Wayne SW/MO

Couldn't either to work stone. While we're talking about attacks, we shouldn't forget momma Bear protecting her cubs.

I just have to smile at the thought that wolves are a danger. Wolves, at least according to Animal Planet , stay in packs and hunt systematically. I suspect attacks are very rare. Now if you want to talk large predators who hunt as singles, stalk on padded feet, and who could leap small buildings if they wanted too, look no farther then the Mountain lion, Cougar, Puma or what ever. There are numerous recorded attacks and thanks to a California vegetarian, on the increase.

I never did quite understand their thinking, the new owners that is. They closed it down for a fair amount of time and then reopened as a commercial site. The did offer old members a year ( I think thats what is was ) free. It appeared they were looking at "magazine" type format. I do have to give credit to the MDC, who started the original, for showing the way.

The Big Niangua can be tough, only because you can't wade to the good areas. With the exception Riverfront, Fort Niangua, and Ho Humm, you're limited to the MDC accesses. You can get info on them from their web site, go to the "Atlas" on the left side.

Hmmm, no evidence that dinosaurs don't still exist and aren't attacking either. The best ever has to be that timber practices were driving the Spotted Owl into extinction and there was no evidence to the contrary, then the evidence came in, it was other owls! I think its a job for natural selection, if you think you're prime for being selected for the Red Riding Hood award, stay out of the woods.

MOBass its no secret. Fish it like any other lake, but remember that water temps rule, so use some common sense to find warmer waters.

Have a good one Dano!

Happy Birthday Phil

I'm going to try to make it. I have a family camping trip that weekend, if that doesn't wear me out I'll be there. Where is the cooking going to take place?

If people need a reason to get involved with the preservation of our rivers and streams, think about this, the population has more than doubled since I was born,and there are fewer flows!

I agree with that. There are numerous instances in the West where they have pushed faulty science, the Spotted Owl and the Pacific Murlett come to mind. One of the largest misconceptions is that the timber companies would cut everything in sight. The fact is they don't do that on land they own and control in many instances, and it depends on the land owner. Public land is managed by the Dept. of Agriculture, under rules laid out by congress. If the FS says clear cut, then its clear cut, and it brings more to the FS, but not necessarily the timber company. There's no doubt that clear cutting can contribute as much, if not more, to fires as over management did. Yellowstone is like a lot of forests, its been mis-managed to the point that it will take decades of careful manipulation to bring it back to a semi normal forest. Don't blame the timber companies, blame those that control the timber.

I've had one for a number of years, they are very accurate. If anyone has the need, this is a bargain, especially with the new blade.

When I was in Oregon there was a fire about 30 miles from our place. We were aware of its progress every few hours, even though it wasn't coming our way, nor threatening the town in which we did most of our shopping. The interesting thing about it was that it moved into a Wilderness area, and at that point they had to let it go. They monitored it by air and knew where it would emerge from the Wilderness, they then cut a break and knocked it down quickly. This has always come to mind when I see a large fire is burning, and I have wondered why this plan isn't done in other fires? The reason it seems is that unlike this fire, where no private property was threatened, most fires are fought to avoid property loss, because there isn't enough manpower to do both. It appears that much of the loss of forest can be attributed to people living a little too close to nature.

I've looked at a lot of reels there, and I doubt they are reconditioned, more like they work. I'm sure there are some good ones in the bunch, but there are often a lot of the lower end BPS reels at a price that wouldn't even allow lubing. At least thats my opinion of them.

I would think it would more likely be someone grabbing up what they felt was marketable. Its my understanding that when something is returned, BPS doesn't feel its feasible to check it out completely, so they give it the once over and price it for sale at the Outlet store. Of course they also get rid of overstocks and discontinued items.

Sounds like a good time.

I wouldn't look any farther than this place. Have them put you in upriver and float to the campground. http://www.canoemissouri.com/

Horses are hard on the land, period. Horses hoofs are unnatural to North America, and so is their habit of pulling grass. The bottom line is that when there are too many you will have a heavy runoff, carrying everything with it.

Has to be a FAX?

I'm sure it will be all over the news stone, but it won't apply to corp lakes, or in all likelihood to lakes such as Empires Taneycomo. My hope is that it will raise a whirlwind of indignant outdoorsman, and the issue will be settled by congress in favor of free access to all waters that were naturally connected, once and for all.

When we went to Michigan we always hired a guide the first day. They knew we were there for several days and boatless, so they concentrated on holes we could reach by land, moving from hole to hole giving us a lot of water to fish and the methods to catch fish. They were priceless. Phil knows the guides from Baldwin I'm talking about, and I'm sure he will agree..

Leo, I agree with you.

You have to look carefully, not only to find everything, but to make sure of what you're buying. The rods are often repaired, but individual items are order returns, or so I've been told. I bought a Sammy there for $7, current color, still sealed in the package and I assumed it was a return that was thrown on the shelf. Terry, leave your plastic at home, take it from someone who knows.

My wife and I were working and living in Oregon at the time, and my practice was to fire up the net in the morning to check the weather. When Yahoo came up there was a picture of the first strike, but I ignored it thinking it was a fire in some building. I checked the weather, returned to the front page, and there started checking headlines and when I realized it was a plane that had hit the WTC, I immediately thought of of '93 and wondered to myself if it was related to terrorism. We then turned on the TV to watch in horror the rest of the story. As a free country we will always be vulnerable, and we have to decide how much security we need while we fight this war. We also have to realize that this war is an attack on who we are, not what are government has done.

Thats a good point Al, but everyone needs to remember that standing timber, which is what we sell, via the FS, is a raw material. The price for the finished product is pretty much set by the big companies such as Weyerhauser, Georgia Pacific and other smaller companies that own huge tracts of timber on private land. My point is that if the timber is sold cheap enough, or even given away with conditions, it will most likely be profitable. The bottom line is that the FS has to quit managing for financial gain and start managing them as huge playgrounds for the public, which is what I believe the majority wants. I don't think the public cares what the Democrats or Republicans think about the NF, I don't think they want the Congress to play with them, I think they would be satisfied with a goal of maximum sustainable use, not of financial returns I'm afraid that Yellowstone is somewhat a lost cause, because I don't think the NPS has the funds or expertise to nurse it back over the decades it will take. As you pointed out its becoming ripe for another fire, because its still in an unnatural state, and it will remain that way until the canopy rises above the natural fuel on the forest floor.