2011

The Colors of Winter

Posted by Aimee Lehmuth on Dec 27, 2011

Where did all those beautiful colors go that once adorned our landscape?

1 comment

One Throw . . . One Kill

Posted by Tim Smith on Dec 14, 2011

A quick thrust of the arm and flick of the wrist propelled the dart through the air and hopefully into the vital organs of the elephant-sized mastodon.

10 comments

A Long Winter Nap

Posted by Aimee Lehmuth on Dec 12, 2011

During a holiday gathering, I found out something quite shocking.

1 comment

2011 Quail Odyssey, Part III

Posted by Jim Low on Dec 8, 2011

Wherein mid- to late-season hunting tactics are revealed.

1 comment

Decorating Naturally

Posted by Aimee Lehmuth on Dec 5, 2011

Decorating naturally is a fun and inexpensive way to bring the Missouri outdoors into your home this holiday season.

3 comments

2011 Quail Odyssey, Part II

Frank Loncarich approaches two dogs on point.

Posted by Jim Low on Dec 5, 2011

Wherein intrepid hunters empty their guns to kill one quail.

2011 Quail Odyssey, Part I

Photo of Kyle Hedges accepting a woodcock from his English setter, Tess.

Posted by Jim Low on Nov 30, 2011

Wherein we learn the difference between “intensive” and “extensive” cover.

2 comments

Don’t Let These “Apples” Fool You

Several bright-green Osage orange fruits in a wire basket

Posted by Bonnie Chasteen on Nov 17, 2011

Every fall local stores tout these big, green, gnarly-skinned fruits as "natural insect repellent." But do they really keep the bugs away? I did a little research on hedge apple lore.

3 comments

Invasive Species Alert: ZOMBIES!

Posted by MDC Staff on Oct 25, 2011

Missourians should watch for this latest invasive species when going outdoors this fall.

11 comments

Hunting the Elusive Wood Hen: Mid-Mo. Mushrooming

This photo shows Foray Coordinator Stan Hudson holding a mushroom.

Posted by Jim Low on Oct 25, 2011

The Missouri Mycological Society has formed a new chapter in central Missouri.

2 comments

Can't Stand the Heat? Get Out of the Lake!

Posted by Tim Smith on Oct 20, 2011

For the last couple of years, zebra mussels have declined or disappeared from some areas of the Lake.

Moving Monarchs

Posted by Tim Smith on Sep 21, 2011

Unlike the more familiar bird migrations, monarch migration is a multi-generational endeavor.

3 comments

Fall Fun in Laclede County

This photo shows a misty dawn at Bennett Spring State Park.

Posted by Jim Low on Sep 14, 2011

Where can you find trout, alpacas and Saxon Pope?

Animal Aggregations, Or, What Do You Call a Group Of …?

Posted by Jim Low on Sep 9, 2011

Which is more fun, a "barrel" of monkeys or a "romp" of otters?

3 comments

Best Laid Plans of Birds and Men . . .

Posted by Tim Smith on Sep 9, 2011

Good intentions have been known to go astray, and here’s another example.

Double Dove Opener Is Twice the Fun

Posted by Jim Low on Sep 6, 2011

Two openings, two banded birds, lots of hot fun.

1 comment

Jackson Landers’ Excellent Carp Adventure

A silver carp goes airborne just as Jackson Landers nets another fish.

Posted by Jim Low on Aug 30, 2011

Wherein the Virginian discovers he has a taste for Asian cuisine.

4 comments

MDC Wetlands Are Mostly OK

Aerial view of Grand Pass Conservation Area

Posted by Jim Low on Aug 17, 2011

Many wetland areas still okay in spite of Great Flood of 2011.

7 comments

Opening an Angling Time Capsule

Posted by Jim Low on Aug 16, 2011

A historic gift sends our intrepid reporter on a trip back through fishing history.

2 comments

Hummingbird Numbers Increasing

Posted by Tim Smith on Aug 12, 2011

Missouri’s hummingbird feeders should become busier places in the next few weeks, as additional ruby-throated hummingbirds move into our area from more northern states.

2 comments

Mystery of the Sphinx

Posted by Tim Smith on Aug 4, 2011

Among Missouri’s insects, sphinx moths can appear to be part hummingbird, part bat and part moth.

1 comment

Fall Hunting Permits Now Available

Posted by Tim Smith on Jul 29, 2011

It may be hard to think about hunting with the summer temperatures hovering near triple digits, but it’s just over a month until Missouri’s dove season opens on Sept. 1.

3 comments

Chill Out

The author's brother prepares to cast a fishing lure into a pool of clear water.

Posted by Jim Low on Jul 25, 2011

Nothing beats wade-fishing as a way to beat the summer heat while enjoying time outdoors.

4 comments

What's This Bug?

Posted by Tim Smith on Jul 21, 2011

The male of the species, although harmless, is ferocious-looking due to the long pincers growing from the head.

3 comments

Broken Twig Syndrome?

Posted by Tim Smith on Jul 8, 2011

Have you found yourself picking up broken tree branch tips from your lawn recently, only to find your lawn cluttered with them again the next day?

1 comment

Awwwwwww!

A tiny white-tailed deer fawn lies on the ground immediately below an office win

Posted by Jim Low on Jun 23, 2011

Sometimes you have to stop and smell the whitetails.

3 comments

Plant Growth Gone Awry

Posted by Tim Smith on Jun 21, 2011

Once a year or so I receive photos of a strange-looking flower that someone has photographed, usually from a field of typical flowers of the same species.

3 comments

A Taste of Chitin

Posted by Bonnie Chasteen on Jun 16, 2011

When life hands you cicadas, cover them with chocolate. That’s what Julie Love in our Protection Division did last week.

3 comments

Bobwhite Quail Hatch at Its Peak

Posted by Tim Smith on Jun 15, 2011

What does a brand-new quail need when it leaves the protection of a warm eggshell?

Scratching a Bear

Several workers are helping extract the large bear from a foot snare.

Posted by Jim Low on Jun 13, 2011

Sometimes a bear needs help with those hard-to-reach places.

2 comments

Seeking Enlightenment

Posted by Jim Low on Jun 13, 2011

Contact with nature rekindles our inner lights.

1 comment

Welcome to Planet Earth

Posted by Tim Smith on Jun 9, 2011

Cicadas are difficult to avoid or ignore, given their tremendous numbers, their loud singing, their penchant for landing on people and even for getting indoors where we thought we would be safe.

2 comments

A Bird of a Different Color

Posted by Tim Smith on May 19, 2011

One of the pleasures of my job is that I get to see lots of photos of unusually colored animals that Missourians submit to us for an explanation.

8 comments

Helping "Orphaned" Wildlife

Posted by Tim Smith on May 17, 2011

At this time of the year, it is not uncommon to find bird nests, eggs or fledglings out of trees and in vulnerable situations.

EAB Out at First

Posted by Jim Low on May 16, 2011

A baseball-loving wasp could help with early detection of a devastating forest pest.

Once Upon A Mid-Day Dreary...

Posted by Tim Smith on May 6, 2011

For Missourians, that rapping in the spring is more likely to be produced by a male cardinal.

2 comments

Respect Wildlife and Residents During Flooding

Posted by Tim Smith on May 5, 2011

With the recent and current flooding in southern Missouri, we have received several questions about the effects of flooding on wildlife.

6 comments

Media Bag a Limit of Information on Elk Tour

Photo of Commissioner McGeehan talking with reporter

Posted by Jim Low on Apr 22, 2011

Editors, reporters and photographers got a day-long tour of the heart of Missouri's elk-restoration zone and unlimited access to top officials in charge of the project.

1 comment

Periodical Cicadas Nearing the Surface

Posted by Tim Smith on Apr 19, 2011

With the more spring-like weather stimulating me to do yard work lately, I’ve done some shoveling in my yard in mid-Missouri. On three occasions, I have uncovered the nymph stage of periodical cicadas, a few inches below the soil surface.

2 comments

Sometimes Being PC Is a Good Thing

Posted by Jim Low on Apr 12, 2011

MDC is in the fourth of a five-year effort to bring the greater prairie chicken back to the Show-Me State's prairie lands.

Fossil From China Sheds New Light on the Origin of Flowering Plants

Posted by Tim Smith on Apr 5, 2011

I was amazed at this photo of a plant fossil found recently in China.

3 comments

Wildlife Progress Spans Three Careers at Peck Ranch

Posted by Jim Low on Apr 4, 2011

One family's conservation legacy culminates in elk restoration.

2 comments

E-Permits Off to a Running Start

Posted by Jim Low on Apr 4, 2011

Missourians bought three times as many permits online during March this year than they did during the same time last year.

Nokia Connection Casts Doubt on State-Record Catch

Posted by Jim Low on Apr 1, 2011

Unusual circumstances have one angler asking, “Can you certify me now?”

9 comments

New Guide to Missouri Natural Areas

Posted by Tim Smith on Mar 23, 2011

The new Department publication "Discover Missouri Natural Areas – A guide to 50 great places" can help you locate and explore some of the state’s best remaining biological, ecological and geological features.