Get Outside in August

Having a “Grape” Summer

Missouri is home to eight varieties of wild grapes. Six are common — the summer, winter, red, riverbank, sand, and frost grape. The fox and muscadine grapes are less common. The summer grape is the official grape of Missouri and is used mostly in the state’s wine industry. To learn more about Missouri’s wild grapes, visit short.mdc.mo.gov/4yf.

Here Comes the Sun

Sunflowers are one of the easiest recognized flowers. Missouri is home to 16 different species of sunflowers and August is a great time to get out and see them. They can be found in a lot of places, including prairies, glades, openings in forests, pastures, fields, roadsides, and banks of streams and rivers. For more information about this sunny flower, visit short.mdc.mo.gov/4dG.

Poking Around for Pocketbooks

As we try to survive these hot, waning days of summer, we often take to the water to cool off. If you are heading to a nearby pond, stream, or lake, keep an eye out for freshwater mussels, like the plain pocketbook, one of the state’s most common and widespread mussels. Missouri is home to nearly 70 species of these aquatic animals, and they are breeding this month. They are often found buried in substrate. You can see live mussels by snorkeling, using water scopes, or hand-groping in shallow water. When returning a live mussel to the water, make sure the hinge, where the two halves of the shell are joined, is pointing up.

Last Call for Summer

Indigo buntings are one of the few birds that sing on hot, humid summer afternoons. The male is a beautiful blue, while the female is a muted brown. Their song is a series of whistled couplets, with each couplet usually slightly lower in pitch — sweet-sweet, tew-tew, chew-chew. Their call is a sharp spit.

Find more events in your area at mdc.mo.gov/events

Virtual Hunting Series: Bow Hunting

Thursday • Aug. 21 • 5:30–6:30 p.m.

Online only

Registration required by Aug. 20. To register, call 888-283-0364 or visit short.mdc.mo.gov/4yN.

All ages

This course is designed to help you prepare for bow season with a session on gear, proper clothing, stands, calls, and techniques to improve your chances of success. We will discuss best bow hunting practices, safety, and how bow hunting differs from hunting deer with a rifle.

Learn to Fish: Virtual Fly Tying with T.J. and Mike

Thursday • Aug. 21 • 6–7 p.m.

Online only

Registration required by Aug. 20. For more information, call 888-283-0364 or visit short.mdc.mo.gov/4yp. 

All ages

Come and tie flies with T.J. and Mike. The theme is Zonker strips. We will be diving into the versatility of rabbit Zonker strips.

Become hunter education certified online today!

Missouri adults 16 and older can complete hunter education training all online.

• Flexibility to learn at your own pace
• Access 24/7
• No in-person skills session required

The all-online course includes engaging video and animation on hunter safety, firearm safety, ethics, regulations, and wildlife management.

Learn more about MDC’s hunter education program at mdc.mo.gov/huntereducation.

Natural Events to See This Month

Here’s what’s going on in the natural world.

• Elephant’s foot blooms.
• Earthstars appear. This fungus is not edible.
• Shorebirds begin migrating south.
• American badgers breed.
• Bullsnake eggs hatch.