Alaska, the Mountain Man Shangri-La

Looking from atop the Devil’s Backbone down into the Current River Valley as an early spring thunderstorm breaks up is a wilderness scene that truly exceeds the descriptive boundaries of human language. While the mist still hangs heavily in the river valley below, the sun breaks through the parting clouds, illuminating the entire valley in cascades of sunlight as if there were a great rustic crystal chandelier hanging from the heavens created just for the Ozark wilderness. It is nothing short of treasure for the soul. These soul treasures are what a mountain man seeks out his entire life. They are gifts from the Creator more valuable than the greatest treasures of man’s economy and industry’s fires. It is these treasures for which a mountain man lives and continually seeks out in his journey through life. And, it is experiencing and enjoying the journey, not just impatiently awaiting some eventual destination, which continually pays dividends to the tuned-in collector of soul treasures.

In terms of soul treasures a southern Missouri mountain man could be rich beyond his wildest dreams right here in the Ozarks if he were able to control his wanderlust for what’s over the next ridge, beyond the next river valley, or even on the other side of the continent. The problem is, there are always treasures over there that would otherwise go unfound if a soul did not venture. I am a seeker of these treasures and I have come to understand that I am drawn to the search and the subsequent soul-fix that accompanies discovery, just like the great gravitational pull of celestial bodies that create the very tides of earth's oceans. With that said, all my life my soul has been drawn to the last great frontier for a mountain man, the great land of Alaska.




It is a unique type of person who finds his soul in the vast, quiet, open places of this world. Such a being generally prefers, at least some of the time, to get away from society, government, industry, and the like. I have found that I share those characterisics and traits with a fairly high concentration of folks here in the Ozarks. We are able to better tune in the Creator and understand His message when we are miles upon miles from civilization. In the Ozarks there are many places where we seek out the solitude and counsel of the wilderness and we are rewarded with treasures that are burned into our souls. In Alaska these same places exist in exponential numbers and size. If the Creator speaks to you in the wilderness like he does with me, in Alaska he will grab you by the ears and scream in your face so loudly that you are able to hear it at the deepest depths of your consciousness.

The grand gateway into Alaska starts on a trip up the Inside Passage. Departing from Bellingham, Washington on a four day and three night ferry ride to Haines, Alaska (arguably one of the most beautiful places on earth) an adventurer is introduced to some of the most breathtaking scenery in the world. While travelling through the Inside Passage the ferry will zigzag through hundreds of mist capped, evergreen covered islands, sometimes with the shore line just a few hundred yards to either side of the boat. Glacial waterfalls pour out into the ocean from the jagged cliffs of many islands. Bald eagles, with their brilliant white heads shining and whales, with their easily recognizable blow spouts blasting up from the water are commonplace along the route. After several days of travelling through this misty, surreal, water-filled landscape the traveler begins to feel as if he were steaming back into primeval times. As the journey draws close to Haines, Alaska, the waters turn emerald green and the mountains thrust straight up from the coastline all the way to the clouds above. Mountain goats are visible on the jagged points and in the avalanche shoots high up on the snow covered mountains. Once again, the full summation of the experience defies description in human language.

Alaska is a place, like the Missouri Ozarks, that eludes the descriptive boundaries of human language. The only difference is infinity. The vastness of the land and its diverse landscapes are incomprehensible. Alaskans agree with the saying coined in Texas, “Size does matter.” Because, compared to everywhere else in our country, including Texas, Alaska is infinity. The vast size of the Alaskan wilderness boggles the mind. How does one wrap the mind around infinity? Just one national park in Alaska…just one, the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, is larger than the country of Switzerland and it has higher mountains than the Alps of Switzerland. The park is the home of 4 converging mountain ranges that contain 9 of the 16 highest peaks in North America. It dwarfs Yellowstone, equaling fully 6 Yellowstones in size. Within its boundaries are huge glaciers, vast ice fields, surging rivers, crashing ocean coastlines, an active volcano, abundant wildlife, and beautiful and vast mountain forests. There are very few roads and the land is so enormous that people depend on subsistence from the land for survival as opposed to society's conveniences. This is the land of Nature’s Economy. The Wrangell-St. Elias, let alone the entirety of Alaska, is truly a mountain man’s Shangri-La.

If you are a mountain man in your soul and need some soul time, and we all do, I strongly encourage you to seek out Alaska. Once you see it you will realize it has always been calling you. Alaska, like the Ozarks, is a soul treasure that will change your life. See you in the Great Outdoors. Good luck, be safe, and get a big one.

Spring Turkeys on Deck

Having just made it through a week and a half of subfreezing high temperatures it is hard not to daydream about hunting in warmer seasons. Cold weather hunting, fishing, and trapping require contending with little aggravations such as ice in your beard and mustache so thick you feel it pull your face and bounce with every step. It’s nice to dream about actually needing to shave off the ‘soup-catcher’ because it is just too hot to continue wearing the long, hot, itchy thing (the wife will appreciate it as well!). Another Old Man Winter aggravation is dragging your now exhilaratingly refreshed foot and leg from the hole in the creek ice and discovering your new rubber hip-boots didn’t hold up so well to that last multi-floral rose bush. You long for temperatures warm enough so that the mile walk back to the truck is actually optional. With experiences like these (of course these are just hypothetical situations with no real-life, personal connotations intended …) it is very easy to dream of warm season activities such as baseball and spring turkey season. And, while I’m not much of a baseball watcher, to speak in baseball terms, spring turkeys are on deck.

This year spring turkey season starts with the youth hunt scheduled for the weekend of April 10 and 11, 2010 and regular season extending from Monday, April 19 through Sunday, May 9, 2010. For the youth hunter during youth weekend only, hunting hours are extended to all day long. This feature is a great advantage for getting a young hunter in on some great spring turkey hunting action. During youth weekend a youth is limited to one turkey only. Their second eligible turkey is not legal to take until the second week of regular season starting on Monday, April 26. For adult hunters two male turkeys are the season limit with only one able to be taken the first week. If both turkeys are harvested during the last two weeks of season only one turkey may be harvested per day (you can’t kill two in one day). Legal shotgun sizes include all gauges from .410 through 10 gauge. Shotgun ammunition is limited to #4 shot and smaller size (remember shot size is inversely related to its number designation).

Action is plentiful in the spring turkey woods. Gobblers are generally bunched up early and disband as the season progresses. During youth season it is not uncommon to call up several gobblers together. When 3 or 4 big toms come up running, strutting, and gobbling, it’s a test for the most experienced turkey hunter to stay calm, let alone a youth hunter. Young and inexperienced hunters often have a problem knowing when and when not to move, thus scaring off many turkeys. It is times like these that ground blinds are a great advantage. Decoys can also provide for an enormous advantage in that they will keep the tom’s attention on the decoy and away from the hunters. A word to the wise - be very cautious when using decoys on public ground. Only position decoys relative to your position in such a manner that would prevent even the most unscrupulous amateur hunter from being able to stumble onto your set and fire in your direction.

From clucks and purrs to cackles, cuts, kee kees and yelps, all turkey vocalizations are in play and effective calls to make in the spring. The accomplished caller who has mastered multiple types of calls and calling apparatuses such as box, mouth, slate, yelper, or wing bone, to name a few, will have a great advantage in the spring turkey woods. Young toms, or jakes, will sound off with some of the most bizarre sounds you have ever heard as they attempt to gobble. Those same jakes will also respond to some of the most flawed calling a beginner might ever have the misfortune to make, so beginning callers fear not. The best way to learn is to listen to real turkeys and accomplished callers and then get out there and try it yourself!

Speaking of trying it yourself, did I mention that wild turkey breast, as far as a hillbilly is concerned, is a delicacy desirable over any escargot or caviar…(but then again, I’d rather eat Spam than snails and fish eggs)? Anyway, in Nature’s Economy there are no artificial fillers, no high fructose corn syrup, no MSG or any other preservatives. Wild turkey meat is very high in protein, two percent higher than domestic turkey. Wild turkey is also lower in fat than its domestic cousin due to a wild turkey’s diet of all natural, wild food devoid of any additives. Wild turkey meat is a valuable source for vitamins B3 and B6, folic acid, zinc, potassium, and the amino acid tryptophan. These valuable nutrients are responsible for a wide rang of health benefits ranging from protection against heart disease and birth defects to fighting off cancer cells.

This winter, as Old Man Winter bears down his icy grip and your thoughts drift to warmer temperatures and spring turkey hunting, consider all the potential rewards - natural beauty, action and excitement, lifelong memories, participating in the Creator’s original design, and unsurpassed delicious, organic, and nutritional sustenance. For what more could you ask? Yes, spring turkeys are on deck. And when they get to the plate I hope they hit a home run for you, your youth hunter, and your family at dinner time. Good luck, be safe, and get a big one.

Going down in the Flat

Prior to the 1850’s, during the golden age of trapping, mountain men trappers came out of the mountains only once a year to sell their furs and socialize. Amongst themselves the practice was known as ‘going down in the flat,’ the ‘flat’ being anywhere down and out of the mountains. It was always after the thaw in the late spring of the year and it was quite the occasion. The rendezvous, as it came to be known, entailed so much socializing that often the trappers, depleted of their earnings, didn’t make it back to the mountains with their much-needed provisions or anything in their poke to show for the past years trapping. Likewise, during those days market hunters and fishermen came to town or made port only occasionally to sell their harvest. Their visits to town were similar to that of their trapping counterparts in that the visits were festive times and not always financially profitable if the adventurer was not cautious and disciplined with his money. There were many vices to be found by the over-indulgent at rendezvous down in the flat. Purchasing various food staples, firearms, traps, powder, etc., as well as learning the latest news, catching up with old friends, making new friends, and learning new practices in their respective line of work were some of the many positive aspects of the rendezvous. Regardless of their undertakings, mountain men were characters that possessed many similar traits that the independent minded, red-blooded, southern Missouri outdoorsman possesses today.

Today times have changed in that most of us now live much closer to civilization if not directly in town (unfortunately). And, hopefully, when we do get to town we are a little more responsible with our choice of activities and money expenditures than some of our over-indulgent forefathers. Through the years we have learned from the mistakes of our past. Modern outdoorsmen now understand the destructive nature of market hunting and its potentially devastating effect on the wildlife resource. We understand the fragility of the natural environment and our responsibility to preserve habitat in the face of unchecked urban development. We more completely comprehend our role within the cycle of life in nature. We freely self-impose taxation of our equipment and ammunition through acts such as the Pittman- Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act in order to maintain and restore wildlife populations. Finally, we understand today a lesson we must continually pass on is the importance of maintaining our connection to and interaction within nature. We must keep the heritage alive.

In today’s world, with many misguided and misinformed ideologies raising funds with the sole intention of stopping us from participating in Mother Nature’s circle of life, I encourage each of you to ‘go down in the flat’ and attend a rendezvous with likeminded folks. Put your money where your mouth and heart are. Today there are ample opportunities to meet with hunters, fishermen, trappers, and shooters at gatherings designed for fun, fellowship, and learning, and all while generating operating funds for your outdoor cause of choice. From habitat enhancement and protection to wildlife enhancement to shooting sports, locally there is an annual outdoor related rendezvous within 45 minutes of your house designed to support your outdoor beliefs. Even if you only purchase a ticket for entry you will receive great value for your investment. You will receive a great meal, fellowship with friends, meet new likeminded people, and you will hear the latest news regarding your field of interest.

Various groups such as National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF), Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (RMEF), National Trappers Association (NTA), Quail Forever (QF), and Friends of NRA (FNRA), to name but a few, sponsor local benefit banquets at various times of the year. The banquets are great opportunities to come in from the woods, off the river, or down from the hills to rendezvous and support our great outdoor heritage. There is great fun to be had by young and old alike. Valuable merchandise such as firearms, outdoor equipment, and outdoor art are all available to buy or win. This year NWTF will hold their banquet in Dent County in mid February. The Missouri Trappers Association, District 9 will hold their banquet in late February. RMEF will hold their banquet in Phelps County in April. FNRA and QF will hold banquets later in the year in Dent and Texas Counties respectively. I hope to see each of you there.

In closing, of all the traits and characteristics of crusty old mountain men types, a propensity toward absolute blunt candor regarding issues about which we have a stake can be considered a fault. I, however, believe it to be a great asset. You will never wonder where an old mountain man type stands on the issues. To that end I will say to you, in this great country of ours if you love our outdoor heritage, our right to bear arms, and our inherent right to provide sustenance for ourselves by harvesting from nature’s bounty, then you have a responsibility to ‘go down in the flat’ and rendezvous at banquet designed to preserve that heritage and those rights. And if you don’t want a blunt, cut-and-dry, and possibly politically-incorrect answer don’t ask an old mountain man. By the way, take a young person with you, they are our future. Good luck, be safe, and get a big one.

Cold Weather Trout

You think you are a hardcore fisherman? Do you love solitude and unsurpassed natural beauty in the winter wilderness? Are you willing to fight some very uncomfortable elements to get in on some potentially large fish and great fishing action? Yes? Well then, winter fishing for big browns might be your bag. The Ozarks have some great winter fishing opportunities that have the potential for very large to state record and even world record size trout. This past November an angler from St. Louis landed the new state record brown trout, 37 inches long, 24.75 inches in girth, and 28.8 pounds, from Lake Taneycomo. He caught it while fishing for rainbows using bait just below Cooper Creek. It’s not just the size of the fish but what’s even more unbelievable about this monster is that it was caught on 4 pound test line!

In the Ozarks there are ample fishing opportunities state wide including, but not limited to, Lake Taneycomo, Current River, Meramec River, White River, Roaring River, and the Eleven Point River. With travel times ranging from 30 minutes to 3 hours, a southern Missouri angler can be sitting at just about as good a trout fishery as there is to be had in Missouri. Most of these fisheries have adequate amenities for camping for the whole family. Access is more limited on the Eleven Point and upper Current than many of the other locations and thus they provide for a more pure wilderness experience, especially in the winter when very few others are around. Sometimes you can go all day without seeing anyone and sometimes you might only see a lone trapper. If you are nice, a trapper can be a treasure trove of scouting information. He can most likely tell you where in the river the big ones are laying since he’s been on the river every day for several days up to a few weeks running his trap line.

Using ultra-light or fly-fishing fishing equipment certainly seems the norm when fishing in the state trout parks and rivers. Those methods are effective and they do provide for a great deal of enjoyment when utilized during the right times and lighting conditions. However, when strictly fishing for bigger fish there are other methods employing heavier tackle to which big browns and rainbows are susceptible. Heavy tackle methods provide more of a sense of confidence than when reeling in a monster brown trout with an ultra-light rig and 4 pound test. Spin fishing with medium-heavy weight rods and reels strung with 8 to 10 pound test line is a great way to hook into an aggressive brown in the early morning mist or late evening shadows.

Utilizing stick baits such as a suspending Rapala # 11 is a great way to get a big trout’s attention. A suspending stick bait allows the angler to crank the lure down to the depths where the fish are laying without continuously dragging the bottom and hanging on rocks as is experienced when using a sinking stick bait. When employing heavier line it is advisable to use a stick bait with very good action. While it is more due to a function of weight and drag coefficient between lure and line, some speculate the action of the lure will divert the fish’s attention from heavy line. The truth is that fish generally can’t see well enough to see your line; however, they can see the shadow cast by the line as it streams through the water. This is what scares trout. So, it is advisable to utilize heavier line on dim, overcast days or in the dim early morning and late evening light and switch to lighter line during the brighter part of the day. A word of advice on heavy fishing line – while the new braided superlines have superior tensile strength over that of monofilament due to the woven gel-spun polyethylene fibers, those same braided fibers also provide for water penetration and thus, ice crystal formation in below-freezing temperatures. So, while use of this type of line in moderately cold temperatures can be an enormous strength advantage, in extremely cold temperatures it is functionally prohibitive. One final environmental factor of which to be aware is that some fly-fishing purists will turn their noses up at you when you throw that big Rapala hog zinging across the river. As they reel in their 14 incher they will likewise turn up their nose as you reel in a 10 pound Brown with your heavy weight rod and reel. But there aren’t too many of us hillbilly anglers that subscribe to elitist fishing ideologies. Fish and let fish, I always say.

This winter I hope you take the time to introduce a child to the outdoors by taking them fishing. It is a beautiful time of the year in the woods and at the water. It is never too late to help a young person begin to understand the true cycle of life and our responsibility to participate in it as a part of the whole. Good luck, be safe, and get a big one.