Outdoors

Hunters check 2,169 turkeys during Missouri’s fall firearms turkey season

Preliminary data from the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) shows that hunters checked 2,169 turkeys during Missouri’s fall firearms turkey season, Oct. 1-31. Top harvest counties were Greene with 57, Henry with 48, and Laclede with 47. Last year’s fall firearms turkey harvest total was 2,899. MDC’s turkey biologist says the low harvest total can

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Justin Delk wins on Stockton Lake

It was a slow bite for keepers on Stockton Lake Nov. Thirty-four American Bass Anglers launched from Old State Park at 7:30 a.m. looking for 15” bass. Justin Delk took the win with a 5-fish limit weighing 14.29 lbs which included Big Bass of the tournament, a 3.71 largemouth. He won $1058. Austin Lowrey came

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2018 firearms deer season reminders

As firearms deer season approaches, hunters should remember a few important things. First, your safety and every other hunter’s safety is priority number one. Always point your muzzle in a safe direction, always 100% identify your target and what is beyond before firing, always keep your safety on until ready to shoot and always keep

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Young deer hunters harvest 13,500+ during early youth portion

Top counties for the early youth hunt were Howell with 350, Osage with 316, and Franklin with 263. Preliminary data from the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) shows that young hunters ages 6 through 15 harvested 13,560 deer during Missouri’s early youth portion of the 2018 deer hunting season, which ran Oct. 27-28. Top counties

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MDC predicts fall turkey hunting to be challenging

With fall firearms turkey season and archery season underway, the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) advises hunters it could be a challenging season. This year’s annual wild turkey brood survey shows statewide turkey production was below average. The statewide poult-to-hen ratio (PHR) for this year was 0.9, which was 13% higher than last year’s ratio,

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MDC seeks confirmed sightings of badgers, weasel, spotted skunks

The badger, a master dirt mover, is one of Missouri’s largest mammals and a fierce opponent with lengthy front claws if cornered. Yet thanks to low population numbers and their nocturnal, rather reclusive ways, many outdoor enthusiasts have never seen one. Biologists for the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) want to know more about them,

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The Birds of September

Once years ago I was hunting with the publisher-owner of Gun Dog Magazine, who was from Iowa. Back then there was no dove season in Iowa; we were hunting a harvested grain field in Missouri and he had a friend along. His friend sat at the edge of the field and killed five doves with

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MDC, Wisconsin DNR partner to restore Missouri’s ruffed grouse

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) are working together to help restore Missouri’s ruffed grouse population. MDC’s plan is to trap and relocate 300 grouse from northern Wisconsin to the River Hills region of east-central Missouri over a three-year period (2018-2020). The goal is to trap and relocate

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