reattached. However, sometimes limbs are a permanent loss. Along with having to learn the basics
of living again, many people eventually start
back into the hobbies they love. For many, it is
learning to shoot a firearm with the amputation.
Whether the amputation is a finger, an arm, or a
leg, it is possible to continue to shoot not only
hand guns but long firearms as well.
One example of a full limb amputee is Bryan
Lierman, a fellow instructor that I have worked
with and enjoy working with from WunShu Ranch
in Central Illinois. Bryan had been in a motorcy-
cle accident that left him as a right leg amputee.

Bryan is able to skillfully shoot a handgun, rifle,
or shotgun. Bryan has learned to shoot with the
assistance of his crutches. He also has perfected the art of shooting skeet from a seated position. In working with Bryan it is clear that his
adaptive devices do not affect his shot quality or
his ability to instruct others. His love for shooting has made finding modifications manageable
and has kept him in a hobby he loves.
Doug Williams is another shooter who has not
allowed an amputation to interfere with his love
for shooting sports. While teaching an Illinois
Concealed Carry course, I had the pleasure of
working with him, and learned that he had a work
injury that left his right pointer finger amputat-
ed. After this work injury, Doug had to learn how

to shoot a handgun with his middle finger while
keeping his partial pointer finger from getting
caught by the slide.
This posed two distinct areas that need to be
modified. The first is the placement of the partial pointer finger, as it had to be kept along the
frame without being pinched in the slide. Doug
was able to make this adjustment and did a great
job keeping his finger safe.
The second change he had to make was making sure that the mechanics of the middle finger
were correct when pulling the trigger. Since
trigger pull is one of the most important parts of
shooting, it is important to make sure it is done
correctly. Doug was able to find a good trigger
pull while using his middle finger. He is now one

of the best shots in the course after making
adjustments to how he fired the handgun.
Both of these shooters have a history of very
different injuries and amputations; however they
both were able to make modifications to continue the sport they love. Remember, Where there
is a will, there is a way.
If you would like to share your story or you
have a topic that you would like written
about, you can contact me at:
huntsgungetaway@gmail.com
309-338-0990
Train Hard and Stay Safe
~ Thane Hunt ~
ECA PRESENTS ILLINOIS LARGEST HUNTING & TRADE SHOWS
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Show Times & Admission Fees:
Sat.:9:00am to 5:00pm
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More Details at: www.ecahuntingandtradeshows.com
86
The Trumpet Call

Iowa folks come out in
droves to see swans!
By Margaret Smith,
Executive Director,
The Trumpeter Swan Society
To learn how you can help

Trumpeter Swans, please visit
TrumpeterSwanSociety.org
It was standing room only at the
Iowas Walnut Woods State Park lodge
on January 30. Kids in parkas and hats
and grownups sporting flannel shirts and
cameras packed the warm, wood paneled
room.
March 2016
that had been

They had all
injured in a
come out for
power line colliDes Moines
sion and was
Swan
first
being restored
Soiree. A jam
to health. The
packed day of
trumpeter swan
great programs
will be released
and activities
back into the
brought people
from as far Everyone at the Swan Soiree wanted a wild in southern
chance to see the trumpeter swan up
Iowa sometime
away
as
close.
Dave Hoffman of the Iowa DNR in May. At the
Nebraska! The
folks
hit of the day holds the trumpeter swan, which is being Soiree,
was the chance rehabilitated after hitting a power line. learned many
basic swan facts,
to see and
Photo by Margaret Smith
such as a swan
touch a real
egg is about three times the size of a
trumpeter swan. Dave Hoffman, Iowa
chicken egg, and cygnets dont learn to
DNR and The Trumpeter Swan Society
fly until they are three or four months
Board Vice President, brought a swan
old.
AmeriCorps volunteers led the craft
activities which enthralled kids
and adults alike. Pine cones,
glitter, pipe cleaners and feathers
were transformed into miniature
swans to take home.
Iowa Audubon had a wonder-
Iowa uses red collars to identify its swans. Photo by the Iowa DNR.
ful presentation about Iowas birds of

winter. I learned about two species I
have not personally seen in Minnesota
and Wisconsin which occasionally visits
Iowa in winter- the white-winged crossbill and the red-breasted nuthatch.
Photographers and wannabe photographers learned great techniques for taking wildlife photos, from equipment recommendations, to photo tips. One tip I
found especially helpful was to focus on
the eyes of the subject.
Holly W., a Trumpeter Swan Society
member, shared her journey of healing
with a cancer diagnosis, and the part
swans played in her therapy. Simply
being able to sit outdoors and watch
swans helped restore her spirit and her
ability to focus. As she put it, my heart
just swells within me when I see wild
swans.
AmeriCorps volunteers led

craft activities including
making swans from
pine cones.
Photo by Margaret Smith
World-Class
Quality Hunts
AROUND
THE
WORLD!
Ted Tested, Ted Abused,

TED
APPRO
VED!
Call
Paul or
Toby to
book
your
dream
hunt
of a
lifetime!
Shemane Nugent
Queen of the Forest
Ted Nugent
517-750-9060 TedNugent.com
Facebook.com/tednugent
March 2016
Shortly after Iowa began its restoration

program in 1995, Iowa recognized that
it was the shortage of healthy wetlands
which hampered the states full restoration of this North American treasure.
With a slogan of Trumpeting the cause
for wetlands, the Iowa DNR and its
many private and public partners can
take real pride that in Iowa there are
now more than 300 summering trum-
87
peter swans. It is estimated that about

1,100 trumpeter swans winter in the
state. This is truly remarkable considering that more than a century before,
trumpeter swans had been hunted to
extinction in the state.
A pine cone swan

keepsake craft!
Photos by Margaret Smith.
Congrats to
Devlin Quinn,
16 years old
of Rushville Illinois
with a nice
10-point buck
killed in
Schuyler County.
Thanks to
proud parents
Tom & Mindy Quinn
for sharing
Devlins trophy!
Central Illinois Tactical
Teaching Good Guys to

Defend Against Bad Guys!
Experienced Firearms & Defensive Training. Specializing in Illinois

Concealed Carry, Refuse to Be a Victim, Self Defense, Security Consulting,
Plus Home & Business Safety Audits. Illinois Concealed Carry Classes
Available Now! Fee for the Full 16 Hours is Only $125. Discounts to
Veterans who Qualify for 8 Hours Credit, Spouses of Active Duty Military,
Spouses of Law Enforcement & Members of The Well Armed Woman &
Their Spouses. Ask About Private Classes Offered!
319 W. Washington St. Clinton IL 61727

217-731-4313 info@citactical.com
www.citactical.com
Pat Sullivan Mr. Fish

& friends ice fishing
in late January!
STOP BY
FOR GREAT
FOOD &
ICE-COLD,
HOMEMADE
ROOTBEER!
1713 S. 2nd, Route 29, Pekin, IL 61554
(309) 346-4666 Open March Sept.!
88
INDIANAS
GOGGLE EYE
By Dan Gapen Sr.
Bayou Bill Scifres Ill never forget my

dear friend. It was he who bestowed the
love of fishing Indianas miles of creeks.
The fish we sought were called Goggle Eye,
better known by others as the Rock Bass.
My first trek with Bill came on an early
day in August 1969. Wed fish tiny PawPaw creek near his home. Equipment
would consist of five foot light open-faced
spinning rods and reels. Lure of choice
would be a 1/16 oz. Hairy Worm jig, black

in color. Made by the Gapen Company,
the Hairy worm was the original pig-andjig style lure. From the moment my company came out with the Hairy Worm, Bill
fell in love with it.
Gapen, if you never make another lure
this one will do just fine. Its deadly on
creek fish as well as any lake or reservoir
species, Bill blurted out as the two of us
stepped into the cold waters of Paw-Paw.
Bill had been using the Hairy Worm
since early spring after receiving several at
the Indiana Sports Show in March that
same year.
Today, wed walk upstream and cover a
mile and a half of Paw-Paw where Bill

claimed some of the best Goggle-Eye fishing was to be found. The small streams
water depth would average calf deep most
of the way.
Even so, wed encounter a number of
deep bank holes where the creek shoreline
bent to the east or west. Along with Rock
Bass wed find an occasional small mouth
and the odd Pumpkinseed. Neither of
these would be kept but Bill informed me
it would be OK to drop a few Goggle-Eyes
into the gunny sacks we both had tied to
our belts. These sacks were commonly
called croaker sacks in Indiana, a name
theyd been given by the local bullfrog
gatherers. Our sacks were strung with a
cotton rope fish stringer and dangled
behind us in the water where they were
constantly wet keeping the catch fresh and
alive.
Wed gone but 50 yards upstream when
Bill stopped and pointed to a fallen
sycamore tree whose trunk was submerged.
Beneath it a hole had been created by flush-
March 2016
A google eye which succumbed

to an eighth-ounce Ugly Bug
ing water.
Dan, that hole under the sycamore
always holds a good school of Goggle-Eye.
You take it first. Drop your Hairy Worm
just above the tree trunk where the bottom
drops, Bill instructed as he pointed to the
black hole under the submerged tree trunk.
As instructed I complied. It took but a
second or so for my lure to fall deep after
bouncing off the white bark of the tree
trunk. As it disappeared into the darkness
there came a tap-tap and I was into number one Goggle-Eye of our outing.
Moments later a fat hand-sized dark brown
panfish thrashed to the surface. My buddy
claimed it was not big enough and should
be returned to the
water.
As my fish was being
released Bill had
dropped his jig directly
into the black hold on
the downstream side of
the submerged tree
trunk. Moments later
it was struck. Bill was
into a better fish. This
one pulled six feet of
the 8-pound monofilament line off Bills reel
before giving in.
More like it, partner. About a pound,
Id guess, Bill proclaimed as his healthy
one pound Rock bass
was unhooked and
dropped into his croaker sack.
Thats the size we
need, Gapen! It will fillet nicely and fry up
tonight for supper. Ive
concocted some new
breading. Nancy loves
it and you will too,
Bill commented as the
fish stringer was retied
to his belt.
We would take
eleven more GoggleEye out of the hole,
four of them keepers.
The rest were released.
Well need only two
more. My wife Nancy
isnt much of a fisheater
March 2016
but she loves Goggle- Deep in a creek bank hole,

Eye, especially when a rockbass awaits your offering
dipped in my new breading. Lets go in and leave
Sycamore Hole alone.
Those ones we released
will be big enough to
keep when we come
back in October, my
partner commented as
he stepped out and headed upstream.
My readers may think
Rock bass arent good eating; too wormy
Mr Walleye, our first day of fishing
some will say. Not so! In cool water youll
together was for Rock bass on Gull Lake.
never find parasite grubs in their flesh.
Until next time this has been the Ol
Grubs only come when water has been
Man, Dan Gapen Sr. hoping you RELAX,
warm too hot for a goodly length of time,
SAVOR and ENJOY our great outdoors.
and all fish subjected to this will contain
Its yours to save for our future generations.
the same grubs. What temperature must
One last thing. Bayou Bill Scifres has
water hold this warmth to create a probdeparted the world we live in, as I pen this
lem? In my research once water reaches 85
story. Ill truly miss him and hopefully hes
degrees for a sustained amount of time this
now fishing ten-pound Goggle Eyes in the
grub condition may occur. Often sluggish
small creek in Great Spirits world.
and dormant water is also part of the sceBobber Anne with
nario.
one of Bayou Bills
That evening we did have our meal of
favorite fish
Goggle-Eye filets. If you didnt know
ahead of time, you might have thought you
were eating Crappie.
It took Bayou Bill and I half a day to
fish that mile and a half of Paw-Paw Creek.
In all we caught 47 Rock bass, 8
Smallmouth, two large Pumpkinseeds and
one small charmed cat. All were released
except 7 of the larger Rock Bass. We
found no fish between the holes where
water ran ankle to calf deep. Only schools
of minnows seemed to inhabit these structures. Wed worked the hours between 6
AM to 12 noon, the coolest part of that
August day. If you choose to wade a local
creek, do it early in the morning or the last
five hours before sunset. After all, in
August, most of Illinois, Indiana and Iowa
see daytime temperatures reaching the 100
mark, conditions which can be miserable
even when wading. Approach to each hole
fished was from the downstream end. As
we dabbled our Hairy worms in each hole,
fish struck the instant it was presented. No
natural or live bait such as a piece of worm
was used. Once the lure was dropped into
each hole, if there wasnt a strike, we would
twitch it twice, drop it to bottom, lift and
repeat the twitch and hold for 30 seconds.
If this didnt do it, whatever fish was in the
hole wasnt going to strike.
Whenever Ive had the change to fish
Rock bass Ive taken it. On light spinning
gear theyre a blast. On Mille Lacs Lakein
Minnesota where I live they grow up to 2
1/2 pounds and when mixed with twopound perch, such is the case in that lake,
Kids of all ages love the fish
can be a blast to fish.
Years ago when I first met Gary Roach,
called google eye.
89
90
Hunting Purely Public Longbeards

Tired of knocking on doors or paying
expensive outfitter fees to experience untamed
gobbler action? Rock a public land plan.
By Darron McDougal
Black puffs dotted the dead cottonwood tree, picturesque pre-dawn silhouettes that
would make any turkey hunter grin from ear to ear. Gobbling soon boomed like thunder
across the desolate prairie. My wife and I exchanged wide-eyed glances, then returned our
focus to the roosted birds wed sited the previous evening. I made soft tree yelps, nocked an
arrow, attached my release and prepared for action.
Wingbeats signaled my preys descent, and hens soon investigated our decoys. The ladies
displayed aggression toward my Dave Smith Upright Hen decoy when the tom disappeared
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March 2016
at the base of the dyke on which we were situated. Seconds later, he strutted onto the dyke
for all to see. I couldve shot when he was 15 yards out, but he was on a mission toward my
Dave Smith Jake decoy. I let the show unfold.
I drew as he postured by the decoy, centering my top pin on his head. In my excitement,
I forgot my top pin doesnt correspond with the arrows trajectory at such close range, so
my arrow flew low, only notching his beak. Surprisingly, he didnt skip a beat; he continued torturing my decoy. I carefully nocked a second arrow, and since his head was moving
incessantly, I shot for the lungs. My prairie prize collapsed 6 yards away. God had orchestrated yet another incredible morning Ill never forget.
We stayed put and were watching and photographing dozens of deer when another flock
approached our setup. Several hens and jakes accompanied yet another vibrant gobbler. He
strutted right into our lap and began pecking the deflated toms head. I wished my wife had
a tag, but she didnt so we just watched as he taunted us with dozens of opportunities for a
slam-dunk bow shot.
Im sure by now youre thinking we were hunting managed private land wrong! This
was a public land hunt in South Dakota, (http://gfp.sd.gov/hunting/areas/public-land.aspx)
and the bird I took was the second of two gobblers arrowed during my hunt. Through the
years, Ive also slung plenty of public-land Wisconsin gobblers over my shoulder. I bet
youre interested in finding out how you too can experience red-hot gobbler action on public land. Well, follow along to learn how you can snuff out longbeards without knocking on
doors or paying expensive outfitter fees.
Less is Often More
Hunters naturally gravitate toward large public tracts believing more land produces better hunting. In areas with little pressure, expansive boundaries are great. In pressured areas,
though, small parcels are typically overlooked and consequently produce better hunting. I
rarely have to share isolated small parcels with other hunters. That alone boosts my success
odds.
For example, my South Dakota tom was taken on a small Game Production Area you can
see across 75 percent of the land is treeless. Most turkey hunters wouldnt give it a second glance. My wife and I took the time to scout it the evening before our hunt and spotted two separate flocks roosted in plain sight of our binoculars. I hunted the next morning
expecting not hoping to arrow a gobbler.
Use your resources to discover hunting locales not clearly marked with public access signs.
In Wisconsin, Managed Forest Land (MFL) and Forest Crop Land (FCL) are proven choices that dont get pressured like marked state land. In other states, Indian reservations allow
public hunting with a special license. My brother, Joe, has nabbed many birds across these
lands.
The idea is to escape the pressure. Large public parcels are popular; small parcels get overlooked. Tap out-of-the-way public tracts for an action-filled morning.
Habitat is Key
The key to public land turkey success is habitat. Eastern gobblers often inhabit a relatively small area with daily necessities: food, water and roosting trees. On average, theyre a bit
more predictable than Merriams turkeys in the west. However, eastern gobblers are less
responsive to calls, so both subspecies present their own challenges.
In Wisconsin, red-pine plantations make choice turkey habitat. Birds use them for roosting and security cover. I typically bowhunt without a blind, and red pines promote a stealthy
approach so I can set up ultra-close to the roost. Red pines bordering fields almost always
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March 2016
hold turkeys. Hardwood ridges are another

favorite option. A good rule of thumb is
that turkeys inhabit the same ground as
whitetails. Dont be afraid to tap your
whitetail hotspot for a spring gobbler party.
On the prairies, Merriams and Hybrid
gobblers usually roost in ancient cottonwood trees along river bottoms. This makes
for an easy starting point. However, prairie
birds typically have a substantially larger
daily range than their eastern counterparts.
One example is my first South Dakota
gobbler taken during the trip referenced
earlier. My wife and I arrived at an isolated
game production area well before dawn.
We heard nothing in the way of gobbling
but saw strut marks right on the gravel road
that separates private land from the public.
We decided to move to another area but
soon noticed my brothers vehicle parked a
half-mile up the road. He and his hunting
partner, Jeff Quinn, were listening to gobbling about 200 yards off the road in a
farmyard.
These turkeys arent like the ones back
in the Midwest, my brother said. I
wouldnt doubt if hell cut across that ridge
out there and end up right where you saw
the strut marks on the road.
Quinn agreed. Yeah, Merriams will
cover tons of ground in a short amount of
time, he said.
My wife and I watched and listened with

our windows down as gobbling ensued.
The pitch soon changed. As Joe predicted,
the gobbler marched across the ridge
toward the game production area. We
needed to act quickly the hen-less bird
being obviously on a mission. We turned
our Jeep around and booked it back to the
public land. We parked our vehicle out of
sight, grabbed our gear and walked less
than 100 yards before setting up, deploying
our ground blind and decoys in record
time.
I nocked an arrow and made a few yelps.
A faint gobble confirmed the tom was on a
string to our setup. He covered the ground
almost as quickly as we did with our vehicle. I made several more calls, each one
answered by an increasingly louder gobble.
In what seemed like seconds, the tom strutted within a yard of our ground blind as he
approached the decoys.
When his fan covered his eyeballs, I
drew. He fanned next to my Dave Smith
Jake decoy, and when he exposed his head,
I touched the trigger. My broadhead sliced
his necks base wide open, resulting in a
nearly instant kill. My wife and I high-fived
as we approached my first-day South
Dakota gobbler. The lesson is if you find
fresh gobbler sign but arent hearing gobbles, stay put. Western turkeys cover tons
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of ground, and they do it at vehicular

speed, as we learned.
Any public ground with turkey habitat is
liable to produce birds. On the prairies,
glass giant cottonwood trees at dusk for
roosted birds. In thicker regions, listen at
dusk for roosted gobblers. And finally,
keep an eye out for fresh evidence like
tracks, strut marks and droppings. Finding
turkeys on public land isnt difficult, it just
takes a little time.
Calling Advice
Im partial to mouth calls for several reasons. With practice one can sound like a
real hen, and operating them requires little
or no movement. I also pack a slate call.
Ideally, I take the birds temperature
while hes roosted by making a few soft tree
yelps. If he cuts me off, I call more aggressively. If he responds casually, I scale my
calling back. Even then, youll encounter
toms that just wont commit to your calls.
This can be frustrating, and if you have
only a few days to hunt, its okay to move
and locate a more responsive gobbler.
Early in the season, henned-up gobblers
are probably the most difficult to call in.
They gobble their heads off, but wont
leave the ladies for a date with your plastic
bird. In this case, I direct my calling at the
hens. I pitch aggressive purrs and clucks
with a goal to tick off the boss hen. When
she comes in, the whole flock usually follows.
As the season wanes, most hens are nested and gobblers are on the loose looking
for last-minute love. Calling can be very
effective on these solo birds, but remember
theyve been called to by other hunters
throughout the entire season. Most hunters
call aggressively, so make your calling
sound different with a passive approach.
Toms are already looking for a hen, so
theres no reason to call belligerently. Get
them interested with a few soft yelps and
go from there.
Conclusion
The advice Ive presented here has
helped me bow-bag a pile of public land
gobblers. Im confident it will produce
similar results for you, but I want to note
that there are no absolutes when it comes
to public land turkeys. Ive learned to just
try off-the-wall ploys when a gobbler seems
un-killable. An all-or-nothing approach is
often all it takes to punch out a tag. And if
it doesnt work, move to the next one.
Trial and error will help you develop a
public land turkey playbook of your very
own. One thing is for sure: Once you experience a rock n roll morning in the public
land turkey woods, youll want to do it
again and again. Its a riot!
GrandviewOutdoors.com
91
92
HIGGYS STAND
By Don Higgins
These Numbers
Dont Lie
In a recent article I touched on

the fact that Illinois residents are
becoming increasingly skeptical of
IDNR. I pointed out that in recent
years when IDNR releases figures
such as deer harvest totals, many
folks no longer believe them to be
true or accurate. My point was not
to dispute the accuracy of deer harvest numbers but simply the fact
that Illinois deer hunters no longer
accept anything from IDNR as fact.
Clearly the credibility of IDNR

has taken a big hit and continues to falter.
This month I am
going to share
some figures that
ARE accurate, and
the story that they
tell. It is actually a
story that many of
us already recognize from our own
firsthand experiences.
Twenty years ago
Illinois was home
to the best managed whitetail herd
on the planet. Illinois was envied
by deer hunters and biologists from

other states who dreamed of having
a deer herd of the quality that
Illinois had. Note I said HAD.
For years some of the states most
knowledgeable whitetail individuals have cried out long and hard
about the steady decline in the
quality of Illinois deer herd. Those
cries fell on deaf ears at IDNR as
one DNR Director after another
refused to address the issue despite
the culprit being so obvious. The
Illinois whitetail herd started its
decline under the guidance of biologist Paul Shelton who is still in
charge today and still refuses to
even accept that a decline has taken
place.
There is no better data to prove
the obvious than data collected
from bucks entered at the Illinois
Deer & Turkey Expo each year. At
this event deer hunters from across
the state bring their prized trophy
bucks to be officially scored and
entered into a contest. At one point
this event was tabbed the greatest
show of its kind by some of the
whitetail industries top names.
Today it struggles to stay in business. In fact that struggle is so real
that this year the event is being
moved from February when it was
always held to August. It is an
experiment to revive a once great
event for Illinois deer hunters.
So here is the data from the last
10 Illinois Deer & Turkey Expos.
This data shows the year, the total
March 2016
number of bucks entered and the

number of those bucks that are big
enough to qualify for the Boone &
Crockett record book. It doesnt
take too much intelligence to see
the direction the Illinois deer herd
is trending.
(Year - Total bucks entered Number of bucks meeting
B&C minimum)
!7
2015!!!!!!-!!!!!!!! 90
2014!!!! !-!!!!!!!!165
13
2013!!!!!!-!!!!!!! 220
18
2012!!!!!!-!!!!! !!280
28
2011 !!!!!-!!!!!! !307! 29!!!
2010 !!!!!-!!!!!! !499
32
2009!!!!!!-!!!!!!! 502
27
2008!!!!!!-!!!!!! 605
35
2007 !!!!!-!!!!!! !496
36
2006 !!!!!-!!!!!! !588
45
2005 !!!!!-!!!!!!!!628
56
The reason for this decline is really
very simple. IDNR whitetail biologist Paul Shelton has made it very
clear that he despises horn hunters
and his deer management policies
reflect that mindset. He has been
allowed to destroy the quality of
Illinois deer herd from within
because thus far no IDNR director
has ever reined him in. Even to this
day Shelton calls the shots regarding
the management of Illinois deer herd
and neither Governor Rauner nor
IDNR Director Rosenthal have done
a thing to stop it. For proof look no
further than last year when Illinois
deer hunters expected big changes in
the deer management policy after
Rauners election victory which they
helped lead. Those expected changes
never materialized.
How disheartening is it when a
governor campaigns on the platform
of Shaking up Springfield and yet
that governor when elected does
nothing to address this glowing problem despite the fact that he is a
hunter. Not only that but he appoints
an IDNR Director who is also a
hunter and who reportedly has two
sons who are avid deer hunters.
Think about that for a second; we
have a governor who is a hunter and
an IDNR director who is a hunter and
yet we must sit and watch as our
Illinois deer herd continues to be mismanaged.
Now let me throw a couple more
figures at you. Bass Pro Shops conducted a survey of its customers and
found that 82% support quality deer
management. In 2014 for the first
time in history across the entire country, yearling bucks made up less than
March 2016
half of all the bucks harvested. Clearly

deer hunters support a deer herd managed for quality and yet Illinois continues to allow Paul Shelton to destroy the
quality of our deer herd.
Besides the fact that the majority of
deer hunters support a deer herd managed for quality, a well-managed quality deer herd is of so much more value to
the state. I mentioned the fact that the
Illinois Deer & Turkey Expo is a dying
event; that is a fact that I attribute to the
decline in the quality of the Illinois deer
herd. This event brings revenue to
Illinois businesses as well as the state.
Also, non-resident deer hunters flock to
states with well managed deer herds.
Illinois is living on its past reputation in
that regards and as these non-resident
hunters come to Illinois and see what
has happened to our deer herd they look
for other destinations to take their hunting trips. Again, Illinois businesses and
the state lose revenue. There are other
examples as well.
Illinois deer hunters pinned their
hopes on Governor Rauner and after
doing nothing to address this problem in
2015 some of them have already thrown
in the towel on yet another governor. If
nothing significant happens in 2016
Rauner will be lucky to get any deer
hunter to vote for him in 2018.
A WILDERNESS LIFE
AS I LIVED IT
93
Author Dan Gapen Sr. was once described by the Fishing Hall of Fame as
the Jack London or Ernest Hemmingway of the fishing world. This book,
Dans 27th, contains 696 pages, 67 chapters, 2 color photo sections, and a 31page collage of black and white photos from his past and present life.
A WILDERNESS LIFE!is by far the best writing Dan has done in his life.
You are taken from the barrens of North Americas arctic to the steaming jungles of South America. So descriptive is this author that youll experience the
howling of wolves as they hunt down a wayward moose, find yourself high on
a tundra esker facing a migration of arctic caribou, or fighting a giant 100pound red tail catfish in the Amazon River of Brazil. Dan will take you into a
blind in Argentina where Magellan geese fall to the bark of your small- gauge
shotgun, then youll be behind a leather- hinged log cabin door as a!black bear
attempts to gain entry.
If you love the wilderness outdoors as the author does youll find he exposes his heart in the two forwards in the book.
One a plea to his reader to protect the wilderness he grew up in, the other a request to be read after hes gone.
The author at 83 years old is a man whos traveled most of the wild trails of this world. A Wilderness LIFE takes the
reader down these trails.
Today Dan Gapen Sr. lives on 40 acres of wilderness land in central Minnesota which he calls ye old forty. Here,
among his deer, beaver, sandhill cranes, ducks and geese as well as whippoorwills, squirrels, songbirds and burping frogs
he will live out his life. All will be fed black sunflower seeds and shelled yellow corn kernels while providing the satisfaction needed by this man of the wilderness. His writings will continue as time passes and maybe therell come a 28th
book. Time will tell.
To obtain a copy of A Wilderness Life send $35.00 plus $5.95 S&H to:
Dan Gapen Sr. 17910 87th St. Becker MN 55308
Call toll free at 877-623-2099, or order online at www.Gapen.com.
If you wish, Dan will autograph your book to you, or anyone you wish to give it to.
94
BRAINERD M N. . .
W O RLDS LARG EST ICE F ISH ING
CO NTEST A SUCCESS
By Bernie Barringer
There was some question if this years Ice Fishing Extravaganza was going to happen. In
mid-January, only one week before the contest was set to occur, ice conditions were less than
ideal on Hole-in-the-Day Bay at the northeast corner of Gull Lake in Crow Wing County,
Minnesota. The Sheriffs department will not issue a permit for the contest unless they find
a consistent 14-18 inches of ice across the 250-acre contest area.
The unusually mild winter caused the contest to be postponed until February 6. The ice
conditions improved and the permit was issued. The day before the event, dozens of volunteers plowed roads onto the lake, set up tents, positioned dozens of porta-potties, and of
course, drilled holes. In fact, they drilled a grid of about 20,000 holes about four feet apart.
Throngs of people flowed out onto the fishing area on Saturday, each hoping to get a
piece of the $150,000 prize package. Most years, this event draws about 10,000-12,000
anglers and this year wont break the record of 13,000, but when the final numbers are tabulated, it will show that the turnout was good. Each paid $50 to participate in the fundraising event.
The Ice Fishing Extravaganza is organized by the Brainerd Jaycees, which gives away
about $200,000 of the funds raised to community charities each year. More than 3 million
has been donated to 67 charities due to this event.
While most anglers hail from Minnesota, the contest draws from several surrounding
states. All told, anglers from 22 states and 11 countries have participated since the contest
was first held in 1991.
Any fish caught are weighed to the 100th of a pound and the top 150 fish are awarded a
prize. The prize range from big to small, with the winner taking home his choice of a brand
new Ford or GMC pickup. Other large prizes include an Ice Castle custom fish house,
ATVs and other fishing gear. Each prize package is valued at a minimum of $250. Even if
you are among the list of anglers who do not catch a single fishwhich includes the vast
March 2016
majorityyou can still

win prizes in a drawing,
some of which are valued
at over $10,000.
This years winner was
Dan Volbert of Chaska,
Minnesota. He chose the
GMC truck and his
5.33-pound walleye was
slid back through a hole
into Gull Lake. He
caught the fish in only
five feet of water, unusual for ice fishing where
most of the anglers gravitated towards the dropoffs and even fished as
Imagine 20,000 holes in the ice, more than
deep as the 80-foot deep
10,000
hardy anglers and $150,000 in prizes for
portion of the 250-acre
a
3-hour
contest and you have a picture of the
fishing area.
Any species of fish is
annual Ice Fishing Extravaganza.
eligible to win, but the
winning fish most years is either a northern pike or a walleye. Pike were noticeably absent
in the bags this year, with only one making the top 150. Most of the top 50 heaviest fish
were walleyes, although a few eelpout made an appearance. Normally a good sized perch will
get you a prize, but this year, an abundance of tulibee over a pound filled out most of the
places from 50-150.
Because of the way the tournament is organized and held, its jam-packed with activity
andcrowds of people at every turn; it would be very difficult to cheat in the event. Still,
some of the largest prizes are scattered at random among the 150 places, making it impossible to take advantage of the situation.
This event is a boon to the local economy in the Brainerd Lakes area. An area well-known
for its summer tourism season, the ice fishing contest gives much-needed wintertime
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Billed as the worlds largest charity

ice fishing tournament, the event
draws 10,000-13,000 paid
participants each year.
Anglers of any size and age have a
chance to win. In some years, this
perch would have won a $250 prize,
but the fishing was particularly
good in 2016.
tourism boost. The funds raised goes back into
many community projects, with the majority of
the money going to Camp Confidence Learning
Center, a camp that introduces kids with developmental disabilities to the outdoors.
The contests reign as the worlds largest
charitable ice fishing event is not in danger of
being dethroned any time soon. The organizers
call the event the second largest city in Crow Wing County for a day. The event also
includes numerous concession tents, games for kids, vendor displays, first aid station and a
central stage area. Its not all about fishing, and people of all ages participate in the fun.
If you would like to be a part of the event in the future, check out the website at www.icefishing.org for more information. The 2017 Extravaganza is scheduled for the third
Saturday in January.
All photos courtesy of Brainerd Jaycees
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95
ASO friend
Pat Sullivan took
a trip to see his
Aunt & Uncle Kelly
Harry Kelleher
in San Diego to
help them celebrate
Their 56th wedding
anniversary. Harry
& his bride, both 90,
were married on
Valentines Day
in 1960!
Top: Pat, Uncle Kelly)
and Larry Allen all on
their way for a great day
fishing Lake Paway.
Bottom: The weather was
great at 85 degrees. Pat
and Uncle Kelly enjoyed a
little bank fishing.
Kellehers
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Peoria, IL
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Call: 815-942-1333
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96
A Short Walk in Forest Park

with Norm & Bruce
March 2016
Photos by Bruce Brown
No need for much of a comment from me, Bruce pretty

much covers it all with his camera. I was not so interested
in what the Naturalist was saying being an old outdoorsman
myself. What I got a kick out of was watching the kids. I
would spend time with one or two of them then go on to the
next. Their questions were so intelligent that it made me
think they had a scriptwhich they did not.
When I went on outings as a kid about all I ever heard was, Norman get away from there
and stick with the group. I grew up in a very large woods just down the street from where
I lived and if there was ever a paradise in my childhood it was right there. The kids and the
naturalist had a wonderful time together I can tell you that. Truth is Bruce never stopped
smiling.
#1) A 'warmer' Winter day, interesting tracks in the soft ground!

#2) Alto Winter, snakes not much 'in action' Christina showed a 'snakeskin' to our group. 2
#3) A 'Winter Walker-LOOKER' can find Blue Jay feathers.
#4) A much interesting - 'shed' deer antler
#5) Naturalist Kiefer, was equipped with pictures of 'Wild Things'
#6) The 'shed' deer antler was likely the 'hit' of the day
#7) Naturalist Christina Kiefer was equipped with an electronic 'bird sound' device - walkers could 'hear' the
birds of Winter
#8) Christina showed 'Black Snake Eggs' to part of the 'VERY INTERESTED' Winter Walkers!
#9) The Winter Walk attracted Nature Lovers of ALL ages
#10) The 'Winter Walkers' take in just part of the Forest Park's 500 acres of dedicated Ill State Nature Preserve.
#11) The Nature Center sits, partially on the grounds of Peoria's long-gone TB Sanitarium. Norm Kelly ASO
writer & HISTORIAN contemplates WHERE exactly it was. Read his article on this place this month on page
14.
#12) The Forest Park
3
Nature Center, just off
Route 29, on Gardner Lane,
also features a Nature Store.
The Park, Store, & 7 MILES of Hiking Trails.
8
10
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Jerky & Summer Sausage Seasonings Casings
Anything & Everything for Home Deer Processing
WE HAVE IT IN ALL STORE LOCATIONS!

ILLINOIS: Macomb, Monmouth, Canton, Galesburg, Kewanee
IOWA: West Burlington
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PEPSI SUPPORTS WOMEN IN THE OUTDOORS!
March 2016
11
TAKING A STEP
BACK IN TIME
Thanks to
Bruce
Brown
for taking
such excellent
photos
for ASO
Magazine!
12
I was recently cleaning out

the clutter from
a desk used as
a catch all
for stuff I plan
to sort through
as some time
or other and
found a black
and white picture taken of
by Marlene
my
husband,
Odahlen-Hinz
Jerry, during a
winter hunting trip in the late 50s or
early 60s. He refers to that time as his
BC period -- before compounds.
I was curious about how this group
could have gotten so many rabbits
because Ive spent a day hunting these
long eared mammals with my compound and only came home with one or
two for the stew pot. I thought I could
clear identify nearly 30 rabbits in the
photo. I wanted to know his secret.
The first step was waiting until after
deer season ended. Rabbit hunting was
a way of extending the time a
97
bowhunter could be in the woods.

Whitetail deer was, and always will be,
the number one big game animal for
most bowhunters. Chasing rabbits was
just another opportunity for the boys
to get together. Jerry remembered that
many of the wives thought good
hunting season was over and now their
husbands would be home to take care of
things on that ever lengthening honey
do list. I guess they thought wrong,
was Jerrys comment because he
recalled how the group would plan
those Saturday bunny hunts during the
league night at the Chilakoot Archery
Club held every Tuesday evening.
They would discuss who would drive,
what area they would hunt in western
Minnesota and how many archers
would be included for the days hunt.
Step two was to hope for lots of snow
which usually occurred in January and
February. Heavy snow forced the rabbits into farmers groves where they
could find food and cover. It was not
unusual to see abandoned vehicles,
rock and brush piles in those groves and
shelter belts around the landowners
outbuildings that the rabbits could use
as a safety cover from predators and the
harsh elements common at that time of
the year.
Contd. on next pg.
98
TIME

Contd. from previous pg.
Back then corn was stored in wooden cribs giving local wildlife easy
access to the cobs. These cribs offered
food for so many other animals as well
like squirrels, mice, birds and even
deer. I can remember from my days
growing up on a farm how many trails
lead from the nearby fields and woods
directly to those cribs.
Step three was finding a farmer
willing to let hunters on their property.
Usually one fellow from the group
would approach the farmer. Telling
him you would be using a bow almost
always gave the guys an immediate
go ahead nod. Farmers didnt care
for gun hunters shooting at rabbits so
close to their homes and buildings.
Rabbit hunters.
It was a great way to
extend the hunting
season and add a
different type of meat to
a favorite stew recipe.
Jerrys group got very few no you

cant hunt responses from the locals.
They mostly got grins and smirks
along with the permission to hunt
because farmers thought no way could
a rabbit be shot with a recurve bow.
Jerry recalls one farmer giving them
permission to hunt and added that the
group probably wouldnt hurt his rabbit population. They took 8 rabbits
that day. The next Saturday the group
was back and took 6 more rabbits
home. The third Saturday the farmer
said he wanted a few rabbits left for
seed and the group was welcome to
come back next year. So, they were
back scouting out other receptive
farmers. The group would hunt from
up to ten farms on a Saturday.
Step four involved the method of
Abandoned
manure
spreader.
Abandoned
vehicles and
farm equipment
offered shelter
from the harsh
winter elements
to rabbits and
other rodents.
March 2016
hunting. As you can see by the photo,

recurves with no sights were used.
Remember these was the days before
compound bows. Shafts were made of
cedar, fletched with feathers from
turkeys, and tipped with casings from
38 caliber bullets. Using a shell casing preserved the meat and kept the
shaft in the rabbit for easy recovery
should it attempt to go in a hole or
brush pile.
Many of this group sprayed the
fletchings with florescent paint making the shafts easier to recover under
the snow when it missed the target. A
keen eye able to spot those small paint
flecks was necessary to keep a quiver
fully stocked because lots of arrows
were lost under those blankets of
snow.
Step five entailed hunting techniques and strategy. The snow
allowed the guys to identify the trails
Fletching and shafts.

Often these hunters spray
painted their fletching a
florescent orange color making
the arrows easier to recover
under a blanket of snow. Field
tips were replaced with casing
from a 38 caliber bullet.
the rabbits used to exit the

grove, so men were posted
(stationed) on those corners.
A couple fellows were posted along the outside while
two from the group would
walk directly into the grove
very slowly.
Sometimes
the rabbits would be sunning themselves offering an
archer a good shot.
However, once a rabbit was
up and running, it was
important for the group to
shout out what direction the animal
was taking so another hunter could be
prepared for a shot as it hopped by
him. Quite often a rabbit was concerned with what was pursuing it that
it forgot the danger in front of it as it
sat and looked back to see if it was still
being chased.
At the end of each drive the rabbits
were field dressed and at the close of
the day the bounty was divided among
the members of the hunting party. A
few were set aside for a wild game
dinner held at the end of the season in
March.
It was a tradition that each hunter
would contribute $.25 in the beginning of the days hunt which was then
later awarded to the person who shot
the first rabbit offering a kitty of
maybe $1.50-$2.00. The hunters
always came in two vehicles because
one of the cars would inevitably get
stuck in the heavy snow and needed to
be pulled out. Four-wheel drive trucks
were not that common back then.
Three of the men pictured are still
alive and in their 80s. Two of them
remain very active in bowhunting but
are using compound bows now.
Until next month dont forget to
take your daughter, granddaughter or
niece bunny hunting.
March 2016
99
One Day on a Charter

By Joe Henry
Charter boat, excitement of netting a big walleye

Some people believe there are no
coincidences, but rather, things are
meant to be. Regardless of your
beliefs, this particular day on a charter boat on the big water of Lake of
the Woods turned out to be special.
My intent was to jump on a charter
with the purpose of getting some
good photography of walleye fishing,
maybe make a video and certainly, to
feel that familiar weight of a nice
walleye myself. It seems good things
typically happen on a charter, and let
me tell you, this day was no different.
Lake of the Woods is one of the
few lakes you can jump on a 27 30
foot charter boat and fish walleyes. A
Coast Guard licensed charter captain
takes away all of the worry regarding
navigation, lunch, bait, tackle, getting on the fish and even the fish
cleaning after the trip. Most resorts
in these parts offer charter fishing,
but on this particular day, we were
with Captain Darrell of Border View
Lodge.
Most captains have a license that
allows them to guide up to 6 customers at a time, which makes this
type of boat ideal for the size of the
crew. With a cuddy cabin below, a
small restroom if needed and big
enough to handle the big water this
lake is known for are all nice benefits.
If you dont have a crew of six,
which many dont, most of the resorts
will work with you to combine
groups so you only pay your fair
share. Whether you are by yourself
or in a small group, jumping on a
charter boat is certainly doable.
Fishing with people you dont know
can end up being a nice bonus as I
was about to find out.
I was on board with four other people. One couple, John and Sonja and
a father son team of Tom and Brent.
We had never fished together, but we
were all excited to hit the water for a
great day of fishing.
Our destination was some structure

on the south end of Garden Island, a
good boat ride from the mouth of the
Rainy River where we departed from.
On this day, there was a lot of debris
in the water from a record 80 year
rain event that had just occurred.
Captain Darrell brought his A
game when it came to watching for
debris and by following in the wakes
of charters ahead of us, managed to
avoid hitting anything.
Once to our destination, we
anchored up and started jigging with
jigs and frozen shiners. The emerald
shiner is a main forage for Lake of
the Woods walleyes. In addition,
they provide a nice flash and a lot of
scent. Walleyes love them. It didnt
take long and we started to catch a
combination of walleyes, saugers and
jumbo perch, with an occasional pike
thrown in for good measure.
Initially, Sonja had the hot stick.
Sonja is a fun person with a good
Walleyes on a charter, Capt. Darrell, Tom, Brent, Sonja & John

sense of humor and she enjoys good
conversation. I think she would be
the first to tell you, between her and
her husband John, she is definitely
the chattier of the two. We had some
fun with her very unique, yet effective method of jigging. You need to
have an apple in one hand and your
fishing rod in the other. While holding a conversation with the rest of the
boat and eating an apple, she would
lift her jig way off the bottom, and
then drop it erratically back down to
the bottom. This was not pre planned
or by design, but on this day, the
walleyes wanted it! She was on fire
and taught us all a lesson for the first
part of the trip.
John held his own though and
throughout the day, caught up nicely,
just without the flare of his wife. He
did it old school, without an apple or
the conversation or the patent lift and
drop technique of his wife.
Enjoying the camaraderie of good
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people on a charter boat is a gratifying experience. It really adds to the

overall experience of catching
walleyes, relaxing on the water,
breathing in the fresh northern air,
and making the trip mean that much
more.
The other two anglers on the boat
were the father/son duo of Tom and
Brent. Wanting to spend some quality time together, they thought a fishing vacation would be spot on. The
thought was to spend some quality
father/son time together while staying at a nice resort, eating some good
food and doing some fishing on the
big pond. And fishing they did.
Side by side reeling in walleyes,
listening to the water lap against the
side of the boat, soaking in the sun,
talking about old times while hanging
out with a loved one is a nice gig. It
was evident, these guys were enjoying every moment. Both Tom and
Contd. on next pg.
100
CHARTER
Contd. from previous pg.
Brent are good anglers and caught

good numbers of walleyes and
saugers. Although Brent enjoyed the
day, he really wanted a bit more. He
had always heard about the trophy
walleyes in this lake and wanted to
catch a monster.
As the day went on, we all caught
good fish and a lot of them, slowly
filling the icy cooler for the evening
fish fry. As time slipped away into
the afternoon, we were sitting just
fine as far as numbers of fish. Our
captain decided to make a move to an
area that was holding some larger
fish. We pulled into the spot, he
dropped the anchor and we began to
fish. After about 15 minutes, we
started hooking up with some nice
walleyes. Although we caught fish
up to 25 inches, we never did get that
true trophy Brent was hoping for.
Brent would be the first one to tell
you, not catching a trophy walleye
this day really wasnt the end of the
world. We had a great day in so
many ways. It was a day of incredible day of fishing, new friendships
and great memories to never be forgotten. Was it that Brent knew some-
thing about the rest of the trip we didnt? I dont think so, but trophy walleye luck for Brent was about to
change.
My four new friends enjoyed a second day of fishing without me as I
had to depart. And wouldnt you
know it, later the next day I received
a message. He did it! Brent caught
the fish of his dreams, a 31 inch monster walleye with his Dad by his side.
As some might say, this was simply
the icing on the cake to a fishing trip
for the books.
This day on a charter was special. I
was very touched to have shared the
father/son experience of Brent and
his Dad fishing together. I couldnt
believe it when Brent reached out to
let me know he caught his monster.
Unbelievable.
I was also touched meeting a couple spending quality time together on
the water. When I am in a booth or
giving a seminar at a sports show in
the twin cities area, I look forward to
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March 2016
seeing John and Sonja as they always

make sure they come by and say
hello.
The four have continued booking
their charter trip together. Special
things can happen on a charter boat
on the middle of Lake of the Woods.
They certainly did on this trip.
Borderview 2014,
Captain Darrell and Brent
LaSalle Lake Opens for the

Season on March 15
MARSEILLES, IL - The Illinois Department of Natural
Resources (IDNR) today announced that the LaSalle Lake
State Fish and Wildlife Area will open for the 2016 season
on March 15.
Beginning March 15, LaSalle Lake will be open daily,
6:00 a.m. Sunset. All fishermen must be off the lake by
closing time each day. Hours may be adjusted due to
staffing issues, so visitors should call ahead (815) 357-1608 to confirm operating hours.
Visitors to LaSalle Lake are reminded that on opening day and during the first
two weeks of the fishing season, long lines are expected at the site entrance.
Visitors are to adhere to all rules, regulations and direction from staff to make
this spring season at LaSalle Lake an enjoyable experience for all.
Visitors are also reminded that LaSalle Lake is a perched lake and can
become turbulent during windy or inclement weather. The IDNR encourages
all visitors at LaSalle Lake to be aware of the lake conditions at all times.
There is a wind warning system at LaSalle Lake. It is located on the tip of
the internal dike that extends from the west shore. When the light of the wind
warning system is flashing, no boats are to be launched and boats on the lake
should find calm water and get off the lake when safe to do so.
Follow the IDNR on Facebook and Twitter!
March 2016
101
WARMER WEATHER
MARKS THE BEGINNING
OF CAMPING SEASON
by Jason Houser
Temperatures
are rising, and
that means the
official beginning
to camping season has arrived.
Camping
can
either be a disaster, or it can provide some of the greatest
memories you will have. A lot of what you
do will decide if the experience was a good
or bad one.
MAKE PLANS
There are no guarantees that your first
camping trip of the year will be a good one,
but planning in advance helps. Because
lots of families will be camping throughout
the summer, campgrounds can fill up in a
hurry. If possible, make reservations ahead
of time. This will allow you go straight to
your reserved site that you chose in
advance. It is nice not to have to worry
about having to drive around, and find an
Take the time to go camping this year, and enjoy

what the outdoors has to offer.
available camp site, if one is even available.
WHAT DO YOU WANT AND NEED?
It helps to know what you and your family prefer to do when camping so that you
can choose the best campground. If your
family likes to fish, a good lake with fishing
available is nice. If you would rather hike
the trails though the forest, prioritize your
search for a campground that has hiking
trails. The same is true for campers that
enjoy biking and horseback riding. There
are plenty of state parks throughout the
state that will have what you are looking
for. However, it will take a little homework to find the best spot for you and your
family.
Something else to think about is if you
want a camp site with electricity or not. It
does cost a few more dollars for a site that
has electricity, but it comes in handy to run
a coffee pot, a fan on hot nights, and other
luxuries. Consider where the restrooms
and shower houses are located in proximity to your camp site. This might sound
minor, but it is nice to be near these facilities.
To reserve a camping site at any state
park that allows camping go to:
ww.reserveamerica.com.
If you cannot get into a state park, there
are plenty of private campgrounds
With a little planning, you can

have a great camping
experience near you.
throughout the state. Most lakes in the
state has campgrounds very near the water.
Another option is one of the many rivers
that wind through Illinois.
With a couple of phone calls it is very
easy to gain permission to camp on the
banks of a river. Some of my favorite
camping memories have come from camping along the river, setting bank poles and
trot lines for catfish with family and
friends. Wherever you camp, always
respect the land, and carry out your trash.
BE PREPARED
Once you have decided where you will
Contd. on next pg.
102
What The
Anti-Hunters Always
Fail to Understand.
(No Big Surprise
Theyve Had it Wrong Forever!!)
By Brad Severs
1.! Avid hunter Theodore Roosevelt created our national forests and
grasslands and forever protected 230 million acres for wildlife and the
public to use and enjoy.
SEASON Contd. from previous pg.

camp, you need to make sure you have
everything you will need. Double check all
your camping gear, especially if you have
not used it this year. Check your tent,
sleeping bag, tarp, cooking supplies, camp
stove, and other gear to be sure it is in good
shape. You will also want to make sure you
bring enough food for the entire trip. I
would rather be camping, than making
unnecessary trips to the store. Also, do not
make the mistake thinking you can catch
enough fish to sustain your needs. You
might just go hungry.
FINAL THOUGHTS
A good trip can quickly turn bad. Be
sure to pack sunscreen, insect repellant, toiletries, personal camping gear, clothing for
any weather changes, rain gear, and recreational gear.
To get the most out of your trip, go prepared, learn as much as you can about the
area you will be camping, and have plans.
It does not take much planning to have a
good outing close to home. Many people
live very near areas that provide exceptional camping, and other activities. The great
thing about camping is that it is an awesome way to relax, costing little money,
March 2016
2.!An 11 percent tax on guns, ammo, bows and arrows generates $371
million a year for conservation. $371 million is a lot of money. It puts
many people to work and enables many conservation!programs.
3. Hunting supports 680,000 jobs; from game wardens to waitresses,
biologists to motel clerks. Speaking of jobs, how about that anti-hunters?
Well over a half a million jobs are created from hunting, according
to!Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. (RMEF.org)
4.!Through state licenses and fees, hunters pay $796 million a year for
conservation programs. In other words, hunters are essentially the backbone for conservation programs. Without hunters there would be less
conservation programs.
5. When tallying up the various fees, licensing, and taxes, hunters raise
$1.6 billion!
6. The best form of eating organic is hunting. Nosler said it best: Eat
Organic-Shoot Nosler In a world that loves to go all natural and eat
organic, hunting is the purest form of organic eating. Not to mention
most of game is high in protein and provides great nutritional value.
7. In the past century, elk, whitetails, turkeys, and ducks have gone from
thousands to millions thanks to the help of hunters and programs funded
by hunters. Thats right. Without the efforts of hunters, many of the animals that are abundant! today! would have dwindling populations. The
next time an anti-hunter says we are killing too many animals, share
some of this information.
If you enjoy fishing, many

campgrounds offer great
fishing opportunities.
and does not require vacation days from
work for travel. Take the time to enjoy,
and relax this summer at a campground
near you.
Captions
Take the time to go camping this year, and
enjoy what the outdoors has to offer.
If you enjoy fishing, many campgrounds
offer great fishing opportunities.
With a little planning, you can have a great
camping experience.
near you.
8. Hunters keep nuisance species in check and keep herd numbers

healthy for various other animals.
9. Sport hunting in Zambia provides 143 tons of meat to rural villages
with an estimated value of $600,000. A!study!done by two individuals
found that sport hunting offers great benefits to the inhabitants! of the
land. Most times the rural natives are happy when a dangerous animal is
harvested,
because
the
village
becomes
safer.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4334497/
10. At the end of the day, Ill never apologize for being a hunter. As
hunters, we need to stand strong, unite as one and NEVER apologize for
being who we!are! We should focus our energy on being the best hunters
we can be by challenging ourselves to be ethical, respectful and responsible!so as to humbly uphold our proud heritage. Now, lets get out there
and enjoy the great outdoors!
Inugay Watch
Jewelry Repair
101 W Walnut St. PO Box 1102 Tremont, IL 61568
309-925-3019
March 2016
Joe
Traditions Media
Stacks the Deck with
Storytelling Talent
Joe Balog and Jay Anglin
deliver depth to growing
communications team
Traditions Media a progressive-public-relations, media communications and social media
team representing some of the best brands in
the outdoors industry has announced recent
expansion.
Career hunting and fishing professionals and
established communicators, Joe Balog and Jay
Anglin, have joined the Traditions Media team to
provide service to a growing stable of hunting
and shooting sports partners. Anglin and Balog
will also provide representation and communications support for Traditions substantial fishing-sector partners.
Joe and Jay are great fits for our unique
team, stated Traditions Media co-founder and
President, Noel Vick, whose trusted brand of
communications is firmly rooted in a culture of
living outdoor lifestyles. We partner with talented writers who have earned legitimacy not
only in the communications profession and in
the field, but also have a keen understanding of
the business-of-the-business, Vick continued.
Their lifelong experience puts them in a truly
unique position to tell the kinds of compelling
and valuable stories outdoorspeople want to
read.
Jay W. Anglin honed his outdoor skills in
Michigans rugged Upper Peninsula where he
earned a wildlife biology degree at Northern
Michigan University. Raised on the water in
Northern Indiana, Anglin has been tying flies
and fly-fishing for over 30 years, while guiding
hunters and anglers for the last 20.
Specializing in steelhead, salmon, bass, muskie,
waterfowl and turkeys, his company, Anglin
Outdoors, provides quality fishing and hunting
experiences, along with ample doses of education on wildlife management and conservation
ethics.
Too many guides are so focused on catching
fish or killing game that they become blind to
Jay
Joe
Jay
their obligation to educate, said Anglin, who is
well known and respected throughout the flyfishing industry and believes that guides are the
true ambassadors of the hunting and fishing
industries. The outdoors is a singular, expansive classroom, he continued. Teaching and
learning on both sides and on all fronts is
what the business of guiding is all about, and Im
excited by the prospect of continuing that mission in my communications work for Traditions
Media and the excellent brands they represent.
Anglin is also an accomplished freelance
writer, speaker, and syndicated columnist.
Anyone who has met him has an immediate
understanding of his communication skills,
said Vick, affectionately referring to Anglins
remarkable gift of gab. Kidding aside, Jays
significant knowledge and passion for the outdoors come through in a loud, clear and captivating way.
Anglin is as a member and active volunteer
for Ducks Unlimited and Delta Waterfowl, Trout
Unlimited and the National Wild Turkey
Federation. He lives in LaPorte, Indiana with his
wife Angie, their five children Lauren, Mitch, RJ,
103
Elizabeth, Susan, his Black Lab, Deuce, and his

chocolate lab Trixie.
Joe Balog has been involved in nearly every
possible role in the outdoor world since entering
the industry as a competitive angler over twenty years ago. Widely known as a primary authority on northern smallmouth bass fishing, Joe has
earned several national bass tournament wins
many on his home waters of Michigans Lake St.
Claire and has served on multiple pro staff
and R&D teams for some of the fishing industrys largest companies, forming the Millennium
Promotions agency in 2000 to facilitate his
extensive promotional and consulting work.
Balog is a popular seminar speaker and writes a
wildly popular weekly column for BassFan.com.
But its Balogs vast experience and connections in the hunting world that hell primarily
call on in his new role with Traditions Media.
Joes a tremendous resource for our team
with far-reaching contacts, said Traditions
Media Hunting and Shooting Sports
Communications Manager, Josh Lantz, who has
known both Anglin and Balog for over 20 years.
He speaks and writes in a clear and thoughtful
manner His significant experience and

knowledge come through with a refreshing
degree of humility and respect that puts readers
at extreme ease, Lantz continues.
A life-long deer hunter turned waterfowl
junkie, Balog spends hundreds of hours afield
each fall and winter. In addition, his admitted
outdoor addictions fit perfectly within the
Traditions mold.
Ive worked with many of the countrys leading outdoor communicators, and Ive always
viewed Traditions Medias writers as being special, Balog noted. Their experience on the
water and in the field is immediately apparent.
Ive always believed that kind of experience can
be felt by the reader, and Im proud to add my
name to their list of contributors.
Balog recently moved from his well-known
whereabouts on the Great Lakes beat to DeLand,
Florida, a few miles off the St Johns River,
where he fishes nearly every day. Balog travels
north to hunt deer with family each fall, and
pursues ducks wherever they fly.
Anglin and Balog began their work with
Traditions Media in January.
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104
Real Estate Chatter

By: Mary Ann Vance
Here we are
starting March
and so far I
would say we
have had a pretty mild winter.
Our temperatures should
only go up from
here and any
snow we get should melt away fairly quickly
so maybe we can put another winter in the
books. Now it is time to look ahead to
spring. I thought I would give you some
pointers on your deck to help you get it
ready for summer and all those family gatherings.
Spring Care and Maintenance of Your Deck
Annual deck maintenance will forestall
repairs, protect your investment, and boost
your enjoyment of your outdoor space.
Because decks are exposed to the elements
all year round, its a good idea to establish a
routine of upkeep thatll protect your deck
and prevent expensive repairs.
Late Spring: Wash the Deck
An unwashed deck is an invitation to
mold and mildew, which can cause rot.
Heres how to wash your deck:
1. Remove debris from between deck
And Auctions!
boardsusing a putty knife. Pay special attention to the areas where deck boards cross the
joists the structural members underneath
the decking.
TIP: For a makeshift extension thats a
real knee-saver, try pushing the handle of
your putty knife into a length of 1 & 1/4inch PVC pipe. Some putty knives squeeze
right in. Or buy a pole-type groove and
crevice cleaner.
2. Protect all shrubs and plantings. Wet
them and cover them with plastic sheeting.
3. Thoroughly sweep the deck.
4. Choose an appropriate cleanser.
Wood deck: Use a standard deck cleaner
and follow its directions. Some require the
decking to be wet first. Some dont.
Composite deck: Use a cleaner specifically formulated for composite material. Attack
grease and oil stains with a commercial
degreaser and detergents.
Vinyl (cellular PVC) deck: Youll only
need to use warm water and a mild soap to
remove mold, mildew, and dirt.
5. Clean the deck.Choose a cloudy day
when the decking is cool and the sun wont
evaporate the cleaner.
Wood deck: Use a paint roller, a garden
sprayer, or a stiff-bristled brush broom to
apply the cleaner. Dont let it pool. Dont let
the deck dry until youve scrubbed it clean.
Then let it soak according to manufacturers
instructions (usually about 10 minutes).
Rinse thoroughly with clean water.
TIP: To clean wood railings: Working
from the bottom up, apply the cleaner,
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scrub, and then rinse. Working from the top

down splatters the cleaning solution onto
dry wood where it can double-bleach the
surface, leaving marks that dont go away
when the lower area is washed. Working
from the bottom up means youll be splattering onto a wet surface where the cleaner is
diluted, leaving no marks.
Composite deck: Scrub with a soft brush.
Do not use a pressure washer it can permanently damage the decking and will void
any warranty. Remove rust and leaf stains
with a deck brightener containing oxalic
acid.
Vinyl deck: Scrub in a circular motion
using a stiff broom, then rinse thoroughly.
6. Let deck dry. Wait two days before
sealing.
Seal the Deck

Sealers and stains are available at home
improvement centers for about $30 per gallon enough to cover 250 square feet of
decking. Your finish options include:
Clear sealer that lets the woods natural
grain and color show through
Toner that adds a bit of color but fully
reveals the grain and provides some protection against sunlight (ultraviolet or UV
light)
Semi-transparent stain that tints the
wood, but let some grain show
Solid stain and opaque color that seal
weathering damage and completely cover
the grain
Expect to reapply clear sealers and toners
annually. Reapply stain finishes as needed
(every other year is a good routine) using the
same or a slightly darker color. Be sure to
wear gloves, a safety mask, and eye protection when applying stain and sealers.
March 2016
1. Choose a two-day periodwhen youll

have clear skies and moderate temperatures.
2. Lightly sand the deck. Use a pole
sander equipped with 80-grit paper to
remove any furriness caused by washing.
3. Replace any missing or popped nails
and screws. Replace protruding nails with
deck screws slightly longer than the nail. If a
nail only slightly protrudes, you may do
more harm than good trying to pull it out.
Pound it home.
TIP: When pulling out the nail with a
hammer or pry bar, use a scrap of wood as a
fulcrum for greater leverage and to avoid
damaging the deck.
4. Apply the sealer or stain.Use a roller to
apply the sealer to the decking, covering
three or four boards at a time. Use brushes
and small rollers for railings, planters, and
benches. Dont let the sealant dry or puddle.
Two thin coats is better than one thick one.
TIP:Deck sealants arent required or recommended for composite decks, although
some composite decking can be stained to
restore its color. Be sure the product is
intended for composites. Dont expect the
same density of color that you would
achieve with wood
I maintain a staffed office in

Tremont, Mon-Fri, 8am-4pm.
Evenings & weekends by appt.
Mary Ann Vance
(309)925-3545
Toll Free: (800)331-8444
mvance@maryannvance.com
maryannvance.com
March 2016
Shed Hunting &

Morel Scouting
By J ack L. Hart
ph. 309-888-4071
jacklhart@msn.com
It is January 30th
and a beautiful day
with full sun and no
wind and at 1:30 pm
I am on my way to
the country. My
primary goal is to
try and eliminate
my cabin fever by
getting out of my residence and
heading to the country. My second
goal is to get some much needed
exercise to get the heart pumping
and get the blood flowing which
will give me some much needed
improvement in my mental health
which will contribute greatly to my
positive attitude resulting in my
not having to seek medical attention from those members of the
medical profession who would try
to convince us that they know
everything about everybody.
My third goal is to see if I just
might get lucky and stumble upon

a set of deer antlers that had been
shed by a big and awesome looking
buck deer that might have been
traveling in the area that I would be
walking. I knew that the chances
of my finding a full set would be
about one in a 1000 and I would be
very, very pleased if I just found
one half of a set even if it was
small. My fourth goal was to do
some pre-season scouting for
morel mushrooms.
As I started walking the timber, I
realized very quickly that my eyes
were not trained on the ground
around me or ahead of me but my
eyes were trained on being at a horizontal level and were automatically attempting to find trees that had
bark missing. As my brain would
send a message that these were
those all-important and significant
elm trees that would somehow or
other send messages to the fungi
spore underground to emerge as
mature and beautiful and tasty
morel mushrooms; as soon as the
temperature of the soil warmed
sufficiently to encourage their
growth and maturity. So that in
April and May we mushroom
addicts would be able to satisfy our
2805 N. Baltimore
Kirksville, MO 63501
660-665-5638
KirksvilleRealEstate.com
NORTH EAST, MISSOURI
380 ACRES OF PRIME
HUNTING GROUND WITH
178.4 ACRES OF TILLABLE
BOTTOM GROUND!
Located 20 miles from

Kirksville, MO in NW Adair County.
Offers absolutely outstanding
hunting with great income!
Blacktop & gravel road frontage.
Older small farm house on property
with a month to month $175 rental.
The tillable ground leases for $165
an acre x 178.4 = $29,436 Annually.
Next to Union Ridge Conservation,
with over 8,000 acres of public hunting!
This farm is priced to sell!
Call Rick Bachman, Listing Agent: 660-341-0660
need and desire to conquer this

much loved addiction.
I tried my best to try and focus
on finding sheds and I would periodically force my eyes to go to
ground level but I knew it was a
lost cause. My love for hunting the
morels was just too much for me to
overcome. I spent two hours walking and scouting for those elm
trees knowing that if I did my
homework well and mentally kept
track of the location of the elms I
would know, come April and May,
exactly where to look without
wasting a lot of time resulting in
my making quick work of the harvest of those beautiful fungi
enabling me to travel to my next
hot spot.
As you may or may not know, if
there is a lot of bark left on a dead
elm the chances are good that the
tree will produce well. It depends
on its size, for the next two or three
or years. If the tree still has most
of its bark the chances are very
good, in my opinion, that if the tree
lost its life within just the last 12
months or less, the chances of finding morels there are excellent.
The so-called experts will tell
you that elm trees without any bark
105
are done producing morels and I

agree with them but I will still
walk up to a nude dead elm
because you just never know when
you might get lucky. This happened to me one year when I spotted a huge dead elm that was in an
area that I had hunted numerous
times before. I could have listened
to the so-called experts and
ignored that tree but some sixth
sense told me to check it out. The
huge tree was surrounded by dense
thorny foliage and I could have just
walked on but my gut instinct told
me to check it out. I pulled out my
hand pruners & started cutting
away the foliage and low and
behold there they were!! I ended
up finding 80 of the most beautiful
yellow morels that were all fresh
and all shaded by the dense foliage.
When hunting morels, go by your
gut instinct because you never
know when you just might get
lucky. Nothing ventured nothing
gained. In my opinion, luck plays
a significant role when it comes to
trying to find those ever elusive
morels.
No, I did not find any sheds that
day but I know right where to go
come mushroom season.
40 Acres in Danvers, McLean County $336,000

24 acres tillable! Beautiful spot to build a home!
Topo map shows perfect

area for pond + 15 acres of
timberGreat for hunting!
Paved road access.
Electricity/Lot Line.
Contact Tim Weir
Henderson-Weir Agency, Inc.
timweir@yahoo.com
309-359-3741
106
March 2016
SUNDAY FUNDAY WITH NORM & BRUCE! Photos by Bruce Brown
Congratulations to the Midwest Truckers Association ... for 'getting it'

FREE PARKING & NO ADMISSION FEE!!! Result: A VERY LARGE CROWD.
The Crowd was great, but Norm & Bruce somehow got separated, for a 1/2 hour or so. 'Lost', as it were! NEXT TIME, at such an Event,
we will take the 2-way radios, so ... as they say in the Bible, 'those 'lost' can be 'found again'!
This was a most interesting SHOW! Those TRUCKERS! The VENDORS! ALL of em! Just, WOW!
Mid-West Truck & Trailer Show held at the Peoria Civic Center Feb. 5 & 6, 2016
MidwestTruckShow.com
1 2
#1) Craig Betcher poses with his FULLY RESTORED . '65 Pete'
#2) A 'Show Star' - ColinStuart's rig! Solid oak interior, WORKIN fireplace, and
2,311.000 logged miles.
#3) State Police on hand at the Show - explaining rules, regs, and
keeping (trucker callled) 'swindle sheets
#4)
Truck Show HOT SPOT!
Curt Minkel
(curt@modalmkt,com) show a sensational heater, radiant, diesel
powered, 12 volt operated, HOT, heater.
#5) The scrapbook of Craig Betcher's '65 Peterbuilt Restoration
had a pix of the 'paint history'
#6) One of MANY, custom Interiors at the Truck Show
#7) Technology for Trucks! Marcia Burgess, of BIG ROAD, explains the 'net connected', 'Trucker's Log', to Norm.
6
#8) So MUCH chromeAnother Selfie, in a 'Pete' chrome bumper.
#9) So MUCH chrome at the Truck Show! A Norm & Bruce 'selfie'
#10) BIG Trucks-YEAH! Norm checks out a MACK
#11) The 'Art Shot', as Norm & I left the Peoria Civic Center
8
9
10
11
March 2016
TARGET COMMUNICATIONS
WEARS A NEW HAT
MEQUON, Wis. We sold the deer and turkey hunting expos four years ago,
but we didnt sell the On Target outdoor book publishing part of our business, notes Glenn Helgeland, Target Communications president. Now were
shifting our publishing efforts into high gear, beginning with the recent production of The Bear Hunting Obsession of a Driven Man, written in conjunction
with Bill Wiesner, a 40-year veteran of the black bear hunting woods who has
tagged 57 bears. We now have 11 titles in print, almost all in the archery and
bowhunting field, with such well-known industry figures as Larry Wise, Byron
Ferguson and Bill Wiesner.
Helgeland has been a magazine and book editor/publisher and outdoor writer since 1968, but he
took time out from 1985 to 2011 to devote most of
his efforts to producing deer and turkey expos in
the Midwest. The expos were purchased by
Bonnier Corp, publisher of Field & Stream and
Outdoor Life magazines, and renamed Field &
Stream / Outdoor Life Deer & Turkey Expos.
No stranger to the archery industry, Helgeland
was editor/associate publisher of ARCHERY
WORLD consumer magazine (now BOWHUNTING WORLD) from 1970 to 1980; the founding
editor and associate publisher, from 1976-1980, of
ARCHERY RETAILER trade magazine (now
ARCHERY BUSINESS); a marketing and sales
promotion columnist for ARCHERY BUSINESS
from 1981-1990; bowhunting columnist for FINS
& FEATHERS, AMERICAN HUNTER, NORTH
AMERICAN HUNTER and BOWHUNTING
WORLD magazines, and an outdoor writer with
dozens of articles in the major hunting/outdoor
publications.
He has published or written and published more
than 21 books on outdoor topics, co-authored
Archery For Beginners with John Williams,
mens 1972 Olympic archery gold medalist, and
edited the 2nd edition of the Pope and Young
Clubs Big Game Records Book.
Helgeland was associate editor of NATIONAL
WILDLIFE magazine prior to outdoor sports publishing, and is a charter member of the Professional
Outdoor Media Association (POMA).
Awards and recognition he and his company have
won: From the National Archery Association for
service to archery; from the National Shooting
Sports Foundation (NSSF) for a series of articles
titled The Hunters Story; and from the Alliant
Energy Center of Dane County (Wisconsin) for 25
years of producing the Wisconsin Deer & Turkey
Expo at that facility. It is the third largest expo held
at that site, and the largest deer & turkey hunting
expo in the U.S.
Target Communications was the 2012
USSA/Cabela Lifetime Business Achievement
Award winner. U. S. Sportsmen's Alliance (USSA)
Outdoor Business Council as the The award is presented by the U.S. Sportsmens Alliance (USSA) to
companies that demonstrate the same passion and
commitment to protecting Americas outdoor heritage as the Cabela family has shown. "This is our
way of honoring the Cabela family and other leaders, such as Target Communications, in the outdoor
business community for their efforts to defend our
107
rights," said USSA

president Bud Pidgeon
at the presentation.
The Bear Hunting
Obsession of a Driven
Man is paperback, 81/2 x 5-1/2, 172
pages. It is published by
Target Communications
as part of its On
Target series of outdoor books. To get a free catalog of all Target
Communications books, go to www.targetcommbooks.com, or call 262-2423530, or email judy.helgeland@gmail.com.
108
Southernmost Illinois Events March 2016

13th CCC in the Cache River Watershed, Cache River Wetlands Center, 1-2pm. Author and regional historian Kay
Rippelmeyer-Tippy will provide an illustrated history of the Civilian Conservation Corps in southern Illinois from 1933
to 1941, especially the work done by enrollees in Johnson, Pope, Gallatin, Saline, Massac and Union counties. 618657-2064.
19th Hummingbirds--Jewels in the Sky, Cache River Wetlands Center, 11am-noon. Get your yard and garden ready
for the spring migration of hummingbirds. The right habitat will supply these jewels of the sky with the food and
nesting resources they need to make their home in your neighborhood. 618-657-2064.
19th St Patricks Day FestivalDowntown Murphys-boro,Murphysboro Chamber.com
20th Wildlife of
Mermet
Lake,
Cache
River
Wetlands Center,
1-2pm.
John
Schwegman, who
managed Mermet
Lake State Fish and
Wildlife Area from
1965-1968, will
present a program
on the variety of
wildlife he has
photographed at
Mermet over the
past 50 years,
including many
rarely-seen
species. 618-6572064.
20th Palm Sunday
Afternoon Service
2 p.m. Step back in
March 2016
time and celebrate the true meaning of Easter in the 1850s Kornthal church built by Austrian immigrants.Now on
National Register of Historic Places. Church is open daily for viewing from Easter through Thanksgiving weekend.
618-833-8745.
25th Good Friday Fish Fry from 5 to 8pm at Lous Room, 109 W Vienna St, Anna.Fish, hushpuppies, slaw, beans,
potato salad and assorted desserts, $10 p/p
27thEaster Sunrise ServiceBald Knob Mountain, Alto Pass.Annual Easter Service held at the 111 foot Bald Knob
Cross, music & refreshments. 618-893-2344 www.baldknobcross.com
United States Mint Launches Shawnee National Forest Quarter

31st America the Beautiful Quarters Program coin celebrates
the unique natural heritage of Illinois
HARRISBURG, IL The United States Mint joined the National Forest Service February 4th to launch the America the Beautiful Quarters Program coin honoring Shawnee National Forest.
The quarters reverse (tails side) depicts a close view of Camel Rock with natural
vegetation in the foreground and a red-tailed hawk soaring in the sky overhead.
Not only is the Shawnee National Forest quarter the 31st coin in the America the Beautiful Quarters Programand the first quarter to be introduced
into circulation in 2016it also is the fifth and last national forest to be
honored in the program, said Dean Bidle, program manager for Numismatic
Packaging Planning at the United States Mint. Millions of Americans will now
have a reminder of the beauty of Southern Illinois through a quarter designed in
the national forests honor.
More than 300 local school-aged children and dignitaries assembled at the Southeastern Illinois College Deaton Gymnasium for the ceremony. Guest speakers included U.S.
Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell; Shawnee National Forest Supervisor Allen Nicholas; Deb Detmers, district director for U.S. Representative John Shimkus; Matt Rice, district director for U.S. Representative Mike Bost; Ben
Barnes, Second Chief of the Shawnee Tribe; George Blanchard, representative of the Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma; Todd Carr, president of the Southernmost Illinois Tourism Bureau; and Bidle. Cindy Cain, executive director
of the Southernmost Illinois Tourism Bureau, served as master of ceremonies. The public traded their cash for $10
rolls of newly minted Shawnee National Forest quarters after the ceremony.
Collectible products featuring the Shawnee National Forest quarters are available for purchase directly from the
United States Mint at its online catalog at catalog.usmint.gov/ and at 1-800-USA-MINT (872-6468). Hearingand speech-impaired customers with TTY equipment may order by calling 1-888-321-MINT (6468).
In addition to the launch ceremony, the Mint also hosted a coin forum at Shawnee National Forest Headquarters
the evening before the launch ceremony.
Located in the southern tip of Illinois, Shawnee National Forest offers a variety of outdoor opportunities and
diverse landscapes. In contrast with the remainder of Illinois, the sites rolling landscape and rugged bluffs, is home
to a diversity of plant and animal life. Covered in deciduous forests and cradled between two major river ways (Ohio
River and Mississippi River), it is the only national forest in Illinois.
The Shawnee National Forest quarter is the 31st release in the United States Mint America the Beautiful Quarters Program, a 12-year initiative to honor 56 national parks and other national sites authorized by Public Law
110-456. Each year, the public will see five new national sites depicted on the reverse (tails side) of the America
the Beautiful Quarters. The United States Mint is issuing these quarters in the order in which the national sites
were officially established.
Sales Rep: Gerald Sampen 217-376-3873

Agent: Justin Montgomery 217-871-0524 jmontgomery@jamig.com
www.MontysOutdoorConnection.com
March 2016
14-YEAR OLD
KILLS BEAR IN
SELF-DEFENSE
Kavin Roberts
kneeling solemnly over the
bear he killed in self-defense.
Kodiak bears are the largest bears anywhere on the planeta distinction they
share only with polar bears. A hunt for one
of these creatures is a once in a lifetime
opportunity, but 14-year-old Kavin
Roberts was not hunting for bear when he
came across one in late October. Instead,
the Kodiak native and his uncle were out
chasing! deer when they stumbled into an
adult Kodiak that had been stalking them.
According to Alaska State Troopers, the
bear had started following the pair during
their deer hunt and ambushed them in an
unspecified location! on Kodiak Island,
Alaska. Being a more experienced hunter than his
uncle, Roberts fatally shot the brown bear at 15
yards.
After, he called his mom to tell her what happened so she could report the Defense of Life or
Property kill to the Department of Fish and Game.
Having never killed a bear before, Kavin recruited
two good Samaritans, along with the local Wildlife
Troopers, to help him correctly salvage the large
bear, Alaska State Troopers stated on Facebook.
Wildlife officers determined that Roberts shot the
bear in self-defense. In the face of a bear charge,
even experienced hunters have been known to

freeze up, but the teen showed considerable
courage and quick thinking by downing the bear at
such close range. That act may have very likely
saved his life and the life of his uncle.
Not many 14 year olds would stand their
ground against a charging bear, getting a clean kill
shot while protecting his elder. Alaskan made and
grown! wrote on commenter on Facebook.
Glad no one was hurt. Great job on the troopers
for pitching in and teaching this young kid proper
skinning! wrote another.
ASO WANTS YOUR

OUTDOOR PHOTOS!
US Mail: ASO Magazine
CONSIGNMENTS WANTED!
Call Matt at 815-970-7077.
See details on upcoming auctions at:
www.AuctionZip.com #23761.
Matthew Bullock Auctioneers
409 E Stevenson Rd Ottawa IL
Bullock Auction House is located
1 block north of I-80 off Rt 23
409 E. Stevenson Rd. Ottawa IL
BullockAuctioneers.com
ONLINE, ABSENTEE & LIVE BIDDING!
109
Although Roberts aided wildlife

troopers in dressing the bear, the teen
was not allowed to keep the hide or
head. Under Alaska law, bears that are
killed in the act of self-defense or the
defense of others are usually turned
over to the Department of Fish and
Game. Roberts was allowed to take a
few pictures with the bear before it
was confiscated.
Bear attacks on Kodiak Island are
rare, but not unexpected. Even residents such as Roberts have to occasionally deal with a bear that is too
curious for its own good. Earlier this
year a Kodiak bear was killed when it
tried to attack a local man outside his
own home. Many Kodiak residents
possess large caliber firearms specifically for bear defenseas well as bear
sprayand in this case, the man was fortunate to
be armed.
It all happened in really tight quarters, Nate
Svoboda, Fish and Game biologist, told the Alaska
Dispatch News. He shot at it five times before it
finally stopped and then once it was on the ground,
it was still moving. So he shot it one more time and
then it died.
That bear was nine feet tall and was shot at 10
yards.
OutdoorHub.com
110
March 2016
Hamburger Dip
(From Daughter-In-Law Joan)
Annie Ottos Corner

Greeting ASO Readers
By the time you read this the
Arthur Outdoor expo will be history.
We are looking forward to seeing you
to seeing you there either at the
Ottos Canvas Booth or at the
Conklin Booth. These cold temperatures are just right to draw a crowd as
its too cold to do anything else!
Some of our first shows were at the
Civic Center in Decatur, back in the
90s. We always wished for a boat
show in Arthur and now we have one
a mile from our home. Great!
Elva helped us with most or all of
our stands since then and now he
helps manage this show called the
Arthur Outdoor Expo. If you dont
attend this year put it on the Calendar
for next year.
We are still quite busy in the canvas
shop with Boat and Tops it is also the
time of the year where people have
room dividers made for their shop,
where they would like to heat one
side and not the other. Even though
were not putting out as many tarps it
gives us a chance to sew and put on
the shelf for busier times.!!

On the Conklin side we just got out
of an awesome convention in
Branson, Missouri. Where we met up
with some old friends and made new
ones. We had some informative
workshops and trainings with a great
line up of speakers. Including Doug
Firebaugh, he had great help for your
business to bring it to the next level,
also Dayton Moore of the Kansas
City Royals, Chris Wegner who
spoke of Leaders needing Integrity,
having a good attitude and how to get
your thoughts and Beliefs into
action; He made a statement which is
so true Leaders are Dealers in
Hope.
If anyone needs an attitude adjust-
ment nows the time to plan for the

first week in Feb. of 2017 give me a
call!at 217-542-5197. Nows the time
for farmers to take a look at their
farming practices. How can you
tweak a few things, increase your
yields and lower your impact cost on
2 acres or 20,000 acres. Call me for a
list of, Pro Ag training available
throughout the country, put on by the
Conklin Company in the previous six
years had 55 National Winners and
548 State Winners.
You owe it to yourself checkout the
Agro Vantage World Class Crop
Management System to reduce input
costs, increase yields and become a
Champion in your own right. Give
me a call for details.
15th Annual
FREE
R
ANT L E G !
IN
SCOR
2# Hamburger Fried and Drained

(if needed)
1 Pack Taco Seasoning
1 Can Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 Can tomato w/ green chills
(or just plain tomato)
2# Velveeta cheese
Add last 4 ingredients to Hamburger;
Keep hot until ready to serve.
Serve with Doritos or Corn Chips.
YUMMY!!
Melvin & Annie Otto

1749 State Hwy 133
Arthur, IL 61911
Ottos Canvas:
217-543-3007
Conklin: 217-543-5197
www.Conklin.com
FRI. MARCH 18
SAT. MARCH 19
March 18, 19 & 20, 2016

SUN. MARCH 20
March 2016
Daylight
Saving Time
by Diana Storrs
What
do
you
m e a n ?
SPRING
AHEAD?
Friends
of
mine
had just arrived
in
San Francisco from
Honolulu, and had dutifully changed
their watches to account for the time
zone difference, but never considered
Daylight Saving Time (DST). Hawaii
does not observe DST. They had
flown all that way to watch their son
as the leadoff hitter in an important
baseball game. Now it looked as
though they would miss the opening
pitch.
That near disaster had a happy ending. Have you ever seen a movie with
a high-speed chase through the streets
of San Francisco? Two miracles oc-
curred that morning. No one was

killed and the parents made it to the
game in time. All of this drama was
caused by DST.
I knew a lady who had a wall clock
entitled Whatever! All the numbers had fallen off the face and were
jumbled together at the bottom. This
was pretty much her attitude toward
time. But she was a little, old lady
and did not have to concern herself
with time! If she had to be somewhere on time, someone else would
worry about collecting her and getting her wherever she needed to be.
For most of us however, time plays a
huge and critical role in our lives. We
wear watches. There are clocks in our
cars, on our phones and in our faces
all the time. We have schedules,
deadlines, and dates with destiny.
My brother, who lives in Minnesota, is an avid deer hunter and church
goer. When I asked him what he
thought about DST, this was his reply, We could live without it. Many
folks forget to set their clocks the
evening before. For them is teasing
from fellow parishioners and hunting
camp members. You have either
missed the sermon or that all important first hour of the hunt when the 10
pointer comes through. Then, the oth-
er folks who get confused about the

spring back and fall ahead or fall
back and spring ahead setting on
that evening before. Then, of course,
one has to go around and reset ALL
your clocks.
The point here is that Daylight Saving Time is not only annoying, it ruins lives. Sleep patterns for countless
people are disturbed. There is a spike
in the number of severe auto accidents due to sleep-deprived drivers
and many complain that the dark winter mornings endangered the lives of
children going to school. Many people suffer emotional trauma, like deer
hunters, church goers, and our friends
from Hawaii.
The federal government implemented DST in WWI, called fast
time. People hated it. After two
years, it was repealed. Then for
WWII, the government tried again. It
was called War Time and this time
it lasted for nearly three years, until
1945; again, not popular. From then
u n t i l
1 9 6 6 ,
states and
localities
could do
whatever
t h e y
wished.
The government
t h e n
passed
The Uniform Time
Act
of
1 9 6 6
w h i c h
started
and ended
DST
at
the same
time for
everyone.
However,
local ordinances
could be
passed to
exempt
areas from
implementing
DST. The
only areas
not currently implementing DST
are
the
state of
111
Hawaii and most of Arizona, with the

exception of the Navajo Nation,
which does observe DST.
I have considered a crusade to eliminate DST. But I am a reasonable person, and after researching and learning the benefits of DST, I changed my
position to this-SPRING AHEAD
ONE TIME AND NEVER FALL
BACK. This is known as YearRound Daylight Saving Time. With
this plan, we still reap the benefits of
conservation of energy, lower crime
as people are home more during daylight hours, lessen traffic injuries, and
ensure the safety of our school age
children. Also, we can avoid sleep
pattern disturbances, and the emotional trauma suffered by many people due to tardiness for church, the
deer stand and baseball games!
I believe this is the most sensible
solution to DST issues. My senator
will be hearing from me.
You may want to consider doing
the same.
112
2016 RICC Winter

Fishing Tournament
This year the Rock Island Conservation
Club changed the name to winter fishing
tournament rather than ice fishing tournament since the weather was not conducive to forming a safe layer of ice. In
fact, it was open for a good part of the normal ice fishing season. In the past when
then happened it was conducted as an
open-water, shoreline event, but the weather changed a couple of weeks in advance,
and it took place as an ice event.
The day of the event was a beautiful one.
The wind was light, sun out, and a high
temperature of 48 degrees. This was perfect for the comfort level of the 64-angler
field, but not for the fishing. It was tough.
Only 13 anglers weighed fish. In the crap-
pie category 2 keepers were caught, and 8

limits of 10 bluegill/sunfish were turned in
for overall weight.
In the morning contestants were able to
have a breakfast of biscuits and gravy or
cinnamon roll. From there they hit the ice
covering two larger lakes and a small walkin. Nobody fished the walk-in, which was
having some water level problems from the
Rock River level fluctuation caused by ice
jams.
Walking around the lakes it was obvious
that the fishing was tough. Anglers were
constantly moving and drilling holes. If
they werent then they were the ones on
fish. Three of the winning anglers Joe
Vance, Jerry Mattson and Allen Weidner
were all fishing within a few feet of one
another. Most of the winners, if not all,
caught their fish on the same lake.
March 2016
Anglers finish their lunch as they await the announcement of tournament winners and the prize drawing.
By the end of the day everyone was ready
for their chicken and noodles meal prepared by Sue Pienta and her kitchen
angels. These ladies had been working
from early in the morning, and still had
clean up after everything was complete.
This tournament has a different set of
rules, in that a contestant can only win in
one of the three categories (Largest
Crappie, Largest Bluegill/Sunfish, and
Overall Weight for 10 Bluegill/Sunfish),
which spreads out the prizes to 9 people.
So you wont see a persons name twice in
the results.
LARGEST CRAPPIE
Kenneth Sparhel, 9.65 ounces
Josh Huber, 8.95 ounces
LARGEST BLUEGILL/SUNFISH
Allen Weidner, 7.6 ounces
Joe Vance, 4.3 ounces
Paul Meier, 2.75 ounces
OVERALL WEIGHT FOR
BLUEGILL/SUNFISH
Jerry Mattson, 2.4 pounds
Greg Dauch, 2.28 pounds
Jeremy Kensinger, 2.01 pounds
10
March 2016
Kenneth Sparhel wins the

largest crappie division with a
fish weighing 9.65 ounces.
A 7.6 ounce bluegill captured

the largest bluegill/sunfish
category for Allen Weidner.
After the winners were presented with their prizes

a door prize drawing took place. This makes it possible for everyone to win a prize, even if they have not
caught a fish, and can be attributed to the support of
great sponsors Work Sharp, Berkley, Vexilar, Jiffy
Ice Drills, TTI-Blakemore, Mercury Marine, Rat-LTrap, Frabill, Plano, Kickn Bass Attractants and
Blitz Lures. There was also a special drawing for subscriptions to Midwest Outdoors.
Along with all the prizes, people were able to meet
Terry Vance, president/CEO of Blitz Lures. Terry
113
This was the first time for Jerry Mattson to enter this event, and he
walked away with the top prize for Overall Weight for 10 Bluegill/
Sunfish with a weight of 2.4 pounds.
spoke to everyone who wanted to talk fishing, or

learn more about his product.
On the ice, Don Banning demonstrated the
propane powered Jiffy Pro4 Lite drill. He estimated
that he drilled about 30 holes for anglers, and also let
a couple of them try the unit for themselves.
All in all it seemed like everyone had a great time.
There was good food, friendship, fun and a safewarm day on the ice.
Until next time, get out on the water, and enjoy a Terry Vance was kept busy answering questions about his
great day of fishing.
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114
March 2016
THE PURSUIT OF BIG PIKE
The author Jason Mitchell with a trophy caliber pike.

Late ice is prime time for encountering these big predators
on many bodies of water.
The black Dacron line slid through my gloves as it sliced back and forth in the
hole. Every time the fish came close to the bottom of the ice, the fish rolled and
ran. The power was untamed and unpredictable. There was no doubt that a big
pike was on the end of the line but that assumption was confirmed as the long
shadow slid underneath the hole. As the fish rolled closer, water rose up and down
in the hole, the telltale sign of serious water displacement. Big fish move water
and this was a big fish.
For so many ice anglers, pike provide that thrill the thrill of catching a large
powerful fish. Pike are a top of the line predator with dangerous teeth and an attitude to match the intimidating appearance. When pike surpass the benchmark of
forty inches in length, the not only aspire awe but they can be a downright handful. A beautiful challenge and photo op for any ice angler.
Big pike can be specifically targeted on many bodies of water right now and the
late ice window might be one of the most coveted prime time opportunities for
seeing some of the biggest pike each season. Prime locations right now combine
big fish opportunities with open seasons for specifically targeting these species.
Top locations include Lake of the Woods and the big reservoirs on the Missouri
River like Fort Peck, Lake Sakakawea and Lake Oahe right now. Other notable
picks include Devils Lake and Red Lake but there are many more obscure fisheries particularly on smaller lakes that offer great pike fishing at late ice. If I had
to pick a top pike region right now with big fish capabilities, I would lean towards
the Missouri River reservoirs of Fort Peck, Sakakawea and Oahe. These reservoirs were rejuvenated with strong year classes of pike almost a decade ago from
high water and these reservoirs all boast impressive numbers of quality fish with
big fish potential. If your quest is to crack a big pike, fish these prime locations
at prime time.
What makes late ice so attractive for pike anglers is that these fish concentrate
in predictable locations. The larger bays in the Missouri River reservoirs all have
pike populations. Typically, most of the big pike are caught at late ice in the back
1/3rd of the bay. As a general rule of thumb, nice warm weather that thaws and
moves water into the backs of these bays will typically pull fish shallow where as
cold fronts will push the fish deeper into the channels. A few years back, Jason
Votova and I filmed an episode for our television show in the back of Douglas
Bay on Lake Sakakawea. Votova likes to set out tip ups perpendicular across the
creek arms and bays to intersect pike as they push in and out of this location.
Instead of following a specific contour, Votova maintains that he contacts more
pike by cutting across the bay perpendicular with holes so he has baits set at different depths. Some days, the fish might follow a ten-foot break as they slide up
By Jason Mitchell
March 2016
the tributary. Other days the fish might

be running deeper or shallower, this
mentality and hole placement puts
more bait in front of fish as they move.
Jig rods catch pike. Swim baits and
large flutter spoons can do a number on
pike but day in and day out, there are
few things that can rival dead bait
below a tip up. Classic Beaver Dams
are still one of the best. Pair the tip up
with the heaviest Dacron line you can
find. Many serious big pike fanatics
will use forty pound or heavier Dacron.
The reason for the heavy Dacron is
twofold; handling big fish but the
heavier line also rolls off the tip up
spool much smoother and doesnt slice
into the bottom of the ice or your hands
as much.
Still one of the best rigs for catching
large pike is a simple steel or titanium
leader with a snap connected to a large
size (###) treble hook. Unsnap the
hook and push the eye and shank of the
treble through a large dead smelt, herring or alewife. After the eye of the
hook is pushed through the bait, snap
the treble hook back on to the leader.
This causes the bait to ride horizontal
and the larger hook has a better gap and
penetration particularly when dealing
with large pike. Less can also go
wrong with one big hook, as you dont
have a second hook getting caught on

the ice when fighting a fish at the hole.
Quick strike options that use multiple
hooks are also popular and are often
the answer when fish start short striking the bait or wont run with the bait.
Top quick strike rigs include the
Bigtooth Tackle Quick Strike Rigs
made by Clam Pro Tackle.
Big dead baits typically catch the
biggest fish. Smelt are often the most
popular and easiest to find but attempt
to use baits that are at least eight inches or longer. The advantage of smelt is
that they are soft and bend easy in the
mouth of fish so the batting average
can be much higher with smelt. Some
other baits like frozen anchovies and
herring however seem to have much
more oil and smell and often get more
bites. Big dead baits can sometimes be
challenging to find so you might have
to order them in bulk from a commercial fish distributor on either the east or
west coast.
While the big dead baits are usually
the best bet, there are situations where
downsizing produces more hook ups.
There are times especially when dealing with really thick ice where the
resistance at the bottom of the ice as
fish peel off line produces enough friction where fish will drop the bait.
ONLINE GUN, EQUIPMENT &

SPORTING GOODS AUCTION
AUCTION DATE WILL BE AROUND THE
END OF MARCH OR 1ST OF APRIL.
Time to Consign your Guns, Ammo, Decoys, Knives, Trucks,
ATV, Tractors and Implements, Mowers. Large Equipment &
items are Welcome. If you have equipment that can not be
easily moved to our auction house, we can come to your
property and take pictures and put it on the online auction
and have the buyer contact us or you for viewing.
Online Auction: You can bid on an item from your Smart
Phone, iPad, Tablet, Computer or stop by the Auction House
and leave an absentee bid or use our computer to Bid.
We help guide you thru the process. VERY EASY!!
Fo r M o r e I n fo V i s i t :
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Curtis Gorsuch: Auctioneer: 309-338-3711 Lic#441.000718
Gorsuch Auction Co. 1001 S. 4th Canton, IL 61520
115
There are also some situations where

the fish are running and then dropping
the bait because of the line hitting
flooded vegetation and debris. Small
pike will also often drop big dead baits
prematurely. If you are getting flags
but just cannot connect or the fish are
repeatedly no longer on the bait when
you get to the tip up, go down to half a
dead bait and try to stick them sooner
without waiting.
A few additional tips for targeting
the biggest pike of the ice season.
Warm weather increases the amount of
runoff and flow into the back end of
these major spawning bays and tributaries. If water is moving up and down
in the hole, you have water moving.
Also watch the shorelines and look for
thaw as water seeps into the ice.
Typically, this thaw will stain the water
and improve the bite dramatically as
you work towards the far back ends of
these bays. Cold nights and fronts can
often halt this process so typically
where the fish set up is influenced by
incoming flow. When the water starts
to move, we often find fish shallower
and further back. When the water is
not moving, focus on the sharper
breaks and slightly deeper water
towards the secondary points within
these bays.
While pike are fairly abundant across

the ice belt and provide ample opportunities, big pike are a special fish and are
not as common. Not only does it take
the right water to grow big pike but a
pike also has to live long enough to
reach that trophy status. Pike are such
gluttonous predators that we often see
big pike fisheries develop because of
remoteness where fish can avoid
angling for large time frames without
getting caught. As a result, catch and
release is crucial for preserving big
pike fisheries. In order for a pike to
measure forty five inches long in most
bodies of water in the lower 48, that
pike was probably released when the
fish was 36 inches, again when it was
40 inches and so on.
Think of good pike releases much
like musky angling today. Have your
release tools handy. Keep the fish in
the water until you can unhook the fish.
Pose with a nice picture and get the fish
back in the water. There are few
moments in ice angling like watching a
fish as large and powerful as a forty
inch plus pike wave you good by as
that big powerful tail kicks as that fish
swims away. This season, make some
of these memories for yourself and
feed your fascination for big fish with
these fascinating predators.
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116
PinkOutdoors.com
Time for Tags
by Keli Van Cleave
Every year changes are made to the Big Game regulations. Some States
raise their prices and others change the hunting and fishing dates. This
year, Colorado has kept their prices mostly the same and added a few more
season dates and the New Hybrid Drawing.
Changes to license refunds this year start beginning April 1st. Licenses
must be returned or postmarked at least 30 days prior to the start date of
the applied season. A $15 processing fee will be charged on all refunds
except for youth licenses. Preference point restoration requests are
exempt from the processing fee. A license can not be recovered once it has
been returned to the State.
New changes to the hunter education requirements will also begin this
April. There will be a new test-out option available for the hunter education certification requirement as
well as an apprentice license for new hunters. (www.cpw.state.co.us/hunterEd)
The Hybrid drawing is new to Colorado to expand quality opportunities to big-game hunters. The purpose
of this drawing is to give hunters additional opportunity to draw a license for some of the states premier
deer, elk, pronghorn and bear hunting areas. Hunters who normally would not have enough preference
points to draw these coveted licenses now will have a small opportunity through this process.
How it works: In the hunt codes that require ten or more resident preference points to draw (based on a
3-year average ending with the 2009 drawing), 20 percent of the available licenses will be issued through
a random drawing. Qualified resident and nonresident hunters who select the applicable hunt codes and
have at least (5) preference points for that species will automatically enter the Hybrid Drawing. Winning
applicants will be selected randomly. The codes listed must be your first choice. Lastly, if you are selected,
you will lose your remainder of preference points for that species. If you are unsuccessful, you will gain
another preference point. You can apply on-line at (www.cpw.state.co.us/bg/buyapply)
Specifically to bears, hunters must personally present bears to the Colorado Parks and Wildlife office for
a free inspection, check report and sealing within five working days after their harvest. Bear heads and
March 2016
hides must be unfrozen when presented for

inspection. Seals must be attached to the hide
until tanned. The jaw should be propped open with
a stick before rigor sets in so the premolar tooth
can be removed at inspection. Bears can not be
taken out of Colorado until the hide and skull are
inspected and sealed. New for this season, you can
get an expanded bear rifle season. (Those are
noted at www.cpw.state.co.us)
Dont forget to check the new hunting units in
Colorado open to all species. How to fill out applications and restoring your preference points is
listed on the website. This year all paper applications must be postmarked by midnight April 5,
2016. Best of luck to all!
Central Illinois Largest

2-Day Firearm Auction
March 19 & 20 9AM
(Sat. & Sun.)
2601 Lake Land Blvd. Mattoon, IL
Pictures & more details at: www.bauerauction.com
Sat., March 19 9AM: 12 Wagon loads ammo; Reloading supplies; Gun parts; Hunting & shooting supplies;
Scopes; Knives inc/Randall; Military; Bayonets; Books; Gun cases and more!
Sun., March 20 9AM 900 Firearms!
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Sat., March 19 5PM-8PM
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Perazzi MX8; Beretta o/u; Ruger #1; Cooper & Kimber Rifles; Several M1 carbines & Garands; AR rifles many in unusual
cals.; U.S. 1911s & A1s; Colt SAA; Frontier Scouts; Kimber 1911s; S & W .44 hand ejector; Colt Pythons &
Diamondbacks; Rem. XPs; Nice collection of S & W revolvers; Colt Commander .38 super; German Luger & other
nice European military pistols &
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117
118
March 2016
CORSAW LUMBER, INC.

Manufacturers of Quality
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Family Owned & Operated Since 1968
OPEN: 7-4 M-F 8-12 SAT EXCEPT HOLIDAYS
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Kiln Dried or Green Lumber
BUYERS OF STANDING TIMBER
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March 2016
119
120
WALNUT & WHITE OAK

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March 2016

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OUTDOOR

Wed. April 6th

ADVENTURE SPORTS OUTDOORS THE VOICE OF THE AMERICAN SPORTSMAN

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