Three men connected to elk poaching sentenced
Three Missouri men connected to the 2023 illegal killing of a bull elk have been sentenced in Shannon County court. The cases were a result of a months-long investigation by the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) and the filing of multiple wildlife-related charges by the Shannon County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.
Michael K. O’Neail, of De Soto, pleaded guilty Sept. 3 to illegally killing and abandoning a bull elk. O’Neail was sentenced to 60 days in jail and ordered to pay a $10,000 fine. Execution of the 60-day jail sentence was suspended, pending successful completion of two years of probation and full payment of the $10,000 fine within one year of his sentencing date.
The $10,000 fine was made possible by the 2019 enactment of Missouri House Bill 260, which authorizes judges to impose additional penalties for poaching wildlife. All fines collected go to the school districts in the county where the violation occurred. The passage of House Bill 260 reflects Missourians’ commitment to protecting their wildlife resources.
The two men not directly responsible for the elk poaching, Kevin B. Click and Travis R. Wadlow, both of Bonne Terre, each received a $500 fine plus court costs, and a mandatory $750 contribution to the Missouri Conservation Heritage Foundation for the illegal take or possession of white-tailed deer.
The cases were prosecuted by Shannon County Prosecuting Attorney William Seay.
MDC’s Protection Branch began its investigation after a 14-year-old deer hunter reported finding the dead mature bull elk near Klepzig Mill in Shannon County during the November 2023 opening weekend of firearms deer season. Over the course of a nine-month investigation, conservation agents from MDC’s Ozark, Central, St. Louis, and Southeast regions interviewed numerous deer hunters in the area and contacted local businesses. They also reviewed surveillance footage and elk-monitoring camera footage to help identify the suspects. As a result, five search warrants were served, numerous pieces of evidence were sent to forensics labs, and the three men were taken into custody.
In addition to the elk poaching, the trio was also charged for being in illegal possession of a deer they did not Telecheck.
MDC Protection Branch Chief Travis McLain thanked the public and Prosecuting Attorney Seay for contributing to the success of the investigation.
“The assistance from the public and support we received from the Shannon County Prosecutor during this investigation was critical for bringing these poachers to justice,” McLain stressed. “Tips from local residents and hunters, cooperation from area businesses, and community engagement played a major role in helping our agents identify those responsible.”
McLain added that poaching, which is the taking of wildlife out of season, without the proper permit, or in other violation of the Wildlife Code of Missouri, is not the same as legal hunting.
“Lawful hunters contribute to the conservation and management of our wildlife resources, while poachers do not,” he stressed. “Poaching is not a victimless crime; it hurts all of us.”
The Operation Game Thief (OGT) hotline allows Missourians to protect nature by reporting poaching. Please report possible violations of the Wildlife Code to your local conservation agent or call OGT at 800-392-1111. Callers may remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward. Learn more at https://mdc.mo.gov/about-us/about-regulations/operation-game-thief.
Pollinator Palooza event Sept. 27
As insect pollinators like monarch butterflies flit from plant to plant in search of food, they spread pollen crucial to the reproduction of their host plants. More than 75 percent of the Earth's flowering plants depend on pollinators. One out of every three bites of food we eat exists because of pollinating insects. That’s worth celebrating.
The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) will join the Weldon Spring Site Interpretive Center, Missouri Pollinator Network, St. Charles County Parks, and a host of other partners at the Pollinator Palooza Festival on Saturday, Sept. 27, from 10 a.m.—3 p.m. This fun and free community festival takes place at the Weldon Spring Site Interpretive Center in St. Charles and has something special for all ages.
Pollinator Palooza will celebrate all pollinating creatures that help our plants thrive. The event will feature offer interactive ways to learn about pollinator declines and what people can do to help.
The event will feature many hands-on activities such as kids’ crafts, games, exhibits, native garden demonstrations, food trucks, and more. Missouri-made vendors with native plants, bird feeders and nesting boxes, local crafts, and produce will also be on hand. Visitors can purchase native plants and get helpful advice on how to grow pollinator-sustaining plants at home. Guests can also enjoy viewing and hiking the site’s 150-acre restored Howell Prairie. There will be learning activities both indoors and outdoors.
The Weldon Spring Site Interpretive Center is located at 7295 Highway 94, approximately two miles south of I-64/40. Parking will be available on-site. For more information, call 636-300-2600.
Pollinator Palooza 2025 sponsors include Planthaven Farms, Ameren, Great Rivers Greenway, St. Charles Wild Ones, Missouri Community Forestry Council, and Missouri Wildflower Nursery. Pollinator Palooza also thanks the Missouri Master Naturalists tri-chapters, Missouri Master Gardeners, MU Extension Office, and other affiliate organizations that advocate for the protection and conservation of all pollinators.
To learn more about native plants beneficial to insect pollinators, go to https://short.mdc.mo.gov/4sL.
Follow changing leaves with fall color report
After a hot summer, most are welcoming the fall season with open arms. The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) encourages everyone to enjoy fall foliage through camping, hiking, driving tours, or even floating. To help, MDC offers weekly online fall color updates from agency foresters all over the state at mdc.mo.gov/fallcolor.
“Our weekly fall color updates are a great resource for the public,” said MDC Forestry Field Programs Supervisor Russell Hinnah. “Foresters begin posting reports in mid-September that show users where trees are beginning to turn and even suggest great places to see changing leaves.”
Hinnah said the dry summer conditions will likely cause fall color to start sooner than normal.
“Due to recent dry weather across central and southern Missouri, we’re already starting to see trees change and some may even lose leaves early,” he explained.
The chilly evenings we see in the fall season are critical for leaves to change color.
“Sugars produced by photosynthesis are trapped inside leaves by the cool autumn nights,” Hinnah explained. “Those sugars are the building blocks for the rich red, yellow, orange, and purple pigments. Chilly nights cause the breakdown of green pigments, allowing the fall colors to show through.”
Missouri trees first begin changing color in the northern part of the state, then move southward. Sassafras, sumac, and Virginia creeper are some of the earliest to change in mid-September. In late September, black gum, bittersweet, and dogwood are turning. The peak of fall color usually hits around mid-October.
“Trees like maple, ash, oak, and hickory are at the peak of their fall display by the middle of October,” Hinnah noted. “Normally by the end of the month, colors are fading and leaves are falling.”
Missouri’s fall color can be enjoyed from almost anywhere. For spectacular vistas, choose routes along rivers with views of forested bluffs, and along ridges with sweeping scenes of forested landscapes.
“MDC conservation areas or Missouri state parks are wonderful places to take in the fall color,” suggested Hinnah.
And fall color isn’t just limited to trees. Prairies and roadsides display beautiful shades of gold, purple, olive, and auburn with autumn wildflowers, shrubs, and grasses. In cities and towns, enjoy places with mature trees such as older neighborhoods, parks, and even cemeteries.
MDC provides its annual fall color update at mdc.mo.gov/fallcolor. The weekly reports include what species of trees are turning and suggestions on best places to see them. The updates run September through November.
