Ozark National Scenic Riverways (Shannon County MO)

Scenic Waterways (shooting in Shannon County Missouri)

November 27, 2010.

Standing in the dark high above the river bottom below on an especially chilly Mid-October morning, I began to have second thoughts about leaving the toasty warmth of my car not 40 feet away. This hadn't been a planned trip, but a decision I'd made at 3:30 A.M. while finishing up the seemingly never ending task of organizing photography folders. My body was saying it was bed time, but my mind was saying I was in need a day trip, so I grabbed my camera gear and jumped in the car for the 1 1/2 hour trip South.

I'd been to this particular spot above the Jack's Fork National Scenic River in the middle of a bright day once before, (which by the way is the absolute worst conditions for photography), and thought this would probably be a great spot for a sunrise capture. Many photographers are so in tune with the trajectories of  the sun and moon, even tracking locations with GPS devices, that they can tell on any given day the exact location of where the sun or moon will rise. I'm not that diligent, though I did know that if I got there soon enough, that the sun would rise somewhere over the ridge line in the background of the picture posted above. I'm more of an East West person you might say. In the end I was glad that I took the time for this unplanned trip, and resisted the urge to wimp out and go back to the car to warm up. The feelings of being cold seemed to slowly dissipate while I watched as the sky began to glow in the rich predawn shades of blue and red minutes as a prelude to the sun peaking over the ridge.

Shannon County holds the distinction of being the place where two of Missouri's three designated National Rivers converge. America's first National River was the Buffalo River in Arkansas. The next two rivers to become federally protected were the Current and Jack's Fork rivers in Missouri. Because of this, neither river will ever face the prospect of being impounded. Every Summer, both the Current and Jack's Fork are enjoyed by thousands of floaters.

Sticking with federally protected waterways, I'll now move on to a less well known, but extraordinarily beautiful spot inside of Shannon County. Waterfalls are always a highlight for photographers, and an argument could be made that Shannon County has Missouri's most beautiful waterfall of all. As for myself, I hold it in a dead tie with Grand Falls in South West Missouri which I'll talk about in a later blog.

Rocky Falls is located East of the town of Eminence. The falls are of a shut-in type similar to that found elsewhere in Missouri like places such as, Johnson Shut-Ins State Park, and the St. Francois Shut-Ins which holds the distinction of having Missouri's only class IV white water. My best friend Tracy Perren who holds a geology degree could explain it much better than I, but in a nutshell, shut-ins are created by millions of years of erosion where water comes in contact with extremely hard rock such as granite. Eventually the water cuts through the rock and provides paths for the water to flow with less resistance.

Rocky Creek falls a total of 40 feet into a deep pool located at the bottom of the falls. The highest waterfall in Missouri at 132 fee,t is the wet weather Mina Sauk Falls located on Taum Sauk Mountain. I however believe in terms of sheer beauty that Rocky Falls, though less than 1/3 the total height of Mina Sauk, is a much more beautiful fall, and even in the driest weather it continues to flow. In the dry Summer months, Mina Sauk doesn't resemble a water fall so much as a bluff. Having shot Rocky Falls numerous times, I've found you very often have this beautiful spot basically to yourself. The one exception I've found is when someone who knows about the falls talks to other floaters on the river. The two best seasons for photographing the falls are Fall  (the best season in my opinion) and Spring around April and May when the red bud and dogwood trees are in bloom.

Like the Current River, and Jack's Fork, Rocky Falls has been included as a protected site by the National Park System. Rock Creek continues on below the falls until it meets the Current River. Though these blogs are meant as much for anyone just interested in areas to explore in Missouri, I'll conclude with a few ideas that could save time for anyone who has never been to the area to get the most from a photography standpoint out of a quick day trip. The best time for photography anywhere is what's referred to as the golden hours. In theory that would be the hour after sunrise and the hour right before sunset. As the angle of the Earth tilts in Autumn and Winter, I'd argue that the times for good photography greatly increases. In Winter, I personally like the light even on bright days with the exception of a couple of straight mid-day sun.

The photo taken above the Jack's Fork is from an unofficial overlook located about one mile past the turn off for Alley Mill if you are traveling West on highway 106. By setting up just prior to dawn, you'll find yourself in a perfect position to catch the sunrise, and with luck will have a layer of river mist below you. Rocky falls can be located by heading East on highway 106 outside of Eminence. There is a sign in Eminence pointing to Powder Mill, with no mention of Rocky Falls, however this will still lead you to Rocky Falls. You'll travel 6 or so miles before seeing a sign to turn off for the falls. Simply follow the signs. The hike from the parking lot couldn't be easier. You'll be within a couple hundred feet of the falls, and can hear the water rushing over the 40 foot drop. Though it is beautiful morning and evening, I usually shoot this location late afternoon into evening to get the shadows crossing the hard rock of the falls. Whether your just going for a visit or to snap some pics, it's a gorgeous spot. In the Summer, the pool below the falls also serves as perhaps the states most beautiful swimming hole.

Two blogs on Shannon County under my belt and I haven't even scratched the surface of a fraction of the  wonders of  this beautiful area. I'll return at a later date for future blogs on this beautiful and historic county.

© Tommy Burgess

365 Days a Year of Insanity (Trout Fishing in Missouri)

365 Days of Insanity; Trout Fishing in Missouri (Part One)

Originally posted on December 2, 2010. Missouri's trout, be they pursued by anglers with fly rods, ultralight spinning combos, cane poles, old-fashioned crank phones, or sticks of dynamite has been an outdoor adventure enjoyed by Missourians for over 100 years. For liability reasons I should place a disclaimer that the last two forms of trout fishing are not only frowned upon in Missouri, but are also against the law according to Missouri Department of Conversation wildlife codes. 

By now it's probably apparent that this is not going to be a typical A River Runs Through It style post. Old timer fly fisherman have strong feelings about that movie, but to keep things family friendly, I'll omit those choice remarks. For anyone who's ever played bingo, just think of the reaction throughout the bingo hall after someone yells out bingo during the jackpot game. For this post, I'll keep this post serious in parts, but nowhere will I be discussing the beauty of shadow casting, nor will I keep things strictly to fly fishing only. I do hope to be informative here, as well as, hopefully dispel some myths about the pursuit of trout in the Ozarks. 

Before going on I should also note that I do not wish to offend any other fisherman. When I talk about a year's worth of insanity, I'm right in the boat with thousands of other insane anglers myself. And perhaps the best way to begin is with an insanity story involving myself.

The insanity started Saturday February 28, 2009. The weather was calling for the heaviest snowfall of the year and I was on the phone with my friend Tracy discussing whether or not we were going to make the trip to Montauk State Park for opening day of the trout parks. In general, I hate opening day due to the immense crowds, however, I rarely miss one. I believe it's so I will have something to complain about for a full year. Somewhere during the course of our conversation on the weather, the insanity started in. We had purchased our daily tags the weekend prior, so we had to take into consideration our initial investment into consideration. And then I had the brilliant idea that because Governor Jay Nixon was scheduled to sound the siren to start the season, that even if he didn't have the power to stop the inclement weather, that surely the highway department would have the roads clear from Jefferson City all the way to the state park. So with the insurance that all was good we decided to make the trip.

I don't know the exact moment where things went wrong. Perhaps it was when I decided to using my reasoning skills, but we found quickly that it isn't in a governor's ability to stop the weather, not does highway department have the ability to clear the roads magically. After the first 15 tries of getting out of the driveway, a little voice began to tell me that maybe it was best to stay home and in bed where it was warm. I chose to ignore that voice. I met Tracy a little after 3am. We briefly discussed what we were going to do. It was then I started to reason again. My newest theory was since the park was around an hour drive South, that they surely didn't receive nearly as much snow as we must have. I think somewhere in my flawed thinking I was mistaking Licking, Missouri for Tampa Bay Florida. So the journey began. On a highway with a 65mph speed limit, I believe my top speed was somewhere around 40, and that was probably about 30 mph too fast. We saw very few cars on the road between home and the park, though we did see over 15 off the road in that stretch. Despite the anxiety, I started a new line of thinking. Since we weren't seeing traffic on the road, we were no doubt going to have the park practically to ourselves, with thousands of trout, and just a handful of survivors to compete with. With just one final obstacle in our way, the giant hill that leads into the river valley, I knew if we could survive that, we'd have it made. My main concern was doing a Ozark version of the luge with a dodge intrepid for use as a sled. Well fortunately, there was no hillbilly Olympic events that day, but what waited at the bottom of the hill was a major surprise. Far more people than I could have ever imagined had run the gauntlet and managed to survive, so my theory of having the park almost to ourselves was quickly disproven. The previous photo from above as well as the one from below features fellow anglers who like myself and Tracy understand the importance of risking one's life for a worthy cause.

Not to be deterred, I decided to make the most of the situation. Regardless of the frigid cold and, the thick blanket of snow covering the river banks, and clearing sky was beautiful, and I knew that at the very least, I'd get in some really good captures. The fishing that morning was fair as well, so all seemed worth it. Somewhere around mid-morning, I decided to stop fishing and focus on photographing the event, and basically followed Tracy around from hole to hole like the one below.

Around the middle of the day, after my wonderfully reasons pulled us through the first part of the day, it was Tracy's turn to do some reasoning of his own. The week before when we had bought our tags, we had decided on doing a cookout. Of course we were also banking on a chilly day of say the middle 40's. In a crowd of people who apparently all suffered at least a touch of insanity, we decided to shoot for the grand prize of most insane fishermen of the day. Brushing off the snow covered grills, Tracy dumped in a liberal amount of charcoal, which we quickly found does not burn very well when wet, and proceeded to cook brats. So after surviving the trip, our next goal was to play Russian roulette with food borne illnesses, while people I'd say were nor clearly thinking that day, looked at us as if we were the only nuts in the park that day.

Having now survived the icy roads, and undercooked meat, I decided there was one last thing I wanted to do before heading home. The road through the park hugs the river, and there are many scenic spots to take some wonderful photos. I once again got into my thinking mode and quickly reasoned that since the major hill coming into the park had been cleared and spread with cinders, then the same should also hold true for the hill you take just as your leaving the general park area down stream. At the top of the hill I quickly found out my logic didn't hold true. Though not the luge run the bigger hill would have been, this one had a new factor that added a whole new level of excitement to it. The river was on the right side. Amusement park rides can be a real thrill, but for a truly fantastic rush, one should try out the sliding down hill out of control, just feet from flipping your car over the edge into the chilly waters below. As someone who doesn't swim, I wouldn't have been surprised had Tracy decided to choke me to death, but that would entail having to pry his fingers out of the holes he had put in my dashboard. Anyway, after sliding to the bottom of the hill, we were finally able to get turned around, and after several times of getting stuck in a bug ditch one time even losing a huge section of plastic that we hoped wasn't anything important we made it back over the hill. Well for tonight, this seems like a decent enough place to stop. I'll have more trout fishing stories coming, and I promise not all will be so crazy, though I have a real knack for getting myself into some crazy situations. Thanks for reading, and for all those fellow crazy trout anglers out there. BE CAREFUL.

© Tommy Burgess

Observing and Photographing Missouri's Wildlife

Observing and Photographing Missouri's Wildlife

Originally posted November 29, 2010.

For tonight's post, I've decided to take a break for my "why I love Shannon County" series and focus on a more general abstract idea. I'll be discussing my approach to photography more tonight then in any previous post, but I hope that readers who are not avid photographers will still find the following enjoyable. I would also say to anyone thinking of getting into photography that just because you may not have a high dollar camera with expensive telephoto lenses, that while it may present a few more challenges, wildlife photography is within reach of anyone who wishes to try.

Missouri abounds with life, and is a wonderful state in which to observe and photograph the wide variety of animal species that call the state home. It would probably be a good idea to explain what I believe wildlife photography entails. Not so long ago, my thinking was, one had to be deep inside the woods or somewhere remote to truly consider themselves capturing or observing Missouri's Wildlife. My philosophy has since changed after countless hours watching wild animals in more urban type areas. Just because we have encroached upon native habitats, I've found that some animals have adapted to these situations, while others can be found roaming these areas merely to move about from sanctuary to sanctuary.

When starting out in photography, my general idea on wildlife photography was that if a capture didn't have a National Geographic type feel to it, then it wasn't really a wildlife capture. What one doesn't gather from the specials on TV, is that not all those wonderful shots and film footage, aren't always miles deep in forest or jungle either. As a new photographer I also picked up the bad habit of not even taking a capture if I didn't consider the animal "Wild" enough. I've since made it a habit to pay attention even to the smallest of creatures. Those you see daily and just take for granted. Above is a photo I captured in early Spring of 2005. By just taking a little time to watch the behavior of a young squirrel that seemed to be going out of his way to be a ham for the camera, I wound up capturing a very funny moment. The picture featured above wound up becoming very popular at different websites and photo contests, and has probably garnered more emails and comments over the years than just about any other photo I've taken. I titled this one Now Where Did I Leave Those Keys, though I have had several emails with some very funny titles, some way more funny then my own, I tend to try to keep things family friendly. So I've decided to let any almond joy type titles stop at giving me a good chuckle.

Photo's of a squirrel may not have the impact of a cheetah running down a gazelle, something I've still yet to see in Missouri by the way, but by taking just a minute to observe a tiny creature so many of us have gotten into the habit of ignoring, you never know when a unique photo opportunity might arise. I took the photo above within 10 feet of the crazy little animal, so referring back to thinking you need the best equipment, a camera phone would have even sufficed to get this shot.

To take consistent animal photos or to get the most from just observing them, one has to make a few adjustments. In some cases you may even say sacrifices. Regardless of whether your wanting to observe animals in the wilds of Colorado, or within the confines of Missouri, the majority of animal movement happens early in the morning then begins again in the early evening hours right into dusk. For myself, the evening isn't so bad, but for anyone old enough to remember the Dunkin Doughnuts commercial, I am the epitome of the it's time to make the doughnuts guy, when it comes to mornings. By being out early or later afternoon/eary evening, the photographer and outdoor enthusiast will have to adjust to low light conditions. The photo of the barred owl below is an example of a photo that isn't of the highest quality. I always shoot with the hopes of capturing photos good enough to be accepted by stock photography agencies, yet on the other hand, the reason I love photography is for the chance to capture a moment I'd like to remember, even if the shot isn't going to win you any awards or photo sells.

So back to how to make the most of wild animal watching and photography, I'm going to move on to another tip to help the reader increase their chances of observing some wonderful and often unique behavior. Concealment though not always a necessity will greatly increase the odds of getting better animal captures. So it's imperative to go out and buy camo clothing, and a good blind. Ok, I wasn't able to find the dripping sarcasm button, so I'll have to explain that the previous line is rife with it. A good blind is a great investment, though even if you don't realize it, nearly all of us have one of the most practical blinds already, so there is no need to go to Bass Pro shop to buy one.  One trick pretty much all photographers who spend any time shooting animal photos knows is that a vehicle makes a fantastic blind. For whatever reason animals in general do not perceive a car as a threat. Now once you step out of the car, that's a different story.

With animal photography and observing, patience really is a virtue. I've spent hours waiting for one particular eagle to leap from the branch it's perched on. Though not a conspiracy theory guy, I've had the thought that an eagle has been wise to my plan and decided to have fun seeing who could hold out the longest. This theory gains more credibility when so often they bird chooses the moment you bring your hands down to rest then decides to leap from the limb when your not ready. The outcome of such an encounter more often then not ends in a rushed shot that gets a sliver of a wing, or a blur of white tail feathers. You never know what wild animals will do, but with a camera handy you always have the chance of capturing a moment you may never see again in your lifetime. Below is a photo of two baby raccoons that were a joy to watch as the scurried into the nook of a tree to watch me and my son Robert, with the one sibling climbing on top of the other. I've gotten raccoon captures since, but this cute moment has yet to ever present itself again. 

In the Winter months of Missouri, there is no animal that I pursue more than the Bald Eagle. I spend so much time that I will no doubt devote many posts specifically on this majestic bird. The rebound of such a magnificent creature is something I find very heart warming. I was an adult when I saw my first one in the wild in Missouri. My son has the opportunity to see them regularly, though through countless of those "oh dad" type conversations, he realizes that for my generation, we didn't have such opportunities. Below is a capture of an adult eagle with a trout in it's talons. I had set up on this bird while he was in a stream side tree. My expectation was to be in position to get a few shots as he made the leap to fly away, something I've witnessed many times. As I've mentioned before wild animal behavior can be predicted to an extent, but every once in awhile, they will throw you a curve. I've seen eagles swoop in on fish before, but on this particular day, I was completely clueless that it was not just perching, but actively hunting. In the blink of an eye, the eagle  made the leap I'd been expecting, but instead of spreading his large wings to fly, he tucked them under his body and dove straight to the water, coming up with no doubt a very dumbfounded trout. Like I mentioned earlier, I've seen them hunt, but this was the first time I had a completely clear shot of the event with out having tree limbs obscuring the action.

One of my favorite methods of searching for wildlife to watch and photograph, is to simply take advantage of the plethora of gravel roads in the areas surrounding the St. James/Rolla area. My camera stays on the console tilted so the handle is facing up, so all I have to do is simply reach down and pull the camera up. Even today's cheapest digital cameras now often come equipped with an automatic shut off to save battery life. This allows you to simply tap the shutter button to turn it on in a fraction of a second, compared to the 2-3 seconds from a complete shut down. This simple feature now found on most cameras is what allowed me to capture the photo of the male Northern bobwhite below. Considering his hop onto this wooden fence post was for such a brief moment, had I been even a second or two slower, I'd have probably been stuck with something similar to photography's version of a fishing tale. Of course then I would have had to revise my story and by the end, the little quail been a ten pounder, so I guess there is a trade off.

I'll be returning to animal posts frequently, and have made the decision to leave quite a bit out of this post. For instance Missouri has some animal oddities that I would like to share. In a future post focusing on Missouri's glade top trail near the border with Arkansas, in the Spring of 2010, I was lucky enough to capture a photo of a male roadrunner. I've had a couple opportunities to try to get a capture or two of roadrunners in places such as Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona, and Arches National Park in Utah, but in both cases they left me feeling much like Wiley Coyote as they darted through the sage brush and cactus never offering a glimpse long enough to even raise the camera to my eye. I had just read a book about the Ozarks in Missouri and Arkansas a few months prior, yet my mind wasn't even considering possibly seeing one. I love the oddities that Missouri offers, and the fact there is a viable population of a bird so symbolic with America's West and South West isolated several hundreds of miles from the rest of it's own species is just another answer to the question in my first post. Why Missouri?

In conclusion to how to make the most of enjoying the wildlife of Missouri, whether your a photographer wanting to branch out into a new area, or simply a lover of animals who enjoys watching nature unfold in front of you, I offer the following advice. Make the most of the peak hours, be it bright and early, or as the sun starts it's decent in the West. The one thing I did fail to mention when explaining just how much I loath early mornings is,  if you have the will power to force yourself out of bed, your almost guaranteed a wonderful day. To watch the start of a brand new day, hear as the song birds start singing their own unique songs, and to see the behavior as some animals are waking up while other's are preparing for bed, it is a true blessing of God's creation. You'd be surprised also that it can be a real boost to one's energy level. Another good way to improve your odds of watching the behavior of different species of animals is to try to anticipate where they might be. Protected areas such as state parks will always offer a greater opportunity for wildlife observation, but don't rule out a simple drive down a country road, and if there are any creeks, rivers, or ponds near by, your chances for an encounter increase even more. The way I look at those areas, is even if you don't see a tremendous amount of wildlife, you still have the fortune of seeing some beautiful scenery.

Also consider making your own home more wildlife friendly, even if you live in town. A bird feeder or two, along with a simple birdbath and you can have the luxury of watching wild birds year round. Winter can seem drab, with everything seemingly being colored brown or white should a snow fall. For myself, the brilliant flash of red of a cardinal making a stop at a bird feeder can help brighten a blah day. Should you come up a herd of deer, a fox or coyote stopping to check out the car your in, though mentioned earlier in a half joking manner, vehicles especially when stopped seem to not scare wild animals and do make great blinds. Photo supply companies are aware of this, so much so,  they even offer mounts for your car or truck windows to keep your camera steady. Then when you've observed for a time whatever animal or animals you may have been looking at, feel free to exit the car. Should you do this, exit slowly, and gently shut the car door. I've found the best method is to be slow in deliberate with your movements, but try not to act too stealthy, especially when an animal is aware to your presence, since they can easy see this as stalking. My belief is that animals are confused by cars thinking they must be some sort of large herd animal, but nearly every animal alive has a tendency to view humans as a predator. This being said, it's also not a bad idea to initially avoid direct eye contact. I'll even occasionally speak in a low voice, the theory being to let the animal know I see it, and know it see's me. So if anyone should ever run across me in the woods talking quietly to myself, don't automatically assume I'm crazy.

I freely admit that I am no animal expert, my suggestions come from simply hundreds of hours of trial and error. I feel confident enough to suggest avoiding the temptation to approach any wild animal quickly, even though there is an urge you have to fight wanting to get close for fear by taking your time, you may not get the opportunity. Also it should be said, wild animals can be dangerous, especially those who feel threatened, so many times, it's just best to enjoy them from a distance in which they feel comfortable.Whether your a photographer wanting to explore a new area, or an animal lover who just enjoys watching, enjoy the wildlife of our wonderful state. In a world of video game consoles, and ironically the Internet, I say in an online post, to our nemesis of old, the television sets that's kept so many of us inside on days where the joys of spending some time in nature would be far more rewarding, I say, Go enjoy our beautiful state and the fabulous creatures who call it home.

© Tommy Burgess

A Morning With Missouri's Wild Horses (Shannon County)

A Morning With Missouri's Wild Horses (Shannon County Pt. 1)

Originally submitted November 26, 2010.

October 20, 2009 on yet another photography day trip to my favorite county in Missouri to photograph, I had the privilege to experience the type of photo shoot that I will fondly remember forever. In a county with a plethora of photographic opportunities such as, Alley Mill, Round Spring, Rocky Falls, Sinking Creek C.A., Angeline C.A., Peck Ranch C.A., and two of Missouri's designated National Scenic Riverways, the Current and Jack's Fork, any day shooting there is sure to garner a memory card or two filled with great shots. My initial destination on this day had been to start at Rocky Falls, a gorgeous spot in Missouri that for whatever reason isn't all that well known. I will blog more about the falls at a later date.

Having left home late and missing the chance to catch the sunrise at Rocky Falls, I decided to stop by Shawnee Creek, a tributary of the Jack's Fork that is used by campers, as well as, the trail riders that make Eminence so popular with horse lovers. On a previous trip a few months prior, My son Robert and I had come across some odd looking tracks in the gravel bottom of the small creek. Later while getting a soda at the local gas station, was a picture posted to the cash register dated the day before of a mother bear standing in Shawnee Creek. This solved the mystery of the strange tracks. I've made it a habit to always check that area, even if the chance of ever spotting a glimpse of a bear are slim.

On this day, I had just taken a few shots of the morning light and Autumn colors along Shawnee Creek and was heading back to my car when I looked across a very large river bottom field, and just above the extremely high grass saw the distinct head of a horse flip up just above the tops of the grass. It took me a moment to realize that I had stumbled upon one of the two small wild horse herds that roam the areas along the Current and Jack's Fork River.

As I began walking though the field toward where I had seen the head pop up above the grass, I could see numerous well traveled trails that lead through the tall grass. All of these paths seemed to lead to small short grass meadows, that you couldn't see until you were basically upon them because of the surrounding taller grasses. As I got closer to the small herd, my excitement grew. I had planned my day out the night before, but the thing I've come to learn about plans, is to be flexible. Rockey Falls and Alley Mill can always be found in the same spot every day. As I got closer and could finally see the horses better through the grass, it was apparent they were very aware of my presence as well. I've had a lot of experience with domestic horses, but a wasn't sure the best approach to interacting with a wild herd. I opted for what I hoped was a nonchalant approach just short of twirling my thumbs and whistling while intentionally looking away. I finally reached the small circular short grass opening. Ok so it wasn't a Dianne Fossey/Jane Goodall moment, but nonetheless, I was excited that the herd hadn't ran off at my approach. I did quickly find it was easy to discern who the herd stallion was when he trotted between me and the rest of the herd, then shook his head a few times, with his ears slightly pinned back. At this point I decided to avoid direct eye contact with him, and sit down at the edge of the clearing.

That tactic proved effective and soon I was able to scoot around to snap some shots of the herd. The herd had two babies, a black colt, and a little chestnut filly. While the herd in general seemed tolerant of my presence, the little filly was very inquisitive and tried repeatedly to walk towards me for a closer look. Sometimes her mother would step in and herd her away, other times one of the other members of the herd would step in and do the same. It was obvious that there is a difference between tolerance and trust, and because of this I was only able to shoot a few unobstructed shots of her. The photo above is my favorite capture of her that day.

I followed the herd for over three hours that day. I would have continued to follow, but while walking along the narrow path following them to yet another clearing, I was stopped short when the White Stallion re-entered the path. This time his intention was clear. His pinned ears and his head shake were communication enough to know that it was time for me to go. I look at everyday in the outdoors as a blessing, but some days are so special that you'll never forget them. This experience would have to rate somewhere near the top of my most memorable photo shoots.

Now for a little background on how Missouri wound up with two small wild horse herds. Though no one knows for sure, the theory that is most widely accepted is that somewhere near the end of the 1920' to early 1930's, that do to the depression, farmers began releasing horses because they could no longer afford to feed them. There are two small herds, and to keep the population manageable, males are occasional captured and then offered up for adoption.

There has also been much controversy concerning the wild horses in Missouri. The National Park System considers the horses to be feral and not truly wild, and by definition I would agree that no wild horses in America are true wild animals. That distinction belongs solely to a small threatened population in Mongolia. Wanting to remove the horses, but facing a backlash from concerned citizens who went on to form the Missouri Wild Horse League, and case wound up in litigation that went all the way to the Supreme Court of the United States. The opinion of the Court was the National Park System had the right to remove any feral animals at their discretion. Alas all seemed lost for those wishing to see the horses remain running free along the National Park Lands along the Current and Jack's Fork National Scenic Riverways. Then in stepped United States Congressman Bill Emerson. In a last ditch effort to keep the horses along the National Scenic Riverways permanent, he proposed a bill and was soon supported by Missouri senators Kit Bond, and John Ashcroft. After the bill was passed, it was later signed into law October 3, 1996 by President Bill Clinton. The horses are now federally protected animals.

I'm enclosing the information on the Missouri Wild Horse League should anyone want to contact them. The website says they can help you possibly locate where either of the herds might be located. The information on the site is a few years old, and in recent years a couple of horses have been shot and left killed, so I wouldn't be surprised if they aren't a little more guarded with such information. To me that seems as senseless as the fact every year in Missouri, a few bald eagles are found shot and left to rot. I will enclose future blog entries on Shannon County. For those who have never been there, it is a Missouri gem. The current proposed project  that has me excited is, a plan to re-introduce an Elk herd in the Peck Ranch C.A. covering parts of Shannon, Reynolds, and Carter Counties. Arkansas has already re-introduced Elk along the Buffalo National River, and in my opinion, I would love to see free roaming elk once again in our wonderful state. 

© Tommy Burgess

Missouri Wild Horse League

P.O. Box 301

Eminence, MO 65466

573-226-3492 or 573-226-3339