| Title |
Excerpt |
Author |
Date |
| Private Land the Key to Forest Health |
Missouri forests grew three times faster than the rate of harvest over the past 30 years. However, that great news disguises a less encouraging fact. Much of the Show-Me State’s forest is in the same condition a garden would be if you simply threw seeds on the ground in the… |
Jim Low, Missouri Dept. of Conservation |
02/02/10 |
| Natural Resources Conference Focuses on “Purposeful Risk Taking” |
“Purposeful risk taking” is the theme for the 2010 Missouri Natural Resources Conference (MNRC) Feb. 3 through 5 at Lake of the Ozarks’ Tan-Tar-A Resort. The conference focuses on helping resource management professionals and citizen conservationists learn how to take risks that help them meet challenges, grow and learn. Early-bird… |
Jim Low, Missouri Dept. of Conservation |
12/31/09 |
| Public Forests Managed for Ecological Diversity, Recreation |
Citizens who trust the Missouri Department of Conservation to manage their public forests wisely sometimes are shocked to find a timber harvest underway on a conservation area. The Show-Me State’s top forester says a better understanding of forest dynamics could prevent such reactions. State Forester Lisa Allen has a long… |
Jim Low, Missouri Dept. of Conservation |
12/23/09 |
| New State-Record Brown Trout is Big, but Bigger Ones Might Still Swim in Lake Taneycomo |
For Scott Sandusky, the most exciting fish in the world is the Missouri state-record brown trout he landed Nov. 20. For the rest of us, the most exciting fish are the even bigger brown trout that might still be prowling the depths of Lake Taneycomo. Sandusky, a 49-year-old resident of… |
Jim Low, Missouri Dept. of Conservation |
12/10/09 |
| Commitment to Diverse Habitats Guides Forest Management on Conservation Areas |
No one who knows where and how Missouri State Forester Lisa Allen grew up could be surprised at her career path. Just as predictable is her commitment to ensuring that Show-Me State forests remain healthy, continue contributing to Missouri’s economy and provide recreational opportunities. A native of Howell County, Allen… |
Jim Low, Missouri Dept. of Conservation |
12/03/09 |
| Sign Up by December 15 to Get First Issue of New MDC Kids’ Magazine |
Young Missourians have until Dec. 15 to sign up for the first issue of Xplor, a multi-media mash-up billed by the Missouri Department of Conservation as “nature-tainment.” The inaugural issue of Xplor will appear in February 2010. Recognizing that young people today get information in dramatically different ways than previous… |
Jim Low, Missouri Dept. of Conservation |
11/24/09 |
| Natural Gifts Perfect for Holiday Giving |
You can save shoe leather, gas money and shopping time by doing holiday shopping with the Missouri Department of Conservation. You can save money too. One way to save money is a special deal on Missouri’s two conservation-related calendars. The Outdoor Heritage Calendar ($7), now in its second year, has… |
Jim Low, Missouri Dept. of Conservation |
11/24/09 |
| Eagle Days Start December 5 |
Five events starting in December offer Missourians a chance to see bald eagles in the wild and indoors. Thousands of bald eagles come to Missouri each winter. The number and location depends on weather. Because they rely on fish and waterfowl for food, eagles migrate as far south each winter… |
Jim Low, Missouri Dept. of Conservation |
11/20/09 |
| Bob Ziehmer Will Be Conservation Department’s Eighth Director |
The Missouri Conservation Commission today announced that Conservation Department Assistant Director Bob Ziehmer will be the agency’s eighth director. Current Conservation Department Director John Hoskins announced at the August Conservation Commission meeting that he intends to retire in January. The Conservation Commission immediately launched a national search for Hoskins’ successor.… |
Jim Low, Missouri Dept. of Conservation |
11/09/09 |
| Lessons for a Safe, Pleasant Hunting Season |
At this time of year, hunters’ daydreams are apt to involve front-page photos of themselves with whitetail bucks whose antlers sport more points than a porcupine. However, hunters who pursue their dreams heedless of safety or ethics risk making headlines in less pleasant ways. Hunter stumbles, loses big toe when… |
Jim Low, Missouri Dept. of Conservation |
10/29/09 |
| Prospects Bright for Flashy Fall Foliage |
It’s October, when leaves blaze yellow, orange and red. Foresters with the Missouri Department of Conservation say this should be a good year for autumn color. Warm, sunny days and cool nights favor the development of brilliant foliage. Trees stop producing green pigment when nighttime lows fall into the 50s… |
Jim Low, Missouri Dept. of Conservation |
10/05/09 |
| Conservation Surplus Property Auction Set for Oct. 17 in Salem |
Imagine everything you would need to manage Missouri’s public forests, lakes and streams. Gather a random selection of all that used gear in one place and call out “What are you gonna give for it?!” Now you have a mental picture of what will happen at the Missouri Department of… |
Jim Low, Missouri Dept. of Conservation |
10/01/09 |
| Conservation Commission Approves New MDC Staffing Plan to Reduce Costs |
The Missouri Conservation Commission has approved a staffing plan that significantly reduces expenses for the Conservation Department. The Commission announced the plan at its meeting Sept. 18 in Hillsboro. The plan focuses on reducing personnel costs compared to other expenses. Conservation Department Director John Hoskins said the plan will help… |
Jim Low, Missouri Dept. of Conservation |
09/21/09 |
| Feral Hog Toll Mounts in Battle for Missouri’s Wildlands |
The outcome of Missouri’s war against feral hogs remains uncertain, but conservation officials are gathering intelligence behind enemy lines and marshalling forces for a pitched battle. Missouri currently is in the early stages of a feral-hog population boom. Swine ranging from domestic porkers to hog-wild descendants of razorbacks and Russian… |
Jim Low, Missouri Dept. of Conservation |
09/14/09 |
| New Magazine Will Challenge Kids to Xplor the Outdoors |
A multi-media “nature-tainment” mash-up called Xplor is the Missouri Department of Conservation’s latest tool for reconnecting children with nature. The magazine is designed to address child advocates’ concern over children’s growing alienation from nature. Author Richard Louv described the phenomenon as “nature deficit disorder” in Last Child in the Woods.… |
Jim Low, Missouri Dept. of Conservation |
09/11/09 |
| “Don’t Move a Mussel” During Labor Day Weekend |
With Labor Day coming up, the Missouri Department of Conservation is urging boaters and anglers to be aware of the danger that invasive aquatic plants and animals pose for Show-Me State waters and take measures to prevent their spread. Invasive Species Coordinator Tim Banek said zebra mussel larvae, known as… |
Jim Low, Missouri Dept. of Conservation |
08/31/09 |
| O’Fallon Man Named Logger of the Year |
Getting the most value from a stand of timber while ensuring the future productivity of the land is a challenge that Missouri’s 2009 Logger of the Year takes seriously. Jim Zwyers, of O’Fallon, received the Missouri Department of Conservation’s top honor for timber harvesters July 25. State Forester Lisa Allen… |
Jim Low, Missouri Dept. of Conservation |
08/28/09 |
| Hoskins Announces Retirement Plans, Search for a New Conservation Director to Begin Sept. 1 |
The Missouri Conservation Commission will conduct a national search to replace Conservation Department Director John Hoskins, who announced his retirement plans Friday. Hoskins’ announcement came at the close of the Missouri Conservation Commission’s August meeting in Jefferson City. He said he will continue as director until Jan. 15. “There are… |
Jim Low, Missouri Dept. of Conservation |
08/21/09 |
| Paddlers Set Two Records in Fourth Missouri River 340 |
Lower water held down the number of record times posted in the 2009 Missouri River 340, but the fourth annual event still provided lots of human drama and lifetimes of stories for those who finished the grueling water race. The MR340’s motto is “This ain’t no mama’s boy float trip.”… |
Jim Low, Missouri Dept. of Conservation |
08/17/09 |
| Zebra Mussel Scores on an End Run |
In spite of its lack of legs, wings or fins, the zebra mussel has pulled off an end run, surprising biologists who are monitoring Missouri waters for the potentially destructive invader. Microscopic zebra mussel larvae turned up in samples of water taken by workers with Missouri Department of Conservation at… |
Jim Low, Missouri Dept. of Conservation |
08/17/09 |
| Missourians Invited to Discover Nature at State Fair |
Missourians interested in discovering nature close to home can pick up information about how to do it at the Missouri State Fair Aug. 13 through 23. The Missouri Department of Conservation’s pavilion is at the south end of the fairgrounds. This year’s displays invite visitors to “Discover Nature Near You.”… |
Jim Low, Missouri Dept. of Conservation |
08/12/09 |
| Source of Exotic Snails Less Mysterious Than Their Name |
The latest in a seemingly endless parade of exotic plants and animals to show up in Missouri has a name that seems ironic to those struggling to hold the line against invasive species. During a 2008 vacation on the Niangua River, a man noticed snails that were much larger than… |
Jim Low, Missouri Dept. of Conservation |
08/07/09 |
| Experiment in Citizen Science Puts Turkey Hunters’ Devotion to the Test |
Getting up before dawn and trekking into the woods two days a week for two months is not everyone’s idea of fun. It paid off for J.D. Long, however, netting him a lifetime hunting permit and a chance to participate in an experiment in “citizen science.” Long, of Osage Beach,… |
Jim Low, Missouri Dept. of Conservation |
08/04/09 |
| Precautions Can Prevent Problems With Missouri’s Growing Black Bear Population |
Beekeepers who have lost hives to hungry bears can tell you that Daniel Kinsley’s history needs updating. With reasonable precautions, however, the revised history need not be titled “Bad News Bears.” Black bears, once considered extirpated in the Show-Me State, have been staging a comeback for at least 25 years.… |
Jim Low, Missouri Dept. of Conservation |
07/31/09 |
| Toxic Invader Revealing its Presence in Missouri |
Missourians, to arms! An invading army is sneaking across Missouri’s borders hidden in bales of hay, poisoning Show-Me natives and taking over thousands of acres of prime pasture and wildlife habitat. Now is the time to attack, while they are most exposed. That sounds overblown, especially when you discover the… |
Jim Low, Missouri Dept. of Conservation |
07/24/09 |
| Paddling Ultra-Marathon Entries Redouble |
Twice as many paddlers will take part in the 2009 Missouri River 340 as last year, and they will have less than four days to complete the punishing paddle from Kansas City to St. Louis. When it began in 2006, the race drew just 15 entries. The second year it… |
Jim Low, Missouri Dept. of Conservation |
07/13/09 |
| Storm Damage Estimated at $12 Million |
Conservation officials say storms that rampaged through Missouri May 8 damaged hundreds of millions of board feet of timber. The silver lining, they say, is enhanced opportunities to return some acreage to healthier forest for wildlife and recreation. Storms damage timber every year. However, the May storm spawned thunderstorms, tornadoes… |
Jim Low, Missouri Dept. of Conservation |
07/10/09 |
| Native Plant Enthusiasts Discover “Miracle” Orchid |
Like any kind of hunting, hunting for unusual plants involves an element of luck. In the case of Missouri’s newest species, the plant was lucky not to get squashed before it was discovered. Members of the Missouri Native Plant Society gathered in southeastern Missouri April 18 and 19, visiting sites… |
Jim Low, Missouri Dept. of Conservation |
07/01/09 |
| MO Teams Take Top Honors at Grassland Contest |
The Columbia FFA team and the Boone County 4-H team took top honors at the 10th Annual Mid-America Grassland Evaluation Contest held in Springfield June 9-10. Twenty-four teams with 96 students from throughout Missouri, West Virginia, Arkansas and Ohio participated in the national competition. The contest was the final level… |
Jim Low, Missouri Dept. of Conservation |
06/26/09 |
| Missouri Wildlife Code Changes Take Effect July 1 |
Changes to Missouri’s Wildlife Code scheduled to go into effect July 1 will affect the availability and cost of youth and nonresident permits. Other changes will affect areas where the antler-point restriction is in effect, urban deer hunting zones, the timing of the antlerless and muzzleloader portions of firearms deer… |
Jim Low, Missouri Dept. of Conservation |
06/24/09 |
| Conservation Areas Are Made to Order for Staycations |
Missourians looking for ways to make outdoor adventures affordable this summer need look no farther than their back yards. With more than 900 conservation areas, lake and river accesses, natural areas, nature centers and shooting ranges around the state, the real challenge is narrowing the choices to a manageable number.… |
Jim Low, Missouri Dept. of Conservation |
06/19/09 |
| Missouri Anglers Continue Record-Setting Streak |
With more than half of 2009 ahead, Missouri angles already have broken as many fishing records as normally fall in a year. The latest record catches were a smallmouth buffalo and a shorthead redhorse. Lucas Dement, of Ste. Genevieve, was bowfishing at Duck Creek Conservation Area at 10 p.m. April… |
Jim Low, Missouri Dept. of Conservation |
06/17/09 |
| Missouri Stream Team Turns 20 |
Missouri Stream Team turns 20 this month, and if you happen to be out on a Missouri stream the weekend of June 13 and 14, you are likely to see evidence of the trailblazing organization in action. The Show-Me State’s citizen-led stream conservation movement traces its roots much farther back… |
Jim Low, Missouri Dept. of Conservation |
06/15/09 |
| Vision for Missouri Outdoors Emerges from Summit Meeting |
In a historical echo, Missouri conservation leaders met in Columbia May 28 and 29 and hammered out a vision for the state’s outdoor future. Outdoor education, water conservation and connecting families with the outdoors topped the list of priorities that leaders agreed should guide conservation for the next three-quarters of… |
Jim Low, Missouri Dept. of Conservation |
06/10/09 |
| Missouri Department of Conservation Wins Top COPS Award |
The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) recently became the first law enforcement agency in the country to receive the national Concerns of Police Survivors’ (COPS) 2009 Distinguished Service Award. As the COPS’ highest recognition, the annual award is presented to an active, retired or deceased law enforcement officer/official or organization… |
Jim Low, Missouri Dept. of Conservation |
06/10/09 |
| Shooting Clinics Reveal Nontoxic Shot Secrets |
Practically every hunter knows that steel and other nontoxic shot performs differently than lead shot. What many do not know is how nontoxic shot is different, how different it is and how to adjust shooting habits to compensate for the differences. Those who attend free shooting clinics around the state… |
Jim Low, Missouri Dept. of Conservation |
05/29/09 |
| Some Missouri Waters Swimming with Cash |
Fishing is not something most people do for money. But anglers do love to tell others about their catches, and the Missouri Department of Conservation is willing to pay for your story if you catch one of a few very special catfish. In its continuing effort to put catfish management… |
Jim Low, Missouri Dept. of Conservation |
05/27/09 |
| Memorial Day Boaters Urged to Keep Zebra Mussels in Mind |
A little caution by boaters over the Memorial Day weekend could save a lot of trouble and expense for Missourians in the long run. That is the message from the Missouri Department of Conservation concerning the zebra mussel. The thumbnail-sized invader from Eurasia has galloped across much of North America… |
Jim Low, Missouri Dept. of Conservation |
05/22/09 |
| Conservation Officials Urge Memorial Day Vacationers Not to Move Firewood |
The Missouri Department of Conservation reminds those who plan to camp over the Memorial Day weekend not to move firewood. Obtaining firewood at your destination is the most helpful thing anyone can do to keep Show-Me State forests safe from the emerald ash borer. The borer – an attractive metallic… |
Jim Low, Missouri Dept. of Conservation |
05/18/09 |
| Guided Float Trip a Chance to Rediscover the Missouri River |
Missourians who are curious about their state’s namesake river can rediscover the history and grandeur of the Big Muddy on a guided float trip June 20. The easy float will take participants 9.5 miles on the Lewis and Clark Water Trail, from Katfish Katy Campground on the Katy Trail at… |
Jim Low, Missouri Dept. of Conservation |
05/15/09 |
| Missouri Yellow Perch Record Falls After Less than Two Months |
Some things are made to last, and then there is Brian Clapp’s fishing record. Clapp, of Butler, captured the Missouri state record for yellow perch March 18 when he caught a 1-pound, 7-ounce fish measuring 13 inches. His fame was short-lived, however, because on May 3 Vince G. Elfrink, of… |
Jim Low, Missouri Dept. of Conservation |
05/13/09 |
| Missouri Hunters Check 41,830 Turkeys |
Hunters checked 8,738 turkeys May 4 through 10, bringing the total harvest for Missouri’s 21-day regular spring turkey season to 41,830, or 3.7 percent fewer than in 2008. Top harvest counties for the three-week season were Franklin with 915, Texas with 839 and St. Clair with 678. Regional harvest totals… |
Jim Low, Missouri Dept. of Conservation |
05/13/09 |
| Apply Now for Pond Stocking |
Landowners who want to turn their ponds into fishing holes have until July 15 to apply for stocking by the Missouri Department of Conservation. Each year hundreds of Missouri pond owners accept nearly a million fingerling fish that add significantly to angling opportunities statewide. To qualify for Conservation Department stocking,… |
Jim Low, Missouri Dept. of Conservation |
05/08/09 |
| Conservation Department Asks Motorists to Spare Wandering Box Turtles |
Have you ever seen a turtle trying to cross a busy highway and wondered how many of these creatures die under the wheels of automobiles each year? Jeff Briggler has, and as Missouri’s State Herpetologist, the answer worries him. Briggler and other workers at the Missouri Department of Conservation have… |
Jim Low, Missouri Dept. of Conservation |
05/01/09 |
| Surplus Property Auction Set for May 30 |
Five bulldozers, three tractors, 39 passenger vehicles, 16 boats, 12 outboard motors, five boat trailers and other surplus property of the Missouri Department of Conservation will go on the auction block May 30. The auction will take place at the Conservation Department’s Equipment Maintenance Office, 115 Pershing Road, Brookfield. Auction… |
Jim Low, Missouri Dept. of Conservation |
05/01/09 |
| 2009-2010 Missouri Deer Seasons Set |
Most of this year’s fall deer and turkey hunting seasons and regulations will look familiar to experienced hunters, but this year’s rules also contain a number of significant changes. The Missouri Conservation Commission set dates for all portions of the 2009-2010 firearms deer seasons last year. Those dates are: ·… |
Jim Low, Missouri Dept. of Conservation |
04/29/09 |
| Keep Camp Groceries Out of Hungry Bears’ Reach |
Turkey hunters and other campers would do well to keep their provisions under lock and key, according to the Missouri Department of Conservation. Jeff Beringer, the Conservation Department’s expert on black bears, says coolers full of food can be an almost irresistible temptation to bears in the springtime. “Bears get… |
Jim Low, Missouri Dept. of Conservation |
04/27/09 |
| Wildly Simple Turkey-Morel Pasta |
- 1 Qt. of morel mushrooms - 2 C. cooked, diced turkey breast - 2 garlic cloves, minced or crushed - 2 medium white or yellow onions, diced - 2 C. (dry) tricolor bowtie pasta, cooked - 2 C. heavy whipping cream - salt and pepper to taste - 4… |
Jim Low, Missouri Dept. of Conservation |
04/27/09 |
| Opening Day Turkey Harvest Down 14 Percent |
Sometimes being right is no fun, as Missouri turkey biologist Tom Dailey knows. Dailey, a resource scientist with the Missouri Department of Conservation, predicted the 2009 spring turkey harvest would be substantially lower than last year. If the number of turkeys killed on opening day is any indication, he was… |
Jim Low, Missouri Dept. of Conservation |
04/24/09 |
| Growing Mentor Movement Enriches Novice and Veteran Hunters |
The temperature hovered around 40 degrees before sunrise on the opening morning of Missouri’s youth turkey season. Ten-year-old Jack Boschert felt the wind’s bite on a mile-long trek to a blind on the edge of a field. The chill melted away, however, when two male turkeys began gobbling in the… |
Jim Low, Missouri Dept. of Conservation |
04/22/09 |
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