Traditionally, the April Traveler has a semi-fictional story about 'Ol Craz, the most magnificent and dumbest turkey in the Ozarks. This year is no exception. We follow
along this time as 'Ol Craz yields to the instinct in all birds to migrate. Most turkeys overcome the urge, but this time the urge is overpowering. Follow Craz to the North Coast of Lake Wappapello. Follow as he flies south toward the dam. Yep. That's going south when all the other birds are going north. But what else would you expect of 'Ol Craz?

There's a turkey hunting story by Charlie Slovensky about some of the easier ones. And a somewhat similar story by Don Rathert about some of his mistakes that ended with turkeys bagged. Turkey harvest is predicted to be about 60,000 birds this spring, give or take a few thousand. There's a story on getting your shotgun ready, on scouting, and on turkey season information. There's a story about a woman in her 70's who hunts turkeys, and a story on how Indians used the bones and feathers of turkeys.

Jim Featherston begins a historical series this month on Hannah Cole, known as Missouri's pioneer mother. And there's an update on the Legislature. Seems those guys are considering a bill that would make glass containers illegal on state waters. . . but only if carried in a canoe or kayak. Boats and rafts could still carry all the glass the occupants cared to.

There's a picture story on a March float on Current River from the Presley Center to Sinkin Creek. The Presley Center is not a public access, but the site of a Department of Conservation educational center. Outdoor writers were meeting there. The center, which uses an old executive retreat known as the Alton Club, is to be torn down, writers learned, and new facilities constructed. The complete story is carried below.

And a story on the North Fork Section of the Ozark Trail. And a kayak trip on the Bourbeuse River. Morris State Park, one of the smallest, is subject of a short story.
Charley Schmidt explains the advantages of using a longer rod when fishing for panfish. And there's a story about ponds and small lakes. Seems MDC is getting into helping owners manage these waters. A fishing hotspot on the lower Mississippi River is the subject of another story,

There's also news, seasons, coming events, recipes, sunrise/moonrise data and travel maps covering a number of popular outdoor destinations.

Presley Center's old buildings to be razed

By Bob Todd
If you’ve been to the Presley Center on Current River, it may sadden you to know it is to be shut down and razed next September.
The Conservation Department uses this facility to teach teachers mainly, with some related gatherings.
Missouri Outdoor Communicators met there in mid-March, for instance, and the Conservation Commission is to hold its April meeting there.
It is located between Eminence and Salem, north of Round Spring, and is accessed from Highway 19. There’s a large sign.
If you haven’t seen it, you can drive in and take a look. It is, after all, a public facility. It isn’t a public recreation facility, however, nor a public access to Current River, so don’t plan to stay long unless you’re a part of one of the educational programs going on there.
Presley was acquired by MDC a few years ago from a corporation. The place was known as the Alton Club, a private retreat that somehow managed to hold on to its riverfront when the Ozark National Scenic Riverways was created.
In total, the area is over 1,000 acres, but it is the few acres near the river that is really known and used for conservation education.
When you drive in, you pass by two lakes. The larger is just down from the dormitory facilities.
You can imagine, back some years ago, when this was a corporate retreat, how fortunate people and their families came here and enjoyed the Ozarks.
The buildings just grew like topsy. A gym was added at one point. A building which has been converted to a classroom. A main lodge. Kitchen. Dining room. Decks. Dormitory.
MDC adapted the old buildings to educational purposes as best it could. But upkeep is a growing problem.
David Knotts, who heads up this sort of thing for MDC, spoke to the outdoor writers, telling them MDC can build facilities that will allow for doubling the program for less than it would cost to restore the old buildings. Settling of the foundations is obvious in places.
And no one had to point out that the place is hardly accessible to the handicapped - in fact the uneven steps are hard to negotiate for anyone!
And part of the facility can’t function in winter weather.
Although the buildings are picturesque from a distance, Knotts said the only historically significant architecture involved is the way the ceiling in the gym was made. And it will be preserved.
Still, you get the feeling that two things are going on. The old Alton Club is to be razed. A new education/small convention center is to be erected. But the new will replace the old only in function.
Memories and imagination can’t be replaced.
Knotts said the new facility will be able to handle twice as many people and will have an expanded program. For instance, he envisions training sessions here for loggers as well as courses for teachers. And it will be more of a meeting place, with more meetings of the kind the writers were having.
After the area closes down in September, it will probably be late 2005 before it reopens.

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