Quillback

it is a lot of trees. Hauling those things down a rocky slope to get them to the barge can't be fun. I tip my hat to the volunteers who are helping with the work.

Welcome, I'd love to hear some flathead stories.

I wonder if they'll have their own poll. I can't imagine them waiting until the end of the year and saying -"Ok, here's our top 4."

Not to mention that writers have their biases also. But next year it's the committee that will select the 4 teams bound for the playoffs. That should be interesting.

I haven't eaten one since I was a kid. My grandma made a mean squirrel stew, or she would fry them and make squirrel gravy.

Makes sense for the Tigers, except for the 30 million payout. Now they can move Cabrera over to first. It will be interesting to see what Cano gets for a contract, he was asking 30 million/year and a long term deal. You'd think after watching what happened with A-Rod and Pujols, temas would shy away from offering big long term contracts to players in their thirties.

I'm on the OK DFG email list, they sent out this email today. Game wardens' investigations lead to big fines paid in southeast Oklahoma poaching case Recently, game wardens with the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation wrapped up an important case that proves illegal hunting activity just isn't worth the cost. In the landmark case - completed in October 2013 - a total of 73 wildlife violation charges were filed against 13 individuals who pleaded guilty in both Oklahoma and Arkansas courts, mostly for crimes involving the illegal killing of deer and obtaining fraudulent hunting licenses. They paid a total of $22,356 in state fines and court costs with no restitution, including over $10,306 paid for 18 charges filed in Oklahoma and $12,050 for 55 charges filed in Arkansas. In both states combined, only two charges were dismissed. Those charged were members of private hunting leases in southeast Oklahoma and adjoining leases in Arkansas. The case began in June 2012, when McCurtain Co. game warden Kenny Lawson was contacted by a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service special agent regarding an illegal lifetime license purchase and information that several private hunting lease members were involved in killing deer illegally in Oklahoma and transporting them into Arkansas. Lawson followed up on the lifetime license information and learned that a resident of De Queen, Ark., had in fact used a relative's Oklahoma address to obtain an Oklahoma driver's license and lifetime hunting license. Then Lawson teamed up in mid-October 2012 with two USFWS employees to begin surveillance on the associated leases along the Oklahoma/Arkansas state line near Eagletown. In all, law enforcement officers, including primary investigator and McCurtain Co. game warden Kenny Lawson, documented 45 illegal deer (29 bucks and 16 does) and one bear illegally killed by the group in 2012 - not including deer checked in Arkansas. All the deer killed in Oklahoma were determined to be illegally taken, as no person in the group had a valid Oklahoma hunting license or deer license - including the Oklahoma resident who killed two bucks. One of the suspects killed 13 deer in 2012, seven of which were killed illegally in Oklahoma. One of the suspects also aided a younger brother in illegally obtaining an Oklahoma lifetime hunting license by using his Oklahoma address. The primary poaching method observed by the officers included using dogs to run deer between the two leases, a technique legal in Arkansas but illegal in Oklahoma and most other states. Through their covert investigations, officers identified suspects and 15 vehicles used in crimes. They also observed illegal hunting with rifles every day from mid-October throughout the nine-day Oklahoma muzzleloader season and the archery season as well as throughout the 16-day Oklahoma deer gun season. The officers then spent several months gathering other information and building a case. By August of 2013, the officers were able to interview the suspects. Lawson and fellow McCurtain Co. game warden Dru Polk undertook the interview process along with members of a special investigative unit with Arkansas Game and Fish Department and special agents with the USFWS. Eventually all suspects were located and were very cooperative, confessing to the crimes and giving written affidavits to the facts. The officers also interviewed the original suspect on the fraudulent lifetime license case and learned the father of this suspect had also obtained an Oklahoma lifetime license at the same time. Both father and son were charged with additional hunting violations in both states for killing deer illegally and the license fraud. The officers confiscated approx. 30 sets of deer antlers and three illegally obtained Oklahoma lifetime hunting and fishing licenses with a face value of $2,175 combined and an estimated several thousand dollars in value over the course of a lifetime. According to Lt. Arthur Joe Young, game warden supervisor stationed in Atoka County, this was the largest case of its kind that he could recall in District 3 in his 40 years as a game warden. Lawson credits the success of the case to good old fashioned investigative work and the interview skills of the team of officers, as well as the fact that the involved officers worked covertly to build the case before taking action. "The evidence in this case was significant and would have been difficult for the suspects to dispute," Lawson said. "While modern technology proved to be a very valuable tool in this investigation, it cannot replace or serve as a substitute for fundamental investigative work and a desire to see that justice is served to those that steal from law abiding sportsmen and women." While the suspects paid a monetary price for their crimes thanks to the efforts of Oklahoma game wardens, the real winners in the case are the sportsmen of Oklahoma, whose hunting license dollars go toward conservation work, including law enforcement efforts to protect wildlife. "Our true sportsmen pay for conservation, whether it be law enforcement efforts or habitat work," Lawson said. "When you hunt illegally, you are taking from the people who pay for conservation and also hurting wildlife." The Wildlife Department receives no general state tax appropriations and is funded primarily by sportsmen through their purchase of hunting and fishing licenses as well as certain sporting goods. The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation's Law Enforcement Division is made up of about 120 game wardens stationed across the state with a commitment to make sure that wildlife is protected and conserved for the enjoyment of legal hunters, wildlife watchers and future generations of outdoor enthusiasts. Game wardens are available to assist sportsmen who have witnessed a wildlife violation. Their numbers are printed in the current "Oklahoma Hunting Guide," available free online at wildlifedepartment.com or in print anywhere hunting licenses are sold. Wildlife violations also can be reported by phone - anonymously - by calling the Department's Operation Game Thief Hotline at 1-800-522-8039

Slap some skin conditioner on your hands before you go out also.

Thanks for that info Bo - I've never heard of a 3J.

I agree, it would be great to see him in KC, they could use his bat. But 4 year contract would not be a good deal at his age.

What spoons do you like Bo?

Good question, my guess would be since Beltran is a switch hitter, they might use him against lefthanders at times.

Thanks for that link, I've read a bunch of his articles, it will interesting to see a video or two.

I was only referring to myself as far as being desperate . I want those silly looking little things to work, it's just so hard for me to have any faith in them.

Saw this on the AGFC website. http://www.agfc.com/resources/Pages/ResourcesEnewlettersQuarterly.aspx#Fish Scroll down to the Fisheries District one 9/30 link.

Must be nice to be in a position to walk away from a 1 year, $14 million deal expecting to get something better. Good news for Cards fans is the Cards would get a first round pick in exchange for losing Beltran. The market for free agent outfielder Carlos Beltran seems to be picking up quite a bit of recent steam. Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe reported this afternoon that the Orioles, Yankees and Red Sox have expressed serious interest in signing Beltran and now Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald tweets that the Red Sox front office has already engaged in “serious dialogue” with the 36-year-old and his agent. Beltran received a one-year, $14.1 million qualifying offer from the Cardinals this month and declined it, so signing him requires the forfeiture of a top draft pick. But what he is capable of providing offensively can outweigh that hitch. Beltran batted .282/.343/.493 with 56 home runs, 56 doubles, 162 runs scored and 181 RBI in his two seasons with St. Louis and he’s a .333/.445/.683 career hitter in 51 total postseason games. The Red Sox could use him as a regular left fielder and part-time designated hitter in 2014.

No squirrel recipes? I saw a lot of squirrels while I was fishing Table Rock yesterday, seems you hardly see any squirrel hunters these days. I keep thinking I'll take it up, I hate skinning those things and it's so hard to keep the hair off the meat.

I hate missed fish, missed one yesterday that may have been decent, got it under the boat, saw a big greenish silver flash as it turned sideways and it was off. No idea on the species, but I had caught a nice 2 lb. spot right before hooking that one, so I'm thinking a was a big spot or a largemouth.

When I use a Fish Doctor it means I'm really desperate.

Welcome!

I spent most of the day working for fish, caught about 10, with maybe 6 being keepers. Caught several 2 lb. spots, all of my keeper sized fish were spots except for one smallie. The fish were hard to find, I spent a lot of time fishing areas that should be good this time of year and getting nothing. But every so often I would find an area they liked and pick up a fish or two. Small cuts in bluffs, bluff ends, and a mid-cove bank were the spots where I found fish. The tube again was my #1 bait, with a couple coming on a Fish Doctor. Lately I can't catch a fish on a jig, but did talk to another fisherman who had picked up several on a jig today. Water temp was 58-59.

It is tough, you done good.

Hauled the rig over to Lost Bridge North and spend about 6 hours mid-day fishing the Indian Creek area. Poked around in several coves, caught 8 or so, with 2 keeper smallies and a keeper LM in the mix. Almost all came on a Texas rigged tube dragged on the bottom, in mid cove areas, fish being usually in 10-20 feet of water. Saw the "Arkansas Habitat Barge" - that's what it says on the side of the boat - over on the northwest side of Horne Holler loading up some salt cedars that had been cut down. As I was leaving, saw several more boats heading up that way. Back at the ramp, there were about 1/2 dozen rigs parked there with either "Arkansas Heritage Commission" decals on them or "Arkansas Game and Fish". I'm thinking those cedars they are removing are in that Devils Eyebrow area the state purchased last year. I don't know where they are placing the cedars however. Here's a keeper smallie that came with a bonus walleye lure and 30 yards of mono to boot.

Thanks for the update, looks like you folks got into some great fishing. Exploding tube of superglue -

Chiefs had first and goal from the 5, couldn't get it in, had to settle for an FG. Bronks fumbled the ball away to the Chiefs, I forget exactly where, but it was around the Bronks 30. First play with the ball, Smith completes a pass to the TE or H-back (whatever that guy with the beard is) an he fumbles it right back to the Bronks. Grrrrrrr....