Note To Our Readers

Fall for Missouri

The golden hues and crisp weather of autumn are a fantastic setting for your outdoor adventures. Summer’s close brings new opportunities to fish and float quieter waterways, pursue game and great photos, and to search for fall edibles and migrating birds.

Fall is a good time to reflect, take stock, and enjoy the fruits of our labors — and because of your wise investment in conservation, we all have more to be thankful for. Get afield with friends and family this season, and don’t miss out on the many ways that conservation pays you back.

Need some inspiration? Look for resident and migratory birds throughout the state, and as close as your own back yard. See Page 10 to learn about common species and how to feed them, and be sure to visit our Birding page at mdc.mo.gov/node/235. Mark Goodwin offers a primer for aspiring deer hunters, and Bill White shares his love of upland bird hunting with a good dog.

There are many more options beyond these pages. Try your hand at hunting small game (mdc.mo.gov/node/3094) or waterfowl (mdc.mo.gov/node/303). Take a driving tour at Peck Ranch CA to see Missouri’s first free-ranging elk in nearly 150 years (details at mdc.mo.gov/node/23935 or call 855-C-MDC-ELK), hit a conservation trail (mdc.mo.gov/node/3392), or visit one of 1,000 Department of Conservation areas, including nature centers, fish hatcheries, natural areas, and shooting ranges (mdc.mo.gov/node/3116).

Don’t miss out on Missouri’s fall bounty, and don’t forget your camera. Our current photo contest, Kids in Nature, wraps up November 15, and we will announce our next contest in the January issue.

Robert L. Ziehmer, director