ShareAmong the most difficult realities of hunting we grapple with is wounded game. Ethical hunters strive for perfect, clean shots that kill animals instantly. But there are times when things don’t work out as planned, no matter how much practice and patience we exercise.
I was reminded of that on two occasions recently on a weekend [...]

ShareI constantly struggle with the conflict of technology and primitive ways. While I love the concept of going off the grid, even if it’s just for the weekend, I find myself relying on technology to boost my knowledge.
Hunting and fishing are no exception.
My iPhone 4 (no plug intended) has incredible applications that actually might come [...]

ShareWhen the Missouri Conservation Commission instructed the Missouri Department of Conservation to conduct a feasibility study to reintroduce elk in the Eastern Ozarks, conservationists around the state cheered. The buzz in hunting circles was that Missouri could one day open an elk season. Gov. Jay Nixon expressed his support (not that anybody would have expected [...]

ShareThe Missouri Conservation Commission has announced the 2010-2011 waterfowl seasons and limits. The seasons require final approval from the US Fish and Wildlife Service, but that is seldom an issue.
So, waterfowlers, start repairing your decoys and organizing your gear. We get another 60-day season.

ShareA circuit judge in southeast Missouri has ruled that the Missouri Department of Conservation’s regulations regarding the use of vehicles and dogs to hunt deer are unconstitutional.
As reported in the Doniphan Prospect News and the Southeast Missourian, Circuit Judge Robert Smith directed the department “to no longer enforce the above described regulations as written.”
Judge Smith [...]

ShareFor most of us, hunting is something done for enjoyment. It brings us to the outdoors, gives us time to learn about out real role in ecology and offers healthy meat for our families.
But for some, hunting isn’t such a luxury. Among our neighbors are those who can hardly afford the basic essentials of daily [...]

ShareWhile fishing the Mineral Fork in Washington County on Saturday, my father remarked repeatedly how beautiful the landscape and clear the creek is.
“Dad, this is why I fish,” I said.
He’s relatively new to Missouri and very new to the creek fishing many of us enjoy in the Ozarks. It has taken me quite some time [...]

ShareEver since I started bowhunting a few years ago, I’ve researched everything I could about techniques, skills and equipment. Not satisfied with reading dozens of books and magazines, I looked around for bowhunter education classes but found them rare compared to all the other outdoors education opportunities available.
So when I noticed that the Missouri Department [...]

ShareNews of a probable state and world record catfish being pulled from the Missouri River near Columbia Bottom Conservation Area spread quickly Tuesday and prompted local media outlets converge around Greg Bernal and his 130-lb. Blue Cat.
“I am still numb,” Bernal told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “I’m still in shock that he’s actually that big. [...]