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Letters to the Editor

Submissions reflect readers’ opinions and may be edited for length and clarity. Email Magazine@mdc.mo.gov or write to us:

Missouri Conservationist
P.O. Box 180
Jefferson City, MO 65102

Three-Toed Box Turtle

I loved The Three- Toed Box Turtle [August]. Very informative. I especially loved the close-up pictures of the baby turtles.

Cynthia Forck via mail

The Three-Toed Box Turtle

Excellent article and pictures. For 30 years I have planted at least 10 tomato plants. Almost every year, I find a box turtle eating the low-growing, ripe, red tomatoes.

Frank Eshleman Wildwood

The August 2018 issue was a delight. I particularly enjoyed The Three-Toed Box Turtle, written by Noppadol Paothong. For years, I have been a fan of his excellent nature photographs and am glad to see his recently published articles. The article was well done, from the photos and layout to the clear writing. Jam-packed with information on natural history, this article would make a great resource for teachers of all grades. I hope to see more articles from this gifted writer. And please keep the photos coming.

John Havel Springfield

Thank you for the article on the three-toed box turtle. As a child, I was taught to love and respect the turtle. Now in my 70s, I still look forward to seeing my turtle friends come eat our scraps of watermelon, cantaloupe, strawberry stems, etc. Keep up the good work reporting on the wild animals, reptiles, etc. We also enjoy the children’s magazine [Xplor] and share it with nursing homes and children.

June and Alvin Groshong Troy

Weird, Wonderful Walleye

Great article on the differences between Missouri and Great Lakes walleye [Missouri’s Weird Walleye, August].

Mark E. Thomas Columbia

Interesting article on walleye and their history in Missouri. I have caught several walleye while bass fishing with crankbait on the Castor River around the Sweet Gum Access near Zalma. I caught a nice, 3-pound one on a float trip with my good friend Bob Todd, a well-respected sportsman with vast knowledge of Missouri outdoors. He was kind enough to picture me and my catch in his July 1992 edition of The Riverhills Traveler. Thanks for a great magazine!

Steve Ramey Cape Girardeau

I just finished reading the August issue and to my amazement learned that we have walleye in streams that I fished throughout my life. I am 70 years old and have fished each of the streams mentioned in the article for many different species of fish. The majority being trout, smallmouth, largemouth, and goggle-eye. Having never caught a walleye on any of my fishing trips, I was unaware that walleye existed in those streams. Makes me want to take up the challenge of catching one.

I am sure that this article will open the eyes of many fishermen. As usual, another great article. Keep up the good work.

Tom Diebold St. Louis

Beetles

I was pleased to see articles in the August issue on the project to restore the American burying beetle to Missouri prairies [Nature Lab] and on the threats to Missouri box turtles [The Three-Toed Turtle]. I was also happy to see that you are partnering with the St. Louis Zoo on the beetle project. Your readers should know, in addition to this project, you are partnering with the St. Louis Zoo on its Institute for Conservation Medicine, which includes the box turtle project and its hellbender project, which successfully bred over 1,700 hellbenders that were released last year in Missouri streams. These are important components of your mission to serve nature and improve our wildlife resources. As the late Leonard Hall stated so eloquently in his book Stars Upstream, “the need to preserve areas that are wild and natural increases in America with each day that goes by; for it has been truly said that wilderness is a resource that can shrink but never grow.” Keep up the great work.

W. Dudley McCarter Clayton

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