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Letters to the Editor

Submissions reflect readers’ opinions and may be edited for length and clarity. Email Magazine@mdc.mo.gov or write to us:

Missouri Conservationist
PO Box 180
Jefferson City, MO 65102

Hunting Dogs

I love the cover of the November issue of the Missouri Conservationist showing a beautiful hunting dog doing what it was bred for. David Stonner used a great angle for the photo.

Leslie Manis, Glendale

MDC Goes to the Dogs

I’ve always loved your magazine, but now even the dog is a fan. Our family loved seeing the photos from Flush, Retrieve, Tree, Repeat [November, Page 16].

Jennifer and Maggie the Mutt, via email

I have been reading the Missouri Conservationist for many years now (I’m 88) and always enjoy the varied articles and pictures you publish.

The November issue and the stories about hunters and their hunting partners brought back memories of me and Elmer. Elmer was a mix between a coonhound mother and a German shepherd father. I hunted with Elmer from age 12 until I got married at 21 when my hunting days were less frequent. I love and miss those days in the woods with Elmer and this story rekindled those memories.

Thanks again for a wonderful magazine.

Burns Ed Smith, Columbia

Your November cover photo brought back many memories for me. Back in my younger duck hunting days, I, too, had a yellow-eyed black lab. His name was Hustler. We were buddies and had many a glorious duck hunts together. Thanks for the memories.

Ron Hackett, via email

Praise for Pawpaws

The article on Pawpaws: Missouri’s State Fruit [October, Page 22] was well-written and fascinating — especially because there is so little known about this valuable tree. I especially enjoyed the historical references and the potential therapeutic benefits of this fruit. Thanks for providing such a consistently enlightening magazine. The glossy photos are often extraordinary and one of the reasons that I always share each issue with friends.

Stephen Cuppett, Glen Carbon, IL

Cave Restoration

I was so intrigued by the We Are Conservation article about Jonathan Beard and his cave restoration efforts [November, Page 8]. It would be fantastic if there were a follow-up piece about those efforts, specifically about his rejoining of broken stalagmites and stalactites.

Amanda Hatridge, Belleview

I was just reading the November issue about Jonathan Beard. Thank you so much for this little article. Please do more information on this subject. My wife and I moved to Missouri in 2019, and this article really got our travel juices flowing again.

Randy Spence, via email