CAMPFIRE CHAT WITH MOC PRESIDENT ZACH SMITH
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Season’s greetings, Missouri Outdoor Communicators. I hope the holidays found you in good company and the new year finds you in good health and humor. We pretty much have to have a sense of humor when we’re making some of these New Year’s resolutions, right?
Maybe it’s (typically) cold weather and the longer and earlier nights which come with the winter season that put us in a naturally reflective mood. Old Christmas songs, seeing family and friends who we may only see around the holidays and measuring up the past year so we can plan the next certainly have something to do with it. Nostalgia kicks into high gear. For me, the end of the year always sums up two memories that, with any luck, I’ll still be able to summon up in the twilight of my life. They both happened out of doors.
I’ve always associated winter with deer season, despite the fact that it almost entirely exists within the confines of late summer and fall. Only the tail end, consisting of archery and alternative methods (what I’ll always internally hear my dad referring to as “black powder” season) actually falls within calendar “winter.” However, the memories and sensations have this tendency to stack the deck, at least for me: Wearing almost every piece of clothing I own. Breath freezing on the inside of my mask or the blind. Seeing two sets of bobcat tracks — one big, one little — side by side in the snow. Every rustle of dry, dead leaves that comes through the crisp air could be “the big one” and it’s always,
always
a squirrel on the routine forage-and-storage mission. I’m thinking of most of these now in the warm embrace of nostalgia. On the freezing mornings during deer season, it’s more often a constant mental litany of “where are they” and “when are they showing up?”
I’ll never forget one year, probably a lot more recent than I’m comfortable admitting, when that question was, as it is every year, answered but not in the way that ends with meat in the freezer. Dad and I went hunting in the woods around the family farm, as we’ve been fortunate enough to do almost every deer season for a good run now. This particular year, we were packing up empty-handed. We’d seen deer, maybe even had some shots that we didn’t take, and all I could think to say at the time was, “I’m sorry we didn’t get any, Dad.” And my father’s reply was simple: “That’s OK, son. It’s fun just seeing them.”
I saw the wisdom in that, but it probably wasn’t right away. As the hunters among our membership are well aware, taking game is only one part of the overall experience — and not necessarily a crucial one. I may be grasping at some pretty thin straws here, but the older I get the more I realize that little microcosm of my life serves as a metaphor for a lot of things, and in a way some of them are universal. Getting what you need around the holidays (family, friends, happiness) versus what you think you wanted (presents). Setting up a year of personal goals (some realistic, others fantastical) only to realize at the end of it the one goal that mattered and which you have very little control of — those you love are still by your side. It’s a matter of perspective, and it’s something we as humans naturally lose sight of from time to time.
Another thing we lose sight of, and maybe those of us in MOC don’t do this as often, is the magic of the outdoors. The second memory is a little more sensory, but no less clear. It was Dec. 31 in the mid- to late-90’s (that’s a couple decades, so cut me a break), and Dad took me trapping. When I say “we” went trapping, the proceedings mainly consisted of me watching him freeze his fingers numb doing most of the work while I also looked for arrowheads on the creek bank. But I also remember the magic of that day. I remember seeing a muskrat running underwater for the first time in my life. I remember stomping through knee-high snow seeing frozen weeds and animal tracks thinking how lucky I was, that
this
was how I got to spend the last day of the year. I remember how good a can of Dinty Moore stew warmed up over a propane stove on the tailgate of that old truck tasted at the end of the day. I probably didn’t know it then, but every outdoor adventure I’d had since is just chasing the moment of that pure, perfect experience.
I took the long way around the barn, but remember those new year’s resolutions I mentioned? Forgive my boldness, but I’m charging you and myself with one for 2020: Introduce or reintroduce someone to the magic of the outdoors. It can be taking someone fishing or it can be going for a nature walk in the city park. It can be a one-night camping trip no farther away than the backyard or your own shortcut to mushrooms somewhere deep in the woods. Your initiate can be a grandchild, a cub scout, or a school kid — or it can be a kid at heart. Remarkably, there are still a lot of us to be found in the world.
I took and still at times take for granted the outdoor opportunities I had growing up as a kid in Missouri, but I have to stop and remember that not everybody had the same path to the river or through the woods. For some people, all it takes is a nudge in the right direction to discover something they may never have realized was missing from their lives. Something they needed, but never knew they wanted.
Happy Holidays, Happy 2020 and until we meet again — get outside. And next time you do, take someone with you.
- Zach Smith, President 2019-2020
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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S MESSAGE
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It's hard to believe that it is now, officially, 2020. Personally, I find it difficult to comprehend and, for some reason, even harder to remember to write it down. I keep wanting to postdate things as if I'm moving back in time instead of forward, which is not how it's supposed to work.
It's also hard to believe that the 2020 MOC conference is a mere two months away (more on that later in the newsletter). It will be here before we even know it!
It feels like it was just Thanksgiving, never mind Christmas. But, as the adage goes, "Time flies when you're having fun." Or, perhaps more appropriately, time flies when you're busy. We just have to make sure we're having fun along the way. And, who boy, do the days, weeks and months pass quickly when you are caught up in living. I constantly have to remind myself to slow down and appreciate the moment. I find that is a lot harder to do than one might think. And when I do, I realize I am actually having fun.
So, that is my New Year's resolution for 2020: Be more present and more appreciative of this ride that is life. Forget about the distractions, the never-ending onslaught of text messages, emails, bad news cycles and menial tasks. At least, momentarily. Be present and be there for those that matter, including myself.
Each day I do my best to stop every now and again and be present in the current moment. It's so easy to get caught up in the race and miss out on the little things that seem so inconsequential but are, in fact, monumental. I get a daily reminder of this with my children when, seemingly out of nowhere, they ask me about a specific moment in time (maybe a conversation or an event from last week or two years ago) that I considered but a blip on the radar but carried so much meaning for them ("Dad, do you remember that time when we were fishing at the pond with the bridge and and you didn't believe me that I caught a fish? You thought I caught a bunch of slime but it was actually a sunfish covered in pond slime? You were soooo wrong!"
What happens when I do take stock of the moment? It's always the same refrain: "How fortunate am I?"
I lose sight of that so often and I have a feeling I'm not the only one.
While at the Lake over the holidays with my wife's family, she and I took advantage of a couple hours of down time to take a hike at Lake of the Ozarks State Park. As we stepped along the well-worn path that wound through a Dolomite glade, through a hardwood forest and a field of outcrops, we stopped atop a 30-foot cliff perched high above the water. Looking out over the dark blue expanse, I felt like a kid again.
Throughout our hike I was transported in my mind back to my grandfather Vehlewald's farm, tearing through the leafy underbrush in a stand of oaks pretending to be an Osage scout tracking enemies and game along the gullies and ravines. I was reminded of winter days walking through the woods carrying my Grandad Stewart's single-shot .22 listening for the chattering of squirrels. These were moments that seemed so small at the time but fully informed my upbringing.
Thinking back on it, I was a very fortunate young man to be able to spend as much time outdoors and in the woods as I did. It wasn't until much later in my life that I realized that the majority of our population was not and is not blessed with that opportunity. They have no idea how beautiful, how still, how frightening and how inspiring nature can be. They don't know the magic of sitting in the woods witnessing the world come alive at dawn. Nor do they know the thrill of hearing the song of a whippoorwill at dusk beneath a limestone bluff along a stunning crystal-clear Ozark stream.
Really, we are all very fortunate. Fortunate to spend so much of our lives outdoors in communion with nature. We are privileged to have an intimate knowledge of the wild world. This knowledge is our blessing and it is our responsibility to share this knowledge, this experience with those who have not been as fortunate. We need to keep preaching the gospel of wild things. As the Senegalese environmentalist Baba Dioum said, "In the end we will conserve only what we love; we will love only what we understand and we will understand only what we are taught."
The more people that learn to love the outdoors, the more fortunate we all will be.
- Kyle Stewart, Missouri Outdoor Communicators executive director
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2020 MOC MEMBERSHIP RENEWALS
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With the coming of the new year, it's once again time to renew your Missouri Outdoor Communicators membership for 2020. We request that you return your completed renewal form by February 7, 2020.
If you have trouble downloading or opening the file or completing the online transaction, please call me at
573-619-3296
or email me at
[email protected]
and I will gladly assist you.
Your membership and participation are vital for our organization to continue to fulfill its mission. Obviously, our financial resources are necessary in order to operate professionally and effectively.
Over the last 26 years, MOC has become more than a great group of professionals. We also have become a great group of friends. Our organization would not be what it is today without each of you, because everyone brings something unique and special to MOC. Your membership will ensure that our association will continue to grow and expand its reach. Let us keep working toward being the best outdoor writers organization in the country.
Your involvement in MOC is important and very much appreciated.
All of us at TBWG - Marjorie Beenders, Jo Duncan, Steve Walker and myself - have immensely enjoyed working with you all and wish everyone a wonderful new year.
I look forward to receiving your membership renewal. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me via email at
[email protected]
or by phone at 573-619-3296.
-Kyle Stewart, Missouri Outdoor Communicators executive director
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2020 MOC CONFERENCE UPDATES
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The 2020 Missouri Outdoor Communicators Conference
will be held *
March 27-29
* at Mozingo Lake Recreation Park
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Start making plans now to attend the 2020 Missouri Outdoor Communicators Conference at Mozingo Lake Recreation Park near Maryville!
Pieces are already falling in to place to ensure this will be a conference not-to-miss.
The 2020 conference will kick off on the afternoon of Friday, March 27 with registration, lunch and a selection of outdoor activities around the Mozingo area to participate in. Friday evening will consist of a dinner of award-winning BBQ prepared for us by celebrated pit masters followed by Story Starters and Craft Improvement seminars.
On Saturday, we'll be spending the majority of the day afield before getting together for our closing night banquet, program and auction.
And, on Sunday, after breakfast, the conference will conclude with the annual MOC business and board of directors meetings with lunch to follow.
Here is a preview of some of the activities attendees can look forward to experiencing at the Mozingo Lake conference:
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Pair up with local guides to fish one of the top 100 Bass Lakes in the Country according to Bassmaster Magzine. There likely will be multiple opportunities for fishing throughout the weekend to ensure everyone that wants to fish with a guide gets an opportunity to do so.
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Guided Tour of Dunn Ranch Prairie
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Join naturalists for a fun trailer tour of The Nature Conservancy’s Dunn Ranch Prairie, located in Hatfield, MO. This 3,000-plus acre restored tallgrass prairie is home to the state-endangered greater prairie chicken, state- and federally-endangered Topeka shiner, a pure bison herd from Wind Cave National Park, and hundreds of birds, pollinators, and other wildlife. Along with restoration efforts, TNC has also launched a sustainable grazing program at Dunn Ranch Prairie and adjacent TNC property, Little Creek Farm. The tour of Dunn Ranch will take place on Saturday morning.
Those planning to go to Dunn Ranch will be responsible for their own transportation. Carpooling will be encouraged.
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Guided Tour of Loess Bluffs National Wildlife Refuge
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Take a guided tour of the nationally celebrated Loess Bluffs National Wildlife Refuge, formerly known as Squaw Creek, one of America's top "Globally Important Bird Areas" according to the American Bird Conservancy. Located near Mound City south of Maryville, Loess Bluffs, was established in 1935 by Franklin D. Roosevelt as a refuge and breeding ground for migratory birds and other wildlife. Loess Bluffs is comprised of 7,350 acres and serves as a chokepoint for hundreds of thousands of geese and ducks, among others, during the spring and fall migration as it's located along the Central Flyway. Up to 475 bald eagles have been sighted on the refuge during the winter months.
Those planning to go to Loess Bluffs will be responsible for their own transportation. Carpooling will be encouraged.
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Guided Tour of TightlinesUV Tackle Production Facility
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Located in Maryville,
Tightlines
has created the next generation of fishing tackle with the invention of "Ultimate Vision" through the company's new Nano-Infused Polymerization (NIP) Technology. "Ultimate Vision" is an ultraviolet (UV) vision enhancer that is focused on the wavelength of light that Bass use the most to search out their prey, but is transparent to fishermen's eyes. This technology results in a lot of big fish landed. Learn more about Tightlines on a guided tour of the production facility.
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Canoeing/ Kayaking on Mozingo Lake
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Bring your own vessel or make use of the rental fleet available on site and spend several hours paddling around the placid waters of the 1,000-acre Mozingo Lake. Kayaking/ canoeing will be available all three days of the conference.
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Self-Guided Walking and Hiking Trails at Mozingo Lake
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Explore what Mozingo has to offer on one of the many hiking trails. Currently, Mozingo has 1.3 miles of paved walking trail and over 3 miles of unimproved walking trails on the east side of the lake. There is an additional 2.5 miles of lakeside trails on the west side of the lake and over 9 miles of Equestrian Trail that can be explored on foot as well.
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Join professional hunting guide Arnold Compton for a morning of snow goose hunting around Mound City on Saturday. Compton has over 20 years experience hunting snow geese and has been a professional outfitter for over six years.
This hunt will be limited to 8 active media members and will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis
. Hunters will be responsible for their own transportation and carpooling will be encouraged.
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Outdoor Skills Competition
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We're still in the brainstorming stage, but activities under consideration are: archery, target shooting, casting for distance and accuracy, fire building, tent building and more. The Outdoor Skills Contest will be held Saturday afternoon. Additional details will be available soon.
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Play A Round of Golf on a Championship Course
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Mozingo Lake Recreation Park is home to 27-holes of affordable championship golf, a world-class pro shop, driving range, and indoor simulator swing bays. With national recognition from USA Today and Golf Digest, bring your swing and enjoy some of the finest golf in the Midwest.
Mozingo's 18-hole Sechrest course was ranked as the second-best public course in Missouri in 2019 by Golf Advisor.
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MAKE YOUR LODGING RESERVATIONS TODAY
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During our time in Maryville, we will be staying at the impressive
Cobblestone Inn & Suites
at Mozingo Lake. Cobblestone features a selection of well-appointed guest rooms, a fitness center, business center and large state-of-the-art conference facilities.
For the MOC conference,
we have a block of 14 hotel rooms reserved for Friday night and 19 hotel rooms reserved for Saturday night
. The available rooms are a selection of queen, double-queen and king rooms.
The MOC conference rate runs from $89 to $95 per night, depending upon the accommodations you select.
You can book your lodging reservations at Cobblestone Inn & Suites by calling 660-224-2222.
In addition to the available hotel rooms,
five charming cabins have been reserved for our members as well
. The fully-furnished cabins at Mozingo Lake range in size from one-bedroom, one-bathroom to two-bedroom, two-bathroom. Each has additional sleeping quarters as well. To view available cabin selections (cabins 1, 3, 4, 5 and 7), visit
mozingolake.com/stay/cabins/all/
.
If you'd like to book a cabin, please call Mozingo Lake Recreation Park at 660-562-2323
.
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Auction donations are beginning to roll in
. We will have a wide selection of excellent outdoor gear and products available, so be sure to bring your cash, checks and credit cards for the annual fundraiser auction on Saturday night. All proceeds go toward the "Buck" Rogers Memorial Scholarship and MOC's general operating funds.
A couple auction highlights are: A brand new American-made Mossberg & Sons 500 Turkey .410 Pump Shotgun in Mossy Oak Bottomland Finish (MSRP $515) and a brand new Made-in-America Henry Classic Lever Action .22 (MSRP $350).
You can bid on these fine firearms during the live auction on Saturday evening.
If any of our members would like to donate to the auction and/or raffle, please
send me an email
noting the item(s) that you would like to donate and the value
. We will appreciate any donations that you can make!
Stay tuned for more auction updates.
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WHAT OUR MEMBERS ARE SAYING ABOUT
MOZINGO LAKE RECREATION PARK
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I got to fish Mozingo once during our first MOC conference at St. Joseph many years ago and had a fun time catching bass with one of the Ambush Lures pros.
The lake has been ranked in the past by Bassmaster Magazine as one of the Top 100 Bass Lakes in the US.
I looked at the 2019 results of N2IT Tournament Series -- a circuit that holds tournaments exclusively on Mozingo -- and noticed the lake produced winning weights of 20 pounds or more.
Although we might not be there during the prime time for bass fishing, someone in our group might hook into a prespawn lunker, if the weather cooperates.
Reading the MDC fishing prospects about Mozingo also got me fired up about the lake's fishing. Here are some snippets from that report:
"Spring sampling in 2019 on 1,006-acre Mozingo Lake near Maryville again revealed a good population of largemouth bass. Almost 43 percent of the 319 bass sampled measured over 15 inches, over 15 percent measured over 18 inches, and a few individual fish weighed in over 8 pounds. . . . Although size structure is down compared to years past, Mozingo can still produce quality catches of white crappie. . . . ..Walleye fishing in 2020 again has the potential to be very good. Spring electrofishing sampling in 2019 resulted in catch rates of 130 walleye per hour, and 97 percent of the walleye measuring over 18 inches. Trophy walleye over 10 pounds are possible."
Sounds like a good time!
-John Neporadny, founding member of MOC
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2020 MOC CONFERENCE CONTESTS
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Don't forget to submit your entries for the three upcoming MOC contests!
Winners of each contest will be announced during the Mozingo Lake conference, March 27-29, 2020.
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Ozark National Scenic Riverways Story Contest
If you published photos, stories or broadcasts as a result of your time at Bunker Hill Retreat and the Ozark National Scenic Riverways during the 2019 MOC Conference,
please submit them to
[email protected]
by
Friday, March 6
to be considered for the Bunker Hill Conference Contest. First place winners for the photo contest and story contest will receive a $100 prize. Winners will be announced during the Closing Night Banquet on Saturday, March 28 at Mozingo Lake Recreation Park.
And, for next year, we will be having a story and a photo contest for the best stories published about and the best photos taken of the Mozingo Lake Recreation Park area showing the many outdoor opportunities and travel destinations, so be sure to have your notepads and cameras at the ready during your time at Mozingo Lake.
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Missouri Conservation Heritage Foundation Youth in the Outdoors Writing Contest
Entries for this contest should focus on the importance of getting youth involved in the outdoors -- fishing, hunting, camping, hiking, canoeing, etc.
Stories must have been published in either 2019 or 2020. First place winner receives $100 from the Missouri Conservation Heritage Foundation. The winner will be announced on Saturday, March 28 at Mozingo Lake Recreation Park.
Entries should be emailed to Kyle Stewart at
[email protected]
or by snail mail to Kyle Stewart, 125 E. High Street, Suite 200, Jefferson City, MO 65101,
no later than Friday, March 6.
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MOC 2020 People's Choice Photography Contest
Don't forget to bring what you feel is the best outdoor photo you have taken throughout this year and enter it into the 2020 MOC People's Choice Photo Contest.
Please make sure it is framed or matted and ready to be put on display during the Mozingo Lake conference.
Your fellow MOC members will be casting their vote to decide the 2020 winner. The winner will be announced before the auction/raffle on Saturday night.
We're looking forward to seeing all of the outstanding entries for this year's competition!
Be on the lookout for more information regarding the 2020 MOC Conference, including registration forms.
It's going to be a great time!
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WRITING FROM YOUR HEART
By Larry Whiteley
Larry is a recent inductee into the National Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame and the 2019 recipient of the Association of Great Lakes Outdoor Writers' "Best of Show/ Best of the Best Award for Excellence in Writing or Electronic Media."
Larry originally wrote this article for the AGLOW newsletter and it is re-printed here with AGLOW's permission.
“Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart.” - William Wordsworth
Over my many years of writing I have done articles and radio shows on outdoor tips, product reviews and travel destinations just like each of you. But, those I like doing the most are when I write or talk about things that touch the emotions of those that read or listen and hopefully make them laugh, cry, smile or think. It’s called writing from your heart to touch the hearts of others. It is the most rewarding an enjoyable writing you will ever do.
To write from your heart you need to write about something that has a deep meaning to you. I like to write about outdoor memories I have made with friends, kids and grandkids. Things I think about alone in a tree stand or turkey blind. The eagle I see or the loon I hear while out fishing. What I feel out hiking or camping. The thoughts I have of time by myself or with others around a campfire.
I want them to get a tear in their eye when they read “A Christmas Letter to my Grandkids.” I want them to have a lump in their throat when they hear “Time around a Campfire.” I want them to think about their own deer camps and laugh when they read “Deer Camp – It’s About Characters.” I want them to smile when they read “Everyone Needs a Special Place.”
You need to be vulnerable in your writing and in your life and that’s not very easy for most of us to do. People listen and read when you’re vulnerable. When you do this and include inspiration in some form in your writing and broadcasts, you automatically share from your heart.
You will never be able to write from the heart though if you don’t honestly be you. Don’t think about how others will perceive your words. Everyone will get a different meaning from what you write or say anyway. Just concentrate on pouring in emotion and being you. You need to be you because no one else can tell your personal stories like you can.
It takes courage to write from the heart because that’s where we hide things we care about. But that’s what makes them enjoyable to read or hear. By writing from the heart you will never run out of words. What’s in there, both the big and small things, really matters. What you share from your heart will touch other people’s hearts.
To sum it all up, write from your heart not from your brain. Write from your heart not to impress or show off. Write from your heart so it engages the reader and touches their heart and soul. Write from your heart so it encourages the reader to get out in God’s great outdoors and do the things you wrote about or talked about from your heart.
Here’s one last thought for you. I love to use quotes like the one I began this article with and the one I end it with. Quotes help add impact to the story you just shared from your heart with your readers and listeners. Like the below quote says; while enriching the lives of those who hear or read your work, you enrich your own life.
Something to Think About
“Writing isn’t about making money, getting famous, getting dates, getting laid or making friends. In the end, it’s about enriching the lives of those who will read your work, and enriching your own life, as well.” ― Stephen King
The above is a sample of some of the things Larry will touch upon during the Craft Improvement Seminar at the 2020 Mozingo Lake Conference, March 27-29.
# # #
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For future issues for MOC TALK, please send story submissions, photographs, inquiries and upcoming events to Kyle Stewart at
[email protected]
.
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MISSOURI OUTDOOR COMMUNICATORS
125 E. HIGH STREET, SUITE 200
JEFFERSON CITY, MO 65101
PHONE: 573-619-3296
WWW.MISSOURIOUTDOORCOMMUNICATORS.ORG
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