Outdoors

Gigs in the Garden, a free outdoor concert series, returns in October with a varied lineup of Ozarks performers in the beautiful setting of the Springfield Botanical Gardens at Nathanael Greene/Close Memorial Park. This fall’s dates and performers are: • 2 p.m., Sunday, October 19: The Henderson Kids features dynamic musical siblings delivering a mix

Dennis Whiteside is a float-fishing guide who travels down a dozen or more streams across the Ozarks of Missouri each year, through all seasons. He also is someone very knowledgeable about wild turkeys and he reports on what he sees through a survey that he turns in regularly to the state’s Department of Conservation. “I’ve

Taberville Report By Bobby Dains Dains Fish Farm After Hours 660-781-8020 We have all kind of live bait. Several people are fishing. I don’t know if they are catching anything. We are open from 9 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. Closed Sundays and Mondays until next snagging season. Caplinger Woods 417-276-3838 The bridge is open 24/7

October and November are peak months for deer to be on the move, and the Missouri Department of Transportation is reminding drivers to be prepared and not drive distracted. According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Missouri consistently ranks 10th to 15th in the country in deer-vehicle collisions each year. In 2024, there were 2,952

Taberville by Bobby Dains Dains Fish Farm After hours 660-781-8020 The fish are biting, blue cats and flatheads. We have all kinds of live bait. Trotlines, throw lines are working. Several people are fishing. We are open from 9 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. Closed Sundays and Mondays until next snagging season. Caplinger Woods by Jason

The bow season has begun, and while I once took part in it, I won’t bow hunt this year. When you are young you can sit in a tree stand and spend hours enjoying yourself even if you don’t see a thing. At my age, you never have four hours to sit and do nothing.

After a hot summer, most are welcoming the fall season with open arms. The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) encourages everyone to enjoy fall foliage through camping, hiking, driving tours, or even floating. To help, MDC offers weekly online fall color updates from agency foresters all over the state at mdc.mo.gov/fallcolor. “Our weekly fall color

Did you know that a mourning dove has 2,635 feathers? I found that statistic in a book written by John Madson, entitled “The Mourning Dove”. Madson is gone now, but he was a top-notch outdoor writer, on of the old-timers who actually grew up in the outdoors, unlike the suburban outdoor writers that dominate the

Taberville Report by Bobby Dains Dains Fish Farm After hours 660-781-8020 Nobody is fishing. If you want bait, call ahead. I’ve got gold fish all the time. We are open from 9 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. Closed Sundays and Mondays until next snagging season. Caplinger Woods by Jason Johnson 417/276-3838 Our hours are 9-6 and

DNR’s Division of State Parks is accepting nominations for a general trail user representative and for an equestrian trail user representative for the Trails Advisory Board. The two representatives will serve three-year terms from Nov. 1, 2025, through Nov. 30, 2028. Members must be Missouri residents and must participate in the user group they represent.