jdmidwest

Brownie is a slang term for Smallmouth bass. Bronze back, brownie, smallie, yellow bass, and others.

If otter are not a problem, why does almost 2/3 of the state have a no limit on otters during the trapping season. They are prolific, they have no natural predator other than man, mountain lions, or maybe a wolf. And they will ruin a fish pond if they get into them. And they do keep a close eye on the hatcheries to control otter predation there also. You can't blame the MDC, they just tried to restore a native species and it went over too well. Groundhogs are fun to watch, but I kill any I find on our farms. The holes are a danger to horses and they will ruin a garden. They dig out foundations. Coyotes are endangered anytime I see one and get a shot. In hard winters they have ganged up on calves and killed them. They are hard on rabbits also. Pets are at risk also. Red tail Hawks are hard on quail, but they are a Federal bird so they are protected so we just have to live with that. Improve habitat for the quail to improve them. As a kid, I killed crows, blackbirds, and starlings. They eat corn from the cribs and carried disease, histoplasmosis. Starlings were an invasive, non native species. Cowbirds laid eggs in the nest of songbirds and made them raise their young instead of their own. There are many troublesome species in Missouri, feral hogs, feral dogs, and feral cats that should be shot on sight also. They compete with turkeys and deer, attack farm animals, and kill our songbirds in that order.

I am not much help, we did not make it up to that part of the river last summer, gas was too high and trips too few. Ivan dumped alot of trees everywhere around there. I am sure someone either cut it out or cut a new road, alot of local traffic in there.

We are getting supplies from the wholesaler now. Wally is still out here.

The road goes almost to the river, close enough to carry the boat 20 feet down to the river. It is rutted and in bad shape, worse than the old cemetary road on the south side of 19 at the Greer access. That one used to be able to travel past the cemetary, but has grown up in years past. You can still walk it as a trail. The float from Mc Cormack to Greer is short, only a few hours. We take it on afternoons in the summer, catch goggle eye, bass, and trout in one float. Pull over and wade fish to make it last longer.

They are flourishing. Years ago when there was a bounty on them they were scarce. They are pretty easy to trap, my friend kept out a dozen dry sets this year and killed 15 or more off of 2 farms. One must have wondered into another's range and when he was tied up in the trap, other coyotes killed him by attacking and disemboweling him. But the hides were low this year so they are going to tan them and sell the hides finished out to try to get more money. Otters in lakes do not present the same problems as they do in small streams and ponds. They can clean out an area in a heartbeat. I had a friend that had the same problem on the Castor River while camping in a big hole. Awoke to the sounds of Psst Psst, which is a noise they make coming up for air, a pack was working the way upstream. The fishing was poor after that. They are intimidating, nothing like a 5 foot snake coming up next to you while you are sitting in a yak in the lake. That is what they remind me of in the water.

Great looking flies. I have one question, have you ever tried to tye the Crawdads with the hook point up instead of down? With the hook up, they tend to snag the bottom less when you fish them deep.

Chalk up Otters, Herons, and Man in the waste category. I have witnessed Otters kill for pleasure, herons kill what they can not eat, and humans, well we waste alot of resources.

Carry a pistol and blast them out of the water! Seriously, the price of otter fur and other fur plummeted this year due to the economy. My friend trapped several of them around here this winter. Amazing the little streams that they use, most were small ditches. They will swim up anything to get to a pond or lake. MDC opened the otter season up longer and made the takes a little more liberal this year. But most trappers trap for money in the hides and will not just trap to control the species. If I had the time, I would trap to target the elimination of Otters and Coyotes. Otter in Mo were over trapped to the point of extinction one time, it could be done again if we tried. If they are in the Current and that visible, they are nailing the fish hard. I came across a pack at Wappapello Lake a few years back while duck hunting. One dragged a 15 pound carp up on a log in the flooded timber and started a feast. They are one of the few species that kill for fun and will waste fish if they can.

I know the one, just never knew it had a name. The old road behind McCormack lake is forgotten by most. We use it as an access point for a quick float to Greer at 19. You need a 4wd to use it most of the time.

Just thought I would share a little product review on Muck Boots. In November, I decided to buy some knee high boots for hunting. Seemed like everytime I would jump out of the yak to get into the blind, I would go over the top of my waterproof Rockies. The cordura stayed wet all day and my feet would get chilled in the wind. I stopped by our local CO-OP store and picked up a pair of Edgewater Hi Tops. They are high on the calf design with self cleaning lugs, lightly insulated. They are lightweight, comfortable, and warm enough for most conditions I need them for. They worked great yesterday in the snow and ice. The boot top rolls down and works as a regular slip on boot for the yard also. I love them, look forward to using them turkey season.

I personally like plated or jacketed bullets of all types over pure lead. In 22LR, I have no problems with the lead bullets, but they are usually the cheaper ones that gunk up the action with a foul powder. I have and still do shoot lead thru revolvers, and it does tend to build up in the rifling and is hard to scrub out. In semi-auto pistols and rifles I always use a jacketed bullet. As far as accuracy, a good lead bullet will shoot as well as a jacketed bullet in the lower velocities of 22's and handguns. In 22LR, I buy one type of hollow point, sight it in, and try to stick to it for consistent accuracy.

I feel better knowing someone who knows someone that had better know what he is talking about. Waterfowl zones are up for review every 5 years and public opinion meetings are held in each conservation district before the zone rules are set. Zones have changed several times in the past 20 years of my duck hunting. Limits and length of season is set by the FEDS, they do not give you any alternatives. If you want your voice heard, attend the meeting and stand up for your ideas. The MDC does listen to the people that pay their bills for the most part. Otters are one of the MDC's biggest screwups, but if you will visit their website, the trapper section, they are doing something to curb the problem. Otter trapping season has been extended in zones with high concentrations in order to curb the population. Unfortunately, due to the economy, Otters are not worth squat this year for furs so there is no incentive for trappers. As much as we hate the otters, they were here first, we killed them out, we could do it again if we try.

We have full sunshine and a Balmy 18 Degrees.

I came across this article and thought I would pass it along. It is a study about the chemical in plastic and how the body absorbs it and passes it along. The chemical mimics Estrogen, which if you are a male will make you less manly, grow tits, and give your prostrate some relief. Thank god they don't put beer in plastic bottles........ Plastic chemical may stay in body longer: study By Will Dunham Will Dunham Wed Jan 28, 12:21 am ET WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A controversial chemical used in many plastic products may remain in the body longer than previously thought, and people may be ingesting it from sources other than food, U.S. researchers said on Wednesday. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration in December said it planned more research into the safety of bisphenol A, or BPA, but the agency indicated no immediate plans to curb the chemical, found in baby bottles and other products. Dr. Richard Stahlhut of the University of Rochester and colleagues looked at levels of the chemical in the urine of 1,469 U.S. adults who took part in a government health survey. While the belief had been BPA was quickly and completely eliminated from the body through urine, this study found people who had fasted for even a whole day still had significant levels of the chemical. Stahlhut said this suggested BPA may hang around in the body longer than previously known or that it may get into the body through sources other than just food, perhaps including tap water or house dust. Stahlhut added that BPA may get into fat tissue, from where it might be released more slowly. "If it leaves the body quickly, then it reduces the amount of time when it can cause problems. If it does cause problems, obviously if it stays around much longer, then that changes the game," Stahlhut, whose study appears in the Environmental Health Perspectives journal, said in a telephone interview. BPA is used in many food and beverage containers, the coating of food cans and some medical devices. It mimics the hormone estrogen in the body. People consume it when it leaches from plastic into baby formula, water or food in a container. The researchers tracked how urine levels of BPA declined based on the length of time a person had fasted. But they found that people who fasted for 8.5 hours, for example, had about the same BPA levels as those who fasted 24 hours. Steven Hentges of the American Chemistry Council industry group said the conclusions of the new study "are speculative at best," and reiterated the industry view that BPA is safe at current levels of exposure. U.S. government toxicologists at the National Institutes of Health last year expressed concern that BPA may have harmful effects on the development of the prostate and brain and induce behavioral changes in fetuses, infants and children. A 2008 study by British researchers showed that high levels of BPA in the body were linked to heart disease, diabetes and liver-enzyme abnormalities. (Editing by Maggie Fox and Todd Eastham) Copyright © 2009 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. Copyright © 2009 Yahoo! Inc. All rights reserved My disclaimer, this is for humor only, trying to break up the shack nasties of the last 2 days......

I went to bed last night to a freezing rain packing the 6 inches of sleet down and awoke this morning to 5" of fresh powder. Its a beautiful day, time to shovel. I made a quick run out to feed the birds and snapped a few pics.

I assume you are talking about CMMG from Fayette. They set up at our shows from time to time and have some pretty good stuff. They used to have a trash barrel full of AR's for $550 each, I doubt if you see that now. They put together some good rifles and I have not heard of any complaints. Most AR's convert from .223 to .22LR by changing out the bolt and using a different magazine. Or you can purchase a seperate upper for the 22LR that will be more accurate.

We have about 3 inches of sleet, glazed with freezing rain, froze hard, and another 2 inches of fresh sleet and still coming down. I tried to get out with the Explorer, made it to the end of the Subdivision and found main road still covered and untouched. Office called, we are off tomorrow too.

Sleeting more than freezing rain here and coming down good at 9 pm in Jackson, MO. Schools closed and calling for worst storm in 2 decades. Maybe 2 inches of ice with 5-10 inches of snow. Why can't we get a nice gentle snow?

Its a tuff crowd around here......... I'm lucky its a 2 hour drive for me so I only get there 2 times a year, I save money that way. But I make stops at both of them and spend the most time shooting the bull with Tom. Orvis opened a Company store near them years ago and I will have to say it was the rudest place I had been to. The manager was always complaining about something. Being a part of the Orvis Family with my affiliation with a couple of dealers and having worked for a shop, I had to share my experiences with the higher ups. I guess others had the same problems and now they are gone.

Great Blind Idea! Pretend to be fishing and blast them as they fly by. We had a pretty slow year up here in the Middle Zone. Ducks early, gone by Mid Dec. due to freeze out.

Its hard to beat T Hargrove or Feather Craft if you are in the city. Both have good stock, great experienced help, and good prices. And they always man their booths.

Unless you load volumes, you probably won't save much money with the price of components lately. I went to load some 30.06 this year for a new rifle, Wally had Federal 180 grain ammo for $13 a box of 20. Bag of 50 brass was $29, 50 ballistic tip nosler $29, powder and primers another $25. But, I can make a custom load and tune the rifle to its max accuracy. The Federals were used for breaking in and target practice, the brass recycled so you don't have that expense every time. A RCBS kit with press, scale, powder measure runs $300 and has all you need except for dies which are around $35 per caliber. A good digital scale, calipers, and case trimmer is extra, probably another $200. A progressive from Dillon Precision starts around $500 if you want to load in mass quantities. Like Fly Tying, it is an addition to your sport that completes the heritage of guns. I really don't buy anything but target ammo and rimfire which you can't load yourself. I don't shoot enough shotshells so I have never messed with them, strictly metallic. It takes some time but the rewards at the range are great.

There is a shortage of primers around here and the price has increased. No small pistol or small rifle. Friend of mine paid 3.45 per hundred for small pistol and thought it was a good deal at the Bellvue Gunshow 2 weeks ago. I sent a list off to the wholesaler last week and 90 percent was backordered. Shotshells are plentiful except for slugs and buckshot loads.

I have a hard time telling if there are any hunters or shooters on here, but just passing along some info. Ammo is getting really hard to find. Wally World has run out of all Centerfire and Rimfire ammo locally. They had a little shipment this weekend and I snagged it all. All is 2 boxes of Blazer Brass 45 acp and 2 boxes of Federal 22 bulk boxes. One trip to the range for the 45 and a year of plinking for me and the kid. Our shop is out of anything 22 LR except for premium stuff like CCI and Ely and it is not available from our suppliers in bulk or brick. Prices are on the rise, the Blazers were marked $12.97 on the shelves and rang up $14.97. Still a better deal than the $21.50 the wholesaler was going to charge us last week for an identical product. I wonder what/who is causing this?