I was a Missouri resident more than a decade ago when there was talk of turning elk loose in parts of the Ozarks. I was personally excited but I predicted that it would never fly with the residents of Southern Missouri. These are not people you would call open thinkers. As I claimed at the time, there was just no hope for, “Them there giant deer things”.

But now 10 years have passed and we’re in the heart of NASCAR season. There will never be a better time to try again!

CAPE GIRARDEAU Mo – The Missouri Conservation Commission has directed Missouri Conservation Department (MDC) staff to reinitiate plan development that would enable the agency to restore elk around Peck Ranch Conservation Area (CA) while addressing concerns raised nearly a decade ago.

Following the presentation, the Commission directed Department staff to reinitiate plan development, based on current information and knowledge, incorporating the following:

•A well-defined elk restoration zone around Peck Ranch CA focusing on an area in Carter, Shannon and Reynolds Counties,
•Established herd management guidelines, including a release protocol, population objectives and hunting as the primary management tool,
•Effective health protocols, including disease testing and a contingency plan to ensure the health of domestic livestock and wildlife, and
•Provisions for dealing with elk that leave the restoration zone.

The area around Peck Ranch CA was selected because it has suitable elk habitat, a high percentage of public land, low density of public roads and a limited amount of row crop and livestock production.

Now it’s time to see if the cool, thinking, members of the state can slide one by the, uh, Ozarkians. The whole release is here.

In my line of work I sometimes marvel at the disconnect between those who go to jail and those who should go to jail. Fortunately for the world at large, a Dallas judge got it right when he sentenced Robby Rose to 15 days in jail for cheating during a recent bass tournament. It seems he stuffed a lead weight into the fish before weigh in hoping to win a $50,000 bass boat.

You can find more on the story here.

So I’m not much of a cook. I’m also not much of wild fruit scrounger. On my two caribou hunts I’ve spent more time eating blueberries than hunting. Other than that, it’s mostly roadside stands and grocery stores. But I found a fantastic stand of blackberries hiking with the daughter last week. They were still red but already huge by Kansas standards. Today I checked it out again and found that most were still red but some were ripe. The daughter and I ate a bunch and returned home with a nice grocery sack full. So what to do? Well my mother hooked me up with an idiot-proof peach cobbler recipe when I first moved out. I adapted it to blackberries.

First: Berries in the pan.

Second: Mix 1/2 cup of flour, 1/2 cup of oatmeal, and 2/3 cup of brown sugar. Pour it over the berries.

Third: Pour 1 stick of melted butter over the dry mix.

Fourth: Bake at 350 for an hour.

It really is the most idiot proof cobbler possible and still very good. Good enough to deal with the briars…

Just a quick reminder that the Wyoming leftover licenses are on sale now. Also you can now buy your preference points there. I suggest you do so if you think you will be hunting Wyoming before you die.
Check here.

Also, the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks has the early portion of the Special Hunts Application available. Everyone should apply. It’s free and there are some wonderful opportunities available.
Check here for more details.

So I try not to steal the work of others but this is simply too funny not pass on.

Click here. Seriously, it’s worth it.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – July 2, 2010 – The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service released its preliminary report today on mid-continent breeding ducks and habitats, based on surveys conducted in May. The total duck population is nearly 41 million, which is similar to last year’s estimate and 21 percent above the long-term average.

Habitat conditions across the U.S. and Canadian prairies and parklands were generally good. However, further north, wetland conditions in boreal regions of Alaska and northern Canada were only fair at the time of the survey. During the survey and into early summer, many regions important to breeding ducks received significant precipitation, which could increase later breeding efforts and ensure brood survival.

The rest of the report from Duck Unlimited and the US F&W Service is here.