In the June 2009 issue of

River Hills Traveler

Sometimes, you can go home again

Sometimes, you can go home again, writes Alabaman Ed Mashburn, after a trip back to the Huzzah in Crawford County with his sons Rob and Fred. The Mashburns found, to their satisfaction, that the streams magic had not diminished since the time the boys were growing up fishing there with Dad.

Editor Emery Styron says Mashburn's story reminded him of his growing up days fishing Sugar Creek

in McDonald County, and so do another story — Jo Schaper's update on the Environmental Protection Agency's remediation alternatives for the Federal Mine Tailings Superfund Site at St. Joe State Park near Park Hills. Folks have been riding ATVs on the tailin' piles for years, but the state park provides a legal, supervised venue, and officials say they are looking for ways to mitigate any health risks so the riding can continue. Styron says Jo's photo of a tailing pile looming over Park Hills reminded him of a scene from his boyhood in the southwest Missouri mining town of Granby.

A timely story for those planning Memorial Day and July 4th outings is Darrell Taylor's piece on how to beat crowds and fish successfully on holidays weekends. Darrell is also featured on the cover. He's holding a 17-inch white bass he caught in May 2008 at Lake of the Ozarks. His wife, Marjorie, gets the photo credit.

Is the concept of "waste not, want not" making a long overdue comeback? Charlie Slovensky, who never bought into catch-and-release, sees evidence. In these tougher economic times, people are consuming more of nature's bounty, including fish. That's a good thing, says Charlie.

If you live anywhere near Traveler Country, we don't have to tell you that mid-May storms

Display Advertisers this issue Ellis Battery Rose Acceptance Corp. Sam A. Baker State Park Concession Trout Hunter Fly Fishing School Holliday Landing Lucas Smith Chevrolet-Chrysler Rental Land Davis Farm Supplies Old Tyme Festival Ernie's Sales & Service Meramec State Park Concession Donelson Cycles Crown Motors Conservation Federation of Missouri Chevron Sierra Land Company Traveler Books

devastated the region. We do remind you, however, to call ahead before setting out for an outdoor destination. Make sure your campground, fishing access, etc. is open. Many have been closed temporarily due to storm damage.

Here's the rest of the June issue line-up. Enjoy:

• Doug Eiken retires June 1after 15 years of service as state parks director. He was presented a bouquet of invasive species plants at a barbecue in his honor.

•The U.S. Forest Service is limiting human visitation to caves in Region 9, which includes the Mark Twain Forest, in an effort to slow the spread of White Nose Syndrome, an infection killing cave bats throughout the eastern U.S.

•Though down 3.7% from 2008's take, the spring turkey harvest of 41,830 birds beat the Missouri Department of Conservation's expectations.

•Mike Siebert, Festus, is a custom bait maker, whose fishing style of slow-crawling crawfish across lake bottoms led him into building jigs. Steve Felgenhauer profiles Siebert in our continuing "Made in Missouri" series.

•Tim Huffman learned a technique from Arkansas fishing guide Jerry Blake that he says can be adopted to easy, successful crappie fishing on Missouri waters.

•Tis the season for sunfish, squirrels and issuance of new deer regulations by the MDC, writes Bob Todd in his "Seasons" column. Bob also expounds on some counter-intuitive research about slot limits for managing fisheries. What if you protected fish below and above the slot limit?, Bob asks. The answers may surprise you.

•Williamsville's 9th annual Old Tyme Festival is June 6 at Markham Springs Recreation Area. The community's businesses are invited everyone to come on down for a good old time with food, live music, crafts, antique cars and tractors, children's games and more.

•Deer hunting in June can be perfectly legal, if you use the right equipment, writes Howard Helgenberg, who shows off some of his hunt trophies. Here's a hint: The equipment is made by Nikon.

•Bob Lewis's old spotting scope has dreams of grandeur. After all, he writes, it was looked through by Phoebe Snetzinger, Missouri's legendary birder.

•Jo Schaper's Rock Talk this month is on The Narrows, a remote beauty spot on the Eleven Point, decorated with springs. Jo also details efforts of Poplar Bluff's Steve Bost to save the Ozark Chinquapin. Jo also reviews three books by Leland and Crystal Payton of Springfield, that view the Ozarks through three different perspectives: scenic, touristic and historical.

•On the hunting front, Bill Cooper describes the thrills of handgunning bushytails, while Chuck Smick tells how to hunt feral hogs with archery gear. The latter is not an activity for the inexperienced or faint-hearted.

•Rounding out our coverage, Jim and Donna Featherston interview a skilled catfish fryer and compare the buzzing yellowjackets around him to the Valkyries of Germanic myths, Pat Todd gives recipes for camping and other summer gatherings, and Kathleen Brotherton expounds on snakes and their role in Native American life. Charlie Slovensky provides a seasonal crossword puzzle, Floatin' and Fishin'.

Maps in the issue include Big Piney, Gasconade & Roubidoux Creek, Black River, Clearwater Lake, Lake Wappapello, Meramec River with Huzzah and Courtois Creeks, Parkland Region, Lower Current and Eleven Point Rivers and Upper Current and Jacks Fork Rivers.

— Emery Styron, Editor & Publisher