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to MDC Home PageThe fox is a natural scout and spy. He has senses that are wonderfully acute, and a nature that is all suspicion. He believes in being neither seen nor heard; and he has every art of precaution that the most accomplished spy could ever think of.-Charles D. Stewart, "Belling a Fox," Fellow Creatures
Trumpeter swans are twice the size of similar-looking geese, yet a few are killed each year by careless shooters.
ST. CHARLES, Mo.-They're big, they're white, and they're headed our way. Shoot one, and you're likely to face the ire of federal law enforcement officers, not to mention other hunters.
"They" are trumpeter swans. Once they were extirpated from the Midwest. Today, following decades of restoration work by state and federal wildlife management agencies, approximately 1,000 trumpeter swans once again ply ancestral migratory routes between the upper Midwest and the lower Mississippi River Valley. .
In recent years, trumpeter swans have turned up in Missouri with increasing frequency. They are now regular visitors at the Lake of the Ozarks and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Riverland Environmental Demonstration Area in eastern St. Charles County. They also are spotted with some regularity on Missouri's larger rivers, national wildlife refuges and even farm ponds.
Trumpeter swan numbers still are small for a species whose fate is tied to a variety of unpredictable factors, such as environmental pollutants and periodic droughts. "The trumpeter swan is a lot better off today than it was 10 years ago, but the species still needs careful protection," says Jim D. Wilson, Missouri Department of Conservation ornithologist.
That is why Wilson is concerned about illegal shooting, which accounts for nearly one-third of trumpeter swan deaths. Neither the trumpeter swan nor the more common tundra swan are legal game in Missouri. But their white plumage resembles that of snow geese, which are legal to hunt in Missouri. Adult trumpeter swans are entirely white, while snow geese have black wing tips. Juvenile trumpeters are grayish, which may look like the darker color phase of the snow goose, commonly called blue geese.
Wilson says such confusion shouldn't occur, however. Trumpeter swans are much larger than snow geese. With their 7- to 8-foot wingspans, trumpeter swans dwarf snow geese, which have a wingspan of only 5 feet.
Wilson said people who shoot trumpeter swans sometimes do it out of uncaring or malice. He said the number of trumpeter swans mistakenly killed by hunters is very small. "Killing one is an act of vandalism, really," he said.
It's also a federal offense, and an action that reflects badly on hunters. Perhaps that is why most legal cases made against swan killers result from tips from other waterfowl hunters who witnessed the shooting.
Unlike geese, which travel in large groups, trumpeter swans typically are seen in small groups consisting of two white adults and up to three smokey gray offspring. Many trumpeter swans are marked with neck collars or wing tags. Reports of sightings of marked swans is one way that researchers track the success of restoration efforts. Anyone who sees marked swans should report the tag numbers to the nearest conservation agent or Conservation Department office.
Most trumpeter swans seen in Missouri come from Minnesota, Wisconsin or Iowa, all of which have active restoration programs. The departments of natural resources in these states report that trumpeter swans are on the move and are expected to move south soon.
Officials in Minnesota say that two trumpeter swans have been shot there already this year. One case was what a Minnesota DNR spokesman described as a vandalism shooting. The other case involved a hunter who mistakenly shot a swan and was so distressed that he immediately drove the wounded bird to the University of Minnesota for veterinary care. He then turned himself in and was cited for shooting a protected bird. Fines for this offense in Minnesota typically run from $400 to $750, according to the DNR. Minnesota also has a wildlife restitution law, which allows courts to order payments of up to $3,000 for shooting trumpeter swans.
-jim low-
Give yourself an instant escape hatch from the humdrum to the outdoors.
JEFFERSON CITY-A 1998 Natural Events Calendar hanging beside your desk or kitchen sink guarantees you will never be more than a glance away from a refreshing view of Missouri's outdoor treasures.
The cover of the 1998 calendar is splashed with brilliant red butterfly weed. Through the year, you'll be treated to more than three dozen gorgeous images of Missouri plants, animals and landscapes. With this 14-by-20-inch wall calendar at hand, you're guaranteed a visual vacation whenever you need it.
And there's more. Information about the Becoming an Outdoors-Woman program, ordering tree seedlings from the state forest nursery, joining a Stream Team, making your yard or farm attractive to wildlife and a host of other practical matters are covered in the '98 calendar.
Daily entries will keep you abreast of when barred owls are courting, persimmons are ripening and lady's slipper orchids are blooming. Hundreds of other "natural events" that mark the passing of the seasons also are listed.
Calendars cost $3, plus 19 cents tax and $2 postage for single-copy mail orders.
To order, write to Natural Events Calendar, Missouri Department of Conservation, P.O. Box 180, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0180.
-jim low-
Latter-day Ozarkers have traded blazing pine knots in for high-tech lights, but the essentials of spearing fish from the region's crystal waters remain unchanged.
JEFFERSON CITY-The most common fishing boat in Missouri, a long johnboat, was once known to native Ozarkers as a "jack boat." In the old days, knots of "jack" pine wood were burned in a metal basket mounted just outside the bow of the boat for nighttime fish gigging.
People still gig fish along clear Ozarks streams on cold fall nights, though in 1997 they illuminate the water with camping lanterns, halogen auto lights powered by batteries and even electric lights powered by generators. They gig plenty of suckers, redhorse, carp and buffalo. The fish, scored and deep fried, taste as sweet as ever.
The Missouri Department of Conservation is conducting a survey of giggers this season at various access points on the Current River near Eminence and Van Buren. Survey clerks count and measure fish to see how the numbers compare to samples MDC has taken from the river. The clerks will survey giggers at the end of their trips, and will have questions about their experiences and attitudes. Information gathered will help the MDC keep the Current River sucker fishery alive and well.
Gigging is an old custom in southern Missouri. When the season opens, giggers establish camp sites along the river, bring their families and prepare their boats and equipment. With luck, they also enjoy relaxing in camp while eating plenty of fried fish.
Gary Backes lives near the Gasconade River in central Missouri. He and his son gig frequently; the river is only 20 minutes from his home. "This season has been good, but 1993, the year of the flood, was the best gigging season I have ever had," Backes says. "There were fish everywhere, including big red horse suckers of 6 or 7 pounds." He notes, though, that fish of 1 to 1.5 pounds are the best to eat. Backes says he gigs for fun and limits the number of fish he takes. He sometimes gigs on the Osage River, but says fish from the Gasconade taste better.
"I like to gig in cold weather," he says. "Twenty degrees is about right-the cold seems to slow the fish down." Cold weather and cold water clear up some of the plankton in the water, making the water clearer. Also not a problem in really cold weather are the swarms of insects drawn to the light on the boat when the season first opens in September.
Giggers say that any time the water is clear during the open season is a good time to pursue their sport. Giggers typically target black and golden red horse suckers and fish called hog suckers.
Using a gig, nongame fish may be taken from streams and impounded waters between sunrise and midnight from Sept. 15 to Jan. 31, and from impounded waters between sunrise and sunset throughout the remainder of the year. The daily limit in the aggregate is 20. In the Current River from Cedar Grove downstream to the Arkansas line, the daily limit may include no more than five hog suckers.
Gigging as a sport seems to be growing. It has become more technological with the use of jet boats and halogen lights, but high-tech giggers seem to be about as efficient as in those of the past. A nighttime aerial survey on the Current River by the Conservation Department on opening night in a recent season found 120 gig boats stretched along 106 miles of the Current River from Cedar Grove to the Arkansas line. Small clusters of boats were seen near Owls Bend, Van Buren and Doniphan.
A disproportionate harvest of hog suckers on the Current River prompted conservation officials to limit giggers to five hog suckers daily there. Giggers can still take 15 red horse in addition to the hog suckers on the Current River.
Gigging activity on all streams seems to peak the first two weeks of the season and at the end of the season. South-flowing streams in the Ozarks, like the Current River, clear earlier in the season than north-flowing rivers like the Gasconade, making them more attractive to giggers when the season opens in September. Some giggers on the north-flowing streams wait until Christmas, when the rivers are at their clearest and the fall leaves, which reflect light back into giggers' eyes, are off the water.
Most giggers slowly motor their boats upstream; floating with the current, they say, lets the boat drift too fast for a good look at the fish. Gigging is best on the darkest nights because moonlight seems to make the fish skittish. A gigger places the gig in the water, where he or she can see it in relation to the fish that is his target. Then, at the critical moment, the gigger uses a sharp thrust to spear the fish.
Fish gigs aren't something you can find at the average tackle shop; most giggers make their own or buy them from a local craftsman. They may remove the tines from an old pitchfork, weld them to a strip of metal and attach this to a smooth wooden pole up to 16 feet long. Gig boats typically have railings attached to their bows, giving the gigger something to hold onto while scanning the water for fish.
-jim auckley-
Enjoy an indoor program with live eagles, then go outdoors and see them in the wild.
JEFFERSON CITY-Missouri is where many bald eagles soar each winter. In recent winters as many as 2,600 eagles have been counted in the Show-Me state. You can enjoy their flights of fancy at one of the Missouri Department of Conservation's Eagle Days events scheduled for December through February.
Eagle Days events are designed to enable you to view the birds in their natural habitat. Each event features programs on the bald eagle's return from the brink of extinction, naturalists to help visitors see the eagles in their natural environs, live demonstrations of captive eagles, educational displays, videos and other activities. For the outdoor part of the event, it's a good idea to wear warm clothing. Telescopes are provided, but bringing a pair of binoculars is a good idea, too.
Missouri is a favorite wintering spot for eagles because it gives them access to a plentiful supply of food. When cold weather freezes bodies of water in northern states, eagles and waterfowl in search of habitat and food migrate to Missouri. Dead waterfowl and other carrion make up a major part of the eagles' diet in the winter. Fish, another major food source for the birds of prey, are readily available along Missouri's rivers in winter.
The MDC has scheduled four Eagle Days events on weekends in December and January. The events will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the following locations:
· Dec. 6-7 at Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge, Mound City;
· Dec. 27-28 at the Springfield Conservation Nature Center;
· Jan. 3-4 at School of the Osage Elementary, Lake Ozark;
· Jan. 24-25 at Lock and Dam 24 and Apple Shed Theater, Clarksville.
Signs will be posted to direct you to program areas. For more information and a map of each location, write to: Eagle Days, P.O. Box 180, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0180.
Missouri has several great locations for viewing eagles so you don't have to limit your eagle watching to Eagle Days events. Prime wintering locations for eagles include Swan Lake National Wildlife Refuge near Sumner, Table Rock Lake near Branson, Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area south of Columbia and Mingo National Wildlife Refuge near Puxico. Plan a visit to one, or all, of these locations in January or February and watch for eagles perching in large trees along the edges of rivers or lakes.
-arleasha mays-
News Services Coordinator
(314) 751-4115, ext. 243
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