Letters

Missouri adventures

Since moving to Alaska from Missouri decades ago, I’ve hunted for Dall sheep, grizzly, caribou, and moose. None of those hunts were any more exciting than the last-light buck on my brother’s farm in Weatherby last month, or our duck hunt near Macon. The quality of the hunting experiences offered by the Show-Me state rival those of anywhere in the country. I was glad to be back. Mr. Paothong’s stunning photos in the December issue of Missouri Conservationist were a pleasure as well.

John D. Erkmann M.D., Anchorage, AL

Thanks so much for a great magazine! Thanks especially for helping us make some wonderful family memories from your article about Hughes Mountain Conservation Area [“Places to Go”; September].

My husband and I, our 16-year-old daughter, with boyfriend in tow, and our 8- and 6-year-old grandsons, Ashton and Quentin, enjoyed a gorgeous fall day one Saturday in October with a hike up Hughes. We found the view spectacular. As we were getting out of the car in the parking area, another vehicle pulled in and a couple eagerly asked if this “was the right place for the hike.” I laughed and told them they must have seen the article in the Conservationist, too.

They had.

We live only 45 minutes away and never realized what grandeur was almost in our back yard. Keep sharing!

Pam CoxWilliams, Lonedell

My wife, Sherry, daughters Amber, 15, and Emily, 13, and I really appreciate the work that you all do to make the Missouri Conservationist magazine one of the best magazines printed. We look forward to the new issue arriving every month. Our family enjoys the Missouri outdoors, be it boating, camping, fishing, hiking and hunting. So, with that said, we would also like to extend our appreciation to MDC’s work that helps make these experiences some of the best life can offer and to ensure future generations’ enjoyment of these activities as well.

Nov. 6, 2011, I took my daughter Emily out for her first youth gun season, and I am proud to say she was successful in taking a 9-point buck off a friend’s land in northern Ste. Genevieve County. Thanks again for providing Missourians opportunities like this that help promote and pass on to our younger generations the wonderful gift of conservation.

Chad Roth, Ste. Genevieve

Winter Wonders

I want to thank you for the fine piece on wintering eagles in Missouri [Eagles on the Mississippi; December]. Being a bit of a camera buff myself, I especially appreciate the technical details offered on each of Noppadol Paothong’s fine photographs. I understand these details and they help me enjoy his photos even more fully. The only thing missing is the understanding of what it took for Noppadol to sit out there in the cold, with his fingers freezing, waiting for the perfect shot.

Art Sporleder, Lakeshire

I would like to commend David Stonner on his excellent cover photo on the Jan. 2012 issue [Hickory Canyons Natural Area in Ste. Genevieve County]. The contrast, color and composition are beyond comparison!

Walt Jones, Lake St. Louis

Deer Kids: Update

This time Timmy Gunn got his deer. Timmy, 14, of St. Peters, was featured in The Deer Camp Kids [October], a story about the annual deer hunting camp for hearing impaired youths at the H. Roe Bartle Scout Reservation.

During the 2010 hunt described in the story, Timmy saw a large buck deer but did not get a shot. However, this fall, he returned to the hunt at the Bartle Scout camp and shot a doe.

Chris Capps, an MDC outdoor skills specialist, served as guide for both hunts. His stepfather, Eric Pettit, also accompanied him on the hunts.