Jefferson City, Missouri - The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) announced that hunters checked 5,691 turkeys during Missouri’s fall firearms turkey season, which ran Oct. 1 - 31. Last year’s fall firearms turkey harvest total was 5,929 birds. Top harvest counties for the 2014 season were Greene with 165 turkeys checked, Franklin with 163, and St. Clair with 160.

Adult gobblers accounted for 964 of the harvest, or almost 17 percent. Adult hens accounted for 1,588 of the harvest, or almost 28 percent. Juvenile gobblers accounted for 950, or almost 17 percent, and juvenile hens for 2,189 or about 38 percent.

MDC sold 14,117 fall firearms turkey hunting permits for this past season, a 5-percent drop from last year.

The central region of the state saw about an 8-percent increase in harvest from 2013 with 759 birds. The Kansas City region dropped about 1-percent from 2013 with 681 birds. The northeast region dropped about 3 percent from 2013 with 588 birds. The northwest region dropped about 13 percent from 2013 with 477 birds. The Ozark region dropped by about 9 percent from last year with 784 birds. The St. Louis region harvest increased by about 9 percent from 2013 with 528 birds. The southeast region fell by about 15 percent from last year with 687 birds. The southwest region dropped by about 4 percent from 2013 with 1,187 birds harvested.

Fall archery turkey hunting resumes again from Nov. 26 through Jan. 15, 2015.

For fall firearms turkey harvest results by county and type of bird, and other 2014 turkey harvest figures, go online to the MDC website at mdc.mo.gov/node/27845.

Dexter, Missouri – Pastor Dave Fowler and the Sadler Chapel United Methodist Church invite any interested musicians, pickers or music lovers to an evening of music!

Bring your instruments and plan to join others in creating a joyful noise. Whether you enjoy Country, Blue Grass or Gospel the evening will be filled with local homegrown entertainers. It's an open microphone night, but you don't have to be a singer to be a part of this crowd. You can simply be a toe tapper..

"Our first event was a lot of fun for everyone," added Pastor Fowler. "and we had 20 to 30 people. People joined us as their schedule allowed and we just enjoyed the evening of great fellowship and gospel music."

Bring your instruments and plan to sing throughout the night with like-minded individuals.  Whether you enjoy Country, Blue Grass or Gospel the evening will be filled with local homegrown entertainers.  You don’t have to be famous, just have a love for music to attend.

"I love playing guitar," commented Pastor Fowler.  "and I have spoken to   several people and everyone seemed interested in participating.  The church loves having guests to sing and play for them.  I also give guitar lessons to beginners and welcome anyone to pick-up an instrument and learn to play."

Come out to the Sadler Chapel United Methodist Church on Thursday, November 20th at 6:00 p.m.  The public is encouraged to attend.  Musicians, music lovers’ young and old, even coffee drinkers and brownie bakers are welcome to attend.

For more information contact Dave at 417-274-0182 or leave a message on their Facebook page by clicking HERE.

To share this EVENT with FRIENDS click HERE.

The Sadler Chapel is located across highway 60 at the Wal-Mart exit going north.  Take the North Outer Road to the West (towards Poplar Bluff) about ¾ mile.  Turn at the first right and travel north about 1.2 miles to the top of the hill.  The church will be on your right.

Jefferson City, Missouri - For many motorists, the rest areas and welcome centers found along Missouri's highways can be a welcome sight during a long drive. Whether you need to stretch your legs, walk the dog, or use the facilities, Missouri's rest areas are there for all travelers' convenience and safety.

The Missouri Department of Transportation wants to make sure all eight welcome centers, 15 rest areas, and 22 truck-only parking sites are clean, safe, and accessible, and they are asking travelers for their input when they stop at these facilities.

"We know thousands of people stop at Missouri's rest areas every day, and we do our best to make sure the sites provide customers with a good experience," said David Belanger, MoDOT's general services manager. "If you stop at any of Missouri's rest areas, welcome centers, or truck-only sites, we would like your feedback on your experience and what we could do to make it better."

Historically, MoDOT has asked rest area visitors to rate their satisfaction on the various amenities of the rest areas through an online survey. Now that feedback can occur instantly, as the department has installed posters at each location with QR codes that will take smart phone users directly to the online survey. Snapping the QR code with your smartphone camera will allow you to submit your comments quickly and easily. The posters are located at all Missouri rest areas, welcome centers and truck-only parking.

Jefferson City, Missouri - The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) reports that hunters checked 91,460 deer during the opening weekend of the 2014 November Portion of Firearms Deer Season this past weekend. Top harvest counties for the opening weekend were Franklin with 1,839 deer checked, Howell with 1,793, and Callaway with 1,791.

Last year's firearms opening weekend deer harvest was 61,446. Other recent prior-year harvest totals for firearms opening weekend were: 2012: 69,614; 2011: 89,728, 2010: 97,856, and 2009: 86,202.

For 2014 harvest totals by hunting portion and county, visit mdc.mo.gov/node/29442.

MDC also reports that there were three deer-hunting incidents over the weekend with two being fatal. One fatality was in Ste. Genevieve County where a heater in a hunting blind exploded, killing the hunter. The second involved a fall from a tree stand in Crawford County. A third non-fatal incident involved a hunter in Phelps County shooting himself in the leg while loading his rifle.

Shown in the photos is Owen Flowers of Dexter, Missouri with his 8 pt buck he killed during bow season.

Cape Girardeau, Missouri - Are you dreading the crowds and conundrums of holiday shopping? Kick off your shoes, fire up the laptop or tablet, and take care of Christmas shopping with nature-themed gifts online.

The Missouri Department of Conservation’s Nature Shop (mdcnatureshop.com) makes shopping for outdoorsy friends and family a breeze. The site even has a gift registry where you can leave hints about what you would like to find under the tree on Dec. 25. If you prefer not to buy online, you can call 877-521-8632. Conservation Heritage Card holders get a 15-percent discount. Mail, phone, and online orders are subject to sales tax and shipping and handling fees.

If you like to see and touch items before buying, or if you need an excuse to get out and about, visit one of the brick-and-mortar Nature Shop outlets at Conservation Department nature centers in Kirkwood, Cape Girardeau, Springfield, Kansas City, Blue Springs, and Jefferson City. They offer a surprising array of reasonably priced gifts, from butterfly pendants and bird calls to field guides and children’s binoculars.

The Nature Shop’s newest item is Waterfowl Hunting and Wetland Conservation in Missouri – A Model of Collaboration.  This coffee-table book is an exhaustive compendium of every aspect of waterfowl conservation and hunting in Missouri. It is a sure hit for anyone who is intrigued with the history of decoys and calls, legendary duck hunters and retrievers, waterfowl art and the lore of private duck clubs. Copies of the 480-page book, illustrated with hundreds of historic photos, art and contemporary photography, are available for $40. Proceeds from sales of Waterfowl Hunting and Wetland Conservation in Missouri will be dedicated to wetland and waterfowl conservation.

One perennial favorite gift is the Natural Events Calendar, with 12 months of daily notes about everything from meteor showers to the hatching of bald eagle eggs. At $7 each, it’s the gift that keeps giving all year long.

Foodies on your holiday shopping list will love the book Cooking Wild in Missouri, a collection of recipes that incorporate wild fish, game, nuts, berries, and mushrooms. It has everything from creamed morels and pawpaw gelato to blackberry cordial. More adventurous cooks might want to try catfish tacos or venison moussaka. This lavishly illustrated book sells for just $15.

For the paddlers on your list, there is the newly updated Paddler’s Guide to Missouri ($8). This 94-page book lists access and take-out points, landmarks, and other features of 58 streams in every corner of the state.

Hunting, fishing, and trapping permits are additional gift possibilities. At $19, a Resident Small-Game Hunting and Fishing Permit provides a full year of outdoor fun. Giving a Nonresident Small-Game Hunting Permit ($80) or a Nonresident Fishing Permit ($42) encourages out-of-state family members to come home more often.  Permits bought on Dec. 1 or later are good from the date of purchase through the following permit year, which ends on the last day of February. So recipients get 15 months of use out of them.

The Apprentice Hunter Authorization ($10) is an affordable gift that can create memories for a lifetime. This item is not a permit, but rather an authorization to buy hunting permits without first completing hunter education. This is made to order if you have a friend or relative who is intrigued by the idea of hunting but doesn’t want to invest time in hunter education to satisfy his or her curiosity. Not only will they get to experience your favorite outdoor pastime, you will share the experience, since hunters using the authorization must hunt with you or another hunter education-certified mentor.

The ultimate hunting/fishing gift is a Resident Lifetime Conservation Partner Permit. This entitles the holder to the privileges associated with a Resident Hunting and Fishing Permit, Trout Permit, Migratory Bird Hunting Permit, and Conservation Order Permit for life. The price varies from $70 to $800, depending on the recipient’s age. Resident Lifetime Fishing Permits also are available.

Regular permits are available from vendors statewide or online at mdc.mo.gov/node/9258. Lifetime permits are available at mdc.mo.gov/8849, or by calling 573-522-4115, ext. 3574.

Friends and family who work to improve their land for wildlife will appreciate tree and shrub seedlings from the George O. White State Forest Nursery. It has dozens of species, including decorative trees and shrubs like the flowering dogwood and redbud as well as a wide variety of oaks, evergreens, and other forest mainstays. For prices and ordering information, visit mdc.mo.gov/node/3328, or call 573-674-3229. The nursery accepts orders through April. However, many tree and shrub species sell out before then. Orders are shipped starting in February.