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News of the August 27, 1998 Conservation Commission meeting
Contact: Jo Radmacher, (573) 751-4115; E-mail: Jo.Radmacher@mdc.mo.gov
The Conservation Commission met on August 27 at the Best Western Tradition Inn in Farmington. All Commissioners were present:
Randy Herzog, St. Joseph
Anita B. Gorman, Kansas City
Howard L. Wood, Bonne Terre
Ronald J. Stites, Plattsburg
The next meeting of the Conservation Commission was set on September 25 at Roaring River State Park, Cassville.
ADMINISTRATION:
The Commission unanimously approved the promotion of William F. (Bill) Lueckenhoff to Design and Development Division Administrator-replacing the retiring Don Henson.
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:
· Fred Rettinger, Springfield, expressed his views about lead shot and its impact on the entire food chain.
· Staff about-(1) the mission of waterfowl areas/wetlands; (2) procedures used to prioritize wetland area developments in the Fiscal Year 1999 budget; (3) impacts of federal grants in determining wetland area development priorities; (4) design for Settle's Ford Conservation Area development; (5) conceptual design for development of the recently-acquired addition to Four Rivers Conservation Area and plans for opening the addition to public use.
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:
· accepting as a gift two tracts totaling approximately 109 acres in Jefferson County from Christine M. Eichelsbach and Suzanne G. Bouchard, both of Hillsboro, as a new conservation area.
· exchanging an approximately 2.3-acre portion of Big Creek Conservation Area in Adair County for an approximately 20-acre inholding of Deer Ridge Conservation Area in Lewis County.
REGULATIONS
The Commission accepted the Report of the Regulations Committee, a presentation by Wildlife Research Biologist Dale Humburg summarizing the status of waterfowl and approved the following 1998-99 waterfowl hunting seasons: (More detailed information will be provided in All Outdoors as federal frameworks are finalized.)
DUCK SEASON: 60 days within each of the three zones.
North Zone: October 22-December 20
Middle Zone: October 29-December 27
South Zone: November 12-January 10
Youth Hunting Days: October 17 - North Zone
October 24 - Middle Zone
November 7 - South Zone
(Participants in the Youth Hunting Days must be less than 16 years of age and must be accompanied by a licensed adult at least 18 years of age who will not be permitted to hunt. Adults need not be licensed if the youth possesses a valid hunter education certificate card.)
Shooting Hours: One-half hour before sunrise to sunset
Bag Limit: 6 ducks daily with species restrictions of:
- 4 mallards (no more than two females)
- 2 wood ducks
- 1 pintail
- 1 black duck
- 2 redhead
- 1 hooded merganser
- 1 canvasback
Possession Limit: Twice the daily bag (in total 12; varies by species)
COOT SEASON: Concurrent with duck season in the respective zones with a daily bag limit of 15 and possession limit of 30.
GOOSE SEASON
Blue, snow and Ross' geese: 107 days in the respective zones.
North Zone (split season) October 29-January 22
February 19-March 10
Swan Lake Zone (split season) October 22-October 26
November 27-March 7
Middle Zone November 27-March 10
Schell-Osage Zone November 27-March 10
South Zone November 27-March 10
White-fronted geese and brant: 70 days in the respective zones.
North Zone (split season) October 3-October 12
October 29-November 29
December 26-January 22
Swan Lake Zone (split season) October 22-October 26
November 27-January 30
Middle Zone (split season) October 3-October 12
October 29-November 29
December 26-January 22
Schell-Osage Zone November 27-January 31 (66 days)
South Zone November 27-January 31 (66 days)
Canada geese: 40 days in the Swan Lake Zone and Schell-Osage Zone;
60 days in the North Zone and Middle Zone with no more than 30 days after November 30;
60 days in the South Zone.
North Zone (split season) October 3-October 12
October 29-November 29
December 26-January 12 (60 days)
Swan Lake Zone (split season) October 22-October 26
November 27-December 31 (40 days)
(No hunter shall fire more than ten shells at geese daily.)
Middle Zone (split season) October 3-October 12
October 29-November 29
December 26-January 12 (60 days)
Schell-Osage Zone November 27-January 5 (40 days)
South Zone (split season) October 3-October 12
November 12-November 29
December 26-January 26 (60 days)
The statewide limits for Blue, Snow and Ross' geese are 20 daily, with no possession limit; for brant 2 daily (4 in possession); and for white-fronted geese 2 daily (4 in possession).
In the Swan Lake Zone, the limits for Canada geese are 2 daily (4 in possession) from October 22 - October 26, and 1 daily (2 in possession) from November 27 - December 31.
In the Schell-Osage Zone, the limit for Canada geese is 1 daily (2 in possession).
In the remainder of the state, the limit for Canada geese is 2 daily (4 in possession).
FALCONRY SEASON FOR DUCKS, COOTS AND MERGANSERS - 107 days
Statewide (split season) September 5-September 20
October 12-January 10
The daily bag limit and possession limit should not exceed 3 and 6 birds respectively, singly or in the aggregate during both regular duck hunting season and extended falconry seasons.
Significant changes in the 1998-99 waterfowl hunting regulations relate to goose seasons. These include¿reduced bag limits for Canada geese in the Swan Lake Zone and Schell-Osage Zone and no more than 30 days of hunting after November 30 in the North Zone and Middle Zone; increased daily bag limits (from 10 to 20) for blue, snow and Ross' geese, with no possession limit (was 30 in the aggregate in 1997-98); and continuation of Youth Hunting Days, with geese added to ducks as species that can be harvested.
Liberal regulations for ducks for the second year are-a 60-day season, six duck daily bag limit that includes four mallards (two females) but only one pintail (was three in 1997-98).
The Commission also establish public use rules for Lost Valley Fish Hatchery, to become effective September 15, 1998. The area rules would restrict hunting on a portion of the area to archery methods for the safety of the hatchery facility under construction, hatchery and construction staff and visitors.
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