CONSERVATION ACTION

News of the August 21, 2000 Conservation Commission meeting
Contact: Carolyn Auckley, (573) 751-4115;
E-mail: Carolyn.Auckley@mdc.mo.gov

The Conservation Commission met August 21 at The Adam's Mark Hotel, St. Louis, Missouri. Commissioners present were:

Ronald J. Stites, Plattsburg
Randy Herzog, St. Joseph
Anita B. Gorman, Kansas City
Howard L. Wood, Bonne Terre

The next meeting of the Conservation Commission was set for Oct. 6, 2000 at the Truman Visitor Center, Warsaw, Missouri.

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 the following presentations:

--Becky Denney, Kirkwood, expressed gratitude for Department programs and discussed old growth forest habitat in Missouri.
--Dr. Peter Raven, Director, Missouri Botanical Garden, presented a proposal on the Garden's new Dana Brown Foundation Overnight Educational Center at Shaw Arboretum.
--Ann Mack, Confluence Greenway, presented a status report on the Great Rivers Resource Center.
--Curt Ransom, Director, Rescues and Investigations, Humane Society of Missouri, discussed possible exotic, non-native species legislation.

REGULATIONS

The Commission accepted the Report of the Regulations Committee, approving recommendations for 2000-2001 waterfowl hunting seasons:

DUCK SEASON - 60 days within each of the three zones, with an opening framework date of the Saturday nearest Oct. 1 (Sept. 30, 2000) and a closing framework date of the Sunday nearest January 20 (January 21, 2001).
North Zone: Oct. 26 - Dec. 24
Middle Zone: Nov. 2 - Dec. 31
South Zone: Nov. 16 - Jan. 14
Youth Hunting Days:
North Zone: Oct. 21-22
Middle Zone: Oct. 28-29
South Zone: Nov. 11-12

(Participants in 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.) Bag limits for ducks and geese will be the same as during the regular season.

Shooting Hours - One-half hour before sunrise to sunset.

Bag Limit - 6 ducks daily with species restrictions of: 4 mallards (no more than 2 females), 3 scaup, 2 wood ducks, 2 redheads, 1 pintail, 1 black duck, 1 canvasback, 1 hooded merganser.

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 SEASONS
Blue, snow and Ross' geese - 107 days in the respective zones with framework closing date March 10.

North and Swan Lake Zone	- Oct. 26 - Jan. 31 (98 days)
Middle Zone	- Nov. 2 - Jan. 31 (91 days)
South and Southeast Zone	- Nov. 16 - Jan. 31 (77 days)

White-fronted geese - 86 days (2-goose limit) or 107 days (1-goose limit) in the respective zones with framework closing date of the Sunday nearest Feb. 15 (Feb. 18, 2001).

North Zone (except Swan Lake Zone)	Sept. 30 - Oct. 8 Oct. 26 - Nov. 26 Dec. 23 - Jan. 31 (81 days)
Swan Lake Zone	Oct. 26 - Nov. 26 Dec. 16 - Jan. 31 (79 days)
Middle Zone (except Southeast Zone)	Sept. 30 - Oct. 8 Nov. 2 - Nov. 26 Dec. 23 - Jan. 31 (74 days)
South and Southeast Zone	Sept. 30 - Oct. 8 Nov. 16 - Jan. 31 (86 days)

Canada geese and brant - 70 days statewide with no more than 30 days after Nov. 30 in the North, Middle and Swan Lake zones; framework closing date Jan. 31, 2001.

North Zone (except Swan Lake Zone)	Sept. 30 - Oct. 8 Oct. 26 - Nov. 26 Dec. 23 - Jan. 20 (70 days)
Swan Lake Zone	Oct. 26 - Nov. 26 Dec. 16 - Jan. 14 (62 days)
Middle Zone (except Southeast)	Sept. 30 - Oct. 8 Nov. 2 - Nov. 26 Dec. 23 - Jan. 20 (63 days)
South and Southeast Zone	Sept. 30 - Oct. 8 Nov. 16 - Nov. 26 Dec. 16 - Jan. 31 (67 days)

The daily bag and possession limits include no more than 20 blue, snow, or Ross' geese daily (no possession limit) and 2 brant daily (4 in possession) and 2 white-fronted geese daily (4 in possession).

In the North Zone (except Swan Lake Zone), Middle Zone, Southeast Zone and South Zone, the bag limit is 3 Canada geese daily (6 in possession during Sept. 30 - Oct. 8); and 2 Canada geese daily (4 in possession) thereafter.

In the Swan Lake Zone, the bag limit is 2 Canada geese daily (4 in possession).

FALCONRY SEASON FOR DUCKS, COOTS AND MERGANSERS: 107 days.

Statewide:

Sept. 9-24 Oct. 16 - Jan. 14

The daily bag and possession limits shall not exceed 3 and 6 birds respectively, singly, or in the aggregate during both regular duck hunting season and extended falconry seasons.

LIGHT GOOSE CONSERVATION ORDER:

The hunting season for blue, snow and Ross' geese is closed statewide beginning Feb. 1, 2001. Persons who possess a valid migratory bird permit may chase, pursue, and take blue, snow and Ross' geese between the hours of one-half (¿) hour before sunrise to one-half (¿) hour after sunset from Feb. 1 through April 30, 2001. Any other regulation notwithstanding, methods for the taking of blue, snow and Ross' geese includes using shotguns capable of holding more than three shells, and with the use or aid of recorded or electrically amplified bird calls or sounds, or recorded or electronically amplified imitations of bird calls or sounds. A daily bag limit will not be in effect during Feb. 1 - April 30, 2001.

The Commission tabled a recommendation on the taking of feral hogs.

ADMINISTRATION:

The Commission also took the following action:

--Approved changes in the Department's fiscal management policies, to become effective Sept. 1, 2000.
--Approved a Commission Resolution recognizing Dan Cover of Thayer, Missouri for promoting the sport of falconry and propagating peregrine falcons, along with his active prairie restoration management and donation of 282 acres for a public use area and a river access to the Department.