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The Conservation Commission met on April 23 at Department Headquarters in Jefferson City. All Commissioners as follows were present:
Ronald J. Stites, Plattsburg
Randy Herzog, St. Joseph
Anita B. Gorman, Kansas City
Howard L. Wood, Bonne Terre
The next meeting was set for May 27-28 in Jefferson City.
PRESENTATIONS
Commission meetings are open to the public. Those wishing to be placed on the agenda for a presentation or other business must send a written request to Director, Department of Conservation, P. O. Box 180, Jefferson City MO 65102-0180, or FAX to (573) 751-4467, at least 10 working days before the meeting date. The Commission heard presentations by:
· President Bill Thessen (Taos) and Secretary Glen Grossmann (Saint Elizabeth) of the Osage River Flood Control Association about the Department's development plans for Smoky Waters Conservation Area (CA) in Osage and Cole counties.
· Terry Wayne Cloutier, South Central Regional Director, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Holt, about the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and eastern elk reintroductions.
· Forestry Division staff about Missouri's participation in out-of-state fire fighting activities under a cooperative agreement with the U. S. Forest Service-as it relates to a change in the Human Resources Policy Manual.
LAND ACQUISITION
The Commission acquires land only from willing sellers and makes annual payments to compensate local governments and schools for lost tax revenues at assessment levels current when acquired. Public access to acquisitions is appropriate only after closing of real estate transactions, at which time boundaries have been marked and further information is available. The Commission approved proceeding with the following:
· offer for sale the 1.44-acre Warrenton Forestry Office site in Warren County and the 3.08-acre Jeremiah Blackwell Access on Big River in Jefferson County.
· sell a 2.6-acre portion of Coldwater CA, Wayne County, to an adjacent landowner to correct a boundary discrepancy.
REGULATIONS
The Commission accepted the Report of the Regulations Committee and approved the 1998-99 deer hunting seasons, archery turkey hunting season and managed deer hunts. (More detailed information will be provided in All Outdoors.)
Firearms Season
Dates: November 14-24, 1998
January 2-5, 1999 (only in units 1-17, 20, 22, 23, 58 and 59)
Hunting Hours: One-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset
Muzzleloading Firearms Season
Dates: November 14-24, 1998
December 5-13, 1998
January 2-5, 1999 (only in units 1-17, 20, 22, 23, 58 and 59)
Hunting Hours: One-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset
Statewide Archery Deer Season
Dates: October 1 - November 13, 1998
November 25, 1998 - January 15, 1999
Hunting Hours: One-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset
Limit: Two deer of either sex, except that only one antlered deer may be taken before the firearms season
Statewide Archery Turkey Season
Dates: October 1 - November 13, 1998
November 25, 1998 - January 15, 1999
Hunting Hours: One-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset
Limit: Two turkeys of either sex
Major changes in the approved deer hunting seasons include:
· the January extension of the season (only in units 1-17, 20, 22, 23, 58 and 59) has been lengthened from two to four days;
· during the January extension in units 1-17, 20, 22, 23, 58 and 59, any unfilled Any-Deer or Bonus Deer permit is valid for antlerless deer only, regardless of the unit designation;
· Any-Deer and Bonus Deer permits will be available on an open quota basis in many units;
· for landowners, property will no longer have to be contiguous, just located in a single deer management unit, to qualify for Any-Deer and Bonus Deer permits.
Deer hunters are also reminded of changes previously approved by the Commission-that all deer hunting permits go on sale July 1; the application period is July 1 through August 15 for limited quota Any-Deer and Bonus Deer permits; and Any-Deer and Bonus Deer permits must be purchased by November 7-after that date only antlered deer permits will be available.
Managed Deer Hunts
Additions and changes in managed hunts for 1998-99 include:
· a modern firearms hunt on Prairie Fork Creek CA;
· a youth-only hunt on August A. Busch Memorial CA;
· elimination of the antlerless-only hunt on Peck Ranch CA;
· two archery hunts on Columbia Bottom CA;
· a hunt on Mingo National Wildlife Refuge (part of the "Becoming An Outdoors Woman" program);
· a muzzleloading firearms hunt on Pelican Island CA;
· a hunt for disabled hunters at Stockton Lake on Corps of Engineers' land.
The Commission also approved rule changes for the 1999 Wildlife Code that include:
· adding greater prairie-chicken to the state endangered species list;
· eliminating the prohibition against possession or storage of deer after August 31;
· establishing a Youth Deer and Turkey Hunting Permit ($15) and modifying procedures to allow youngsters under 12 years to take deer and turkey without being hunter education certified, provided they hunt in the immediate presence of a properly licensed adult hunter who possesses a valid hunter education certificate card;
· closing the gray partridge hunting season;
· opening all or portions of 24 counties in north Missouri to bobcat harvest and allowing coyote hunting at night from April 1 through the day prior to the beginning of the prescribed spring turkey hunting season;
· amending the Field and Retriever Trial Permit to allow raccoon field trials during nighttime hours, with no more than four dogs to be cast at one time, during or five days prior to the spring turkey hunting season;
· allowing Class I wildlife breeder permit holders to sell legally-acquired dressed or processed quail, pheasants, partridges, and game bird eggs at retail and to commercial establishments.
(More detailed information about the rule changes will be provided in All Outdoors. In addition, the rule changes will appear in the June 15 Missouri Register and are subject to public comment for 30 days.)
ADMINISTRATION
The Commission approved renaming the 260-acre Catlin Prairie CA, Barton County, the Bethel Prairie Conservation Area.
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