JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Conservation makes Missouri a great place to hunt and fish for more than half-a-million hunters and 1.1 million anglers. The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) encourages Missourians from all around the Show-Me State to join Americans nationwide in celebration of National Hunting and Fishing Day, Sept. 26.

National Hunting and Fishing Day was created by Congress in 1972 to commemorate past, present, and future conservation successes and to honor those sportsmen and sportswomen who began the modern conservation movement. National Hunting and Fishing Day is designated as the fourth Saturday in September. Today National Hunting and Fishing Day is a chance for people to come together to celebrate everything they love about hunting, fishing, and the great outdoors.
MDC is partnering with other conservation organizations to host the following events on and around National Hunting and Fishing Day:
 
  • In the St. Louis area, enjoy “A Day at the Confluence” from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sept. 26 at MDC’s Columbia Bottom Conservation Area. Activities will include archery, boat rides, and Asian-carp cooking demonstrations. For more information, call Columbia Bottom at 314-877-6014.
  • In the Kansas City area, attend Family Outdoors Day from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sept. 26 at MDC’s James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife Area in Lee’s Summit. The cooperative event with Ducks Unlimited will focus on waterfowl-related sporting activities and wetland education. DU will offer free memberships in its youth Greenwing program. For more information, call the Reed Area at 816-622-0900.
  • Also in the Kansas City area, MDC’s Lake City Shooting Range in Buckner will offer free shooting opportunities on Sept. 26 from noon to 4:30 p.m. For more information, call the Range at 816-249-3194
  • Branson-area residents and visitors are invited to join MDC and Bass Pro Shops at Table Rock Lake for a weekend of outdoor sporting activities from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sept. 12 and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sept. 13. The celebration will feature a pre-1840s mountain-man rendezvous and Native American cultural village. Outdoor recreational activities will include archery, air rifling, atlatl throwing, sling shooting, kayaking, paddle boarding, canoeing, and fishing. Visitors can also learn about blacksmithing, weaving, knife-throwing, candle-making, and Dutch-oven cooking. For more information, visit Bass Pro online at conservation.basspro.com/Page/Outdoor-Days-Table-Rock-Lake.aspx.
  • Also in southwest Missouri, join MDC for Family Shoots Free Day from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Sept. 26 at the Department’s Andy Dalton Shooting Range and Outdoor Education Center in Bois D’Arc. Range staff will assist and provide instruction, but visitors will need to bring their own firearms and ammunition. Range fees will be waived for the day. For more information, call the Range at 417-742-4361.
  • In Columbia, the University of Missouri South Farm Showcase from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sept. 26 will feature a trained-hawk demonstration, turtle and snake exhibit, Asian-carp preparation and sampling, fishing activities, and information about Missouri mammals. For more information, visit MU on line at southfarm.cafnr.org/.
  • Cast a line or hit a bull’s-eye at the Cape Girardeau Nature Center from 1 to 3 p.m. on Sept. 26. No registration is required, but opportunities are on a first-come-first-served basis. Staff and volunteers will provide help and all equipment for fishing and archery will be provided. For more information, call the Nature Center at 573-290-5218.
  • Twin Pines Conservation Education Center in Winona will host a Family Fish Day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sept. 26. Wet a line in the Center’s Mule Camp Pond and enjoy a variety of fish-related activities including making fish-print T-shirts, pond study, casting games, and more. Prizes and free food will be provided. No registration or fishing permits are required. For more information, call Twin Pines at 573-325-1381.
  • Celebrate in Moberly from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sept. 26 at Rothwell Park. Activities will include an archery (MoNASP) tournament, BB gun shooting, fishing pole casting and instruction, a streams table, MDC exhibits, local hunting and fishing business booths, and prize raffles. Get information about outdoor activities at local publicly owned areas. Concessions will be available and provided by the Randolph County 4-H Club For more information, call the MDC Northeast Regional Office at 660-785-2424.
 
According to research from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, one out of four Missourians hunts and/or fishes. For more information on hunting, fishing, and other ways to discover nature in the Show-Me State, visit mdc.mo.gov.
(Courtesy of Missouri Department of Conservation)

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