Elk make a return to Missouri

            Conservation officials have announced that elk will be reinstated to Missouri within the next few years. The species of elk were very abundant before humans took control of the landscape. Hunted to alongside with the prairie native buffalo, these animals have a new interest with wildlife conservationists. 

            The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and the Appalachian Wildlife Foundation are helping states like Missouri reintroduce these animals to select remote counties where in the near future, priced hunts can take place.

Now this does not mean we will see in Platte and Clay counties, elk roaming around any time soon.

 “Bringing back Elk will be a long process, we won’t be able to hunt these animals for at least another 10 or so years,” says Justin Rich, avid hunter and conservationist.

These animals are being bred in large ranches in southwest Tennessee. When ready, approximately 150 of these animals will be released to three southeastern counties in Missouri.

Shannon, Carter and Reynolds counties were chosen because they lack of development and is the most remote sections of the state. Fewer roads equate to less Elk traffic accidents which will be important because these animals weight anywhere from 1,200 pounds to 2,500 pounds. Any traffic collision with these animals would be a complete catastrophe.

Approximately 250,000 acres will be initially be setup and left for the Elk to roam and reproduce, hopefully repopulating the species numbers.  States such as Arkansas, Tennessee, and Wisconsin have been restoring elk to the habits.

Every elk raised on the ranch will get assigned a radio collar, always giving a signal to the Conservation Department of Missouri. The data that will be collected will be able to track the elk’s migration patterns.

Hunters in the near future will be able to have the opportunity to travel to the south eastern part of the state and setup Elk hunts in the Ozark Mountains.

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Eco-tourism Kansas

Ecotourism

            Most people love taking vacations, if you think of vacations as getaways to tropical paradises, you might want to broaden your horizons.

            All over the Midwest farmers and ranchers have to deal with the changing seasons, sometimes the crops grow in great numbers and sometimes when a drought occurs you might fall short in the yield. Most people in the agricultural industry must have close connections with the local town banks to support the financing for the seasons. When times are not as plentiful as usual, ranchers and farmers can branch out into ecotourism to help regain some missing profits.

Ecotourism is a new concept coming from the Midwest, allowing “city slickers” to come out for week or two and experience how the heartland lives. Coming to small, rural towns and areas, becoming a ranch hand is quite an eye opening experience. Individuals learn how to ride horses, feed livestock, hunt or fish and cook food that was raised on the farm or ranch.

            In a small town in the southwest section of Kansas lies a quaint town of Bucklin

In this area of the state, a cattle is the industry king. Dodge City is just a few miles up the U.S. Highway’s 54 off of 36; and that historic town is evolved into an agriculture hotspot for slaughter houses and processing plants. Farmers from all over the four-state area send their livestock here for processing when the animals have gained the sufficient amount of weight to be processed.

The ecotourism feeds off these towns because local events such as rodeos occur almost every weekend. Giving a new interest in sports most of the public don’t typically follow. Local celebrities from rural areas come with their best horses and toughest bulls to compete in events. Local ranchers draw customers from all over the world looking to have that experience of the “Wild West” .

 Some ranchers actually let you work on the ranch; contributing the skills you acquire from riding horses can translate into helping the families drive cattle for miles. Down in this area, suburban developments do not exist and the closest neighbors live 1-10 miles down the roads. They treat you just as much like family as it gets and could always use as much help as they can.

At the Joe Moore Ranch, located 10miles from downtown Bucklin, he offers you the full experience of being on the ranch for an affordable price. Less than $200 gave us three nights with authentic meals cooked from everything raised and grown on the ranch. Riding horses and helping guide the cattle 47 miles up the road. This takes about 20 cowboys and cowgirls to help complete this journey. The authentic caravanning and driving the long horned cattle, just like the ranchers did over 150 years ago, give you a sense of pride.

Every time you saddle up, you can take amazing trail rides throughout the spacious properties. Eagles and falcons swoop from the sky, chasing small rodents into the holes in the ground. Coyotes howl on the distant hills, as the glow of the illuminating sun fades further into the horizon. Creating the most serene experience one could get. You are able to witness the epic stars and planets, and the natural phenomena that burst across the skies in the evening. Earth carving natural streams and small rivers create serine habits for a wide range of animals and providing the best hunting in the state.

You can learn a lot from ranchers; Knowing the weather patterns and when the forecast of rain is coming is much more important out here than it is near a major city. “Twelve inches of rain is all we got last year, and we have to battle a wildfire every month in the spring and summer.” says Moore. Implying the significant danger of prairie fires on in the horizon.

 Unexpected thunder storms launch gigantic tornados, such as the one six years ago from Greensburg. The F-5 twister that took out 90precent of the town, leaving it to ruble. Wildfires can be unexpected, with aggressive wind storms can disrupt every type of business out here on the ranch. But when the weather is right, work on the ranch can be a blast.

The next time you have the opportunity to take a vacation, you might want to consider an option that just might make sense. Experiencing some cultural heritage from heartland can be a glorious thing, opening new eyes to wildlife and conservation and providing for the earth. More individuals need to take a step back into time and realize how we get our cheeseburgers from McDonalds and steaks to grill from the local markets. Seeing the animals grow up from infant size and knowing just a short year later he or she will be lunch is unnerving cycle of truth. Seeing how hard these basic human beings work for growing crops and animals can be the ultimate experience and vacation. So instead of Cancun, Maui, or the U.S. Virgin Islands, consider S.W. Kansas for your vacation needs.