Dog Days on the Creek Bank

Mom, LaDonna Stephens, and Coleman, beating the heat in the Current River.

Believe it or not, there are numerous fishing and hunting opportunities in the Ozarks for an outdoorsman as July rounds the corner. So why don’t we read more about traditional 4^th of July squirrel hunting camps or Independence Day predator hunts or trophy smallmouth excursions piggy-backed with patriotic fireworks displays? I mean it is smallmouth bass, trout, and bullfrog seasons for fishing and its coyote and squirrel season for hunting. The only answer I can come up with is that, regardless of an Ozark mountain man’s love for trapping, hunting, and fishing, its just so hot and muggy that you feel about as energetic as an ol’ hound lying on a cool, concrete front porch. It would be great to be frying up some fresh young squirrel or chasing big smallmouth down an Ozark creek, but the mixture of extreme heat, sweaty, sticky clothes and burning eyes, and insects biting and crawling all over your body, somehow puts a damper on the excitement. So, ‘when in the Ozarks in the summertime, do as the Hillbillies do’ and don’t get far from the swimmin’ hole on the creek or lake.

That’s not to say we don’t hunt or fish in the summer. If a squirrel runs across the yard while we’re sitting on the porch with the .22, he might not be safe. And, if a nice bluegill wants to tug down the bobber while we’re cookin’ over the campfire on the creek bank, well, we’ll throw him into the pan too. I mean, as dad used to say, “Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.” But we’re probably not going to get fired-up and hit the woods and water all day long like it was the spring, fall, or winter.

Last weekend I thought about squirrel hunting or fishing but it was in the mid 90’s and the Current River is a constant and cool 58° F - 60° F the year round. So the family and I packed the charcoal, brats, sweet tea, and swimming trunks into the Jeep and headed for the river. The squirrels and fish were safe this time around – it was so hot we didn’t even take the gun or fishing poles. The only hunting we were doing was hunting for relief from the heat. And boy did we find it at Parker’s Ford on the Current River. Just at the spot where Schafer Springs lets out into the Current it is a perfect spot for families with young and older children alike. The spring branch provides for a cool and shallow spot for young kids to swim under the watchful eyes of adults, while the Current provides shoots and deep holes in both directions from the confluence for the older kids and adults to swim.

Isn’t it amazing how the older kids always have to test the ‘old man’ when swimming at the river. First our 13 year old, Alex tried his hand at dunking me and then our 13 year old girl, Ashley, joined in the fray. After much thrashing, screaming, and yelling they both ended up under the water. Then, our 6 year old, Coleman, wanted me to swim with him down the rapid, waste-deep shoot. He was scared to try it himself so he urgently pleaded with me to hold him through the ride. While I brought him reassurance in the fast and deep water, little did he know that he older kids had zapped all my energy earlier in our dunking contest and now his life vest was holding up both of us! After our meal and swimming was done and it was time to go, although I was exhausted, we had managed to beat the heat on this treasure of a Sunday afternoon.

The One-Eyed Hillbilly and the young-uns - Coleman, Ashley, and Alex, just before the dunking competition.

Open-fire cooked brats, sweet tea, cold watermelon, and refreshing and cool water for swimming, not even taking into consideration the beautiful setting of a crisp, clean Ozark river, this is a true treasure and memory for a lifetime. What is amazing is that these types of quick outdoor excursions are within 45 minutes of almost every household in southern Missouri but in today’s hustle-and-bustle world we forget to take advantage of them. As I stood in the river shoot listening to Coleman, my six year old, screaming to “hold on to me Dad!”, I wondered how many more years that would happen. I’m glad we went swimming this past weekend because someday sooner than the kids can understand, mom and dad will be gone but the lessons, places, and memories with mom and dad in the Great Outdoors will last a lifetime. So says the One-Eyed Hillbilly. Good luck, be safe, and get a big one.

Greg Stephens is a 35-year veteran & life-time student of the great outdoors. His column appears weekly in print & online publications. You can email him at gregstephens@one-eyedhillbilly.com. For more columns go to www.one-eyedhillbilly.blogspot.com.