What a different creature Canada geese have become, with so many of them becoming non-migrators and just staying where they are, raising goslings on every little farm pond where cattle graze on permanent pasture. more

I could hear the soft yelps of turkey somewhere just over the bank behind me. The trees have turned from the solid greens of summer and are now broken with maroon and orange patches splashed across the hillsides. more

The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission has enacted an emergency 120-day change in regulations from Bull Shoals Dam to the Norfork Access on the White River. Anglers must practice catch-and-release only with limited harvest allowed from the confluence of the North Fork of the White to the 58 bridge. There are similar restrictions on other area tailwaters. The historic flooding on the Spring River earlier this year destroyed the hatchery operations there, while late-season water quality issues impacted the Norfork hatchery. more

Flotsam Farm in Ozark County will host its fourth annual Garloween Party, a two-day, family-friendly celebration of Halloween and the garlic planting season, on Friday and Nov. 1. more

This is a dangerous time for copperheads. Many move onto pavement or concrete at night seeking the warmth it has absorbed. Some lady wrote me a letter about the little hog-nose snake I found a week or so ago, telling me that there are no vipers or adders in this country. She quoted a book she was familiar with. It is typical of so many who proclaim themselves naturalists and outdoorsmen to go by what they find in books. They gain their knowledge almost entirely from what some "expert" has written.   more

This year I have thrown a lot of crankbaits. From the tiny shallow baits of spring to the deep-divers I've been throwing of late, I think fishing with crank and jerk baits is as much of an art as any type of fishing is and it may be some of the most fun to be had with a pole and a reel. They come in all shapes and sizes, with different shaped bills and performance statistics. more

What a banner year it is for walnuts and acorns and hickories. There are nuts everywhere! If I can just get my daughters and grandsons out here on Lightnin’ Ridge picking up walnuts I will sell enough of them to pay for my duck stamp. more

Hunters in Howell County have lost access to a local hunting spot after a lack of federal funding forced some private landowners to withdraw from a state-managed program. more

As deer season continues, the Missouri Department of Conservation and the Conservation Federation of Missouri (CFM) are encouraging hunters to donate venison to the annual Share the Harvest program. The program provides lean, healthy protein to local food banks and pantries to help feed Missourians in need. more

Water temperatures on Norfork and Bull Shoals have been hovering around the mid-70s and the fishing has been on fire. Limits of walleye, white bass, and black bass are being readily caught with crappie as a bonus fish. Striper have still been shy off the bite. more

The Missouri Department of Conservation is offering two opportunities for area residents to engage with the agency this month, hosting a deer management open house Wednesday and a hunter education skills course on Oct. 23. more

As Missouri’s ginseng harvest season opens, the Missouri Department of Conservation is reminding harvesters of new regulations now in effect, including a mandatory permit for anyone harvesting, possessing, or transporting the plant. The season runs through Dec. 31. more

Down at the pool hall when I was a kid, I heard some front bench regulars talking about the funeral they had gone to. They said of the fellow being laid to rest that he was a guy who would give you the shirt off his back. I would have liked to think they would say that about me at my funeral, if I was lucky enough to have one. A kid who has lived the life I lived on the river could never be sure of that.  more

So there I was, both trebles of my crank bait sunken into my calf. The fish was gone. It was a low moment, but the story gets better. more

The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission announced Wednesday it has temporarily closed public access at Cold Springs Access on the Spring River at Mammoth Spring due to safety concerns and necessary infrastructure repair. more

Did you know that a mourning dove has 2,635 feathers? I found that statistic in a book written by John Madson, entitled “The Mourning Dove.” Madson is gone now, but he was a top-notch outdoor writer, on of the old-timers who actually grew up in the outdoors, unlike the suburban outdoor writers that dominate the pages of our larger newspapers today. Madson worked for Winchester Arms and Ammunition, and he published several books about wild game birds and animals through Winchester Press. more

It filled me with joy looking at the river gauges this morning as streams swelled from the long-awaited rains. Fall has officially begun with the equinox behind us and the autumn rains arriving right on schedule. Looking at river data from a year ago shows an almost hour by hour repeat of similar rains. It is uncanny how nature operates sometimes. It is an excellent time of year to take fishing seriously. Time for a fall fishing report and preview. more