Outdoors

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

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

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

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

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) has been cooperatively working with Ameren Missouri, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the U.S. Geological Survey Columbia Environmental Research Center (USGS-CERC) to conduct research on and management for the federal and state endangered scaleshell mussel. Research focused on understanding the distribution of the scaleshell in Missouri,

There is a remote little gravel bar along the river where I love to camp, quite a walk from the road. I parked my pickup and headed down there, determined to see it as a new year comes, in a bleak, drab winter picture of the river. I came across a nice buck and doe

Beginning Jan. 1, 2026, non-resident hunters in Missouri who want to pursue waterfowl, doves, snipe, woodcock, and rails will be required to purchase a new Non-Resident Migratory Bird Permit for a price of $60. The new permit is part of a broader set of permit price adjustments by the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) and

I haven’t seen many ducks but it is duck season and I can’t wait to go out with my Lab to try to find some. If you have never owned a Labrador, you have missed out on one of the greatest things in life, and if you have never watched ducks come into decoys on

Join Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) educators online to learn about hunting regulations in the Show-Me State on Jan. 1 from 5:30 – 6:30 p.m.  This virtual event will teach participants about the history of Missouri conservation, why there are rules and regulations for hunting, and how to find regulations. The program will also include

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) recently set turkey and deer hunting dates for the 2026-2027 seasons. The hunting dates were approved by the Missouri Conservation Commission at its Dec. 12 open meeting at MDC headquarters in Jefferson City. The Commission also gave final approval to regulation changes that will reduce the nonresident harvest limit