February 2004

Trappers' success is good news for Missouri

Like many Missouri trappers, Rick Friedrich of Boonville pursues his passion for fur trapping while holding down a full-time job. This year he caught more than 200 raccoons and dozens of other furbearers in his spare time and got a nice cash bonus for doing something he loves. (Missouri Dept. of Conservation photo)

The benefits of trapping go far beyond Christmas cash and recreation.

JEFFERSON CITY--Cary Kuhut understands the wisdom of the old saying "Be careful what you wish for." A serious outdoorsman who devotes several months each year solely to trapping, he always wishes for more furbearers in his traps and higher fur prices. This year, he got both.

Kuhut, 47, works during the warm months as a home builder. When chilly winds spread skim ice on creeks and ponds, he switches to trapping. This winter he has been very successful. As a result, he is working his way through skinning, scraping and drying more than 1,200 raccoon skins. Beaver trapping season continues through March 31, and he already has taken more than 100. A few dozen other assorted pelts round out the year's take. Preparing all those pelts is a big job, but it will be more profitable than usual this year.

Rick Friedrich, 46, sticks with his day job as a carpenter for the University of Missouri-Columbia year-round. That doesn't mean he is less enthusiastic about trapping, though. He still managed to catch 223 raccoons, nine otters, nine beavers, seven coyotes, six minks and a couple dozen muskrats this year.

John Heckman, 81, is another of trapping's many faces. He pursues furbearers on his family farm near Babbtown in southwest Osage County. It's the place where he learned trapping from his dad more than 60 years ago. He still has some of the No. 1 1/2 steel foot-hold traps that date back to his childhood, but the only thing he still uses them for is catching rats in his hog houses. He has upgraded his equipment to concentrate on his favorite furbearer, coyotes.

Early results from fur auctions in Missouri show that raccoon pelts are selling for about $13 each. That is up from an average price of $9.11 last year.

Some of Kuhut's raccoon pelts have brought as much as $23. He also caught 28 otters, which have been selling for about $125 this year. His beaver pelts will bring about $11.60 each.

Consider those prices in light of his season's total catch and you will realize that trapping is much more than a hobby for Kuhut. Like all trappers, his profit depends on how hard a bargain he drives for his pelts. He also has to take overhead costs into account. A Missouri Resident Furbearer Hunting and Trapping Permit costs only $10. Besides trapping around his home near Farmington, however, he spends part of the trapping season in Iowa and Arkansas, where he spends a total of $389 on non-resident permits. Then there is the cost of traps, stretching frames and other equipment, vehicle mileage, hip waders, insulated clothing, lip balm and other essentials. All in all, though, he said this will be one of his best seasons ever.

"I've trapped when 'coon pelts were $4 and when they were $40," he said. "It's not something you do just for the money. Trapping isn't for everyone. You have to love it."

Kuhut acquired his love of trapping 36 years ago, when he was just 11. His father and older brother were his mentors. He showed his own son the ropes a few years ago. College classes and a girlfriend don't leave much time for trapping now, but Kuhut hopes his son might return to it in time.

Friedrich's grandfather introduced him to trapping when he was a teenager, setting traps to catch varmints around the family's barns and outbuildings. It wasn't until years later that a good friend "really got me going." Now he concentrates his trapping efforts on and around his farm near Boonville.

Friedrich said the money he gets for furs is only part of his reason for trapping. "Of course, I get excited when prices are up. It can be very profitable, and that money is a nice supplemental income for Christmas or paying taxes or making farm payments, but I trap every year no matter what furs are bringing."

Friedrich is a past president of the Missouri Trappers Association (MTA). He said the group has been sponsoring workshops to give youngsters a chance to learn trapping from experienced hands.

"It's nice to see young people get excited about trapping," he said. "It can be pretty rough sometimes. With hunting, you can go out for an afternoon or just decide not to go if the weather is bad. Trapping is a commitment. You have to run those traps every day. But then you take your furs to the auction, and you get to compare stories with other trappers and share tricks of the trade, and you get to walk away with a check in your pocket. That is a nice payoff."

Heckman, a semi-retired farmer, says he enjoys trapping coyotes, which are plentiful on his farm. The winter pursuit has practical value, too. "The coyotes, they like to get in with the cows when they are calving."

In 2002 Heckman caught 17 coyotes. During the 2003 season he only caught eight, but their pelts brought better prices than last year. He also caught two bobcats, eight raccoons, a gray fox and four red foxes. One of the bobcats sold for $75, and cash from the rest of the year's take made a nice cookie-jar stash for paying bills or the occasional dinner out for him and his wife.

Friedrich said when friends see him heading out with his gear and ask where he is going, he answers "I'm going to go jump in the creek."

Jumping into an icy creek every day throughout the winter isn't everyone's idea of recreation, but apparently it appeals to the 3,551 Missourians who bought permits for the current season.

Besides its recreational value, trapping has a significant economic value to the Show-Me State. Fur sales at auctions sponsored by the MTA have totaled $282,759 this year. That is only the tip of the iceberg, since many trappers sell their furs to local buyers or directly to wholesalers in Canada or overseas. Dave Hamilton, the Missouri Department of Conservation resource scientist specializing in furbearers, estimates the total value of Missouri's 2003-2004 fur production at more than $3 million. In years past, Missouri trappers have sold their furs for as much as $9 million annually.

Furthermore, said Hamilton, trapping has benefits that would never show up on financial analysts' balance sheets unless trappers suddenly disappeared.

"Removing tens of thousands of furbearers from the state every year is a service that no one really notices," said Hamilton. "But if trappers hung up their gear, landowners would have to pay someone to trap problem beavers whose dams flood roads. They would have to find some way to get rid of muskrats whose burrows can destroy pond dams. Livestock owners would lose important partners in controlling coyotes and other predators. Ballooning numbers of raccoons and foxes would serve as breeding grounds for rabies and other veterinary diseases. These are significant services that we take for granted."

For more information about trapping in Missouri, visit the MTA Web site, http://motrappers.topcities.com/index.html, or the National Trappers Association Web site, http://www.nationaltrappers.com/.

- Jim Low -

2003 a good year for duck hunters on conservation areas

Lucky breaks from the weather helped hunters at state-owned wetlands.

JEFFERSON CITY-Prospects for duck hunting on state wetland areas were uncertain at the start of the 60-day season, but well-timed rains and duck migrations made the 2003 season a good one.

Wetland areas managed by the Missouri Department of Conservation make up a fraction of the state's waterfowl habitat. The number of ducks taken by hunters at 17 specially managed conservation areas normally comprise only about one-sixth of the statewide harvest total. However, the availability of water and good wetland habitat management encourage southbound waterfowl to linger in the Show-Me State, increasing hunting opportunities for hunters on public and private land.

Conservation Department Resource Scientist Dave Graber said the strong duck harvest at conservation areas around the state was the result of several factors. One was a dramatic reversal of habitat conditions on the duck nesting grounds of the northern United States and southern Canada.

"What started out as a fairly bleak situation improved quite a bit thanks to above-normal spring precipitation in North America's duck factory, the prairie pothole region," said Graber. "Numbers of nesting mallards, which always make up the bulk of our ducks, remained above the long-term average. Some of the best news for the year was a 43-percent increase in the number of nesting pintails."

Graber said dry summer weather cut into ducks' nesting success, but the number of birds in the fall migration remained at least average.

Duck numbers alone don't guarantee a good duck season, however. Missouri is situated between ducks' breeding grounds and their wintering areas. In years when winter comes late and then roars south, freezing the water in shallow wetlands, millions of ducks can pass through the Show-Me State in a week or two, giving hunters scant chance to pursue them. Even when autumn weather cooperates, a lack of food or standing water in Missouri can hasten the southward migration.

The outlook early last fall was not good. Drought had left most of the state's low-lying areas parched and dusty instead of invitingly flooded. However, that picture grew steadily better as rain and snow helped fill wetland areas through out the fall. November and December saw rain and snowfall well above the seasonal average.

Natural foods and crops were fair to good on most conservation areas, and mild temperatures that continued late into the year encouraged ducks to stay here rather than flying on south. When shallow wetlands froze over, hundreds of thousands of ducks simply moved to lakes and rivers, where water remained open. A late December thaw brought those ducks right back to managed wetlands, giving hunters another crack at them. A survey conducted Jan. 4 through 9 showed 575,000 ducks still in the state.

The season total harvest for Conservation Department wetland areas was 77,438, the largest number on record. The next-best year since the Conservation Department began keeping records 30 years ago was 2001, when hunters bagged 65,733. This year's average bag was 1.943 ducks per hunt. The only year Missouri hunters have topped that was 2000, when the bag averaged 2.088 per hunt.

Otter Slough Conservation Area (CA) in southeast Missouri led state-managed areas with a season-total harvest of 12,528 and a season average of 2.7 ducks per hunt. Central Missouri's Grand Pass was second, with a harvest of 11,386 and a per-trip average of 2.5 ducks. Four Rivers CA in southwest Missouri came in third with 9,900 and 2.1 ducks per trip.

Other area harvests included: Duck Creek CA, 7,375 and 1.5/trip; Fountain Grove CA, 6,394 and 1.8/trip; Schell-Osage CA, 5,901 and 2/trip; Eagle Bluffs CA, 5,758 and 2.1/ trip; Ten-Mile Pond CA, 3,944 and 1.9/ trip, and Ted Shanks, 3,497 and one/trip.

While hunting was good on public and private areas where water could be pumped into wetland pools, areas without artificial water sources didn't fare so well. These areas generally had poor hunting until mid- to late December. The exception was southeastern Missouri, where good habitat conditions prevailed throughout most of the season.

"On managed wetland areas, we had an above-average season," said Graber. "It was an excellent on conservation areas. The number of days in parts of North Missouri was cut short due to Mid-December freeze up, and we heard reports of few ducks in parts of west-central Missouri until the last few weeks of the season. Overall, however, fairly timely migrations and increased water and ducks late in the season resulted in more ducks harvested than last year."

Graber said state-wide waterfowl harvest figures will be available this summer.

-Jim Low-

LEWIS AND CLARK QUIZ

Near what present-day Missouri town did Lewis & Clark's journals record an abundance of elk and buffalo?

Answer: Jefferson City

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Alphabet soup programs spell "Quail Haven"

Bob Weir is proud of the efforts he has made to ensure that his Quail Haven Farm near Odessa lives up to its name. Here he is seen in one of the hedge rows renovated with "chop-and-drop" tree felling. (Missouri Dept. of Conservation photo)

For Quail Unlimited cooperators, the key to success is having partners who are friends and neighbors.

ODESSA, Mo.-You might say Bob Weir is a master of conservation anagrams. He took QHI, LAWS, WHIP and CCRP and used them to spell "Quail Haven." He readily admits he had lots of help with his achievements.

The retired ophthalmologist has been practicing conservation ABCs on his 287-acre farm in Lafayette County since the 1960s. An avid quail hunter, Weir has always done what he could to provide for the bird's needs on land he affectionately named Quail Haven Farm. Relaxing in the sunny enclosed porch at his farm house recently, he mused about his quail management efforts.

Early efforts included planting shrubs to create cover and provide food for quail. He left strips of unharvested crops, such as corn, soybeans and sorghum, around the perimeter of fields. This favor to wildlife earned Weir cash payments from Missouri Department of Conservation through its Landowners Assisting Wildlife Survival (LAWS) program.

Over the years, Weir has bought surrounding acreage, expanding Quail Haven to about 500 acres. This has made his quail management work more effective. But like quail hunters throughout the Midwest, Weir noticed a steady decline in quail numbers in spite of his efforts. So he sought help from other conservation groups. They helped him discover what the problem was and start turning things around.

"Quail management isn't something you do once and then forget about," he said. "It's an ongoing process."

To provide a clear picture of this process, Weir took a drive around Quail Haven with Quail Unlimited (QU) Great Plains Regional Director Jef Hodges recently. A blanket of snow made it easy to see the results of his latest project -- hedge row renovation.

In the past 10 to 20 years, black locust, Osage orange and other trees have overtaken fence lines all over Weir's farm. They have shaded out native grasses, shrubs and broadleaf plants that create quail food and cover. The change was so gradual that it went unnoticed.

Starting last fall, Weir has been cutting these trees down and letting them lie where they fall. This "chop-and-drop" technique will spur the return of beneficial plants over the next few years. A more immediate benefit is abundant brushy cover where quail are safe from predators. Weir said he already is seeing quail, rabbits and other wildlife in the newly renovated strips.

Private land conservationists from the Conservation Department planted the idea of hedge row renovation in Weir's mind. He got help paying for the work through the Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP) administered by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).

Another ongoing project suggested by private land conservationists is improving the value of grassy strips around some of Weirs' crop fields. He received federal Continuous Conservation Reserve Program funding for creating the strips of tall, beautiful warm-season grasses that make the edges between fields and forest more hospitable to quail and other wildlife. The strips also help stop soil erosion, which is why the NRCS was able to channel federal CCRP money into the work.

More recently, QU's Missouri Quail Habitat Initiative (QHI) provided financial help so Weir could sow native broad-leaf plant seeds among the prairie grasses. The extra variety of plants makes the filter strips between field and forest even better places for quail to raise their chicks. Matching payments from the Conservation Department sweetened this deal.

Driving past small ponds and forest clearings, Weir asked Hodges if the strips he had mowed through a field of warm-season grasses will help quail. Hodges told him that strip disking, burning or light herbicide applications to thin the grasses all would be more beneficial. If he chooses any of these options, QHI will help foot the bill or, under a new provision in the Federal Farm Bill, cost-share assistance is available for such "mid-contract" management practices

Hodges explained that QHI has several features landowners find very attractive. One is a lack of red tape.

"Landowners fill out a one-page application, and a week later they have a check. Local QU chapters don't have to ask anyone's permission to give the money out. Sixty percent of the cash we take in at local fund-raising events stays with the chapters so they can spend it locally on nuts-and-bolts projects that benefit quail."

Another attractive aspect of QHI is the fact that landowners don't have to lock their land into inflexible management schemes.

"We require our cooperators to have a management plan approved by one of the Conservation Department's private land conservationists," said Hodges, "but there is no penalty if they need to make changes. We trust landowners like Bob Weir to do what's right. We are close to the landowners we work with, and we treat them like friends. Those who are good partners can look forward to a long, mutually beneficial relationship."

The last stop on the tour was a tract of land that Weir recently bought adjacent to his Quail Haven Farm. To Hodges' trained eye, the snow laid bare the secrets of quail habitat there. Narrower fence rows, hedge rows where trees had shaded out brushy growth and lack of diversity in pastures marked this land as different than what they had seen in the past hour or two.

"I'm open to suggestions on this 67 acres," said Weir. "There's a few quail in here, but I know I can do better."

Landowners interested in advice and partners to turn their land into quail havens can contact Hodges at 660/885-7057, bobwhite@iland.net.

-Jim Low-

Trout parks gearing up for spring opener

Continued low spring flows won't affect the number of fish stocked for opening day at Missouri's four trout parks.

JEFFERSON CITY--Dry weather isn't affecting the number of fish stocked at Missouri's four trout parks, and cold weather is unlikely to dampen anglers' enthusiasm for the annual pilgrimage.

March 1 marks the opening of Missouri's eight-month catch-and-keep fishing season at Montauk State Park near Licking, Bennett Spring State Park near Lebanon, Roaring River State Park near Cassville and Maramec Spring Park near St. James. Though the Missouri Department of Natural Resources operates the state parks and The James Foundation owns and operates Maramec Spring Park, the Missouri Department of Conservation supplies fish for all four areas.

Those fish are the basis for a tradition that dates back to 1939. Some of those who immerse themselves in chilly water up to their waists this year have been doing so--come sunshine, rain or snow--for 50 years or more. Others will be first-timers. All will join in the spirit of a happy spectacle that is equal parts sport and social event. Hundreds of non-anglers turn out to watch, and celebrities of various kinds will be on hand to sound the opening signal at 6:30 a.m.

The Conservation Department tailors the number of fish stocked for opening day to the size of anticipated crowds. Decades of trout tag sales statistics give hatchery managers a good idea how many anglers to expect if the season opener falls on a weekend or a weekday. Weather plays a role too. Extreme cold thins attendance, and some anglers stay home if roads are icy, but there is always a crowd, regardless of conditions.

With average weather, this year's attendance at all four trout parks is likely to approach 10,000. Conservation Department hatcheries will stock approximately three fish for each expected angler on opening day. After that, however, the fish-to-angler ratio will decrease to two per angler daily, as it has been for the past two years.

"Drought is cutting into our trout-rearing capacity again this year," said Coldwater Hatcheries Supervisor George Kromrey. "The flow from springs that we depend on for trout production is a little better than last year, but the springs supplying Montauk, Roaring River and Bennett Spring hatcheries all have substantially reduced flow. That means we have to spread out available fish."

Anglers still can expect a number of big fish to be lurking in the green depths of trout park streams on opening morning. These fish, ranging from 2 to 7 pounds, are excess hatchery brood stock. The Conservation Department typically releases a number of these "lunkers" at each trout park to lend a little extra excitement to the season opener.

While trout park fishing regulations have not changed extensively since last year, anglers should be aware that the Wildlife Code of Missouri contains amendments to the definitions of flies, lures, and baits effective March 1. The new definition of a fly allows fly tiers and anglers to use a wide variety of natural and synthetic materials and eliminates the list of approved materials.

"The change should eliminate a great deal of confusion and allow more consistent interpretation of this definition," said Kromrey. He said the new definition states that a fly is an artificial lure constructed on a single-point hook, using any material except soft plastic bait and natural and scented bait. Additionally, flies may be fished with or without a spinner attached. Small, single-point hook spinners commonly referred to as rooster tails may be used in waters designated for flies only.

At Bennett Spring, the baits allowed in Zone 3 as well as the lower boundary of that zone have been redefined to be clearer and more enforceable. Anglers at Bennett Spring can note the changes on area signs and in the information pamphlet available at the park.

- Jim Low -

LEWIS AND CLARK QUIZ

How many dugout canoes did the Corps of Discovery use to carry their supplies and equipment during the course of their 28-month trip?

Answer: More than 20. They made some and bartered with Indians for others.

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Hunters, anglers at high risk for boating deaths

Hunters and anglers need to be particularly aware of boating safety. Sportsmen account for nearly one-third of boating fatalities in the United States. (Missouri Dept. of Conservation photo)

One out of three people who die on the water in the United States each year are hunters or anglers.

JEFFERSON CITY--A weary sadness is audible in Water Patrol Sgt. Paul Kennedy's voice when he tells the story of Missouri's most recent hunting-related boating fatality. Sadness because the victim was only 14 years old. The weariness comes from seeing similar circumstances involved in so many boating deaths.

Seth R. Wykoff, Greenwood, went duck hunting on Montrose Lake in Henry County before sunrise Dec. 13. His adult companions did not bring any life jackets, and Wykoff had not told them that he could not swim. Their 15-foot johnboat was overloaded, with four hunters, a retriever, shotguns and other gear. When the boat took on water and sank, the hunters' heavy clothing and waders full of water made it difficult to swim, let alone rescue Wykoff. Rescue workers recovered the boy's body, but cold-water resuscitation efforts failed to revive him.

"It's no different than what is occurring all over the nation," said Kennedy, who is director of public information and safety education for the Water Patrol. "Time and again, hunters and anglers fail to take simple precautions that could save their lives."

Of the 321 boating accidents recorded by the Water Patrol last year, 16 resulted in deaths. Half those deaths occurred when people fell out of boats. Three involved collisions with fixed objects, and another three resulted from swamping or capsizing.

Nine out of 10 fatal boating accidents involve people who were not wearing life jackets. Most involve men age 30 to 50 -- in the prime of life. In most cases, the victims are riding in flat-bottomed or semi-V hulled boats 16 feet or smaller.

The Water Patrol does not track how many people die in boating accidents while hunting or fishing. However, according to the U.S. Coast Guard, one out of every three people who die on the water nationwide is a hunter or angler. While the number of all boating fatalities decreased between 1995 and 2000, the percentage of hunters and anglers increased.

Seventy percent of hunting-related boating deaths happened when people fell overboard as a result of improper boat loading or unsafe movements. Gunshot injuries didn't even come close to accounting for as many fatalities as drowning.

Among anglers, one-quarter of drownings resulted when people fell from boats. Thirty percent happened when anglers' boats capsized. Half happened on lakes, ponds or reservoirs.

Kennedy said the best thing anyone can do to prevent boating deaths is to take a boating safety course. Starting next year, this will be mandatory for anyone born after Jan. 1, 1984. "You can get ahead of the game by taking a boating safety course now," said Kennedy. "Much more important, you could save the life of someone you love, or yourself."

Missouri's boating safety course is available in a traditional classroom format in the fall, winter and spring or online throughout the year. For information about these options, call 573/751-3333 or visit www.mswp.dps.mo.gov/ and click on "education." Missouri's boating safety course also is available as a home-study course, available for $29.95 by calling 800/460-9698.

- Jim Low -

Boating safety tips for sportsmen

Ten things you can do to avoid and survive accidents.

JEFFERSON CITY-Missourians who run boats also run the risk of boating accidents. Hunters and anglers, whose activities put them on the water at all hours of the day and night and in inclement weather, need to be particularly careful. However, all boaters can reduce the risk of accidents by following a few safety tips.

Records kept by the Missouri State Water Patrol show that Missourians were involved in 321 reported boating accidents in 2003. Most common were collisions with other vessels, which accounted for 134 accidents, 68 injuries and two deaths. Falls overboard were the most fatal type of accident, taking the lives of eight boaters in Missouri last year. Other leading types of boating accidents included:
--Flooding/swamping, 31 accidents and two deaths;
--Collisions with fixed objects, 23 accidents and three deaths;
--Capsizing, 15 accidents and one death.

Water Patrol officials say most boating accidents are preventable, and the chances of injury or death can be dramatically reduced by the following precautions.

1. Plan your trip. Check weather and water conditions ahead of time, and use this information to decide where to go and what equipment to bring.

2. File a trip plan. Leave word about where you will be and when you will return to ensure that help can find you in an emergency.

3. Don't overload. Most boats' weight capacity is stamped on a data plate in the stern of the vessel. Know your boat's capacity and do not exceed it.

4. Watch the Weather. Monitor weather reports and leave the water before severe weather develops.

5. Know your boat's limits. The most popular hunting and fishing boat, a johnboat with a flat bottom and low sides, is not adequate to cross open water in high wind. Get to a sheltered shoreline and wait for safe conditions.

6. Prepare for emergencies. Always carry a water-tight, floating container with a radio or cell phone, dry clothes, foil-lined heat-reflecting blanket, food, water, fire-starting material, flashlight and signal devices such as flares, strobe light or air horn.

7. Wear personal floatation devices (PFDs). In the event of swamping or falling overboard, life jackets are life savers.

8. Use the HELP. Immersion in cold water can cause hypothermia in minutes. To slow this process, keep all clothing on and assume the Heat Escape Lessening Position (HELP), with knees held to the chest and arms at your sides. If more than one person is present, huddle with arms around one another's shoulders.

9. Don't drink and boat. Alcohol consumption impairs judgment and reflexes and hastens hypothermia. Boat operators and passengers should avoid alcohol.

10. Take a boating safety course. Just as hunter education has dramatically reduced hunting accidents, knowledge gained in boating safety classes can reduce the chances of boating mishaps. For availability of classes in your area, call 573/751-3333 or visit www.mswp.state.mo.us and click on "education."

LEWIS & CLARK QUIZ

What flying species' name did Lewis and Clark's journals record with at least 19 different spellings?

Answer: Mosquito (also moskito, mosquitter, musquito, etc.) They had nearly as many variations on "Sioux."

Fishing regulations change March 1

The changes affect black bass, catfish, rock bass and sturgeon.

JEFFERSON CITY--Anglers puttering around in the garage, putting fishing tackle in order for the spring thaw should check out 2004 fishing regulations. Changes in this year's regulations affect catfish, black bass, rock bass and sturgeon. Most changes go into effect March 1.

BLACK BASS

Anglers who concentrate on black bass (largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass) need to know that the black bass special management area on the Big River is being expanded upstream to the Leadwood Access. From there down to the Meramec River, smallmouth bass less than 15 inches long must be released immediately. The daily and possession limit in this area is 12 black bass. However, this may include only one smallmouth bass and no more than six smallmouth and largemouth bass together.

A 15-inch minimum length limit for black bass also will go into effect March 1 on the Elk River in southwest Missouri, with a two-fish daily limit.

ROCK BASS

Rock bass anglers should take note of the 8-inch minimum length limit that goes into effect on the Big Piney River from Highway 17 to the Gasconade River March 1. The daily limit for rock bass on the entire Big Piney River will return to the statewide daily limit of 15 fish.

CATFISH

Catfish anglers need to know that Longview Lake in Jackson County will have a 24-inch minimum length limit and a one-fish daily limit on flathead catfish starting March 1.

STURGEON

New regulations on sturgeon fishing don't go into effect until July 1. On that date, the shovelnose sturgeon becomes a game fish with a maximum length limit of 30 inches and a 10-fish daily limit. Snagging, snaring and grabbing will be legal methods for taking shovelnose sturgeon during the same seasons as non-game fish where such methods are allowed.

The Missouri Department of Health recommends that sturgeon from the Missouri or Mississippi rivers not be eaten.

WINTER TROUT FISHING

One change that went into effect last year is the winter trout fishing programs in Columbia and Jackson. The Conservation Department stocked rainbow trout in Jackson's Rotary Lake and in Cosmo-Bethel Lake in Columbia early in November. The catch-and-release trout fishing season in these lakes runs from Nov. 1 through Jan. 31, with only flies, artificial lures and unscented soft plastic baits allowed. This winter trout fishing program is made possible by a partnership between the cities, Trout Unlimited and the Conservation Department.

RECIPROCAL FISHING PRIVILEGE WITH KENTUCKY

Missouri's 2004 fishing regulations also reflect a change in reciprocal fishing privileges for anglers on the Mississippi River between Missouri and Kentucky. Anyone who has a valid Kentucky sport fishing license or who is legally exempt from those license requirements may fish in the Mississippi River within the boundary of Missouri adjacent to the state of Kentucky. Similarly, anyone with a valid Missouri sport fishing permit or who is legally exempt from those permit requirements will have the same fishing privileges on the Mississippi River within the boundary of Kentucky.

For the purpose of these reciprocal fishing privileges, the river is defined as the main channel and immediate side or secondary channels or chutes. It does not include oxbow or flood plain lakes or backwaters that extend onto the flood plain or up tributaries when the Mississippi River level exceeds 33 feet at the Cairo, Ill., gauging station.

Both states' anglers must abide by the regulations of the state in whose waters they are fishing. When anglers licensed in one state are fishing in the other state's waters, they must comply with the most restrictive of the two states' regulations. For example, an angler with a Missouri fishing permit who is fishing for walleye and sauger in Kentucky waters must observe Missouri's daily and possession limit of eight fish in the aggregate, even though Kentucky regulations allow anglers licensed there to keep 10 walleyes and 10 saugers daily and possess 20 of each species.

These and other regulations are outlined in the 2004 Summary of Missouri Fishing Regulations. The free publication will be available by March 1 wherever fishing permits are sold. It also includes information about how to distinguish shovelnose sturgeon from pallid and lake sturgeon, which must be released immediately when caught.

- Jim Low -

Scholarships available for conservation careers

High school and college students in conservation-related fields may qualify for help with tuition and other expenses.

JEFFERSON CITY-High school and college students considering careers in conservation can get assistance in their quest from one of several conservation and professional organizations offering scholarships.

The Missouri Conservation Agent's Association is accepting applications for two $500 college scholarships for students interested in careers in conservation. Any full-time Missouri college undergraduate or high school student entering college may apply. Application forms are available from high school counselors, college financial aid advisors, conservation agents statewide or from: Brian Ham, 10356 Old Highway 54, New Bloomfield, MO 65063 or Steve Lenz, 3385 Waggoner Woods, Festus, MO 63028, 636/931-2021.

The Missouri Chapter of the Soil and Water Conservation Society offers Betty Broemmelsiek Memorial Scholarships of $500 to $1,000 for students pursuing studies related to soil and water resource management. Applications and scholarship details are available online at http://swcs.missouri.edu/ or from Beverly Maltsberger, Missouri SWCS, c/o Buchanan County Extension Center, 4125 Mitchell Ave., P.O. Box 7077, St. Joseph 64507-7077, 816/279-1691, maltsbergerb@missouri.edu.

The Missouri Outdoor Communicators (MOC) sponsors the Buck Rogers Memorial Scholarship. The $1,000 scholarship is for college students pursuing careers in outdoor communication. Winners also receive MOC membership and expense-paid attendance at the group's annual conference. Application forms can be downloaded at http://mochomepage.org/scholarship.html.

The Outdoor Writers Association of America (OWAA) offers Bodie McDowell Scholarships of $2,000. There are separate categories for undergraduate and graduate students pursuing outdoor communications careers in print, film, art or broadcasting. Applications must be made through accredited schools of journalism or mass communications that have registered with OWAA. The primary selection criteria are career goals, prior work in outdoor communication and letters of recommendation. Details are available at http://owaa.org/scholarship.htm or from OWAA, 121 Hickory St., Ste. 1, Missoula, MT 59801.

- Jim Low-

LEWIS AND CLARK QUIZ

What fish did Lt. William Clark mention in his journal as being "very common and easy taken in any part of this river"?

Answer: Flathead and blue catfish.

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