FINS, FEATHERS, FURS

The Velo Girardeau Bicycle Club will conduct a 30-mile ride into flat rural Scott County roads Sunday. The PP Ride will start from the Cape Girardeau Municipal Airport at 2 p.m.

Kathleen O'Grady is ride leader.

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The Missouri Conservation Commission recently approved a budget totalling $106,544,453 for the fiscal year which started July 1, including $21,050,000 for capital improvements, and $85,494,453 for equipment, personnel and expenses.

Spending is strictly limited by actual revenues available.

Approximately 60.8 percent of the budget funds are expected to come from the 1/8th percent conservation sales tax, 21.5 percent from hunting and fishing licenses, 12.1 percent from federal taxes on fishing and hunting equipment, and 5.6 percent from miscellaneous other sources.

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It's blackberry picking time.

"The berries are ripening and are available for picking on the Mingo National Wildlife Refuge," said Gerald L. Clawson, refuge manager. "Blackberries can be found along roadsides and in old fields. People can pick the berries anywhere they find them on the refuge."

Visitors to Mingo must obtain an entrance fee permit. Season permits, such as the federal duck stamp and golden passports are available at the visitor center. The daily permits are $3 per vehicles, and area available at the Red Mill or Job corps entrances.

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The Missouri Conservation Commission approved four land purchases during its June meeting. The included:

92.5 acres in Dunklin County transferred from the Farmers Home Administration inventory to develop as a new public fishing access to the St. Francis River.

11.6 acres in Buchanan County purchased to develop as a new public fishing access to the Missouri River.

20 acres in Ray County purchased as an addition to Crooked River Conservation Area.

160 acres in Atchison County purchased as an addition to Star School Hill Prairie Conservation Area.

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Billy Cooper of Bondville, Ill. recently hauled in a big striper.

Cooper, fishing at the Clinton Lake spillway, caught a 17-pound, 13-ounce hybrid striped bass, besting the previous Illinois state record of 17 pounds, 7.5 ounces, caught in June of 1989.

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A three-day contest to determine the Illinois "Sportsman of the Year" will be held Sept. 24-26 at Silver Springs State Fish and Wildlife Area near Yorkville.

"The competition is designed like an Olympic decathlon, with contestants competing in 10 events," said Bob Ruff, coordinator of the event. "Contests can accumulate points in each event, with the competitor with the most points after 10 events the winner."

Events include clay shooting, archery, shotgun contests, casting for accuracy, cooking, conservation laws and plant and wildlife identification.

Winners of the first two contests were brothers Terry Wunderle of Mason City in 1990 and Steve Wunderle of Carterville in 1991.

The winner will receive $1,500 in cash and a lifetime sportsman's license in Illinois.

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JEFFERSON CITY Stream fishing and tree planting are the subjects of the first two instructional videos available through public libraries and the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC).

"Fishing a Missouri Stream" and "Tree Planting and Pruning" are the first offerings in MDC's "Conservation Guide" video series. The fishing video, which runs nine minutes, outlines practical considerations for fishing Missouri's 56,000 miles of navigable streams.

The tree-planting video takes prospective tree planters through tree selection and planting and offers advice on pruning and watering and long-term care.

These and other MDC videos can be checked out from libraries statewide. They are also available for purchase by sending $9.56 to: Missouri Department of Conservation, Media Library, P.O. Box 180, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0180.

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JEFFERSON CITY Missouri's 1993 fall shotgun turkey season will run Oct. 18-31. Archery turkey season will run from Oct. 1 through Nov. 12 and from Nov. 22 through Dec. 31.

The limit during fall shotgun turkey season is one bird of either sex per week. Archery hunters may take two turkeys of either sex, but only one may be taken from Oct. 1 through Nov. 12.

Other turkey hunting regulations remain the same as last year. For complete details, consult the "1993 Fall Deer and Turkey Hunting Information" guide, which is available at hunting license vendors in July.