Dexter, Missouri - Bearcat Nation will have something new to look at from the stands.  The "Boys of Fall" will show-off their new helmets with a brand new Bearcat graphic.

They plan to debut their new look at the annual Football Jamboree in Kennett on Friday, August 15th at 6:00 p.m.

"I think the new look gives the guys and the community something to be excited about," stated Head Football Coach Justin Peden.  "So far the reception has been great!"


The Bearcats will face the Kennett Indians, NMCC Eagles, and East Prairie Eagles in preseason action - this can be a great ‘scouting’ tool for the ‘Cats, as they face both Kennett and NMCC later in the season during districts.

"Kennett looked a lot better at the contact camp this year," stated Peden.  "I think we will both do better now that a year has gone by in our respective systems."

When asked about New Madrid County Central, Peden commented, "
NMCC is a big question mark. Anytime a new coach comes in there is an adjustment period. I've heard a lot of good things coming from over there. I am interested to see their development."

The scrimmages will follow the traditional jamboree format, with a coin toss to determine offense or defense and the ball placed at the 40 yd. line. If a team scores, the ball will be placed back at the 40 yd. line. Each team will play 12 plays on offense and defense, respectively. No score will be kept. There will be no kicking game.

New Madrid County Central was initially scheduled to host the event this year; however due to troubled field conditions the event was moved to Kennett.  Dexter is slated to host in 2015.

2014 Dexter Varsity Football Schedule with all games beginning at 7:00 p.m. with the pre-game show.

8/22   at Ste. Genevieve  

8/29   Poplar Bluff  (H)

9/5     Charleston (H)

9/12    at Sikeston

9/19    at Caruthersville

9/26   Kennett (Homecoming)

10/3   at New Madrid County Central

10/10  Park Hill Central (H) (Senior Night)

10/17  at Malden

The Junior Varsity football team will play on Monday evenings at 6 p.m. except for the Poplar Bluff game which will be on Tuesday due to the Labor Day holiday on that Monday. They will have only two home games this year, hosting Charleston on September 8^th and hosting Kennett on September 29^th. 

8/25     at Malden

9/2       at Poplar Bluff

9/8       Charleston (H)

9/15     at Sikeston

9/22     at Caruthersville

9/29     Kennett (H)

10/6     at New Madrid County Central

Mark you calendar for another great year of Bearcat Football!!  We’ll see you on the field!

United States - The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will sell duck stamps online for the first time this year, giving hunters an alternative to buying paper duck stamps. USFWS recently selected Missouri, along with a handful of other states, to provide duck stamps through its new e-Stamp option.

Starting Aug. 1, hunters can buy the new federal e-Stamps online at mo.wildlifelicense.com.

The e-Stamp will have a $2.50 convenience fee for handling and mailing in addition to the $15 purchase price.

The Electronic Duck Stamp, or e-Stamp, allows customers to purchase the Federal Duck Stamp online and use it immediately. The E-Stamp is valid for 45 days from the date of purchase. Within that time, a physical Duck Stamp will be mailed to the customer. After 45 days, the customer must carry their Federal Duck Stamp while hunting.

In the past, paper duck stamps were sold at post offices, MDC offices, and some retail permit vendors. This year, paper stamps will still be available from post offices and MDC offices, but not from permit vendors. Retail vendors will still be able to process e-Stamp transactions for hunters.

For more info on the new e-Stamp offering, visit USFWS online at fws.gov/duckstamps/stamps.htm.

The decision not to sell paper duck stamps through retail vendors came from federal officials after we already printed our 2014 Early Migratory Bird Hunting Digest. As a result, the digest says hunters can buy duck stamps from retail vendors, without mentioning details of purchasing e-Stamps. Sorry for any confusion.

Cape Girardeau, Missouri - The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) is partnering with the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) and Quail Forever (QF) to provide mentored hunts for first-time dove hunters eight years of age or older on five sunflower fields located on private land across the state and one on public land.

Hunts will be offered on the private and public fields on opening day of dove season, Sept. 1. Additional hunts will be offered on the private fields later in season. The specific dates will be determined by the participating landowners. Each field will be limited to 16-20 hunter/mentor pairs per hunt to maximize safety and provide a quality experience.

Participants must first attend a hunter-orientation workshop where they will learn about dove biology and management, the importance of hunters and hunting, hunter safety, and will have the opportunity to practice shooting a shotgun. No equipment is necessary for the workshops or hunts. Hunters 8-15 years must be accompanied by a parent or guardian during both the pre-hunt workshop and the hunt. Participants will be provided more details via email prior to the workshop.

The hunter-orientation workshops will be held:

Meadville -- Aug. 10, 1-5 p.m., MDC Fountain Grove Conservation Area;
Kirksville -- Aug. 17, 1-5 p.m., MDC Northeast Regional Office;
High Ridge -- Aug. 21, 5:30-9 p.m., MDC Jay Henges Shooting Range;
Parkville -- Aug. 27, 28, and 29, 5:30-8:30 p.m., MDC Parma Woods Shooting Range;
Williamsburg -- Aug. 30, 1-5 p.m., MDC Prairie Fork Conservation Area;
Ash Grove -- Aug. 30, 8:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., MDC Andy Dalton Shooting Range; an
Cape Girardeau -- Aug. 30, 4-8:15 p.m., MDC Apple Creek Trap and Skeet Range.
Participants may attend any workshop offered, but the field they will be invited to hunt will be determined by applications received and space availability of each field for each hunt. If spaces remain available on any field for any hunting days offered, first-time hunters will have the opportunity to attend multiple hunts.

For more information or to apply, contact John Burk of NWTF at 573-676-5994 or jburk@nwtf.net, or Elsa Gallagher of QF at 660-277-3647 or EGallagher@pheasantsforever.org.  Or apply online at tinyurl.com/nax8qhm.

For more on hunting doves and other upland game birds in Missouri, go online to mdc.mo.gov/hunting-trapping/upland-game-bird-hunting-0.

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Missouri - The outlook is bright for Missouri’s early teal hunting season, but state officials say some hunters will need to make different arrangements than in years past to buy federal duck stamps.

The length of the early teal season depends on the number of blue-winged teal (BWT) counted in early-summer breeding bird surveys. If the BWT breeding population index is below 3.3 million, the season is closed. If the BWT breeding population index is at least 3.3 million but less than 4.7 million, the season is nine days long. If the BWT breeding population index is 4.7 million or greater, the season is 16 days long.

This year’s surveys showed 8.5 million BWT, triggering a 16-day season from Sept. 6 through 21 for BTW, green-winged teal (GWT) and cinnamon teal. Bag limits remain the same as last year, six BWT, GWT and cinnamon teal in the aggregate daily and 18 in possession.

Missouri will have a 16-day early teal season again this year thanks to a third consecutive year of high duck numbers. Population surveys of North American breeding waterfowl show high numbers for the third year in a row, meaning Missouri hunters will enjoy another 16-day early teal season.

With teal numbers near record levels, 2014 could be an excellent year for the early teal hunting. Whether that potential is realized will depend on weather conditions during teal season. Teal are early migrators, and the passage of cool fronts between Sept. 6 and 21would increase the number of teal available to hunters. Conversely, stable, warm weather during the early teal season could limit hunting action.

The Missouri Department of Conservation wants to alert teal hunters and other waterfowl hunters to changes in federal policy regarding where and how duck stamps (technically called Federal Waterfowl Conservation Stamps) are sold. In the past, paper duck stamps were sold at U.S. Post Offices, Conservation Department offices and some retail permit vendors, such as hunting equipment retailers. This year, paper stamps will still be available from post offices and Conservation Department offices, but not from other permit vendors.

However, duck stamps will be sold online for the first time this year, giving hunters and retail vendors an alternative to buying/selling paper duck stamps. Starting on Aug. 1, hunters can buy the stamps at mo.wildlifelicense.com. Retail vendors will be able to process the transaction for hunters. An electronic stamp, or e-Stamp, will be issued at the time of purchase, and a paper duck stamp will be sent through the mail. Hunters can use their e-Stamps immediately and for 45 days following purchase. After 45 days, they must carry the paper duck stamp. The e-Stamp will have a $2.50 convenience fee for handling and mailing in addition to the $15 purchase price.

The US Fish and Wildlife Service recently selected Missouri, along with Louisiana, Michigan, North Carolina, and Virginia, to provide duck stamps through its new federal e-Stamp option. The decision not to sell paper duck stamps through retail vendors came from federal officials after printing of the 2014 Early Migratory Bird Hunting Digest was complete. As a result, the digest says hunters can buy duck stamps from some retail vendors, without mentioning details of purchasing e-Stamps.

The North American population of mallards, the mainstay species for Missouri waterfowl hunters, is estimated at 10.9 million this year. That is up 5 percent from 2013 and 42 percent above the long-term average (LTA). Mallard numbers have exceeded this year’s figure only once in the past 56 years – in 1958.

Other duck species breeding populations recorded in the 2014 survey include:

·        Gadwall, 3.8 million, 14 percent more than last year and 102 percent above LTA.

·        Pintail, 3.2 million, 3 percent below 2013 and 20 percent below LTA.

·        Green-winged teal, 3.4 million, up 13 percent from 2013 and 69 percent above LTA.

·        Wigeon, 3.1 million, up 18 percent from 2013 and 20 percent above LTA.

·        Scaup, 4.6 million, up 11 percent from 2013 and 8 percent below LTA

·        Shoveler, 5.3 million, 11 percent more than 2013 and 114 percent above LTA.

·        Redhead, 1.3 million, up 6 percent from 2013 and 85 percent above LTA.

·        Canvasback, 685,000, down 13 percent from 2013 and 18 percent above LTA.

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Jonesboro, Arkansas - Dexter native and Arkansas State golfer Chance Holden has been named a Cleveland Golf/Srixon All-American Scholar for the 2013-14 season.

Holden was among 207 Division I players across the country to be named a scholar athlete.  To qualify, a student-athlete must be either a junior or senior academically, compete in at least three full years at the collegiate level, participate in at least 50 percent of his team’s competitive rounds, have a stroke average under 76 in NCAA Division I and maintain a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 3.2.

Holden participated in a team-high 35 rounds last season as a senior.  The Dexter, Mo., native tied for the lowest stroke average on the team, finishing with a 74.1 average.  His lowest round of the season was a 66 at the Sam H. Hall Intercollegiate.  His best finish was a tie for third place at the Red Wolf Intercollegiate.  He also had three top-five finishes, along with six top-25 performances.

“I am very proud of Chance for receiving this award for the second time,” said Arkansas State head men’s golf coach Steve Johnson.  “To play at his level with the amount of travel he’s had while representing our program over the last two years, and still complete his degree in nursing, speaks volumes about the level of dedication and commitment he has both to his golf game and academics.  We are excited to have him bring another award back.”

This is the second straight selection for Holden as a Cleveland Golf/Srixon All-American Scholar athlete.  The selections for this accolade are made by the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA).