MDC is offering Free Hunter Education Classes during August in four Northwest Missouri communities

Missouri Department of Conservation to offer free hunter education skills classes in March and April

The Missouri Department of Conservation is offering free upcoming hunter education skills sessions in northwest Missouri. Participants will earn the safety certificate needed to obtain hunting permits. These sessions will teach and test participants for safe firearms handling and basic hunting skills.    The sessions offered and links to register include: Chillicothe from 5:30 to 9:30 […]

Chillicothe Elks website

North Missouri Sportsman’s Alliance to hold events at Chillicothe Elks Lodge

The North Missouri Sportsman’s Alliance will hold two events at the Chillicothe Elks Lodge on April 9th: a free deer antler scoring program and a Texas Hold ’Em Poker Tournament to raise funds for the alliance to fund the Share the Harvest program. Deer racks will be accepted from 9 o’clock to noon. Certified Pope […]

Wallace State Park

Free workshop and birding hike to be offered at Wallace State Park near Cameron

A free workshop and birding hike will be offered by the Missouri Department of Conservation from 8:30 a.m. to noon on Monday, March 14, at Wallace State Park near Cameron. Participants can learn birding tips and skills on how to enjoy the wide variety of songbirds, raptors, and waterfowl in the state’s outdoors. Adam Brandsgaard, […]

Little Otter Creek Reservoir graphic

Public invited to a recreational planning meeting on March 5 at Little Otter Creek Reservoir

Visitors can provide input on outdoor recreation they would like to see offered at the Little Otter Creek Reservoir at a recreational planning event to be held at the Polo Community Center on March 5, 2022, from 2 to 5 pm. The event will include exhibits, interactive displays and games, models, and activities. Missouri Department of […]

Body Found

Body discovered at Poosey Conservation Area in Livingston County

Livingston County Sheriff Steve Cox reports Jamesport residents discovered a deceased man at the Poosey Conservation Area in northwest Livingston County on Saturday afternoon, February 19th. The man was identified as 45-year-old Michael Daniel Daly of Blue Springs. The sheriff’s office, Missouri Department of Conservation, and Highway Patrol responded to the Wind Pump Trail at […]

Princeton R-5 School District website 2021 -2022

Princeton Board of Education approves school calendar for 2022-2023; changes time school is to begin and end

The Princeton R-5 Board of Education on February 14th approved the 2022-2023 school calendar and changed school hours. The first day of school will be August 23rd, and the last day is scheduled for May 19th, 2023. Snow days are built into the calendar that totals 1,109 hours. For the 2022-2023 school year, the day […]

USDA US Department of Agriculture

Agricultural producers have until March 15 to enroll in USDA’s Key Commodity Safety Net Programs

Agricultural producers who have not yet enrolled in the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) or Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs for the 2022 crop year have until March 15, 2022, to sign a contract. The U.S. Department of Agriculture offers these two safety net programs to provide vital income support to farmers experiencing substantial declines in […]

American Farm Bureau Federation president Zippy Duvall spoke at the organization’s 2022 annual convention in Atlanta, Georgia (photo provided by American Farm Bureau Federation)

American Farm Bureau Federation claims it’s the ‘voice of agriculture,’ Others beg to differ

(Missouri Independent) – This story was originally published as a collaboration between Investigate Midwest and Watchdog Writers Group. The American Farm Bureau Federation calls itself the “voice of agriculture,” a slogan it trademarked in 2007. But as the divide between agribusiness and small farmers has grown in recent decades, a unified voice of agriculture has become harder to […]

Drowning Tragedy

Man falls through ice and drowns at Jamesport Community Lake

The Highway Patrol reports a Rushville man fell through the ice on the Jamesport Community Lake and drowned on February 8, 2022. Seventy-one-year-old Otto Sonnenmoser was pronounced dead by the Daviess County Coroner. Sonnenmoser was ice fishing on the northeast point of the Jamesport Community Lake before falling through the ice. Assistance was provided by […]

Feral Hogs (Photo courtesy MDC)

Missouri feral hog elimination partnership removes more than 9,800 feral hogs

The Missouri Feral Hog Elimination Partnership (the Partnership) removed 9,857 feral hogs from the landscape in 2021, making the total number of feral hogs eliminated more than 54,000 since 2016. The Partnership is made up of 13 federal and state agencies along with numerous agriculture and conservations organizations. “I’m really proud of the progress that […]

Burn Workshop (Photo courtesy MDC)

Missouri Department of Conservation to offer free Prescribed Burning for Missouri Land Managers workshop near Chillicothe

The Missouri Department of Conservation will offer a free Prescribed Burning for Missouri Land Managers workshop from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 26, at the Poosey Conservation Area in Livingston County. This workshop will teach the skills and techniques to safely and effectively use prescribed burns as a habitat or forage management […]

Duck and Waterfowl

Missouri Department of Conservation to offer free virtual waterfowl hunting workshop

Missouri has numerous public waterfowl hunting opportunities at wetlands and lakes, including those on conservation areas. The Missouri Department of Conservation will offer a free virtual waterfowl hunting class from 5:30 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, February 16, 2022. This class will teach the equipment and strategies needed to be successful hunting ducks and geese.  […]

USDA Sign

USDA provides update on implementation of forthcoming disaster assistance for agricultural producers

The U.S. Department of Agriculture provided an update at the Cattle Industry Convention on forthcoming assistance for agricultural producers impacted by weather-related disasters in calendar years 2020 and 2021. “Over the past two years, as agricultural producers have struggled with the ongoing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, many have been hard-hit by more frequent and […]

Farm Bill News Graphic

Congress clashes over climate in early farm bill talks

(Missouri Independent) – Congressional Democrats on Wednesday touted conservation programs for farmers and ranchers as key tools for limiting agriculture’s impact on the global climate as they took initial steps to create the next farm bill. One Republican’s response: So what? “We’ve talked primarily about climate change, and I gotta to be honest with you,” […]

Rainbow Trout Courtesy MDC

Catch-and-keep trout season begins February 1 at two St. Joseph lakes

The Missouri Department of Conservation’s winter trout fishing program in St. Joseph takes a new turn on Tuesday, February 1, 2022, when anglers can begin keeping their catch. Krug Park Lagoon and Everyday Pond both have had rainbow trout stocked by MDC last fall for catch-and-release fishing. But starting Feb. 1, anglers with the proper […]

CRP Website Revised (Conservation Reserve Program website)

USDA announces Conservation Reserve Program signups for 2022

Agricultural producers and landowners can sign up soon for the Conservation Reserve Program,  a cornerstone conservation program offered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and a key tool in the Biden-Harris Administration effort to address climate change and achieve other natural resource benefits. The General CRP signup will run from Jan. 31 to March 11, and the […]

USDA website

USDA urges producers to submit applications for 2021 grazing loss assistance by January 31

The U.S. Department of Agriculture reminds ranchers and livestock producers that they may be eligible for financial assistance through the Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP) for 2021 grazing losses due to qualifying drought or fire. The deadline to apply for 2021 LFP assistance is Jan. 31, 2022.  “Ongoing, widespread drought conditions have resulted in significant financial losses […]

Photo of turkeys courtesy Missouri Department of Conservation

Apply online during February for Missouri Department of Conservation spring managed turkey hunts

Missouri turkey hunters can apply online during February for 2022 spring turkey-managed hunts through the Missouri Department of Conservation website.  Managed hunt details and application procedures are outlined on the webpage. Drawing results will be posted starting March 15. The spring turkey hunting youth portion will be April 9 and 10 with the regular spring […]