Missouri’s 21-day regular spring turkey season closed with 41,830 checked. This was 3.7 percent fewer than 2008. (more…)

Our March issue featured the Millstream Gardens-Silver Mines 42nd annual Whitewater Races both on the cover and inside.

Mark Wehking, a member of the Missouri Whitewater Association, was kind enough to send us the results. (more…)

Spring turkey season starts next Monday, April 20, and runs through May 10. While veteran hunters have been preparing for months, persons new to the sport (or just think they might want to try it with a hunting friend) have two new options, according to the Missouri Dept. of Conservation.

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Summer is almost here, and after the discovery last year of emerald ash borers at the Greenville Recreational Area, almost 1000 Barney purple insect traps will be deployed in the woods.

Barney purple? Seems the brilliant metallic blue green beetles have a thing for the color. Maybe they think it goes with their exoskeletons. Who knows? The traps are triangular in cross-section, and 1 by 2.5 feet in size. They may blend with the redbuds right now, but shortly they will stick out against the green Ozark canopy. (more…)

I goofed. It was an honest mistake.

Every month, after the Missouri Conservation Commission meets, they send out a news release summarizing what the Commissioners decided in the way of adding or subtracting rules and regulations, who gets the attaboys (Department awards) and who gets a thumbs down (the list of license suspensions and revocations.) (more…)

A public meeting sponsored by the Voice of the Ozarks and the Missouri Department of Conservation will be held at 7 p.m., Tuesday, May 12, at the  Eminence High School Old Gymnasium to explain conservation department policy on public roads, forest management, wildlife management and other areas. There will be an organized question and answer session.

The Mo. Dept. of Conservation announced that fish losses at Missouri hatcheries in 2008 will result in about 180,000 fewer fish being stocked in 2009 at Missouri trout parks and other waters. This is about a 10% reduction, or 0.25 fish per angler, according to James Civiello, Trout Hatchery Program Director.

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Jo Schaper

Somehow I missed this in the hoopla last year over the Year of the Frog. At http://mdc.mo.gov/nathis/herpetol/frog/id.htm MDC posted an online audio and visual guide to ID’ng Missouri frogs and toads. (more…)

Missouri Birds and Birding Basics class will be held on April 10 from 6-8 p.m. in the Lybyer Technology Center on MSU-WP campus in West Plains, followed by an optional field trip at 6:30 a.m. on Saturday April 11. This event is free. For details, contact Wendy Ziegler at the MDC at 256-7161 ext. 301.

Turkey hunters in many parts of Missouri don’t need an expert to tell them the state’s turkey population is down.

  “I’m hoping that hunters will adopt a two-year strategy,” said Resource Scientist Tom Dailey. Dailey, who oversees the Missouri Department of Conservation’s wild turkey management program, said he expects a significantly smaller turkey harvest this year than in 2008. Hunters checked 46,000 turkeys in last year’s spring turkey season. He expects the number to be closer to 40,000 this year. Missouri has fewer gobblers this year than it has had in 20 years or so. (more…)