Teal hunting turned out to be more of a bird watching trip for Traveler editor Bob Todd. Few teal were flying, and Bob was slow to react to the few opportunities that came his way.
DNA testing finally proved that horses are polluting Jacks Fork River below Eminence.
It was considered highly likely before, considering the number of horses and people who show up for cross country trail rides. But to make it convincing, DNA samples from the river had to be taken to tell if the bacteria was from people or cows or horses, and whether or not the critters were "local".
Now it is up to Missouri Department of Natural Resources to take action. The Ozark National Scenic Riverways, a national park of which Jacks Fork is a part, will also take some actions.
Traveler's new publisher, Emery Styron, had a few words to say about how he's going to run the paper. His column is repeated below.
Jim and Donna Featherston, who do Traveler's history column, started a two-part series on Black Hawk and President Andrew Jackson.
Bow hunting really gets going in October and Traveler has a lot about it. The cover is Josh Slovenksy. Inside is a story on how to track wounded deer by his father Charlie Slovensky. Bill Cooper talks about hunting close to home and Howard Helgenberg writes of the stories that must surround old tree stands we see in the woods.
A trip to The Narrows on Big Piney River features some color photos of the pinnacles there - flat topped things that offer some great views of the river and West Piney Creek, which is separated from the river by the narrow hogback.
There's a story about catching suckers on rod and reel and fixing a quick gravel bar lunch. And Kathleen Brotherton writes about corn as the foundation of Indian farming and gardening.
Old time rafting of railroad ties down Current River was recreated near Doniphan. It and coming events were featured. There's a book review on the new Conservation Atlas - Bob Todd found it a disappointment. There's also sunrise schedules, seasons, recipes, Ozarks travel maps and much more.
Charley Schmidt gives anglers tips on starting out to be a bank fisherman, a "bank beater". Don Rathert tells about a huge buck that came upon him during bow season. But he's already bagged his buck for the season and could only watch and admire the big deer.
Plans were completed for the rebuilding of Johnson's Shut-Ins State Park and work was to begin this fall. Meanwhile the planning process for the next couple of decades in the Ozark National Scenic Riverways was just starting.

New publisher, Emery Styron, back from Iowa