Jeff Leonard
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Friday, June 19, 2009
Friday, June 19, 2009
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Friday, May 22, 2009
Friday, May 22, 2009
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Friday, April 10, 2009
Friday, April 10, 2009
Friday, April 3, 2009
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Friday, March 27, 2009
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Friday, March 13, 2009
Friday, March 13, 2009
Friday, Feb. 20, 2009
Friday, Feb. 20, 2009
Friday, Feb. 13, 2009
Friday, Feb. 13, 2009
Saturday, Feb. 7, 2009
Saturday, Feb. 7, 2009
Friday, Jan. 30, 2009
Friday, Jan. 30, 2009
Friday, Jan. 23, 2009
Friday, Jan. 23, 2009
Friday, Jan. 9, 2009
Friday, Jan. 9, 2009
Friday, Dec. 19, 2008
Friday, Dec. 19, 2008
Friday, Dec. 12, 2008
Friday, Dec. 12, 2008
Friday, Nov. 28, 2008
Friday, Nov. 28, 2008
Monday, Nov. 17, 2008
Conditions appear good for deer rifle season
Thursday, Nov. 13, 2008
Friday, Nov. 7, 2008
Friday, Nov. 7, 2008
Friday, Oct. 31, 2008
Saturday, July 4, 2009
It may not be the National Rifle Association, but the American Knife and Tool Institute has been thrust into a similar role as the veteran gun advocacy group.
Conservation department accepting applications for managed deer huntsSaturday, July 4, 2009
Between the hot summer days and the fireworks exploding all around it seems odd to be thinking about deer hunting. But if you’re one of the state’s many hunters who enjoy participating in the managed hunts offered by the Missouri Department of Conservation, now is exactly the time to get in gear.
Know your enemy: Battling a blood-sucking foeFriday, June 19, 2009
As darkness settles over the woods, the large female Hematophagous set its wings and prepared to swoop down on her unsuspecting prey. The warm evening breeze had carried with it the sweet smell of carbon dioxide and sweat, revealing her target’s location. The creature moved closer, driven to obtain the nourishment only a meal of fresh blood could provide.
Local birder spots, photographs pair of scissortailed flycatchersFriday, June 19, 2009
They’ve been spotted fairly regularly since the birds first starting circulating around the area in 2008, but an image on the back of an Oklahoma state quarter isn’t nearly as exciting as seeing the real thing. At least that’s what long-time St. Joseph birder Frances Cramer would say.
Dogs show nose for trophiesSaturday, May 30, 2009
Lyle Steinman of Castille Creek Kennels embraces this quote, which came from Daniel Schnitka, a breeder who provided Steinman with national champion lab River.
Missouri offers free weekend to potential anglersSaturday, May 30, 2009
You’ve been wanting to head out for a day on the lake or river, but you just haven’t found the time. Your kids are getting out of school and need a break from the constraints forced on them by all their structured activities.
Big buck found dead in Kansas was a whopperFriday, May 22, 2009
The Show Me State has been the home of the “Missouri Monarch”, the current non-typical world record whitetail mount since the early 1980s, but if a recent story released by Outdoor Life is correct, that record may soon be “shown up” in a big way.
Pony Express Crappie festival draws large crowdFriday, May 22, 2009
The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) hosted its Annual Crappie Festival at Pony Express Lake last Saturday, and despite some less-than-favorable weather conditions the event was a “big catch” for local youth.
The MDC hosts the festival each spring as an opportunity to introduce new anglers to the time-honored tradition of catching a stringer full of Missouri crappie, filleting the catch and cooking it.
Saturday, May 16, 2009
While the country deals with a period of economic uncertainty, large-scale corporate bailouts and the recent “Tea Party” tax protests, it seems unlikely that anyone would be excited about the federal government collecting an unusually high amount of taxes.
Outdoors column: Do-it-yourself crappie jigsSaturday, May 16, 2009
Spring is the one time of year when crappie move shallow and are within easy reach of nearly every angler. It’s also a great time to tie on an artificial jig rather than a traditional minnow, as these fish are often very active. While I love bringing home a big mess of slabs, I particularly enjoy catching them on a jig of my own creation.
OUTDOORS: Camera technology leaves hole in writer's historySaturday, May 9, 2009
Like many of you I love putting the latest high-tech gadgets to work in the field. Arguably, one of the best innovations in outdoor sports was the advent of digital cameras. While these little wonders won’t improve your hunting or fishing, they do record the moments that mean the most in a convenient and cost-effective way.
OUTDOORS: Second amendment debate rages on in courtsSaturday, May 9, 2009
In June of 2008, firearms enthusiasts and law-abiding gun owners across the nation celebrated a major victory in the historic debate over the country’s Second Amendment when the Supreme Court ruled in the landmark case of District of Columbia v. Heller. But the celebration may have been premature.
Conservation program aids food plot plansSaturday, May 2, 2009
Outdoorsmen, landowners, sportsmen and conservationists from throughout Northwest Missouri came to the Missouri Department of Conservation Headquarters on April 22 to help improve their property for wildlife.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
In Japan, some consider Tempeh, a treat of fermented moldy soybeans, to be delicious. In Korea, you might see people purchasing live sea slugs from street vendors, fillet and eat them raw. In certain parts of Mexico, many consider cooked grasshoppers to be a tasty treat.
Here in the heartland of the good old U.S.A., we opt for more conservative cuisine. Well, unless it’s spring; then we become obsessed with thoughts of gorging ourselves on the spore-producing part of a fungus.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Hunters, anglers, and other outdoorsmen love to show the world they’re proud of their pursuits. I challenge anyone reading this column right now to go out and take a drive around town. I guarantee you’ll see more cars and trucks with some sort of hunting or fishing decal, license plate cover or other memento than you can count on both hands.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
As Jim Low of the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) wrote in a recent press release, “Sometimes being right is no fun.”
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Hunting, contrary to popular belief, is a very safe activity. In fact, hunting results in fewer injuries per 100,000 participants than do many other sports, including cycling, bowling, golf and tennis. On the eve of the 2009 turkey season, the Conservation Federation of Missouri (CFM) is asking the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) to consider a regulation that would could further reduce accidents.
Outdoors column: Plotting a better outdoor worldSaturday, April 18, 2009
For years, I’ve watched videos and outdoor shows with guys improving the habitat on their properties and reaping the rewards obtained from planting food plots. If you’re like me and are finally ready to give it a try, the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) has a deal for you.
This spring’s turkey season could be challengingFriday, April 10, 2009
The 2009 spring turkey season kicked off last weekend in the Show Me State with the two-day youth season. While the final count was slightly lower than last year, more than 19,135 permit holders managed to take 2,883 birds during the two day season.
Officials at the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) have been watching turkey populations closely and are concerned about poor weather conditions during past nesting seasons. They feel this has led to some areas of the state seeing fewer birds.
Friday, April 10, 2009
Like a kid in a candy shop, I looked on with amazement as biologists from the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) busily scooped one fish after another from the 42-degree waters of Bilby and Mozingo Lakes. After several passes with the electro-fishing boats, I could not believe the sheer size and numbers of walleyes seen. Best of all, they were right here in our own backyard.
Weather fails to deter women at NWTF outdoor eventFriday, April 3, 2009
The response from Ellen Benitz and Sherry Hill when they answered the phone two days prior to the National Wild Turkey Federation’s Women’s Outdoor Weekend event was always the same: “Rain, snow, sleet or shine, we’re on!”
The Platte Purchase Chapter hosted the event at Camp Geiger last weekend.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
The Missouri River lost its pulse last Saturday. Due to a substantial rain forecast across much of the lower Missouri River basin, the Corps of Engineers had to cancel releasing a planned “pulse” of water from the Gavin’s Point Dam.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Learn to conquer the backlash on a baitcasting reel, and you’ll love them and won’t go without them. Invest a lot of money in them and end up with big piles of tangled fishing line and a very large headache, and you’ll most likely hate them.
Outdoors column: Mount your own spring cleaning projectSaturday, March 21, 2009
With temperatures on the rise and spring at our doorstep, thoughts of catching some big slab crappies, finding a mess of morel mushrooms or shooting a big old longbeard are probably filling the heads of many right now. The last thing nearly any outdoorsmen wants to think about is “spring cleaning.”
Saturday, March 21, 2009
It was just nine years ago that Ed Fleshman, a trapper from Lebanon, Mo., became one of the first outdoorsmen in the state to find relief in a law passed in 1997 that protects hunters, anglers and trappers from interference.
Friday, March 13, 2009
It has been more than 18 months since Missouri joined the majority of states now offering law-abiding citizens the opportunity of legally defending themselves through a concealed carry weapons (CCW) permit. For those who have considered applying for one, here’s a summary of what you’ll need to know:
The first step in obtaining a concealed carry weapons permit/endorsement is to ensure that you’re qualified. Yes, not just anyone can waltz in and obtain a permit.
In Missouri, applicants must be at least 23 years old and have been a resident of the state for at least six months.
Friday, March 13, 2009
The United States National Parks Service announced Tuesday it would begin taking action to phase out the use of lead ammunition and lead fishing tackle in parks under its jurisdiction by the end of 2010. The announcement brought forth opposition, especially in the hunting and firearms industry.
Acting National Park Service Director Dan Wenk made the announcement, saying, “We want to take a leadership role in removing lead from the environment.” Officials of the National Park Service said they realize that hunting and fishing play an important role in the complicated and intensive management of wildlife populations.
Friday, Feb. 20, 2009
The tables seemed to have turned at Mozingo Lake. Several weeks ago, I reported how an ordinance that prohibited ice fishing effectively put an end to the popular activity at the lake. Now the ordinance has been changed. But it raises another question: Has the city of Maryville violated its partnership agreement with the Missouri Department of Conservation?
Gun sales take off after electionFriday, Feb. 20, 2009
The media keeps shouting about how bad the economy is, but gun buyers don’t seem to be listening.
Firearms sales have soared the past couple of months, and the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) attributes this to concerns about incoming lawmakers.
Friday, Feb. 13, 2009
A wise angler once said 90 percent of the fish are often found in 10 percent of the water. To find these spots, many of us rely heavily on modern graph style sonar units that reveal an amazing representation of what’s below. Unfortunately, many of us are missing out on the benefits offered by a flash from the past.
Traditional flasher-style sonar units are making a big comeback in the fishing industry. Using a rotating wheel or dial that displays bottom and other targets (fish, brush, etc.) as a series of multi-colored lights. Flashers, unlike other fish finders, work in real time, meaning that what you see on the display is exactly what’s under the transducer.
Friday, Feb. 13, 2009
Dave Weber of Wathena, Kan., has been an active member of Quail Unlimited since the early 1990s. His love of conservation and passionate management of his land has led to one of the top honors the organization could bestow upon anyone. Weber was named the 2008 National Adopt A Covey Habitat Farmer/Landowner of the Year.
The award is the culmination of over a decade’s worth of effort and a lot dedication. Weber attributes much of his success to the Heartland Chapter of Quail Unlimited and its members.
Saturday, Feb. 7, 2009
They’ve hosted the No. 1 event in the state for four years running, and the Platte Purchase Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) would like to make it a fifth.
It’s the Women in the Outdoors event, and it’s coming to Camp Geiger in less than two months.
Saturday, Feb. 7, 2009
MARYVILLE, Mo. — It seemed as though the cards were stacked against the Missouri Department of Conservation’s annual ice fishing clinic at Mozingo Lake. A forecast of warm temperatures and an obscure city ordinance seemed to threaten everyone’s fun.
Even with these roadblocks, more than 120 area anglers showed up to learn a little and experience the sport of ice fishing last weekend. This year’s attendance was nearly double that of last year, a testament to the growing popularity of the sport in this region.
Friday, Jan. 30, 2009
Ellen Benitz, regional director of the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF), has a special night planned for Valentine’s Day. She, along with other members of the Platte Purchase Chapter, will host their 12th annual Hunting Heritage Super Fund Banquet featuring some special activities just for the ladies.
“Of course when I first mention that our banquet is set for Valentine’s Day, most folks groan, but really, when I ask them ‘Do you go out on Valentines Day?’ most admit they do not,” Benitz said.
Friday, Jan. 30, 2009
In all fairness to those who read the outdoors page regularly, I feel I must confess. I have officially violated a city ordinance pertaining to fishing in one of the area’s top public lakes. This wasn’t a one-time deal either. I’ve done it multiple times over the past two years. Unfortunately, many of you have unknowingly done it, too.
Anyone who enjoys pulling a fresh catch of bluegills and crappie through the ice knows Mozingo Lake is one of the top destinations for ice fishing enthusiasts in the Midwest. That was until recently when it was discovered the city of Maryville, which owns the lake, has an ordinance specifically prohibiting it.
Friday, Jan. 23, 2009
With all the media coverage centering around the presidential inauguration this week, many might not have noticed the article circulating throughout the nation about several men in Boone County, Mo., who apparently killed not one but five rare trumpeter swans.
According to a Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) press release, eight trumpeter swans arrived at the Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area in southern Boone County (near Columbia) on the night of Dec. 29.
Friday, Jan. 23, 2009
It may far from a record setting season for firearms hunters, but the ever-growing number of bowhunters in Missouri let their arrows do the talking this past season by taking the largest amount of whitetails ever.
The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) recently released the 2008-2009 archery season statistics revealing hunters arrowed a record-breaking 44,434 deer during the 111-day season, according to the conservation department. To put this in perspective, this equates to about 400 deer per day.
Friday, Jan. 9, 2009
During a recent foray into the annals of my personal hunting and fishing history, I noticed that my outdoor scrapbooks were looking a little neglected. For around 30 years I’ve collected all my expired hunting and fishing permits and other special tags. Many were neatly arranged in my scrapbook, but the pages from the past 10 years or so had been largely ignored.
It wasn’t that I had stopped collecting the permits. They were all there, although the more recent ones were just laying loosely in a pile in a Rubbermaid container and not proudly displayed in the memory book. So what changed?
Friday, Jan. 9, 2009
At 4 in the morning it’s difficult to get any kid up and around, but for Ryan Seger it wasn’t a problem. The 7-year-old hunter had a goal in mind and a little early morning grogginess wasn’t about to deter him from it.
Within an hour, he had eaten breakfast and headed out with his father, Mike, and his .223 Remington Model 7 in search of his first whitetail.
Friday, Dec. 19, 2008
With Christmas a mere five days away, last-minute shoppers are hitting their favorite stores in search of just the right gift. If you’re an outdoors person, why not consider giving someone an invitation to the world of hunting or shooting?
It may just be the gift that keeps on giving to the recipient — and the giver as well.
Friday, Dec. 19, 2008
Whether its athletics, academics or a recreational pursuit, becoming a state champion often takes years of training, hard work and skill. There is an exception (make that 116 exceptions) to this rule.
They are the Missouri Department of Conservation-certified State Champion Trees.
What does it take to become a state champion tree? The conservation department uses a formula to assess a point value for big trees. Points are determined by a tree’s height, crown spread (the average distance the tree stretches in all directions) and trunk size. They come up with this point value by adding the circumference in inches to the height in feet plus one-fourth of the average crown spread.
Friday, Dec. 12, 2008
Jeff Powelson graduated from college years ago, but in the next 8 months, the Missouri Department of Conservation’s private lands biologist and other his peers will get an education like no other as they complete a comprehensive study of bobwhite quail and their habitat from various locations in Missouri.
The project which began in early October is the first of its kind in Missouri not only because of its sheer size, but also because it is being done on private property. “(MDC) has done studies on public lands, but what about the private landowner who’s actively managing their property?” Powelson said.
Friday, Dec. 12, 2008
Lead in venison has been one of the hottest and most controversial topics among hunters, the firearms industry and, unfortunately, anti-hunters this past year.
A new study by the United States Center for Disease Control might be just the key to getting some sound answers to this debate.
Last fall, a North Dakota dermatologist sounded an alarming announcement that the venison being donated to food pantries contained lead residue from the very ammunition used to harvest the deer. His announcement unfortunately caused a hasty reaction which resulted in the removal of thousands of pounds of protein rich deer meat from the shelves of food banks across the Midwest.
Friday, Nov. 28, 2008
With colder temperatures settling in and the calendar year coming to an end, it’s time for the living symbol of America’s freedom and spirit to make its annual appearance both in the wild and at Eagle Days events at Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge and Smithville Lake.
This will be the 30th anniversary of Eagle Days at Squaw Creek, near Mound City, Mo. The refuge will host its event on Dec. 6 and 7 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day and feature hourly programs from The World Bird Sanctuary of St. Louis and its captive eagles and other birds.
The event also will have a large number of exhibits in the refuge visitor station from local wildlife agencies and others.
Friday, Nov. 28, 2008
With Thanksgiving leftovers still lingering in the refrigerator, many won’t want to hear the word turkey mentioned for a long time. But for Matt Whitmore, the word conjures up great memories of a recent bow hunt where he bagged not only a trophy tom but a monster buck — all in a period of 15 minutes.
Whitmore hit the jackpot on Nov. 9, which incidentally is his sister’s birthday.
“I have been hunting for 15 years now and have missed her birthday on the ninth and my grandma’s birthday on the 10th every season with the exception of grandma’s 85th” he said.
Monday, Nov. 17, 2008
As Missouri hunters continue the 64th annual firearms deer season this week, the odds of taking a whitetail will be pretty good.
In recent years, an annual average of more than 500,000 hunters have consistently harvested about 300,000 deer each season. While the odds of successfully taking a whitetail are fairly good, they weren’t always this way for Show-Me State hunters.
Conditions appear good for deer rifle season
Thursday, Nov. 13, 2008
They’ve patiently watched as archers from all over Northwest Missouri have been bringing in some great whitetails. Youth hunters also had their turn and with less-than-favorable weather conditions still managed to complete their first weekend with an above-average harvest.
And as firearms season gets started on Saturday, gun hunters finally get their chance.
Friday, Nov. 7, 2008
During its September meeting, the Missouri Conservation Commission approved a broad range of permit changes for the upcoming 2009 season. While the changes affect literally everyone who hunts or fishes in Missouri, nonresidents will see the most dramatic increases of all.
Friday, Nov. 7, 2008
Colby Burns and his father Chad headed out into the fog on opening morning of the initial youth deer season last Saturday with high hopes of harvesting a nice whitetail. The morning hunt was special to them, as it was Colby’s first and the weekend youth hunt offered the perfect setting to get his feet wet.
A truck load of rainbows delivered to WesternFriday, Oct. 31, 2008
Missouri Western State University got some new residents last week, and while they’re not professors, I think they may be able to teach a few local anglers a lesson or two.
These newcomers were of the finned variety, and their home has now become the Everyday Pond on the northeast side of the campus.
JOB SEARCH
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