MO Conservation
@MDC_online
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MDC protects & manages fish, forests and wildlife of MO, serves the people of MO, and helps you discover nature. Visit http://t.co/HnZVyqgr
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We have confirmed a mountain lion was hit by a car last night at Hwy T and Old Hwy 100 north of Villa Ridge. The animal was injured, but later ran from the scene. Agents have been looking for mountain lion, but it hasn't yet been found. (1)
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You don't see this every day ...
Bowhunter Mike Lewis legally harvested two antlered deer in one shot during archery season. The deer he shot still had the skull and antlers of another deer locked in its rack!
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Check this out ... Johnny Snyder captured this turkey parade while muzzleloader deer hunting last week in southwest Missouri.
He counted around 135 birds walking in front of his blind!
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No, we're not sending buffaloes to your property. Nice try, MDC impersonators.
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We think Chad Williams is done fishing for the year. Maybe for life 😆
Williams made history this weekend after snagging a world record 164-pound, 13-ounce paddlefish at Lake of the Ozarks! And did we mention he'd never been snagging before??
More at
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So close! Fisher Hogan, 11, recently caught this 2-pound, 6-ounce redear sunfish from a private pond near Mountain Home. The fish is just 1-ounce shy of tying the current state record!
Fisher will receive the Master Angler Award for his efforts. Congrats on a near-record fish!
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Not sure if better trail cam footage exists.
📷Randy Mize
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Poachers who target bucks solely for antlers can have devastating effects on local resources.
Two suspects were recently charged with poaching numerous deer out of Wayne and Reynolds counties. If you have info on potential wildlife crimes, call OGT at 1-800-392-1111.
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DEER HUNTERS: Share your harvest if you can by donating surplus venison to the Share the Harvest program to help feed hungry Missourians. The donated deer meat goes to local food banks and food pantries all around the state.
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This bald eagle was rescued from Knox Co. last fall after sustaining a wing injury. It was released Sunday after recovering at MU Raptor Rehabilitation Project.
Hurray for happy endings! 🥰❤️
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We dub Sara Kluesner 2024 Morel Season Queen 👑
She recently found this massive mushroom in Cape Girardeau County. What a find!
📷 Tim Kluesner
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Well, this is a new one…
This African porcupine was recently captured in Crawford County. We suspect this non-native animal was kept as a pet and then released in the wild.
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Fly, eagle, fly!
This guy was released this week after he was found injured on private property in Wayne Co. Agents Jacob Plunkett and Drew Miller took the eagle to Watkins Wildlife Rehab where it made a full recovery. Success!
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CONGRATULATIONS to Joe Benthall of Mount Vernon on harvesting this 2.5-year-old 5x5 bull elk Saturday on National Park Service property near Log Yard. He was the first to harvest an elk of five MO hunters selected for elk permits.
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Thank you to Tommy Harris for sharing this photo of his grandson getting ready to clean some trout at Montauk State Park when this little fawn walked right up to him. Say hello to wildlife, but remember to leave it wild!
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Big news regarding Ozark hellbender recovery efforts -- the first
@stlzoo
-raised hellbender has fathered a clutch of eggs on the Current River!
@ARGameandFish
@USFWS
@NatlParkService
Read this success story at
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Agent Ashton Crance recently rescued this eagle found with a broken wing in rural Warren Co. The bird was likely hit by a car while scavenging a roadkill opossum.
Thankfully, our friends at
@WBSSTL
are caring for the eagle and it's expected to make a full recovery!
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Our Missouri state bird since 1927 was seen fueling on berries in the snow. Thoreau wrote that it “carries the sky on its back”.
#TuesdayTweet
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Missouri Lt. Governor Mike Kehoe taking part in the first day of trout season at Bennett Spring.
#discovernature
#troutfishing
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Yes, I'm small. And cute. But I'm not abandoned.
Agents have been inundated with calls this week about orphaned fawns. Finding a fawn alone is normal! For the first 30 days of their lives, they spend most of their time bedded down waiting for mom to visit and feed them.
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CONGRATULATIONS to Eugene Guilkey of Liberty MO on harvesting this 6X7 bull elk on public land in Shannon County yesterday (Dec. 16). He is the fourth of five lucky Missourians randomly drawn for Missouri’s first elk season to bag a bull.
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Can confirm.
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The warning song of Missouri's largest venomous snake - the timber rattlesnake.
Shannon. Co agents recently relocated this rattler after it was found in a landowner's chicken house.
This snake frequents rough country and is nocturnal in summer, so few Missourians encounter it.
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Read the September Missouri Conservationist to learn about Lake of the Ozarks being a haven for bass fishing, crossbows, Autumn’s incentives on getting outdoors, and more.
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Man ... bald eagles are actually pretty big, huh?
MDC Agent Tex Rabenau helped rescue this injured bald eagle found last week near Meta.
The raptor is currently receiving treatment at
@WBSSTL
and will be released back to Maries County upon a full recovery.
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Remember this world record, 164-pound, 13-ounce paddlefish Chad Williams caught at the Lake of the Ozarks last month? MDC staff were able to estimate the fish was 32-years-old!
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Nothing to see here. Just a turkey catchin' a ride on a deer.
Just kidding - it's the angle and perspective of the pic.
There's a few days left for turkey hunting! Spring season runs through May 5.
📸Mark Ramsey
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The second state record of 2023 is in the books -- an 11-ounce flier ... two of 'em, actually!
Get the full story at
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Someone dumped trash into Crane Creek in Stone County during the first week of June 😢
If you have information that could track down those responsible, call Operation Game Thief at 1-800-392-1111. You can remain anonymous and receive a reward for info leading to an arrest.
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Snagging season is off to a great start for Jim Dain! He snagged this new state record 140-pound, 10-ounce paddlefish at the Lake of the Ozarks!
Read the full story at
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Shocking! Flowers talk to bumblebees using electricity. If a flower hasn’t been visited recently by a bee, it gives off static electricity. The static tugs on tiny hairs on the bee’s back, letting the bee know which flowers still have nectar.
#StrangeButTrue
#MDCDiscoverNature
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Check it out! Chandler Lee Tudor hooked and landed this 4-foot lake sturgeon out of the Gasconade River in Pulaski County earlier this week. Tudor was using worms as bait attempting to catch a catfish as he was fishing at the Riddle Bridge Access.
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Big news! Sandhill cranes are nesting at Loess Bluffs Wildlife Refuge!
Photographer Dan Staples snapped pics of these cranes and two young chicks, called colts, last month.
Sandhill cranes are uncommon in the state and are actually a species of conservation concern.
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🎶I got the golden ... crappie? 🎶
Holly Hadden was fishing from a private pond in Webster County when she reeled in this unique-colored crappie!
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FIRST ELK BY ARCHERY: Chris Irick of Pleasant Hope harvested the first elk by archery methods in Missouri’s modern elk hunting history. Chris took the 6-by-6 bull elk in Shannon County late in the evening on Oct. 18. CONGRATS CHRIS!
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NATURE IN ACTION: Thank you to Winrod Brothers Construction for these pics from a job site in Ozark County of a speckled king snake eating a copperhead. Other snakes are a common food of king snakes.
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The trout are biting at Bennett Spring this morning as you can see below from this kid’s catch.
#discovernature
#Ilovefishing
#troutopener
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TROUT OPENER: Catch-and-keep trout season has officially kicked off at all four trout parks around the state.
#trout
#MoConservation
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Greene Co. Conservation Agent Taressa Wise recently issued a Sonic "citation" for a free ice cream to a young angler at Lake Springfield.
Not only was he enjoying his time fishing, he also picked up trash left by others! We love to see responsible outdoor enthusiasts 🥲😍
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Agents in Osage County are asking for info regarding 6 deer dumped in the Bonnots Mill Area. Each deer was taken with a firearm and no parts were harvested for food.
If you have any information on this case, please call 573-690-3989 or Operation Game Thief at 800-392-1111.
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Shout-out to
@MoDOT
and all of our winter storm drivers for working overtime to clear roads and keep us safe. We appreciate you!
#WeServeMo
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Staff recently caught these non-native, koi fish while sampling for native fish at Sugar Creek Conservation Area. Their results showed these koi fish have stunted the numbers and sizes of native fish b/c they compete for food. Don't dump aquarium/garden pond fish in local waters!
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Ruby-throated hummingbirds will begin arriving in early April! They'll be hungry so get those feeders ready!
Hummingbirds have a supercharged metabolism! In order to sustain themselves, they must visit between 1,000 and 2,000 flowers per day🌷
They are especially attracted to flowers with a long, tubular shape – like the obedient plant seen here.
📸Jim Hudgins/USFWS
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Peanut the Turtle, the red-eared slider and ambassador for litter awareness, is recovering after undergoing surgery. Send her a get well card at the Powder Valley Nature Center! Read more at
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A bald eagle, named Jupiter, was released at Mussel Fork CA over the weekend thanks to the MU Raptor Rehabilitation Project! It's unclear what ailed Jupiter, but it was given time to recuperate and recover. Thanks to MU and all Missourians who help ensure the success of raptors!
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CONGRATULATIONS to Samuel Schultz of Winfield on taking this bull elk yesterday. He is one of five lucky Missourians randomly drawn for Missouri’s first elk season.
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Love this elk sighting!
@MDC_online
Thanks for bringing these magnificent animals back to Missouri. It was unbelievable seeing them out in the wild.
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Perry Co. is known for its caves, with more than 700 recorded caves scattered across its landscape! Calling this karst topography home is the grotto sculpin, an endangered fish found only in certain subterranean streams of this county.
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Last fall, Cole Co. Agent Cole Eidson helped rescue a screech owl in mid-Missouri that was hit by a vehicle.
After a successful rehabilitation at Raptor Rehab, vet technicians and Eidson were able to release the owl over the weekend back to the natural area where it was found❤️
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We got another daddy! An eastern hellbender raised at the
@stlzoo
has reproduced in the wild! This is yet another milestone reached in efforts to recover our beloved snot otter. More at
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Teeny, tiny, beautiful, delicate eggs of the monarch butterfly laid on sprouting milkweed. That is all.
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The northern lights made a rare appearance in the Show-Me state earlier this week! Did you get a chance to view this colorful phenomenon?
Thanks to Paul Boone for sending us this shot of the event at King Lake Conservation Area.
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HELP! We need information about a juvenile trumpeter swan found shot dead outside of Duck Creek Conservation Area on Nov. 16. Trumpeter swans are a protected species and cannot be taken by hunting. Call Operation Game Thief at 1-800-392-1111 with any info.
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Pike Co. Agent Sarah Foran recently teamed up with Fish & Wildlife Officer Max Carr and Canine Teal to solve an illegal take of turkey case. We value our landowner, interagency, and canine partnerships in helping support conservation.
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CONFIRMED! Congratulations again to Bill Babler on catching the new state-record brown trout at Lake Taneycomo - a whopping 40-pounds, 6-ounces! Read more at
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This is one of the two cubs that we found today with its mother in a den. The 3 bears are doing great and are very healthy!
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We got another state record for 2023 ... a 3-pound skipjack herring caught on the Missouri River!
Learn more about Anthony Rozniak's fish at
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Conservation Agent Matt Easton rescued this juvenile bald eagle in February after it couldn't fly. MU Raptor Rehabilitation Project treated the bird for a broken shoulder. It was released last week on the same property it was found.
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This leucistic Red-tailed hawk was spotted in Newton County.
Leucism is a genetic anomaly in which an animal has a partial loss of pigmentation. Albinism involves the total absence of melanin – which is the substance in a body that produces skin pigmentation.
📷 Steve Jaeger
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This time of year, you may see northern watersnakes basking near water! This is our most common watersnake, but don't freak - it's nonvenomous.
#MDCDiscoverNature
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Now this is an unreal find ...
Agent Christopher Barnes recently responded to a report of 2 deceased bald eagles found in a New Madrid Co. field. The eagles had been talon-grappling, a courtship ritual or territorial behavior the involves interlocking talons while tumbling (1)
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Help MDC find poacher of bull elk in Shannon County. Call OGT at 800-392-1111 with information on bull elk killed and left near Klepzig Mill in Shannon County this past weekend. A $20,000 reward is available.
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FYI: Many species of cicadas that have the strong, "jet stream" of urine are mostly found in southeast Asia. Here in Missouri, our periodical and annual cicadas will excrete xylem in small droplets. So no, you won't get peed on by a cicada this summer.
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A very healthy newborn elk calf trying to get use to her feet after being born. The calf is just 3 hours old.
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Dumping trash not only harms our fish, forest, and wildlife, but it ruins the outdoor experience for others 😔
This dumped trash was recovered yesterday on the Meramec near Sappington Bridge Access. If you have info on those responsible, call Agent Kyle Clinton at 573-308-7931.
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This sunset photo of the Mississippi River as seen from North St. Louis County was captured during the recent deep cold spell. At one point, several days of sub-zero temperatures had frozen the mighty river into one solid mass of ice floes!
📷: Dan Zarlenga
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While patrolling local lakes around Jackson Co., Agt. Derek Cole spotted a family fishing together. Though the fishing was slow, the group was happy to be spending the day outside together. The four kiddos were each given
@sonicdrivein
"citations" for free ice cream!
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Three adult gobblers were recently found shot and dumped in a dried lake bed in Platte Co. No meat was taken, but beards, tail fans, and leg spurs were removed.
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HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY: This amazing picture of a black bear sow and her cub was captured on a Washington County landowner's trail camera recently.
Happy Mother's Day to all the mama bears out there!
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A juvenile bald eagle was released back into the wild this week after spending time at
@dpzoo
It was found nearly two weeks ago in a Taney Co. field unable to fly. Zoo staff thankfully found no injuries but monitored the raptor for several days. Grateful for a happy ending!
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GOOD BOY! MDC K-9 Agent Cedar was such a good boy he made it on Santa’s nice list and got to visit with the jolly man himself. K-9 Cedar, his handler Cpl. Crystal Poole, and all of us at MDC wish everyone safe and happy holidays!
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While recently patrolling Pomme De Terre Lake, Hickory County Agent Dylan Bollig met this father/son duo who was winter crappie fishing at Lightfoot Park. This young man caught several nice crappie and received a "citation" for a free ice cream at Sonic Drive-In.
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The tropical Brown Booby seabird has made its first-ever appearance in Missouri! Read more about the seabird that's turning heads on the Current River at
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MDC reminds snaggers that paddlefish season begins March 15. More at
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Congratulations to Couper Simmons (right) on harvesting this 35-pound raccoon while hunting with his brother Hunter Simmons (left) in Worth County. The current state-record raccoon is 28 pounds, 8 ounces.
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Agent Katie Stoner recently completed a 9-month long investigation regarding the illegal take & waste of 6 deer. Violations uncovered through interview & physical evidence showed deer were taken w/ a firearm out of season, from the road, and w/ the use of artificial light.
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CELEBRATE POLLINATORS! It's National Pollinator Week. Celebrate our native butterflies, bees, and other bugs that are critical for pollinating plants.
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Do you recognize this deer? This large whitetail with a unique rack is the subject of a poaching investigation in the Crawford Co./Iron Co. area. If you have info or you recognize this deer from your game camera, call Cpl. Kyle Clinton at 573-308-7931.
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L O O K
It's important that you look at this picture of a hellbender.
📷 Ryan Hagerty/USFWS
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CONGRATULATIONS to Michael Buschjost of St. Thomas on taking this bull elk yesterday outside of the refuge portion of Peck Ranch. He is one of five lucky Missourians randomly drawn for Missouri’s first elk season.
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THANK YOU! “Grandpa” Robert McGrath, a WWII Marine veteran, took this big buck this week on private land. He will be 99 years young next month! His family says, “Thanks to Grandpa Robert, he has made hunting a family tradition and has inspired and encouraged many generations."
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HABITAT HELP: MDC staff are doing glade restoration work today at Three Creeks Conservation Area in Boone County. The crew is removing cedar trees and burning the removed trees to help give native glade plant species better access to sun and good soil.
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FREE FISHING THIS WEEKEND! Get hooked on fishing with our Free Fishing Days June 10 and 11. During Free Fishing Days, anyone may fish in the Show-Me State without having to buy a fishing permit, trout permit, or trout park daily tag.
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A fish of a lifetime! Carey Branham, right, and his pal Greg Branham, left, caught this 101-pound blue catfish on the Mississippi River. This was the biggest catfish Carey has ever caught. Congrats!
#MDCDiscoverNature
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This is what our dreams of spring look like, wbu?
Bluebells are one of Missouri's most stunning early spring wildflowers and a popular addition to native plant gardens.
📷Noppadol Paothong
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Congrats to Devlin Rich of Williamsville for reeling in this new state record spotted gar! This 10-pound, 9-ounce fish also qualifies for the world record. More info at
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MDC reports elk hunters go five for five in inaugural elk hunt. More at
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"Hey everyone! Come see how good I look!" - this wood duck, probably
📸 Mark Ramsey
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Hummingbird clearwing moths are great
#pollinators
! This one is feeding on an ironweed planting in Montgomery Co. Ironweed gets really showy in late August. These plants are important for pollinating insects as they build energy for winter hibernation!
#MDCDiscoverNature
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Bennett Spring trout opener!
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Did you know it takes about five years for a bald eagle to acquire their iconic white crown? They mature at this age and will start breeding - usually near the area they were born. They also mate for life!
📷Ivan Edson at Loess Bluffs National Wildlife Refuge
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MDC encourages motorists to give turtles a brake! More at
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WEIRD WILDLIFE: Thank you to William Hubbard for these pics of two albino groundhogs he has in his yard. Albinism is a lack of pigment and is not common, occurring in about 1 in 10,000 mammals.
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