*As supporters of Missouri’s Hunter Education program, the Missouri Hunting Heritage Federation, Inc. plays a major role in preventing hunting incidents. A Missouri Conservation Agent once said to a group of volunteer instructors, “No matter how many classes you teach we will never wipe out all hunting accidents. That’s just not possible. Another reality is, you will never know how many hunting accidents were avoided because of your efforts.” For many of us who are seasoned hunters, we address the following steps in preparing for the season out of habit and in some cases from learned experienc ..read more

August, 2022: The second of a series of memos from MHHF co-founder Lee Vogel, who recently visited Africa. Our safari guide KLB whispers urgently: “Take picktcha! Take picktcha! Take picktcha!” We’re in a sunken pit-blind like waterfowlers use in the Midwest but we’re not hunting ducks today. We’re in front of a man-made watering hole on a private preserve in the Kalahari Dessert in Botswana, Africa. The setting sun behind us creates perfect light for photographing kudu, jackal, springbok and warthog. The national bird of Botswana, the Kory Bustard poses cross-legged, head tilted one-quarter a ..read more

August, 2022: One of a series of memos from MHHF co-founder Lee Vogel regarding his trip this last summer to Africa. Tonight, somewhere in the wilderness of Zambia, Africa, two men dressed in camouflage fatigues and combat boots carrying AK-47 fully automatic machine guns are within view of five white rhinoceros. The AKs are not to protect the men from these fearsome beasts. They are to shoot to kill, on sight, any humans they encounter. That is their order. At the end of an eight-hour shift two more men, identically clad and equipped, will take over the watch. Eight hours later a third set ..read more

By Kenneth L. Kieser   Fall turkey season and waterfowl hunting will soon be here. Are you ready? Every year, millions travel to the waterways, hardwoods, bottomlands, rolling hills, pine forests and numerous other landscapes in pursuit of varies types of birds or fowl. Then the moment of truth when wild game is in sight deepens your breathing and makes you feel a hunter’s excitement. You squeeze the trigger and the wild game escapes, hopefully not wounded. Then, after all preparation for the hunt, you leave the woods with a hollow feeling after missing what seemed to be an easy shot. Be ..read more

By Kenneth L. Kieser Believe it or not, we are nearly a month into dove season. Have you been out yet? I heard that some use doves as target practice for waterfowl or upland bird season and that is a mistake. Doves are quality game birds that are fun to hunt and their breasts taste great, especially when grilled with a strip of bacon. Target practice should be before this hunt. Shooting ranges are fine, especially sporting clays that throws disks from different angles—exactly how a dove flies in. A hand thrower with clays may be even better, allowing the thrower to change angles and heights ..read more

Kenneth L. Kieser Shooting in a waterfowl hunting pit, especially with other hunters, is deafening. The same can be said of a shooting range. Studies show that most firearms create noise over the 140-decibel level and exposure to slightly louder noise can permanently damage hearing. Scientists claim the actual organ of hearing is the inner ear cochlea that receives sound waves and passes them on to your brain. Ears receive sound waves and change them into signals that are sent along nerves to the brain. Your brain then analyzes signals, recognizes them as sounds and interprets them. Problem is ..read more

Kenneth L. Kieser Wild turkey rumors start about this time of year. For example, cougars are not being stocked in Midwestern states, even though your Aunt Alice said they were. They are likely following turkey and deer herds from western and northern states, and no, wild turkeys are not responsible for eating all of your quail and morel mushrooms. Wild turkey questions are common. Many don’t understand this unusual bird that is timid by nature and sighted from long distances in big groups most of the year and smaller groups in the spring. Yet there is no denying the disappearance of quail and ..read more

Kenneth L. Kieser Some of you may have found a new rifle or pistol under the Christmas Tree. I know there is nothing better than shooting that gun the first time. But before you pull the trigger, be aware of the dangers of ricocheting bullets. The Christmas Story, about a boy getting his first BB gun came with the line, “You’ll shoot your eye out, kid.” Most of you have seen the movie and know Ralphie almost did. I almost did too. I was a farm boy at age ten and got a Daisy BB gun for Christmas. I loaded the gun with BB’s, put on my warm clothes and went out in the snow for my first shot. My f ..read more

Kenneth L. Kieser Fall and winter offer some of the best fishing and many hunting opportunities, especially for waterfowl. Problem is, falling overboard could end your life. A simple fall overboard is the number one boating accident "event" that leads to the most fatalities for recreational boaters, especially in cold water.   While some of these accidents involved other factors, being able to quickly get back in the boat - without help - isn't easy. A fall into cold water can turn into a life-threatening situation very quickly. It doesn't take long for exhaustion or hypothermia to drain ..read more

By: Kenneth L. Kieser Deer season was winding down and someone decided that a walking drive might push out the big buck that had gone nocturnal. Many had viewed this monster throughout the summer and fall while feeding in row-crop fields only to disappear when hunters entered the woodlots. The year was 1983 and I, too, wanted a shot at this whitetail buck with antlers that made it trophy status, possibly one for the record books. The idea was to take turns driving out timber strips while two sat up ahead watching possible escape routes. We had enough deer hunting savvy to know the buck would a ..read more