Family-Outdoors

The Nov. 7 program is FREE, but registration is required by Oct. 20. The  Nov. 7  program is FREE, but registration is required by Oct. 20. Missouri Hunting Info ASHLAND Mo.  – Discover nature with the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) by going on a muzzleloader squirrel hunt and taking part in a primitive skills camp. The program will be held from  7 a.m. to 2 p.m.  on  Saturday, Nov. 7 , at MDC's Charles Green Conservation Area- at 5611 E. Minor Hill Rd. in Ashland. The program is free, but registration is required by Oct. 20 . From black-powder safety to selecting the proper load, all aspects of hunting with muzzleloaders will be covered during the class. Participants will also learn how to hunt small game on a mentored hunt. Camp educational activities will include: fire starting, bullet molding, campfire cooking, and using a hunting pouch and tools. "Hunting with black powder firearms is fun and exciting; and it also allows the h...

I will let the pictures do the talking... In the interest of full disclosure, the pheasants were provided by my Father-in-Law from a recent trip. For the recipe go to Pheasant Recipes or go to Wild Fish and Game Recipes for recipes for other wild game or fish recipes. The pictures are in reverse chronological order in the preparation process.

Deer hunting was a bust this year! We could not hunt the opening weekend of gun season because of a variety of unavoidable circumstances. We got out the second weekend and headed down to one of our favorite, if not most productive spots in the Ozarks. We hunted public land in an area we had hunted several years and always found good deer numbers. We packed in our climber stands and were up in our trees, separated by 150 yards or so, an hour before legal shooting hours. Around 10:00 some bozo comes smack dab through the area we are hunting. He tells my son, "Hey, I have hunted this area for 15 years and never seen another hunter so I guess I'll hunt here today." By the time he got to me, it had only been 10 years and he apologized for messing up our hunt. He then proceeded to a tree close enough to where I could have spit on him (and I should have). Discretion is the part of valor when all three people are heavily armed and one of them is your son. Consequently...

The MDC does such a great job in all respects and their website is also outstanding. We felt was a separate resource where hunters can access information organized by county might be a big help. This resource was developed as much as an aid to us as we do our research on hunting areas as for any other reason. We like to pick a county or two, and find conservation areas that have good species populations for that species. Of course after choosing an area, we visit the MDC site for that area to check on special regs in place. We do not feel we want to include the regs as they change often and we don't want to mislead someone into a ticket. This information can be accesses at Missouri Public Lands Hunting .

Image via Wikipedia General Information : Mark Twain National Forest is divided into nine main areas spread across southern Missouri. These areas make up a total of approximately 1.5 million acres. Approximately 100,000 of these acres are roadless and/or Wilderness/National Scenic Riverways acreage. Hunting is regulated on these lands by the Missouri Department of Conservation, although wildlife habitat is mostly managed by the USFS. Because regulations change, and areas can be redesignated, it is vital to make certain that you know the regulation in the areas you will hunt. For example, some areas allow horseback and/or ATV travel and a few do not. Options: Cedar Creek This area is approximately 15,000 acres and is the northernmost section of Mark Twain. It is also situated relatively closely to a sizable population center in Columbia and Jefferson City. Having said this, there are some good opportunities here. There are plenty of areas where a hunter ca...