All conversations about rails-to-trails conversions in our state begin with the story of the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad corridor. The MKT rail line property is now the 240-mile Katy Trail State Park from near the confluence of the Missour…
Twice each year I get to write about the tremendous success of archers in Jefferson County. In January, bow and arrow hunters here recorded the top deer harvest for the 14th year in a row. Then last month, students in the National Archery in …
Generally, I would be excited to write about an upcoming outdoors event in Jefferson County, but a program planned by the state Department of Conservation gives me some pause, because I am familiar with the long-term effect that the informati…
The old saying claims that hunting is all fun and games until you pull the trigger. That's when the work begins.
The Missouri Invasive Plant Council has sent a Save The Date reminder for the annual Bradford Pear Buyback Event on April 21, but the more important calendar consideration is March 16, which is opening day for registration to participate.
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about Camp Hellbender, a program for adults to relive their childhood summer camp experiences. It sounded like a good time, but I was disappointed when I found out that the annual program didn’t have anything to…
The best known New Year celebration came nearly two months ago when the Gregorian calendar changed from 2025 to 2026. This past week the Lunar New Year, also known as the Spring Festival or Chinese New Year, was ushered in with the first new …
Following a successful debut in 2023, and popular follow-up seasons for the next two years, the state Department of Conservation is adding a new twist to its Camp Hellbender program for adults in 2026.
Missouri’s managed spring turkey hunts do not have the numbers of opportunities that hunters can apply for in the fall for deer hunting, but for those hoping to find something close to home in the St. Louis region, options abound.
While waiting for spring to return, we can look for signs like early blooming plants that begin to poke their bright green tops out of the frozen soil and male American goldfinches that come to the feeder sporting snippets of their showy yell…
What started as a backyard event has gone global over the past 30 years, and more people are always being invited to the party. The Great Backyard Bird Count has added participants around the world and keeps tabs on more bird species every year.
When the 2025-26 deer hunting season opened in September, I wrote that a dark cloud was hanging over the proceedings with friends and family members staking out opposing sides on the divisive issue of chronic wasting disease management.
When the final arrow flies this afternoon, closing the last of all deer hunting seasons for 2025-26, Jefferson County will maintain its reign as the top archery harvest county in the state for the 14th consecutive year.
With a couple of my outdoor adventuring associates sidelined by the sickness that swept through so many seasonal celebrations and family functions over the holiday break, we were forced to find an alternative activity to our annual First Day …
Visiting the Audubon Center at Riverlands can be a treat any time of the year, but the winter holds the allure of special avian guests and regular events to increase the opportunity and understanding of those big American birds.
What a blessing it is to me to get the opportunity to reach a mass of people and wish them a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. Thank you to all the Leader readers who I encounter throughout the year who tell me they read my ramblings regularly.
There is never a bad time to help a good cause, so the required donation to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology was not a barrier to keep me from joining a program called Project FeederWatch. One week into my membership, I already consider it $18 …
One of the outdoors’ greatest shows not on Earth takes place this month and will reach its performance peak this weekend. The display will go on regardless of the weather, but in order for us to enjoy it, clear skies at night are necessary.
A friend asked me earlier this week, “You know where Knob Noster State Park is, don’t you?”
Since I am a frequent shopper at Buchheit in Herculaneum, my wife Kelly will tell you that it was not so coincidental that I was in the store on the same day I heard the news that the Farmers’ Almanac was ceasing publication.
While most of the focus this time of year is on hunting, a popular fishing season has opened to provide opportunities for anglers close to home and in their favorite spring and summer streams around the state.
The old saying, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” is countered by the advice that if you have something good, keep working on it until it’s better and then make it the best it can be.
Jefferson County residents can get a look at the newest expansion of one of its most interesting outdoors attractions Nov. 7. A ribbon-cutting ceremony and tour at the LaBarque Creek Conservation Area near Eureka is scheduled at 3 p.m.
The future of deer hunting is in some very small hands, but it is the adults who must make a commitment to growing the sport and encouraging participation. The first of two youth-only hunting seasons open Saturday, Nov.1.
