Outdoors

MDC changing waterfowl hunting at Montrose Conservation Area in response to ongoing low-water levels

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) is proposing changes to waterfowl hunting at the Montrose Conservation Area (CA) in Henry County in west-central Missouri. MDC is proposing eliminating the “waterfowl hunting only” designation for the area and making it an “open area” for hunting various game and other outdoor activities. The area would continue to

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Firewood in Abundance

I went to Bull Shoals Lake last week and you can see the effects of the drought there, as it is lower than I have ever seen it. The Ozarks of both Missouri and Arkansas need inches of rain badly to fill our lakes and rivers to a level they all need to be. The

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Eat More Rabbits

By the time you read this, the snow will likely be gone, and I will have eaten the last fried rabbit of the winter. If you don’t eat a fried rabbit or two each winter, you aren’t living right. There were so many of them when I was a kid, and from December until February,

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The White and the Browns

Every year at this time I mention the great trout fishing found on the White River… where the brown trout reach gigantic sizes. Brown trout are more active in January and February because it is their spawning time in waters where they are native, mostly in Germany and Scandinavian countries. Browns are not native to

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In the Middle of the Night

A few years ago the Missouri Department of Conservation paid out one million dollars as a result of a lawsuit brought about because two agents violated the law by entering a barn without permission or a search warrant. Another was charged with theft in Shannon County for stealing a expensive dog collar from a hunting

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MDC reports final deer harvest for season at 301,954

Missouri’s 2025-2026 deer-hunting season ended Jan. 15 with the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) reporting a preliminary total deer harvest for the season of 301,954. Of the deer harvested, 145,222 were antlered bucks, 25,129 were button bucks, and 131,603 were does. Top harvest counties for the overall deer season were Franklin with 6,770, Howell with

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Explore new fishing, picnicking, trail opportunities at these MDC lakes in the Ozarks

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) invites anglers, hikers, and outdoor enthusiasts to visit four picturesque community lakes (CL) located in south-central Missouri. Each site offers a combination of water access, picnic amenities, and trails, making them ideal for a day trip or a weekend getaway. These sites offer high-quality fishing access, trails, and family-friendly

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Visiting the Old Homeplace Covey

Reprinted from the book “Dogs and Ducks and Hatrack Bucks”…by Larry Dablemont– published in 2003 Old Luke had found them and there wasn’t any doubt about that. He stood there in the woodland cover with his tail high and head forward, his body twisted slightly with one foreleg lifted, drinking in the mesmerizing scent of

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MDC announces regulation changes for spring turkey hunting

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) announces regulation changes to spring turkey hunting that will reduce the nonresident harvest limit from two bearded turkeys to one. Nonresident landowners will maintain a harvest limit of two bearded birds with only one allowed to be harvested during the first seven days of the season. Regulation changes will

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A Haven

My secret place is quiet and serene, and beautiful even in the starkness of full-blown winter. There are no roads into it; I get there by boat. Sometimes in the winter there are grey skies threatening rain and waves are whitecapping out on the lake. Sometimes it is a still warm day that hints of

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