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All use of drones in hunting seasons has been banned in Missouri until now. The Missouri Department of Conservation released several rule changes ahead of the 2024 season. These changes include the approval of drones used specifically in recovering wounded deer, turkey, elk, and black bear.
All other uses of drones to aid in the hunt are still prohibited. Pursuing, taking, driving, or harassing wildlife is still not legal. These changes reflect a growing shift toward utilizing technology to prevent the loss of animals.
Drone footage of deer; (photo/Shutterstock)
Drone operators must obtain permission before flying over private land in Missouri. They are also restricted from possessing a weapon during flight.
There are specific regulations and rules that are required by the state of Missouri to operate a drone, even if only for recreational use. The FAA requires all drone operators to take The Recreational UAS Safety Test (TRUST). They are also required to follow the FAA’s recreational model aircraft rules.
Based in Montana, Rachelle Schrute is an avid hunter, angler, amateur wild game cook, and professional wild game eater. She’s a competitive outdoor napper and occasionally writes about the experience. Rachelle’s held leadership positions in multiple conservation organizations and often finds herself testifying in the capitol on topics ranging from wildlife management to habitat protection.
Plan Ahead, Score $19 Lift Tickets at Utah’s Brian Head Resort
Dynamic pricing has become increasingly common among ski resorts. It's great if you buy early — less so if you don't. Brian Head's pricing model offers lift tickets for as low as $19 right now.
Skiing at Brian Head Resort; (photo/Jessee Lynch for Brian Head Resort)
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Mountain Capital Partners (MCP) just kicked off lift ticket sales at Utah’s Brian Head Resort. Thanks to the resort’s dynamic pricing model for lift tickets, the cheapest Brian Head day pass right now is just $19. As of September 10, you’ll find six days in early November selling at that price and three more for $27 or less.
With dynamic pricing (aka demand-based pricing), demand for a particular day increases the cost of day passes. The most popular days to ski at Brian Head will be the most expensive. However, if you buy day passes far enough in advance and for days with lower demand, you’ll be able to get the lowest prices, rewarding those who act sooner rather than later.
Colorado’s Purgatory Resort also announced that it is continuing the dynamic pricing model it launched last year. Purgatory’s lift tickets start at $9 for select dates.
After the latest episode of concert price-gouging from Ticketmaster, it’s safe to say consumers aren’t allthrilled aboutthe practice of dynamic pricing. However, in recent years, many ski resorts have adopted the practice. The model is used to manage crowds through shorter winters, incentivizing skiers to show up during the shoulder season and on less popular days.
Brian Head Dynamic Pricing: Cheap Lift Tickets on Slow Days
(Photo/Mike Saemisch)
Dynamic pricing can be a double-edged sword. Some larger resorts leverage dynamic pricing to raise the price of day passes on popular days from already-expensive base prices. Resorts like Brian Head and Purgatory put this pricing model to use in favor of consumers, though. They lower the price of day passes on less busy days.
If you’re on a shoestring budget and have flexibility on when you hit the slopes, this model could be a good deal. However, those locked into specific schedules that only allow them to ski during the busiest days of the season may find themselves with sticker shock — especially if they wait to buy.
Arizona’s Snowbowl, also owned by MCP, got plenty of attention in January 2023. That season, its dynamic pricing model resulted in lift tickets reaching $309 (rivaling Vail’s day passes on the most popular days). That happened, in part, because of a major snowfall event the week before. It also doesn’t help that Snowbowl is one of only four ski resorts near Phoenix, a city with a population of 1.64 million.
Regardless, the resort seemed to listen to the complaints. SnowBrains reported that by April 2023, day pass prices at Snowbowl had gone back down to just $19.
In other words, timing is everything. Snowbowl hasn’t started selling lift tickets for this winter yet, but they’ll likely sell fast — and increase in price — once they’re available. Brian Head’s day pass prices will do the same.
If that all sounds complicated, it might be time to consider investing in a season pass. But this close to the season, those won’t come cheap, either.
So, if you’re just looking for a single weekend of powdery fun, then the low prices of resorts like Brian Head and Purgatory are a solid choice.
The Best Snowshoes of 2024-2025
After hours of research and months of testing, we found the best snowshoes for every use and budget.
Testing snowshoes in Crested Butte, CO; (photo/Jason Hummel)
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Invented up to 6,000 years ago, snowshoes have come a long way from their leather and wood origins. But humans have always needed to devise a way to travel over snow more efficiently, and luckily we have dozens of great options to choose from today.
It can be hard to decipher exactly what you may need, as many snowshoes are slightly tailored to certain activities, leaving you with many options from those suited to more generalized snow-walking to steeper, more technical ascending. Luckily our gear experts made sure to choose a diverse selection to put to the test and to give you a thorough comparison between them all so you can parse which type of snowshoe will work best for whatever you want to get into this winter. If you’re going to hit the trails hard, the MSR Lightning Ascent is the best choice for most people, while the Retrospec Drifter Snowshoes offer a much more affordable way to get out in the snow and outfit your whole family.
We hiked miles in each pair in fresh powder, firmly packed snow, and in the lingering spring layers, from the Eastern Sierra of California to Colorado, and Minnesota, to understand how each snowshoe performs in a variety of conditions and terrain. We measured each of them in categories such as sizing, bindings, traction, poles, and floatation performance.
We’ve broken the list into helpful categories to help you find the best fit. If you need more help deciding, be sure to check out thecomparison table, buyer’s guide, and our price and value analysis at the end of this guide.
Editor’s note: Fresh for the Winter season as of September 11th, 2024, we’ve revamped our snowshoes guide with some solid comparative testing. The Atlas Range Trail, Tubbs Wayfinder, and Retrospec Drifters are new to the lineup and the MSR Lightning Ascentsgot a re-evaluation to consider their performance against the newer entrees.
