jdmidwest

In light of another thread on here, I just thought I would mention something that is drilled in the MDC guides and rules over and over again. A permit to hunt and fish does not allow trespassing. You are to RESPECT others property and ask permission before you enter. Anything outside of the river in most areas is private property. I am guessing that most posting on here do not own large parcels of land that are managed for wildlife and fishing. Most do not farm, own livestock, or make their living off of their real estate. As a landowner, farmer, and outdoorsman, I respect others property when I float across it. I will stop and introduce myself and strike up a friendly conversation with any landowner that I come across and RESPECT his property. I don't pull out a court decision that I have the right to be there. It is in my opinion that it is a priveledge to be there. As a landowner, I deal with trespass on a regular basis. Just yesterday, I encountered a pair of rabbit hunters exiting our property. When encountered, they were cordial, introduced themselves, and we conversed. They were hunting neighboring land, were given permission by someone other than the landowner of the property, and the dogs had run rabbits onto our property where they pursued them. They were nice and I did not stress the fact that they did something wrong, and was invited along on the next hunt. They have been using that property all season without permission from the landowner. But that is not my land and we informed him that is was not the right of the person that give him permission to let them on. 3 deer seasons ago, I encountered an individual sitting behind a deer decoy in full camo in the middle of our field on opening day of deer season. I confronted him and sent him on his way, reminding him the danger of hunting in full camo behind a deer decoy. Seasons past I encountered another individual that routinely hunted inside of our fence on a field. When I started to approach across a 40 acre field, he would leave. This went on for 2 seasons till I finally put purple tape on all of the fence at that side of the property and stole his seat cushion. The posting drew comments from 20 locals, and only 2 of them actually owned the property that bordered us. The same area a few years back was infested by 5 hunters wearing camo a few years back with no orange one afternoon when I decided to take an opening evening drive to the field. It was a danger area for crossfire. I have lost access to one area that I used to fish from because the landowner of the area was mad because we gated another stream acess that was becoming a drug problem. I explained to him that he was welcome, he would just have to stop and get a key, but he would not budge and I stay off his property. Bottom line, RESPECT the persons that own land and ask permission or be nice when you do float across their land and you will probably get alot farther than you will standing up and telling them you have the right. Landowner deal with alot, trash, damage, torn fences, poached livestock, vandalism, etc, Stand in their shoes for a moment and think about it.

So, he did not travel back to South Dakota. He is going back to his family in the Ozarks....

I use Thule Hullaports on my factory Toyota racks. I have used Thules in the past on one of my Blazers and liked them. Either Thule or Yakima are good, don't know about the inno. Look into saddles or a carrier like the Hullaports to keep them off the roof paint.

Was he blocking access to the stream, blocking you from floating the stream, or telling you to get off his gravel bars? This would make a difference on how to pursue it.

Did they get a ticket for chumming?

The weather guys were really off this weekend. Never got above freezing in SEMo today with a bitter wind.

More power to ya, but I doubt if it will get any where. Try driving 5 hours to Norfork and see the water come on as you are walking down in waders! SWPA is the persons that control the water. They have releases for electricity, minimum flow, and other reasons like when the Fish and Game needs to float down river to stock. They may have a increased demand due to a need for power if another source drops offline. Or they may shut down for repairs. If they have plenty of water, they will generate as it is a cheap source. But like you, there should be a more accurate way in this day of tech and on the spot info.

I have stayed at a couple of motels in Rolla, one near the Sizzlin? on the south side near the end of the strip and the one near the interstate on the north side. Both were ok, but that was 15 years ago. Can't remember the names. Last few times up, I stayed at St. James at the Quality/Days Inn? on the NW side of the interstate. Good rates, clean rooms, friendly people. Not far from Rolla. If you are fishing, you can hit Meramec or Montauk from there. Take the road to Salem before you get to Meramec off HWY 8, it is about the same distance as from Rolla. Motel in Licking is fine too, located at the intersection of 63 and whatever in Licking.

A little quick research shows that it probably does not have anything to do with cookies, but maybe a blog site with TimThumb software. I know several on here run their own blogs, it is usually listed in the signature line. If you went that way it may have triggered the response. Or it may have something to do with the switchover. Nothing has triggered my Avast. Avast Blog, Following Wordpress into a Blackhole.

Its better now it seems. I could not log in last night. Could not even see the forum the night before. Last night was really slow but better this morning.

I never really meant it as a conspiracy theory, because they are obviously here. Was this just a bad year on the old home range and a group of males decide to head to Missouri and see if they could scare up a little tail? There must be a breeder in the woods around here somewhere. Do they travel to MO based on the instinct that cats used to live here, so maybe they can find a female. Can't they smell a female in heat? Why walk for days without a whiff? I think they are here from some other reason. Not long ago, an exotic breeder let several loose in Ark., I think most were never found. Did anyone entertain the fact that someone may have dumped some here? Where do you think the feral hogs came from? MDC never stocked them and they did not wander in here, they were let loose illegally when game ranches went under. There are alot of exotic animals raised every year in several states. Not all track them like Missouri does. As far as dealing with it. 30 years ago or more there were a few sightings of black bears, then one every now and then till a few years ago. Then all of the sudden, lots of sightings, a few killed. But their stance on the issue was that it was just young males traveling up from Ark. Don't worry, no alarms. Last year, MDC had a program to trap/study them and documented a resident population. But when was the last time you heard of anyone killing a bear lately? Maybe MDC needs to realize that maybe the cats are here to stay and study them which in the long run may actually protect them.

You surely do need to keep politics out of the wildlife conservation system. If politics gets involved, you could end up with more liberal views in conservation management leading to loss of hunting ground and hunters rights due to the nature of that groups views on anti-hunting and anti-gun. You could get a member of PETA on a board making decisions. You could lose a MDC area because some politician is pressured to develop the real estate for some other reason. What would surely happen is competition of one populous area getting more than another less populated area. None of the names on the bill are from my area. I am betting the ones generating the bill are coming from an area around ST Louis or Kansas City. While the current system has a few gripes, it has worked well for the last 75 years and is the envy of many other states because they do such a good job and are funded solely with a small percentage of a sales tax. Many other states operate their systems out of the general revenue of the state and get squeezed on lean years.

What I am trying to say in a round about way is, someone must be planting them here. I don't buy the story that they are just wondering over here from the Rockies or South Dakota. I could somewhat buy the fact that the bears were moving in from Arkansas, but not this one. At $36,000 an elk, what is an mountain lion pelt worth? And, at no time did I ever infer that Indians were L D students. Nor did I state that the MDC said there are NO mountain lions in the state. I was rehashing the current stance that there is not a breeding population of mountain lions in Missouri, just a few males passing thru for some reason. Past biology course's have not shown any mammal to reproduce asexually. MDC constantly adheres to the story that there is no breeding population present and all the lions killed and trapped are males. They have to be coming from somewhere. Come on, just admit it, MDC let them go to control the otter population. Sierra Club report

I have worried the same about my SX2, been meaning to get a spare to throw in the go box. Thanks for the reminder. The gun is great, but the friction fit of the bolt handle has always bothered me as a weak spot.

Looks like Mr. Henson is credited with the first live trapping of a Missouri Cougar. He caught him in an area not far where I spend a good portion of time hunting, hiking, mushrooming, and fishing. But no worries, there are no cougars in MO, just males wandering thru looking for a female. OK, my mental capacity exceeds the size of a normal flea. There must be a resident population of females here in order to draw all of the South Dakota bachelors looking for some tail down here. C'mon MDC, admit it, there are big cats in Missouri and lets deal with them. Don't keep it under your coat tails like you did the bears all of these years. River Hills Traveler Article on the Mountain Lion.

Not to be mean, but why was Fido roaming free on the neighbor's land? Around here that could result in charges against you of animal abuse by letting your animal run out of your control. I doubt if the landowner will be liable for any damages.

That is a slick idea. The pvc pontoons are the extra we needed. They say those sleds float, but I thought they would need something extra. On lakes here, we take a motor boat and pull the yaks out behind us. Sit the dekes and stuff the big boat in the trees. Paddle back out in the yaks and layout in them to kill the ducks.

Great looking rig. I would like to see a pick of the sled you are using to tow the gear. My buddy is looking for a system to drag more dekes behind his motorized layout boat. What about sub zero days, does it freeze up inside also? I would love to have it, just don't have a place to run it. I don't think the impellor would do well in brackish flooded timber swamp water or muddy fields. If I had a big lake blind, it would be great to run out to it in the mornings. Cripples would have a hard time getting away from me also...

Carry and gun and be aware of your surroundings and you really shouldn't have to worry about much. Stumble thru life not paying attention to your surroundings will get you in to trouble no matter what the threat. You can wear orange during hunting season and prevent accidental shootings. You wear protective clothing for poison ivy and avoid it, you spray for ticks. You watch where you step and put your hands to keep from getting snake bit. You wear a bell to signal hungry bears that it is dinner time. And you pack heat for the rest.

There are no Mountain Lions in Missouri, so it will pass back thru to wherever it was going to.....

Slingshots and marbles are good for grebes, as well as beaver and coots. I keep one in the blind to fend off annoying peckers like that. Works good to pick on your duck hunting buddy when he is out screwing with the dekes. An RC boat does good too, but my prop always gets tangled in the moss.

Sitting around last night and realized that I had not wet a hook since Oct. 31. This hunting season has put a cramp on the fishing along with all of the rains. Went to the office and did some work this morning then off to the local Rotary Lake in Jackson for some winter C&R trout fishing. Wind was blowing a fair pace and started on the quiet side. Tyed on a size 14 bead head about 18" under a pinch on palsa float and cast out about 20 feet from the bank. I just twitched it some and let the waves jig it up and down. Wham, I was into the fish. Kept it up for about an hour and landed 6 trout and a dozen mini bluegills. Best fish was 14", rest were around 8 to 12 inches. Had a little conversation with a fellow that identified the man on the fishing dock as the one that was caught last year with 24 trout in his truck and some on a stringer. I was amazed that the guy still has a license to fish, but there he was, plugging away. Off to the duck ponds this weekend to close out the middle zone. Looks like teal weather tomorrow....

I noticed that too a few months back. I guess the family closed the site.

Debris ball? I am still using the extra rad's given off from the reactor meltdown to recharge my tritium night sights.

I use an Eagle portable on mine. Unit runs off of 8 AA batteries and transducer suction cups or dangles from rope. Runs all day on a set of batteries and then I recharge them.