I don’t think there is anything more important on any outdoor page in this day and time than writing about what the Missouri Department of Conservation is doing…regularly

Dr. Bob Norton is on sabbatical. It is, after all, hunting season, and in his native Wisconsin that means chasing ruffed grouse, ducks and white-tailed deer. “There’s no better time of year,” says Norton. Besides, Norton, a retired psychology instructor from the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse, has worked long enough. And his contribution to sportsmen could give state and federal wildlife managers a better idea on how to recruit—and retain—hunters in the future.

 When I think of lesser pursued fish species at Lake of the Ozarks, walleye come to mind. Oh sure, there are a few dedicated anglers who quietly go about finding and catching quality walleye but they are a pretty tight-lipped bunch who don’t share many of their secrets.

It was so beautiful on Halloween, I didn’t want to leave the woods.  When dusk settled, I was down along the river two miles away from my pick-up.  I had to make a long walk past some old log cabins built almost a century ago and some old fallen-down houses that are spooky looking even in the middle of the day.  If you weren’t a fearless grizzled old outdoor veteran like me, it isn’t the kind of place you’d want to be on Halloween, after sunset.  There is little doubt that spirits and ghosts and ha’ints were there that evening, watching me.

Some people drive hundreds of miles to hunt pheasants. Others gladly pay to hunt pen-reared quail on game farms. In Missouri, they could hunt wild quail and pheasants on public land, and work in doves and woodcock with no extra cost or effort.
Dove season opened Sept. 1 and continues through Nov. 9. Woodcock season opened Oct. 15 and runs through Nov. 28. Quail season runs from Nov. 1 through Jan. 15 statewide. Pheasant season runs from Nov. 1 through Jan. 15 in the North Zone and from Dec. 1 through 12 in the South Zone.

The Missouri Department of Conservation reminds hunters that waiting until the last minute to buy deer permits could mean long waits at permit vendors.
Conservation officials say the same phenomenon occurs the day before the opening of spring turkey season and on opening day at Missouri’s four trout parks. Although hunters and anglers may have to wait in line to buy permits on those dates, the situation is more extreme before deer season.

In pioneer days, a successful hunt often meant the difference between feast and famine. In the 21st century, hunters still are making a difference, setting the table for less fortunate Missourians.
For the past 16 years, Missouri hunters have been donating venison to food banks and other charitable organizations through the Share the Harvest Program. The effort started modestly, netting only a few hundred pounds the first year.