This companion to the Conservation Department’s popular Natural Events Calendar caters to those who pursue traditional outdoor activities.

JEFFERSON CITY—Split-bamboo fishing rods, vintage shotguns and the beaming faces of successful hunters and anglers mark the passage of seasons in the 2009 Missouri’s Outdoor Heritage Calendar from the Missouri Department of Conservation.

The first-ever calendar is a companion piece to the Conservation Department’s popular Natural Events Calendar, which has been published since 1986.

“Knowing how popular the Natural Events Calendar is, we think that hunters, trappers and anglers will enjoy having a calendar that focuses on their interests,” said Outreach Programs Chief Eric Kurzejeski. “The visual subject matter is long on nostalgia and making family memories.”

Images of modern hunting, fishing and trapping are interspersed with stunning wildlife photography and photos of antique equipment and scenes of outdoor activities from yesteryear.

Like the Natural Events Calendar, the Outdoor Heritage Calendar has day-to-day entries that mark the progression of the sporting year. January’s entries include the final portion of the youth firearms deer season, advice about turning Christmas trees into fish habitat and a reminder about winter stonefly hatches that create trout-fishing opportunities. Daily notes for August mention whitetail bucks rubbing velvet off their antlers, and October’s entries include a note that smallmouth bass are moving into deep holes for the winter in Ozark streams.

The Outdoor Heritage Calendar is available at conservation nature centers and regional offices statewide. You also can buy copies by calling toll-free (877) 521-8632 or through The Nature Shop, www.mdcnatureshop.com. The price is $7 per copy, plus shipping and handling and sales tax where applicable.