Jo Schaper

People who go outside a lot are thoughtful people. Maybe thoughtfulness draws them into the quiet of open spaces…maybe the quiet draws the thoughfulness out of them once they are there. It’s hard to tell.

Noted Missouri outdoor writer Joel Vance put me on to some rather deep thought in regards to The North American Model of Wildlife Conservation recently. Ever wonder how we got this system of hunting and fishing regulations and attitudes? I hadn’t much thought about it. It was just always there. How do we maintain this model as the continent becomes increasingly urban? (more…)

Easter weekend started out cold and blustery. We thought we were pushing the season for a north Missouri campout, but our family outing to Mark Twain State Park turned out to be a good one. Having sold our pop-up trailer after many difficult experiences, we rented a camper cabin. We found that an enjoyable way to rough it without punishing ourselves.

The cabin had a sleeping loft, a bedroom and living-dining room that featured a futon couch, dining table and bench, refrigerator and microwave-toaster. There was electric in the cabin, but no bathroom or water. The view was beautiful overlooking Mark Twain Lake. (more…)

Spring turkey season starts next Monday, April 20, and runs through May 10. While veteran hunters have been preparing for months, persons new to the sport (or just think they might want to try it with a hunting friend) have two new options, according to the Missouri Dept. of Conservation.

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Waterfowl hunters spent $900 million on a variety of goods and services from food, transportation, guns and decoys to hunting dogs, clothing and other incidental expenses in 2006, according to a new report issued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. (more…)

By Emery Styron

The Missouri House of Representatives on April 8 gave first-round approval to a bill that would lower the age for concealed carry of firearms to 21, allow carrying of concealed firearms on college campuses and expand the Castle Doctrine. (more…)

For his initiative and dedication during a widespread ice storm, Bradley K. Ledbetter has been named April 2009 Employee of the Month by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. He is an Environmental Specialist IV and unit coordinator in the Southeast Regional Office, Poplar Bluff, and was nominated by the Southeast Region director, Gary Gaines.
On Jan. 27, 2009, an ice storm hit southeast Missouri, (more…)

(This letter to the editor, printed in the Current Wave and Summersville Beacon, is reproduced here with the permission of the author, Terry Cunningham.)
Dear Editor:

Last month we wrote about damages to Big Creek as a result of actions of the Shannon County road crew. This happened in January at the Birdie Hole and Big Creek and just north of the old Cedar Hill School at Mauser’s Mill. We want to update everyone as to how we are seeking to resolve this matter. (more…)

Today’s first order of business: Fess up to a mess up and make amends.

The crossword on the front cover of April’s Traveler is missing some boxes. I found this out when I walked into Holliday Landing’s office at Wappapello Lake and found that owner Rod Howard had written answers off the edges of the puzzle. After taking a good natured beating, I figured out what happened.

Charlie Slovensky created the puzzle in Microsoft Excel. When I converted the Excel file to a PDF to export it into Traveler’s cover layout, I set the print area too small, dropping off two rows of boxes down the right side and one row across the bottom. My bad. (more…)

Summer is almost here, and after the discovery last year of emerald ash borers at the Greenville Recreational Area, almost 1000 Barney purple insect traps will be deployed in the woods.

Barney purple? Seems the brilliant metallic blue green beetles have a thing for the color. Maybe they think it goes with their exoskeletons. Who knows? The traps are triangular in cross-section, and 1 by 2.5 feet in size. They may blend with the redbuds right now, but shortly they will stick out against the green Ozark canopy. (more…)

I goofed. It was an honest mistake.

Every month, after the Missouri Conservation Commission meets, they send out a news release summarizing what the Commissioners decided in the way of adding or subtracting rules and regulations, who gets the attaboys (Department awards) and who gets a thumbs down (the list of license suspensions and revocations.) (more…)