FINS, FEATHERS, FUR

OLIVE BRANCH, Ill. -- Plans have been announced for the 10th annual Goose Fest, to be held at the Horseshoe Lake spillway area near Olive Branch Nov. 10.

Live entertainment, goose and duck calling contests, arts and crafts, games and prizes will be offered during the one-day celebration, sponsored by the Horseshoe Lake Chamber of Commerce.

Activities get under way at 11 a.m. Calling contests will start at 10 a.m.

The goose season opens in the four-county Alexander, Union, Jackson and Williamson Quota Zone area Nov. 9, and will run through Jan. 31, 1992, or until a harvest of 72,400 birds is reached.

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Hunters in the 12-county Southeast Missouri region bagged a total of 769 turkeys during the two-week firearms hunting season which ended Monday, an increase of 234 birds over last years.

Perry County was tops in the region, with 194 birds. Hunters bagged 131 turkeys in Cape County, and 125 in Bollinger.

No accidents were reported in the region.

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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - Hunters killed 19,703 turkeys in Missouri during the two-week firearms hunting season that ended Monday, an increase of 3,700 over last year, the state Department of Conservation said.

The department said Macon County led the state with 660 turkeys shot, followed by Adair County with 620 and Franklin County with 556.

The north-central section of Missouri was the top region with 4,312 turkeys killed. Next was west-central Missouri with 2,789 and northeast Missouri with 2,607.

The department said four people were injured in hunting accidents during the season but no fatalities were reported.

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The Missouri Conservation Commission voted during its October meeting recently to maintain the wild turkey bag limit of one bird for each week of the 1992 season.

The Commission also approved reducing the daily and possession limits for mussels taken under a sport fishing permit from 25 to 5, including live and dead mussels and their shells.

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JEFFERSON CITY One fishing season is finished at Missouri trout parks, but another is just about to get under way. It's much less crowded and much more relaxed, because there's no press to catch five fish. You'll have your limit before you even wet a line.

"No-creel" fishing is allowed at Missouri's four trout parks during the off season. The idea is to provide additional fishing opportunities for Missourians. There's no limit on the number of fish you can catch, but you have to release them immediately.

The fun begins Nov. 8 and continues through Feb. 9. It's all weekend action, with the parks open for fishing from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday. All you have to have is a valid fishing permit and a $5 no-creel fishing permit. The permits are good throughout the winter and are available at Maramec Spring Trout Park southeast of St. James, Roaring River State Park, south of Cassville, Bennett Springs State Park west of Lebanon and Montauk State Park east of Licking.

Since fish must be released immediately, it's impossible to weigh or measure them. But if someone will verify your catch as appearing to be 3 pounds or larger, you can get an "I Released a Lunker" patch where you bought your no-creel fishing tag.

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SARCOXIE Kevin Guinn, a 30-year-old artist from Sarcoxie, is the winner of the 14th annual Missouri Waterfowl Stamp Competition.

Guinn's winning entry is a watercolor portrait of three gadwall ducks. It is his fourth entry in the competition.

"I didn't know what to expect," said Guinn after being declared the winner Oct. 17 in Jefferson City. "When I saw the other entries, I didn't think I had a chance."

In addition to gracing the 1992-1993 Missouri Waterfowl Stamp and Governor's Edition Stamp, it will be issued as a limited-edition print.

information will be announced later concerning the number, source and price of prints.

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The Missouri Conservation Commission approved the purchase of 1,217.6 acres of land, which included a half-dozen sites, including 80 acres in Stoddard County as an addition to Holly Ridge State Forest.

Other areas included 600 acres in Crawford County as an addition to Blue Springs Creek Wildlife area; 40 acres on South Fabius River in Marion County as a new public fishing access area; six-tenths of an acre in Lafayette County as an addition to Maple Leaf Lake Wildlife Area; 280 acres in Dallas County as an addition to Lead Mine State Forest; and 217 acres in Cass County as an addition to Settle's Ford Wildlife Area.

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The Missouri Conservation Commission will hold this month's meeting Nov. 22 at Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge, Mound City.

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The city of Miner has a new look, with 540 flowering pear trees planted along Interstate 55 and Highway 62.

The trees also helped the community receive recognition from Gov. John Ashcroft and Missouri Department of Conservation State Forester Gerald Ross.

The city received the `Governor's Town Treescape' award during the Department of Economic Development's annual Community Betterment Conference in Columbia last weekend.

MDC gives 12 awards annually to organizations, agencies and businesses that beautify urban areas and make them more livable by planting trees.