October 11, 2026
MDC congratulates Ben Faulkenberry on breaking the pole-and-line state record by catching a two-pound, 11-ounce skipjack herring on Joachim Creek. The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) reports that Ben Faulkenberry of Imperial became the most recent record-breaking angler in Missouri when he hooked a skipjack herring on Joachim Creek in Jefferson County using a rod
Lela Mae Thomas, 81, was born April 19, 1935, near Osceola to Fred and Wilma Murphey. She passed away March 9, 2017. in Kansas City, Lela’s early life was spent in Osceola and she attended school there. On Nov. 14, 1952, she was united in marriage to Harlin Thomas. They moved to Kansas City where
The calendar may still say winter, but unseasonably warm temperatures during February and March have convinced many blooming plants that spring has arrived. The bad news is that the average last frost date in southwest Missouri is April 20 meaning there is lots of time left for these happy and colorful trees and flowers to
MDC CERTIFIES STATE CHAMPION TUPELO AT ALLRED LAKE IN BUTLER COUNTY – The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) recently certified a new state champion tupelo tree at Allred Lake in Butler County. MDC Resource Forester Mark Pelton waded out in hip-deep water to measure the tupelo that stands in Al lake. The tree has a
Missouri turkey hunters can expect a good spring season overall according to the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC). The spring turkey hunting season starts with a youth-only weekend April 8-9. The regular spring season runs April 17 through May 7. Although four consecutive years of poor hatches caused Missouri’s turkey population to decline during the
The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) will hold a free youth turkey hunting clinic on Saturday, April 1, followed by a mentored hunt the weekend of April 8 – 9. The clinic will take place 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. at the MDC Central Region Office, 3500 East Gans Road in Columbia. Attendees will also
This week’s master naturalist question, for the hundreds of “master naturalists” out there in the suburbs of who have their master naturalist certificates… In actual weight, which one is larger, the adult gray squirrel or the adult red squirrel? All of us who hunt squirrels and skin them and eat them, and send their tails
Its cousin, waterhemp, remains top weed in state, but likely not for long Waterhemp and Palmer amaranth are easily confused. They are like ugly distant cousins at a family reunion. They look alike until you see them side by side. Their differences become apparent upon closer examination. Palmer amaranth is the bigger bully of the
Free clinics near Springfield and Lebanon will have tips for youths and adults. Spring turkey hunting involves a variety of skills. Knowing how to locate a gobbler, call him into shotgun range, handling firearms in a safe fashion and knowing the regulations are all parts of a successful and safe hunt. Hunters can learn more
Registration opened March 1 for clinic at Warsaw on Lake of the Ozarks. If you want to catch a really big fish, try paddlefish snagging. The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) can teach you how. You might reel in a fish that weighs 50 to 80 pounds or even far bigger. Paddlefish, known as spoonbill,
