At a time when folks are just beginning to see a reprieve at the gas pumps, the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) is making changes to the permit system and asking all sportsmen to dig a little deeper into their pockets.
March of 2009 will bring some drastic changes to our permit system that will affect everyone, including youth, seniors, college students, landowners, general residents, non-resident licenses and even special-permit purchasers.

With another archery deer hunt in full swing and rifle season on its way, deer hunters who choose to hunt from elevated stands are asked to use caution when heading up to their perch. Studies show more people are injured or killed each year, not in firearms incidents but in accidents involving tree stands.
With the popularity of elevated stands on the rise and the amazing variety found on the market, more hunters are heading up in and effort to stack the odds in their favor.

Unlike most of the hunting shows — in which outdoor celebrities seem to add one or two trophy whitetails to their collection every time you turn on the television — the chances of taking a wall hanger come few and far between for most of us. This is why it’s so important to be prepared when you finally get your chance at the buck of a lifetime.
While many of us are more than equipped to head into the woods in pursuit of big whitetails, having a game plan for the after-shot care is also very important. Craig Debord of 9 Toes Taxidermy in Clarksdale, Mo., and I spoke about this important aspect of the hunt, and he’s provided a little guidance on this issue.

While working in the Sugar Lake area last week, Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) Agent Steve Nichols ran into a Missouri angler with not one but four great fish stories and some arms that ached from handling a fishing rod.
Millard McGlothen of Kansas City and his buddy had hooked up his boat and drove to the lake in hopes of snagging a few buffalo or other non-game fish, but what ended up at the end of their lines put them and their equipment to the ultimate test.

What started out as a small, simple way of thanking the sportsmen of Pennsylvania has now turned into one of our country’s most effective grassroots efforts to promote outdoor sports and conservation.
Today, American sportsmen celebrate the 36th National Hunting and Fishing Day.

It started in Zurich, Switzerland and eventually worked its way to Kansas City, Chicago and about 29 other cities throughout the world.
The idea was simple: Decorate fiberglass replica cows and place them on display before auctioning them off to raise money for charity. Steve Holt of Chillicothe latched onto this concept and as an outdoorsman decided to alter it a little by using ducks, and more specifically, beautifully decorated decoys.

Having just returned from an archery black bear hunt in the north woods of Minnesota, I’ve found a whole new respect for those who choose to scratch their outdoor itch in some of America’s more remote and rugged environments. I also discovered through the span of the seven-day hunt that some of these trips are not for the faint of heart.
All four of us on this trip were new to black bear hunting and although we were well equipped and physically ready, we hadn’t actually envisioned what it was like to be hunting in such a wild, untouched area. This would be a trip filled with moments of pure, heart-stopping excitement along with hours of pure boredom sitting on stands waiting for a shot opportunity to reveal itself.

The Missouri Trappers Association are gathering in Cape Girardeau this weekend for a Fall Rendezvous that highlights their 50th Anniversary, according to Karl Rice of the Northwest Chapter (District 8).
The association began when a young trapper from Dewitt, Mo., named Walter “Eddie” Stephenson decided to form an association that would follow the remarks he included at the end of all his correspondence, “Yours For Better Trapping.”

While preparing for an upcoming bowhunting trip for black bear, the owner of the lodge informed us that we may wish to carry a legal firearm along as a backup weapon, as we’d be hunting predominately on our own in very remote areas.
Call me naive, but as a newcomer to the world of bear hunting, in a worst-case scenario, the thought of going toe to toe with a 300- to 500-pound black bear with only a bow and arrow to defend myself didn’t sound too appealing.

Mother Nature sent a clear message that summer is coming to an end by dropping a nice little cold front into Northwest Missouri. With recent daytime temperatures dropping down into the upper 50s, stepping out of the house into the crisp, wet, cool morning air made many bowhunters yearn to be in their favorite tree stand overlooking a heavily used deer trail.
Those who experienced similar sensations can rejoice in the fact that the 2008 archery season opener begins in just over a week.