Outdoors

With fall firearms turkey season running Oct. 1 – 31 and archery turkey season underway, the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) advises turkey hunters it could be another challenging season. According to MDC, turkey production in Missouri steadily increased during the 1990s before declining during the 2000s. While production began to increase throughout much of

The lamprey uses its many circular rows of sharp teeth to attach itself to a variety of fish and consume the body fluids of its host – like an aquatic vampire. Learn more during MDC’s “Halloween Special” Wild Webcast on Creepy Critters Tuesday, Oct. 20, at noon.

On Sept. 23, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration finalized a molluscan shellfish equivalence determination for two European Union (EU) Member States, Spain and the Netherlands. “Today’s announcement is a significant milestone that will resume trade in shellfish between the U.S. and the EU for the first time since 2010. These actions reflect key strategic

MDC staff recently stocked rainbow trout on the Eleven Point River. Buy and download your fishing permits using our MO Fishing app. More at https://short.mdc.mo.gov/ZJZ.

A teal is a duck… a little duck about half the size of a half-grown chicken. Most of them have a wingspan just shy of 24 inches and a weight just shy of a pound. There are blue-winged teal and there are green-winged teal and to the west of us there are cinnamon teal. During

MDC Conservation Agents Alex Walker and Aaron Post rescued this young buck deer after it became entangled in a soccer goal net at a residence in Kansas City. They were able to cut the net away from the antlers and head and release the deer unharmed. Photos by Alex Walker, Missouri Department of Conservation

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) updated regulations to the Wildlife Code of Missouri regarding coyote hunting and feral hog control at its Sept. 4 Conservation Commission meeting in Jefferson City. The change comes in response to citizen requests to the Regulations Committee to use night vision, infrared, thermal imagery equipment, or artificial light to

Missourians asked to provide feedback Oct. 16-Nov. 14 on the proposed framework. The Missouri Conservation Commission recently approved a proposed hunting framework by the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) for a potential future black bear season in Missouri. The Commission approved the framework at its Sept. 4 open meeting in Jefferson City and is asking

Some years back I took a pair of northerners on an Ozark float trip and in mid-afternoon dark clouds began to form to the west, with the ominous roll of thunder in the distance. I knew of a big, deep cave nearby with a dry floor, so I secured the boat in a protected spot

With the help of partnerships and extensive habitat restoration, the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) is delighted to bring the once-native Brown-headed Nuthatch back to Missouri. Reintroduction efforts were made possible through MDC’s partnerships with the U.S. Forest Service’s Mark Twain National Forest, Ouachita National Forest and Northern Research Station, the University of Missouri, and