jdmidwest

Things are froze out over here. Hopefully it will thaw out some and the ducks won't leave us.

Saddles are the best, but the webby parts of a rooster hackle will work too.

Wool and Fleece have heat retention when wet. Fleece usually dries quicker and is lighter weight. Polypropolene is good too, I have some glove liners made out of it that I cut the fingers out of for above freezing weather. Same goes with hunting gloves, except most of them have some kind of breathable membrane in them to stop wind and moisture. They are too bulky to wear fishing and do not immerse well unless they are gore tex. Beware of cotton gloves that look like wool, they hold water like a sponge and the cold too.

I use fleece for temps above freezing and wool below. Both are fingerless or have the index and thumb cut out. I have used some with the flip up fingers when it was really cold. I have a hand warmer pocket in my waders to stuff my fingers when they get cold and carry a small towel to dry them off after landing a fish.

I would think the population density of the deer would keep the nutrition down and the rack sizes also. They also need good genetics to grow a rack too. They tried to get a hunt going over here in a local town, but it was voted down. I have seen several bucks in that area of the day, but none even touching the 100 class. There is an albino or two, lots of does and fawn. I spoke with some of the MDC researchers that did the study and they did not mention many wallhangers in the bunch. But the population density was high enough to justify a hunt to thin them down.

What negotiations? They are still trying to enroll in Obamacare. I did read an article that they spent a trillion dollars in 10 days after the debt ceiling was raised. I wish I could find it to post it.

Like I expected, opening weekend was 12% down in harvest from last year. Last year was the worst in 20 years. http://mdc.mo.gov/newsroom/opening-weekend-deer-harvest-blown-away

The woods sounded like I was standing behind a jet turbine all day on Sunday. Saturday the mist was so bad in the morning my vision was worthless because of my glasses, the evening was when the jets started firing up. I passed on a doe and a fawn, too hot to work one up. This weekend looks nice, they should hang good for a few days and tenderize.

There is a few swampers down here, close enough to a hare.

The current management draws the crowds to the stream, that is where I would prefer them. Keep them concentrated on streams like the Current, Huzzah, Coutois, and the Meramec and off the other streams. I don't want to see more horses. I don't want to see less campsites or access points.I don't really care that they are overcrowded, like I said, I don't go there for peaceful alone time. 30 years ago, you could go over and have a wilder experience in that area. But, few people floated to party, camped to be camping, and it was less of a park and more of a river. No matter what they do, they will not stop the herds of people that flock there now, so just leave it alone and quit wasting money trying to figure it out every few years.

Aren't they cute when they butcher the fish? They play with them like cats play with toys.

ONSR is a frickin park, you expect to see people there. It's like going to Montauk expecting to experience a Limestone Spring Branch experience. I don't go there to get away, I go there for gatherings. I really never get excited about "getting away" when I plan a trip to the ONSR. Fishing sucks during the summer, crowds keep the fish skeered. Current River is better below the ONSR on the Current and less crowded with floaters. Upper Jacks is great too, most liveries will not launch boats up there because of low flows, but you can still do private floats. If I want getaway fishing trip, I will go 11PT or some other remote stream. It is a public park that does not need more restrictions. Unless they want to return it to a wilderness, restrict all access, limit the amount of people on it, and tear out all of the improvements, then just leave it alone. If they do restrict it, then all of the boneheads you all are bitchin about will overflow into the nice streams. Quit wasting my tax dollars pondering what to do.

Most of the rivers I access here in MO are off 2 track gravel roads, Castor, St Francois, Black, Little Black, etc. They are not overly developed and publicized like a NPS river.

For a short while, then the birds got wise.

I try to avoid field dumps whenever possible. That is what I am doing at the gas station while others are loading up on junk food.

It is my understanding that AWD is the best traction alternative, all wheels pulling the same. Unless they have a limited slip differential. Most 4WD still have a limited slip differential in the rear unless they are positrac. My 4 Runner will turn all 4 at the same time, a very positive traction control. Alot of 4WD trucks have to spin a tire before the other picks up the slack on an axle in the rear.

I have always preferred rivers with 2 track trails to it instead of pavement and boat ramps. They seem to be more private and lesser traveled.

Don't sit around eating breakfast then come boating down a lane right at shooting hours at a public place ruining other hunting. This one is a pet peeve of mine. I know of a couple of public areas where there is a little restaurant just outside of the reserve. They draw the pill, then go stuff their gut till daylight. Get in a big noisy boat and go running down the lanes to their blind at daylight scaring everything off that has just gotten settled in. Then they leave about an hour or so later.

Most of the time there is lots of time between birds. Most locations are a 2 hour drive for me, so I usually don't get hunger pains till shooting time. I have always packed a stove and coffee pot. Just a little more for a skillet, ladle, etc. My buddies son packed it a quarter mile last season for a hot breakfast at Otter Slough in the snow. Gave us energy to keep waterhole open that day.

Making it a Wilderness Area is a great idea. But who controls it? And who can use it? It has been over commercialized in past years, it would be hard to return it to what it was when the indians and schoolcraft used it. Big timber is gone. Too many people on the river.

Was sitting in the blind yesterday munching on some duck jerky I whipped up Friday night before I left out and was wondering what everyone does for duck blind food. Even with all of the exercise we have chasing cripples, we seem to put on a little weight during the season. We hunt a variety of places during the season ranging from temporary blinds, boats, and permanent blinds. I usually keep a cookset in the truck with a single burner stove, paper plates, utensils, coffee pot, and spices. I toss it in the boat and carry it to a blind from time to time. We have even packed it into a field temporary blind on occaision. A hot meal really helps on a cold damp day. Pre cooked sausage links and scrambled eggs have been good breakfast food this season. Or bacon and eggs. For lunch, I have done red beans and rice with sausage that I precooked at home, heated chili, or fried venison steaks. For a cold lunch, we have the Bumble Bee prepared tuna salad and crackers, Jalapeno Vienna Sausage, Spam and Crackers, or lunch meat sandwiches. Snacks have been the Jerky or Summer Sausage of some outdoor critter, dried pineapple, pretzels, trail mix, etc.

Thanks from all of us innocent civilians that appreciate what the military does to keep us safe and secure. While many in my family have served, I chose college instead. Looking back, I really wish that I would have taken that Navy recruiter up on his offer back in HS.

Personally, I could do with out the jet boats on the river anywhere above 2 Rivers. Jacks Fork is usually too low to run them on there anyway and have not really seen any on there during the summer. Current River would be better without them and safer for the floaters in that area without them. I don't really want to see more horses and trails, their little hooves do alot of damage and the manure leaves the pristine country looking like a barnyard. And then there are the flies that always seem to ruin the camping around the stable areas. Closing accesses to launch is the interesting one, they really don't say what will go. Williams is one I wonder about. All of the upper river accesses give you choices based on how you want to float and for how long. Less access would lead to less choice. And that illustrious representative is the Federal Government, working to protect the state he represents. Maybe let the state take over and run the land within its border.

I hear catch and release season is open at Meramec Springs.

Duck Dynasty quit being about ducks when they hit the big time TV. Nothing like the actual hunting videos.