ASO January 2016

Thanks to You, ASO is Celebrating 20 Years!
Sports Outdoors
January
2016
Happy
New
Year!
Kerrie Wells
with her
Trophy Buck
Congrats!
ISRA.org
See ASO-TV Sat., Jan. 30 at

5:30pm on WTVP, PBS Ch. 47 & on
youtube.com/ASOMagazine
OUTDOOR
FOLKS LOVE TO
READ ASO!
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January 2016
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January 2016
ON THE COVER:
Congratulations to Kerrie Wells,

of Canton, for taking this beautiful
buck she & husband Tim Wells
named Candles. Read Kerries
story on page 13.
Canterbury Tales
JAN. 2016 ISSUE #230

Copyright 1994
Published monthly by: Red Nose, Inc.

Harry & Cathy Canterbury, Owners
TREMONT OFFICE
1408 Downing Ct. Tremont, IL 61568
(309) 925-HUNT (4868)
Home Office: (309) 925-7313
Harrys Cell: (309) 360-0487
Cathys Cell: (309) 370-6922
E-mail: ASOCathy@gmail.com
Web: ASOMagazine.com
Call Toll Free: (877) 778-HUNT(4868)
ASOHarry@gmail.com
Terri Sweckard
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Carroll Gentry So. IL Rep. 618-988-8230
Billing: schmittbookkeeping@gmail.com
PRODUCTION AD CREATION & LAYOUT:
Becky Fee - Graphic Artist
(309) 642-2402 BeckyASO@gmail.com
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.
Illinois Fish & Feather Expo

Jan. 29-30-31 Bloomington
IllinoisFishandFeather.com
Chicagoland Expo
Jan. 28-31 Schaumburg
SportShows.com
Arthur Outdoor Expo
Feb. 12 & 13 Otto Center
ArthurOutdoorExpo.com
Tinley Park Fishing Show
Feb. 13 & 14 Tinley Park HS
TinleyParkFishingShow.com
Henry Decoy Show
Feb. 14 Henry-Senachwine HS
HenryDecoyShow.com
Indy Boat Sport & Travel Show
Feb. 19-28 Indianapolis
IndySportShow.com
The Boat Show Springfield
Feb. 26-28 IL State Fairgrounds
TheBoatShowinSpringfield.com
Its not been a very good year for

duck shooting at least not here in the
Peoria area. As I write this from
every indication the mallards are just
starting to funnel down the river. A
friend of mine who runs a club near
Bath has 430 for his count when last
year he was at 1350. We sold our club
to DU but have been hunting it this
final year and it hasnt been good at
all. With high water this spring and
summer feed in the Illinois River valley has been scarce.
Some of the Clubs that with feed
have ducks, but that is few and far
between. Rick Hamm who hunts
about every day posted on the internet that he has seen a lot of
late migrators coming down.
Unfortunately the central zone will
be over when you get Jan edition so
you can head to southern Illinois to
satisfy your duck fever. Dont forget
Arkansas and dont forget Reelfoot
Lake just 2 hours from Marion.
I always did well there in the past
and looks like that may be a destination this January. If this younger generation saw what it was like 40 years
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it has changed. I lived on my
Granddads farm near Manito in the
mid-70s and would shoot a limit of
Mallards in the morning in the cornfields before I went to work at CAT.
Farming practices have changed all
of that, now ducks are looking for
feed along the river. I havent seen
ducks work a cornfield for over 30
years. Its a must to have man planted feed in the valley to hold them and
hopefully next year the weather will
allow everyone to get some feed in.
Duck hunting is one shooting sport
where guys in their 90s hunt till they
cant go anymore. I think they would
go even if they were in a wheel chair
as long as there was someone to push
them. And wouldnt mind dying at all
in the boat or to fall face down in the
muddy ole gumbo. I think I would
too, sure beats lying in the hospital.
There is nothing like a flock of
mallards cupped up coming into your
decoys. I can only match that magic
with a big Tom coming into range.
Sometimes I wonder if dad should
have bought me a set of golf clubs
instead of a shotgun when I was 12. I
sure would have missed a lot about
life if that had been the case. If you
are a duck hunter you know exactly
what I mean. I have been 5 times this
year and normally go every day.
Headed out tomorrow to shoot my
first duck. I hope.
My Uncle Wes Hilst of Havana is
dealing with some health issues and
has had a pretty tough time. When I
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was a kid I remember him

shooting ducks and pheasants, he was one heck of a
shot. Thats when we had
pheasants just about everywhere. I used to drive the 1949
International pick up to drop hunters
off. It was the good old days and how
good it was. We thought it would last
forever but it went by the way side
just like shooting Canada Geese in
Southern Illinois. We wish Wes the
best of luck and hopefully he will get
over this. A great patriot, army veteran, family man and sportsman. He is
the hardest working person I ever
knew in my entire life.
Forty years ago this week 1975 at
the old REDNOSE GUN CLUB on
Duck Island was a sad day. My dad
and I had a real good shoot in the
cornfields on a Friday the day before.
We were driving through Havana and
I called Fred Ellis of Banner to see if
they were still shooting some ducks
in the field. I called on dads Mobile
phone and I asked for Fred. The man
on the other side said Fred is dead. I
couldnt believe it that a guy I was
hunting with the day before had died.
Fred was 65 years old and in great
shape. He was an Army Veteran of
WW2 and fought in the African
Corps with Patton.
The field was wet with patches of
snow still on the ground, cattle were
in the corn stubble eating what was
left. The ducks were eating corn left
by the cattles manure. When you
cleaned these ducks they smelled.
Bill Friedman and Fred had white
butcher coats on to conceal themselves. They were having a good
shoot when both shot a duck. Fred
went to pick up Bills bird and Bill
went to pick up Freds. When Bill
turned around there was no Fred. He
walked back and found him face
down in the field. There was no sign
of life so Bill took out a red handkerchief and tied it on his model 12 shotgun and stuck it in the mud. Bill was
in his 80s and walked about a half
mile to the road then drove down to
the farm house and got Roger Nelson
to get help. The coroner came but it
took a long time to get his body out;
they were there for hours. They had
to use a tractor and hay rack.
Dad and I went to his funeral and
as we drove in the procession just
Contd. on pg. 8
GUIDE TO ASO WRITERS
7 .......Mom's Recipe: Venison Recipes BackwoodsBound.com

8 .......Canterbury Tales continues
10 .....Renee Farris & family Bucks
11 ......April Behrends First Buck Ever!
12......Richard Pearson ISRA, Executive Directors Message
13 ......Kerrie Wells, Candles
14 ......Norm Kelly, A Long Treacherous Road to Freedom Part 1
17......Brandan Mathus, Route 24 Gun & Pawn: Counting Our Blessings on the Trap Line Adventures
18 ......ALAH High School Knights Fishing Arthur Expo Feb 12 & 13
19 .....Mo Mark Twain Lake Receives Grant for Archery Park
19 ......Public Meetings for management of Carlyle Lake & Kaskaskia River Project
20 .....Bob Murray, Meandering Murrays, Homage to Chef Prudhomme
21......IDNR January 2016 & January 2016 Schedule of Events
21......Eagle-watching Festivals and Tours in the Upper Midwest
22 ....Ted Nugent, Nature is Not Politically Correct
23 .....Illinois Hunters Harvest Approx. 86,771 Deer during 7-Day Firearm Season
24 .....Dave Shadow, Hunt with a Klutz for Better Success
25 .....Dave Shadow, Poachers in our Midst
25 .....Congrats to Bailey Overturf with her First Deer
26 .....Colby Simms with Ray Simms
28 .....Daniel Xu, British Angler Lands Potential World Record Dogfish Tuna
28 ....FBI Director Apparently Doesnt Know How Buying a Gun on the Internet Works
29 .....Bob Park, Raptor Premium Spinnerbaits, Basics of Spinnerbait
31 ......Lucus Bond, MDC: November firearms deer harvest ends with 189,938
31 ......Joe Jerek, Harvest for MO antlerless portion of deer hunting ends with 9,733
32 .....Bill Graham, MDC seeks public input for Four Rivers area plan thru Jan. 31, 2016
33 .....Candice Davis, Report all sightings of feral hogs to promote eradication
34 .....Bill Cooper, Essentials for Cold Weather River Camping
36 .....Jan 22- 23 HOI Whitetails Unlimited Host 4th Annual Coyotes for Kids Hunting Tourney
37 .....Farm King
38 .....Muskie Fishing with Brent & Cathy Manning
39 .....IDNR NewsBits
39 .....ICF Scholarship Applications Open
40 .....CRP General Signup Goes thru February 26, 2016
40 .....National Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic Hosts Career Fair & Shooting Sports Clinic
41 .....Woo's Corner, Getting your Equipment Organized
42 .....Daniel Vinovich, Grandma!
45 .....Dave Herschelman, The Burr Oak Buck
48 .....Ed DeVires, BAI: News Looking Back On One Year and Forward to the Next!
50 .....Don Dziedzina, Batteries The Lifeblood of Your Boat
51 ......CPO Reports: August 2015
55 .....Roland Cheeks Campfire Culture, The Real Benefits of Wild Meat
56 .....Kirby Schupp, The Shotgun Shop, Imminent Choke Disasters
58 .....Les Davenport Strictly My Opinion: Where Have All The Mature Bucks Gone?
60 .....Dave Evans, Minnesota Memories, only Yesterday!

62 .....Dr. Jason Halfen, Gear up for First Ice
64 .....Jace Bauserman, You Never Forget Your First Duck Hunt
65 .....Central Illinois Expo Feb 12 & 13 in Arthur
66 .....Steve Welch, Winter Fishing on Kentucky Lake
67 .....Lake Shelbyville Fishing Fun!
68 .....Nice Illinois Bucks!
69 .....Gerald Sampen, Outdoor Connection- Featuring 2 of 23 With Wings OC Represents
72 .....New VMC Tungsten Ice Jigs Get to Fish Fast
73 .....No Special Knots Needed for Long-Casting, Super-Sensitive SUFIX NANOBRAID
74 .....Cold Weather Care for Bird Dogs
75 .....Stress Can Lead to Digestive Upset in Athletic Dogs
76 .....Duck Hunting with Brad & Rick Severs of Farm King, near Swan Lake Missouri.
77 .....Duck hunting Fun with Mark Clark, Bill Neale, Lynn Bants & Mike Baietto & Mike OBryan
77 .....Ducks.org Waterfowling Tip: QuickConcealment
78 .....John Pollmann, Snow GooseDestinations
81 ......Trophy bucks from Trevor Moore & Erick Davis
82 .....Daniel Xu, 14-year-old Hunter Bags Ultra Rare Black Whitetail Buck
83 .....Greg Kocher, Officials Confirm New Kentucky State Record Elk
84 .....Bernie Barringer Controlling Coyotes to Protect Deer Hunting
85 .....The Hunting Lease Network A Hunters Dream
86 .....Margaret Smith The Trumpet Call, A Very Special Washington Trumpeter Swan
88 .....Dan Gapen Sr., In Search of a Trophy
91 ......Missouri Hunter Kills Massive Antlered Doe
92 .....Don Higgins, Higgys Stand: IDNR Losing Credibility with Hunters
94 .....Bob Cowman, Two BucksOne Stand
94 .....Derrek Sigler, After the Shot: How to Find, Dress, and Extract Your Harvest
95 .....The River. The Boat. The Rod. The Reel. The Fisherman! Photo by Bruce Brown
96 .....Norm & Bruce, Red Stocking Memories
97 .....Marlene Odahlen-Hinz, Mark It
99 .....AK Thompson, Dirt Church: LuLus Story
101 ....Jason Houser, Late Season Squirrels
102....Almost Time for Indianas Annual Outdoor and Travel Mega-Show
104 ...Mary Ann Vance, Real Estate Chatter
105 ....Jack Hart, A Bountiful Harvest
106....Ted Takasaki and Scott Richardson, Crappies on Ice
107....Nice Bucks by from Russ Mathis, Eldon Schisler & Coleton Hopp
108....2016 Shawnees Garden of Gods Illinois Quarter Launch Ceremony
109 ....Canadian Brothers Rescue Bald Eagle, Take Cool Selfie with Bird before Release
110 ....Happy New Year from Annie Ottos Corner
111 .....CATSAS-S Founders Son Determined to Relaunch
112 ....Dan Galusha, Dans Fishin Tales, Tips for the Ice
114.....Jason Mitchell, The High Road for Panfish
115.....John Briggs Beautiful Buck
116 ....Keli Van Cleave, Elk Antler-ology
Cope Marine
is the
Midwests
Boating
Headquarters!
WATCH ASO TV Sat. Jan. 30 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_______________________________
January 2016
BASSBOATS
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January 2016
Place in broiler to crisp the bacon if

desired.
Moms Recipe
BackwoodsBound.com
Shepherds Pie
1 lb ground deer or beef
1 can vegetable beef soup
2 cans whole corn, drained
2 cans green beans, drained
Mashed potatoes, will need about 2
to cover top
Shredded cheddar cheese
Cook deer in a skillet seasoned to
taste with salt and pepper. Remove &
drain.
In a large bowl, combine the cooked
meat, soup, corn and green beans.
Pour into a casserole dish and cover
with the mashed potatoes.
Top with shredded cheese.
Cook at 400 degrees for 2025 minutes. Remove and let cool a few minutes.
Backstrap Poppers
1 lb piece of deer backstrap
Medium to large jalapeno peppers
Cream cheese, softened
Tony Chacheres Cajun seasoning
Mary Ann Harrell
Thick cut bacon

Slice backstrap into pieces 2-3 long
by 1/2"-1 wide & 1/8-1/4" thick.
Slice peppers in half lengthwise and
remove the seeds. Leave some seeds
if you want some heat.
Fill each pepper half with cream
cheese and lay on a piece of meat.
Sprinkle liberally with the seasoning.
Wrap each pepper with half a slice of
bacon and secure with toothpicks.
Place on baking sheet and bake for
1520 minutes at 350 degrees.
Machinegun Mike's Deer Chili

2 lbs. ground deer
1 packet your favorite chili seasoning
1 large jar Spicy V-8 juice
1-64 oz. jar Chi-Chi's medium salsa,
or your favorite brand
2 cups elbow macaroni
Brown the deer meat in a large skillet. Drain if necessary.
Place the meat in a large pot. Stir in
1/2 of the V-8 juice and the chili seasoning.
Stir in the salsa. Mix well.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 1015 minutes.
Add the rest of the juice and stir in
the macaroni.
Cook on low heat until the macaroni
is tender. Stir occasionally to keep
from sticking.
Indianapolis
Boat, Sport &
Travel Show:
Feb. 19-28, 2016
Fly Fishing Expo:
Feb. 19-21
Deer, Turkey
& Waterfowl Expo:
Feb. 25-28
IndySportShow.com
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TALES Contd. from pg. 5

before we got to the cemetery a flock of
mallards flew over the hearse and it
seemed like fly over. Fred was the best
sportsman I ever met at the time. He
hunted and fished all his life, the only
man I ever saw clean a bull head in 7
seconds. He was a taxidermist and
cooked like a gourmet chef. When he
got back from the war in 1946 he built
his own house and started hunting
again.
He would take home crippled geese
and put them in his yard. One time
when I was there I saw an old Blue
goose that had arthritis in its legs. It
walked a little oddly, but not bad. Fred
said I shot that goose in 1946. This was
1974 so that means that goose was at
least 30 years old. He had snows, blues
and Canadas in the yard. There were
probably 40 or so walking around.
They would eat out of your hand just
like a tame goose would.
Dad said there should be a lot more
ducks and geese now that Fred has
passed. Fred hunted all the time and a
limit was if they quit flying or you ran
out of shells. I wrote a series of stories
about the old RED NOSE CLUB and I
think it is time to publish them again.
Sure would have never got the chance

to experience these neat activities in
life if Dad had bought me golf clubs
instead of a shotgun. But I would have
a lot more money. Just ask any old
swivel neck how much they have spent
in their life time on this sport we call
duck shooting.
I hunted with men who were born in
the 1800s and learned more about life
and people than if I attended an Ivy
League college. I have had a blessed
life and have made good friends all
across the world literally. Dad always
said after youre gone, in 10 years
everyone has forgotten you. Well dad I
havent and thanks for a lifetime of fun.
This winter will feature many great
Sport, Boat & Fishing Shows/Expos.
Plan to attend a show for a family fun
day. Be sure to take in some fishing and
hunting seminars. Find show ads &
promos in ASO!
Wishing everyone has a great finish
to this hunting season. I hope you said
Merry Christmas to everyone, I did.
This is ASOs 20th yearwe hope to
have 20 more!
HAPPY NEW YEAR
Keep your Powder Dry and your
Worm Wet!
January 2016
Congrats to!Dylan Michel with first doe kill harvested on!October

10th during youth shotgun on his Grandparents farm in Tazewell
County. The deer weighed 101 lbs.!field dressed and is now being
enjoyed by his family. Thanks to proud parents ASO friends Keith &
Donna Michel for sharing Dylan's kill!with ASO!
Harr y
5-2015
Celebrating 80 Years of Shooting 193
1470 Spring Bay Rd. East Peoria, IL 61611
(309) 822-8146 www.peoriaskeetandtrap.com
STILL SHOOTING!
Open Practice - Thurs., Sat. & Sun.

Wishing Everyone a Happy New Year!
Open: M-F 7:30am - 4:30pm
Sat. 7:30 - 11:30am
Ronnie Johnson and Dalton Selman had a great pheasant hunt with
their dads on December 21st. Thanks to proud dad, ASO friend Trent
Johnson of Pekin for sharing a successful hunt!
Black Top Inn
10956 N. Manito Rd., Manito, IL 309-545-9980

Home of the 1/2 pound Burger, Ice Cold Beer & Good Spirits!
MARIETTA
TAP
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Rocket Tire has been giving customers the highest

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926-6901
300 Edmund St. Peoria, IL
(309) 676-0124 RocketTire.com
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!
January 2016
(L-R: Harrys
Grandpa Bud
Canterbury &
Uncle Lee
Canterbury both
of Peoria, Fred
Ellis of Banner,
George Hediger
of Peoria &
Harry Trausch,
of Springfield,
the first IL state
trooper, at the
original Rednose
Duck Club on
Duck Island
around 1956.
(left) Jack
Canterbury,
Frennie
Courtney, Bill
Friedman, Fred
Ellis & Harry
Canterbury, 13,
after a great day
hunting on
Duck Island.
(right) Jack
Canterbury
around 1966.
(1931-1993)
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 ~
We had a great loss last year

in November of a good
friend and outdoorsman.
Gus Loness of Elsberry
Mo!had a farm accident and
was taken away from us way
too soon. Gus was the
inventor of the TNT Remote
Game Calls. The calls are
very popular here in the
Midwest. Gus was a!stand
up guy who!I had a lot of
respect for. He will be
deeply missed by all who
knew him. As it said on a
photo his lovely wife Wendy
sent to us, we will meet
again. And I'm sure we will. TNTRemote.com
Canterbury Grandkids, L-R: Hannah, Blaytn, Allie,

Grace, Marisa. They had a great Christmas celebration
with Harry, Cathy, Scott, Jeff & Dawn Canterbury!
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
January 2016
Left: Here is Renee with

a nice doe killed on 12/4/15.
These three deer will feed them
for a year. !Can't beat that!!!!
Below: Casey Farris killed this
nice, husky 8 point on the
last day of second shotgun
season. This is the same
private farm that his mother
Renee got her 11 point buck
two weeks. Congrats to Casey!
Congrats to Renee Farris of Peoria for harvesting this nice buck on

the second day of shotgun season in Peoria County.! It had just
snowed 6 inches of snow from the night before on this private farm in
the northwest part of the county.! After patiently waiting all day with
no luck, her son Casey and husband Gary!came up and were all
talking about!the day.!! At 4:45 this big!buck came up to the field
from the timber.! Renee spotted!him and took her shot at 50 yards.
Dropped!him in his tracks. This 11 point buck was the biggest deer of
her life.! He will be mounted and displayed with pride for the patience
it took to harvest him.! WOW! CongratsGreat job Renee!
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January 2016
11
FIRST BUCK
EVER!
Congrats to
April Behrends
of Tremont for
taking this
beautiful buck!
This was a Tazewell county kill. I used

a Remington 870 it was the gun!my dad
bought me for my first time deer hunting at age 13. I had been getting buck
fever since about mid-August. The time
had come finally first weekend of firearm season. I always get real excited. I mean so excited I can hardly sleep. Friday I woke up, got all my
gear and headed to the timber. All I could think about was past times hunting with my dad who passed away 4 years ago. And how I hadn't
been hunting since. So I felt lucky that day that dad had to be with me. I sat until almost 10 am. I was about to get out of my stand and go in
for lunch and that's when I heard him come in. I was over whelmed with adrenaline especially when I saw the rack! I waited for him to get
within shooting range and I pulled the trigger. And in memory of my
dad I let out a big WOO HOO. He always told me to Holler!when the
shot he heard was me. I waited a bit and got down to check the buck
out. And wow he was much bigger up close! MY FIRST BUCK KILL
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12
January 2016
From the
Desk of:
Rich
Pearson,
ISRA
Executive
Director
THE ISRA ACADEMY
ISRA.org
The Illinois State Rifle Association (ISRA) Education and Training division
in known as the ISRA Academy. The ISRA Academy offers a wide variety of
classes to fit everyones time and budget. In these times that try mens souls
firearm training should be on everyones mind. For those who know me I am
always talking about training and more training- its simple. Whether you are
shooting competitively, or for recreation with your friends and family, a hunter
or for self-defense, to not get more training puts you at a self-inflicted disadvantage. Remember, training is youre best and cheapest force multiplier. I realize there are issues with that. Where will I get more training? How much will
the cost be? How time consuming will it be? What gun should I train with? How
much ammunition? What gear do I need? And on, and on.
Everyones budget, time and equipment have limitations. The ISRA Academy
recognizes this, and because of these concerns we have developed a wide range
of classes that run for two hours to a week. Time costs money in the firearm
training world and everywhere else. The longer the class, the more expensive.
It is just that simple.
The going rate for some classes can be $200.00 to $300.00 per day, depending on many things. Travel, and all the inconvenience that goes with it, is also
expensive. I have flown to classes in other states and the mere act of getting
there is costly, and often more costly than the class itself. The ISRA Academy
is trying to take all of these concerns into consideration. Twenty years ago, a
person had to travel a long way for not only quality training, but for any training at all. If you went to GunSite with Jeff Cooper or the Chapman Academy
with Ray Chapman, you were fortunate. Those two people pioneered what is
known as Modern Pistol Craft. I was one of those lucky ones who attended
The Chapman Academy.
Today advanced training of all kinds is more readily available. The ISRA
Academy isnt the only place around. Even better, most of the training is very
good once you get above entry level classes. By entry level I mean Basic Pistol,
Rifle, shotgun and Concealed Carry. Taking the basic classes enables you to
establish a foundation to move on to more advanced classes.
In the early days of concealed carry there were some questionable instructors
teaching classes, but most have been weeded out. I want to assure you that if
you take a basic class or any class from the ISRA Academy we want the class
to be the best class that we can make it. We also review our instructors to ensure
the best quality instruction.
Included with this article there is a survey that addresses a wide range of
classes that the ISRA Academy offers. I am asking you to take the time and give
us your opinions and concerns regarding this. Please fill out the survey and
return it to us. With this information, we will compile classes that are the most
desired and begin offering those classes to our members. Our range is outdoors
so most classes that require shooting will be scheduled for the warmer months.
Classes like Range Safety Officer (RSO) and firearm maintenance classes can
be taught in the colder months because there are no requirements to go outdoors. We are also offering classes at other locations besides our range in
Kankakee, to try to meet and be available near other areas. We are offering
classes in Chatsworth, Effingham and Sparta. Most classes will offer discounts
for ISRA members.
Please take time and fill out the enclosed questionnaire. Please visit us at our
website www.isra.org, being a member of the ISRA not only helps keep you
informed, gives you a voice in Springfield and also gives you discounts on most
ISRA Academy training classes.
Candles
January 2016
by Kerrie Wells, Canton, IL
The rhythmic tap of a light October rain dotted the evening stillness as the
huntress listened for the sounds of her quarry. Yellows, browns, grays and reds
fluttered in the northern breeze amidst the oaks and maples that lined the valley
bluffs around her secluded haunt. !A bead of rain dripped from the bill of her
hat then onto her cam where it rolled its way onto the riser then across the bow's
handle where her glove sucked it in. !She was cold. Yet still, she waited.!
Some thirty yards below her in a blanket of leaves, was a bare spot below a
low hanging branch. !A scrape, stripped of debris; it was larger than most. It
hadn't been there two days earlier. !It was fresh, but the rain was purging the
deer's odor drop by drop. ! She knew it and instinctively, so did her quarry.!
The muffled sound was slight and far, and it came from the opposite ridge a
good ways across the valley. !But it was definitely a buck's grunt, and deeper
than most.
Kerrie slowly stood, raised the stand's seat and molded into the tree to become
one. ! She then waited. ! The lady huntress gripped the bow more firmly than
before and checked the tension of her release against the string. ! She was
ready! !But time passed, and still, nothing.
Finally, just when Kerrie began to relax, a big doe came charging into view,
only to stop mere feet from the scrape below. !The doe stood momentarily, and
with tail tucked, she looked behind her. Then, with its head low to the ground,
she scooted off through heavy cover. !Kerrie searched its backtrail, knowing full
well the hot doe was being pursued. ! It was then that the old giant boldly
stomped into Kerrie's view well within range. !She began to draw but held as he
glanced up her way. !His body was grippingly huge, and massive bone stood
tall, heavy and wide from his chocolate and gray head. !His dark eyes pored past
her as Kerrie held her breath in disbelief, for it was an old friend who had vanished from years past. !It was him alright, Candle Stick!
As he stared her way, Kerrie tried not to come unglued, of which she'd had a
history of doing with monster bucks. Trying not to stare into his eyes or gawk
at his massive rack, it was more than a test of her will to avoid buck fever.
After a good day of hunting
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At last, Candle Stick exhaled

and a puff of breath billowed
from his black nostrils. He then
turned, stepped forward, and
lowered his head to the
scrape. !It was then that Kerrie
rolled the Matthew's cams into
place and anchored for the shot.
Kerrie exhaled, settled the pin
behind the beast's shoulder, and
released the falcon.
In a flash of red brilliance, the
Lumenok streaked to its mark.
With a heavy thud, the buck
absorbed the arrow with a lethal
slock. ! With a high bucking
kick, he then charged headlong
into the tangles only to tumble
then fall moments later. !Kerrie
watched from above, but could
no longer see the slain giant.
Yet, beyond view behind a
thick stand of autumn olive, she
could clearly hear the thrashing
of his last moments. But the
moments soon passed and the
forest went still.
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14
A LONG TREACHEROUS
ROAD TO FREEDOM PT. 1
by Norman V. Kelly
Last month we watched a movie

called FREEDOM. We were anxious to
see it because my nephew Bart Shatto
had a part in it and had a chance to work
with the movies star Cuba Gooding Jr.
Bart played the part of McGee who was
a security man on a horse that escorted
run away slaves on their road to freedom. We had seen Bart in starring roles
in Broadway plays like Les Miserable
and so many others and seeing him on
the big screen was exciting for us here
in Peoria. It got me thinking about the
Underground Railroad and what part, if
any, it played here in Peoria and this
area of the United States.
Being a historian of Peoria I can tell
you that the myths about us fly high and

often and many things were simply
romanticized; especially tales about our
gangsters. The Underground Railroad
was a marvelous thing, but it too is full
of myths. I wonder if you have ever
thought about it in connection with
Peoria, Tazewell County and as far
northwest as Galesburg, Illinois? What
would be your guess as to how many
fugitive slaves or runaway slaves came
through here annually? Would you
guess hundreds, thousands or perhaps
none at all?
Hell, I once believed that it was
somehow a railroad, you know with
tracks and locomotives and whatever
else a train has, but of course that was
silly. I also thought that there were definite roadways, trails, and marked passageways that led north; those too were
all myths. Actually the Underground
Railroad was a loose network of houses, barns and hideouts far from the spying eyes of the reward hunters. Also
there were no dimly lit lanterns in the
windows, no hidden maps; no guide
post of any kind. Once the slave made
it to a friendly Agent House, their very
lives were in his hands. He had his own
network of people, and the job of moving the escaped slaves along to safety
was tedious and dangerous. The name
January 2016
Underground Railroad came from

words like these: Depots, Agents,
Agent Houses, Conductors, Station
Master, and Stations. Remember there
were millions of slaves by 1840 and
even before that located in the South
and Deep South and a few other states
as well. The 1850 Census estimated that
there were at least four million of them
in the United States. Between you and
me I doubt the accuracy of that as well.
Those that were owned by men in the
Deep South had little or no chance of
escape. Many tried and were killed or
brought back to face an even harsher
existence; some were maimed permanently. Those that made it to lets say the
State of Illinois pretty much got there
with the help of escaped slaves and people willing to risk their own lives and
jail time to do so. Of course that was a
secretive world even though there were
plenty of neighbors, bounty hunters, and
unreliable sheriffs that were always on
the lookout to collect the rewards that
were put up by the slave owners.
By the time they got to say Morton,
Illinois a lot of people had to have
worked together to move them along.
The slaves were hidden during the daytime and travelled only after dark. They
were hidden in deep woods, barns, hay
mounds, and cornfields. At night the
Depots where they were staying were

visited by Agents who moved them on
to Conductors, who moved them on to
the next Station. The threat was not only
one of life and death but one of people
that were more than willing to contact
authorities in order to collect rewards
that were promised for the information
they supplied. The threat from Bounty
Hunters was constant and life threatening. Large ads were placed in the newspapers in cities and towns identifying
the missing slaves and how much the
reward was for their capture. Flyers
were placed in store fronts and young
boys delivered them to gathering places
and handed them out to hundreds of
people. That sparked a new industry in
parts of the United States; it was a dangerous cat and mouse game with sometimes a fatal ending for the slave and
even the person aiding them. Some of
the Bounty Hunters had no intention of
returning the captured slaves to the
owner because there was more money
to be had by taking the slaves to Saint
Louis, Missouri. There they found a
huge slave market with a slave auction
that paid big money for the right type
slave. The top dollar was spent on
young and large males that looked like
they could work until they dropped.
That was the real market, which includ-
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January 2016
ed entire families of men, women and

children. It was a huge business that
seemed to get bigger with each passing
year. For the young and attractive
female slave the fate that awaited her
was rarely spoken about, but folks
knew what was going on. It was whispered about but never spoken out loud
in mixed company.
There were Abolitionist who got a
lot of credit for aiding the escaped
slave, and there were a few of them in
our area. Remember there were severe
laws in most states forbidding the populace to help the slave, feed them,
clothe them or help them in any way.
By 1850 there were Federal laws
called The Fugitive Slave Act that
were painfully severe. History tells us
that was the Act that forced a lot of
slaves to continue moving North until
they reached Canada. So the danger
was not only from ordinary citizens
that would seek rewards for information but the dangerous and in some
cases extremely cruel Bounty Hunters
that hunted down the runaway slave
with bloodhounds and other vicious
dogs. They were brutal and woe to
anyone that stepped up to intervene. If
the person helping the slave could be
connected with the slave, the sheriff
immediately arrested that person or
persons and there were many tried and
jailed along with hefty fines, which
they were never able to pay. Who paid
15
Mexico and the perils that faced

them heading that way were just as
treacherous as heading North. The
records show that man headed for
Florida and hid out with other
slaves that lived more like animals
than people. It was hard, dangerous
and terrifying but somehow better
than being a chained slave in the
South. They always faced dangers
and death as well as recapture trying to avoid the vast net that was
cast out to run them down and capture them. They were driven by raw
fear and the simple desire to be
free, free to raise their families and
avoid the absolute hell holes that
they were running away from.
....See next months issue of ASO for
Part 2!
the people that helped the fugitive

slave? Why did they do it? The
Abolitionist had an agenda of their
own, but for the average citizen it was
simply the reward of knowing that the
slave they helped would be a free man
or woman. It was that simple.
Neighbor spied on neighbor and
local sheriffs supplemented their meager salaries by spending most of their
time running down rumors that this
house or that house was hiding a run
away slave. Folks soon learned not to
be found with any of
the slaves, so they
had to find good hiding places during the
day.
Imagine a
peaceful
cabin,
maybe just a small
farmhouse out on the
prairie. Suddenly up
would ride a half
dozen men, handguns
drawn, savage dogs
barking while shotguns were pointed at
the terrified homeowner demanding to
search the property
for runaway slaves. It
happened over and
over. Many of the
slaves were found in
abandoned wells, old
barns and sleeping in
hay wagons with
false bottoms. It was
hell to pay and many
people paid the price.
Still, some of the terrified slaves managed
to move along the
Underground Railroad line getting

closer and closer to a Free State.
Many of the slaves after 1850, because
of the new
Federal
Laws realized that
they would
have
to
make it to
Canada or
Mexico.
Some that
made
it
here managed
to
avoid moving on and
stayed
right here,
but there
were few
of those
fortunate
slaves. So
they were
moving
along the
line
by
Agents and
Conductors heading north
to Canada,
where they
felt they
could be
free. Some
of
the
slaves in
the Deep
S o u t h
headed for
Editors Note: Norm is a Peoria

Historian, True Crime Writer and
a monthly contributor to
Adventure Sports Outdoors.
norman.kelly@sbcglobal.net
16
House
Approves
Resolution to
Designate Part of
Peorias RT 6
Gold Star Families
Memorial Highway
The
Illinois
House
of
Representatives approved a resolution December 2nd sponsored by
State Representative Tim Butler (RSpringfield) to designate a section of
Route 6 as it passes through the
Peoria city limits as the "Gold Star
Families Memorial Highway. The
unanimous vote was 111-0.
According to
Representative Tim
Butler, I am honored to
sponsor legislation honoring the families of fallen soldiers. Dedicating a
portion of Route 6 will ensure we
never forget those who have served
our country and its only fitting that
we honor these families.
The bill was initiated by Patti
Smith, founder and president of
America's Gold Star Families a
501c3 not for profit that supports all
family members who have lost a
loved one in service to our country.

more
information
visit
For
www.americasgoldstarfamilies.org.
The organization supports all family
members representing all conflicts
regardless of circumstance of death.
America's Gold Star Families mails
cards with enclosed gift cards to children of the fallen on their birthdays
and at Christmas time across the
USA. Their goal in 2016 is to reach
1000 children.
The Gold Star is awarded by the
United States Department of Defense
to the immediate family of a fallen
service member. The Gold Star has
appeared on flags dating as far back
as World War I, which families would
hang in their windows to indicate that
a loved one had been killed overseas.!
An excerpt from Senate Resolution
19 reads as follows:!
January 2016
Rep.
Butler
with
Patti
Smith
WHEREAS, The United States

began observing Gold Star Mothers
Day on the last Sunday of September
in 1936, the Gold Star Wives was
formed prior to the end of World War
II; the Gold Star Lapel Button was
established in August of 1947; and!
WHEREAS, The nation recognizes
the sacrifice that Gold Star family
members make when a loved one
dies in service to the nation; and!
WHEREAS, The strength of the
United States Army is its soldiers and
the strength of the soldiers are their
families; the Army recognizes that no
one has given more for the nation
than the families of the fallen.
Bill was initiated by Patti Smith
Founder, President of America's Gold
Star Families a 501c3 not for profit
that supports all family members who
have lost a loved one in service to our
country. For more information visit
www.AmericasGoldStarFamilies.org
. The organization supports all family
members representing all conflicts
regardless of circumstance of death.
Americas Gold Star Families
grows Freedom Gardens where all
produce is donated to veterans and
their families.
When founder Patti Smiths two
sons enlisted in the United States
Marine Corps within six months of
each other, she received a crash
course in the military world. The
emotional roller coaster of sendoffs, boot camp graduations, writing
letters, sending care packages, supporting other military families,
deployments, homecomingsall
occurred within a few short years. At
one point both sons were deployed in
Iraq simultaneously. These life
changing events changed the course
of her life forever and while her sons
now lead productive, civilian lives,
Patti serves as advocate for Gold Star
families everywhere. Along with
their two sons, Patti and her husband
Greg also have two daughters and
several grandchildren.
For more information on

Gold Star Families contact
Patti at 309-231-5090
AmericasGoldStarFamilies.org
January 2016
Counting Our
Blessings on Our
Trap Line Adventures
by Brandan Mathus
Every trapping season there are

always stories to share with other trappers and outdoors man. A lot of times
this is where you pick up little methods
and techniques to implement into your
out trap line however, not all these ideas
have to be from the best most seasoned
veteran trappers. Probably the biggest
learning experience that I was taught
was while I had my sons with me out on
our line.
A few of the local farms I trap, have
deer hunters so I always try to do my
best to work around them when they
will be hunting. Most of the time its
just a matter of them having to leave
their stand. I will check the traps on
farms where there are no hunters first
than go to the hunted farms last or trap
them after muzzle loading season.
One farm in particular we usually hit
after the deer muzzle loading season.
My sons and I were out running our sets
and had pretty good success with our
coon line on this farm. Some of the
coon we caught were pushing 3x or bet-
ter which I was pleased with. At one set

where we had set three traps all three
were full and the boys were excited.
Coltan even asked me if he could haul
one out, which I was more than glad to
have him assist me. It also made me
happy to know that he was ambitious
about what we were doing.
My son Dax was just as excited about
Coltan carrying out that coon as I was.
He really looks up to his older brother
and I think that job was a pretty big deal
that he was looking forward to doing
someday. Most of the coon line went
just like that but as far as the other part
of the line, the water sets, I had out for
beaver needed a lot of work. The water
was rising from all the rain and then
lowering from no rain. I had my fair
share of adjusting to these traps with
very little success. We did harvest one
mink though. Our dirt hole sets for fox
and coyote have been about the same
way although they havent been out but
a few days. I have had to doctor them up
because of the rain washing away the
cover dirt.
Even with some of the traps coming
up short it still seems like the kids stay
enthused about trapping and I try to
teach them in a positive way so that they
can pass it on to others and hopefully
their children.
While we were walking up a steep

bank from the creek where we had a
beaver dive stick set, Coltan was in
front of me and he stopped turned
around and looked at me and asked did
your daddy ever take you on trapping
adventures. I said yea, he then replied
you sure are lucky, I thought to myself
yea I am lucky and Im pretty sure I
knew how he was feeling. Daxtan asks
every time we even remotely get close
to any size timber or creek, daddy are
we going trapping. What a true blessing
even when some of the traps come up
empty or were not trapping. The kids
still love it thats the best catch ever. I
cant wait until they are on the line with
me and we have nice red fox or coyote
in one of those dirt hole sets.
17
Thank You &

Semper-Fi!
Brandan Mathus, Owner

Route 24 Gun & Pawn
309-633-1050
903 Mckinley, Bartonville
www.24Gun&Pawn.com
Southern Illinois Boat & Fishing Show

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18
Meet the ALAH Knights

Bass Fishing team at the
5th Annual
Central Illinois
Outdoor Expo
Feb. 12 & 13
Seminars, Exotic Animals,

Vendors, Great Food
Fri. 12th: 10:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m.
Sat. 13th: 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
Otto Center
www.ArthurOutdoorExpo.com!
The ALAH High School Knights
Fishing Team had a very good season with one team making it to the
Bassmaster High School! Nationals
finishing in 26th place. Another
team made it to the SAF! Student

Angler Federation Regional for the
second year in a row. Congrats for
winning
the
Bassmaster
Midwestern High School Open on
Lake Springfield. Great job on finishing 5th in the IHSA State
Championship on Carlyle Lake.
Please support the team raffles held
to raise money for next year's fishing experience. Donations are
needed from lodges, fishing guide
trips, hunting trips, resorts and
products that the kids can use to
raffle.!
Come meet the ALAH Fishing
Team at the Central Illinois
Outdoor Expo in Arthur on
February 12 &13, (Fri & Sat). The
Team was in charge of getting
WANTED
TO BUY:
INDIAN
RELICS
OF ALL
KINDS
APPRAISALS AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST.
Contact Brian: (217) 642-5379

(217) 871-5379 bwrage@abelink.com
Welcome to...
The Brick Tavern

Where even the ducks come to party!
OPEN DAILY!
Stop in and try our
Famous Brick Lemonade
or Bloody Mary!
309-546-9013
Rt. 78 Bath, IL
speakers for the event and have a

very nice lineup of excellent seminars...
Stan Potts, host of North America
Whitetail and Illinois Turkey
Federation on Hunting.!
Terry Bolton, 11 time Forest
January 2016
Wood Cup Qualifier,!

Mary Satterfield, Derek Jenkel,
John Wright, on fishing.
This will be a great show with
something for everyone in the family!
Hope to see you there!
January 2016
Mark Twain Lake

Receives Grant for
Archery Park
Mark Twain Lake, MO - The U.S.

Army Corps of Engineers at Mark
Twain Lake is pleased to announce
the receipt of a $20,000 Handshake
Partnership grant for the development of an archery park in the Frank
Russell Recreation Area.! The project
will be developed in collaboration
with the Mark Twain Lake Friends of
Recreation and Environmental
Stewardship Council (FOREST).
The Frank Russell Archery Park will
fulfill customer demands, promote
quality outdoor experiences, and support the environmental and recreational missions of the Corps of
Engineers.
This grant will fund Phase 1 of the
project, and proposes the development of the following facilities: an
accessible seven station archery
range with target distances ranging
from 10 yards to 50 yards; an accessible four station youth archery
range; and a 14 station 3-D archery
trail.! Phase one work is expected to
begin in the Spring of 2016.! Phase 2
of the archery park will be developed

with future partnering and funding
opportunities, and proposes development of an accessible 3-D target
archery range featuring a multiple
elevation shooting platform.!
As stewards of almost 12 million
acres of public lands and waters
nation-wide, the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers welcomes opportunities to
work together with neighbors and
local communities who share common goals and interests in conserving
public resources. The Corps manages
almost 55,000 acres of land and water
at Mark Twain Lake. Partnering will
help us continue to accomplish our
mission objectives in everything
from wildlife protection and habitat
improvement to recreational facility
enhancements and customer service.
Working together can help ensure
these lands and waters continue to
meet the needs of the public and the
The Armory
Buy Sell Trade
Guns
Guns Ammunition
Ammunition Army
Army Surplus
Surplus MREs
MREs Knives
Knives
Bayonets
Bayonets Reloading
Reloading Supplies
Supplies Military
Military Collectibles
Collectibles
1406
1406 State
State Route
Route 13-127
13-127 Pinckneyville,
Pinckneyville, IL
IL 62274
62274
Located
Located next
next to
to the
the Pinckneyville/DuQuoin
Pinckneyville/DuQuoin Airport
Airport
618-559-0424 thearmory1945@yahoo.com
OPEN
OPEN 10-6
10-6 M-F,
M-F, 10-4
10-4 Sat.
Sat. (After
(After hours
hours by
by Appt.)
Appt.)
Come See UsFind a Great

Selection of Bait, Tackle
& Fishing Supplies!
Charlie Hogg Owner

130 South Division Carterville, IL
Like Us On
FACEBOOK!
(618) 985-8277
CrappieProShop.net
nation.
For more information about the
Archery Park, or how you, your
group or organization can work with
the Corps of Engineers and partners
at Mark Twain Lake, you can email
marktwaininfo@usace.army.mil or
call 573-735-4097.
Public Meetings for

future management
of Carlyle Lake &
the Kaskaskia
River Project
CARLYLE LAKE The U.S. Army

Corps of Engineers, Carlyle
Lake/Kaskaskia River Project, will
hold five public workshops in Dec.
2015 & Jan. 2016, regarding Master
Plan updates for Carlyle Lake and the
Kaskaskia River Project.! The public is
invited to attend these workshops
which will provide information on the
Master Plan update process and afford
the opportunity to receive input from
the public about their issues and concerns regarding the future manage-
19
ment of Carlyle Lake and the

Kaskaskia River Project.
The Master Plans address outdoor
recreation and environmental stewardship activities occurring on lands
owned and easement lands managed
by the Corps of Engineers at Carlyle
Lake and the Kaskaskia River
Project's.! These Master Plans do not
address shoreline management, water
control or water quality, since these
activities are included in other Corps
of Engineers operating plans.
Stakeholder input is extremely
important to this process update.! The
current Master Plan, along with comment forms and additional information
concerning the updates will be available on the St. Louis District website at
www.mvs.usace.army.mil. The public
workshops will be held using an "open
house" format, allowing time for participants to review specific information about the Master Plan update
process, ask questions and provide
written comments to the Corps of
Engineers staff attending the meeting.
Illinois meeting locations, dates and
times are as follows:
Germantown, IL: January 12, 2016,
5-7 pm at the Germantown American
Legion, 1105 Sycamore St.!!!!!!
Red Bud, IL: January!13, 2016, 5-7
pm at the Kaskaskia Regional Port
District Office, 336 N. Main St.
Chester, IL: January 14, 2016, 5-7
pm at the Chester Public Library, 733
State St.
20
The Meandering
Murrays
By Bob Murray
bigmur2@aol.com
Homage to
Chef Prudhomme
This year we lost one of the true great
American chefs that introduced literally the
world to some of the wonders of Cajun
cuisine. His name was Paul Prudhomme,
and not only was he a master of the world
so influenced by the many cultures of
Cajun and Creole cooking, he was an innovator who took red drum and made it so
good by blackening it, that the species existence was threatened.
In honor of the rotund master, I smoked
up the neighborhood with a batch of blackened red drum that I got from a friend of
mine. I hadnt cooked a batch of anything
blackened for a long time, and had forgotten what a true gift that the Nawlins chef
presented to us back in the seventies.
I havent been salt water fishing in a cou-
ple years and that redfish gave me the hankering to get down there and catch me
some flounder, speckled trout and I am
sure some skates and rays as well. I had
promised to everyone in earshot that the
next ray I got would get cooked. To say the
least, those days are now most likely stuff of
my memories.
But, I have not known a soul that keeps
rays for food and most of them get
whacked once they get in the boat and start
flailing that barbed tail around and then
they get tossed overboard. In my way of
thinking, if an unscrupulous fish monger
can sell pieces of ray punched out with a
cookie cutter so they can sell them as scallops tells me that they can be pretty good
eats.
Most of the catch that comes from these
BOWLING BAR
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Archery Pro Shop
Indoor Shooting Range
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615 W. Truitt Ave. Chillicothe, IL
Closed on Mondays.
(309) 274-WOLF (9653)

WolfHollowArchery.com wolf@mtco.com
January 2016
(salt water + fresh water) waters are some

very good eats. This brackish water produces blue crab, white and brown shrimp
and a host of fish that end up presenting
you with lip smackin goodness. If your
mid-west fish store stocks fresh or frozen
items there are some great things you can
do with them. You may pay a bit more, but
keep in mind buying American produced
fish and seafood products.
So, lets take the Chefs blackening idea.
If you dont have redfish you can substitute
some nice catfish filets instead. If you
decide to do it, make sure you have a wellventilated kitchen or do as I docook it
outside. If you dont own something like
cast iron skillets or a vessel that can get
smoking hot dont even attempt this. Lets
assume catfish and not redfish for your
purposes.
6, 1-inch thick catfish filets (8oz. ea. or so)
2.5-tsp. salt
1- tsp. onion powder
1-tsp. garlic powder
1-tsp. cayenne pepper
3/4-tsp. black pepper
3/4-tsp. white pepper
1/2-tsp. dried thyme
1/2-tsp. dried oregano
3-sticks of butter melted (prefer unsalted
for this)
Mix all the spices together. Dip each
piece of fish in the butter and put a generous amount of spices on both sides of each
piece of fish. You probably want to do this
on parchment or waxed paper. Preheat a
Chef Paul
Prudhomme!
(1940 - 2015)
ChefPaul.com
cast iron griddle or skillet for eight to ten
minutes or until it is white and ashy looking. Cook each filet till it appears charred
(about two min.) turn to the second side
and drizzle more butter over each piece and
cook till the fish is cooked thru. Hey! It
isnt something you want to eat every day
and it is worth fasting the next day if you
have to. Continue with the rest of the fish
while keeping the others hot in a warm
oven. Serve with some wild rice and a good
fresh veggie and you have about a $50 a
plate restaurant meal sitting on your table.
Based on how this winter has progressed so
far we could well be looking at an early
spring. You may be able to catch some early
walleye and sauger, be sure to try and tag
some nice cats to add to your bag so you
can blacken those babies. As always keep it
clean out there, and have a great 2016.
Beer Liquor Wine Soda Ice Snacks

Live Bait Tackle Roll Your Own Tobacco
Hunting & Fishing Licenses & Stamps
Expanded Bait Shop, Several

Sizes of Minnows Now
Available & Much More!
820 S. Main St., Lewistown, IL

(309) 547-1094
By Casey's on Rt. 24 Paul Dinkheller, Owner
829 E. Camp St. E. Peoria, IL 61611

mwfco@sbcglobal.net
309-694-4867 1-800-962-9934
www.mwfco.com
FOID CARDS
OPEN: Tues.-Fri. 10am-6pm

Sat. 10am-4pm Closed Sun. & Mon.
FRIENDLY
CUSTOMER
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January 2016
Eagle-watching festivals &

tours in the Upper Midwest
JAN. 2, 16, 23 & 30,

E a g l e Wa t c h / C l o c k
Tower Tours of
the Mississippi
River Visitors
Center in Rock Island, Ill. The center
is on Lock & Dam 15. To reserve one
of the free tours, 9:30-11 a.m. or 23:30 p.m., call 309-794-5338.
JAN. 8-10,!Bald Eagle Days in Rock
Island, Ill. At the Quad Cities
Conservation Alliance Expo Center,
there's an environmental fair, with
flying demonstrations by eagles,
hawks and owls and many other
events. Admission.!
JAN. 9, Bald Eagle Watch in Clinton,
Iowa. It features live-eagle and
nature programs at Clinton
Community College and free bus
service to Lock & Dam 13 in Fulton,
Ill.
JAN. 15-16, Bald Eagle Watching
Days in Prairie du Sac, Wis. It features free guided bus tours, Eagles in
Wisconsin and Birds of Prey programs and a radio-tracking demonstration.
JAN. 9-FEB. 13, the Ferry Bluff Eagle
Council hosts eagle-watching bus
tours at 10 a.m. Saturdays, $5. To
reserve, call 608-643-6625.
MID-JAN.-EARLY MARCH, Bald
Eagle Viewing Van Tours from
Ingersoll Wetlands Learning Center
in Thomson, Ill., on the Mississippi
River just south of Savanna. Trips are
2-5 p.m. Saturdays, and destinations
vary. They're free, but space is limited, so call 815-273-2732 to reserve a
spot. Sponsored by Stewards of the
Upper Mississippi River Refuge.
JAN. 16,
Bald Eagle
Watch in Dubuque,
Iowa.! Live-eagle
programs and free
trolley rides from
the Grand River
Center downtown to the National
Mississippi River Museum and Lock
& Dam 11.
JAN. 16-17, Bald Eagle Appreciation
Days in Keokuk, Iowa. There's liveeagle presentations, Native American
activities, demonstrations and viewing on the river.
JAN. 23, Bald Eagle Watch in
Muscatine, Iowa. Live-eagle programs and environmental exhibits are
at Pearl City Station in Riverside
Park and outdoor viewing there and
at Lock & Dam 16.
JAN. 23-24, Bald Eagle Days in
Cassville, Wis. There are raptor programs throughout the day. In the
morning, volunteers man spotting
scopes in Riverside Park.
JAN. 30, Golden Eagle Viewing Field
Trip from Wabasha, Minn. The
National Eagle Center hosts a 4-hour
motorcoach tour to viewing locations, $35.
JAN. 30-31, Eagle Watch Weekend
Utica, Ill. The Illinois Audubon
Society sponsors activities at Starved
Rock Lodge, the Starved Rock State
Park Visitors center and, across the
river, the Illinois Waterway Visitor
Center. Trolleys connect the three
venues. For more about the area, see
Marvels of Starved Rock.
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Free Estimates Personal Service Quality Products

Your lumber
store
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much more!
406 S. 5th Ave. Canton, IL
(309) 647-0396 fax (309) 647-2724
More than 100 years in the building materials business!
JAN.
2016
CALENDAR
OF EVENTS
For more info:
dnr.illinois.gov
DEC. 31, 2015-JAN. 3, 2016
Late-Winter Antlerless-only Deer Season
and Special CWD Deer Season
(designated counties only)
DNR.illinois.gov/hunting/Documents/
Late-WinterSHAHuntingPermitInformation
.pdf
JAN. 8-10
IDNR Booth at Lets Go Fishing Show,
Gateway Center, Collinsville
(LetsGoShows.com)
JAN. 12
Final day of duck hunting season, South
Central Zone
JAN. 14
Final day of Canada goose hunting season,
North Zone
JAN. 15
Bald Eagle Days tours, Pere Marquette State
Park, Grafton (reservations required);
618-786-3323 Program also held on other
select dates in January, February & March.
DNR.illinois.gov/Parks/Documents/
BaldEagleDaysPereMarquette.pdf
21
JAN. 15-17
Late-Winter & Special CWD deer hunting
season 2nd segment (designated counties
only); for more info:
DNR.illinois.gov/hunting/Documents/
Late-WinterSHAHuntingPermitInformation
.pdf
JAN. 16-17
Eagle Days, Old Chain of Rocks Bridge,
Granite City
JAN. 17
Final day of 2015-16 Illinois Archery
Deer Season
JAN. 24
Final day of duck hunting season, South Zone
JAN. 25
Illinois Nature Preserves Commission
Special Meeting, IDNR, Springfield
DNR.state.il.us/INPC/upcoming.htm
JAN. 26
Illinois Nature Preserves Commission
meeting, IDNR, Springfield
DNR.state.il.us/INPC/upcoming.htm
JAN. 30-31
Eagle Watch Weekend,
Starved Rock State Park, Utica
DNR.illinois.gov/calendar/Pages/eaglewatch
Weekend31Jan16SRL.aspx
JAN. 31
Final day of Canada goose hunting season,
Central, South Central and South zones
GCR Tire Center

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22
NATURE IS NOT
POLITICALLY CORRECT!
by:
TedNugent.com facebook.com/tednugent
I first encountered the culture war freaks

way back in the 1960s on rock-n-roll
radio. During interviews about my frightening Amboy Dukes MotorCity
Madhouse R&B&R&R funmusic, the DJs
would feign shock and dismay when I
articulated the source of my inspiration
and high energy animal breeding soundtrack to my soul cleansing, magical time in
nature as a bowhunter. Afterall, there is no
more demanding scenario than stalking
within arrow range of high-strung whitetail deer designed by God to evade sharp
stick bearing BBQ addicts such as I.
I am certain Chuck Berry and Bo
Diddly had that truism cataloged solidly in
their ancestral mental library as their
ingenious sonic bombast erupted.
Of course, 99% of the interviewers in
those days were stoned out of their minds
on various self-inflicted brain-altering
chemical warfare trends of the drop out
fade away hippie era of disconnect and
cowardly abandonment of individual
responsibility. The Bambi cartoon syndrome made perfect sense to these fantasy
driven dolts, and to witness them try to
rationalize their big animal rights lie made
for better comedy than the eventual catching fire of Richard Pryors afro.
Then we sat down to some sushi and

ribs, as in dead sushi and ribs.
As a gungho disciplined hunter from the
Fred Bear mystical flight of the arrow
camp, I knew damn well what my wildlife
stewardship responsibilities were and why
we give thanks to God every November
near the end of the natural annual season
of harvest for His miraculous renewable
bounty.
The dumbing down of America was
already on the fast track, and witnessing
the abject ignorance about sustain yield
wildlife management, habitat carrying
capacity and ultimate organic venison
nutrition was hopelessly lost on the city
kids and their suicidal party of getting
high, drooling, puking and dying make
believe insanity.
And from this festering lie came the
likes of Peta, the Humane Society of the
United States, the so called Animal
Welfare League, the braindead crazies and
scam artists like Ingrid Newkirk, Peter
Singer, Cleveland Amory, Cass Sunstein
and Wayne Pacelle. You know, the hate
filled A rat is a pig is a dog is a boy
freaks.
Lovely, isnt it? We clearly love our
dogs, and cats, and horses and pet pigs, but
who doesnt know that our Asian and

French friends and people around the
world eat this stuff and sustain their
human lives with animal protein? Have I
struck onto something here? Is this a Ted
thing?
Of course not. BBQ is BBQ is BBQ is
BBQ. Kill em and grill em I always say,
and so do a few billion fellow human
beings, including the hypocritical animal
rights freaks themselves. Even the tofu
warriors pay out a portion of every salad
they devour to farmers and ranchers waging total annihilation war on all living
creatures interfering with their no kill tofu
production with weapons of John Deere
and Mansanto mass destruction. Nothing,
not a single living thing gets out alive from
the indiscriminate mass slaughter that is
tofu production. Its just that the rest of us
dont scam nave people and make a dishonest living off of their embarrassing
emotional denial.
I am not condemning Deere, Mansanto
or the wonderful American farming/ranching families out there. To the contrary I
salute and thank them for their incredible
hard work and dedication to feeding the
world and sustaining human lives around
the globe.
I kill one deer per arrow, whereas a bowl
of salad represents the mega-death of every
snake, vole, shrew, ground squirrel, quail,
turtle, frog, pheasant, rabbit, ground nesting songbird and every other critter so
unfortunate as to get in the way of the
plow, the disc, the herbicide and pesticide
jihad, all for vegetable production.
And be sure to enjoy a nice chalice of
Red wine with that vegan meal, for every
January 2016
vineyard operator is more deadly than little ol Whackmaster me if I were to trade

in my bow and arrow for a GE Mini-gun.
From death comes life. Vegans, there is
blood on your hands. Know it. Anybody?
The vast majority of vegetarians and
vegans of course know all too well the
process by which their preferred cuisine
ended up on the table. I do not disparage
them.
But when the goofball scam artist at
Peta sues the British wildlife photographer
to administer the proceeds of selfies taken
by a monkey, the president appoints a
crazy animal rights dweeb to be Regulatory
Czar, dangerous people-hating animallovers threaten to kill me and my family
for eating venison and doves, and other
assorted bizzarro shenanigans by gangs of
loons, Verizon drops The Sportsmans
Channel while retaining Al Jezzera, the
jury is not still out why Barak Obama was
twice elected president. There are that
many numbnuts out there.
Meanwhile, right now, tens of millions
of American families celebrate the pure,
perfect, essential natural season of harvest
as hunting season 2015 throttles on,
preparing for yet another glorious
Thanksgiving of venison, fur, fin and fowl,
balancing the amazing and unstoppable
production of organic protein on the hoof,
making room for next years new production in the thriving, healthy habitat that
hunters, fishermen and trappers have
always demanded, paid for and celebrated.
TedNugent.com
facebook.com/tednugent
Frank's Real Bait Shop

& Trading Post
Cold Beer & Wine Soda Ice
Groceries Live Bait & Tackle
Adult Movies & Novelties
Open 7 Days 6am - 9pm
Corner of Rt 3 & Rt. 149

Gorham, IL 62940
618/763-4217
Cardinal Corner
409 Grand Tower Road Grand Tower, IL 62942

On the Mississippi River Hwy. 3 (Halfway between IL 146 & IL 149)
Archery
Check
Station!
618-565-1064 Your Hometown Store!

Every morning serving biscuits and gravy and fresh doughnuts!
Buffet Pizza made fresh the way you like it! Order yours today!
Sub sandwiches made to order or meats/cheese by the lb.
Hours: 6am-8pm 7 Days a Week Open until 9pm during the Summer
See You at the CornerTHE CARDINAL CORNER!
Sesser Sun Mart
Convenient Drive Thru

Cold Beer & Liquor Ice Snacks
Hunting & Fishing Licenses
OPEN 7 DAYS
A WEEK!
Sun. - Thurs. 6am - 11pm

Fri. & Sat. 6am - 12midnight
203 W. Franklin Sesser, IL (618) 625-5858
January 2016
23
HUNT ERS HARVEST PRELIMINARY TOTAL OF 86,771

DEER DURING SEVEN-DAY FIREARM SEASON
SPRINGFIELD, IL Deer hunters in Illinois harvested a preliminary total of 86,771
deer during the seven-day Firearm Deer Season that closed on Sunday, Dec. 6. That
figure compares to 76,575 deer harvested during the seven days of firearm season in
2014.
Preliminary harvest figures for the second segment of the firearm season on Dec. 36 totaled 28,803, compared with 24,745 during the second season in 2014. The preliminary harvest total for the first segment of firearm season on Nov. 20-22 was
57,968 deer, compared with the 51,830 deer taken by hunters during the first season
in 2014.
Deer hunting opportunities remain in Illinois this fall and early winter.
The Illinois Muzzleloader-only Season is this weekend, Dec. 11-13.
The first Late-Winter Antlerless-Only and CWD Deer Seasons (in designated counties only) will be Dec. 31, 2015-Jan. 3, 2016.
The second Late-Winter Antlerless-Only and CWD Deer Seasons (in
designated counties only) will be Jan. 15-17, 2016.
Archery Deer Season continues through Jan. 17, 2016.
Details on the LateWinter and CWD seasons are
available on the IDNR website
at: www.dnr.illinois.gov/
hunting/Documents/
Late-WinterSHAHunting
PermitInformation.pdf
For more deer hunting
information,
visit: www.dnr.
Life Like Quality Deer Mounts: $395 ($100 deposit)
illinois.gov/hunting/deer
Conventional Fish Mounts: $149 ($50 deposit)
See the table above of
preliminary
Deer
111 S. Main St. Creve Coeur, IL 61610 Season harvestFirearm
numbers for
www.grovetaxidermy.com
2015 compared with 2014.
24
SOME LOCAL ILLINOIS

COUNTIES CLOSED
FOR LATE-WINTER
DEER SEASONS
by Dave Shadow
davidsha@consolidated.net
Some hunters expecting to use

un-filled whitetail deer permits
may be disappointed to learn that
the county that their permits were
issued for has been Newly-
Closed by the Illinois Department

of Natural Resources. There are
still several counties open for the
late-winter seasons but many others have been closed previously or
have now been closed. If you have
un-filled permits for the open
counties (either firearm or muzzleloader permits), they may be used
in those counties that are still
open. However if your permits
are for the closed counties youre
out of luck for this season.
The newly closed counties are
Coles,
Effingham,
Wayne,
Montgomery, Macoupin, Warren,
Stark, and Peoria. The counties that
are still open here in east-central
Illinois include Shelby, Edgar,
Clark, and Crawford. Several other
adjacent counties are also open and
the entire status map is available
on the www.dnr.Illinois.gov website. It shows the status of all the
counties including CWD counties.
We assume this is an effort to stabilize the herd size of the deer in
those counties where the population has declined. I hope this effort
15th Annual Whitetail Classic Sport Show & Auction

MARCH 18 20, 2016
The Jackson County Fair Grounds 1212 East Quarry Maquoketa, Iowa
CircleMAuctions.webs.com
Hicks Trading Station

Southern Illinois Largest Gun Shop
Open 7
Days a
Week!
Rifles
Shotguns
Pistols
Come visit with Kevin & Sam and choose

your next gun from over 2000 Guns In Stock!
4952 State Rte. 13 Pinckneyville, IL 62274
(618) 357-2583
is successful.
Muzzle-loader only season is in
effect December 11-13th giving
many hunters another opportunity
to put some venison in the freezer
or a big buck on the wall. Muzzleloaders have evolved a long way
from my old Thompson Center
Renegade that now hangs above
some antlers in my family room.
The old style guns were primarily
designed for black powder and
were primed to fire from a percussion cap.
The evolution to in-line models
made them easier to load, easier to
clean, and more reliable with the
advent of shotgun primers to
replace the caps. Also most of the
older ones were used with open
iron sights where many of the
new models are drilled and tapped
for use with telescopic sights.
Many of the modern-day muzzle-loader hunters are using a substitute powder also. Pyrodex and
Triple-Seven are examples of this.
The new powder is less corrosive
making the cleaning process much
nicer. It is calibrated to still give
the same results as the old black
powder. Since youre only likely to
get one shot with a muzzle loader,
it adds another level of care and
reserve to hunting with these
tools. Either way the venison
steaks and burgers are just as tasty!
January 2016
I usually wait till after the two

main firearm seasons to get dedicated into the coyote eradication. I
do this to avoid disturbing anyones hunting spots. I would readily admit to being a coyote hunting
addict. Its the toughest animal in
Illinois to hunt and also the most
cunning predator. My chosen
method of hunting is to call the
dogs with either mouth call or
electronic models. This pits the
hunters abilities directly against
those
of
the
predator.
Unfortunately the coyote plays this
hide and seek game 24/7/365 and
most of us hunters have less practice.
I also use various decoys to
detract their attention from my
position. No matter what you do,
its not easy! Its been said that a
hunter may see a coyote on one out
of every twelve sets. So far this
year Im way ahead of that! I got
two very big male coyotes this
week and my education continues.
Even though Ive done this for several years, I still learn something
every time I go out. I also will pursue a deer with a black powder gun
this weekend, but Im really looking forward to getting back after
the wily coyote! Good hunting to
you all!
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January 2016
POACHERS IN
OUR MIDST
by Dave Shadow
Its true folks, we have some

extremely dedicated poachers in our
very neighborhood! It doesnt make
any difference where you live or
work, theres some sneaky, underhanded, thieves at work there! They
are an ugly bunch with little regard to
the consequences of their damage.
They dont have hunting licenses or
FOID cards or any of the other governmental requirements that most of
the rest of us have to endure. They
mostly operate at night but when
required they will work in the daylight hours to satisfy what seems to
be an endless hunger. They raise
large families and teach their offspring to follow suit. They are very
committed to their mission. Its as if
their very livelihoods depended upon
it.
These sneaky and agile poachers
attack the newborn, the young, and
the weak with little regard to the
future of the next generation. They
are opportunists and will take most
any type of free meal available. Meat
is preferred dining but they also like

some fruits and vegetables. They
love dumping grounds but your back
yard with some leftover dog or cat
food is an easy meal too. Or maybe
theyll just eat the dog or cat. The
alleys and rear doorways of the food
service businesses are prime places
for a quick bite also.
Farmers and ranchers as well as
sportsmen are becoming increasingly
concerned with what appears to be a
tendency for more aggressive behavior. It is also possible that they have
learned to adopt the pack approach
to hunting the larger animals. Its not
uncommon to lose a newborn calf or
a weakened larger one to these critters. They also decimate the nests of
ground-nesting birds such as quail
and pheasants by eating the eggs and
young birds.
The poachers I speak of are the
wily coyotes that abound in your

very backyard. Unfortunately there
are no predators that threaten them
except for automobiles and a few
dedicated hunter/sportsmen.
I observed two coyotes running a
young deer this week and also saw
two others trailing along behind four
larger deer. The fawn they were trailing was taking evasive paths to avoid
them but to no avail. They simply
followed the smell of her tracks at
their leisure. A deer can run fast, but
not for very long! If they can push
her for long enough she will simply
tire out and be at their mercy. Again I
realize this is one of the processes of
nature, but again man has contributed to the process making it
unbalanced.
As homeowners and business per-
25
sons, it would help if we could keep

the easy meals away from the
neighborhood predators. As hunters,
we need to actively pursue the reduction in the packs. Just reducing easy
food sources is a good idea but not
the total answer. This may simply
drive them to pursue domestic animals and other food sources. We
need to actively reduce the population to the point where they have an
adequate wild food source while we
eliminate the free lunches. I youre
a property owner with good habitat
for coyotes, I suggest that you welcome the efforts of ethical hunters
who would eradicate a portion of the
coyote population. Its a WIN-WIN
effort for all involved.
Its Faith, Family, and Friends
Congrats to Bailey Overturf with her first deer!

Her Dad is very proud of her! Not too bad considering
this was only her second time ever shooting a shotgun.
Good aim & great job on taking this deer!
Thanks to proud parents (ASO Family) Mark & Kristal
Overturf of Benton, IL for sharing Baileys doe!
5700 W. Plank Rd.

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Quail & Pheasant Hunting
26
January 2016
BOATING IN THE SHAWNEE
Getting into a Boat is one of the Best Ways to see the Sights
By: Colby Simms with Ray Simms
Photos by: The Colby Simms Outdoors Team
Southern Illinois beautiful Shawnee
National Forest offers much for boaters in
one of the most scenic portions of the
country.
*Boating
Boating offers a great chance to explore
the waters of the Shawnee National Forest
in the majestic Southern Illinois Ozark
Mountains. Outdoor enthusiasts use power
boats, sail boats, canoes and kayaks to venture out onto these waters. Many of the
most scenic spots in all of southern Illinois
lie on and near the shores of the waters
within the forest boundaries or along its
edge. The Mississippi River runs along the
boundary of the southwest section of the
Shawnee, across from Missouri. The
Mighty Mississippi, as it is often called, is
truly a massive and fast moving river that
has earned its name. Boating on the
Mighty Miss is great fun and many boaters
also use the many large sand bars along its
shores for camping and picnicking. Fishing
for giant catfish is popular on this massive
waterway, which produces some of the
biggest channel, blue and flathead catfish
anywhere in the world. Spring Arbor Lake,
Turkey Bayou, Johnson Creek, Cache
Lake, Cache River, the Big Muddy River,
Lusk Creek, and the Ohio River lie within
or along this pristine forest.
Kinkaid Lake is the largest body of water
in the Shawnee at 2,750 acres of water.

Some of the most spectacular sights in all of
the National Forest exist on and near
Kinkaid Lake, and the best way to see most
of them is by boat. Kinkaid Lake sunsets
with the Shawnee National Forest backdrop are too beautiful to explain in words.
Kinkaid has 92 miles of shoreline and a
maximum depth of over 70 feet, making it
one of the deeper lakes in the entire region
and popular with scuba divers. Speaking of
scuba diving, both scuba diving and snorkeling enthusiasts take advantage of
Kinkaid Lake in the warm months of the
year to get down below and see the aquatic
sights. Kinkaid is also one of the countrys
best fishing lakes for muskie, bass, crappie
and many other species. Nearby Cedar
Lake, close to the college town of
Carbondale is another pristine wilderness
lake that offers incredible views, as well as
some of the best trophy striper fishing in
the state.
*Other Sports & Activities

Many sports and activities can be
enjoyed while boating in the Shawnee.
Camping is a great way to spend some
relaxing days on the lake and in the
National Forest. Primitive camping is
allowed in the National Forest and offers
outdoor enthusiasts that chance to really
get away from it all, get back to nature
away from civilization. Primitive
camping is not
allowed in or near
picnic areas, designated
natural
areas, or within
150 feet of a body
of water like
Kinkaid
Lake
which is used by a
municipality for
water. Still, camping is great fun
A Shawnee National Forest!
when done in the
waterfall at Kinkaid Lake.
right area. Hiking
January 2015
trails like the

Kinkaid
Lake
Trail and Cedar
Lake Trail can be
accessed from a
boat. Many other
areas which are
available from the
shoreline and are
not marked offer
great hiking as
well. Mountain
biking and horseWaters of the Southern Illinois Ozark Mountains
back riding are
appear much like those of the Canadian Shield.
done here, and
rock climbing is
popular too, on the many large vertical
bluegill and other various sunfishes, as well
bluffs and steep rocky slopes of the SI
as carp, drum, gar, and other rough fish.
Ozarks.
Wildlife watching and photography is
Hunting in the Shawnee can be excellent
popular here, in an area that sometimes
for many species too, and whitetail deer,
seems to be overflowing with wild creaturkey, squirrel, ducks and geese are some
tures. Whitetail deer, coyote, bobcat, otter,
of the most popular. While Kinkaid and
beaver, raccoon, rabbit, mink, and other
Cedar Lakes and the Mississippi River all
mammals are seen with regularity around
produce some of the best fishing in the
the waters of the Shawnee. Many insects
Prairie State, virtually every lake and
and reptiles can be found as well, and
stream offers fishing for a wide variety of
majestic birds like the bald eagle, red tail
species of game fish and rough fish too.
hawk, osprey, and many owls, as well as
Some of the more common species targetvarious ducks, geese, loons and other beaued by anglers and viewed by divers include
tiful birds frequent these waters.
largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, white
bass, muskie, striper, walleye, rainbow
*Get Out There
trout, numerous catfish species, crappie,
Get into the incredible Southern Illinois
27
The view of
Hutts Bluff far above
wilderness!water.
Ozark Mountains and do some exploring of

the Shawnee National Forest in a boat. At
this time, we still have plenty of dates open
during the peak weather periods of the year
for guided charter boat trips and lakeside
cabin lodging, but dont wait too long. In
addition to sport
fishing trips, we
also offers charter
of various amounts
of time for scenery
and wildlife photography, and lake
tours with our
team of the
regions only full
time professional
guides. In addition
to fishing or site
seeing, guests also
learn to navigate
our waters and
learn the hazards, so they can have a safe and
enjoyable boating experience on their own
in this beautiful place as well. Youre likely
to see some of the most beautiful places you
can imagine, and wildlife as abundant as
anywhere in this part of the world.
COLBY SIMMS is a multiple-time muskie & bass tournament champion &

multiple-time circuit championship title holder, a record holding fishing guide,
award winning national network TV personality, a famous 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, through
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IL Office: 618-521-0526 MO Office: 573-358-5948
colbysimmsoutdoors@hotmail.com facebook.com/ColbySimmsSportFishingPro
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28
BRITISH ANGLER
LANDS POTENTIAL
WORLD RECORD
DOGFISH TUNA
By Daniel Xu,
OutdoorHub.com
The International Game Fish

Association (IGFA) speculated last week
that UK angler Jon Patten may have broken the current world record for dogfish
tuna with an enormous 236-pound, 15ounce fish on November 20, 2015.
Patten was fishing with IGFA
Representative Jason Alexiou off the coast
of Tanzania when he landed the massive
tuna.
After surviving the blistering first run,
Pattens skills and strength were both tested for nearly an hour as he fought the brut
on 37 kg (80 lb) tackle, IGFA wrote. If
approved, Pattens catch will earn him the
new All-Tackle world record, which currently stands at 104.5 kg (230 lb 6 oz).
That record is held by Christian Mercier,
who caught his record fish in the waters off
Rodrigues Island in Mauritius in 2007.
Mercier is actually tied for the record with
Roger Amand, who landed a 230-pound
dogfish tuna in LeMorne, Mauritius in
2007. Under IGFA rules, a new record
must surpass the old ones weight by 0.5
percent, or otherwise they share the
title.Pattens fish will not have to share the
record if it is approved.
There are some things in fishing that
feel like an out of body experience and my
latest capture was exactly that. Quite sim-
ply one of the most amazing fish that I have

had the privilege to catch, Patten wrote on
Facebook.
He credited the expertise of his fishing
guides with Tanzania Sports Fishing, and
noted that another angler on the trip also
landed a large 209-pound dogfish as well.
FBI Director Apparently

Doesnt Know How
Buying a Gun on the
Internet Works
Gun owners, brace yourselves: this may
make your blood boil.
In a Senate Judiciary Committee oversight hearing held December 9, 2015,FBI
Director James Comey was brought before
legislators to primarily discuss the recent
terrorist attack in San Bernardino,
California. Senator Lindsey Graham (RSouth Carolina) began his question-andanswer period with Comey with a seemingly simple question: If I buy a gun on the
internet, is it delivered to my home?
Comey, perhaps surprised by the question, seemed to stumble. Graham clarified,
asking if I try to buy a gun on the internet,
where do I pick it up?
Looking perplexed, the FBI Director
replied I assume its shipped to you, but I
dont know for sure, actually.
Okay, well, lets find out the answer to
that, replied Graham.
Comeys response, if not intended to be
expanded upon at some point, is baffling.
As the Director
of the FBI, he
should be well
aware of the fact
that if a private
citizen purchases
a firearm on the
internet, that
gun is then
shipped to a
Federal Firearms License holder (FFL).
The individual must then pick up the gun
from his or her FFL and pass a background
check to take ownership of the gun, a
process that is often referred to as a transfer.
As almost all gun owners are aware, the
background check involves the FFL contacting the National Instant Criminal
Background Check System (NICS) via
phone or computer, a service managed by
the FBI, to determine whether the potential transferee is a person prohibited from
owning firearms. Assuming the transferee
passes the check, they get the gun they purchased online.
January 2016
If Comey is
not aware of how a
critical part of the
firearms purchasing process managed by his agency
is conducted, the
implications are
troubling.
Graham did
not return to the point later in his questioning, and after the query he began asking Comey about other items related to the
San Bernardino attack. Though the clip
provided above is brief and could be seen as
being taken out of context, a complete
recording of the committee from C-SPAN
can be seen below. Grahams interview
begins around the 47-minute mark.
What are your thoughts? Do you think
the FBI Director is unfamiliar with the
process of purchasing a firearm or was
something else afoot?
Image is a screenshot of the video by
Motherboard on YouTube
OutdoorHub.com
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January 2016
29
THE BASICS OF THE

SPINNERBAIT
By Bob Park, Owner/Maker

Raptor Premium Spinnerbaits
raptorpremiumspinnerbaits.com
(309) 694-1774
This month we are going to break down
the basics of my favorite lure the spinnerbait. As most of you know I have been
designing and making spinnerbaits for quite
a few years now, and I have gained a unique
appreciation and understanding of what goes
into making a Good spinnerbait and what
makes a bad one. In my humble opinion, the
spinnerbait is the most versatile lure in your
tackle box. They can be your primary fish
catcher, a search bait for covering vast areas
of water, or a follow-up bait for a missed
strike on another type of lure. They work in
warm or cold, clear or muddy, shallow or
deep water and can be fished fast or slow or
Double Willow Blades
Double Colorado Blades
Short Arm, single Colorado blade
any speed in between! Or in any of the types

of water conditions not listed here or
retrieves not mentioned either! They are a
great lure for experienced anglers who have
well developed fishing skill sets, as well as a
particularly good lure choice for beginning
anglers also. Since they are amazingly weedless and snag proof they will come through a
mess of wood cover almost as well as a texas
rigged worm and dont require any special
skills to usejust cast it out and wind it in.
It can and will catch fish on most any outing!
But enough of that, and on to the basics
Blades, wire, skirts, and hooks!
placement giving it a definite Thump that

willows lack. Best used when fishing shallow
or muddy water when the added vibration
acts as a trigger for strikes. Sized #0 (.50)
through #7 (2.0).
Indiana Medium length and width, with
a tear drop shape, combining the characteristics of the Willow and the Colorado.
Doesnt spin as fast as the Willow and doesnt thump as much as the Colorado. Sized #0
(.55 inch) through #6 (1.6 inch).
meant to enhance the amount of flash or

even lessen the amount of flash that the
blades make. This modification is up to the
desires of the angler. I feel it is more of a confidence enhancer for the fisherman than an
actual physical enhancement, but thats just
my opinion as I prefer smooth blades exclusively.
Blade Shapes and Sizes:

Willow - Long and narrow in shape, and
rotate fastest with lowest water displacement
of all blade types. Flash better than other
types of blades as well. Best choice for fishing
fast speed and in deep or clear water where a
more subtle blade is needed. Sized #1 ( .75)
through #8 (3.75).
Colorado - Short and round in shape.
Slow rotating blade with a high water dis-
Blade Colors:
The most common are solid colored
blades in Nickle/Silver, Gold, Brass, Copper
or anything from White, Chartreuse, Red or
Black . Sometimes found in multiple color
patterns like Firetiger, Clown, or any pattern
imaginable.
Blades can be smooth, hammered, ribbed,
striped, or spotted. These enhancements are
Lure weight and wire sizes:

Common lure weights include: 1/4oz,
3/8oz, 1/2oz, 5/8oz and 3/4oz sizes.
1oz, 1.5oz, 2oz and heavier are less common and used primarily for fishing deep
water or very fast retrieves.
Common wire sizes include: light wire
(.030 to .032 inch), medium wire (.035
inch) and heavy wire ( .040 inch and heavier).
Spinnerbait wire selection affects the
Contd. on next pg.
Hunting & Fishing

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SPINNERBAIT
Contd. from previous pg.
amount of vibration the lure produces and

transmits from the spinning of the blades.
Light wire vibrates the most and the heavier
the wire, the more dampened the vibration
produced. Light wire gets more strikes compared to heavy wire but it is in turn not as
strong and durable.
Also the wire comes in both Long Arm and
Short Arm styles. Short arm spinnerbaits are
more compact and come through cover like
weeds and wood better than the long arm
types, but the long arm spinnerbaits produce
more vibration and are better choices for open
water with less cover. Additionally, long arm
lures work better in muddy or stained water
where more thump is desired.
Skirts:
The skirts come in a wide variety of colors,
someone solid color, and some may be multiple colrs. Sometimes a few strands of Mylar or
Holographic material can be added for extra
flash. Silicone or rubber account for the vast
majority of the spinnerbait skirts used, but I
have several I have made with deer hair, or
better known as bucktail, skirts. Many of
the skirts I use on my Raptor premium
Spinnerbaits are made special with a silicone
material called Bio-Flex and come in many
different patterns to mimic types of prey.
Hooks, Trailer Hooks and Trailers:
Hooks sizes are usually appropriate to the
size of the lure. A 1/4oz spinnerbait will have

a 2/0 or 3/0 hook as a general rule of thumb,
where as a 3/8oz or 1/2oz lure will sport a 4/0
hook and the 5/8oz and larger have the 5/0
hooks and so on up to the big 2oz lures with
7/0 or even 8/0 hooks!
The use of a trailer hook is a matter of personal choice as although they will increase the
number of hook-ups, they will also make the
lure much less weedless and snag proof. I prefer not to use a trailer hook and produce all of
my raptor premium Spinnerbaits with an
Owner cutting point hook which by itself,
increases the hooksets and allows the fisherman to use the spinnerbaits as they are, naturally snag proof and weedless.
Trailers are also an option up to the preference of the fisherman. The sole purpose of a
trailer is to bulk up the appearance of the
lure as well as add a bit more motion. Trailers
can be as simple as a few extra strands of skirt
material, or even a curl tail grub or plastic
worm.
So as you can see, the spinnerbait is a very
basic lure and can be made or modified to a
wide variety of fishing conditions or needs. So
if you are looking for some really great spinnerbaits, give raptor premium Spinnerbaits a
try. They can now be purchased over the
counter at Route 24 Gun and Pawn in
Bartonville, IL or can be ordered direct from
me at rps@mediacombb.net, or by calling me
at (309) 694-1774until next month, Good
Luck, Good Fishing and see you on the water
somewhere.
January 2016
Strong Turkey Numbers Propel Michigan

into Number 7 Spot for Turkey Hunting
By Daniel Xu
Every year, about 100,000 Michigan hunters
venture into the field in the hopes of bagging a gobbler, and about 30,000 of them are successful. And
this year, for the first time on record, state wildlife
officials say that there is a turkey population in
every single county in the Lower Peninsula.
For the first time in history, wild turkeys can be found in parts of every county in Michigans Lower
Peninsula plus areas of the Upper Peninsula. The expansion of wild turkeys in Michigan did not happen
overnight, but has unfolded over the last half-century, the state Dept of Natural Resources (DNR)stated.
According to the Traverse City Record-Eagle, the current level of hunter success makes Michigan the
seventh best state to hunt in during the spring turkey season.
We estimate that turkey populations are somewhere around 200,000 birds statewide, said Ryan
Boyer, a regional wildlife biologist working for the National Wild Turkey Foundation.
That is a major comeback from 1905, when the wild turkey was expatriated from every single county in
Michigan. Early conservationists attempted to re-establish the population by importing birds from other
states, yet few of the attempts had any real success.
For a period of about 25 years, conservationists watched effort after effort fail due to a combination of
predators, poachers, and low growth rates. It was not until the early 1950s, when Pennsylvania announced
its own successful restoration program, that the move to reintroduce turkeys in Michigan was renewed.
Biologists traveled to the Keystone State and brought over the same techniques and land use practices to
Michigan, specifically the 40,000-acre Allegan State Game Area.In 1954, the Michigan DNR purchased 50
turkeys and 400 eggs from thePennsylvania Allegheny Wild Turkey Farm and established the foundationof
the wild turkey population that exists today.
In 1977, a hunters chanceof drawing a license to hunt was about 25 percent. Today, all individuals
areguaranteed an opportunity to buy a spring turkey hunting license. In 1977, huntersuccess was below
10 percent. Today, hunters experience about 30 percenthunter success regardless of whether they hunt
the first hunt period or the lastperiod, the DNR stated.
Michigan now trails the top turkey hunting states in the US, includingMissouri, Alabama, Pennsylvania,
Wisconsin, New York, and Mississippi.
Image from Matt Zimmerman on the flickr Creative Commons
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January 2016
31
MDC: NOVEMBER FIREARMS DEER HARVEST

ENDS WITH 189,938
HARVEST FOR MO ANTLERLESS PORTION OF

DEER HUNTING ENDS WITH 9,733
Preliminary data from the Missouri

Department of Conservation (MDC) shows that
deer hunters in Missouri harvested 189,938
deer during the November portion of fall
firearms deer season, Nov. 14-24. Of the
189,938 deer harvested, 92,020 were
antlered bucks, 21,256 were button bucks,
and 76,662 were does. Top harvest counties
were Texas with 4,544 deer checked, Howell
with 4,046, and Franklin with 3,707.
Last year, hunters checked 166,383 deer
during the 2014 November portion of firearms
deer season with 78,556 being antlered
bucks, 19,300 being button bucks, and
68,527 being does.
"Good weather and plenty of deer activity
likely are the reasons why there was an
increase in deer harvest during the November
portion of the firearms deer season this year,"
Photo Courtesy MDC
MDC Deer Biologist Jason Sumners said.
MDC reported five firearms-related hunting incidents during the fall firearms November portion. The five incidents involved self-inflicted firearm wounds and occurred in Butler (2),
Franklin, Newton, and Howard counties.
Deer hunting in Missouri continues with archery deer hunting from Nov. 25 through Jan. 15,
firearms antlerless portion Nov. 25 through Dec. 6, firearms alternative methods portion Dec.
19-29, and firearms late youth portion Jan. 2-3. Learn more about deer hunting from MDC at
http://on.mo.gov/1jjzeAa. For current, preliminary harvest totals by season, county, and type
of deer, visit the MDC website at on.mo.gov/1jjz7Ew. For harvest summaries from past years,
visit on.mo.gov/1MRjOLV.
Missouri offers some of the best deer hunting in the country and deer hunting is an important part of many Missourians' lives and family traditions. Deer hunting is also an important
economic driver in Missouri and gives a $1 billion annual boost to the state and local
economies.
Preliminary data from the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) shows that deer hunters
in Missouri harvested 9,733 deer during the antlerless portion of fall firearms deer season, Nov.
25 Dec. 6. Top harvest counties were Pike with 302, Callaway with 294, and Lincoln with 263.
Last year, hunters checked 9,120 deer during the antlerless portion of firearms deer season.
Deer hunting in Missouri continues with archery deer hunting through Jan. 15, firearms alternative methods portion Dec. 19-29, and firearms late youth portion Jan. 2-3. Learn more about
deer hunting from MDC at
on.mo.gov/1jjzeAa.
For current, preliminary harvest
totals by season, county, and type of
deer, visit the MDC website at
on.mo.gov/1jjz7Ew. For harvest summaries from past years, visit
on.mo.gov/1MRjOLV.
Missouri offers some of the best
deer hunting in the country and deer
hunting is an important part of many
Missourians' lives and family traditions. Deer hunting is also an important economic driver in Missouri and
gives a $1 billion annual boost to the
state and local economies.
By Lucas Bond
By Joe Jerek
Harvest was up 613 from 2014.

Photo Courtesy MDC
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32
January 2016
MDC SEEKS PUBLIC INPUT

FOR FOUR RIVERS AREA PLAN
THRU JAN. 31, 2016
By Bill Graham
The Missouri Department of Conservation
(MDC) wants to know what Missourians think about
its nearly 1,000 conservation areas around the
state. MDC is in the multi-year process of updating
management plans for the August A. Busch Jr.
Memorial Wetlands at Four Rivers Conservation
Area. MDC earlier held an open house and accepted
comments on plans for the area. A final draft of a
plan will be available for public comment through
Jan. 31. To preview draft management plans and
share comments online, visit mdc.mo.gov/areaplans.
The August A. Busch Jr. Memorial Wetlands at
Four Rivers, at 13,929 acres, is a major public
waterfowl hunting area in Missouri that also offers
important habitat for non-game species such as
shorebirds. The area is about 15 miles north of
The August A. Busch Jr. Memorial Wetlands at Four Rivers Conservation Area in west central Missouri is
a haven for wildlife and outdoor recreation. Left: Mallards; Right: Pelicans
Nevada and five miles south or Rich Hill in Vernon
and Bates counties.
Four Rivers is a premier wetland and bottomland
forest destination for hunters, birders, hikers, pho-
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tographers and naturalists. The Marmaton River,

Little Osage River, Osage River and Muddy Creek all
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major wetland units and is designated an Important
Bird Area by Audubon Missouri. The area includes
the Horton Bottoms Natural Area. A boardwalk in
Unit 3 adjacent to the Ducks Unlimited Presidents
Marsh provides easy access to view emergent vegetation and wildlife.
Statewide, MDC conservation areas cover
almost one million public acres for the purpose of
restoring and conserving forest, fish and wildlife
resources, and for providing opportunities for all
citizens to use, enjoy and learn about these
resources. Most Missourians are within a 30minute drive of an MDC conservation area.
"Missourians care about conservation and use
conservation areas for many different reasons,"
said MDC Director Bob Ziehmer. "These areas help
people discover nature through various activities,
and help make Missouri a great place to hunt, fish,
and enjoy other outdoor activities. We want to know

how conservation areas are important to
Missourians. Encouraging public comments on
Conservation Area Management Plans is part of
MDC's ongoing efforts of working for and with
Missourians to sustain healthy forests, fish and
wildlife."
Conservation Area Management Plans focus on
natural resource management and public use on
conservation areas. The plans do not address regulations on hunting, fishing and other area uses,
which are set by the Conservation Commission and
enforced under the Wildlife Code of Missouri. MDC
will consider all ideas received and will work to balance the issues and interests identified with the
responsibility of managing areas for the present
and future benefits to forest, fish, wildlife, and people. Decisions on which ideas to incorporate into
area plans and on how to best incorporate them will
be based on the property's purpose, its physical
and biological conditions and capabilities, the best
roles of the property in its local, regional and statewide context, and on the professional expertise of
MDC staff.
Photos Courtesy MDC
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January 2016
MDC: REPORT ALL

SIGHTINGS OF FERAL HOGS TO
PROMOTE ERADICATION
By Candice Davis
The Missouri Department of Conservation
(MDC) continues to work with legislators, community groups, partner agencies and landowners to grow awareness about and eradicate feral
hogs from the landscape. MDC has learned from
other states, and through trends in Missouri,
that hunting does not help to eradicate hogs and
results in expanding populations. Feral hog eradication efforts have increased this year through
trapping and citizens are asked to report feral
hog sightings or damage as soon as possible.
"Feral hogs destroy habitat, eat wildlife, compete with native animals for food, degrade our
water quality and spread disease," explained
Matt Bowyer, MDC's wildlife regional supervisor
for the southeast region. "We ask Missourians
to partner with the Department to ensure we
reduce that destruction by reporting all sightings of feral hogs so we can work together to
remove the threat."
Reynolds County landowner Don Kory and his
family have trapped more than 190 feral hogs on
their property with the help of MDC and the
USDA. Kory said landowners who haven't yet
experienced feral hogs on their property sometimes don't understand the damage the animals
cause. But after years of trapping and responding to the wreckage they leave behind, he knows
the situation all too well.
"It seems many people think it would just be
great fun to have 'wild boars' on your property to
hunt," he said. "But if you are a landowner and
enjoy your land the way it is, I say be happy if you
never see a feral pig."
If MDC had their way, landowners wouldn't
see feral hogs. Bowyer said to make ground in
the feral hog fight, the Department needs people
to stop hunting hogs and start reporting them.
efforts are foiled."

Kory added the hogs will soon return and then
be trap wary and much more difficult to catch.
However, if individuals are afield during a prescribed hunting season and are in possession of
the proper permits, such as an unfilled deer or
fall turkey hunting permit, the incidental take of
feral hogs is allowed. Although the Department
prefers all sightings of feral hogs on public and
private land be reported, landowners have the
Other states, such as Tennessee, Michigan and

Kansas, have experienced success by trapping
hogs and discouraging people from hunting
them.
"Feral hogs are highly adaptable and easily
avoid trapping efforts when hunters encroach
into their occupied area," explained Bowyer.
"We're learning from other states that hoghunting actually increases the spread of populations by pushing them into new territories and
making their movements less predictable."
After all the firsthand experience trapping
hogs on his own land, Kory said he knows the
damage hog hunting does to trapping efforts.
"Any disturbance from hunters causes the
hogs to move miles away," Kory said. "If you
shoot one, the whole herd runs away to the neighbor's property or somewhere else. Then trapping
33
right to protect their property from harm by

shooting the invasive hogs.
Bowyer asks anyone who is afield for other
game and encounters a feral hog to call in a
report to 573-522-4115 ext. 3296. Those who
witness illegal release of hogs should immediately contact their local conservation agent or
report it to Operation Game Thief at 1-800-3921111. For more information about feral hog eradication efforts go online to mdc.mo.gov.
34
ESSENTIALS
FOR COLD
WEAT HER
RIVER
CAMPING
by Bill Cooper
Far too many campers are fair
weather campers, especially river
campers. Our Ozark streams are a
national treasure and attract thousands of floaters and campers during the three summer months.
Numbers drop dramatically by
September. October brings out the
fall color enthusiasts. However,
during the winter months Ozark
streams are almost void of floaters
and campers.
What a shame. The winter
months provide the avid outdoorsman with a much sought after
ingredient for floating and camping trips solitude.
After the leaves fall, whole new
vistas appear that warm weather
float campers miss. Bluffs, caves,
springs, rock shelters and outcroppings, and other interesting geo-
logic features become more visible

allowing for extra exploratory
adventure.
Too, after the human traffic
slows, nature seems to come out of
hiding. Bald Eagles hunt for prey
along river corridors. Mink, otters,
muskrats, and raccoons are seen
more often and the Great Blue
Herons seem easier to approach.
It is not uncommon to float near
a whitetail deer crossing a stream
or feeding on watercress. They
seem to have forgotten about the
hordes of canoes that were present
during the summer. The assembly
call of wild turkey hens rounding
up their poults can often be heard
in the fields and forests bordering
the river. And, the lucky cold
weather floater may get a glimpse
of these majestic birds.
One of my favorite surprises is to
round a bend and flush colorful
Wood Ducks from an eddy or
slough. Mallards and Blue-Winged
Teal may be seen during the cold
months as well.
Those are a few of the benefits of
floating and camping during cold
weather, now lets take a look at
some of the essentials for a safe
and comfortable cold weather float
January 2016
Kruger and Doc at our camp. Good quality outdoor gear makes
cold weather camping comfortable and safe.
and camp trip.
The first and most essential element of such an adventure is the
desire to go. Make a trip with an
experienced person first, if you
can. They can save you light years
of experimenting with equipment
and food and certainly help you to
begin to enjoy the excursions
quicker.
Preparations and planning are
half the fun. Make lists of what
you intend to take along and check
it twice. Leaving an essential item
at home in the summer may not be
devastating, but in cold weather
months, that could be a serious
mistake.
Research is an important part of
the planning process. Find out
which river you want to float,
where access and take-out points
are. Collect maps that point out
areas of interest and aide in planning side trips and routes of escape
in emergencies.
The Current River, south of
Salem, is a part of the Ozark
National
Scenic
Riverways.
Access and take-out points are
plentiful as are canoe livery operations. Akers Ferry Canoe Rental
offers year round service. 1-800365-2537.
The Eleven Point River, near
Alton, is part of the Wild and
Scenic Rivers System administered by the U.S. Forest Service. It
is my personal favorite of all our
Ozark Stream. It is remote, wild,
and spectacular views are the
norm. The Eleven Point Canoe
Rental in Alton is open year round.
Owner Brian Sloss also runs a drift
boat, and provides excellent flyfishing trips.
Planning a cold weather trip
takes extra care. Hypothermia is a
real threat on such trips. Proper
clothing, food and shelter will min-
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January 2016
imize the threat, however.

Sporting catalogs are full of
excellent cold weather clothing
choices. Polypropylene underwear is still hard to beat. The
lightweight
material
adds
warmth while whisking moisture
away from the skin. Light weight
wool pants and shirts are superb
insulators. Top those with
GoreTex or some comparable
wind and waterproof garment
and you can remain comfortable
in very cold temperatures. Warm
gloves and hats are necessary as
well.
Always dress in layers during
cold weather so that layers can
be taken off or added as needed.
A quality set of rainwear as a top
layer is the best way to go.
Getting caught in a cold rain or
snow without protection is very
hazardous.
Tents and sleeping bags are a
matter of choice, but good gear
will be much appreciated on cold
nights. Coleman makes some
high quality tents at an affordable price. Sleeping should be
rated near zero. Packing a sheet
or fleece liner is added insurance.
Most women are rather cold
natured. Dian has a trick that
works wonders on cold nights.
She packs a few of the HotHands
packs for cold nights. She drops
one to the bottom of her sleeping
bag. Her toes stay toasty all
night.
Foods that provide quick energy keep cold weather campers
warm and energized. Hot meals
Cold weather floating and

camping in the Ozarks offers
several benefits including
solitude & big smallmouth bass.
Tossing a couple of HotHands

warmers to the bottom of the
sleeping bag helps keep lady
campers happy in cold weather.
warm not only the tummy, but

the spirit as well. Giving attention to details and keeping
morale and physical strength at
peak levels aides endurance.
Choice of cooking gear is a
highly personal matter. However,
cooking meals in a Dutch oven
over an open fire turns meal
times into highlights of any trip.
Camps can be as elaborate as
imagination and finances allow.
Camp cots, chairs, tables, grill
grates, lanterns, coolers, and
heaters all add comfort to a cold
weather camp.
Canoeing is a fun way to go for
a cold weather float and camp
trip. I have enjoyed paddling a
canoe on such trips for over three
decades. However, as I have

grown older and endured an arm
surgery, I rely more on a small
jetboat I can still enjoy floating
along quietly, but have the option
35
of using the motor to get me

where I need to go with less
physical effort. Too, the boat is
comforting to have should
weather turn bad or an emergency arise.
Too, the 18-foot by 3-foot boat
allows me to carry more equipment, which means a more comfortable camp. I enjoy staying in
one camping spot for a longer
period of time than I did years
ago. It is convenient to not have
to move camp every day. A jetboat makes that possible.
As I pen this article, the stars
of the cold November sky shine
overhead. The campfire warms
my body and soul. The howls of
coyotes echo through the hills.
Barred Owls sound off down the
river. The smells of a peach gobbler cooking in the Dutch oven
over a bed of coals teases my
olfactory lobes. The peacefulness of this cold weather river
camp I enjoy alone, while most
people are sitting at home watching TV.
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36
4th ANNUAL
COYOTES FOR KIDS
HUNTING TOURNAMENT*
JANUARY 22 & 23, 2016
(Friday & Saturday)
January 2016
ALL proceeds go to HOI Whitetails Unlimited to

help provide deer hunting opportunities for local
special needs youth! FIND US ON FACEBOOK!
RAFFLE PRIZES!
PRIZES FOR 1ST & 2ND PLACE TEAMS!
*This is a coyote hunting tournament. Coyotes will die.
Entry fee $25 per person, 2-person teams recommended.
MUST register before hunt. Weigh in held at Super Sports
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For more info, rules & entry form please e-mail:
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Last years weigh-in/dinner was a great evening party with hunters

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show some raffle prizes all held at Super Sports Bar and Grill. We
give Handmade donated trophies for first, second place and smallest
coyote taken. Lots of raffle prize drawings again this year, along with
a two gun
raffles. The
kitchen will be
open, with
food specials.
Thanks to Jeff,
Sean and the
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Unlimited for
helping area youth
to discover hunting
& keeping the coyote
population down!
Facebook.com/
HOI-Whitetails
January 2016
37
LOCATIONS!
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GALESBURG, IL
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MONMOUTH, IL
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38
January 2016
#1 Brent & Cathy Manning with grandkids, Sam and Jack, turkey hunting the weekend of April 18-19 at their farm in Brown County. Sam was
up shortly after 5am to go with Brent turkey hunting. Thanks to Brent
Manning for his service as Director of the IDNR for 12 years!
#2 Congratulations to Brent on taking this beautiful 26 lb turkey! Brent

killed it early enough we still made it to church in Rushville. What a fun
weekend we all had!!
Brent & Cathy went fishing!in northern WI, in late October!near Eagle
River. It was a cold wet week with 4-inches of snow & 26 degrees but
they caught a couple nice fish.
#3 Brent's Muskie was 40 1/2" long.!
#4 Cathy caught hers the following day, it was 37 1/2" long.!
Great job catching the muskie!
Thanks for sharing your wonderful outdoor photos with ASO readers!
2
Tr a d i n g P o s t
Area
Sportsman
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OPEN 7 DAYS
Every
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Oakford, IL 62673
Owner: Tim Wallace
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SEE OUR
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2000 E. War Memorial Dr. (1 mile West of McCluggage Bridge) Peoria, IL
January 2016
Bruce Rauner, Governor

Wayne Rosenthal, Director
One Natural Resources Way
Springfield, IL
62702-1271
www.dnr.illinois.gov
sors turn the donated deer into ground venison for

delivery to food banks and charities in Illinois. For
more information on the Illinois Sportsmen Against
Hunger program, including a list of participating
meat processors, check the IDNR website at
DNR.illinois.gov/programs/ISAH.
Remaining Firearm Deer Permits: Remaining Illinois

firearm and muzzleloader deer permits are available
over-the-counter (OTC) from DNR Direct license
and permit vendors through Dec. 6, or until quotas
are exhausted. Find a vendor near you at DNR.illinois.gov/LPR/Pages/LicensePermitVendors.aspx
Youth Goose Hunt: Youth can register now for the

annual Central Illinois Youth Goose Hunt, sponsored
by the IDNR, scheduled for Jan. 17-18, 2016. To
register for a drawing to participate in the hunt,
youth hunters must phone in to the IDNR at 217785-8060 by the registration deadline of
Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015. The youth goose hunt will
be held at private waterfowl hunting clubs in Peoria,
Fulton and Knox counties. A lottery drawing will be
conducted on Jan. 4, 2016. The hunt is open to
youngsters ages 10-15 at the time of the hunt. To
register for the hunt or for more information, call
217-785-8060.
Archery Deer and Fall Turkey Permits: Illinois

Archery Deer and Illinois Archery Fall Turkey seasons are open through Jan. 17, 2016. Permits are
available over-the-counter at DNR Direct license
and permit vendors. Find a vendor near you at
DNR.illinois.gov/DNRDirectMonitor/VendorListing.
aspx
Spring Turkey Applications: Hunters may now apply

for the second lottery for 2016 Illinois Spring Wild
Turkey Season permits. Go to the IDNR website for
more
information
at
this
link:
www.dnr.illinois.gov/hunting/turkey. The application deadline for the second lottery for 2016 spring
turkey permits is Jan. 11, 2016.
Archery, Firearm, Muzzleloader, and LateWinter/CWD Seasons CWD Sampling: Deer hunters
statewide are encouraged to allow samples to be
taken for chronic wasting disease (CWD) sampling
from adult deer they harvest. Check the IDNR website at this link for locations that are serving as
CWD sampling stations, taking samples from entire
deer or deer heads through Jan. 17, 2016: DNR.illinois.gov/programs/CWD/Documents/CWDSamplin
gLocations.pdf
Pere Marquette Bald Eagle Days: Bald Eagle Days

programs at Pere Marquette State Park in Jersey
Co. are scheduled throughout the winter.
Reservations are required. Check the schedule and
make reservations today. For details:
DNR.illinois.gov/Parks/Documents/BaldEagleDays
PereMarquette.pdf
IDNR NEWSBITS
News and Events
Donate to Illinois Sportsmen Against Hunger:

Hunters are encouraged to donate whole deer to the
Illinois Sportsmen Against Hunger program to help
Illinois families in need. Participating meat proces-
ICF 2016 Calendar: The Illinois Conservation

Foundations annual Outdoors in Illinois wall calendar is now available. Proceeds from the sale of the
ICF calendar support youth education programs in
Illinois, such as outreach efforts at the Torstenson
Youth Conservation Education Center, and the
Torstenson Education Station, a traveling trailer
39
equipped with hands-on equipment that teachers

and youth group leaders can use to support a number of programs. Order the 2016 ICF calendar
online at www.ilcf.org or by phone at 217-7852003.
Earth Day in the Parks 2016: Registration opens on
Jan. 1 for Earth Day in the Parks events to be held in
April and May 2016. This natural resources stew-
ardship program allows students to perform wildlife

habitat improvement projects at participating
Illinois state parks. Teachers can find details, an
application form, and the list of participating state
parks at DNR.illinois.gov/education/Pages/
EDITPinstruct.aspx.
Follow the IDNR on
Facebook and Twitter!
SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS OPEN

SPRINGFIELD, IL The Illinois Conservation Foundation (ICF) today announced that applications are being
accepted for the 2016 Conservation Achievement Scholarship program. This prestigious award is given to outstanding high school seniors in Illinois who demonstrate effective, voluntary, long-term dedications to the
preservation, protection or enhancement of the states natural resources. Up to three scholarships of $2,000
each are available for the 2016-17 school year.
"The ICFs Conservation Achievement Scholarship program has awarded $92,000 to help further the education of our future conservation leaders, said Wayne Rosenthal, chairman of the Illinois Conservation
Foundation Board of Directors and Director of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Were thrilled to
reward some of the outstanding natural resources stewardship efforts being conducted by young people in our
state and help them make a positive impact in the future.
The ICF Conservation Achievement Scholarships have been awarded since 2005. Applicants must be Illinois
residents and a senior in an Illinois high school. Applications must be received by the ICF by January 15, 2016.
Thanks to our generous donors to the Illinois Conservation Foundation, were able to make this scholarship
fund available to student leaders, said Eric Schmidt, ICF Executive Director.Numerous outdoors enthusiasts, including organizations and individuals, help encourage the youth of our state to make a difference in the
world around them and turn screen time into green time.
Detailed instructions and the 2016 application form can be accessed at ilcf.org/portal/sponsorship-opportunities. Please contact the Illinois Conservation Foundation at 217-785-2003 or dnr.icf@illinois.gov for
more info or to make a donation to support the Conservation Achievement Scholarships.
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Mackinaw, IL
309-359-3344
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Dinner Specials: Mon. All You Can Eat Walleye Tues. Tacos-$1.25
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CRP General Signup

Goes thru February
26, 2016, Coincides
with Legendary
Programs 30th
Anniversary
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is conducting a general signup for the longstanding
Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) through Feb.
26, 2016. The general signup overlaps with CRPs
30th anniversary, celebrating the most successful
private lands conservation program in the country.
Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever are hosting CRP
meetings and providing enrollment assistance for
landowners interested in the general signup, the first
general enrollment opportunity available since 2013.
The general CRP signup is a boon for upland wildlife
populations and continues to be a popular voluntary
option for farmers, ranchers, and landowners looking
to address conservation needs. CRP reduces soil erosion, improves water quality, and benefits wildlife, in
addition to providing landowner income for low-production crop acres, stated Jim Inglis, Pheasants
Forever and Quail Forevers director of governmental
affairs. The best way to celebrate the 30th anniver-
sary of CRP would be to fulfill the nations 24 million

acre cap during the general signup - we anticipate high
demand for the program and encourage landowners to
visit with their local USDA service center or Farm Bill
biologist for further options regarding CRP."
Created in the 1985 Farm Bill, CRP officially celebrates its 30th anniversary this month (it was signed
into law by President Ronald Regan on December 23,
1985). The program reached peak enrollment in
2007 with 36.8 million acres; high commodity prices
in recent years provided economic incentive for producers to allow their CRP contracts to expire and put
the ground back into crop production. In response,
Congress lowered the cap on the program in the 2014
Farm Bill to 24 million acres. More recent record harvests and a decrease in demand have driven current
crop prices lower, likely resulting in increased interest
in CRP. Water quality issues in rural America and
declines in high-profile species like bees and monarch
butterflies have also spurred renewed interest from
landowners in conservation programs.
Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever, along with other
state wildlife partners, currently employ more than
100 Farm Bill biologists in 19 states throughout the
country to assist landowners with general CRP signup
enrollments landowners are encouraged to contact
their nearest Farm Bill biologist today.
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2016 National
Pheasant Fest &
Quail Classic Hosts
Career Fair &
Shooting Sports
Clinic
Seminars on careers in
conservation, shooting
sports available to coaches,
students, and clubs
Kansas City, Mo. Pheasants Forever and Quail
Forever is making an investment for conservation
leaders of the future through the Conservation Career
Fair and Shooting Sports Clinic at the 2016 National
Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic. Sponsored by the
MidwayUSA Foundation, the February 20th event is
openfor coaches and students to learn about exciting
careers in conservation, and to receive expert instruction from some of the nations foremost shooting
sports experts.
"Our instructors are industry partners from across
the country who are dedicated to educating the next
generation about not only the shooting sports industry, but conservation as well," says John Linquist,
Forever Shooting Sports national coordinator for
Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever. "In the last three
years alone, the Conservation Career Fair and
January 2016
Shooting Sports Clinic has hosted over 2,500 coaches and athletes to cultivate future leaders in the outdoors."
National Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic 2016, presented by Federal Premium Ammunition, will be the
nation's largest tradeshow and convention for upland
hunters, landowners, sport dog trainers, and shooting
sports participants. Additionally, the event will cater
to quail-specific themes with a Quail Summit hosted
on February 20, as well as more seminars, vendors,
and hunting gear designed with quail hunters in mind.
About the Conservation Career Fair and Shooting
Sports Clinic
What: A free event for shooting team participants
and coaches to learn about future careers in conservation and receive expert instruction from the
nation's foremost shooting sports experts. Topics will
include a MidwayUSA Foundation workshop with special guest speakers Larry and Brenda Potterfield, gun
fitting for youth, dog training, shooting sports seminars, award winning speakers, and much more!
When: Saturday, February 20, 2016 from 9:00 a.m.
until noon
Where: Kansas City Convention Center - Kansas City,
Missouri
Contact: For more information about the
Conservation Career Fair and Shooting Sports Clinic,
please contact John Linquist at 712-253-0373
/Email: jlinquist@pheasantsforever.org
About Pheasants Forever
Pheasants Forever, including its quail conservation
division, Quail Forever, is the nation's largest nonprofit organization dedicated to upland habitat conservation. Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever have more
than 140,000 members and 700 local chapters
across the United States and Canada. Chapters are
empowered to determine how 100 percent of their
locally raised conservation funds are spent, the only
national conservation organization that operates
through this truly grassroots structure. Since creation
in 1982, Pheasants Forever has spent $577 million on
489,000 habitat projects benefiting 12 million acres
nationwide.
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January 2016
WOOS
CORNER
BY WOO DAVES
GETTING YOUR
EQUIPMENT ORGANIZED
I cant believe it, we are already starting
a new year and Im trying to figure out
where last year went. It seemed to just fly
by one Christmas to the next. Speaking of
Christmas, I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and enjoyed the holidays.
Fishing has been tough unless you live or
vacationed in the Deep South where the
climate is warmer and the bass have been
biting.
I get asked often, what do you do this
time of the year? If Im not hunting, it
seems like Im living in the garage working
on fishing tackle getting ready for the
coming season. How can everything get so
disorganized in such a short time, I have
never been able to figure that one out.
This is the time of year to hunker down
and get everything in order and if youre
like me that is a tall job.
I like to start with one thing such as my
Zoom plastics and that can be an all day
job getting them in order. Then I go to
crank baits with Bass Pro Shops XPS and
XTS series and then the Hookset.net series
with shallow
runners, midrange,
and
deep diving,
plus
lipless
baits
thats
another day.
Spinner baits
are just as bad
with all the different configurations
and
sizes.
Next if youre like me you have all
kinds of top water lures from Buzz baits,
frogs, spooks, poppers, walking baits, etc.
Believe me I have a lot of Plano tackle
boxes filled up when I get through. This is
a great time of the year to put new hooks
on everything and clean them up.
Swim baits and here we go again, different weight, heads and hook sizes along
with all the different sizes and colors.
Now if you fish the Alabama rigs there is
another whole system to set up which
makes it seem like a never ending phenomenal which it has been for 45 years,
but I still love it.
This is also a good time to clean your
Extreme reels and check rod guides so you
will be ready to go when the weather
breaks all you have to do is hop in your
new Nitro Z20 you got for Christmas and
go fishing.
Another very important and a must is
to go over your boat trailer checking your
hubs and adding grease or packing them,
if needed as this
can save a lot of
unforeseen
problems. One
good idea is to
stop on the
road after you
have gone ten
or fifteen miles
and check your
wheel hubs to
see if they are
hot especially
after sitting up during the winter. You
might also check your running boards for
missing screws and such. Another item is
to make sure your trailer lights are also
working properly.
You should have flushed your Mercury
motor before putting it up and be sure to
check the lower unit grease. I would recommend you put Stabil in your gas tank
and if possible run the gas out of the
motor, especially if youre not planning
on using your boat for a month or two. If
you have a little age on your motor you
might also add new plugs for better performance.
Make sure your bilge pump and live
wells on your Nitro boat are drained
before the weather freezes and your batteries are fully charged. If you have a
power cut off switch make sure you turn it
off, I have forgotten to do this one a few
times which resulted in dead batteries, not
fun. I would also recommend you clean
your battery post and check the wire connectors to your big engine and to your
MotorGuide trolling motor and get a
good charge on all your batteries. Be sure
to check monthly for recharging.
41
I hope you have the Raymarine A-Series

GPS units on your Nitro and have seen
how great they work especially when you
use Navionics lakes maps chips. The
Chirp technology is totally awesome and
unbelievable when reading structure. One
thing I love about Raymarine, they are
constantly updating everything. This is a
great time to hook it up to your computer and bring everything up to date so you
will be ready for this coming spring.
I know it is a job, but if you organize
everything ahead of time, you will definitely enjoy your first spring outing a lot
more. It should also reduce your
headaches to a minimum.
Good luck on your first outing this year
and in your travels be sure to thank all
military personnel for a job well done.
Looking for a new or used tow vehicle
visit Hendrickcars.com or for a great business opportunity visit Just-icellc.com
Thank the lord and catch a big one.
WOO
SHOES
www.woodaves.com
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42
Grandma
by
Daniel Vinovich
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I find it funny that all of the stories we pass around on social

media, written articles and bar
room tales are about the giant, old,
unkillable buck that has bested us
and haunted our dreams. They go
by the names of Kong, Sky
Scraper, The Giant, Bigfoot,
etcetera. But what about those
unsung old does? You know that
old doe that has busted you in the
tree, walking to your stand, climbing into your stand, or maybe even
drawing your bow for the shot of a
lifetime at a buck coming down the
trail. She is the matriarch of all that
surrounds her. This is her house.
She has raised no less than 6 pairs
of twins, protecting all the deer in
the fields. She seems to never eat.
She just watches, always testing
the wind for danger. She checks
every tree you have ever hung a
stand in, making sure there is no
one home before she and her offspring ever enter the field.
She is, at best, the Bitof the
woods, but we know her as a sack
full of names, none of which we
can record in print. We all know
this she devil. She is everywhere
from Texas to Illinois, South
Carolina to Oregon. She fights on
January 2016
her hind legs much like a boxer,

and 9 times out of 10, she will just
flat out spoil your hunt. You cannot
fool her with the best sent destroying camo, or the most exotic of
cover scents.
Hell, if she could talk, her nose
could tell you what brand of toothpaste you use. This my friends is
the smartest of all the old deer, not
the 6 year old 14 pt. you saw chasing her last November. In fact, she
probably knew you were there and
led her love stricken boyfriend
back into the thicket, far away from
your arrows and bullets. She takes
the really big boys into a ditch in
the middle of a field where no one
can get to him, much like a young
girl sneaking her first kiss around
the corner of the house far from her
fathers set of searching eyes. She
has been through no less than 6 gun
seasons, maybe more, never getting
more than a scratch for some damn
gunner launching 3 fast slugs at her
running from on the other side of
the field. I know all of you
Whitetail hunters know this doe.
The doe of my nightmares goes
by the name of Grandma. She is at
least 7 years of age, she has taunted my father for the last 4 of those
January 2016
years and me for 3. She has

harassed myself and my father so
much that we can now only laugh
at each other as we walk up to the
truck shaking our heads or in conversation over the phone on the
drive back home. She has been so
bad the last couple of years that we
just pulled one of my fathers
stands out of the area before he had
a stroke!
My father named her Grandma.
She is as big as a donkey and as
dark as night. Her neck has to be 2
feet long. Her belly sways side to
side when she walks. She has a
sixth sense, even with the wind in
your favor and the best camo clothing Bass Pro can provide. She
always knows something is not
quite right, standing at the edge of
the field stomping her right foot as
if to say, I know you are
here..I know you are here. No
hunt is safe when she is present.
Her alarm snorts are so loud every
deer within a mile area can hear her
and will steer clear of the area. If
she busts you, she will stand back
off the field 30 yards or so and
snort for no less than 5 minutes,
meaning you might as well get out
of the stand because your hunt is
over.
This particular season, the only
food left by the combines was a
picked cornfield on the north side
of the property. This field was
being frequented by every whitetail
in the area. It was also planted with
a green grass cover crop. The only
problem is it was Grandmas field.
I had filled one of my buck tags on
an old 10 point warrior, but had not
seen the buck I really wanted since
early October. I knew that sooner
or later, after the pressure from
hunters
a n d
equipm e n t
was long
g o n e
from the
area, he
might
s h o w
himself
on this
f o o d
source.
T h e
day after
the second gun season, I arrived at the
field early with two new API stands
and ladders. I had been watching
this field with cameras and binoculars, so I had a pretty good idea
where the deer traffic was entering
and leaving. With two stands hung,
I was back to the truck by 2 p.m.
and on my way home. I was confident both stands were hidden well,
and one or the other could be hunted depending on the wind. Three
days later found me heading to the
south side stand for my first sit.
Several hours went by without any
movement. The unseasonably
warm conditions had once again
slowed deer movement down to the
last hour before sunset. The time
had come. I stood and started peaking around the tree into the dense
underbrush straining to make out
any form of a whitetail coming into
the field for a bite to eat. Turning
slowly to my left to check a trail
coming out of an inside corner,
SNORTSNORT. Oh, hell
no, I thought to myself. There is
no way she could have scented me
as the wind was in my favor. How
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43
in
the
h e l l
c o u l d
she had
seen me
as
I
moved
as slow
as
a
snail?
Nevertheless,
Grandma had
o n c e
a g a i n
spoiled
another hunt. I turned quickly back
only to see her massive white flag
along with her two yearlings waving at me as they disappeared back
into the brush.
The conversation with Dad on
the way home was bitter. He just
laughed at my cussing, even bringing my mother back into the conversation. I could hear her telling
him to tell me I stunk and that the
week before she told me I stunk.
The ride home after the phone
call was a lot of hitting the steering
wheel of my Tundra vowing to kill
that doe before the season ended. I
This is one of the

few pics I have of
Grandma when she
was younger with
her twins.
thought to myself, Muzzleloader

season started this Friday. I could
sit way out on the point in my chair
blind and shoot her in the head at
125 yards, thus, ending my high
blood pressure and constant failing
on this field. Thats it. She is going
down because I am not wasting
another sit with my bow on this
field until she is field dressed.
Friday found me walking to the
point with my 50 cal. Knight in one
hand and shooting stick in the
other. The wind was in my face.
The chair blind blended in perfectly, covered with dried grass and
honeysuckle. Tucked into the
blind, I fired my laser range finder
at a tree on the edge of the timber
where she liked to walk out 110
yards and then the other corner,
115 yards. Both trails were well
within my range. I sat back and
waited for her to appear.
I had a couple of hours to think
back on the history of Grandma.
She had busted us so many times
over so many years that I sat and
laughed to myself at all the run ins
with her. She was a common bond
between myself, this farm, and my
father. Oh, how she drove him nuts.
Contd. on next pg.
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44
GRANDMA
She would get him no matter what

he did, and she loved to stand just
out of bow range and mock his
decoys, never letting one deer in
the field if he was present. My
mind wandered from encounter to
encounter. All bring a tear to my
eye as I was laughing so hard
inside at her dirty tricks.
The bewitching hour was here.
Three young does and one small
buck were already in the field feeding. She had to be close, probably
standing just inside the timber edge
looking and testing the air for danger. I could see her in my mind
waiting for some movement in the
trees above. With only a half hour

of legal shooting time left, she
walked out scanning the horizon
from side to side as she stepped
into the open. Her twins close
behind her without a care in the
world.
I raised the Knight up on the
sticks and laid my face on the
stock. I centered my right eye into
the scope and maneuvered the
cross hairs on her chest. I could see
her every breath in the cool, wet
air. She walked straight at me leading her twins further into the field.
Another doe entered from the other
trail. She turned to face her giving
me the perfect broadside shot I was
waiting for. I slid my finger past
the trigger guard
and clicked off
the safety. I
could feel the
cold trigger as I
took a breath and
exhaled. At that
moment,
she
turned her head
and
looked
straight at me.
Her glaring stare
passed my blind
through
the
scope
and
straight into my
head. She knew I
was there, and
she had been
fooled.
The crosshairs
still hovered on
her
massive
chest. She did
not bolt, snort, or
stomp her foot.
She just kept
staring,
her
warm
breath
hovering in a
mist above her
head. I started to
apply pressure
once again on the
trigger. I took
another breath
and
again
exhaled.
For
some damn reason, the cap did
not
fire.
I
dropped
the
Knight off the
sticks, opened
the blind and
yelled, Get the
Hell out of my
field Grandma! The other deer

bolted, but she did not move.
After what seemed like a minute,
she walked back into the timber.
She never ran or threw up her tail,
but walked slowly back into the
darkness never looking back. I
looked at the breach of the
Muzzleloader to see why the cap
had not ignited the powder charge.
It never fired because I never
pulled the trigger.
She, and she alone, was the common bond between me and my
father on this field. We shared the
most embarrassing moments in our
Whitetail hunting careers on this
field with that doe. She, my
friends, was part of the family and
will forever have a free pass on this
farm! Soon after I finished this
article, I found a picture of
Grandma and her fawns and hung it
on the wall in my den next to the 25
or so other photos of the bucks I
had harvested in the past 20 years
in hopes her picture will bring back
good memories when I am too old
to remember and too grey to care
Remember I am booking ice out
Muskie trips right now. So, you
better call me at 309-267-8309 or
e-mail me at: trolling@mtco.com
if you want a guided spot in my
boat after ice out. The days are limited, so dont wait. I had to turn
down several trips last year for lack
of time. You can also follow me on
Facebook.
January is also the time to be
thinking about the conservation
snow goose season this spring. I
have listed some very good guide
services I have hunted and written
about. To view these articles, you
can go to ASOMagazine.com or
ASOMagazine.net online to look at
January 2016
my 2014 Spring articles on page

43. I will leave their contact info
and hope to be shooting with them
again this spring.
Neu Outdoors: John Neu,
www.neuoutdoors.com or by cell
phone at 1-605-661-2460, located
in MO. Only about a 5 hr. drive.
Had some great shoots with John.
Show Me your Snows Guide
Service: Rick Hamm, 309-6355200. You can follow and message
Rick on Facebook as well. Rick has
added another pit. They now have 4
pits with giant spreads in the central Illinois area. Had a really great
shoot with Rick last year.
Whispering Oaks Hunt Club:
North East Arkansas, 901-373HUNT or online at info@whisperingoakshunting.com.
Conservation snow geese, Bustin
Geese Guide Service with guides
Jimmy Griffith and Jeremy Cooper.
Only a 6-6 1/2 hr. drive from
Central Illinois. Hunted with guide
Jimmy Griffith last spring. Great
guy!
SEE
YA
ON
WATER..SOON!
THE
SEND ASO YOUR

PHOTOS IN THE FIELD
& ON THE WATER!
US mail: ASO Magazine, 1408
Downing CT Tremont IL 61568
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H O U S E R M E AT S
217-322-4994
RUSHVILLE, IL
January 2016
THE BURR
OAK BUCK
by Dave Herschelman
While his birthplace is uncertain, his

relatives particularly
his biological father
came from the river
bottoms along the
Illinois River and
Snicarte Slough area.
We met for the first
time on November
the 13th, 2014 on
the island of Burr Oak. I had been transported out to the island by a group of
Water Fowlers from the Red Nose Gun
Club group intending to hunt on Teal
Point located on the West end of the
Upper Point Island on Stewart Lake that
morning. The overcast below freezing day
was brutal and the fact all non-flowing
water was now locked in ice was no deterrent for this group as they were hoping the
transport boat powered by a Mud Buddy
motor would cut through the ice and a hole
could be made offering a respite for a traveling mallard to take refuge.
Although their plan was admirable, if
unsuccessful the duck pursuers would pick
me up on the way out after 10:00 AM!

Although this would be an abbreviated day
for a Bow Hunter, the prospect of subfreezing temps and overcast skies throughout the day suited my goals for the day.
The other part of the equation was that several of the duck hunters have informed me
of a ten point buck of big size seen chasing
does on the island. While not always trusting of big buck sightings and the embellishment often heaped on the size part of
the deer by our duck hunters, I felt a few
hunts on the island would be worth my
while!
While transport out to the island
involved riding in a trailer being pulled by
a four wheeler violated my adherence to
never using a quad, the constant use of
these contraptions as well as the boat traffic
by duck hunters condition the local deer to
virtually ignore the sights and sounds emanating from them. Mature deer note their
presence but unless non normal activity is
sighted or scent is noted as being closer
than normal, they will ignore their use.
As I left the transport vehicle, noting the
wind direction, I advanced into the Black
Timber comprising the outer ring of the
island itself. While the buck has been seen
moving in this area earlier, the wide open
understory of this timber seemed alien for
my want of thicker timber. I kept the wind
in mind as I entered and crossed through
this ring and entering the next zone comprised of larger cottonwoods and maples
allowing some bottom growth. My reasoning was a mature deer would scent this area
by circling just inside this zone keeping the
wind quartering to his back allowing maximum scent checking capability and still the
ability to see well into the Black Timber
keeping him safe while in the doe seeking
mode.
Using my climber, I ascended my selected tree and set up for the morning still
hearing the breaking ice from the mud
motor and boat of my cohorts. Nothing
45
was moving. At 9:00 AM, I could hear the

mud motor fire up and come back across
the lake. Not wanting to miss my transport
as they could possibly leave me with the
intention of coming back later was not the
scenario I desired. I undid my safety vest
and hung it over my bow hanger still holding my old PSE. I then bent over to
unsnap the legs of my bibs when the sound
of a running deer became evident. In an
instant, a mature doe was standing directly
underneath me in my bent over mode!
Being of average intellect, I knew she had
Contd. on next pg.
The Country Cabin

Taxidermy
Ed Estes, Owner
East Peoria, IL
FAST TURN-AROUND!
Located just outside Germantown Hills.
Please call for directions.
Home: 309-694-3010 Cell: 309-258-8371

Email: elestes06@yahoo.com
46
BUCK Contd. from previous pg.

not expended this energy for nothing. I
slowly peered behind her to see a large ten
pointer standing broadside at twelve yards
with nary a twig between us!
While knowing the probable end result,
I had to try. I slowly lifted the vest from
the hanger and draped it over my seat, then
lifting the bow to attach my hand held
release still on my wrist to the bow the
doe bolted and Mr. Wonderful followed
dutifully behind! Cursing the duck
hunters and their early exit and my bad
timing in starting to exit the stand early
would haunt me to this day!
For 2015, I hunted the Island of Burr
Oak only twice to date. Knowing your first
hunt is always your best opportunity, my
hunt location using my climber was well
thought. After a few uneventful hours on
the stand, a large eight pointer working the
wind as I had predicted slipped in on me
from the South East. By the time I noticed
him, he was too close and approaching rapidly, I slowly positioned for the shot when
he evidently noticed the movement!
Although not bolting, he was exiting rapidly. Now the large Cottonwood Tree concealing my outline became my nemesis as a
choice of which side of the tree to shoot
from had to be made instantaneously! I

chose the west side and had to wait several
seconds for the exiting buck to materialize
and when he did he was moving quartering
away quickly at twenty seven yards . My
shot was not successful!
The burning in my gut for not noticing
him earlier so as to get a Bunny Shot was
now upon me. The untold hours and days
on the stand and to goof an opportunity
like this hurt!
Fast forward to the opening of the Gun
Season and my decision to reenter the
Burr Oak Island land of pain was questionable. The wind shifted to the South East
and my climbing position was selected
carefully, in fact, was only yards from my
bad luck location during the archery season! This selection was questioned as I
knew at least one buck would not go near
here!
I picked a tree with two large grape vines
and numerous limbs needing to be cut as I
ascended the tree but being a perfectionist
this was the tree! The light was beginning
to filter into the bottom ground and as I
climbed, I would pull the limbs down
using my body weight knowing this sound
could be heard from great distances and
once broken free would be tossed to the
ground making further woods noise.
January 2016
the safety, I
Finally in
lowered the
the right
gun momenposition,
tarily to conafter tying
firm it was
the grape
ready to fire
vines close
then
and
to the tree
resumed my
with a flexiaim.
The
ble strap, I
scope set on
pulled my
magnificagun from
tion power
the forest
of
seven
floor. With
made
his
the gun held
chest look
upright
like I was
between my
shooting at a
legs and the
brown barn
rope still
door
but
affixed, I
Dave with a coyote shot with bow in Brown e x p e r i e n c e
noticed the
told me to
sound of an
County this season (shot on 11/13/15)
aim carefully
approaching
as a scope picture like with pin sights on
whitetail! I glanced back over my right
the bow seem as if you cannot miss will
shoulder to see a huge neck and chest of a
often lead to aiming at nothing and doing
big whitetail coming at me!
just that! The shot was made at fairly close
While the rack was visible, I never conrange with the deer then moving off at full
centrated on looking at it as the size of the
speed in the same direction he was headed
deer with shoulders drooping and his belly
as he approached!
slightly distended with this sort of physique
A thousand one, thousand two, thou I knew to take him! I lifted the gun to
sand three, thousand four why was there no
my shoulder as I shifted my stance to
sound of a crashing deer? Terrible
accommodate his approach! With the rope
thoughts entered my mind. Did I miss?
still attached and not sure if I had released
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January 2016
Was the scope damaged and not on target?

What else can go wrong this season! The
sound I was anticipating finally came and I
was shaking like a leaf from excitement and
could not be contained! The Deer Gods
had determined my long suffering was
enough and allowed this moment!
Once upon this magnificent animal, I
went through my routine of thanks for this
experience and promise to remember him
for all of my years and the creator from
which he came.
His rack was an exact duplicate of a dead
buck I found along the island back in 2013
probably as a result of Blue Tongue
Disease and his side view was that of the
buck chasing the doe I had encountered a
year earlier! The island of Burr Oak will
now always be associated with success and
although I may never return in future
years, his mount will always bring back the
memory of this hunt and of the excitement
it provided!
David Herschelman, November 27,
2015
PS My loud climbing activity with
scraping against the tree and breaking off
the limbs in the process and throwing them
to the ground probably mimicked the
sound of two sparring bucks and brought
the buck of my story in to investigate as he
was the boss and wanted to know who the
interlopers must be! Often ignorance and
some good luck with a slug gun in hand
make us successful hunters.
Illinois Muzzleloader Season

Held Dec. 11-13, 2015
Hunters took 2,375 deer,
compared to 3,444 in 2014.
Harvest sex ratios were
52% female to
48% male
(1,239 female:1,136 male)!
Congratulations to Kylie Adams!

Great kill of a nice buck while hunting
with her Dad, Shannon. AWESOME!
Thanks to ASO cousin Eric Hilst of
Delevan for sharing Kylies trophy while
sporting her Big Dog Treestand cap!
YOUTH HUNTERS:!
Register Now for Pere Marquette

Controlled Pheasant Hunt & Wingshooting Clinic
Young hunters between the ages of 10-15 can apply now for the Pere Marquette Youth Wingshooting
Clinic and Pheasant Hunt scheduled for Saturday, March 5, 2016 at Pere Marquette State Park in Jersey
Co.
The Pere Marquette youth clinic and hunt have been popular early spring additions to the Illinois
Department of Natural Resources Wingshooting and Youth Pheasant Hunt programs. Youth hunters on
March 5 at Pere Marquette will participate in a wingshooting clinic during the morning and a pheasant
hunt in the afternoon.! IDNR and National Sporting Clays Association Certified Wingshooting Instructors
will teach the wingshooting clinic, providing young hunters with an opportunity to advance their wingshooting skills while practicing safe shotgun handling and operation.
Permits for the Pere Marquette Youth Pheasant Hunt are available through the Controlled Pheasant
Hunting Online Reservation System through the IDNR website at www.dnr.illinois.gov.
Hunters need to review the Illinois Youth Pheasant Hunt Information and the Illinois Youth Pheasant
Hunt Regulations on the controlled pheasant hunting webpage prior to submitting an application.! To
navigate to the controlled pheasant hunting webpage on the IDNR website, hunters should:
Click on "Upland Game" from the drop-down menu under the Hunting/Trapping button on the
home page toolbar;
Then click on "Controlled Pheasant Areas" under the Quick Links heading;
After clicking on the Click Here for Applications button on the Controlled Pheasant Hunting welcome page, young hunters should click on the button next to Illinois Youth Pheasant Hunts to access
the appropriate online application form.
Thanks to all the sponsors assisting the IDNR and Pere Marquette State Park with the wingshooting
clinic and pheasant hunt, providing funding for the clay targets, target and field shot shells, and lunch for
the young hunters.!
47
48
BAI
News
January 2016
Jake Swieteks December Silver Carp
By Ed DeVries
IllinoisBowfishing.net
LOOKING BACK ON ONE YEAR

AND FORWARD TO THE NEXT!
Another year of BAI fun has again come
to an end. Its hard to believe that 2015 was
the BAIs 12th year. It only seems like yesterday when we were on the Illinois River
for our first ever shoot out of Henry
Illinois. The club has grown over the past
twelve years and we have accomplished
much for the sport, but nothing more
important than introducing so many outdoors men and women to bowfishing and
many of those to the outdoor sports for the
Jason Rattatzs December Grass Carp

first time! Last January we started the year
working hard at the outdoors shows to do
just that!
The Chicago Outdoor Show has been
one of the nations premier outdoor shows
for many years going back to when it was
held in the International Amphitheater on
Chicagos south side. Over the years it has
changed and moved out to Rosemont but
still remains one of the best. The BAI set
up its bowfishing archery range last year at

the show where hundreds if not thousands
of people were able to try bowfishing gear
for the first time shooting into hay bales.
And as always we had all the best gear on
hand for people to see and try. We will
once again be setting up at the show this
January 20 thru 24th and invite all to stop
by and check out bowfishing!
February found the BAI at the Ottawa
Outdoor Sports Show in Ottawa Illinois.
This show is right on the banks of the
Illinois in the capitol of Asian carp country.
Unfortunately its only held every other
year so it will be 2017 until we attend
again.
In March the BAI took part in the annual Cabelas Fishermans Weekend Spring
Fishing Event in Hammond Indiana.
Every year hundreds come thru and check
out bowfishing and all the newest gear in
our booth. Cabelas has been a long time
BAI partner and we hope they are for many
years to come.
April brought the start of the 2015 BAI
tournament season. Once again we met up
at the 3 Rivers
Marina
in
Wilmington to break
the ice at the annual
Spring
Kickoff
Shoot. The shoot
was a big success
with calm winds cool
temps and lots of
fish. Looking forward our 2016
spring kickoff shoot
will once again be at
3 Rivers on April
12th.
Last May the
BAI held the 1st
annual Capitol City
Championship on
Lake Springfield in
Springfield Illinois.
As with most of our
shoots this past year,
the weather was iffy
to say the least, but it
did clear up enough
the morning of the shoot to allow us an

opportunity to bowfish this lake for the
first time. And the shoot was a big success
with many good sized carp and gar being
brought in to the weigh in. You can also
take part in the 2nd Annual Capitol City
Championship on May 14th 2016.
June 2015 brought the Annual Northern
Illinois Championship on Grass Lake in
Antioch Illinois. We have been doing this
shoot just about as long as we have been
around and its always a lot of fun. This
year was no exception with sunny skies,
calm winds and a big carp spawn! Come
check it out on June 11th 2016 for yourself!
July. Well, we dodged big storms and
record floods in July. And thats about all
we did. Normally our state shoot is held in
July but the rivers were so flooded we
couldnt find one usable ramp or dock
from Ottawa thru Peoria. So we didnt do
much in July. BUT you can attend the
2016 Innerloc State Bowfishing
Championship on July 16th & 17th in
Mattheisen State Park, Ottawa Illinois!
We made up for a slow July by having
two great shoots in August. We were finally able to hold the Innerloc state championship when the flood waters receded midAugust. The shooting was still tough but
some good fish were harvested by over 60
boats. And we held the annual Mississippi
River Shoot Out on August 6th in Savanna
Illinois. In August we also started the summer/fall outdoor shows by setting up a
large info booth and on water bowfishing
range in the IDNRs Conservation World
area at the Illinois State Fair. It was nonstop bowfishing action as thousands of visitors took shots at sunken foam targets on
the lake. We will once again be at the fair
August 11th thru the 21st.
Hunting season was getting started in
September but it didnt stop the BAI from
holding its season ender shoot on the
Illinois River AND setting up our booth
and water bowfishing range at the
Northern Illinois Hunting & Fishing Days
celebration in Yorkville Illinois! You can
catch us once again at H&F Days on
September 26th & 27th!
January 2016
2015 Spring Kickoff!
Official BAI events came to an end in

October and November but we still had
our BAI Bowfisher of the Year competition
going on and our Cabelas Winter League
starting November 1st. The Cabelas
Winter League has been very active this
past November and December thanks to

the mild weather. Several very large grass
carp, suckers, carp, gar and even winter silver carp have been entered recently.
And as always we ended the year with
our annual BAI Christmas party last
month. Great
food, great fun
and great friends.
Heres hoping
you have a great
2016! And please
check us out on
FB by going to
www.illinoisbowfishing.net
and join the fun!
Its free and open
BAI at the to all!
Chicago
Happy New
Year
to All!!
Show!
49
Bo Bremner caught
this nice smallmouth
recently on the
Mackinaw River.
Thanks to ASO Rep
Terri Sweckard for
sharing Bos catch!
SEND ASO YOUR

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50
Batteries
The Lifeblood of Your Boat
by Don Dziedzina
Some things that boaters may let slip

by as something all that important are
the batteries that are found within.
Batteries are often stowed under the
deck of the boat. Maybe theyre placed
in black plastic boxes and stashed under
a seat. In most cases, batteries are out of
sight and unfortunately, out of mind.
Yes, its quite possible that theyre forgotten, but boaters should consider
them a priority like gas in the tank.
We have to take care of the batteries in
our boat. By not doing so, we can be
found dead in the water. The motor may
not start or the electric trolling motor
will just not do the job its intended to
do.
I met with Gale Kimbrough, from
Interstate Batteries. Kimbrough joined
me as a guest on the Illinois Outdoors
TV Show. I thought it would be great to
have a battery expert tell the viewers all
about batteries, how to maintain them,
how to hook them up and even how to
charge them so theyre ready to go on
the next trip.
This is going to be a pretty good show.
Kimbrough did a great job explaining all
the technical ins and outs of batteries
and I truly believe that the viewers will

not only learn a few things about batteries, but also find this show quite entertaining. Now, Id like to share some of
the tips that I learned from a battery
expert when it comes to educating people about that battery thats hidden
somewhere in the boat.
First, lets consider the trolling motor
batteries. These are deep cycle batteries
that are intended for a lot of use and
many recharges. Car batteries, and in the
case of a boats starting battery are
cranking batteries. Theyre designed to
give a lot of power up front to get a
motor started.
Can you use a cranking battery for
your trolling motor? Well, yes you can,
but it will not be operating your trolling
motor at peak efficiency. Too, the battery will not last as long as a deep cycle
battery.
Now how about battery replacement?
When you have two (or three) batteries hooked up in a series (for 24 or 36
volt trolling motors) or hooked up parallel (for added power for a 12 volt
motor), each battery should be the same
type and age.
Basically, to explain it better, you
should never add a new battery to run
along side in series or parallel with an old
battery. The power will only be as strong
as it possibly can be of the weakest battery. An old battery is like an anchor that
January 2016
will hold down the full

power potential of a
new battery.
A clean battery is
also a happy battery.
Batteries should be
clean with a water
solution with some
baking soda mixed in.
This will neutralize all
of that white crusty
corrosion that has
built up around the
How to connect a 36 volt system for
battery terminals.
36 volt trolling motors. For 24 volt motors,
Always disconnect
only two batteries are used.
the wires to the terminal when cleaning the
battery because even a little corrosion
the measurements printed on the float,
under the connections or washers will
you will learn what shape the battery is
cause problems. After the wires are disin.
connected wash down the battery and
When it comes to charging your batscuff up the lead terminals with a wire
tery, remember this. Cranking and deep
brush or battery cleaning brush. A good
cycle batteries have no memory. You can
clean up job will result in a shiny silvery
charge them a little or a lot and it doesterminals. There is also an aerosol spray
nt matter. They take on the charge you
that you can use on the battery terminals
give them and the amount of charge held
so the possibility of future corrosion is
is based on what level of charge the batreduced considerably.
tery receives. Obviously it is always best
Testing a battery can be done with a
to keep batteries at full charge.
volt meter or by using a hydrometer.
There are basically two different types
Obviously, a volt meter is a lot cleaner
of chargers. One is a trickle charger, i.e.,
and more accurate. You connect the
one that gives 1.5 or 2 amps charge. This
wires to the positive and negative termigives a battery a slow steady charge and
nals and you should get a reading of
its best when you have plenty of time to
about 12.65 volts. Under 12 volts means
charge up a battery. Some chargers will
you are in need of a good charging.
monitor the charge as it goes into the
A hydrometer requires that you lift off
battery and will turn itself off when the
the battery caps and suck out a quantity
battery is full.
of battery acid with the turkey baster
Another type charger is one that gives
looking tool. A float inside the glass tube
about 10 amps. This is for a quicker
will rise in the liquid and according to
charge. So lets say youre on vacation
and one day you use the trolling motor a
lot. You come in to your cottage for
lunch and plug in your charger so it
charges the batteries while you eat. A 10
amp charger will give your battery a better charge in a short period of time.
Depending on the charger and level of
the battery, you can be back in business
right after lunch.
Some chargers have a switch to go
from lets say 2 amps to 10 amps. I have
one of these and it works well. I also
have onboard chargers for my batteries
in my boat. Theyre quite convenient.
Well, I can probably go on and on
about batteries. But this is some good
information to know because they are
the lifeblood of your boat. Keep them
clean and well maintained and theyll
never let you down. Now its time for
fishing. Why? Because great fishing is
not that far away.
Read Dons blog at

www.illinoisoutdoors.com
January 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.
August 2015
(Weeks of July 29 August 13, 2015)
REGION 1 Captain Laura Petreikis,
District 1 Sgt. T. Petreikis
CARROLL Co
CPO Jones checked 3 squirrel hunters at
French Bluff Natural Area on opening day.
Two of the 3 squirrel hunters were hunting
without habitat stamps and did not print off
windshield permits. CPO Jones issued written warnings for no habitat stamp and failure
to display windshield permits.
JO DAVIESS Co
CPO Hoogerwerf conducted boat patrols
on the Mississippi River. Written warnings
were issued for no type IV throwable device,
fishing license not in possession, failure to dis-
play orange flag while pulling a skier, no fire

extinguisher, passenger location, no lanyard
cut off, failure to secure battery, no sounding
device and failure to display water usage
stamp on a non-powered watercraft.
CPO Hoogerwerf completed a homemade
title and registration investigation.
ROCK ISLAND Co
CPO Posateri worked the duck blind
drawing for Pool 16 on the Mississippi River.
Nearly 800 people registered for the drawing
of 87 blinds.
District 6 - Sgt. Hank Frazier
BOONE Co
While executing a search warrant, the
Boone Co Sheriffs Dept recognized various
wildlife taxidermy mounts within the defendants residence and called CPO Alt to ensure
none of the mounts were threatened, endangered or unlawful to possess.
BUREAU Co
CPO Finn (from Region 1, District 6)
received a call from Sgt. Frazier about men
using a cast net to catch crappie and bass at
Lock 2 of the Hennepin Canal. CPO Finn
arrived to find 4 men standing along the
bank, one of which was throwing a cast net.
The men were observed throwing the cast net
and 2 of the men were keeping bait fish, however 2 others were keeping game fish. Three
of the men were cited for the illegal method
of taking game fish. All 4 were given warnings
for the illegal use of the cast net.
LASALLE Co
While checking fishermen at Starved Rock
along the Illinois River, CPO Kaufman
found a man in possession of 6 smallmouth
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take water samples and litmus tests both at

and below the water surface. Water samples
were also taken for environmental testing.
CPO Alt attended the ICF Torstenson
Youth Hunting Farm Open House to
encourage outdoor recreational activities for
Illinois youth. Interactive target shooting
with both BB gun and bow and arrow were
provided along with mounted and live
wildlife displays, food and games for all in
attendance.
District 7, Sgt. Avery
HENDERSON Co
CPO Lazzell investigated a recreational
boat accident on the Mississippi River near
Oquawka. A 16 ft. Jon boat struck a sandbar
and began taking on water due to the watercraft being overloaded. The maximum capacity for this size watercraft is 4 persons. Seven
adults and two Labrador Retrievers were on
the vessel at the time of the incident. The
operator of the boat, all passengers and dogs
were safely transported to the boat ramp by
emergency personnel. Citations were issued
for overloaded motorboat and insufficient
wearable PFDs. Four written warnings were
also issued for additional boating violations.
CPO Reid cited two Alabama subjects for
no valid Illinois non-resident fishing licenses.
REGION 2 Captain Brett Scroggins,
District 2 Sgt. Rich Riedel
KANE Co
Contd. on next pg.
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bass; all were between 9 and 10 inches in

length. A citation was issued.
While checking fishermen at LaSalle Lake,
CPO Kaufman found a man in possession of
alcohol and a short smallmouth bass. When
they walked back to the mans vehicle CPO
Kaufman found that the vehicle was parked in
a handicapped spot with a handicapped placard was hanging from the rear view mirror.
The man did not appear to be disabled so
CPO Kaufman ran the placard number. The
placard had been issued to the mans mother.
The man was issued three citations, including
one for the misuse of the handicapped placard.
WINNEBAGO Co
While on Dept lands patrol in Rock Cut
State Park, CPO Fraser observed a passenger
on a motorcycle not wearing safety glasses as
required. CPO Fraser initiated a traffic stop
on the motorcycle and discovered the operator did not have a Class M license or insurance
as required. Citations were issued to the operator and the motorcycle was towed from the
scene.
CPO Alt was called by Rockford Fire Dept.
Chief and the Winnebago Co Sheriffs Dept.
to assist in identifying an orange unknown
substance floating down the Rock River in
Winnebago Co. The substance was contained
in a large isolated cloud that floated down
river. CPO Alt took members of the Rockford
Fire Dept. Hazmat Team out to the site to
51
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52
POLICE Contd. from previous pg.

Illegal fishing details were conducted
along the Fox River at each of the river
dams over the past few weeks resulting in
the arrest of three separate parties for illegally taking sport fish with cast nets. CPO
Siedsma responded to one complaint from
a local angler who reported one incident, 4
subjects were issued citations for the
unlawful use of cast net to take sport fish
and possession of several sport and undersized fish. In addition to responding to
complaints, CPOs regularly conducted surveillance operations during peak times
resulting in the arrest of another two
groups, 5 subjects in total were charged for
the unlawful use of cast net to take sport
fish, along with additional appropriate
charges.
LAKE Co
CPO Siedsma and CPO VanWiltenburg
conducted boat ramp safety checks, 2 written warnings were issued for equip violations and operation without proper navigation lights. Net enforcement was also conducted throughout the weekend, resulting
in the arrest of three separate groups of illegal fishermen taking sport fish with cast
nets. Over 25 citations were issued for the
illegal taking of sport fish.
CPO Kelley cited an individual for operation of an unnumbered watercraft on the
Chain O Lakes.
CPO Kelley cited a Round Lake resident
for fishing without a valid fishing license
on Hook Lake.
CPO Schreiber arrested a subject fishing
at the Chain O Lakes State Park for possession of cannabis less than 2.5 grams.
The subject was also issued a written warning for not having his fishing license in possession.
CPO Wagner issued five IVC citations,
4 boating citations, and one fish citation.

He also conducted an investigation into
illegal dumping of household garbage onto
public property. Based on a tip and a
license plate, he was able to track the violator down and obtain a written confession
from him.
CPO Semenik patrolled Countryside
Lake in Mundelein. Five written warnings
and one citation were issued for various
boat registration and safety violations.
District 3 Sgt. Mark Simon
GRUNDY Co
CPO Bergland checked a boat with 2
fishermen that had failed to be off of State
property at Heidecke Lake at the required
time. He discovered that they were in possession of a short walleye and were cited for
the violation.
CPO Anderson checked fishermen at
Mazonia/Braidwood Lake and issued a
citation for failure to have a wearable PFD
on board a watercraft as required and 4
warnings for boat violations
WILL Co
CPO Reid was conducting a patrol of a
private quarry for trespassers and illegal
fishermen when he observed 3 individuals
sitting on the cliffs typically used for jumping into the quarry. He snuck up close to
the individuals and observed them packing
a cigar blunt with cannabis. He approached
the individuals and all three ended up
being juveniles, so he called a parent to
come and pick them up. The parent of one
of the juveniles showed up and it became
apparent that she was driving while
impaired. She failed field sobriety testing
and was arrested for DUI. She refused to
provide a urine/blood sample.
CPO Reid conducted multiple patrols of
private bodies of water where trespass complaints have been signed. Several citations
for fishing without permission were issued.
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CPO Reid was patrolling the DuPage

River when he observed a male subject in
an inflatable raft throw a fast food bag and
drink into the water. The subject was
stopped and cited for pollution of a waterway.
CPO Reid stopped two individuals fishing on the bridge over Dresden Cooling
Lake. The 2 men were standing in the
roadway illegally and were unlawfully fishing between the small gap of the guardrail
and the fence. Neither one had a fishing
license or permission to fish the property.
Citations were issued for the fishing violations.
District 4 Sgt. Bill Shannon
COOK Co
CPO Mooi conducted a vessel inspection for first time kayakers on Wolf Lake.
The kayakers had all required safety equipment (price tags still attached) but did not
possess water usage stamps. Written warnings were issued.
CPO Macias investigated a two boat
minor boat accident that occurred in
Dusable Harbor in Chicago. A 44 foot
boat hit an anchored boat and left the scene
without stopping to render aid. CPO
Macias tracked down the boat using witness descriptions and photographs taken by
the owner of the boat that was hit. CPO
Macias found the boat owner and issued a
citation for not stopping and rendering aid.
CPO Whitchurch observed an individual fishing at an IDNR owned and managed lake who was fishing with 4 active
lines when the limit was two. The subject
was also observed entering the water on
foot a long ways into the water. CPO
Whitchurch advised the subject of the 2
poles and line limit and also the restrictions
pertaining to wading and swimming. A
fishing license check on the subject was
conducted. The subject provided CPO
Whitchurch with a fishing license which
after further investigation was deemed to
January 2016
belong to the subjects brother. The subject

was issued multiple citations for the offenses. The fishing license was taken and given
back into the custody of the proper owner.
The proper owner was not aware his fishing
license missing.
CPO Whitchurch responded to a reported fish kill on the Des Plaines River in
Cook Co. CPO Whitchurch as the first
responder gathered information and took
photographs. CPO Whitchurch in conjunction with IEMA and IEPA coordinated the investigation. Findings are still
pending.
CPO Whitchurch was on patrol in
Chicago when he observed a subject pulled
off the side of the road near the Calumet
Watershed. CPO Whitchurch observed the
subject dumping old house remodeling
trash off on the side of the road into vegetation which he was removing from his
vehicle. CPO Whitchurch made contact
with the subject and arrested the subject for
unlawfully dumping of trash on public
property. The subject will be due in court
at a later time.
CPO Whitchurch observed a youthful
operator alone on a boat on Lake Michigan
waters. A watercraft safety inspection was
completed. It was learned the subject was
under the age of 18 and did not possess a
valid boating safety course certificate. The
watercraft was also lacking proper required
safety equipment. CPO Whitchurch made
contact with the guardian of the subject
and advised the guardian of the youthful
operators law. The guardian was cited for
allowing the youthful operator to operate
the boat without a person 18 years of age
on board. Written warnings were issued for
the safety equipment violations.
CPO V. Smith while on a boat patrol on
Lake Michigan issued a citation and a
warning for unlawful fishing without a
valid sport fishing license.
CPO V. Smith while on patrol in
January 2016
William Powers State Recr Area issued

citations for unlawful fishing without a
valid sport fishing license and warnings for
speeding, failure to stop at stop sign, no
water usage stamp on kayak and fishing
license not in possession.
CPO V. Smith while on patrol at
Montrose Harbor issued a citation and a
warning for unlawful fishing without a
valid sport fishing license.
CPO V. Smith while on patrol at
William Powers State Rec Area issued two
citations for failure to immediately release
short fish (largemouth bass and walleye),
citations for no wearable PFD on watercraft, operation of a vehicle with no valid
drivers license and two citations for unlawful fishing without a valid sport fishing
license. Warnings were issued for unlawful
fishing without a valid sport fishing license,
improper license display, disobeying a traffic control device and three warnings for
failure to stop at stop sign.
CPO Vaughan issued a citation to a subject fishing in Wilmette Harbor for possession of a short Rainbow trout.
DUPAGE CO
CPO Mooi investigated numerous trapping complaints in DuPage Co. Written
warnings and nuisance removal permits
were issued where appropriate.
REGION 3 Captain Jim Mayes,
District 11 Sgt. Brian McReynolds
CUMBERLAND Co
CPOs Barnes and Moody were on patrol
in Cumberland Co along the Embarras
River when they observed 2 men from
Neoga fishing. As the officers approached
the subjects they observed a "hitter" pipe
made out of deer antler sitting in the bed of
the truck where one subject was standing.
The subject admitted it was his pipe and
also had a bag of cannabis in his pocket.
The subject was arrested for possession of
cannabis and drug paraphernalia. The
other subject was cited for no fishing
license.
MOULTRIE Co
CPO Mueller cited a Sullivan subject for
trespass to railroad property for preparing

to jump off the Findlay Bridge over Lake
Shelbyville in Moultrie.
While checking fishermen at the
Denham Pit Access along the Kaskaskia
River, CPO Moody arrested a Decatur
man for fishing with no valid license, fleeing, obstructing identification, as well as a
$15,000 warrant out of Piatt Co. After giving CPO Moody a fake name and birthdate, the man fled through the woods.
With it being dark and the man not knowing the area, he hurt his leg while running
through the woods and eventually was
found after giving up running. The man
also panicked when he saw the headlights
of the squad prior to being checked and
threw his fishing pole into the middle of
the river to make it look as if he wasn't fishing. The man was taken to the Moultrie Co
Jail where the paramedics were waiting to
check his injured leg. The man's girlfriend
received a written warning for fishing with
no valid license.
CPO Moody cited a Brownstown man
for placing large wooden debris into Lake
Shelbyville.
District 19 Sgt. John Williamson
DEWITT Co
CPO Viverito was focusing on fish
enforcement in DeWitt and McLean counties on 8/11 and 8/12. The detail, although
during the week, resulted in two drug
arrests, two fishing license citations and
two written warnings.
REGION 4 Captain Jamie Maul,
District 9 Sgt. Mark Wagner
CALHOUN Co
CPO Weishaupt responded to an abandoned boat found adrift on the Mississippi
River with fishing gear in it. The owner of
the boat was eventually located, even
though the registered owner was not the
owner of the boat. The boat was returned
and a citation was issued for failure to
transfer certificate of number.
JERSEY Co
CPO Goetten checked a fisherman on
the Illinois River. Upon inspecting the sub-
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ject's fishing license, CPO Goetten discovered discrepancies in the listed physical
indicators. An interview was conducted
and it was determined the subject could
not obtain a fishing license due to back pay
on child support. The fishing license presented belonged to an acquaintance. He
was arrested for obstructing a police officer,
fishing without a license, and transported
to the Jersey Co jail.
CPO Goetten checked 2 fishermen for
compliance on the Mississippi River. One
was in possession of two items of drug
paraphernalia and hashish oil. He was
arrested and transported to the Jersey Co
Sheriff's Dept.
CPO Goetten checked 4 fishermen in a
boat on the river in Jersey Co. One of the
subjects was wanted on an IDNR warrant
out of Madison Co for driving while
license suspended, operation of an uninsured motor vehicle, and possession of drug
paraphernalia. He was arrested and transported to the Madison Co jail.
CPO Goetten stopped a vehicle with a
broken windshield in Madison Co. The
driver was wanted on a Jersey Co arrest
warrant for contempt of court. His driver's
license was also suspended and the vehicle

was not insured. He was arrest and transported to the Jersey Co jail. He was
charged in Madison Co for driving while
license suspended, operation of an uninsured motor vehicle, and the defective
windshield.
District 10 Sgt. Chris Stone
CASS Co
CPO Wichern attended a hunter safety
class in Beardstown where 43 young
hunters successfully completed the course
in order to obtain their first hunting
license.
CPOs Wichern and Cochran investigated a commercial boat accident on the
Illinois River near Beardstown involving a
loaded 15 section Kentucky barge colliding
with a moored 53 Wisconsin yacht with a
crew of 3 sleeping passengers. No injuries
were reported.
MASON Co
CPO Elliott conducted sport fish
enforcement in Mason Co at Riverfront
Park in Havana. The 8 boat safety inspections and 6 sport fishing checks resulted in
CPO Elliott issuing 5 written warnings
Contd. on next pg.
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POLICE Contd. from previous pg.

CPO Wichern charged a subject with
unlawfully capturing a baby mallard hen during closed season and leg banding her with
black zip ties on a private pond south of
Jacksonville.
CPOs Wichern, Blakeley and Cochran
received a call from a commercial fisherman
who reported 5-8 missing hoop nets a couple
days before. CPOs Wichern, Blakely, and
Cochran responded to the location. After a
brief interview of a suspect by the 3 CPOs,
the suspect admitted to taking 6 nets and was
charged with 6 counts of disturbing commercial fishing gear. The nets were returned to
their owner.
District 13 Sgt. Eric Manker
CLINTON Co
CPOs Tapley, Lentz, Liebl, French and
Ray responded to a report of a man who had
jumped into the Kaskaskia River off of a boat
in the area of New Memphis. Numerous
other volunteer agencies and friends of the
victim came to assist in the search. The CPOs
and volunteers worked late into the night and
the next 2 days looking for the missing man.
He was located a short distance down river 2
days later. The incident is still under investigation.
ST. CLAIR Co
While CPO Rolfingsmeier was working
sport fishing enforcement at Frank Holten
State Park he came across a sport fisherman.
CPO Rolfingsmeier conducted a compliance
check and discovered an 8 largemouth bass
under a towel. The legal limit at Frank
Holten State Park is 14. CPO Rolfingsmeier
asked the fisherman about the largemouth
bass and the fisherman said he thought it was
a bluegill. CPO Rolfingsmeier issued the fisherman a citation for keeping the short largemouth bass. When CPO Rolfingsmeier was
issuing the fisherman the citation the fisherman said he knew it was a largemouth bass
and was sorry for lying to try to get out of a
ticket.
WASHINGTON Co
CPO Charles attended a Hunter Safety

Course at the Elkhorn Hunting and Fishing
Club in Washington Co.
REGION 5 Captain Tim Daiber,
District 14 Sgt. Jeff Cariens
FRANKLIN Co
CPO Lay conducted a random timber
buyer license inspection on a Franklin Co
timber buyer license holder. The timber
buyer had not paid any 4% harvest fee for the
3 year reporting period. The buyers records
indicated the purchase of timber from 20122015. Charges, as well as 4% harvest fees
owed, late fees, and penalties are pending.
CPO Williams arrested a man for operating
a watercraft while under the influence of alcohol (OUI) with an alcohol content of .196%,
operation of a personal watercraft without a
life jacket and reckless operation of a personal watercraft. The arrest stemmed out of complaints from boaters that the man came within a foot of their boat and splashed them with
a wake, then came back did the same thing
while in a no wake zone. The 2nd pass, the
PWC operator broke a fishing line of a fisherman on the boat. The U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers Rangers and Franklin Co Sheriff
Deputy's assisted with the initial call.
GALLATIN Co
CPOs Johnson and Schoenhoff are investigating deer poaching complaint.
HAMILTON Co
CPO Folden closed an ongoing investigation involving harassment of Canada Geese
on the McLeansboro Reservoir. A complaint
from the public was forwarded to CPO
Folden through the McLeansboro Police
Dept in reference to a tan Chevy truck with
two occupants who allegedly ran over Canada
Geese near the property owned by the City of
McLeansboro. The complainant alleged the
pickup truck sped up in excess of the 20 mph
speed limit, swerved off of the roadway, and
ran over a Canada goose in June of 2014. No
license info. was available and no suspects
identified. In June of 2015, a similar complaint was reported. McLeansboro Police
Dept Officers obtained some more detailed
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CPO Folden interviewed three suspects, all of
which were involved. After clearing up differences in the young men's stories in an attempt
to reveal the truth, one suspect admitted to
driving the vehicle and intentionally killing 4
Canada Geese with his vehicle. One citation
was issued for unlawful take of Canada Geese
during a closed season.
CPO Folden concluded an investigation
involving info. forwarded by a Hamilton Co
Sheriff's Deputy in regards to poaching deer
in Hamilton Co. CPO Folden took the information and successfully identified several violations of the wildlife code from the 2014
deer season and even unlawful take of deer in
Hamilton Co during the month of June
2015. The 3 subjects identified to be involved
received a total of 20 citations. CPO Folden
seized 2 compound bows, 1 shotgun, and 2
deer racks. Total deer identified to have been
illegally harvested was 5. The charges included unlawful take of deer during a closed season, unlawful use of lights from a vehicle to
take deer, unlawful take of deer between 1/2
hour after sunset and 1/2 hour before sunrise,
unlawful hunting after already harvesting the
legal limit, and wanton waste. 2 of the 3 subjects remain in jail on previous criminal
charges.
JEFFERSON Co
CPO Jourdan continued working on an indepth timber audit.
CPO Jourdan investigated a report of a
wolf in captivity in Jefferson Co. The animal
turned out to be a hybrid from a wolf and a
domesticated dog. The couple was not in violation of the Endangered Species Act. They
were in fact in violation with regulations handled by local Animal Control. The case was
referred to Jefferson Co Animal Control.
SALINE Co
CPO Diggins is working on timber buyer
audits.
District 15 Sgt. Dave Hyatt
EFFINGHAM Co
CPO Smith and Sergeant David Hyatt
responded to a rural area in south-central
Effingham Co in reference to individuals riding on ATVs with digging tools. The officers
waited for approximately 4 hours and heard
the ATVs rolling into the suspects house.
CPO Smith and Sergeant Hyatt drove into
the suspects driveway with Sergeant Hyatt's
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unmarked squad just as the suspects were exiting their ATVs. There were two ATVs carrying a total of three people. The suspects were
in possession of several large bags of golden
seal. Upon further examination of one of the
suspects ATVs, CPO Smith found a small bag
of ginseng root that was concealed in the
front compartment of the ATV. When questioned about the rest of the ginseng by CPO
Smith and Sergeant Hyatt, one of the suspects
stated he had some in the refrigerator in the
house. CPO Smith followed the suspect into
the residence and was shown two bags containing ginseng within the refrigerator. CPO
Smith seized the ginseng and advised all suspects that they would be receiving citations at
a later date. Total weight of ginseng seized
equals 1.96 pounds.
LAWRENCE Co
CPO Taylor and a Lawrence Co Deputy
received information that a subject was keeping ginseng at his fathers home. CPO Taylor
spoke to the subjects father and the father
consented to a search of the home. During the
search 5 pounds of dry ginseng was found.
Charges are pending. From the same case, an
accomplice was interviewed by CPO Taylor
and Sgt. Hyatt and no ginseng was found at
his residence but he had five coons and one
beaver hide from last season in the freezer.
Subject was issued citation for possession of
green fur more than 20 past seasons.
District 16 Sgt. Kris Taylor
JOHNSON Co
CPO Thompson conducted timber transportation enforcement details in Johnson and
Pulaski Co., inspecting log trucks and noting
new logging operations underway.
PERRY Co
CPO Lewis responded to a timber theft
complaint in Perry Co. The complainant
advised he was part owner of a piece of property. The co-owners of the property made a
deal with a timber buyer to sell the timber
without notifying the complainant. The complaint remains under investigation.
WILLIAMSON Co
CPO Thompson and CPO Vasicek conducted boat patrols on Kinkaid Lake and
Lake of Egypt. Several written warnings were
issued for minor boating violations. Citations
were issued for possession of alcohol in
restricted area and unlawful passenger location.
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CAMPFIRE
CULTURE:
by Roland Cheek
www.RolandCheek.com
T HE REAL BENEFITS
OF WILD MEAT
One important point that is often

overlooked in the hunting vs antihunting debate is how much healthier wild game is for the average
American than pen-raised, forcefed, flavor-subtracted feedlot
meats. In an era when practically
everything tasting good is off limits according to government reports
or agency directive, or boycotted
by do-gooder groups, doesn't it
seem strange no one has come
along to advocate elk burgers or
deer ribs?
Couple wild game's nutritional
benefits with the peace of mind
inherent with sitting on a distant
ridgetop on a frosty morning, then
consider the physical effort one
pays to get there, and I find it
strange that our nation's Surgeon
General isn't promoting the real
values of sport hunting: i.e. the
health benefits to its practitioners.
There are few medical doctors
alive who'll claim man can exist on
rutabagas and brussel sprouts
alone. And if there were any
quacks like that around, few folks
who snuggle up to a banquet table
would give em the time of day.
Meatfresh meat if it's available, or canned, smoked, salted or
raw if notis one ticket item most
of us must have. At least occasionally. Certainly meat, of and for
itself, isn't illegal. And Cleveland
Amory look-alikes aside, neither is
it immoral. But most of it IS fattening. And it's the fattening that's
frightening. High blood pressure,
cholesterol, blocked arteries,
excess weightall are endemic to
concentrated meat consumption.
The American Medical Society
doesn't tell us not to eat meat, how-
23rd Annual
ever.! (I know, I know, they say to

eat more vegetables and grains and
fruit. But they don't tell us not to
eat meat at all.) Instead they tell us
to eat lean meat. Cut off the fat,
feed it to your dog.!
But is lean meat for sale over the
meat counter? We wont buy it.
Lean claims are made, of course.
No marbling in this cut, no excess
fat in that steak. Charge an extra
dollar per pound. But no fat? Huhuh. Not like youll find in an antelope hind-quarter, or the backstrap
out of a mule deer buck.
Deer and antelope and elk tastes
"wild", you say? Ha! Ten times out
of ten, that's because the animal
was cared for shabbily in the field.
How often do you see a fat feedlot
beef chased wildly over a half section of hills and gullies; then when
finally dropped, cleaned improperly and skinned not at all? How
often do you see a prime beef
draped over the fender of an automobile and transported 500 miles
across country through all kinds of
weather, then unceremoniously
dropped to lay on a garage floor
until hung the following day?
Tastes wild?! Undoubtedly.
But the key word is it TASTES.
55
Cared for properly it'll still taste,

but not "wild". If it's quickly
cleaned in the field and hopefully
skinned within the hour, cured with
care, cut skillfully and wrapped to
preserve it the way good beef is
handled, wild meat will be a hit on
any dining room table.
And it'll be lean. Even if the wild
animal was in top shapefat and
heavy-bodiedits meat is still
lean. There's precious little marbling, ever, in an animal that made
its
living
toodling
around
Montana's
outback.
They're
healthy, wealthy (for you) and
wise.
Its their being wise that is, of
course, the problem for us hunters.
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56
Gunsmithing with Kirby Schupp
January 2016
I have explained some choke installation problems and the archive article is available at my website. Problems that occur from use and misuse are
the subjects to be examined now. Long-term pounding against a material
may create stress fractures, hard shot materials may cause impact bulging,
The Shotgun Shop PO Box 212 Arnold, MO 63010
and excess choke constriction can contribute to both of those conditions.
636-282-4379
The Polychoke and other adjustable chokes have been around for generations and have served many shooters well. Polychoke and the aftermarket
theshotgunshop@hotmail.com TheShotgunShop.net
external chokes (CUTTS, Weaver, etc.) were the alternative to the few fac12 years published in ASO Magazine!
tory replaceable chokes that were externally attached, at least until
Winchester installed VERSALITE chokes inside the WINLITE fiberglass
barrels of the Model 59, the predecessor to the evercopied WINCHOKE.
The Polychoke is rated as being steel-shot capable,
and most factory screw-in chokes are supposed to be
OK with steel being used through them. The exceptions
are now normally marked as safe for steel or lead
shot only. Any choke not so marked needs to be verified as safe in the owners manual, by manufacturer
contact, or gunsmith exam. Even with such pronouncements, I have seen chokes rated as steel-safe be
pounded and damaged.
The chokes that are not usually rated as steel-safe
are those that have the heavier amounts of constriction,
such as conventional full or X-full for Turkey. The
trouble with some tubes is that the chokes all look very
similar when installed in the barrel as flush-mount
chokes. The choke in picture 1 is exactly that: a turkey
choke accidentally left in a barrel that was then taken
out to waterfowl hunt. Steel shot had pounded a ring
into the taper and the choke was nearly permanently
stuck, and the ring bulge is prominently shown as the
darker crescent through the center.
The next 2
pictures are of
a
stainless
choke that was
pounded
by
Vehicle Title
steel
shot,
also,
& License Services
but was then
Vehicle Sticker
reworked in an
Tanning Packages
attempt
to
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make the choke
Fishing & Hunting
less tight in the
(2 Beds)
Licenses
barrel threads.
Grinding
or filPropane & Ice
ing
was
attempted around
the exterior of the
Groceries
Kodak
tube, and many
Party
Items
scratches were made
Picture
in the interior (frusHousehold Items
Kiosk
tration?). The ring
bulge is less visible
Personal Products
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The next 2 pictures
show
the
Polychoke interior
that I had just given
We Carry
a cursory exam and
saw some little
detail that didnt
Dog Food & Treats
look right, so I
brushed the interior
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to have a better look at a non-fouled surface. There was a tiny line present
at the end of each slot used to separate the fingers that give the adjustment ability. Close exam with high magnification verified that the line is a
crack in the metal radiating from the slot corners. That is why I included
the zoomed area with the crack easier to spot. This Poly was to be removed
and replaced with a turkey choke, so a close exam wasnt likely, but I happened to see this situation. Perhaps that was due to the fact that just a few
days ago a shooter brought his shotgun in for rework to hand down to a relative.
The initial exam prior to acceptance was what
showed me another Poly with a problem, and that
one was missing a complete collet finger. The
outer adjustment collar had a large bulge present
from the finger blowing downrange and may have
had more subsequent firing that could have added
more expansion to the bulge. The owner recovered
from his initial shock enough to see the added
problem that would have made rework of that particular shotgun a much more expensive proposition. If I hadnt seen the one large problem, I might
not now be showing you the start of a similar problem, and you might not have been made aware of
this safety-related defect that you could spot for
yourself.
I dont believe too many shooters would have
trouble noticing the defect present in the 2 choke
tubes shown last, if next to one another, but the one
missing the skirt past the threads might not be
spotted as trouble without an experienced eye or
another choke for comparison. A poor fit of a
57
choke hole or a severe misalignment

with the tube will make this a possibility for someone else. See the
examples in article 3 of my website
to examine a similar situation that
was going to explode at the next
shot. Do not neglect your safety
education: see my article. You may
be the one to notice someone elses
gun ready to rupture, and you
DONT want to be standing next to
something like that when it goes
POOF.
WATCH ASO TV!
Sat. Jan. 30, 2016 at 5:30 pm (Final Sat.

of every month) on WTVP, PBS Ch. 47
See previous shows at:
YouTube.com/ASOMagazine
READ ASO ONLINE!

2 Different Formats
ASOMagazine.com ASOMagazine.net
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58
STRICTLY MY
OPINION:
Where Have All The
Mature Bucks Gone?
By Les Davenport
Mature buck is a broadly deciphered, two-word deer hunter

description. Some use it to label
any male deer older than a year and
a half. The other end of the hunter
spectrum considers mature to be
five, and a few would even call it
six. Frankly, there are two types of
maturity, physical and mental
prowess, same as in humans. Ive
witnessed 3-year-olds that were
dumber than a turkey but had huge
racks and others with sub-par
antlers that had developed incredible savvy about hunters.
Of course, as trophy hunters we
prefer bucks with great antler
genetics spreading those genes
throughout our hunting areas. To a
great degree this did happen naturally before our DNR got greedy
and saw money more important
than a well-balanced herd. A glut
of permits, an overwhelming num-
ber of outfitters and non-resident

hunters, a two-buck limit, and disease has headed Illinois on a
Pennsylvania-herd
course.
Pennsylvania, by the way, has been
considered by many experts the
worst-managed deer herd in the
US.
One only needs to do a scan of
the whitetails record books to
determine Illinois downturn in
antler quality; it roughly averages
one inch less for every three years
since 2000 (gun and bow). Yes, the
overall numbers for at least bowkill trophies are still there, but only
because we have more archers
today and two-year-old bucks often
make book (125 inch net).
Pick up any big buck magazine
and, yes, there are Illinois giants
plastered in them as usual. Our
DNR and outfitters use these media
hallelujahs to convince non-residents to spend their money for tags
and hunt fees. In my opinion,
photo-playing monster whitetails to
hungry trophy-seekers is truly a
false ploy when considering whats
really out there in the Prairie State
bush. By default, a 55,584 square
mile Midwestern state like Illinois
will always produce enough giants
January 2016
to fill three dozen annual

magazine spots. This, by
the way, is only one
exceptional buck for
every 1544 square miles.
Adams and Pike counties
together are only 1687
square miles, so these
magazine articles arent
benefitting anything but
the coffers of the DNR
and outfitters.
A most recent article in
North
American
Whitetail details Illinois
Hot Zones for Pope
and Young bucks. The
top five noted are Pike,
Adams,
Calhoun,
This is archer Ken Doellman with his
Hancock and Fulton.
2015 bow buck. Only through good
What the article failed to
self-management can today's hunters
mention is that all of
ever expect to have trophy whitetails
these counties have been
on their property.
besieged with years of
Unfortunately, for every non-resiEHD and Blue Tongue, they are
dent who does not come back, ten
over-outfitted, and, most impormore will read the misleading artitantly, the grade of trophy has
cles and plan a trip to Illinois.
severely waned. A high percentage
The Pennsylvania syndrome is a
of the non-resident archers who
slow, cancerous process. It will cercome here are soon disenchanted
tainly arrive without attitude
and salvage their high-dollar trip
change in the DNR and hunter comby arrowing a two-year-old, further
munity. Every year our herd
decimating our buck quality.
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January 2016
notches
downward it
w i l l
require
three to
reverse.
Persona l l y ,
w h a t
hurts the
most for
me, as a
53-year
d e e r
hunter,
now age
68,
is
Alabama archer Ebbie Evans has progressively
that
I
seen the antler quality in Illinois drop dramatically
was here
over the last decade he has hunted Illinois.
when the
He is researching other states that are
herd was
more well-managed.
nothing
their egos.
and when it grew to be incredible.
Undoubtedly, there will be a facWatching it slide down the slope of
tion of deer hunters who read this
no return over this last decade-plus
article and rebuke its warning due
has, yes, made me disgruntled and
to the great deer hunting they think
outspoken. Too many young
they still enjoy. These people either
hunters have no clue what a truly
have no inkling of good herd balgood herd should be. They too
ance, benefit by border property
often thrive on the media hype
that is well-managed, or their area
from limelighter-hunters who only
has not yet experienced high levels
seek to line their pockets and uplift
59
as responsible
d e e r
hunters
beto
c o m e
g o o d
m a n agers of
the resource.
Whether
you hunt
10 acres
or 1010,
eliminate the
attitude
This beautiful buck taken by Ohio archer
I
Mike Rex is becoming more the exception than the rule If
d
o
n
t
in Illinois. Ohio has a one-buck limit that allows more
shoot
it
male deer to make it to maturity, therefore benefiting
t h e
the gene pool and trophy quality.
neighbor
of disease and bad outfitters. There
will. Eliminate the attitude that a
also is a division of hunters who
tag has to be filled. It is my opinunderstand what is happening and
ion: We need to warn non-resiare trying to get ahead of the game
dents about Illinois undeserved
by superbly manage the property
media hype and about bad outfitthey hunt.
ters who talk the talk but dont
As Ive previously stated, if
walk the walk (as well as tell
Illinois is ever to be great deer
them about the uncommon good
hunting again, it will be up to you
ones).
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60
MINNESOTA MEMOIRS
...only Yesterday!
"It seems like only yesterday!"
This, my observation as we turn
on to County Road 8, and the last
mile before reaching Nokay Lake
and our little piece of Paradise!
But the observation has another
significance as I prepare this
Memoir! It seems like only yesterday that I began writing this
column
for
ADVENTURE
SPORTS OUTDOORS! Actually
many yesterday's between then
and now, from March,!2008 until
January, 2016! What was going
to be a series of stories and history of our summer vacations at the
Hugo Larson Resort has become
a running narrative of our times
at the lake! I intended a series of
perhaps a dozen or so "memoirs"
about those times, and now, over
seven years later, I'm still sharing
our Nokay with whoever is interested!! ! !
I began writing after reading
Nathan Jorgenson's WAITING
FOR WHITE HORSES! His
novel made me, inspired me to
begin! For years my friends at
the lake had been coaxing me to
write about the innumerable
experiences shared with so many
for so long! After!reading HORSES, I was ready!!! We had built
the new cabin at the end of the
2007 season, and we were beginning a new chapter at Nokay!
Why not begin a new "life" as an
amateur writer?
Time to dust off the memories
By Dave Evans
and brush away the cobwebs of

time! Of course, some of what
happened at Nokay Stays at
Nokay!
2008 would be our first full
season in the new cabin, and we
were naturally anxious to return
and begin enjoying and finishing
the "dressing" of our new home
away from home.
However, that spring Katie
was diagnosed with a rare
cancer of the bile duct (Cholangiocarcinoma), and our next trip
to Minnesota was to the Mayo
Clinic for consultation and surgery! The prognosis was grim,
giving her six months to a year,
and the cabin would perhaps not
see a happy arrival! But with a
rigorous program of chemotherapy begun, we did make it to the
cabin that May, and we have
enjoyed it ever since! Six Months
have grown to eight years and
eight summers! They have been
hard years for her, but she
"toughs it out," and her gardens
are as beautiful as ever, and
growing larger every year!
We lost Mom on Valentine's
Day in 2007, so she never was
able to see the new place, and she
would have loved it! But Dad
was able to make several trips to
the cabin and could see the
dormer overlooking the lake, a
dormer!he insisted we add to the
plans. When his eyes and health
began to fail, his trips came to an
end, but I always kept him

informed of the fishing fortunes.
Bob and Muff planted a tree in
the place where Mom and Dad
loved to sit and just enjoy the
lake! I can't look at it without
recalling all the hours they spent
there!!
We lost Dad in December of
2013, but their presence is
always felt! They were responsible! for the now Sixty-three year
history of the family's association with Nokay Lake, and the
reason I thank them at the conclusion of every memoir!
I've never missed a summer
with at least a few days at the
lake! The first trip was a week's
vacation, as was the next, and the
next. And then two weeks for
many years. During college and
at other times, I made only a
weekend, but since the late 60's,
I have seen the lake for anywhere
from ten days to now almost five
months! We began inviting others to join us, and the
Waskowskis and Riopells! from
the neighborhood became guests
of Hugo Larson! My uncle
Merd! Deppert and his family
became frequent visitors, and
Viola held a family reunion on
Heron Lake this past summer.
Other Pekinites came to Nokay
because of Mom and Dad, too!
Sam and Thelma Roberts have a
legacy in Kevin and Stacy! and
their family, and Thelma still
returns! Three Sampson families
continue their traditions! And the
"beat" goes on!
During "guys" trip, I have been
accompanied by a number of
friends for many years! My
cousin Terry Deppert, Bruce
Varner, Darhl Brown, and
January 2016
Murray Brian shared fishing,

euchre, visits to the Red Velvet,
the Last Turn Saloon, Paul
Bunyan Land, Roy's Cafe,
Nisswa, etc.,etc.,etc.! During
many of these trips, what happened at Nokay Stays at Nokay! I
have written of many of our
adventures in previous articles.
The adventures which have Not
been reported will Never be
reported! Never, Ever offer
"compromising"
information
when doing so might cause
embarrassment...or
worse!
Anyway, we always caught fish,
ate well, and had Good Times!!!
Of course my son Zac has a
fondness for Nokay, as do his
children! Katie's sister Jean has
visited, as has our niece Joanna
and now her husband Chris.
Priscilla DeLaerre and her son
Colin, along with Brad Clark
have been guests several times,
although this last summer Katie's
illness prevented our getting
together again. Roger and Jan
Gibbens have stopped by, as have
Terry and Vicki Deppert. Even
the intrepid Gloria Neal and her
brother came by for! an afternoon's visit as they were touring
the casino circuit in Minnesota!
We would Gladly welcome any
and all who would like to see
what this Nokay Thing is all
about!
We have shared so much
of the history of our love!
affair with Nokay and our
friends and neighbors that I often
wonder what is new or interesting to relate! When I began,
I thought I had enough for
about 12-18 issues of ASO,
and that was almost eight years
ago! Some!have suggested that
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January 2016
I make a book of the first dozen or

so, with the focus on the history, the
Larsons! and Johnsons, the wildlife,
the fishing, and on those who are no
longer with us! All!of the characters
and Legends of the Lake! How many
hours on the lake and in the fish
house?
How many sunrises and sunsets
and full moons and songs of the
Loons? How many "ones that got
away"?
When Harry and Cathy Canterbury
visited for a week several years ago,
they were able to see and experience
what I had been writing about for so
long. And we made a special video
for the television version of
ADVENTURE SPORTS OUTDOORS. The show did a wonderful
job of capturing the essence of the
Nokay Experience, and you can see it
online, if you want!

One must see, feel, experience, to
know!!!
I don't know if I will continue to
write memoirs much into 2016! Not
that I don't enjoy it! I just seem to
experience "writer's block" more
often than in the past! For sure the
memories which inspire the memoirs
will continue for as long as I am able
to return to my Nokay, Our Nokay!
Memories and Memoirs since
1953! Cane poles, red worms, and a
1 1/2 horse outboard motor to push
that wooden Larson boat! Crappies,
sunfish, bass, northerns, and! bullheads! ! Anyway, I've had the
delights and the privilege to share
those delights! Some I can see as
clearly as it were only yesterday!
Thanks, Mom and Dad!
61
Above:
Moonrise
Right:
Mom
and
Dad's
Tree
Top left:
Waiting for White Horses
Top Right:
My Favorite Cabin Photo
Left:
The Loon, our Symbol
of the North Country
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62
GEAR UP FOR FIRST ICE

By: Dr. Jason Halfen
Anglers await the arrival of the first ice of winter with great anticipation. The short-lived
first ice bite is classically one of the best of the winter, with active fish still found in nearshore, oxygen-rich waters that are easily accessible to the walk-on angler. My early season ice
fishing adventures are governed by three guiding principles: stay safe, travel light, and fish
shallow. Read on to learn about the tools that I use to accomplish these goals, AND return
home with a pail of fish.
Stay Safe
Early season hard-water adventures often occur on frozen lakes that are capped by a relatively thin layer of ice. I heed the well-publicized guidelines distributed by my regional
Natural Resources managers, which generally indicate that 4-inches of hard, black ice are
suitable for foot travel. On frozen lakes that have not been previously accessed by other early
season anglers, I will check ice thickness along my walking path using a spud bar, which is,
in essence, a long-handled ice chisel. If I measure less than 4 inches of ice thickness, I will
turn back toward shore.
Even with general ice coverage of 4-inches or more, thin spots may persist in the early season due to springs, current, or even the action of schools of fish or flocks of waterfowl. It is
important to have a plan to get back onto the ice surface, should you fall unexpectedly
through the ice. My Frabill I3 Jacket includes an integrated Self-Rescue device over the
shoulders, ensuring that the ice picks are easily accessible should I fall through a thin spot.
Integrated drainage mesh in my Frabill I3 suit also allows any water that accumulates in the
suit to drain rapidly away.
Creepers, or some other sort of traction-enhancing device for your feet, are also useful
tools for the early season ice angler. The first ice of the season is often free of snow cover,
quite flat, and extremely slippery. Falls on the ice can lead to bumps, bruises, sprains, or
worse, and increasing the traction of your footwear can help to minimize these injuries.
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Be conservative when venturing onto early season ice. No fish is worth your life. Those fish will
remain in the same general areas for a couple of
weeks, so dont rush prematurely onto an unsafe
crust of ice; wait until conditions permit you to
enjoy the first ice period while staying safe and
dry.
Travel Light
First ice is NOT the time to haul your snow
machine or hard-sided ice house to the lake. You
will be traveling on foot, and you dont want to be
weighed down pulling hundreds of pounds of
gear in pursuit of a hot early-ice bite. I limit my
load to those items that I can fit comfortably into
a medium sized sled. If it doesnt fit, it stays in the
truck. Here are the key items that always make the
cut.
I bring two pieces of ice electronics with me on
every ice adventure; one of these is a
Humminbird sonar/GPS combo, like the HELIX
5 ICE or ICE 688ci HD Combo. These multi-functional pieces of electronics allow me to
walk to the fishing grounds with GPS precision, and target the fish lingering there with
either a traditional flasher-wheel sonar display or an open water view that is rich in historical sonar information. The second piece of must-have ice electronics is my Aqua-Vu
Micro 5 camera. This compact underwater viewing device fits perfectly in the front pocket
of my Frabill I3 bibs, and features a long-life Lithium Ion battery that provides for many
hours of continuous use. I use my underwater camera to identify the fish I observe on my
sonar, find green weeds along expansive weed edges, and even monitor baits suspended
under tip-ups to learn how fish are reacting to them.
I pack a lightweight, portable shelter on early ice trips. This can take the form of a oneangler flip-over, like the Frabill Recruit 1250, which also provides the sled that I use to
January 2016
transport all of my gear. Unique design features of the Recruit 1250 provide me with more
fishable area than other one-angler flip-over shelters, and also incorporates a full thermal
shell to ensure a warm, comfortable day on early ice. If Im fishing with a friend, I trade my
flip-over for a thermal hub, like the Frabill Bro Hub which provides plenty of room for two
anglers plus all of their gear, and an expansive 80 of headroom to allow for a good standup-and-stretch when the bite slows. Weighing in at just 36 pounds, the Bro Hub is easy to
transport to and from the fishing grounds.
Beyond my electronics and shelter, everything else that I carry, including rods in a hard
case to keep them safe and secure, essential tackle and tools, tip-ups when chasing fish with
teeth, an assortment of live bait, and snacks and drinks, all need to fit into that single sled.
If you minimize the amount of gear you bring on early ice trips, youll be more likely to
remain mobile on the ice, and mobility is the key to success for the modern ice angler.
Fish Shallow
The early ice period features one of the best near-shore, shallow water bites of the ice season. Those waters remain well oxygenated from fall winds and rains, and any shallow cover
like weeds, rocks or timber will rapidly accumulate baitfish populations,
as well as the gamefish
and panfish that feast
upon them. Now is the
time to target those fish,
before they vacate the
shallows and head to the
primary breaklines or the
deep basin.
Shallow fish are generally
more active, and respond
more favorably to aggressive presentations, than
their deep water cousins.
Now is not the time for
63
micro baits rigged on the tiniest tungsten jig

that money can buy. I favor larger profile, highaction baits like the soft-plastic Ratso or the
Slender Spoon from Custom Jigs and Spins.
There is generally no need to tip the Ratso with
any sort of live bait, as the supple action of the
long Ratso tail is all that an angler needs to trigger bites. Likewise, if you plan to accessorize the
Slender Spoon with an organic bait, limit that
to only a minnow head, as an entire minnow
will deaden the tantalizing flutter of the often
imitated, but never duplicated, Slender Spoon.
When youre fishing the Slender Spoon under
low light conditions, be sure to tie on a ProGlow Slender Spoon, and supercharge that
spoon with a small LED light to enhance the
baits appeal to crappies or walleyes lurking
beneath the lakes frozen cap.
Yes, I know there are crappies suspended out
over the basin. And yes, I recognize there are
probably some walleyes on that mid-lake rockpile. However, I hate to walk past catchable fish to find other fish that are much farther
away, so I plan to take advantage of this early ice, shallow water bite for as long as it lasts.
Well have plenty of opportunities to retool for offshore adventures as the winter progresses.
About the author
Dr. Jason Halfen owns and operates The Technological Angler, with a primary mission of informing and training anglers on the use of modern technological tools to find
and catch more fish. Learn about The Technological Anglers award winning instructional videos, teaching tools, and angler training workshops at:
TechnologicalAngler.com
Brian waits for a catfish to bite as the

sun sets over the Tennessee River.
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64
You Never Forget Your

First Duck Hunt
Most often, a first hunt is one
that plants a seed, creates a
desire. Who took you hunting
for the first time and who will
you take? Questions to ponder
this hunting season.
by Jace Bauserman
I can remember my first duck hunt like
it was yesterday. No decoys. No calls. No
waders. Just me and my father walking
along a puddled-up canal in hopes of
jumping a few mallards. The sky was milky
and a hint of snow hung in the frosty
December air. It was truly a magical morning. I was wearing an old zippered red
sweatshirt and Levis. My dad was in his traditional gray hoodie and a black and
orange ball cap from the high school at
which he taught and coached. Duck
hunters we were not, but at the time I didnt know any better. To be honest, I
wouldnt have had my first quest for waterfowl shake out any other way.
We heard them before we saw them; the
low, muffled grumble puddle ducks make
when feeding on open water tickled my
ears. I crawled up between a pair of golden
tumbleweeds
and spied the
butt end of a
drake as he
paddled
his
way around a
bend. My heat
leapt in my
throat and my
hands shook.
Thank God
Dad had some
idea of what to
do. He had me
back off the
canals bank
and we made a
long, winding
approach across
an open field
an approach
that offered concealment and would, in
theory, bring us right up on the bend. My
knees knocked together and the single-shot
20-gauge that rested in my grip shook violently. Dad planned it perfectly and a few
ducks sprung from the water only yards in
front of me. Id love to tell you I picked out
a green-headed drake, swung perfectly and
squeezed the trigger, but that would be an
outright lie. Im not sure I even shouldered
my shotgun before I jerked the trigger into
action. And pick a duck? I most certainly
January 2016
did not. I simply scattered a

barrage of lead
(legal at the
time) number
4s into the fleeing flock. By
the grace of
God a hen mallard took the
full load and
fell to the
ground. Dad
hugged me and
tears of joy
streamed from
my eyes. It was
a good day, a
day
that
sparked a flame
inside of me
that grew over time.

This past weekend I was able to take my
sons Hunter and Brody on their first duck
hunts. Neither were gun-toting participants
(Hunter will take his hunters safety class
later this spring), but they had a ball. For
the morning mission Hunter and I tossed a
few decoys on an icy beaver pond along an
old creek bottom and snuggled into the
brush. The first ducks on the scene were a
group of mallards. A few quacks and feed
chuckles from my duck call and the group
was cupped-up and diving in with orange

feet down. When the sweet smell of burnt
gunpowder settled, a single greenhead lay
motionless amongst our group of
imposters. Hunter turned to me with eyes
as wide as saucers and said, Dad, that was
the coolest thing Ive ever seen. We didnt
kill another duck that morning, but a seed
was planted.
That afternoon when the air warmed a
bit, I took my youngest son Brody out for
a little puddle-jumping sojourn, much like
the one my father took me on. Hunter
tagged along and my boys were able to
walk up on a group of resting mallards and
push them into flight. I let a single shot
ring out and another mallard drake fell to
the ground. Brody ran to him and sat holding our December prize like it was a priceless jewel. He stroked the feathers and
couldnt get over the birds orange feet.
I know I wouldnt be working in this
wonderful industry today had my dad not
taken the time to introduce me to the great
outdoors. That single hunt ignited a passion inside me and caused me to dream
about what could be. Thanks, Dad! I
appreciate it more than you will ever know.
Do you have someone you need to
thank? Do you have someone you need to
get into the great outdoors? Just a couple of
questions to put some serious thought into.
www.GrandviewOutdoors.com
5th
A n n u al
February 12 & 13
(Fri. & Sat.)
Hunting, Fishing, Boating, Camping, Guides,

Trips, Trophies, Vendors, Drawings & Displays
Everything for the outdoor enthusiast!
Otto Center Arthur, IL

ATTENTION:
Hunters in Fulton, Schuyler & Mason Counties

AFFORDABLE LODGING IN THE HEART
OF DEER COUNTRY AT THE
Boomerang Lodge-Bar-Grill
Always
Come Back
104 E Broadway, Astoria, IL
ALL-IN-ONE
LODGING BAR & GRILL
Call: 309-313-2767 309-329-2824
January 2016
65
5th Annual
February 12 & 13, 2016

Friday 10am - 8pm Saturday 8am - 4pm Adults $5 Kids Under 12 FREE
REGISTER TO WIN $250 GIFT CARD FREE Shuttle

Sat. Feb. 13,
EACH DAY, (FRI. & SAT.) CIOE
8am-4pm
COMMITTEE GIVING AWAY $250 FOR Leaving from
the Arthur
AREA MERCHANTS! SAT. WIN $250 Welcome
Center
(106 E. Progress St.)
FROM THE HUNTERS SHACK!
ALAH Bass Fishing Team Fundraiser!
SEMINARS:
Friday, Feb. 12
11am-Noon ...Central Illinois Crappie Club

1-2pm............John Wright, BFL
Lake Shelbyville Pro
2-3pm............Tom Bates, IL Turkey Federation
3-4pm............Illini and ISU Bass Fishing Teams
4-5pm............John Wright
5:30-6:30pm..Mary Satterfield, 30-Year Guide on Shelbyville
Stan Potts:
Sat. 10-11am
& 1:30-2:30pm
SPONSORED BY:
Arthur Area
Association of Commerce
Saturday, Feb. 13
8-9am............Central IL Crappie Club

9-10am..........Derek Jenkel FLW Pro, 19 top 10 finishes
10-11am........Stan Potts, Host of American Whitetail TV
and Whitetail Explorer TV
Noon-1pm .....Terry Bolton, FLW Pro, 11-Time Forest Wood
Cup Qualifier-$1,000,000 Earnings
1:30-2:30pm..Stan Potts
3-4pm............Terry Bolton
Terry Bolton:
Sat. Noon-1pm & 3-4pm
SEE EXOTIC ANIMALS!
From Maple Lane FarmsAnimals this year

include spider monkeys, tiger cubs,
ostrich, wolf and possibly a grizzly!
w ww . wi l d l if e fa rm . weeb l y. com
mi. south of
Otto Center 2058 CR 1800 E Arthur, IL (1/2
the 4-way stop)
More Info: (217) 543-3848 www.ArthurOutdoorExpo.com
Held At:
66
www.LakeShelbyvilleGuide.com
W i n t e r C ra pp i e
F ishing
Ke n t uc k y L a ke
By Steve Welch
Most of you know that I spend a lot of

time on Kentucky Lake and guide down
there for two months a year now. I try and
time it when Shelbyville is slow like during
the up and down water levels and cold rains
of early April or the lake turnover period of
late September to early October.
It is the winter months that I like the best
630 McCawley Ave.

P.O. Box 75 Flora, IL62839
(618) 662-2641
www.carcorralpolaris.com
ILLINOIS LARGEST POLARIS DEALER

2013 Polaris Industries
Sportsman 500 H.O.
MSRP: $6199
SALE Price: $5394

Car Corral Offers New &
pre-owned ATVs, Ranger/RZRs
& used cars. Check Out our
ONLINE WAREHOUSE to find the
best from Polaris and Can-Am.
CONTACT US IF YOU DONT SEE WHAT YOURE LOOKING FOR!
See the extensive online OEM part finder. We also sell accessories and apparel from
Moose, River Road, MSR, Bikers Choice and more. Our certified technicians are
authorized by Polaris & Can-Am - Repair & Maintenance is Available.
down there and my local friends that live in

the area all say the same. You catch a three
day period of light winds so you can get out
on the ledges and comfortably fish twenty
feet or deeper and you will get a wall mount.
These fish rival the size of the famed
Grenada Lake. I have seen fish over 17-inches or three pound plus and plenty of healthy
two-pound fish.
About any other time of the year we are
targeting black crappie that live much shallower and it seems more plentiful. Not in the
winter I am looking for those big whites that
live on a single stump parked about 22-30
feet deep out on a channel bend or a sheer
drop.
Here is how I do it. I have my Yar-Craft
2095BTX rigged with three seats up on the
front deck. We each fish an eight-foot medium/heavy action custom made Norms rod
taken from a St. Croix blank that is actually
a Bass flipping stick. I like that length
because when you are pulling slowly you can
watch your jig on the screen and you know
that you are going to run slightly above that
stump or small brush pile.
We spool the ultra-light spinning reel with
Fireline Crystal 8/3 and one of my Deep
Ledge Jigs in 1/4oz. I like an orange or red
head early in the morning then I switch to a
white head once the sun gets high in the sky.
If cloudy then I stick with the darker colored
heads. We tie the jig directly to the braided
line no leader. I use a small loop knot. As for
plastics I stick with Midsouth, Bass Pro Baby
Shads or Lake Forks. The color once again
depends on how much sun we have. I have
had my best luck on red/chartreuse early
then a white sparkled jig once the sun gets
up.
Here is the tricky part if you have never
January 2016
done this before. I tell folks that the mapping

system on your electronics is just as important as your GPS. You must first find suitable areas to pull your jigs.
I run four Lowrance Generation three
HDS units on my boat. I have two 12-inch
units side by side on the rear of my tiller boat
command center. I use these to run my map
and down scan on one unit and then my side
imaging on the other. Having that big
twelve-inch screen really helps with side
imaging. Since the Generation three units
are both touch and manual making changes
is quick and the new screens are much
brighter than the older units. I tell anglers
that I find fish with the rear of the boat and
catch them with the front.
Then I have two HDS 9-inch units side by
side on the front. All are networked to share
info and I have side imaging and down scan
on both the front and rear of the boat. Plus I
am running a Navionics mapping system
simply because I can change the hazard settings and make everything in deep water or
fifteen-feet turn white while the extreme
shallows are dark blue. This is critical for
navigating on Kentucky or any lake that is
drawn down to winter pool. With the mapping you can also find the channel drops and
points. Turning everything white in deep
water helps me on pulling a ledge as well.
Running the down scan alongside your
sonar is important because you can compare
back and forth. The down scan will show
you a stump perfectly. It looks like a stump
and if dialed in right you can see a fish hovering over it. The sonar is a round beam
showing things that you are about to come
up on. This gives you fore warning to get the
boat almost stopped and you can slide over it
and give the fish time. Plus if you are coming
up on a big brush pile you might be fishing
too deep and will snag it.
I concentrate on any point first then long
stretches of old river channels that run
straight. I park the boat on the side of the
drop at about 22-feet and then proceed to
start pulling the heavy jigs. The angler on my
right might be in only 18-feet while the
angler on my left is in 26-feet. I tell them to
keep their rods pointed forward and throw
your baits forward and let them go to the
bottom. As we travel towards them reel up
slack until you can drop your rod three-inches and hit bottom. Now it is my job to only
go fast enough that they can routinely still hit
bottom. This speed is between .2 and .4 no
faster.
I have been doing this for years so I have
tons of waypoints to navigate towards. I try
and run myself and two clients into a stump
or tick the top of a small brush pile. If we see
a big brush pile we will stop and hover for a
few minutes but for the most part we are
moving on. I am trying to target the big
active fish that tend to live alone on a big
January 2016
stump. These fish dont really like tight confined brush they truly think they are a bass.
This whole ledge bite does not start until
the water temps fall into the forties so trying
it during the spawn period of 58-68 will get
you little in return. If you hit it right you will
never experience anything like it. I have had
multiple days of a three man ninety fish limit
with forty or more of those over thirteeninches and half of those over fifteen-inches.
Most of those have come early January late
December.
I will be back up guiding around end of
February for the ice-out bite on Shelbyville
and then going to Kentucky Lake and guiding from March 22nd through April 20th.
You can go to my website at
www.LakeShelbyvilleGuide.com and look at
my open dates. Until then I will be at many
upcoming fishing shows also listed on my
website.
See Steve at the IllinoisFishandFeather.com

Expo on Jan. 29-30-31, 2016
Interstate Center, Rt. 9, Bloomington!
67
#1) Everett Baines holding a 14 & 15 inch

crappie caught on Kentucky Lake with
Lake Shelbyville Guide Service.
#2) Brian Findlay showing off a pair of

14 inch crappie caught along with his Dad
and Lake Shelbyville Guide Service
on Kentucky Lake.
#3) Ivan Gingerich with a 15 1/2 inch crappie
that was caught on his Kentucky Lake trip
with Lake Shelbyville Guide Service.
BOOK WITH STEVE!

217-762-7257
Cell: 217-840-1221
#4) Rod Collins' friend, pictured, holding up a

nice 14 & 15 inch crappie caught on their trip
with Lake Shelbyville Guide on Kentucky Lake.
LakeShelbyvilleGuide.com
CONGRATS
TO
EVERYONE!
Located on the Northside of the

IL State Fairgrounds across from
gate 5. Off Veterans take 8th St. Rd.
Call for hours open.
DEER PROCESSING
www.TuraskyMeats.com
217-522-3345
We accept whole deer, bone

in or boneless trimmings.
Kielbasa or Italian Sausage Fresh Bratwurst Ground Deer w/Suet
Ground Deer w/Pork Ground Deer w/Sausage Barbeque
Smoked Links w/Jalapeno & Cheese Italian Poorboy Sliced Deer
Summer Sausage Summer Sausage w/Jalapeno & Cheese
Venison Bacon Venison Hot Dogs Slim Jims w/Jalapeno & Cheese
Slim Jims 2011 IL State Champ!
All products are 1 lb. packages & vacuumed sealed.
Located in Springfield, IL Turasky Meats is a division of Y-T Packing Co.
After a full day of fishing, come to the Spillway Motel

and relax in one of our clean, comfortable rooms.
All rooms include a microwave, refrigerator, cable TV, A/C &
heat, Wi-Fi, coffee pot, direct dial phones, clock radio & bath
with hair dryer. All rooms have 2 beds....Ask for 3!
Pets allowed for nominal charge, however has to be in a
smoking room. Park near your roomOur large parking
area has free electrical hook-ups! Ice and soda available.
Nearby restaurants.
Shelbyville, IL
BAIT SHOP ON SITE & MOTEL OPEN YEAR ROUND!
For Reservations: 1/2 mile to beach and 9th Street boat launch.
(800) 845-0414 Within walking distance to river and spillway!
GATEWAY TO LAKE SHELBYVILLE...
YOUR HOSTS:
Vipul (Vic) &
Vilas Patel
Gateway
Recently Remodeled
New Carpeting
Color Cable TV
of Sullivan, IL
Refrigerator
217-728-4314
Microwave
1320 S. Hamilton St.
Free Internet/WiFi
Rt. 32, Sullivan, IL www.GatewayInnSullivan.com Adjacent Restaurant
INN
68
January 2016
Congrats to
Tony Blake for
shooting this big
buck recently
during the IL
Deer Archery
hunt season.
Hunting west of
the Canton area.
Tony stopped by
the next day for
a visit with
ASO friend
Ty Johnson.
Ty commented
that only God
could have
painted a
happier smile
on Tonys face!
Congrats to Bob Platt with
his 10 point 200 lb. beauty!
He was Spot on opening
day in Marshall County.
Thanks to ASO friend
Terri Sweckard for
sharing Bobs trophy!
First hunt, first kill by 21 year old Zack Ganieany!

The buck was harvested in Jefferson County
on his first hunt with his Grandpa and Dad.
How exciting to have a great first hunt!
Zacks family is very proud and happy his kill
provided extra food on the table for this winter
in McLean Co. Congrats Zack!
SOLD &
INSTALLED
LOCALLY BY:
GREGS
GARAGE DOOR
Sales & Service
Insured
2218 Court St. Pekin, IL 61554 309-347-8610
Congratulations to
Hunter Snider for
getting his first deer
on his 12th Birthday
11/20/15. He was
hunting with his proud
Grandpa, Greg Snider,
who works at the
Water Co. with
ASO friend Steve
Martin. Thanks to
Steves lovely wife
Connie for sharing
Hunters trophy!
IF ITS BROKE WE CAN FIX IT!
AUTOBODY UNLIMITED
Open
Mon-Fri
9am-5pm
Industrial Park
WE MAKE IT LIKE NEW!

AUTOBODY REPAIRING & PAINTING
Dale Richardson, Owner (309) 546-9333
9489 Sr 78, Bath, IL 62617 Located just North of Bath
January 2016
OUTDOOR
CONNECTION
By
Gerald
A.
Sampen,
O.C.
Salesman
Featuring 2 of 23 With
Wings We Represent
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)
to enjoy the outdoors of

South Dakota! You will
enjoy hunting pheasant
on over 3,000 acres of
prime pheasant habitat consisting of CRP
(tall prairie grass,)
unharvested corn and
milo, sloughs, creek bottoms, drainages and shelter
belts. We have been accommodating out of state hunters for the
past 24 years. We can cater to any
size group, whether it be just you, a
couple of buddies, or all the way up
to corporate hunting groups. Plan
your trip today!
What You Can Expect
The hunting season runs from
October 15th-December 31st.
Hunting hours are from noon to
sunset the first week of the season
and 10:00am to sunset the remainder of the season. We can comfortably accommodate up to 18 hunters
at one time. Groups of less than
twelve will hunt with their own
group, but may have other hunters
at the lodge. We do not believe in
over booking, so you can enjoy
your hunting experience to its
fullest potential.
I would like to take a moment

and say thanks for one of the most
unforgettable hunts I have ever
experienced. Ive heard it said that
seeing is believing, and so it was.
Ive never seen so many pheasants
in one place in all my life! Truly, it
is Gods country.
Again, thank you for your gracious hospitality and I look forward to seeing you next year for
another great hunt! Don G.,
Marshall, TX
Accommodations
Our newer guest lodge is ready
for its 7th Fall of hunting. The first
floor has four bedrooms with a
vanity and sink in each. Two bath-
69
rooms with showers are also located on the first floor. On the second
floor you will find the kitchen, dining room, a great room with a fireplace, big screen TV and sofas and
chairs to relax in. The great room
can be utilized for meetings.
If nature and a nice view is what
youre looking for, try relaxing on
the South porch. There is also a
recreation room with pool table,
poker table, etc. for you to enjoy.
Your
Hunting
Package
Includes...
*Three days of hunting and four
nights of lodging.
*Sporting Clays Course with 8
stations.
*Hot Tub on the North deck.
*All home-cooked meals, soft
drinks and cold beer after the hunt
(you may bring your own choice of
liquor.)
*Guides and dogs. Kennels are
Contd. on next pg.
World Class Pheasant Hunting

(SDH2)
This is your chance to experience
a hunting experience of a lifetime.
We are located just 20 minutes
from the Pheasant Capital of the
World. This is a great opportunity
502 East Laurel Ave.

Havana, IL 62644
309-543-2287
countryplaza@sunriseagservice.com
CountryPlaza.doitbest.com
OV E R 70 , 0 0 0 I T E MS !
R E N TA L
CENTER
SALES
SERVICE
PA R T S
R E PA I R
2 LOCATIONS:
3711 Amber Pinckneyville, IL 618-357-2711

477 Hwy 6 West Oxford, MS 662-236-7773
FINANCING
AVA I L A B L E !
Find Details & Pictures of Inventory at:
MooreBrothersAutoSales.com
70
O.C. Contd. from previous pg.

also provided if you wish to
bring your own dog.
*Transportation to and from the
hunting fields.
*Cleaning, packaging and freezing of your pheasants.
*Airport pickup.
Thanks for a wonderful time,
great hunting and great food. The
lodge is the best Ive ever stayed
in. I cant wait to come back!
Carl, Lawrenceville, GA
Ring Necks Plus Walleyes and
More! (SDH6/SDF1)
This outfitter is a second generation outfitting business that has
been providing hunting and fishing
services in South Dakota for two
decades.
They
are
centrally
located on
Lake Oahe
in
South
Dakota. This
location on
the Missouri
River provides close
proximity to the best walleye fishing and all other species that Lake
Oahe has to offer.
South Dakota is also famous for
its superb pheasant hunting. SD
pheasant numbers have skyrocketed in recent years. The outfitter
controls over 8,000 private acres of
well-managed, prime pheasant
habitat. Twenty plus years of habi-
tat development
that
focuses on
pheasants
and
other
upland game
has
made
this area the
place to visit
on a persons
SD wild bird
hunting adventure. Thats right
folks, there are no pen raised birds
here.
Fishing Info
In SD, on Lake Oahe, May
brings the start of the spring walleye fishing. Following the spawn,
the walleyes become very predictablemeaning very hungry.
This bite tends to be quite reliable
through the middle of August.
They not only guide for walleyes
on Lake Oahe, but provide opportunities for small mouth bass,
white bass, catfish, northern pike,
and a variety of others.
With the outfitters professional
angling experience along with
growing up on Lake Oahe, any
angler will have a trip to remember. Leave worries at home and
come enjoy one of South Dakotas
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
January 2016
You can own the vacation home of your

dreams for less than you think!
premiere walleye destinations!

Ice Fishing Info
Ice fishing is definitely, another
one of South Dakotas best kept
secrets. Starting around the first of
the year, walleyes are in abundance
for ice fisherman on Lake Oahe.
The outfitter caters to all ice fishing needs. When fishing with them,
leave all headaches behind and
enjoy the trip. They provide virtually everything, including two 20
foot icehouses with thermostatic
heat allowing a comfortable stay.
They want this to be a fun, relaxing
vacation. They offer two choices of
packages: the Do-it-yourself package and the complete package.
Accommodations
The lodge is a specialty resort
which caters not only to this outfitters hunters and fishermen, but
outdoorsmen and women hunting
and fishing on their own and families traveling around SD. The lodge
has six rooms, each with two full
beds and one single bed, and a private bath. There is a game room
with poker table, pool table, and
dart board. There are three separate
sitting areas, one on each floor,
each with satellite television. There
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
January 2016
is a wrap-around deck and a

walk-out basement to enjoy the
great outdoors and just relax after a
day on the waters of Lake Oahe or
in the field. Come and enjoy the
peace and serenity the SD prairie
while hunting or fishing with this
summer.
Hunting
They are a second generation outfitting business that has been providing hunting and fishing services
in South Dakota for two decades.
We are centrally located on Lake
Oahe in South Dakota. This location on the Missouri River provides
us with close proximity to the best
walleye fishing and all other
species that Lake Oahe has to offer.
South Dakota is also famous for its
superb pheasant hunting. South
Dakota pheasant numbers have skyrocketed in recent years. We control
over 8000 private acres of wellmanaged, prime pheasant habitat.
Twenty plus years of habitat development that focuses on pheasants

and other upland game has made
our area the place to visit on your
South Dakota WILD BIRD hunting
adventure. Thats right folks there
are no pen raised birds here. We
offer the best wild bird hunt that
South Dakota has to offer!
Meet Chad the owner/operator of
this outfitter. Since an early age,
Chad has dreamed of two things
being a professional fisherman and
owning his own hunting and fishing
lodge. In 2004, his dreams began to
materialize with the construction of
his lodge. The dream became reality in 2007 after he was awarded the
title of PWT Rookie of the Year. In
his first three seasons as a walleye
pro, he accumulated 7 top ten
awards, numerous money finishes,
along with a number one ranking
amongst professional walleye
anglers in 2008.
Whitetail Deer Hunts
South Dakota is renowned for its
deer hunting.! And when you come
to stay with us, we are surrounded
by some of the most abundant public hunting ground that South
Dakota has to offer.!!There are more
public walk-in acres in a 30 mile
radius, than anywhere else in South
Dakota.! There are numerous white
tail and mule deer in and around

Walworth County.! On the Do-ItYourself package, we provide you
with the accommodations and
meals and then you and your bow
are off to the public hunting
grounds to stalk a deer of a lifetime.! (This is a non-guided hunt.)
Pheasant Hunts
Rooster!!!! That is one word that
you will here in abundance when
you are hunting in South Dakota
with this outfitter. We pride ourselves on providing our customers
with a real South Dakota hunting
adventure with 100 percent wild
birds.! This is a true to life,
uncanned pheasant hunt.no pen

raised birds! Our 8000 private acres
of prime, South Dakota pheasant
habitat consists of CRP, food plots,
managed farm ground, cattail
slews, weedy draws and luscious
pasture.! With the wide variety of
habitat, we can accommodate large
and small groups.!Large numbers of
pheasants can be expected, with a
chance of harvesting an occasional
sharp tail grouse or prairie chicken.
We do provide the hunting dogs,
but you are more than welcome to
bring your own. When on our package, the only expense to you will be
your shells, license, and gratuity for
guides.
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
PHOTOS
Henry Decoy Show Sun. Feb. 14 8am-2pm
WITH
Largest 1-Day Decoy Show in the Country!
ASO!
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Jason Baldwin 312-316-7484 email: jasbebelle@comcast.net
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71
Is your pond ready for next season?

We can help!
72
NEW VMC
TUNGSTEN ICE JIGS
GET TO FISH FAST
Of the four tungsten ice jigs VMC is unveiling this
summer, one especially has ICE FORCE pro James Holst
wishing for winter the Tungsten Fly Jig.
Bluegills are just going to go gaga for this thing,
says Holst, intrepid host of In-Depth Outdoors on
the Fox Sports North Channel. VMCs taken the intricacies of hackle, fur and hair and paired them with an
ultra-compact tungsten jighead. Theres nothing else
like it on the ice.
When the snow finally flies, Holsts ice-fishing arsenal will also include VMCs new Tungsten Chandelier
Jig, Tungsten Nymph Jig and Tungsten Wax Tail Jig.
Capitalizing on the size-to-weight advantage of tungsten, each drops fast to keep a hot-bite on fire.
Because tungsten sinks much faster than lead,
even a tiny tungsten jig will get back down to biting
fish noticeably quicker than the standard lead-head
jig, Holst says. Theres always one guy in the group
who cant get his bait back to the bottom in time when
the bite is fast and furious. You dont want to be that
guy.
Intelligent hook design ensures lookers become
biters. VMCs exclusive Power Gap Hooks feature a
wider round gap than other micro-jigs of equal weight,
greatly increasing hook-up percentages. The hooks
on most other tungsten jigs are really, really small and
practically impossible to rig plastics on them, or the

type of live bait the fish want, Holst says.
VMC Tungsten Fly Jig
A perfect imitator of
natural flies and aquatic
insects, the Tungsten Fly Jig
delivers big results with a
small profile.
Weve had it in the water already, Holst says.
You can put down six, seven, eight baits and compare
the fishs reactions. Theyll often ignore a lot of the
run-of-the mill baits, but they see that Tungsten Fly
and they just go bat crazy. Weve seen a very, very
strong response to it.
A 90-degree hook eye ensures an optimal horizontal position of the jig, allowing ice anglers to convert
more hits into solid hooksets and lose fewer fish at the
hole.
Tungsten Fly Jigs come in three sizes: 1/64th,
1/32nd and 1/16th ounces. Theyre available in six
color patterns: Glow, Glow Chartreuse, Glow Pink,
Metallic Rainbow, Metallic Silver and Metallic Gold.
The Glow colors provide up to 15 minutes of continuous
charge.
Suggested retail price: $4.99.
VMC Tungsten Chandelier Jig
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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
The Tungsten Chandelier Jigs inversed conical head

delivers superior sonar returns, making it easier for
ice anglers to target their desired depth. Add a favorite
Trigger X plastic or live bait to the sticky-sharp VMC
Treble Hook and hold on.
Tungsten Chandelier Jigs come in three sizes:
1/16th, 1/8th and 3/16th of an ounce. Theyre available in eight colors:Glow, Green Orange Glow, Orange
Chartreuse Glow, Pink Chartreuse Glow, Glow
Chartreuse, Glow Red, Crappie Minnow and Mayfly. The
Glow colors provide up to 15 minutes of continuous
charge.
Suggested retail price: $3.99 - $5.99.
VMC Tungsten Nymph Jig
Pre-rigged with a Trigger X Nymph soft bait (also

sold separately) a Tungsten Nymph Jig resembles the
small aquatic insects that fish feed on year-round.
The Nymph works really well as a primary panfish
presentation and also as a finesse Walleye offering,
says ICE FORCE pro Joel Nelson, a regular on-camera
contributor on In-Depth Outdoors.
Tungsten Nymph Jigs come in two sizes: 1/32nd and
1/16th of an ounce. Theyre available in eight
colors:Glow, Green Orange Glow, Orange Chartreuse
Glow, Pink Chartreuse Glow, Glow Chartreuse, Glow
Red, Crappie Minnow and Mayfly. The Glow colors provide up to 15 minutes of continuous charge.
January 2016

VMC Tungsten Wax Tail Jig
Pre-rigged with Trigger X Wax Tail soft baits (also

sold separately), Tungsten Wax Tail Jigs are a deadly
combination for weedline-hugging Bluegill and openbasin Crappie.
Holst recommends slowly twitching a Tungsten Wax
Tail Jig in place when fish are in a finicky mood. The
subtle action will turn lookers into biters, he says.
Tungsten Wax Tail Jigs come in two sizes, 1/32nd
and 1/16th of an ounce, and are available in eight colors:Glow, Green Orange Glow, Orange Chartreuse
Glow, Pink Chartreuse Glow, Glow Chartreuse, Glow
Red, Crappie Minnow and Mayfly. The Glow colors provide up to 15 minutes of continuous charge.
Nelsons go-to Crappie combo is a Glow Red 1/32
oz. Wax Tail Jig rigged with a Bloodred Wax Tail soft
bait. I can consistently catch big Crappies with this
combination, he says. In fact, it often outperforms
a variety of live-bait offerings.
For more information on VMC Tungsten
Ice Jigs, visit www.ICEFORCE.com.
And, be sure to check out ICE FORCE on
Facebook atFacebook.com/ICEFORCEUSA
for the latest tips and t ricks to take your
ice fishing game to the next level.
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Route 122 East Delavan, IL 61734
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2005 Ford F250 Lariat Crewcab 4x4 Diesel ................$15,460
2005 Ford F350 King Ranch Crewcab 4x4 Diesel ........$12,500
2006 Ford F250 XL Regular Cab 4x4 Diesel ................$14,470
2006 Ford F250 XLT Crewcab 4x4 Diesel ....................$19,880
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LARGE INVENTORY OF LATE MODEL PRE-OWNED VEHICLES!
January 2016
NO SPECIAL
KNOTS
NEEDED FOR
LONG-CASTING,
SUPER-SENSITIVE
SUFIX
NANOBRAID
MINNETONKA, Minn. - A longcasting, super sensitive micro braid
that increases hook-up ratios,
works well in the wind and doesnt
require a special knot to tie? Yes
please!
Line
up
for
NANOBRAID, the new finesse
option from Sufix, makers of the
worlds most hardcore fishing line.
Sufix NANOBRAID delivers
about eight different advantages,
all working together, to make a
heck of a good line to fish when
youre using a finesse technique,
says James Holst, host of televisions In-Depth Outdoors. Its just
wickedly cool truly one-of-akind
Sufix NANOBRAID features an
ultra-thin diameter for extreme sensitivity and long casts without sacrificing strength. Made from 100
percent Dyneema fibers, it boasts
a uniform diameter, increased abrasion resistance and superior knot
and shock strength. Wide angle
braiding
technology
gives
NANOBRAID a tight weave,
resulting in a super strong, silky
smooth line.
Three times stronger than other
lines
in
the
category,
NANOBRAID is ridiculously thin

compared to similar test regular
braid, says Holst. The lines
small diameter makes for less wind
resistance, which helps anglers
more easily detect even the subtlest
nibble.
Whenever long casts are imperative, Holst throws nothing but
NANOBRAID. I get an additional
30 percent in distance on each cast
compared to a regular braid of a
similar pound test, he says.
A versatile option, anglers wont
need to learn any new tricks when
spooling on Sufix NANOBRAID,
according to Holst. Just about any
knot that you are used to using with
regular braid, you can use with
NANOBRAID, he says.
NANOBRAID is also excellent
for other finesse fishing techniques, including shaky-heading,
jig-worming and drop-shotting.
This revolutionary line comes in
Sufixs Aqua Camo color on 150yard spools and is available in 2, 3,
4, 6, 8 and 10-pound test.
Suggested retail price: $24.99
For more info. on Sufix fishing
line, visit www.Sufix.com.
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fax: 309-538-4279
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73
Congrats to Jim Glasgo of

Tremont, with an unofficial
score of 172.25. Shot on Friday
Nov. 20th at 11:15am in Bureau
County. This is the biggest
deer of my life and I will
probably not get a chance
at another one this size.!
Just a side note, this is
the first deer I have
ever gotten during
shotgun season
What a rush!
Jim thanks for
sharing your
trophy with ASO!
FREE PARKING!
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Interstate
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2301 W. Market
Rte. 9
Bloomington, IL
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74
HUNTIN
January 2016
DOGS
Welcome to the ASO Hunting Dog Section
Cold Weather
Care for
Bird Dogs
Cold weather can be harmful for
hardworking bird dogs. It can
affect their energy and immune
systems, making them prone to disease and injury. Winterizing kennels helps to reduce disease and the
risks of hypothermia, a dangerous
drop in body temperature, and
frostbite, the freezing of tissues
caused by exposure to very low
temperatures.
Both heated and unheated kennels should have adequate insulation. Kennel doors should be
closed at night, particularly when it
is cold and windy. Good ventilation, without excessive cross
drafts, will help keep air fresh.

Additionally, air should be
exhausted from the ceiling to the
floor to prevent warm air near the
ceiling from being pulled out.
Vents should be opened whenever
the outside temperature is warmer
than the inside temperature.
Inside shelter may be necessary
if temperatures become extremely
cold. A doghouse may not keep a
dog warm when subzero temperatures prevail, says Purina Senior
Manager
of
Sporting
Dog
Programs Karl Gunzer.! You also
want to keep a dogs coat dry in
this type of weather. A damp coat
drains body heat.
Outdoor doghouses should be
located where there is good
drainage and raised a few inches
off the ground to help keep out
moisture. The elevated area should
be shielded with boards to prevent
wind from gusting under the doghouse. A canvas flap could be
placed over the door of a doghouse, and an inside partition can

be used to help keep direct wind
off dogs.
Gunzer suggests building a doghouse designed with an entry
through a hallway to a second door
into the sleeping area to help keep
dogs warm. With a cover on the
outside door, this type of doghouse
goes a long way in keeping drafts
off a dog, he says. It also helps
to conserve heat.
Adequate heat and proper sanitation are important, too. Its best to
maintain a constant temperature
around 60 to 65 degrees
Fahrenheit. Good sanitation should
be practiced year-round, but a hose
may be impractical in winter due to
freezing water lines. Instead, a
scraper or shovel may be used to
remove waste from concrete runs.
Waste should be picked up daily.
The bottom line is to use common sense in caring for bird dogs
in winter. Although you cant
change the weather, you can be
sure your dogs are healthy and
comfortable.
Cold Weather Nutrition
Did you know that bird dogs
need 7 percent more calories for
every 10 degrees the temperature
drops below the moderate temperatures of spring and fall? In fact, the
caloric needs of an active dog in
winter could double. Feeding a
high-quality, complete and balanced canine diet year-round, such

as Purina Pro Plan SPORT
Performance 30/20 Formula, is recommended.
In winter, it helps to allow dogs
to gain a small amount of weight
for insulation and energy reserves;
however, it still is important to
maintain dogs in ideal body condition, defined as ribs palpable without excess fat covering. Dogs
should have ample water in winter
because of the metabolic changes
that take place and to help process
extra food. Be sure to keep dogs
water from freezing.
Vi s i t p r o p l a n . c o m / d o g s /
platforms/sport to learn more about
the Purina Pro Plan SPORT nutritional platform and how quality
nutrition is vital to the success of
hardworking bird dogs. Then, share
how Purina Pro Plan brand dog
food has been vital to your own
dogs success by leaving a review
at!proplan.com/reviews.!
English Pointers & English Setters
(Handle most pointing breeds.) ~ Specialize in Training ~
For Sale:
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Puppies
Bryan Camper
815-716-3597
302 Harmon Rd. Walnut, IL
dogcamp1@wmccinc.com
www.swiftrockkennel.com
January 2016
Stress Can Lead

to Digestive Upset
in Athletic Dogs
Owners of hardworking dogs know
that stress is a natural part of competition. The duration and intensity of
the activity, travel and exposure to
other dogs in a different environment
are all contributing factors.
Exercise is a natural stress that
challenges the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. In addition, a dog's GI tract is associated with a large
portion of the immune system. Here, specialized
cells help protect the body against invading organisms, such as pathogenic bacteria and viruses,
while recognizing beneficial bacteria.
Some athletic dogs may be prone to develop
digestive upset due to the stress of exercise during both training and field events.
When the digestive tract is inflamed, digestibility and absorption of nutrients are reduced,
potentially compromising your dogs performance.
Since 70 percent of the dogs immune system
is associated with the gut, an upset digestive tract
can result in reduced immunity, says Purina
Research Scientist Melinda Fleming, D.V.M.
When digestive tract inflammation and reduced
immunity occur, an imbalance of the intestinal
microflora can occur, resulting in digestive
upset.
Owners of dogs with digestive upset may notice
a decrease in stool quality and a reduction in both
energy levels and performance.
Other signs of digestive upset include the following:
Loss of appetite
Excess gas
Vomiting
Constipation
Loose stools
Lethargy
More serious conditions can result

from long-term digestive upset
including dehydration and weight
loss.
Skin problems may also be associated with digestive upset due to malabsorption of nutrients vital to maintain healthy
skin and a shiny coat.
Owners may notice a dry, dull coat or irritated,
flaky skin on their dog, Fleming says.
Dietary changes may improve digestion and
enhance coat quality. Owners should consult their
veterinarian if they have concerns about their
dogs diet. Veterinarians can help determine the
next step, which may include switching to a different food. Probiotics, such as Purina Veterinary
Diets FortiFlora, may also help maintain a normal
intestinal balance by increasing the number of
beneficial bacteria. FortiFlora also helps support a
healthy immune system.
The role of the GI tract as a bodys natural
defense system often is overlooked. Supporting
digestive health in your dog is a key to helping
ensure he performs in peak condition.
Salmon Is the No. 1 Ingredient in New Purina Pro
Plan SPORT Performance 30/20 Formula
Designed for athletic dogs that experience
digestive upset as a result of exercise stress,
Purina Pro Plan SPORT All Life Stages Performance
30/20 Salmon & Rice Formula features an alternative protein source.
Due to its digestibility, as well as the nutrients
it provides, salmon is an ideal protein source for
athletic dogs that may be more susceptible to the
stress of exercise and digestive upset, says Purina
Research Scientist Melinda Fleming, D.V.M.
Salmon contains omega-3 fatty acids, which
Lance Kennels, LLC
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.
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Programs
Offered:
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3 month program geared toward getting

your dog ready for hunting season.
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have powerful anti-inflammatory effects that can

be instrumental in helping calm an irritated gastrointestinal (GI) tract, she says.
Omega-6 fatty acids also play an important role
in skin health and coat quality.
Purina Pro Plan SPORT All Life Stages
Performance 30/20 Salmon & Rice Formula, with
its ratio of 30-percent protein and 20-percent
fat, helps fuel the metabolic needs of athletic dogs
and maintain lean muscle.
Formulated to provide complete and balanced
nutrition for the high-energy needs of canine athletes, its concentrated nutrition helps optimize
oxygen metabolism for increased endurance.
Purina Pro Plan SPORT All Life Stages
Performance 30/20 Salmon & Rice Formula also
offers these health benefits:
Natural sources of glucosamine and omega3 fatty acids to support joint health and mobility
Antioxidants to help nourish the immune
system
Amino acids to help sustain muscles,
including after exercise
FIND A LARGE VARIETY OF PURINA

PROPLAN AT ASO SPONSOR COUNTRY
PET & LIVESTOCK FEEDS IN
MACKINAW RIGHT OFF RT. 9.
75
Poem sent to ASO

by Dave Evans, MN Memories
PETS POINT OF VIEW
My life is likely to last 10-15 years. Any

separation from you will be painful for
me. Remember that before you get me.
Dont be angry with me for long, and
dont lock me up as punishment. You
have your work, entertainment and
friends. I only have you.
Talk to me sometimes. Even if I dont
understand your words, I understand
your voice.
Be aware that however you treat me,
Ill never forget.
Please dont hit me.
Before you scold me for being uncooperative, obstinate or lazy, ask yourself if something might be bothering
me. Perhaps Im not getting the right
foods, or Ive been out in the sun too
long, or my heart is getting old or weak.
Take care of me when I get old. You too
will grow old.
Go with me on difficult journeys. Never
say I cant bear to watch, or Let it
happen in my absence. Everything is
easier for me if you are there.
Remember.I LOVE YOU.
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76
January 2016
WATERFOWL 2015
ASO good friends & sponsors

Brad & Rick Severs, owners of
Farm King stores in Illinois & Iowa
FarmKing.com, had a great duck hunt
in December near Swan Lake National
Wildlife Refuge in Missouri!
January 2016
77
Above: Lynn Banta & Mike Baietto from Peoria with a nice bunch of
Mallards.!Thanks to ASO buddy Mike OBryan for sharing a great day in
the duck blind. Right: Mike OBryan after a great duck hunt. Missed his
dog Rocky a lot. He can help you find your own recreational property!
309-635-8901 CommercialPeoria.com
Retired Pro
baseball
player Mark
Clark of
Bath Illinois
and Bill Neale share a double
tail Bull Sprig. Beautiful
feathers on this duck!
Ducks.org Waterfowling Tip: Quick!Concealment

Heres a tip to hide the shine from your hands and face on your
next trip to the field. Burn 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. Find more great tips at: Ducks.org
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78
SNOW GOOSE
DESTINATIONS
Meet the migration head-on at
these five LGCOhotspots
By John Pollmann
The Light Goose Conservation Order
(LGCO) is an excellent opportunity to
extend the waterfowl season, but pinpointing this fast-paced migration can be a
daunting task. Ice, snow, and food supplies
dictate when and where millions of light
geese will migrate north in the spring, and
knowing where these conditions are available will lead you to the birds. Whether
freelancing or planning a guided trip, the
following destinations should be at the top
of any LGCO hunter's list.
Early Birds in Arkansas
Arkansas may be better known for flooded timber and mallards, but the Natural
State is also home to some of the nation's
best hunting for spring snow geese.

The action can be fast and furious as
soon as the LGCO opens in February, says
Eaglehead Outdoors guide and co-owner
Nick Posusta, as the eastern third of the
state serves as a wintering ground for massive concentrations of light geese.
"Arkansas has an abundance of quality
habitat that spreads the geese out over a
larger area compared to the concentrations
of birds you might see in Missouri or the
Dakotas," Posusta says. "This can actually
be a good thing, as the geese tend to feed
closer to the roost in smaller groups, which
allows us to deploy a smaller decoy spread
than what is typically used for spring
snows."
Scouting remains key for successful
hunts, Posusta says, and hunters must be
prepared to move with the birds.
"The birds have a tendency to move
quickly as the weather shifts, and a lot of
birds can move out with the right combination of wind and temperature," Posusta
says. "You have to stay on top of things,
and that takes a lot of time in the truck
scouting."
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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PH
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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
January 2016
Light Goose Conservation Order (LGCO)offer light geese

late-season!hunting opportunity.
Large flooded rice fields are a good place

to concentrate scouting efforts, Posusta
says, as the crop provides wintering snow
geese with the calories needed to boost
energy stores before heading north.
Snow geese will also utilize winter wheat
fields throughout the region, but concealing hunters in this type of cover can be a
challenge.
"In fields with very little cover, I almost
always use a field edge or a ditch to help
hide the blinds," Posusta says. "And in a
lot of cases, hunting a field edge will only
work when the wind is out of a certain
direction, so I wait to hunt those particular
fields until the weather conditions allow. If
you can, work with the weather to make
the most of the available cover."
Staging Snows in Northwest Missouri
The spectacle of the spring migration is
on full display when more than1 million
birds concentrate near a historical hotspot
like Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge

just outside Mound City.
"You watch the refuge counts, and all of
a sudden there are a million birds in one
place, and you think, 'I need to get up
there right now'," says veteran Missouri
snow goose guide Tony Vandemore.
"Huge concentrations of birds provide
great hunting opportunities, and when
things go right the tornado of birds spiraling down on your decoy spread can leave
you speechless. But truthfully, the hunting
is just getting started when the big numbers
arrive. Some of our best days of hunting
take place in the weeks after those big concentrations of adult birds have left the
area."
Motivated to return to the breeding
grounds as quickly as possible in order to
maximize a short nesting season, adult
snow geese are the first to push north in the
spring, but with many birds over 10 years
old in the flocks, they can be extremely dif-
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Early Birds in Arkansas. Photo by DU Member Paul Davis

ficult to hunt.
"Juvenile geese are on a much more
relaxed migration schedule, and they establish a pattern of roosting and feeding that is
much closer to what you'd see in the fall
with Canada geese or ducks," Vandemore
says. "There are still frustrating days, but
by and large those juvenile birds are much
easier to decoy. They are worth the wait."
Vandemore reminds hunters that it pays
to be patient throughout the course of a
day's hunt as well.
"You always need a guy or two out scouting in the afternoon, but don't be afraid to
keep hunting after lunch," Vandemore
says. "Birds that left southeast Missouri in
the morning are just getting up here by the
afternoon, and they're tired and hungry.
On those migration days, afternoon hunts
can be lights-out good."
Follow the Migration in South Dakota's
James River Valley
Come mid-March, when the spring
migration is typically at its peak, South

Dakota's James River Valley is often home
to the hottest snow goose hunting in the
Central Flyway. The valley's ample food
supply and tendency to thaw early make it
a historical migration corridor for light
geese.
That also makes this area a great place to
utilize a large spread of decoys,which can
be left in the field for several days, says
South Dakota snow goose hunter Ben
Fujan.
"The key is finding that stopping point,
that body of water where you know the
birds will be staging as they wait for the
line of snow and ice to recede before pushing farther north," he explains. "There are
some large wetlands and lakes that seem to
hold staging birds every year, which are
good places to start, but the migration can
shift each year. Scout to find that main
flight path, and find a field with good visibility and ample cover for hunter concealment. Then you've got a starting point for
at least a few days of hunting."
Fujan says that hunters may shoot some
birds that are coming off roosts to feed in
the morning, but the majority of the action
will come when migrating flocks begin
arriving from the south.
"A realistic spread is so important when
you're trying to decoy these migrating
birds," Fujan says. "When the migration is
79
in full swing, there are a lot of geese

around, so a big decoy spread with motion
decoys and e-callers placed around the
blinds are all necessary to create the look
and sounds you need to pull down flocks
migrating overhead. They're hungry and
want to eat, but they are still smart birds
that have seen it all. Realism is key."
Greater Snow Geese in the Atlantic Flyway
With a population hovering near 1 million birds, burgeoning greater snow goose
numbers also pose a threat to their fragile
Arctic breeding habitats. As a result, these
birds are the LGCO quarry of choice in the
Atlantic Flyway. As their name suggests,
greater snow geese are slightly larger than
lesser snows, but equally intelligent and
elusive, says veteran New York goose
hunter Mike Bard.
"You can use similar decoy spreads and
tactics for greater snows to what you use for
other light geese," Bard says. "Motion
decoys and electronic callers are especially
effective, but there are very few blue-phase
birds in the Atlantic Flyway, so our spreads
consist mainly of white decoys."
Scouting also plays a key role in his success, says Bard, who hunts greater snows
from Maryland's Eastern Shore up through
eastern Pennsylvania and New York, targeting birds in fields of harvested corn and
Contd. on next pg.
~ Spring Snow Goose Hunting ~
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80
Staging Snows in Northest Missouri.

Photo by Chris Jennings, Ducks Unlimited
SNOW Contd. from previous pg.

budding winter wheat.
"The main difference between the two
simply comes down to the volume of
birds," Bard explains. "There aren't as
many greater snow geese as there are lesser
snow geese, so you aren't going to see those
big tornados of birds swirling down on a
decoy spread. We tend to work smaller
groups of birds into the decoys and have
learned the hard way that we need to make
the most of our opportunities."
Bard's advice to anyone who plans to
make a trip to the Atlantic Flyway to hunt
greater snow geese is to consider hiring a
guide.
"Freelancing has grown increasingly
more difficult as the popularity of the
spring snow goose season has grown," he
says. "A guide has access to land, the time
to scout, and the equipment needed to
hunt these challenging birds, so it's often
worth the money to hire a guide if you're
traveling or only plan to hunt a few days a
year."
Last-Chance Light Geese in Saskatchewan
Spring snow goose hunting opportunities abound in Prairie Canada, including
the province of Saskatchewan, where
hunters have one final chance at the birds
before they return to their northern breeding grounds.
Spring snow goose hunting in Canada
can be a little different from what waterfowlers experience in the United States,
says Trevor Manteufel of Duck Creek
Outfitters.
"We don't run traffic on migrating birds
January 2016
as much. The birds get here, and they get

settled and start feeding hard," says
Manteufel, who hunts light geese from
mid-April through mid-May. "You're
scouting every day, looking for wheat, barley, oats, or pea fields that are holding
birds. It can be a lot of work, but staying
on top of the birds and their movements is
what you have to do."
By the time snow geese have reached
Canada, the birds have seen nearly every
trick in the book. Thinking outside the
box becomes necessary, Manteufel says, in
order to stay successful.
"We try small decoy spreads, no motion
decoys, extra motion decoys, little callinganything we can do to set our spread
apart from what they've seen and heard for
the past eight or nine months," he says.
Manteufel prefers to hunt geese on grain
fields in the Boreal Forest transition zone
on the northern edge of the prairie-parkland region. As the weather warms, flocks
of snow geese will leave this area and push
north, only to return south in another day
or two.
"My guess is that they are leaving to see
what the conditions are like up north, and
if there is still too much snow and ice they
come back," Manteufel says. "But when it
does come time for the birds to leave, they
leave. It is amazing. The energy of so many
birds in the area builds and builds and then
there is a dramatic change almost
overnight.
"You pack your things up and wait until
next year. Then we do it all over again."
Support Ducks Unlimited go to:
Ducks.org
Follow the Migration in South

Dakota's James River Valley.
Photo by Chris Jennings, DU
Greater snow geese in the

Atlantic Flyway. Photo by
Mike Checkett, Ducks Unlimited
January 2016
Congrats to Trevor Moore with his nice-n-heavy Mason County 10 pt.

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sharing it with ASO. Find Kim to get a great deal on a quality auto in
Pinckneyville at Moore Brothers of Southern Illinois! (Trevor is from
Bath & Kim is from Kilbourne. In the 80s they lived on Lake
Petersburg and became friends with Harry & Cathy Canterbury!)
81
Congrats to
Erick Davis
of Marion
on his
2015
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Beauty was
taken first
shot gun
season in
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County.
Thanks to
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82
14-year-old Hunter
Bags Ultra Rare
Black Whitetail Buck
by Daniel Xu,
OutdoorHub.com
An all-black whitetail deer is the

harvest of a lifetime, but for 14-yearold Brooke Bateman of Dallas, it was
just her first buck.
The young hunter bagged the
extremely rare animal while hunting
with her father Mike Bateman on a
Stephens County lease in Texas late
last month.!According to The Dallas
Morning News, at first the pair mistook the deer for an Angus calf. Upon
closer inspection, the Batemans!realized they were looking at a deer so
rare that many hunters never even
heard of it, much less seen one.
They were conflicted over whether
they should shoot it. There is no law
in Texas against the harvest of
melanistic black deer, and wildlife
officials do not especially encourage
hunters to leave the deer alone. Still,

Mike Bateman had to call a friend to
help him decide. As the deer neared
within 120 yards, he decided to have
his daughter take the shot.
It was nerve-racking, but I knew I
could do it, Brooke told The Dallas
Morning News. At first I was so
excited that I couldnt pull the trigger. Dad helped me calm down with
deep breaths. I found the deer in the
scope again, took a deep breath and
shot. The deer fell over backwards. It
was awesome. I love hunting with
my dad.
With that, the black buck was hers.
It was not entirely luck that led the
father and daughter to the black!deer,
though. Had the Batemans been
hunting anywhere else in North
America, their odds of running into a
black whitetail buck would have
been astronomically low. However,
central Texas has the highest population of black deer in the world.
The condition that makes the deer
black
in
color
is
called
melanism,! which can be! thought of
as the opposite of albinism. Whereas
albinism &
is the
completeParts
or partial
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adapted for
the condition!to blend
in
better
with dark
environments, such
black
as
panthers,
squirrels,
coral
and
snakes. It
may be the
same
for
whitetail
d e e r .
Researchers
in
Texas
believe that
the state has
an unusually
high number
of
black
d e e r
because the
animals all
come from a
drainage
with a lower amount of light due to
tree cover and, over time, adapted to
their environment.
Even though we have more
melanistic deer here than in the
whole world, researcher John
Baccus told the Texas Parks and
Wildlife Magazine in 2005, theyre
still extremely rare. Its the rarest of
the white-tailed deer, even rarer than
the big-antlered deer. I get the harvest records every year from the
Texas
Parks
and
Wildlife
Department, and generally, there are
fewer than five of these melanistic
deer that are harvested in any given
January 2016
year.
Generally, just one black deer is
harvested every year in Texas. It is
not known how many are bagged in
other parts of the country, but
researchers say it is possibly the least
seen deer in North America.
Albino deer occur roughly one in
30,000. Melanistic deer are even
rarer.
Its not bad for a first buck. Brooke
Bateman said her deer drew quite a
crowd when she brought it to the
locker plant in Breckinridge. Even
game wardens dropped by to get a
glimpse of!the strange deer.
January 2015
Officials Confirm
New Kentucky
State Record Elk
by Greg Kocher,
Herald-leader.com
After 15 years of entering Kentuckys

annual lottery to hunt elk, David Giles
was just happy to be picked.
The Lexington banker knew hed
bagged a pretty big animal on Oct. 3 in
Knott County. Just how big wasnt official until Monday, December 7, 2015
when it was confirmed that Giles now
holds the new state record for a nontypical bull elk.
My intent was to get one, but not
necessarily look for a record, Giles
said. I dont think either I or the guide
knew it was as big as it was.
The animal had the largest antlers of
any elk since they were restocked in the
state in the late 1990s. But it could not
be officially scored until after a 60-day
drying period.
The Giles trophy scored 3775/8 in the
Boone & Crockett Clubs scoring system, besting the previous record of
372! 6/8 for an elk shot in 2009 by
Terrell Royalty of Harrodsburg. That
animal also was taken in Knott County.
The score is the totaled measurements of the main beams, tines or
points, width and mass.
The non-typical designation means
the tines on the antlers werent symmetrical or werent in a typical location.
Giles animal had nine tines on one side
of its rack and eight on the other.
This year, 34,001 people submitted
70,349 applications to the state for the
See ASO-TV Sat.,

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WTVP, PBS Ch. 47
& on YouTube.com/
ASOMagazine.
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chance to hunt elk (an individual can

submit more than one application).
Each application costs $10. A random
drawing is then held to select the
hunters. More than 900 permits were
issued this year.
Giles, 64, oversees Whitaker Banks
operations in Fayette County. He has
hunted deer and turkey but never elk
until October. He shot the animal on private land with the help of outfitter and
guide Hurley Combs of Somerset.
Hed heard there was a fairly big elk in
there, Giles said.
He made the shot at 322 yards with a
.300 Win Mag rifle.
The adrenaline was there, but it all
happened so fast, there was no way you
could really get nervous about it, Giles
said.
Elk were native to Kentucky but disappeared in the 1840s because of unrestricted hunting and habitat loss. As part
of a restoration program, more than
1,500 elk from six Western states were
brought to Eastern Kentucky between
1997 and 2002.
The first state-bred elk calf was born
in 1999; the first elk quota hunt happened in 2001.
Kentucky now has a herd of perhaps
10,000 animals in 16 counties, Fish and
Wildlife Services spokesman Mark
Marraccini said.
Could Kentucky one day have a
world-record elk?
Absolutely. I expect it, Marraccini
said. It could be out there on the
ground right now, but we just dont
know it.
Kentuckys moderate climate, lack of
natural predators, nourishing habitat,
and the superior genetics of the animals
brought from the West all contribute to
good-sized elk in the

Bluegrass State, he said.
Hunting is a primary
tool used by professionals use to manage
wildlife populations,
Marraccini said.
We use the elk hunt
to manage the herd,
manage the number and
keep them at a level
where everybody prospers: the people who
enjoy watching them,
and the hunters who
enjoy hunting them.
Giles said a taxidermist plans to mount the
head on top of a
whiskey barrel.
He said he doesnt know how much
the bull weighed, but after field dressing and processing, he had 480 pounds
of meat to distribute to various relatives.
Ive got it in several freezers, Giles
said. I think weve got three kinds of
83
roast: pot roast, chuck roast, rump roast.

Weve got three kinds of steak: T-bone,
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of 1-pound bags of burger.
Hes already eaten some of the meat.
You wouldnt know this isnt beef.
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84
Controlling Coyotes to
Protect Deer Hunting: Part 1
by Bernie Barringer
Just about anyone who has hunted

long enough!has seen a coyote enter a
field and clear it of deer by its presence
alone. You may have noticed a deer
fleeing through the woods with a coyote
hot on its tail. These are all indicators
that coyotes have an impact not only on
deer populations but on deer hunting
itself. But just how bad is it?
In this first article!of a two-part series,
I will look at some studies that have
been done to illustrate how coyotes
affect deer populations. In part two, I
will offer some advice about what you
can do about it and how much affect
your efforts are likely to have.
Coyotes kill adult deer and they often
kill healthy bucks and does. Coyotes
hunt individually and in packs. When in
packs, theyre particularly dangerous
for adult deer. This is especially true
when other environmental conditions,
such as deep snow, can be used to their
advantage. In fact, a 2013 study of
moose mortality in Ontario showed that
coyotes were a significant predator for
moose, which are four times the size of
whitetails.
But where coyotes do their most
damage is during the fawning season.
There is a myth that newborn fawns do
not have an odor so predators cannot
find them. Bears find them, bobcats
find them, and wolves find them. But
coyotes are far and away the most lethal
predators when it comes to whitetail
fawns. There are many scientific studies
to back this up.
A study on an island off the coast of
Maine determined that 74 percent of the
fawns in one year were eaten by coy-
January 2016
otes. A Texas study showed a 72 percent

fawn mortality rate attributed to coyotes. A New Brunswick study showed
47 percent in one year. In more farming
country, the numbers were lower but
still significant; Iowa and Illinois studies showed mortality due to coyotes at
over 51 percent. A study in the northern
forest area of Minnesota showed that of
all the fawn mortality that was recorded, 49 percent were killed by coyotes
and 51 percent by wolves. Bear kills
were not recorded because normally the
remains of fawns eaten by bears are not
found.
If you have any doubts that coyotes
are putting the hurt on the deer population where you hunt, you can put those
doubts to rest. Coyotes are killing your
deer.
In order to determine whether! more
fawns could be produced by keeping
coyotes away, a large fence was erected
at a research facility in Georgia. This
10-year study involved the construction
of a fence around a 98-acre area that
provided good fawning habitat for
whitetails. The fence was four feet tall
and buried deep within the ground, preventing coyotes from going over or
under it. GPS collars on subject deer
showed that does quickly learned to go
into this coyote exclusion area to avoid
predation and have their fawns.
This study showed two predictable
results over 10 years. First, the number
of fawns that made it to reproductive
age significantly increased. Second,
hunting success also increased in and
near the exclusion area.
Not many of us could build a fourfoot high fence around our hunting
land, so we must resort to other options.
Killing coyotes is the most obvious, and
it is effective if done over time and consistently, but there are drawbacks.
Coyotes cover a lot of ground. Some
of them have huge home ranges and
they are opportunists at finding areas
with good game populations. You may
trap or shoot every single coyote from
your hunting property, but you will start
getting your neighbors coyotes as they
fill in the gaps.
One Georgia study revealed some
interesting results by removing coyotes
on two wildlife management areas, one
had a deer density of 55 deer per square
mile and the other had a density of 22
deer per square mile. Professional trappers removed 15 coyotes from the larger and nine coyotes from the smaller
one. Fawn survival increased at first but
then leveled right off.
How many coyotes do you need to
take and for how long? A South
January 2016
Carolina study provided some insight.

Hundreds of coyotes were killed on
three separate 8,000-acre areas. Fawn
survival went way up at first, but then
began to decline over the four-year
study. It seems the coyotes were finding
the area fertile ground with little competition, and moving in about as fast as
the trappers could catch them.
This might seem like a hopeless situation, but really its not. You can have an
impact even on small properties if you
control coyotes to the best of your ability and keep them controlled as long as
possible. Just stay after them and you
will save some fawns, even if you cannot save them all. Get your neighbors
involved and it will be even more effective.
Fur prices on good-quality coyote
pelts are not bad right now, so the incentive to trap and shoot them during the
winter is there, but control must be a
year-round effort.
In part two of this series I will offer
some advice on getting started in coyote
control through trapping, snaring, and
predator calling.
Follow Bernies
bowhunting adventures
on his blog,!
BowHuntingRoad.com.
The Hunting
Lease Network
A Hunters
Dream
An affordable way to find
prime hunting land when
you don't have your own.
In this day and age, when knocking on a
farmers door and getting permission to
deer hunt is becoming more and more difficult, those of us who dont have a family
farm or secret offshore bank account wonder how we can make it happen. I had
almost given up hope myself until a decade
ago, when my friend John Brown invited
me hunting on a farm in southeastern
Illinois.
Its a new lease I have, Brown said. I
think youll love it.
I have known John a long time. Hes one
of the countrys best hunting videographers
and currently the executive producer at the
National Wild Turkey Federation. I knew
to trust him and he was right. The property was outstanding, and though we didnt
punch my tag we had a 9-pointer within 40 yards, but couldnt coordinate the
camera and bow so no shot was taken I
knew John was on to something.
That something is the Hunting Lease
Network (HLN).
HLN is an internet-based
service for landowners and
hunters that makes it easy to
find quality, affordable land
for hunting and other outdoor
pursuits. The goal of this unique system is
to arrive at a fair hunting lease arrangement. Landowners contact HLN to inspect
their property and if the property meets
HLNs criteria for a good hunting lease
they post the property on their website
along with quality aerial maps, property
photos and other property details. If you
find a hunting lease you like you can submit a bid to lease the property, starting at a
minimum set by the landowner. Added to
this minimum bid is the cost of a $1 million liability insurance policy covering the
landowner, anyone named on the lease and
their guests. Its that simple. There are no
hidden fees, no cost for the public to register, view property information or to submit a bid.
HLN has created almost a hundred franchise territories, breaking some states into
multiple territories due to population and
size, the amount of private land available
and how much money is spent on hunting
and fishing. The landowner pays a $100
fee per property they list on the website.
The first year is always a one-year lease.
The program designed it that way to make
85
sure the landowner, lessee and HLN are all

on the same page. After that, if you desire,
HLN can help you set up a long-term lease.
Once you secure a lease, you have the right
of first refusal when the lease comes up for
renewal. However, anyone can bid on the
property. If your lease is up and another
party comes in and bids more money for it,
you can match that bid and keep the lease.
Also, when a lessee signs up with HLN, the
landowner agrees the lessees group will
have the exclusive rights to hunt the property. Exceptions to this are listed in detail
in the description to the property on the
website: NationalHuntingLeases.com
As of Dec. 2015, HLN has 807 available
properties located in 21 states all in
prime whitetail country. HLN has great
deer hunting leases, as well as some leases
for elk, turkey, waterfowl, pheasant,
upland game and small game hunting.
While costs vary, the average annual cost of
a lease is between $2,500 and $3,500 a
year.
This past November, Brown and I hunted a new HLN lease in Illinois. As you can
see from the accompanying photo, it
turned out pretty well you should have
seen the one that got away! In fact, you will
be able to see it on a 2016 episode of
NWTFs NWTF 365 on Pursuit Channel.
You think we renewed this lease?
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86
The Trumpet Call
Swaney, a very special

Washington Trumpeter Swan.
By Margaret Smith,
Executive Director,
The Trumpeter Swan Society
A beautiful young swan named
Swaney left her home in eastern
Washington in early November to spend
her winter with more than 200 other
trumpeter swans in Idaho. She was flying (migrating) to Harriman State Park,
just outside Yellowstone National Park.
Trumpeter swans come from all over to
spend the winter there.
Coming to Harriman State Park for the
winter are swans from Alberta and
Saskatchewan, Canada, who fly down to
the United States; swans who live year
round in the Yellowstone area; and some
swans from Washington. Harriman
State Park has been a favorite place for
trumpeter swans to spend winters for
many years. It has open water except
when it gets very cold below zero. There
is lots of food in the river mud, and it is
safe from things that might hurt swans
like lead fishing sinkers or overhead
powerlines.
Swaney is now a very young swan
teenager,
between
12-15 years
old
in
h u m a n
years. This
is her second winter. Last
winter, her
first ever,
she stayed
with her
parents,
and her sister
and
brother
who hatched at the same time she did.
Swans less than a year old are called
cygnets (pronounced sig-nets). They
have gray feathers from the time they are
born through their first winter. Once
swans get through their first winter, they
begin to grow pure white feathers.
Swaney is now about a year and a half
old. Her feathers are now all white. She
looks gorgeous.
Swaney and her sister and brother
hatched over a year ago, in June, 2014.
She spent her first summer staying very
close to her parents who kept her safe.
She ate insects for her first month or two
for protein. Her neck was much too
January 2016
Swaney drawing
by Emma Smith
short
to
reach way
down into
the mud of
the marsh to
pull
up
plant roots
and tubers.
But
t h r e e
months
later,
in
September,
she and her
sister and
brother were
almost as
big as their parents! My goodness, they
grew fast. By September last year, she
was able to use her long neck and pull up
plant roots from the bottom of the
marsh in eastern Washington where they
lived. She could really eat a lot and grow
quickly.
Something else very important happened a year ago when she was three
months old. Swaney, her sister, and her
brother began to learn how to fly. It
would have been a lot of fun to see their
first flights. People who have watched
the first flights of cygnets excitedly talk
about cool it is to watch, and how they
cheer for the cygnets to find their
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wings. It takes a long time before the

young swans fly really well. They are
awkward fliers through their first winter.
Everything is new for them. This is a
dangerous time for young swans because
they might fly into things they dont
know are dangerous, like overhead powerlines. Sometimes they might hit a car,
or even a house roof. But fortunately for
Swaney when she was learning how to
fly, her family lived in an area where
there were not a lot of people or roads.
Did you know trumpeter swans spend
their winter in a different place than
where they spend their summer? They
go back to the same place each winter if
it is still safe, with open water, and has
food. Some trumpeter swans fly thousands of miles, while others fly less than
one hundred miles to find their favorite
spot to spend the winter. It doesnt matter where in North America they livetrumpeter swans spend their winters in
places different from where they spend
their summers.
No matter where they live, trumpeter
swans all begin to leave for their wintering grounds in late October through mid
to late November. This is the time of
the great migrations of many birds,
including trumpeter and tundra swans,
the only two swans of North America.
Last winter, Swaney and her family
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January 2016
Harriman State Park Henrys Fork River in Idaho.

Photo by Margaret Smith
flew a very long way over mountains to the

east. They stopped at marshes and rivers
along the way to rest and to feed. It took
them a few weeks to reach Idaho, and when
they got there, all the young swans were pretty tired. When they reached Harriman State
Park they could rest, and feed, and meet
other swans. (Here is where Swaney and her
family spend the winter. This is the Henrys
Fork River in Harriman State Park. This is
where more than 200 trumpeter swans come
each winter, and it is a beautiful and lively
place to be! They will relax on the island,
look for food in the river, and sometimes fly
to nearby areas to find food too.)
When Swaney and her sister and brother
were little during their first summer, their
parents were very territorial- they were
very protective of their young cygnets. They
would even drive away other trumpeter
swans so their cygnets had enough to eat.
In wintertime, it is different. Trumpeter
swans are not very territorial at all. Winter is
almost a party time for swans. They stay in
family groups, but different groups get
together as well. There are lots of single
swans who are older than one year and less
than four years old. This winter, Swaney is
one of the single swans.
Why are they out on their own and single?
Earlier this year, around April, when Swaney
and her sister and brother were getting close
to their first birthday, they were forced to
leave their parents and find their own place

to live. Their parents wanted to start another family.
It was scary for these young swan siblings
not to have their parents around. This was a
dangerous time for Swaney and her sister and
brother, because now they had to find their
own food and they had to learn what might
be dangerous. Swaneys brother left his sisters this past summer while Swaney and her
sister stayed together. Luckily, they all stayed
safe and healthy through this past summer.
So now Swaney is spending her second
winter in Harriman State Park in Idaho. She
knows how to fly very well and migrated in
November to Idaho with her sister. She will
see her parents and brother again on the
Henrys Fork River in Harriman State Park,
but her parents will be with their new
cygnets that hatched this past summer.
Swaney enjoys being with all the other
swans. They make a great commotion
splashing each other in the Henrys Fork
River at Harriman State Park, flying in like
jumbo jets from other areas where they also
find food, and chasing each other for fun.
Next year or the year after, Swaney will be
old enough to find a mate and start a family
of her own. But for now, she is having lots of
fun being with other swans from so many
other places.
The End.
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88
IN SEARCH OF
A TROPHY
By Dan Gapen Sr.
To my right they came. Dozens, upon

dozens small ones, yearlings, immature males
and sad-eyed cows. There mixed in the center of the herd were a couple of trophy bulls.
Trophies, that is, if only theyd clear themselves from the herd. Several times the crosshairs of my .270 rested, then eased off their
necks. Pulling the trigger might see my 150grain bullet pass through the bulls neck and
take down the animal behind him. Not
worth it! Id wait. There were two days left to
hunt. Plenty of time to collect the mountable
caribou I was after.
Bobber Anne and I had come to Lake
Monroe, along with Dennis Maksymetz
tourist promotion manager for the Canadian
Province of Manitoba. Wed arrived two days
previously. Anne had already collected her
animal as had Dennis. Id come along to

video tape the hunt for our TV show Fishing
and Hunting the World with the Ol Man
and Bobber Anne. Once those two had
filled their tags, Anne took over the camera
and Id hunt.
Monroe lies in the North eastern corner of
Manitoba and sees the migration of the territorys Bathurst Herd.
The Beverly herd which migrates into
northwestern Manitoba and eastern
Saskatchewan carries an annual count of nearly a million animals while the Qamanirjuaq
numbers about 250,000 thousand. Unlike
Quebec who allows two animals to the
hunter, these western provinces allow only
one. Therefore, with no allowance given to
harvest a smaller animal first - the largest trophy you can find to begin with is a necessity.
Id hunted caribou before in the Territories
as well as having done a great deal of photography on them. Unlike a whitetail deer or an
antelope, the caribou is a rather stupid beast,
has poor eyesight like a moose and can be
January 2016
tricked into approaching the

Dan's trophy
gunner by merely waving a rack on an ugly
white handkerchief on the end bull shot at 600
of your gun barrel or fishing
plus yards
rod. Ive actually flagged a
couple big bulls on the Kazan
River to come within a hundred feet of me after first starting their approach a quarter of
a mile away.
Day two saw my turn arrive
and from the looks of the
number of animals migrating
into our area a goodly number
of trophies must have arrived.
very respectable animal lagging behind 50
At this point I must tell my readers of the
yards or so. Was this my trophy? Hesitating,
big bull retreat back to the calving grounds
I noted that two of the points on the right
each fall. This occurrence takes place soon
palm were missing. Hed won but not withafter their southward migration begins. The
out some scars for his victory. Obviously I
largest caribou bulls, the breeders, will begin
passed on the shot.
migration with the herd of cows, calves and
Then, far to my left, Anne was waving.
immature bulls, but three to seven days into
Out a hundred yards or so came four bulls, all
the migration they turn back and return to
magnificent animals. With binoculars on, I
where it began. Here, along with all those
noted two of them to be particularly good.
bulls planning to mate during the next two
The high antlers and overhead palms were
months battle for dominance and the right to
fully grown out. I looked back at Anne who
breed. Often 10 to 20 percent of these end up
now had become more insistent with her wavwith battle scars bad enough that life ends
ing as she raised two fingers presumably to
here, as the losers end up as wolf food. The
indicate I should take bull number two.
victors now head south to join the herd.
Glasses back on no. two I noticed its back hair
As I viewed the 500-plus animals passing
appeared graying and mature, but his racks
by I noted two bulls which had obviously
were huge. Once again Anne indicated I
been involved in the bull battle, one of them a
should come her way. By now, our guide had
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January 2016
joined her and he too was reacting in a similar

manner.
If I shot from where I was now standing the
distance would be about 500 yards to the animals. Not a sure shot but not an impossible
one either. Id made longer shots on antelope
with my .270.
Working around, there wasnt a solid rest
on which to rest the rifle. Maybe by lying
down and resting the rifle stock on that two
foot diameter boulder the shot could be
made?
By now the four caribou had traversed up
onto a rocky mount to increase their distance
by fifty yards. Its now, or never!
Having sighted in the rifle with 150-grain
Noslers for 250 yards horizontal crosshairs
was on the animals back. That would allow
a drop of about ten inches to engage the heart.
With the crack of my rifle shot, nothing
happened. Anne went frantic with her hand
gestures indicating the shot went under the
animal. This distance must have been greater
than guessed. Sighting for shot two was held
ten inches above the shoulder. Once again no
indication of a hit.
Dennis & Anne show off a

bonus of a caribou trip...
Anne with her caribou trophy

rack ready to mount.
Often when guessing distances in open
country the gunner underestimates the true
distance and is easily fooled by 100 yards or
more. This is where a range- finder comes in
handy. In this case with the bull caribou Id
guessed 163 yards short. Actual distance from
where I fired to where the animal dropped was
683 paces or about 663 yards. Had it not
been for the 150-grain Nosler bullet,
a chunk of lead which carries a heavy
striking impact the bull may have
been wounded and run off. A 130grain style shell may have been too
light to strike with a heavy enough
impact at this distance.
Shot three sounded and the bull
like took two steps forward and collapsed stone dead. When inspection
was done on the carcass the bullets
impacted two inches apart, both
penetrating the heart. My trophy
had been dead on his feet with shot
two. Like I said before, caribou are
a rather stupid beast. They dont
even know when theyre dead.
As Id noticed the bull had a very
ragged, scrappy coat, was still in velvet but had a very respectable rack.
It now hangs on my daughter
Debbies stone fireplace in her log
home. A trophy much too big to
hang in my small cabin home on
the Ol forty. Instead of a full head
mound I decided to have the horns
done in a European mount.
So my fellow big game hunters Contd. on next pg.
Anne with her trophy
89
90
TROPHY
if its a trophy youre after remember to take

along a range finder and a good pair of binoculars. Not only will it save you the embarrassment of a first shot miss but they may help in
judging the size and quality of the animals.
By the way - my bull wasnt as big as either
Anne or our guide indicated even though they
were 500 fewer yards away than I was.
However, it was larger than Anne or Denniss.
A couple more tips for any caribou hunt
you may be planning. Dont forget to place a
small shotgun such as a .410 or 20 gauge in

your rifle case. Ptarmigan are always found
around any caribou outpost camp you may
book. Besides a shotgun, a fishing rod may
come in handy as well, as Annes 40-pound
Monroe lake trout shows. With two days left
January 2016
to our trip, fishing and ptarmigan hunting

was all we had left to do.
Until next time this is the Ol Man Dan
Gapen Sr. hoping you, Relax, Savor, and
Enjoy our Great Outdoors. Its yours to save
for future generations.
Only floatplanes can get you to tundra trophies
In open tundra binoculars

are necessary equipment
Bonus of a caribou trip

always carry along a
light gauge shotgun
Don't forget fishing

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January 2016
Missouri Hunter Kills

Massive Antlered Doe
Curtis Russell got the surprise of

his life when he bagged a 22-point
whitetail doe.
Curt Russell was just trying to
score the biggest buck in!his 26 years
of hunting. What he got was something else entirely.
Russells November hunt started
with frustration, when his attempt at
killing a 22-point whitetail began
with a disrupted shot from a nosey
predator.
I saw it in a field with a group of
six other deer, but a coyote came in
and busted me all the deer blew
out, he told the Springfield (Mo.)
News-Leader.
Russell, 32, was motivated to find
the trophy buck when he came back
the next day. It was 20 minutes before
sunset when he spotted the whitetail
amongst a group of does and one
small buck.
I did a 50-yard belly crawl to cut
the distance and got to within 175
yards, Russell said. I was using a
Remington 700 .30-06, and when I
took the shot it was a clean hit. It was
dead before it hit the ground.
The prized kill was a story in itself,
but nothing could prepare Russell for
the biggest surprise of a lifetime: The
22-point buck was actually a doe with
antlers.
It took me a minute looking at all
the tell-tale signs, but it was missing
male genitalia, Russell said. Its
face wasnt like a bucks, it was real
petite, and she had a great deal of fat
on her. Ive taken a lot of deer but this
had the biggest set of antlers,
indeed.
Emily Flinn, a deer biologist with
the Missouri Department of
Conservation, confirmed a doe with
antlers was definitely very rare.
Each year Missouri

hunters take 250,000 to
300,000 deer and we only
get a handful of antlered
does reported to me, Flinn
said.
Most of the does have
small horns, typically covered permanently in velvet.
Russells deer had thick
antlers that had been
rubbed enough to remove
nearly all the velvet.
Antlered does occur
because of a hormone
imbalance that causes higher levels of testosterone,
causing antlers to grow. Some antlered
does are hermaphrodites. Flinn said
both conditions are very rare.
Russell said he sent his deer to a
local taxidermist, but because of its
rarity and size of antlers, it might land
in a whitetail museum. If not, Russell

will add it to his personal collection
at his home in Billings.
Ive got bucks on the wall, but this
would be the first doe with antlers,
he said.
Marcie & Bill Morgan's

6 year old granddaughter
Macy Dillion, got her
1st deer ever on Bills
property Nov. 19, 2015.
She brought it down
with a .223 cal rifle
without her dad's help!
Way to go Macy!
You are truly an
Outdoor Girl
Congratulations!
91
92
HIGGYS STAND
By Don Higgins
IDNR Losing Credibility

with Hunters
With the second firearms season

now over, IDNR has released the
total firearms season harvest numbers and hunters have had time to
react. Firearms deer hunters killed
86,771 deer, an increase of more
than 10,000 from the 2014 total of
76,575. I could not find a breakdown for bucks versus does.
The big question on many
hunters minds is does this increase
in harvest signal an increase in
population or have Illinois hunters
simply taken more deer from a
shrinking deer herd? We all have
our opinions on the status of the
Illinois deer herd based largely on
our own very limited observations
made within a very small part of
the overall state. If you happen to
hunt in an area where the deer herd
is in good shape your opinions

reflect such and if you live and
hunt in one of the
areas where the
herd has clearly
been decimated,
then your opinion
will be quite the
o p p o s i t e .
Essentially, both
are
opinions
right
even
though they conflict.
My displeasure
with IDNR deer
management has
been well documented in my past writings. As a
concerned Illinois hunter and conservationist I became involved
with the political process involving
the management of our deer herd
more than 20 years ago. Earlier
this year I decided my time could
be better spent on other things.
That does not mean that I will quit
voicing my opinions in articles like
this, just that I have no plans to

make more trips to Springfield to
meet with folks who have the ability but not the desire to make
things better.
Believe it or not, I am now just a
little bit slower to speak on these
issues while trying to be more
observant of what others are saying
and with what is happening in
other areas across the state. I
believe I am as well tuned in to the
whitetail herd in my area as anyone
but that certainly does not mean I
am well-versed with the condition
of the deer herd across all areas of
Illinois. I clearly realize that in
some locations the deer herd is in
good shape but I am also absolutely certain that the deer herd in my
local area is now significantly less
than half of what it was in 2011.
When I heard that the gun harvest totals from this season showed
an increase of more than 10,000
deer I decided to keep my personal
opinions to myself and just listen
to what others were saying about
it. I expected an increase in harvest
numbers long before opening day,
not because we now have a bigger
deer herd but because I have
watched the Illinois political
process at work within IDNR.
Even if in reality hunters only
killed a dozen deer across the
entire state, I knew that IDNR biologist Paul Shelton would not allow
another drop in deer harvest numbers.
Some may call me a conspiracy
theorist but I have seen firsthand
the ploys used by the Shelton gang
in the past. I have also seen folks
January 2016
smarter than me use IDNRs own

figures to make them look like
incompetent liars. I have also seen
the multiple IDNR surveys
which were either carefully worded to influence the final results or
whose results were never released
to the public because they didnt fit
the agenda. Lets not forget, we are
talking about Illinois politics here,
the most corrupt in the country.
Through both personal conversations and social media, I have been
letting others dictate the direction
of the conversation in regards to
the status of the Illinois deer herd.
I wanted to get a true feel regarding what others think without my
guiding the conversations towards
my own opinions. Clearly Illinois
deer hunters as a whole have lost
respect for IDNR deer management policies and in fact no longer
trust IDNR data or press releases.
The public perception of IDNR
almost mirrors the way people
have lost respect and trust of the
Federal government. Illinois deer
hunters believe what they hear
from IDNR on the matter of deer
management about as much as
good ole country boys believe
what Obama tells us about
Muslims and gun control. There
are motives on both accounts that
the general public clearly sees but
dont yet fully understand.
A perfect example of what I am
talking about is reflected in a
recent post on social media. That
post had 23 comments and of those
23 comments, only 2 came from
people who seemed to be buying
into the IDNR mantra of a stable
January 2016
deer herd. Most of the other comments were negative towards

IDNR. Some even questioned the
integrity of IDNRs harvest numbers with one person flat out calling them liars.
Comments from face to face conversations with other hunters are
even more revealing of the distrust
that a growing legion of Illinois
deer hunters have for the agency in
charge of managing the resource.
Here are some comments I heard
this fall from other Illinois deer
hunters
I see where the gun harvest was up
and I find that tough to believe
because I was outside during the
entire season and heard very few
shots. All the deer in Shelby
County must have been shot on the
other side of the county because
even if every shot I heard resulted
in a dead deer, the harvest would be
WAY down!
There is less than 10% the number of deer in this area compared to
what was here a few years ago.
I dont know what is going on
with DNR or why they would fudge
the numbers but there is no way
those harvest numbers are accurate.
No way possible!
Comments like these were not

common just two or three years
ago. Oh you would hear it occasionally from those hunters who
were well tuned in to the deer herd
in their area but the average hunter
believed whatever the DNR told
them. Those days are over. The
Illinois deer herd has sunk so low
that even non-hunters can easily
see the difference from what once
was and what they are seeing firsthand goes against everything
IDNR says.
The point of this article is not to
challenge the validity of deer harvest numbers. They may be accurate for all I know. The point is the
lack of credibility that IDNR now
has with Illinois deer hunters. It is
a situation that is trending in the
wrong direction.
IDNR Director Rosenthal may
not want to hear it but the public
opinion of IDNR amongst the
states deer hunters has fallen even
under his short watch. He came in
on a very short leash with the states
deer hunters. He had a chance to
come in and win over everyone by
making significant changes out of
the gate but instead punted to Paul
Shelton, the poster child for poor
deer management. He did this

knowing full well that Shelton
already had a 20+ year tenure to
get things right and instead
destroyed the Illinois deer herd.
Rosenthal came in earlier this
year with the renewed hope of
Illinois deer hunters in his hands.
Now, less than a year later many
have already written him off as
nothing more than another uncaring politician simply appointed to a
job as a political favor that will
increase his pension. The clock is
ticking very fast for both Rosenthal
and Governor Rauner with Illinois
deer hunters who went to the polls
in 2014 to help elect Rauner on the
hopes that he would appoint a
director that would get rid of
Shelton and turn around a failing
deer management program. Rauner
even met with leaders of Illinois
Whitetail Alliance while on the
campaign trail and promised major
changes.
The incompetence of Shelton and
unwillingness to do anything about
it by Rosenthal has caught the
attention of more than just the
states deer hunters. At a recent
meeting of the Natural Resources
Advisory Board (NRAB) in which
93
both Rosenthal and Shelton were

present, board members grilled the
pair on deer management issues.
As one observer shared with me,
They were eaten alive and could
not have looked any more incompetent.
Another year of Shelton running
amuck with the states deer herd
will forever seal the legacy of both
Governor Rauner and Director
Rosenthal amongst the states deer
hunters. Rosenthals place in
infamy will be right beside former
DNR Director Marc Millers. Both
are men who claimed to be deer
hunters and could have quickly and
easily won the hearts, respect and
admiration of the states deer hunting community. Instead they blindly gave the reins to Shelton who
has demonstrated time after time
that he hasnt a clue.
As for Governor Rauner, if he
thinks the states deer hunters are
going to be there for him in 2018,
he better start making some major
noise at One Natural Resources
Way in Springfield and he better
get started before another hunting
season passes.
HigginsOutdoors.com
94
TWO BUCKS
ONE STAND
January 2016
by Bob Cowman
We put a lot of thought and

preparation into harvesting a big
game animal. Camo, boots, rifles,
bows, food plots, treestandsthe
list goes on and on. But you also
have to prepare and gear up for the
post-harvest. As the old saying
goes,! the real work starts after the
trigger is pulled.
In the late afternoon of
November 13th, I went out for a
bow hunt. The weather was typical
for November in the Midwest. It
was about thirty-two degrees and
overcast with a light south wind. I had only hunted from the tripod stand
one other time this fall. I heard from my partner, Mike Roux, that he
encountered several does there the week before. This farm, is well scouted. We have trail cameras set up around the farm and plenty of glassing
occurs strategically during pre- season along with ample trips into the
field to identify deer patterns.
The stand I was headed to is sandwiched in the middle of some saplings
and a marsh with bean fields on both sides. As I walked into the area I
saw deer sign everywhere. It was exciting to enter an area that had seen
no pressure and know that a tripod stand sat in the middle of all the
action. I got in and set up around 3 oclock.
It had been there only a few minutes when a big 8-pointer came out into
the bean field. He seemed to be on a mission. He walked the length of the
300-yard field without stopping. About 30-minutes later a fork-horn
came out from where the 8-pointer had exited. This deer stayed in the
field to feed. He eventually meandered off into the marsh.
There were about 20-minutes left before shooting hours would be over
when two deer entered the bean field. Only after I glassed them did I realize that they were both bucks. They browsed for what seemed to be an
eternity. I checked my phone for the time at least 20 times in a 10-minute
period. They began to move my way with just 5-minutes left to shoot. The
first buck took a path that was about 50-yards away from me remember
this for later in the story. He was a tall 8-pointer and a deer that we had
caught on one of our trail cameras earlier in the fall.
The second buck crossed the same shooting lane, but much closer than
the other buck. I drew and with two minutes left to shoot I let my arrow
fly. I hit him in the spine and he went down instantly and silently. I sat in
the tripod for about 20-minutes to let things settle down. When I got out
of my stand and walked over, I found him to be a 10-pointer.
As I was standing over the deer, I heard the noise of leaves rustling. I
could not believe what I was seeing! The 8-pointer walked right up on me
just 5-yards away. He stood for a couple of seconds before running off.
Shot gun season opened a week later. It was a special for two reasons.
I was going to be hunting with two very dear friends. Mike Roux who is
my hunting mentor, joined me on the hunt. He was on the hunt for the
monster of the farm so he went his way and I went back to where I had
went the week before for archery season.
Mike was well aware of the potential of this farm. With the assistance
of a couple of well-placed trail cameras we were able to identify no less
than twelve different bucks on this Mississippi river bottom property.
This farm is nestled right up beside the Mississippi River on one border
and literally thousands of acres of the richest farmland in the United
States on the other border. Big bucks are drawn to properties like this
one.
January 2016
The other special person that I

was able to hunt with was the
land owner, John Caldwell. He
has been such a great friend to me
through the years. Few people
have access to this kind of property on which to hunt. John and I
hunted in the same area where we
had put the trail cameras, so we
knew that we were in their bedroom.
John and I got to our spots
about a half-hour before shooting
hours. I was in the stand for 5minutes when I saw a deer come
out of the marsh headed through
the saplings toward the bean
field. I was excited to already be
in the action.
As the sun began to rise 3 bucks
were visible and in the bean field.
I glassed each one of them. I saw
a smaller button buck, a full-bodied 8-pointer, and a second taller
8-point. They were having a
feast. The cold front that had
been hanging on in the
area for the better part of
a week was making these
boys
hungry.
They
stayed in the field for a
half-hour.
Eventually
they began to make their
way to the marsh from
the bean field.
The bigger 8-pointer
took a path away from
me, while the tall 8pointer took the exact
same path he had taken
only one week earlier
when I was bow hunting.
He came into my shooting lane at 50-yards. I
took the shot and nailed
him in the chest. I could
not believe it. Two bucks
in one week from the
same stand, and in the
same shooting lane! It
was a thrill to celebrate
with my dear friends that
have given me the
opportunity of a life time
in buck paradise.
Two bucks. A 10pointer and an 8-pointer
taken from the same
stand and in the same
spot in one week! Yep, I
would not have believed
it if it were someone
elses story. I am glad
that its mine! I am still
pinching myself as I
write.
PEACE
ON EARTH!
The River.
The Boat.
The Rod.
The Reel.
The Fisherman!
Photo by Bruce Brown.
95
96
RED STOCKING
MEMORIES
with Norm & Bruce
Bruce and I went on an early

Christmas Odyssey to see what Santa
was up to down at the Peoria Civic
Center. Last month I wrote a story
about the history of the Red Stocking
Fund, so no need for me to tell that
story again. But this trip was a bit
different because it was in 1937 when
I first received my first Red Stocking
from old Santa Claus himself and
here I was back in 2015 enjoying it
all over again.
Funny, when reviewing the numbers it seems that way back then the
crowd of kids grew to just about
1,300. The folks at the Salvation
Army told me that was about the
number that got an early Christmas
gift there at the Civic Center. The
volunteers that put this together, from
the folks at the Journal Star to the
Salvation Army Auxiliary are the
most dedicated people I have seen in
a long time.
The kids were very well behaved
and believe me it was not that way

when I was a bratty five-year old. In
fact it was downright quiet compared
to the rowdy bunch I was part of.
They had popcorn and pizza donated
to them and I even got to hold an
orange and a Red Stocking.
I was delighted to see that the Red
Stocking is again playing a part in the
gala activities meant to bring a big
smile to a little kid. It was heart
warming for Bruce as he snapped
away at those cute kids. His great
photos really tell the story. The
orange and the apple played a big
part in the festivities and as you can
see they gave me one as well.
My huge personal disappointment
was the lack of a Christmas Tree. I
was told they simply forgot about the
tree. Butthe kids did not seem to
mind. After all they had Mr. and Mrs.
Claus, some clowns and good things
to eat. Heythat all sounds pretty
good to me.
Merry Christmas to the readers of
ASO, and especially Cathy and Harry
who work so hard all year to bring
ASO Magazine to us each month!
January 2016
4
3
Photos by Bruce Brown
#1) Grandma's hand, a cookie, a Christmas dress-let the Party Begin!

#2) Shay McMahan-Salvation Army-helps at the desk as the kids flock into the Civic Center.
#3) Orange in one hand, candy cane in the other, it's a PARTY!
#4) Pizza, Oranges, Popcorn, Soda! The JS Red Stocking Christmas Party was a HIT!
#5) Norm savors an orange like the one he received at his 1st Red Stocking, in 1937.
#6) JS Red Stocking JOY & APPREICATION.
#7) 'Sawhorse' the Clown was a big hit at the party.
#8) Santa & Mrs. Claus were a big hit with the kids.
#9) Kayla, a Youth Volunteer at the JS-Salvation Army Christmas Party.
#10) Diamonique was the youthful 'candy cane' volunteer at the party.
#11) Thanks to Pizza Hut for providing the pizza for the JS-Salvation Army Christmas Party!
#12) Norm gets a JS Red Stocking from Salvation Army helper Johnand the EXCITEMENT!
Thanks for the

great photos
Bruce!
Meatsaws Grinders Stuffers Freezer Paper

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
WWW.FARMKING.COM
PEPSI SUPPORTS WOMEN IN THE OUTDOORS!
January 2016
8
11
10
12
MARK IT
Even with a
perfect vital
shot a deer, or
any big game
animal for that
matter,
can
cover a significant distance
before
you
actually recover it. I always
by Marlene
bring up the
Odahlen-Hinz example of
how far an
Olympic sprinter can get in just a few
seconds on just two legs. Now imagine
how far the athlete would get if he or
she had four legs.
Since you never know when you
might have to track a shot animal I
always carry several things in my backpack to mark the blood trail. Marking
the blood trail is important for several
reasons.
First it will help you establish the
direction it headed when first arrowed.
By watching the fleeing deer you
already have an idea of where it went,
but, once you are on the ground things
look differently even if you are very
97
familiar with the area.

Unless I actually see the animal go
down and can walk directly to it I
always pull out my markers. I put out
my first tag at the point I find the evidence of first blood. This is often the
arrow I used when Ive gotten a complete pass through simple because it is
usually stuck in the ground just behind
where the deer was standing when I
loosed it. It gives me a chance to
inspect the shaft and vanes to confirm
point of impact and to help make the
decision to how long I should wait
before continuing to track the deer.
Next I will begin looking for additional blood keeping in mind the point,
whether it was a specific tree, bush or
brush pile, I last saw the deer pass. I
want to make sure the trail leads to that
spot. There may have been others following the lead deer that went unnoticed while focusing totally on the deer
I had in my sites. Looking for blood at
the point you lost sight of the deer you
think you hit could result in lots of
wasted time searching for the wrong
one, which Ive done.
My favorite markers are 3 long
blaze orange plastic strips with clips on
one end. They come in a package of 10
but they were inexpensive enough that I
Contd. on next pg.
98
MARK Contd. from previous pg.

could purchase 2 packs especially
when they go on sale. As I follow the
blood trail I will hang one of these strips
about 4-5 feet high on a limb. The reason for hanging the orange strips that
high is so that as I look back I can easily see them. If hung too low, you can
lose sight of them if placed in a dip or
low spot in the terrain.
Also -- by placing one of these strips
at the point of last blood you can
quickly see the marker as you widen the
search if for some reason the trail is lost.
Being able to see a string of these bright
markers can give you an idea of the
direction the deer traveled as well get
giving you an indication of where it
might be heading. It may be moving
downhill to a nearby swamp or to a
major trail leading to a bedding area or
sanctuary where it feels safe.
Years ago a young boy shot a deer on
our property and when the tracking
began he pulled out blaze orange flags
from his backpack. They were similar
to the flags snow removal services
place at the end of driveways and along
sidewalks to guide the plows so they
dont tear up lawns and ruin sprinkler
spouts. You may have seen them marking underground wires or gas lines for
people wanting to dig up their yards.

These flags are glued on thin wire strips
making them not only light to carry but
compact enough to take up only a small
space in a pack.
Once again the flags give the tracker
a good indication of the path a deer is
taking because their orange color make
them very visible on the forest floor.
Surveyors tape is often used to mark
trails. It is inexpensive, comes in a
compact roll and can be found in bright
colors which are easily seen when
hanging on a limb during the fall and
winter months.
The plastic strips, flags and tape are
great but they need to be picked up and
collected after the deer recovery has
been made. Whether hunting on private
or public land it is just being respectful
to the land owner or other hunters to
remove these markers.
Toilet paper has two functions and
one of those is to mark blood trails. It is
definitely light weight and it easily disintegrates after the first rain fall. I dont
know of too many hunters that dont
carry a partial roll into the field with
them.
No matter what item you use to mark
a blood trail the important points are to
have things that can easily be seen as
you look back at where youve been
and to give you some idea of what

direction the animal might be heading.
It is easy to get turned around in the
woods so make sure you always carry a
compass.
Lastly the item I never leave out of
my tracking bag is a flashing light. I
got my first one from a bike store years
ago. It was originally designed for
biker to put on their bikes allowing
automobiles could better see them as
they traveled along the city streets once
the sun set. I carry 2 of these flashing
lights. The first one I clip to a tree
where I recover the deer. As much as I
like finding a deer when there is still
day light, many times the actual recovery happens after the sun has set.
I hang this flashing light where I find
the deer and then at the point where Im
back on a tote road or near where Ive
parked the truck. That way when I
return with help or the toboggan I use to
pull the deer out I know exactly where I
must enter the woods and exactly where
the deer is laying. No matter how well
you mark the blood trail the path is so
much more difficult to follow when it is
dark and night has fallen. The battery in
these lights will last for hours and they
can now be found in any hardware
store.
With a little preparation you can supply your backpack with a few of these
items to make your tracking experience
more efficient and effective and less
like fumbling around in the dark.
So until next month dont forget to
take your daughter, granddaughter or
niece bowhunting.
TP, flashing light, surveyors

tape help mark the trail from
beginning to end.
January 2016
Florescent Clips easy to carry,

easy to see.
Orange Flags show up brightly on

the brown forest floor.JPG
January 2016
LuLus Story
by A.K. Thompson
Its no big secret that I love dogs,
and Ive written countless articles
about the ones who have graced my
life with their presence. My second
rescue English Bulldog, Lola,
passed away in November. It came
as a terrible shock, as she was
healthy and full of spunk, to find
her lifeless on the front porch one
night when I went to let her back
inside for bed time. I opened the
door and there she was, in her classic sleeping pose, only there was a
small ring of vomit around her
muzzle and she was gone. The only
conclusion I could draw was that
she had suffered major heart failure
while asleep, and for that I am
thankful. She never suffered, never
had so much as a bad day with me
(except a bout of nasty stomach
upset), and she was wiggling up to
the moment of her final slumber.
But, heres the thing, folks; Im
tired of writing pieces in dedication to dogs gone. Its too hard, and
frankly I feel at peace with Lolas
journey to the wild blue yonder, so
I think it suiting to dedicate this
article to her, for inspiring me not
to adopt another dog in some desperate attempt to replace her
thats impossible. Instead, it came
to my attention that a local no-kill
shelter was searching for foster
homes for dogs, and so, on
Veterans Day I called Wright-Way
Animal Rescue in Murphysboro,
and they asked me to come by that
afternoon.
Walking through the doors, the
familiar smell of dog kennel came

into my nose Ive worked at a
humane society and a dog boarding
facility, so the smell is both fond
and horrible all at once. The
woman gave me a tour of the facility, which sort of surprised me I
felt like royalty! I filled out an
application, but they acted as
though that was a mere formality, I
think my spirit and presence told
them right off that I was a person
who loved dogs, and would no
doubt offer a warm, loving home.
There were a few dogs in the
kennels and one was a goofy looking red heeler mix. Red dog was
out in the car, and the foster coordinator, having caught eye of him,
asked if Id like to meet Angel. I
said sure, and we got both dogs out
for a meet and greet. Red and
Angel paid no mind to one another,
which is a good sign, and basically,
I was given a bag of dog food and
put Angel in the car and drove
away.
Driving down the road with this
strange dog in my car, and having
not begun my day anticipating anything like this, I sort of looked at
her and smiled. The happiness I
was feeling was uniqueit wasnt
the same feeling I got when adopting a dog for my ownit was a
totally selfless happy feeling. I
knew I would not be keeping this
dog, but that I had to treat it as
though I would during the time I
had her as a guest in my home. For
one week, she would be mine and I

had to love her as such.
As a first time foster mom, I was
lucky. Angel was house broke, not
vocal, didnt pull on the leash, and
was very affectionate. Almost too
much, as she quickly decided I was
hers, and Red would play second
fiddle. I had a talk with Red, told
him its only temporary, buddy. He
seemed to understand, and let
Angel hog my attention for the
week.
It felt really good. Fostering was
a nice distraction from the loss of
Lola, and it was a distraction that
still involved my love for dogs.
Considering Lola was a rescue dog,
I was honoring her in my own
small way, by becoming a stepping
stone in the journey of another dog
trying to find a home. The only
thing I had to do was love this new
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1010 N. Main Jacksonville, IL 62650

217-243-6402 SportCityJacksonville.com
99
creature for a time, and then turn

her back over to the rescue. Folks
were skeptical of course, warning
me of becoming a foster failure.
I had not even heard the term
before, but discovered that a lot of
people sign up to foster dogs, but
end up keeping them. Thats not
such a bad thing, but a friend of
mine put it to me this way she
fosters dogs and told me she
always thinks of the foster dogs as
being one away from a forever
home. In other words, if she keeps
the dog, thats one less she can help
in the future. It made perfect sense.
And so, a week later I returned
Angel to the shelter, from there she
was transported to the official rescue facility near Chicago, and
adopted a week later. Wow! I felt
like I really did a great thing. Angel
Contd. on next pg.
100
LULU Contd. from previous pg.

was able to enter the rescue facility
not as a dog that had been kept in a
cage for a week, but as a dog that
lived comfortably in a home environment. Mentally and physically
she was strong and confident, not
beaten down and stressed. This foster thing is pretty neat.
A few days ago I was called to
foster again. This time I met LuLu,
a black lab mix coming from an
animal control in Kentucky. They
didnt know much about LuLu,
only that she had lost her entire litter of pups recently, and was
injured. They told me shed arrive
at their facility the next day, and so
I stopped by after work and met the
gentle girl. Immediately upon seeing her I felt as though something
was wrong. The injuries they
suspected were from getting hit by
a car looked far more sinister to
me. The veterinarian agreed. Xrays showed no sign of trauma to
her bones, but the huge scar down
her spine told a different story:
LuLu was most likely set on fire.
My stomach flipped. How in the
world could a person so severely
hurt a dog? From the looks of the
wound, it seems as though some

substance was smeared down the
length of her spine and across her
haunches, and she was set ablaze.
The burn was so severe that she
will never grow fur in those areas.
So there I was, in front of me a
dog, still heavy with milk from a
litter of pups she wasnt able to
keep alive while wandering the
streets, having been tortured
beyond my comprehension and
what was she doing? LuLu was
wagging her tail hard, and gently
climbed up to my face and licked
me like crazy.
Pontoons
Customer Service Index #1 at Watkins Marine for 08, 09, 10 & 12!
Thats the incredible thing about

a dog no matter how badly
theyve been treated, in most cases
they are still willing to trust
humans, and want nothing more
than to love and please. Of course I
would foster this dog with one
beautiful white eye! Shes no
where near as mannered as Angel
not house broken, pulls like mad on
the leash, vocal when left in the
kennel, etc. Shes got a lot of
puppy left in her still, but in the
few days Ive had her weve made
great progress.
I will have LuLu for 2 weeks
because they want her milk to dry
up more before she can be spayed.
A few days before Christmas she
will go back to the shelter to be
spayed, and then complete her
journey to Chicago. I pray someone sees the greatness in this dog
and she gets adopted as quickly as
Angel didif not, who knows,
maybe Ill become a foster failure.
There is this weird thing about
January 2016
black dogs in animal shelters

they are often really hard to adopt
out. Its called black dog syndrome, however I believe LuLus
story will pull hard on the heartstrings and that shell be adopted
lickity split!
So, in honor of Miss. Lola girl,
Im doing my best to continue rescuing dogs as a foster mom, until
the day comes when I meet my new
life buddy dog, and with any luck it
will be another bulldog with hints
of the wonderful personalities both
Guinness and Lola possessed.
Please, please if youre looking to
add a dog or cat to your family,
visit an animal shelterdogs like
LuLu and Angel are anxiously
waiting to meet you!
A.K. Thompson is a
fiction writer and teacher
who makes her home in
southern Illinois. She holds
a Master's Degree in! Writing
and Consciousness! from the
New College of California, and
an MFA in Creative Writing
from
Southern
Illinois
University. She has served as
an Assistant Editor for
the!Crab Orchard Review.!!Her
work has appeared in! STORY
Magazine, Surreal South -- An
Anthology of Short Fiction and
Poetry, The Smoking Poet,!and
The Chiron Review among others. Friend Dirt Church on
Facebook!
Email
A.K.:
akdirtchurch@gmail.com
January 2016
L AT E S E AS O N
S Q U I R R E LS
by Jason Houser
February is a
down time for many
hunters, but the
Illinois woods still
provide a challenge
for avid hunters for a
few more days.
Squirrel season is
open through February 15, and this elusive treedweller offers Illinois hunters an exciting late winter hunt
Illinois has 2 species of squirrels - the Fox and
the Gray. Fox squirrels can be found throughout the
state just about anywhere there are trees.
Windbreaks and wooded corridors, as well as larger
forested tracts, can provide excellent hunting.
Abundant dead leaf nests in trees are good indications of population density. Fox squirrels are most
active at midday and spend a good deal of time on
the ground. Mature fox squirrels can weigh up to 3
pounds.
Smaller than fox squirrels, grays average about 1
pound and are more difficult to hunt. Grays are
most active around sunrise and sunset, spending
midday hours denned up.
Hunting squirrels during the harsh winter months
is tough. Early in the season, squirrels seem to be

everywhere. Food supplies are abundant, squirrels
are less wary, and leafy branches restrict the squirrels vision, allowing for closer shots.
As the season comes to an end, squirrel hunting
gets harder. The population has lessened from harvest by hunters, as well as death due to the cold winter the have had to endure.
During severe weather, squirrels may be almost
totally inactive and seldom seen. Leaves have fallen, making the hunter easier to see by the squirrel.
Nuts no longer are on the trees, making the squirrels stay on the ground, harder for the hunter to see.
With all that being said, late-season squirrel can
still be a lot of fun and successful. Winter hunts are
more challenging, but squirrels are still out there.
There are some major differences in hunting
squirrels this time of year. One of the differences is
that the trees are naked of their leaves. But, this
can also work in your favor as well as against you. It
allows you to see the squirrels easier, but allows
them to see you with more ease. Second, the foods
the animals were eating during early in the season
are mostly
the
on
ground.
A tactic that
produces a
lot of squirrels every
year
is
knowing
where the
den trees
are located. Once
you find a
den tree,
move in as
quietly as
you can as early as you can, take a seat and wait for
the bushytail to show itself.
Another productive technique is to still-hunt,
moving very slow and very quiet, trying to spot a
squirrel before it spots you. Listen for the cutting
sound of a squirrel cracking nuts or scrambling
through the trees or on the ground. If the squirrels
are out of range or do not appear, a lot of hunters
use a squirrel distress call to pull a nearby squirrel
in for a closer look. Squirrels have great eye sight,
so good camouflage is more important with this
technique, but I always recommend good camouflage when squirrel hunting.
A few more tricks:
In country with a mix of small woodlots and big
101
woods, work smaller patches late in the season.

Small tracts often are overlooked by other hunters,
and though they may not hold large numbers of
squirrels, the restricted area makes squirrels easier to find.
When you spot a squirrel, slow down. The slower
you go, the better.
If you have a choice between hunting a ridge and
a creek bottom, stick to the creek bottom. The
leaves will be wetter and the going will be quieter.
You will also be keeping a lower profile so squirrels
will not be as likely to spot you.
Excellent squirrel hunting can be found on wooded public hunting areas, and there is typically little
hunting pressure. It is also easier to receive permission to hunt private ground because of the lack
of competition among other hunters.
Squirrels and Rice
2 squirrels, cut up
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 bay leaf
1 cup rice, uncooked
Place cut-up squirrel in large pot and cover with
water. Add salt, pepper and bay leaf. Bring to a boil
and reduce heat. Simmer for 1 to 2 hours or until
meat begins to fall off the bone, adding water as
needed. When done remove bay leaf, and discard.
Remove squirrel pieces and allow to cool. Remove
meat from bones and return meat to pot. Add rice,
bring to a boil, reduce and simmer for about 30 minutes or until rice is done.
102
ALMOST TIME
FOR INDIANAS
ANNUAL
OUTDOOR &
TRAVEL
MEGA-SHOW
The Ford 62nd Annual

Indianapolis Boat, Sport &
Travel Show returns to the
Indiana State Fairgrounds
in Indianapolis
February 19-28, 2016.
by Paul Moore
INDIANAPOLIS Ten days just

may not be enough time to see and
experience all the Ford 62nd Annual

Indianapolis Boat, Sport & Travel
Show has to offer. Most anything related to the outdoors and outdoor travel
will be on display; from boats and RVs
to hunting, fishing and even motorcycles, not to mention some of the greatest
outdoor travel destinations in the country. Its all here at the largest sport show
in the nation.
One of the biggest draws to this outdoors super show is the vast and diverse
number of exhibitors. There are seven
spacious exhibition buildings totaling
over 700,000 square feet in floor space.
Whether youre looking to buy the latest RV, boat or ATV, plan and book a
hunting or fishing dream trip, meet and
learn from some of the biggest names in
the outdoors or merely to browse some
of the latest fishing tackle, the Ford
62nd Annual Indianapolis Boat, Sport
& Travel Show definitely must be at the
top of your to-do list.
The Indiana State Fairgrounds is once
again home to the Ford 62nd Annual
Indianapolis Boat, Sport & Travel
Show scheduled for ten exciting days
February 19-28, 2016. The opening
weekend, February 19-21, features two
distinct shows within the show.
PEORIA FLAG &

DECORATING CO.
Central
Illinois
Flag
Headquarters
Decorations For All Occasions

Exhibition Decorators
920 E. Glen
Peoria Heights, IL 61616
(309) 685-8989
January 2016
Returning is the
Annual
25th
I n d i a n a
Motorcycle Expo
including the visually
inspiring
Bikers Showcase
and the historical
Pioneers
of
H o o s i e r
Motorcycling.
Brand new this
year is the first ever
Great American
Fly Fishing Expo,
also during the
opening weekend.
The closing weekend, February 2528, brings back the
always-popular
19th
Annual
Indiana
Deer,
Turkey
&
Waterfowl Expo.
Throughout the
entire ten days,
show visitors can
enjoy the Boat
Pavilion,
RV
Pavilion, Travel
and
Tourism
Pavilion and one of
the most popular
features of the
show
Tackle
Town.
Tackle
Town
encompasses
70,000 square feet
of all things fishing. With over 100
exhibitors, its hard to imagine needing something that cannot be found here. Check
out all the latest fishing tackle, boating accessories, fiberglass repair and restoration
tips, book a guided fishing trip or let the young ones have a blast in the Kids Zone.
Plus, learn from some of the nations top fishing pros as they demonstrate baits and
cutting-edge angling techniques during daily seminars at the huge 4,000-gallon
Hawg Trough.
During the second weekend of the Ford 62nd Annual Indianapolis Boat, Sport &
Inugay Watch
Jewelry Repair
101 W Walnut St. PO Box 1102 Tremont, IL 61568
309-925-3019
January 2016
Travel Show, visitors

get an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to
meet and listen to
some of the greatest
living legends of the
fishing world as they
share fascinating stories and entertaining
accounts of the early
days
of
fishing.
Scheduled are Forrest
Wood,
Jerry
McGinnis,
Hank
Parker, and Billy and
Bobby Murray. These heroes places in
fishing history and their accumulative
knowledge is mind blowing; something
you dont want to miss. Also on the second weekend is the Ask the Pros
Seminar Series, which this year is
focused on crappie fishing one of the
most popular forms of fishing throughout the nation.
The RV Pavilions provide visitors
some five acres of the latest RVs on the
market. Show organizer, Kevin Renfro,
says it is probably the biggest selection
of RVs ever to appear at the show. From
pop-ups to luxury coaches and travel
trailers, its all in one place and under
one roof.
Likewise, the Boating Pavilion
includes 180,000 square feet of everything imaginable for boating enthusiasts.
Fishing boats, ski boats and massive
cruisers are all ready to board and
inspect, along with a great selection of
power sport crafts, side-by-sides, boating lifestyle products and accessories.
The Travel and Tourism Pavilion is a
cornucopia of delight for planning your
next getaway. Some 150 travel professionals from 24 different states and
abroad are ready to help you plan a simple family vacation, fishing or hunting
trip, or the dream trip of a lifetime. Also
within the 70,000 square-foot pavilion,
the Travel Caf returns after a great inaugural reception last year. Here, visitors
can see exciting and entertaining travel
destination presentations and videos,
hear about fresh new travel ideas from
exhibitors in the Travel and Tourism
Pavilion, and enjoy great and unique
dining opportunities not typically found
at an outdoor show.
One ticket gets you into all of the
shows open on the day of your visit. To
learn more about the Ford 62nd Annual
Indianapolis Boat, Sport & Travel Show,
the 19th Annual Indiana Deer, Turkey &
Waterfowl Expo, the Great American
Fly Fishing Expo, the 25th Annual
Indiana Motorcycle Expo and all the
other great happenings, see our website!
103
ASO friend Carl Woods of

Chester England in his
back yard with Rain
displaying birds killed
on a recent hunt,
2 pinkfeet geese,
2 Pintail and
8 wigeon all
shot on
Dee Marshes
in England!
www.IndySportShow.com
Sun. Feb. 14 8am-2pm
Bring your Valentine to the

Largest 1-Day Decoy Show
in the Country!
Henry-Senachwine High School 1023 College St. (Rt 29) Henry, IL
90 Display Tables TABLES VERY LIMITED!

For more info & dealer inquires contact:
JASON BALDWIN 312-316-7484 email: jasbebelle@comcast.net
HenryDecoyShow.com TerraincognitaUSA.com
BEFORE YOU BUY YOUR
NEXT AUTO CALL BARKER
309-365-2161
www.BarkerChevy.net
New 2015 Chevy Silverado 1500 Regular Cab

Standard Box 4-WD LT w/2LT $34,050
New 2015 Chevy Silverado 1500 Crew Cab

Short Box 4-WD LT w/1LT $36,070
New 2015 Chevy Silverado 1500 Double Cab

Standard Box 4-WD LT w/1LT $37,067
Used 2011 Chevy Silverado 1500 Crew Cab

Short Box 4-WD LT $25,777
Used 2011 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Crew Cab

Short Box 4-WD LT $26,477
Used 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Crew Cab

Short Box 4-Wheel Drive LT $28,490
Shop Your Big City Prices Then Call Your Country Dealer in Lexington, IL!
104
Real Estate Chatter

By: Mary Ann Vance
We hope
that everyone
had a very
M e r r y
Christmas
and a Happy
New Years!!
Here we are
starting 2016
and figuring
out what is in store for all of us. This
will be the year of the summer
Olympics and a presidential election
year for our country. With all of this
in mind lets all toast to a Happy New
Year for all and a peaceful year for
the entire world.
More from last month on Buying a
Home in Foreclosure
Are my finances in order?
While buying a home in foreclo-
And Auctions!
sure can result in a favorable purchase price, the additional costs are
often significant and should not be
ignored when budgeting for your
home purchase. Upfront fees to
research foreclosure properties, construction and repair expenses, and the
cost of any inherited liens add up
quickly. Be sure you are financially
prepared for expenses that are not
rolled into your mortgage and think
about leaving a cushion for any surprises that come up along the way.
Do I have a team of professionals
who can help me?
Working with foreclosure experts
will help your distressed property
buying process go much more
smoothly. Consider finding a real
estate agent with connections in the
foreclosure market to help you locate
potential properties, an attorney
familiar with the foreclosure laws in
your area to review all paperwork,
and a reputable general contractor to
oversee any necessary home repairs.
23rd Tinley Park Fishing Show

Feb. 13 & 14 9am-5pm
Seminars, Prizes, Silent Auction, Shorelunch Fish FryOver

170,000 sq.ft. of Exhibitor Space! TinleyParkFishingShow.com
1456 NE WINDERMERE TREMONT $495,000
Welcome to a super
home with many
amenities - list online
Amazing kitchen Viking, Sub-Zero and
Wolf appliances and
Helmuth custom
cabinetry
4 large bedrooms, 2
include walk-in closets.
Screened porch with
fireplace, 20 x 40
inground heated pool
with diving board.
22895 BROADWAY RD MORTON $365,900
A very spacious 4.5

bath ranch located on
over 2 acres
96 x 40 detached
building, partial
concrete.
Custom kitchen with
Corian countertops,
wood flooring,
unbelievable master
suite.
Inground pool with
newer liner, cover and
pump. A 32 x 16
detached building could double as a pool house!!
Is my purchase timeline flexible?

Buying a distressed property is not
like other home purchases. There will
be starts and stops along the way, and
the sale can fall through at any time.
Homeowners in pre-foreclosure
could come up with the money to put
their loan back in good standing; a
lender might be dissatisfied with the
offers at auction and take full ownership of the home, potentially waiting
months before offering it for sale as a
REO property.
When considering a foreclosure
purchase, homebuyers should be prepared to act quickly, but not be in any
particular hurry to complete the sale.
If you have timeline contingencies
for your purchase, for example the
sale of your current home, a distressed property will be difficult if
not impossible to buy.
Will I have somewhere to live if I

cant move in right away?
Depending on the condition of the
property, significant work might need
to be completed before you can move
in to your new home. Even if the
house is inhabitable, complete renovation of a kitchen or bathroom can
make your residence unpleasant.
Think through where you will live
while any necessary repairs are performed.
In addition, sometimes a distressed
property comes with previous owners
or tenants who refuse to vacate the
home. Legal proceedings to evict can
be a lengthy process. Be prepared to
wait it out somewhere else.
January 2016
Am I up for the rollercoaster ride?

Buying a home at any stage in the
foreclosure process is not simple. Be
honest about whether or not you are
prepared for the time and effort it will
take to complete the purchase and get
the house ready for move-in.
NEW YEARS QUOTES!
January started off with a New
Year, a new year with new beginning
and new hopes. A new year hoping to
be successful that all your efforts and
hard work will be paid off. This is a
chance of a lifetimea chance to
starts all over again.
"He who breaks a resolution is a
weakling; He who makes one is a
fool." F.M. Knowles
"Learn from yesterday, live for
today, hope for tomorrow." Albert
Einstein
Sometimes people forget how
much 365 days actually brings to
their lives. However, this is the right
moment to reflect and to hope for 365
more wonderful days! Happy New
Years!
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
January 2016
A Bountiful Harvest
By J ack L. Hart
ph. 309-888-4071
jacklhart@msn.com
As I sit behind the
steering wheel of
my old, but faithful
truck, driving west
of Bloomington, IL
on Rt. 9 headed
west to Havana, IL,
I am gazing left &
right at the numerous farm fields which have on this
15th day of Nov. already been put
to rest. The farm ground totaling
thousands of acres in this area is as
flat as the proverbial pancake & I
can see for miles & miles without
my vision being obstructed by timber. I am very impressed by this
vision of all this fertile ground that
has provided a bountiful harvest for
all of those hard working farmers.
The beautiful fall weather with its
warm temperatures & lack of rain
was a very contributing factor
enabling the farmers to complete
their harvest in record time and also
helped greatly in the plowing, disking & harrowing of that ground as

they put their ground to rest until
next year. This fertile ground that
receives a lot of tender loving care
has produced a bountiful crop of
beans and corn that has made many
farmers very happy as they discovered that the corn may have averaged from 200 to 250 bushels per
acre while the beans may have produced 60 to 70 bushels per acre.
Considering the price of farm
ground in McLean County in this
21st century, many farmers will
become millionaires should they
ever wish to sell their ground.
Farm ground sales within the last
two to three years reveals that farm
ground here in Mclean County is
going for $7,000. to $10,000. per
acre or more. A recent conversation
with a farmer in Fulton County
informed me that ground in that
county was going for $7,000. per
acre.
This fall, as I worked up the dirt
by hand in my garden & my flower
beds, I felt that I was a miniature
farmer getting my ground ready for
next year. Each spring & fall I
work up the ground & work into the
soil organic compost consisting of
Vanderveen Farm - Price: $1,292,400; Total

Acres (+/-): 129.24 acres; Tillable Acres (+/-): 125.73
acres; 129.24 total acres in Mason Co.; 125.73 tillable acres (113.33 irrigated). Located 5 miles south
of Havana; 1.25 miles east of IL Rt 78 on Township
Road 1100 North. 3-irrigation systems, small storage
shed & 3-small grain bins. $10,000 per acre.
Vatthauer Trust Farm - Price: $339,413; Total Acres (+/-): 38.79 acres;
Tillable Acres (+/-): 33.7 acres; 38.79 acres, more or less, in Tazewell Co.
Located 8 miles southwest of Pekin or 4 miles northwest of Green Valley.
Listed for $8,750 per acre.
Love Farm - Price: $249,015; Schools: Princeville
School District; Total Acres (+/-): 32.16 acres; Tillable Acres
(+/-): 11.1 acres; 32.16 acres, more or less, on Legion Hall
Road 4 miles west of Dunlap in Peoria Co., Princeville
School District. Recreational income producing property.
Hickory Run Creek runs through property. Asking $7,743
per acre.
Thiemann Residual Trust Farm - Price: $ 209,902. Total Acres (+/-):
22.33 acres, Tillable Acres (+/-): 19 acres. 22.33 acres of rolling farm ground
with some timber and public utilities with the exception of sewer. Close to
Interstate 74, Peoria Co. Jail & elementary school.
Greene Farm Management Services, Inc.

213 Second St., P.O. Box 400 Dunlap, IL
309-243-1070 www.GreeneFarm.com
manure which has been aged for

years & is odorless & is obtained
from a good farmer friend at no
cost to me other than the time spent
driving to the site, the labor loading
it into my truck & what little gas it
takes in driving just a few miles. It
also enables me to get some much
needed exercise. As a thank you to
this kind farmer, I restocked his
lake with bass & crappie this past
summer. I figured it was the least I
could do. That gesture on my part
motivated me to go fishing, which I
love, & to be in the outdoors & get
some more exercise.
I love to do my own farming here
at my residence in the city of
Normal and I, like the farmers, use
every square inch of ground I can
scrape up. Most of my city lot consists of 8 flower beds, a strawberry
patch, a black raspberry patch &
my garden. The dirtier I can get my
hands the better I like it. It is like a
soothing ointment for my soul. All
of those wonderful rains received
this past spring & summer made me
look better than what I really was. I
was amazed about how the rains
energized all the plants resulting in
their splendid growth. I now know
105
that I must do much more watering

in 2016.
I, like the farmers, had a bountiful
harvest. I keep detailed records of
the harvest. My records show that
in June & July I harvested 1,000
strawberries. In July & part of
August I harvested 3,000 black
raspberries. Starting in July thru
the middle of November I harvested
266 tomatoes and 795 of the Cherry
type tomatoes. Yes, I count every
berry & tomato harvested. As an
ex-banker, it is just natural for me
to count everything. What also
makes farming so wonderful for me
is that I give everything harvested
away. It gives me great pleasure to
watch the smile appear on the face
of the recipient as I hand them their
gift making me feel good that
someone will enjoy the benefits of
my labor. So this miniature farming
is a very rewarding hobby for me.
In addition to the above, I also
planted 100 annual flowers in 8 different flower beds & this doesnt
count all of the perennial Purple
Cone flowers & Black-Eyed Susans
that I take care of. I hope that you
also had a bountiful harvest in
2015.
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
Crappies on Ice
By Ted Takasaki and Scott Richardson
There is something special about plucking fish through the ice that gives us Ice Fever.
Ice fever is defined as rapid heartbeat due to intense excitement when catching fish
through the ice. And theres no better fish to catch through the ice than feisty crappies.
When lakes freeze over, hordes of anglers congregate on key lakes throughout the
Midwest and many of them are targeting crappies.
There are several reasons for chasing these fish. One is that when you find one, youll
often find more. Secondly, they are good fighters, especially on light line and a limber rod,
like St. Croixs new Avid Glass Ice rods. Third, they taste great on cold winter evenings
after a long day on the ice.
One of our favorite lakes that has been hot over the past few years is Lake Thompson,
located in eastern South Dakota. Thompson is the second-largest natural lake in South
Dakota, more than 18,000 acres in size. This lake was formed during the glacial period of
our earths history and has a maximum depth of approximately 20 feet. Large numbers of
walleyes, northern pike, perch, and crappies inhabit this lake, in a variety of habitats.
The fishing on Lake Thompson has been excellent over the years, yet the lake continues
to produce strong populations year after year. The tranquil backwater areas are perfect for
crappie spawning habitat and that is exactly where youll find them during first ice. During
this time period, crappies are stacked in specific, shallow areas that contain brush and logs.
The great part of fishing on Lake Thompson is if you find one, you find a bunch. The
downside is that anglers have to be careful about not to take so many that they harm the
population.
There have been times where a limit of 15 can be caught in less than 15 minutes.Two
rods are legal in South Dakota, but one is about all a guy can handle when the action is
fast and furious. When its like this, we suggest releasing the large 14 inchers and keeping
a few 10 to 12 inchers for cleaning.
Speaking of cleaning, theres new tool available which makes cleaning easy, fast, and with
very little waste. When you have numbers of fish, the Skinzit is a must have. Skinzit is
an electric fish skinner that quickly takes the ribs and the skin off in seconds.You are left
with a perfect fillet every time with no bones and little wasted meat!
Good ice fishing strategies begin by finding the areas where crappie will spawn during
the spring. Subtle holes and channel areas located near brush and timber hold the fish. Find
some wood and youll find the crappies. This cover concentrates the fish.
This next summer, try finding these spots during open water as it is far easier slow
January 2016
motoring on a boat than drilling

tons of holes through thick
Thompson ice.
Use your GPS to pinpoint several likely locations and use your
side imaging to find the brush
piles and to learn each areas subtle characteristics that will be the
spot on the spot.
Once the water freezes up,
take some friends and punch a
few holes in the area. Use your
electronics,
such
as
Humminbirds Ice Helix 5, to
look for marks that signal fish. If
theyre there, they will show up
immediately.
Most are suspended near cover
in about 5 to 8 feet of water.
Watch your screen and adjust
the depth of your jig as fish
appear in the cone. Some crappies will also hold on the deeper
cover just outside the bays near
deeper channel bends.
Although small crappie min- Ted Takasaki has crappie fever, and you
nows and wax worms are deadly will, too, once you put these ideas to work.
most of the time, try some small
These feisty, tasty fish are common in
plastic tails on your jigs. Some of many ice-fishing areas. As Ted says, once
these new soft ice plastics are you find one, youve probably found more.
tremendous and you dont have
Fish hard, but dont keep em all!
to always be digging into a cold
(Photo: Ted Takasaki)
minnow bucket.
Crappies are curious, and after you catch one or two, others will come in to see what
their buddies are feeding on. Always keep bait in front of them in order to maintain the
feeding frenzy.
Crappies also seem more color-sensitive than many other species, so make changes often
to see what they want on any given day. Also change up your jigging motion several times
on the quarter hour. An aggressive motion will often attract the fish and as they appear on
your electronics, see if they will bite. If not, then slow the motion down and quiver the
jig. Then pause and stop it completely.
Another tip is to drop the jig all the way
down into the muddy/sandy bottom, then
raise it up quickly and keep it still. The poof
of the silt seems to attract attention and the
crappies will come up and will often blast the
jig.
If the action is just plain slow, then actively
jig with your first rod and use your second
rod as a dead rod. Rig it up with one of
Venoms new ice floats. These floats are
tremendous, as you can adjust the float without any cutting or re-tying. If you switch to
a heavier jig or spoon, then you just slide the
foam up or down to maintain maximum sensitivity.
If theres no luck quickly, then move to
another spot. Crappies are not shy and it
wont take long to know if the spot is productive.
Crappie fever is contagious, so be careful
when talking to other anglers about catching
em.You will have a bunch of company the
next time you go out for sure. And practice
selective harvest. We want the fish to be there
next winter.
January 2016
Here is Wendell & Stan Schislers

Congrats to Russ Mathis from Peoria.
younger brother, Eldon Schisler of Astoria.
He shot this buck the last 20 minutes of 1st
Congratulations for shooting this
weekend shotgun season on Sun Nov 22.
guy in Fulton County on opening day
2015. It field dressed at 210#. 9 pt!Shot in
of 2015 shotgun season.
southern Fulton County on private ground.
Beautiful 12-pointer!
Way to go Russ Nice buck!
Thanks to ASO friend Pat Briney of the Astoria area for sharing these trophies!
107
Congratulations to Coleton Hopp, 11 years old

of Lincoln, with his 10 point buck he shot 1st
shot gun season on Friday night (11/20/2015)
with his 20 gauge in Logan County!
Thanks to proud dad Derek Hopp
for sharing his trophy with ASO!
Great jobWay to go Coleton!
108
America the Beautiful 2016
Shawnee, Illinois Quarter Launch Ceremony

Camel Rock, at Garden of the Gods
is on the New Quarter!!
Illinois Quarter Event - On Thursday, February 4th, 2016 at 10:00am,
Harrisburg, Southeastern Illinois College Gymnasium the U.S. Mint and the
Shawnee National Forest will launch the 31st America the Beautiful coin - the
Illinois quarter featuring Camel Rock formation at the Garden of the
Gods Recreation Area.! The event will include speakers and performers and children under the age of 18 will receive a new
Shawnee National Forest quarter to commemorate the event.
There will be information about the U.S. Mint's America
the Beautiful program and a coin exchange will follow
the event giving patrons the opportunity to exchange
their currency for the new Illinois quarter.
AtB Program Overview
The United States Mint America the Beautiful
Quarters Program is a multi-year initiative to honor 56
national sites in each of the 50 states, the District of
Columbia and five U.S. territories-Puerto Rico, Guam,
American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands and the
Northern Mariana Islands. Under this program, five new
reverse (tails side) designs began appearing on the quarterdollar in 2010 and will continue through 2020. The quarters
are being released sequentially in the order in which the featured
site was first established (five each year through 2020, with the final
design in 2021). All of the coins are legal tender, issued by the United
States Mint and available in general circulation.
January 2016
Site
and
Design
Selection
The
sites
and
designs were developed through a consultative
process
involving the governor or chief executive
of each host jurisdicthe
U.S.
tion,
Department of the
Interior,
U.S.
F o r e s t
Service,
U.S. Commission of Fine Arts and Citizens Coinage Advisory
Committee, with final approval by the Department of the
Treasury. Sites and designs represent those places of the
utmost natural and historical significance.
2016 Coins
In 2016 the U.S. Mint-America the Beautiful
Quarters will release the following coins: Shawnee
National Forest (Ill.), Cumberland Gap National
Historical Park (Ky.), Harpers Ferry National Historical
Park (W.Va.), Theodore Roosevelt National Park
(N.D.), and Fort Moultrie at Fort Sumter National
Monument (S.C.). For more information visit:
www.usmint.gov/mint_programs/atb/
Save the Date!
America the Beautiful - Illinois Quarter Launch Ceremony

Thurs. February 4th, 2016 10:00am
Followed by a Coin Exchange from 11:00 to 12:00pm
Southeastern Illinois College Gymnasium
Coin Forum - A public forum is held the evening
before the quarter launch for collectors to hear and ask
questions about the United States Mint and its programs.
Wednesday, February 3rd from 5:00 to 6:00pm
Shawnee National Forest Headquarters -- Large Conference Room
Sales Rep: Gerald Sampen 217-376-3873

Agent: Justin Montgomery 217-871-0524 jmontgomery@jamig.com
www.MontysOutdoorConnection.com
January 2016
Canadian Brothers Rescue

Bald Eagle, Take Cool Selfie
with Bird Before Release
A chance encounter with a trapped bald

eagle led to a once-in-a-lifetime experience
and a selfie gone viral for two brothers.
Brothers Michael and Neil Fletcher did
their good deed for the day when they recently rescued and released an adult bald eagle
from a trap. They also got a unique photograph from the experience and a video that
has gone viral in the few days since they
shared the experience.
The Fletchers, from the city of Sudbury in
southeast Ontario, told CBC News that they
had been hunting when they spotted ravens
circling an area. They moved in to investigate and spotted an adult bald eagle that had
been inadvertently captured in a leghold trap.
The big raptor! was still very much alive
but had one of its feet caught in the trap.
It was relieving to see that it was still
alive.! I knew we had to do something right
away, said Neil Fletcher.
At first the eagle was a bit nervous to have my brother and myself
there.! As soon as he realized we were trying to help he kind of calmed
down a little bit.!His head would kind of move back and forth to!look at
us, but that was the most hed do.
HOYLAND PRESENTS PUBLIC AUCTION

115 (+/-) ACRES WITH HOUSE & BUILDING
PRIME HUNTING GROUND!
WED., JAN. 20, 2016 10:00 AM
AUCTION HELD AT:

ST. BRIGID CATHOLIC CHURCH 704 N. MAIN ST. LIBERTY, IL
115 (+/-) ACRES OF PRIME HUNTING GROUND IN ADAMS CO.,
BEVERLY TWNSHP. TIMBER IN FOREST MANAGEMENT, 2 CREEKS,
CRP IN PRAIRIE GRASS, WETLAND WITH OVERFLOW, MAJORITY
FENCED. 150 WELL, WHITE STONE CABIN & 45X 54 MORTON BLDG.
ONLY 1 MI FROM SILOAM SPRINGS PARK!
AUCTIONEERS NOTE: If you are looking for a hunting area, country home or just a
get-a-way, don't miss the opportunity to purchase this property!
The property will be sold as one tract. PARCEL 12-0-0003-000-00 & 12-0-0004-000-00.
Announcements sale day take precedence over printed material.
OPEN HOUSE: SUN., JANUARY 10, 2016 1:00-3:00 PM

3000 N 600TH AVE LIBERTY, IL
BEVERLY TOWNSHIP ADAMS COUNTY
Contact Auctioneer to View Property after the Open House or for Additional Info.
HOYLAND AUCTION, INC. DELAVAN, IL

RANDY HOYLAND #44000041976
309-244-7140 309-696-0614
www.auctionzip.com ID# 19028
109
The video they took shows Michael removing his fleece to place over
the eagle, which had pulled the trap chain to its full length. Neil then
holds the eagle while Michael attempts to open the trap to release the
birds foot.
The brothers also have to scold and shoo their dog, Ben, several times,
who is of course very interested in the trapped eagle.
The eagle was actually holding onto the trap and we were having a
hard time getting him to let go, said Neil.
The eagle appears surprisingly calm while
Neil holds it before Michael takes! a quick
selfie of the trio before releasing the bird.
Said Neil, I knew this would never happen again, so before we let it go, I told my
brother Michael, we should take a picture
with it. The bird had its mouth open, but he
never tried to fly or bite or do anything.! It
made it pretty easy for us to take a picture
with it.
The selfie and videos of the! rescue and
release! have received a few hundred thousand views and several thousand shares since
the Fletchers posted them just a few days
ago.
Me and my brother, weve always been in
the bush, always been hunters. And weve
always had a lot of respect for bald eagles,
Neil concluded.! We were! just really
amazed, and still are.
ASO WANTS YOUR OUTDOOR PHOTOS!

US Mail: ASO Magazine, 1408 Downing Dt., Tremont, IL 61568
Firearms, Military, Hunting & Ammo Auction

Sat., Feb. 20, 2016 9:30am
We already have over 100 firearms consigned to
this auction! Smith & Wesson, Colt, Winchester,
Remington, Glock, Stevens; Many Unique &
Unusual Antique Pistols & Rifles; Many Military
Pistols & Rifles; WW2 German Items: Helmets,
Daggers, Patches, Pins, Flags & Others; Numerous
Pocket Knives, Military Knives, Unusual & Unique
Knives; Antique Ammunition & Ammo Boxes.
THIS IS SHAPING UP TO BE OUR BEST
FIREARMS & MILITARY AUCTION EVER!
Call Matt at 815-970-7077 for consignment information.
See more details 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!
110
Annie Ottos Corner
Happy New Year to all our readers be they

young or old, far or near. It is always humbling to reflect on the old year and how richly
blessed with another busy year at the Ottos
Canvas Shop, even though some parts of the
business were down other parts made up for
it. Boats, Covers, Tops, and Specialty jobs
have been extremely busy. As our theme has
always been You Need It and Dream It, WE
Make It.
Just maybe we can slow down a short time
this winter and make it to Florida. Thats
always a change of pace, but oh so fun. We get
to meet new people and connect again with

old friends some we havent seen in years.
There is a great Amish community in Sarasota
area. I cant wait to get my feet in the sand and
sun on by back!
On the Conklin side be sure and have your
vehicle; motors, semis, all types of machinery
Conklin-ized. Diesel Plus contains deicers
and fuel stabilizers to improve cold weather
starting and idling.
At Fuel Fill Ups add 6-oz. per 30 gallons
and 1 pint for 75 gallons.
-It lowers your gel point up to 35F
-Extend injector and fuel pump lives
-Stabilizes Diesel fuel
Fuel Mate Plus Gas Conditioner for your
gas needs. Be sure and add to your snowmobiles, motorcycles, watercraft before you head
February 12 & 13
(Fri. & Sat.)
Hunting, Fishing, Boating, Camping, Guides,

Trips, Trophies, Vendors, Drawings & Displays
Everything for the outdoor enthusiast!
Otto Center Arthur, IL

out.
One of Conklins oldest products is Dike
Temporary Radiator Stop Leak Heater Core
and Hose Leak. (Can temporary be 5 years?)
Always keep Dike in your vehicle emergency
kit for on-the-spot repairs or as a preventative
measure for vehicles under severe conditions.
Conklins National Convention will be held at
Branson Missouri February 4-5-6. This is a
great way to learn about all the great products
they offer. Lots of great speakers & workshops.
Learn more about Conklin and convention
on their website: www.conklin.com. Be sure
to watch a video on the National Convention
2016 Highlights. We have Conklin products
available! Give us a call and be sure to leave a
message!
Melvin & Annie Otto

1749 State Hwy 133
Arthur, IL 61911
Ottos Canvas:
217-543-3007
Conklin: 217-543-5197
www.Conklin.com
15th Annual
FREE
R
ANT L E G !
IN
SCOR
January 2016
Pizza Soup
1 1/4 C. Sliced Fresh Mushrooms

1/2 C. Chopped Onions
1-Tsp. Vegetable Oil
2-C. Water
1-Can (15oz.) Pizza Sauce
1-C. Chopped Pepperonis
1-C. Chopped Fresh Tomatoes (or
canned)
1/2 C. Cooked Fresh Italian Sausage
1/4 Tsp. Italian Seasoning
1/4 C. Grated Parmesan Cheese
Shredded
Saut mushrooms and onions in oil
until tender.
Add water, pizza sauce, pepperoni,
tomatoes, sausage and seasoning.
Bring to boil over medium heat.
Cover and Simmer for 20-30 min.
Stirring occasionally, before serving
stir in Parmesan Cheese and Garnish
with Mozzarella and Serve with crackers
of your choice. Delicious!
FRI. MARCH 18
SAT. MARCH 19
March 18, 19 & 20, 2016

SUN. MARCH 20
January 2016
CATSAS-S Founders Son

Determined to Relaunch Lures
Recently motivated son
attempts to re-release famous
fishing lures on the market
By Brandon Miller
Sheldon Charron is undoubtedly his
fathers son.
Charron and his dad, Gene, have experienced it all through their company, CATSASS Fishing Lures. Its a story covering multiple
decades that has highs and lows, with Charron
now trying to rebirth a Canadian legend.
Charron calls the bait-inside fishing lure a
fantastic, revolutionary product with a great
name, adding it spawned the scent industry.
However, the rebirth isnt going to be easy,
and Charron is asking for help.
Charron created a page on Kickstarter, asking for donations to help back the project.
More than $1,000 has been donated toward
the ultimate goal of $10,000. The projectfunding page ends Jan. 6.
Charrons determination for the rebirth
came when at a recent fishing show when a
competitor claimed to invent a lure that places
the bait inside. Charron confronted the fisher,
saying his father created the idea and an argument followed.
Im going to reintroduce the product, and
Im going to make sure everyone remembers
who the true innovator was, Charron says in
a 9-minute video explaining the history of
CATSAS-S.
Charron spent childhood summers in the
1970s with Gene as the two traveled around
Canada and the northern United States to sell
the lures. Gene started with a painted station
wagon and trailer and moved to a redone
school bus the second summer. Summertime
trips continued for several years, but it didnt
take long for big companies to intervene.
Gene declined all offers on his 16-year
patent, but that only escalated things.
Charron says in the video that companies
would have people follow them, wait until

they sold the product to bait shops and would
then come in and buy all the lures ruining
opportunities for customers to learn about the
product. Later, those same followers would
make deals with store owners and have the
owners smash the products before selling
them in a bargain bin. It even went as far as
Genes gas tank being tampered with several
times and having his stock stolen.
Gene eventually gave up when Charron
was 8 or 9. He was so poor he had to
makeshift the school bus into a home.
Charron tried to take over when Gene
closed shop, especially after Gene wouldnt
sell the patent despite facing poverty, but it
didnt work. When Charron was 18, he traveled to Tornoto and had a big company place
an order for lures, but Gene wouldnt fill it,
saying, Theyre just screwing you around,
Charron recalls.
Charrons drive disappeared, not even
returning when Gene gave him CATSAS-S in
2001.
Charron continued doing his own thing for
five more years, but he decided in 2006 to
recreate his childhood summers with Gene.
However, his father died unexpectedly that
fall.
I just ran out of time, Charron says. I
failed him.
Charron takes to heart that this time it wasnt a conspiracy or large companies doing anything to stop sells. Rather, it was his lack of
urgency to rejunivate the business.
Charrons returned determination comes in
his fathers memory, especially after his confrontation at the fishing show.
CATSAS-S rebirth starts with making vintage replicas of the iconic CATSAS-S plug,
with additions of small improvements to construct. Charron plans to later expand designs
for fresh and saltwater, including a new modern version of the Bait Path Square Fish for
huge pike, musky and other predatory saltwater fish, according to the Kickstarter page.
I dont want to fail him again, Charron says,
so I hope you guys will help me out.
CatsassFishingLures.com
111
112
January 2016
It is suggested to always go ice fishing on the buddy system.
Tips for the Ice

Ice fishing has come a long ways since the
days of when a person would cut a hole in the
ice with an ax or spud, and drop a line in by
hand. Now days there are all sorts of shelters,
rods/reels, line and electronics, that are all
geared towards cold weather angling.
Here are a few tips to make the experience
a little safer and enjoyable.
SAFETY
The biggest tip is to be safe in every aspect
of the sport.
This is what the Iowa DNR has to say
about ice thickness:
A minimum of four inches of quality ice is
recommended for fishing and at least five
inches for snowmobiles and ATVs.
There is no such thing as 100 percent safe
ice.
Dont go out alone.
There could be pockets of thin ice or places
where ice recently formed, so it would be wise
to check ice thickness as you go out.
Ice thickness is not uniform on any body of
water. Things like current and springs slow
ice growth. Rocks, trees or docks that poke
through the ice will conduct heat and make
the ice around it less stable.
Avoid off-colored snow or ice. It is usually a
sign of weakness.
The insulating effect of snow slows down
the freezing process.
Severe cuts caused by uncovered drill
blades, or spud ends are another danger.
People will either put their hand on them by
mistake or fall on the blade. Ive had two pairs
of gloves slit by blades, which means try avoiding bare hands having exposure to this danger.
One incident was related to me where a gentleman fell on his uncovered hand auger blade
as he was walking to another spot, and slit his
face wide open.
In the same line of thought, be careful of
hooks. Cold hands can be numb, and hooks
can become imbedded much more quickly
and deeper before an angler realizes what happens. Always hook the lure back up to the
keeper on the rod.
On bare ice, wear some sort of cleats or
chains. This will help reduce the risk of
falling, and dig in a little better when drilling
a hole.
Carry extra clothing in the vehicle just in
case there is a problem where wetness occurs.
This can cause hypothermia faster than anything else.
Hand warmers can also be used to help in
preventing hypothermia, whether by staying
warm otherwise, or if a person falls through
the ice. In this case some of the larger warmers are good to have to place inside with the
fresh change of clothing.

Even if a fresh set of clothing is used, dont
go back on the ice. Get the body temperature
back up. If it is too severe have a friend take
you to the hospital, or call 911. Hypothermia
is serious and not worth risking for the sake of
fishing.
Remember to layer your clothing. Over
my shirt I will wear a sweatshirt, fleece vest,
jacket and Vexilar Tundra Bibs, or replace
jacket/vest portion with a Vexilar jersey hoodie. In extreme cold conditions a Vexilar Cold
Snap Parka is the top layer.
Hands and feet are always a problem. For
the feet try wearing two layers of socks or a
pair like Danner Merino Wool Crew Socks
with a pair of pack boots that have the laces
somewhat loose, which allows for more circulation, and buildup and storage of heat. For
the hands there are many good gloves on the
market geared towards ice fishing check out
Frabills FXE line. Hand warmers placed
inside the gloves are very helpful.
January 2016
Slick ice conditions can be

dangerous. Here the author
has the drill blade cover on to
prevent injury, and chains on
his pack boots to reduce the
risk of falling.
BATTERIES
A major part of ice fishing equipment is
related to batteries. My Vexilar is on 99% of
the time, so the battery gets a good workout.
According to Tom Zenanko of Vexilar, and
host of Ice Fishing Today, Our biggest problem here at Vexilar is battery charging. Most
people do not charge after every use, or feel
they need to run the battery down to zero
before charging and this is 100% wrong.
These are lead batteries not NiCads. If you do
not disconnect the battery terminals on your
Pro Packs or shut off your Ultra Pack when

you are not using it, in 37 days the battery is
drained to zero from the battery status indicator. When you connect the charger, the battery is so dead, the charger does not know
there is a battery in the system and the red
light does not come on. The charger stays
green but when it is plugged in the status indicator reads 100% since the charger itself is
now powering the system.
When a battery is completely drained, as
mentioned above, there are only two things
you can do. Try to get it to take a charge again
or get a new battery. One method is to let the
battery rest with the charger on for 24 hours.
The light on the charger will be green, but we
hope that something is trickling into the battery and holding. After 24 hours unplug the
charger and plug it in again, if the red light
comes on, there is a good chance you can save
the battery, if not, well, lets say you are shot
out of luck.
BAIT
Bait, live or prepared, will freeze. Try finding a warm spot to keep it an insulated cooler, or inside a parka pocket with a hand
warmer will work well. Placing a hand
warmer along with the bait inside the side
pocket of a Frabill Softbag, and keeping the
bag inside the shelter as much as possible, can
provide good warmth.
Crappie Nibbles can some times become
hardened. If this happens try dampening a

small piece of paper towel, squeezing out the
extra water, and placing it in the jar or as a
cover and hold it in place with the screwed
down lid.
Another thing you can do with hardened
Nibbles, or ones that have been over softened
is use them for chum, where regulations permit. Take the Nibbles and place them in a
pores cloth, making a tea bag with 1 or 2
split shot inside to give it weight. Tie a piece
of line on the bag, and drop it to just above the
depth were fish are being seen on your flasher.
The Nibbles will milk into the water, especially when giving it an occasional dipping
motion. Dont leave it in the hole as it can
become entangle with your fishing line.
RODS/REELS/LINE
A big problem that anglers have is sticking
their rod/reel combos in a bucket, and having
them tangled. Two years ago I solved this
problem by going to a Frabill Rod Safe. This
is a lightweight, foam filled case that is the
equivalent to a rod locker in a bass boat. I
carry 4 pre-rigged Straight Line outfits and 1
telescoping 54 Jiggler Long Rod so that they
are all separated. Rod ArmorZ ice rod covers
are also a great help.
If there are freeze-up problems try some
Blakemore Reel Magic. Spray the rod guides
and line. Anglers using floats can try spraying
them with the Reel Magic or coating them in
113
A pair of Frabill Task Gloves

provide good warmth and flexibility for drilling and setting
up/taking down shelter.
cooking oil from time to time.
For more information visit these websites:
www.iowadnr.gov;
www.vexilar.com;
www.frabill.com; www.customjigs.com and
www.ttiblakemore.com.
Im sure many anglers have some very beneficial tips in their own bag of tricks. These
have been just a few that will hopefully help in
some way make for a safer and more enjoyable
time on the ice.
If you have a question about this or another fishing subject, stop by the Dans Fish N
Tales website at www.dansfishntales.com,
Facebook page at www.facebook.com/dansfishntales and drop me a line. There is also a
link to the Adventure Sports Outdoors website.
Until next time, get out on the water, and
enjoy a great day of fishing.
114
The High Road for Panfish

By Jason Mitchell
Panfish can suspend anywhere in the water column and a big equation for
locating fish and putting together a pattern is dialing in that productive zone.
Before electronics, anglers often fished down through the entire water column.
The edge that sonar gives us today is that we can speed up the process of getting back down to fish which makes us more efficient.! What also happens as
we race back down to a school that might be fifteen feet below the transducer
is we miss the high fish or leave fish that might not show up well on electronics.
The reason today that high fish are so often overlooked is because when we
use sonar, the cone angle is often merely a few feet wide at the most for the top
six feet of the water column.! If visibility allows, anglers can often sight fish for
high fish but there are also a few adjustments that enable your Vexilar to be
more effective when looking for fish that are in some cases a few feet below
your boots.! The first step is stretching that cone angle as much as possible.
Drill the holes as straight down as possible and hang the transducer as high as
possible in the center of the hole.!
Many anglers will actually use the foam, leveling device as an arm to hang
the transducer in the center of the hole often just a few inches under the water.
As simple as it sounds, keep the jig or presentation right below the transducer.
Keep the transducer in the middle of the hole and keep the rod tip right above
the transducer so that the presentation is also hanging right below the transducer.! Remember that the cone angle can often be extremely small so if you are
hanging the transducer on one side of the hole and you are fishing down the
other side, you might be off by as much as six inches which can make a big difference for seeing your presentation and watching for fish when your cone angle
might only be a foot wide a few feet under the ice.!
Sonar is fast and nimble where you can run and gun easily but underwater
cameras like the Vexilar Scout can also be really deadly for figuring out high
January 2016
fish.! Panning with an underwa- The author believes that anglers can
ter camera is a great way to look sometimes target some of the biggest
for fish that are hanging below crappie & sunfish by
the ice, perhaps the best way. fishing high in the
For actually catching fish, hang water column right
the lens so that it down views and under the ice.
just lower the lens in the hole far
enough where you can essentially sight fish without needing a
dark house.!
Some areas offer great sight
fishing opportunities and if water
visibility allows, sight fishing
inside a blacked out Fish Trap is
educational, productive and
enjoyable.! Over the past ten
years, I have been gravitating
towards smaller diameter augers
when targeting panfish but sight
fishing shallow water and high
fish is still one scenario where I
really like drilling a bigger hole
as I can peer and see to the sides
of the hole so much better.!
There are bodies of water
where anglers are really in-tuned
to fishing high in the water column and anticipate this pattern.! Thus these anglers are set up to capitalize on
these fish.! Other regions, other water however and some anglers have trouble
fishing in the top tier of the water column, often the result of the pattern not
being as prominent.! !
There are many situations however when high under the ice patterns shine,
especially for big fish. !I have my own opinions and theories but I believe we
January 2016
often find some of the biggest panfish

right under the ice because the bigger
fish feel more confident and safe
whereas the small fish dont seem to
like to leave the security of either the
school, weeds or bottom and be silhouetted.! Big fish also get to you
faster so if there is a pack of twenty
fish swimming say ten feet down and
they rise up to investigate you guess
who gets to you first?!
With that being said, some of the
best baits for exploring these patterns
are often larger profiled soft plastics
that not only have a tendency to flip
the trigger of big crappies in particular
but can also be seen from a distance
below.! My confidence bait right now
for big crappie high in the water column is a Makki Plastic Jamei rigged
onto a Clam Tackle Duck Bill Drop
Jig.! I like how this combination
swims in the water.! The new Clam
Tackle Cavier Jig is another great shallow water crappie killer that really
bounces nice when worked and gives
soft plastics a nice vibration and
action.
Crappies are notorious for riding
right under the ice but there are also
times when we have seen sunfish and
perch ride this highflying pattern as
well.! Pressure ridges and ice heaves
often attract fish.! Frozen weed fragments hanging from the ceiling of ice
are also sweet spots.! Not every day
necessarily do you find fish a foot or
Outdoor Lover's Dream!
115
two under the ice but it happens

enough that it should definitely be a
pattern to check as you search for fish.
When fish seemingly disappear from
the water column as the day progresses or dont show up in the usual locations, take the high road to some of the
biggest panfish caught each winter.
Congrats
to ASO
friend
John Briggs
with his
beautiful
buck shot
the first day
of muzzle
season in
Fulton
County.
Shot at
246 yards,
a nice
9 pointer,
Field
dressed
weighed
between
200 & 220!
NICE!!!
CRAPPIE FISHING IS HOT!

NO LIMIT ON CATFISH OR BLUEGILL!
P. O. B ox 1 8 7 S a m b u r g , T N 3 8 2 5 4
info@eaglenestresor t.com
Log Home on
11.4 wooded acres in
Peoria County, 11 miles
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GET THE
MAREK
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Contact
Chris Marek,
Managing
Broker, REALTOR at:
Chris@MarquiseRealty.com
309-696-5447
6 Carlton Dr. Mackinaw, IL
MarquiseRealty.com
w w w. E a g l e N e s t Re s o r t . c o m
1-877-EAGLE-01 1-731-538-2143
HUNTING SPECIAL: SEASON OPENS NOV. 14
2 Days & 2 Nights Lodging - $569*
or 3 Days & 3 Nights Lodging - $669*
Hunts Also
Available for
Small Parties
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*Minimum 4 People.
FISHING SPECIAL: Feb. 1 Mar. 15 & Starting May 23

Any 4 Days & Nights ONLY $239*
Includes Lodging, Boat, Motor, Bait, Gas & Ice!
*Prices Per Person, Plus Tax & Subject to change.
Minimum of 2 people. No pets allowed.
$75 non-refundable deposit per person required.
116
PinkOutdoors.com
Elk Antler-ology 101
by Keli Van Cleave
The weapons of dominance are not necessary for

the bull elk during the non-mating season. On top of
every bull elks head are two pedicles, which are
specialized bone-follicles covered with skin. Antlers
grow out of these pedicles each spring and summer.
Antler growth is governed by many factors from
year to year.
The famous antlers begin as layer upon layer of
cartilage that slowly mineralizes into bone. A protective covering called velvet helps protect the
antlers and carries blood to the growing bone tissue.
If you look closely at an antler, you'll see grooves and ridges on it. These
mark the paths of veins that carried blood throughout the velvet.
A bulls velvet can easily be damaged during the onset of autumn.
Injuries to velvet can cause a bull to have malformed antlers, sometimes for
the rest of their lives. Researchers say antler-cells grow faster than any
other kind of bone. Some report the growth up to one inch per day during
the summer months. Biologists have been studying antlers in hopes of
learning the secrets cell growth. Some theorize these secrets may one day
unlock cures to various forms of cancer.
When blood stops flowing to the antlers in late July early August, they
mineralize and harden, and the velvet falls off or is rubbed off on trees in
the wilderness. The hardened antlers are composed of calcium, phosphorous and as much as 25 to 50 percent water.
Mating season is war and testosterone continues to build within bull elk
into September, prompting them to seek out cows, fight with other bulls for
D E E R P R O C E S S I N G AVA I L A B L E
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1.5 lb. Rolls
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Summer Sausage $4.29 lb.
Spicy Salami $4.29 lb.
Salami with Cheese $5.69 lb.
Salami & Spicy Cheddar Cheese $5.69 lb.
Salami & Jalapeo Cheese $5.69 lb.
Snack Sticks - 8 per lb.
Salami $6.29 lb.

Spicy Salami $6.29 lb.
BBQ (sweet)$6.29 lb.
Salami & Spicy Cheddar Cheese $7.29 lb.
Salami & Jalapeo Cheese $7.29 lb.
ALL SMOKED PRODUCTS ARE VACUUM SEALED

Fresh Italian Deer Links $3.99/lb. Fresh Deer Brats 3.99/lb.
4 per lb.
4 per lb.
Processing Charges
Includes Steaks, Roast & Burger:
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Caping ..............$20.00
Skull Caps ..........$5.00
Trimmings for Burger:

Pork................$2.99 lb.
Beef ................$2.99 lb.
Grinding/Wrapping
Boneless Deer $.99 lb.
All smoking charges are based on finished weight of product.

All Deer must have proper tags before processing.
$30 DEPOSIT REQUIRED NO
January 2016
EXCEPTIONS CASH/CHECK ONLY

24-HOUR LATE NIGHT DROP OFF AVAILABLE!
Winter Elk Herd
dominance and then

seek out their mate.
Generally
around
October, testosterone
levels little by little
begin dropping until
early spring when the
antlers drop off. The
pedicles bleed right
after the antlers fall off,
but they soon heal. Late
spring begins the cycle
again and a new set of
antlers soon sprout from
the pedicles.
In the second year, a
bull elk usually grows
slim, unbranched antlers
called spikes. By the
third year, antlers begin
developing tines that
branch from the main
beam. Biologists say by
the sixth summer, a
bull's antlers may have
Colorado & Wyoming Bulls
six tines each and weigh
anywhere from 30-40
pounds.
A bull must consume
massive amounts of
nutrients to obtain the
energy and minerals
needed to grow antlers
as well as the energy to
carry them around.
Large antlers also identify a bull that is able to
defend himself against
other bulls and against
predators. This is of
great interest to female
elk (cows) because they
will mate with the
strongest, most successAntler Magic Mike
ful males.
The shed antlers, in turn, become a nutrient source for any animal willing to gnaw on them. They also become the ivory prizes of shed hunters for
collecting, crafting, and to sell for medicinal purposes.
Most Big Game hunting seasons are complete for 2015 however we can
still look forward to antler hunting in the next few months.
Wishing everyone a very Happy New Year 2016.
January 2016
117
118
January 2016
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
Kiln Dried Lumber Flooring Trim Mulch

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
January 2016
119
120
January 2016

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UNDER NEW OWNERSHIP! Gas Pumps

Get ya some Agatuccis Pizza Tonight!

Sales, Trades & Repairs

Funneman Frontier Arms, LLC.

Call for Appointment: 217-844-2233

Certified Armorer! Certified 1911 Pistol Smith on Staff!

TREMONT OIL COMPANY

Route 9, next to CITGO in Tremont, IL

ADVENTURE SPORTS OUTDOORS THE VOICE OF THE AMERICAN SPORTSMAN

TALES Contd. from pg. 5