Author Archives: John J. Winkelman

With only the alternative methods portion of firearms deer hunting left for 2022, hunters in Jefferson County and in many other areas of the state have a few new chances to say “wait till next year.” At its Dec. 2 meeting, the state Conservation Commission approved dates and new regulations for next season. The primaryContinue reading “New 2023 firearms deer hunting opportunities to increase antlerless deer harvests”

For the fair-weather fishermen like me, this is the time of the year to re-spool the reels, restock the spinners, and sort through the rest of the mess that served as a tackle box through the spring, summer, and fall. But for the hearty boys and girls who don’t let a little cold or blowingContinue reading “Winter trout program expands fishing opportunities for anglers”

Even before I started deer hunting myself, I had a pretty good idea about the home processing process. My college buddy Steve had killed a small buck on public ground outside of Kirksville, Missouri, and he requested my help to retrieve it and get it to his dad for butchering. Big Ken was a unionContinue reading “Field to Freezer program provides deer processing primer”

Jefferson County artists demonstrated their talents in the virtual youth art contest sponsored by Missouri State Parks in honor of Earth Day in April. In the first and second grade category, artwork by Gabriel Sedrock of Festus Elementary School was selected as the first place winner, and Lena Massa of Crystal City earned third placeContinue reading “Local artists shine in State Parks contest honoring Earth Day”

Maybe it’s a bit over dramatic to say I discovered a sad sight in my backyard this weekend, but I was heartbroken to notice that the last live limb on the only big dogwood tree along our forest edge was on the ground. The good news is that I beat the clock this year inContinue reading “Dying dogwood tree lost last big branch; state nursery to assist restart”

Columbia Bottom Conservation Area is enormous, which seems opposite of everything else I saw in a recent visit to my old hometown of Spanish Lake in north St. Louis County. My old school, the county park, my old house, the road I grew up on, were all miniatures of what I remember. But not “TheContinue reading “Sunflowers attract photographers now and dove hunters later”

The 292 positive chronic wasting disease cases documented in Missouri seem like a statistical blip among the 210,000 tissue samples tested since the disease was first discovered in the state in 2011. It’s even less dramatic compared to the more than 2 million deer that have been harvested by hunters over those same years. ButContinue reading “Local meetings planned to provide updates about CWD control efforts”

Having fun in the great outdoors is easy, but making sure you stay safe while doing it takes a little bit more attention. Not too many years ago, relatively speaking, I would take on summer fun with more reckless abandon, but over time I’ve learned from a few mistakes and managed to survive a fewContinue reading “Consider safety when enjoying time in the great outdoors”

For 30 years the American Hiking Society has invited people to enjoy the outdoors on National Hiking Day on the first Saturday in June. Several of Missouri’s state parks are planning special events to mark the day, but finding a place to escape into the woods doesn’t require an itinerary or agenda. Still, the plannedContinue reading “Area offers ample opportunities for National Hiking Day”

When the deer I shot last fall tested positive for chronic wasting disease, I was sad but not totally shocked. At the time it just seemed unlucky that of all the deer sampled in Jefferson County, mine was one of only three with a positive/negative result. With additional testing and post-season targeted culling, the numberContinue reading “Dirty dozen: CWD cases spike in Jefferson County deer”