Family-Outdoors

Enjoy Free Fishing Days in Missouri June 12-13 Share a pastime that can last a lifetime. Along with the fish, you may catch some priceless memories. JEFFERSON CITY MO – Discover the lure of Missouri outdoors with Free Fishing Days on June 12 and 13.  Each year the Missouri Department of Conservation designates the weekend after the first Monday in June for permit-optional fishing. The goal of Free Fishing Days is to encourage people to sample the state's abundant fishing opportunities. During Free Fishing Days, anyone can fish in the Show-me State without having to buy a fishing permit, trout stamp or trout park daily tag. Missouri is blessed with more than a million acres of surface water , and most of it provides great fishing. Fly fish for trout in a spring-fed Ozark stream or trotline for monster catfish on Missouri’s Big Rivers . Our waters hold ancient paddlefish and sturgeon , ferocious muskies , wary bass and tasty bluegill, crappie and walleye . More ...

Help discover and document plants, butterflies, birds, mammals and more on a remnant of Missouri prairie. STOCKTON, MO – Missourians with a passion for nature can help document some of Missouri’s vanishing biological diversity at a “BioBlitz” sponsored by the Missouri Prairie Foundation. On the afternoon and evening of Saturday, May 29, and the morning of Sunday, May 30, professional biologists whose expertise spans everything from ants and orchids to birds and butterflies will lead volunteers across Penn-Sylvania Prairie in Dade County. They will survey and inventory as many species as possible in 24 hours. Amateur naturalists are welcome. Following the afternoon activities on May 29, participants are invited to stay for a potluck picnic supper, stargazing and free tent camping on the prairie. “Public involvement is an important part of the event,” said Carol Davit, the Prairie Foundation’s development coordinator. “We encourage anyone with a strong interest in nature to j...

Spring turkey harvest tops predictions Hunters were aided by a slight improvement in turkey reproduction last year and mostly good hunting weather during the three-week spring season. JEFFERSON CITY –Hunters made the most of the final week of Missouri’s 21-day spring turkey season, shooting 8,263 birds. The last week’s harvest boosted the regular-season tally to 42,254, an increase of 429 from last year. Top harvest counties for the regular season April 19 through May 9 were Franklin with 872, Texas with 755 and St. Clair with 701. Missouri’s spring turkey season has two parts. Hunters age 6 through 15 shot 3,945 turkeys during the youth season April 10 and 11. This boosted the combined spring turkey harvest to 46,199, which is 1,491 more than last year. Resource Scientist Tom Dailey had predicted the total harvest would be approximately 44,000. He attributed the 5-percent larger harvest to two factors. “We had the usual mixed bag of weather during the hunting season this year...

Image via Wikipedia There is an art to approaching a stream that you have never fished before, and truthfully, fine art is not created by beginners. However, any art student begins with certain fundamentals and then creates his or her own techniques by building on these fundamentals. I would encourage the reader of this article to look into other advice beyond that related here to devise his or her own approach with which they are comfortable. This is how the author advises those whom are new to the sport and are fishing a new area and looking for a methodical approach. Initial Research Know as much about the trout stream as you can. Know what hatches may be occurring at various times of the year. Know which species of trout are present. Try to develop a knowledge of fly types that work on the water you will be fishing. Whether streamer flies, nymphs, or dry flies, try to get as specific information as you can get. Know specific colors and sizes and have as many of tho...