November 2004

Missouri trout fishing shines in winter

Trout fishing in Missouri's pristine trout streams is a wonderful way to break out of the winter doldrums. (Missouri Dept. of Conservation photo)

Fishing opportunities at trout parks and trout management areas makes Missouri a natural for winter fishing getaways.

JEFFERSON CITY--Winter can mean gray skies and cabin fever, but for trout anglers, the stretch between November and March is full of bright spots. Missouri's trout parks and trout management areas are terrific places to shake off winter doldrums by wetting a line.

Catch-and-release fishing for trout at Missouri's four trout parks begins the second Friday in November each year and runs through the second Sunday in February. This "no-creel" season is a weekend affair. The parks are open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. On those days, anglers can catch trout--including some really big ones--after the warm-season crowds disappear from Montauk, Roaring River and Bennett Spring state parks and Maramec Spring Park.

All you need to participate is a fishing permit and a statewide trout permit ($7), which is valid throughout the winter season. The same permits allow anglers to catch and keep trout in many public trout streams outside the parks all year.

Trout fanatics also can pursue their favorite fish at Stone Mill Spring Branch on the Big Piney River. The area has been a trout management area for decades. Anglers there routinely catch and release dozens of fish a day. The area is open to catch-and-release fishing from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. from Nov. 1 through Feb. 28. Unlike the trout parks, Stone Mill is open to fishing every day of the week.

As with other catch-and-release areas, only flies and artificial lures may be used during the catch-and-release season at Stone Mill Spring Branch. The last Saturday in February each year is reserved for a youth fishing derby there.

Stone Mill Spring Branch is on the Mark Twain National Forest. However, it is bounded on several sides by Fort Leonard Wood, and the only practical land access to the area is through the fort entrance in St. Robert. Use the visitor's lane at the main gate and be ready to show your driver's license and vehicle registration.

Once through the main gate, go southeast on Missouri Avenue approximately two miles. Turn left on First Street and go 3.5 miles to Route 25. Take Route 25 3.5 miles and turn left onto Route 26. Go across the Big Piney River and travel approximately 2 miles farther before turning right onto a gravel road. Another mile on this road will get you to the parking lot. From there, follow the foot path .3 miles to the spring branch.

For more information about the youth fishing derby or for regulations and permits, call Fort Leonard Wood's Outdoor Recreation Office, 573/596-4223.

Anglers can enjoy a slightly different kind of winter trout fishing nearby at Little Piney Creek. Rainbow trout have been stocked there since the late 1800s, and the USDA Forest Service's Lane Spring Recreation Area south of Rolla has had catch-and-keep fishing for rainbow trout since 1969. Recent regulation changes established two separate but adjoining trout fishing areas on this stream.

A Wild Trout Management Area (WTMA) extends 9.9 miles from the Phelps-Dent county line down Little Piney Creek to Milldam Hollow Access. This area, which will become a Blue Ribbon Trout Area March 1, includes the Piney Spring and Lane Spring branches.

In the WTMA, anglers can keep one trout measuring 18 inches or longer daily. Only flies and artificial lures are permitted in this area. Soft plastic lures and scents are prohibited. The accesses do not have boat ramps, since the stream is too small to accommodate boats larger than canoes. Anglers on foot will find ample access to the WTMA at Lane Spring.

The 3.7-mile stretch of Little Piney Creek near Newburg is a trout management area (TMA) and will become a White Ribbon Trout Area March 1. In this area, up to five trout can be kept daily. This area is a few miles southwest of Rolla. The TMA begins at Milldam Hollow Access and continues to County Road 7360. Information and a map of the area are available at www.mdc.mo.gov/fish/sport/trout/little piney/, or from Michael Smith, Missouri Department of Conservation, P.O. Box 248, Sullivan, MO 63080, 573-468-3335 x238, mike.smith@mdc.mo.gov.

The Missouri Department of Conservation stocks catchable-sized rainbow trout periodically from March through June and from September through October in the lower portion of the TMA. The best fishing is generally before noon or on cloudy, snowy or rainy days. Any winter day when the daily high temperature is predicted to be near 40 degrees is prime fishing weather.

Missourians also can enjoy winter trout fishing at specially stocked ponds in St. Louis, Kansas City, Columbia, Jefferson City and Jackson. For more information about this urban trout fishing program, contact the Conservation Department office in each city.

Information about Missouri's diverse trout fishing opportunities will be contained in a new publication, "Missouri Trout Fishing," which will be available around March 1. To be placed on a waiting list for a copy, contact Missouri Department of Conservation, Distribution Center, P.O. Box 180, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0180, 573/522-4115, ext. 3864.

Good form important for releasing as well as catching trout

The idea is to ensure fish live to fight another day

JEFFERSON CITY--Anglers who take part in catch-and-release fishing programs can help conserve the resource that gives them so much enjoyment by ensuring that trout survive each encounter with a hook. The Missouri Department of Conservation offers these tips on handling and releasing fish.

•Squeeze the barb flat on your flies or jigs with pliers.
•Land fish as quickly as possible, rather than playing them until they are exhausted.
•Remove hooks and take photos without taking the fish from the water.
•Carry a hook disgorger or needle-nosed pliers. Back hooks out gently, rather than tearing them out.
•Leave deeply imbedded hooks in place, cutting the line as close to the hook as possible. Flesh surrounding the hook will eventually die back and the hook will fall out.
•Release fish immediately, without weighing.
•Handle fish as little as possible to avoid disturbing their protective slime layer.
•Hold the fish firmly and upside down to reduce its struggles. A fish dropped on the ground has a poor chance for survival.
•Grasp trout across the gill covers. Never put your fingers in the gills or eye sockets.
•A wet cotton glove or cloth can help you hold a trout without injuring it. Nets are allowed, and it is sometimes easier to grasp a fish in a net in order to remove the fly.
•If a fish appears exhausted, hold it in the water facing upstream until it swims out of your hand.

- Jim Low -

Seven events spotlight eagle watching

Outdoor and indoor programs will give visitors an intimate glimpse into the life of America's national symbol.

JEFFERSON CITY--People's reactions to seeing bald eagles in the wild for the first time are dramatic. Adults frequently whisper the word "majestic." Youngsters exclaim "Wow!" For a few, watching the national symbol in flight is an emotionally charged experience, evoking tears. These are experiences enjoyed by thousands of people every year at Eagle Days events sponsored by the Missouri Department of Conservation.

As many as 2,000 bald eagles spend part of the winter in Missouri each year. Only Alaska and Washington have larger winter eagle populations. This creates a tremendous opportunity for Missourians to see the impressive birds, whose wingspans can exceed six feet. The Conservation Department offers Eagle Days to help people take advantage of this opportunity.

Eagle Days events really are two experiences in one. Visitors can stand outdoors and watch wild eagles perched in trees or foraging for food. Binoculars and cameras come in handy, but the Conservation Department provides telescopes that make viewing easy. Naturalists are on hand to answer questions.

The second half of the experience is an indoor program that allows visitors to see live, captive bald eagles up close. This indoor eagle viewing is accompanied by naturalist programs about bald eagles' life history, their brush with extinction and continuing recovery.
Eagle videos, exhibits and activities for children also are part of the indoor programs.

Eagle Days events are free of charge. This year's events are scheduled for:

•Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) south of Mound City, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dec. 4 and 5. Call 816/271-3100 for more information.
•Wilmore Lodge, Lake of the Ozarks, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Jan. 8 and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Jan. 9. Call 573/526-5544 for more information.
•The Little Platte Park Course Complex at Smithville Lake, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Jan. 8 and 9. Call 816/532-0174 for more information.
•Old Chain of Rocks Bridge south of I-270 off Riverview Drive in St. Louis County, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Jan. 15 and 16. Call 314/877-1309 for more information.
•Springfield Conservation Nature Center, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Jan. 22 and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Jan. 23. Call 417/888-4237 for more information.
•Lock and Dam 24 and the Apple Shed Theater in Clarksville, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Jan. 22 and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Jan. 23. Call 660/785-2420 for more information.
•Mingo NWR northwest of Puxico, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Jan. 29. Call 573/222-3589 for more information.

Missouri has many other locations where you can enjoy viewing eagles on your own. These include:

•Swan Lake NWR south of Sumner
•Table Rock Lake and Shepherd of the Hills Fish Hatchery near Branson
•Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area (CA) southwest of Columbia
•Bagnell Dam Access at Lake of the Ozarks
•Lock and Dam 25 east of Winfield
•Riverlands Environmental Demonstration Area east of West Alton
•Schell-Osage CA north of El Dorado Springs
•Truman Reservoir west of Warsaw.

Look for eagles perched in large trees along the water's edge at any of these locations.

More information about Eagle Days is available at www.mdc.mo.gov/events/eagledays/. To receive a brochure with directions to all Eagle Days events by mail, contact the Missouri Department of Conservation, P.O. Box 180, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0180, 573/522-4115, ext. 3289.

-Jim Low

Opening weekend deer harvest a record

2004 Firearms Deer harvest Opening Weekend

Hunters checked 5,885 more deer during the first two days of the November Firearms deer season than ever before.

JEFFERSON CITY--A mixed bag of factors, including excellent weather, abundant permits and help from out-of-state resulted in a record opening-weekend firearms deer harvest in Missouri.

Hunters checked an unprecedented 133,136 deer during the first two days of the November Segment of Firearms deer season Nov. 13 and 14. That is up 22,141 from last year and 5,885 more than the previous record set in 2002.

In most years, the opening-weekend deer kill comprises approximately 60 percent of the deer taken during the November hunt. If this holds true this year, the November firearms deer harvest could top 220,000.
Missouri's top three deer harvest counties on opening weekend were Callaway with 2,572 deer checked, Howell with 2,516 and Texas with 2,385.

Regional totals from check stations were: northeast, 20,806; central, 17,145; northwest, 16,464; Ozark, 12,794; southwest, 12,745; Kansas City, 12,005; southeast, 8,945; St. Louis, 8,385. These figures do not include 23,683 deer checked by landowners using the new TeleCheck system.

The Missouri Department of Conservation recorded two firearms-related hunting accidents during the opening weekend. Neither accident was fatal.

The size of the state's deer herd, estimated at 1 million, is part of the reason for the strong harvest. However, deer numbers have been stable in most of the state for several years, so other factors must be at work, too.

One of those factors is weather. Opening day was sunny and pleasant, yet cool enough to encourage deer to move around looking for food. Continued cool weather without rain the second day ensured that hunters would stay outdoors and get a good start on the 11-day season.
Another factor that contributed to the record-setting harvest was a poor acorn crop in most parts of the state. Deer rely heavily on acorns for food. In years when acorns are scarce, deer tend to gather in areas where food is available. This makes them easier for hunters to find.

Increased availability of antlerless permits helped, too. These permits cost $7 and allow hunters to shoot does or young bucks with antlers less than 3 inches long. Any-deer permits allow hunters to shoot antlered or antlerless deer, but they cost $17.

Venison from does and young deer tastes better and is more tender. Hunters who take does or young deer on antlerless tags retain the option of shooting an antlered deer later with an any-deer tag.

In many parts of the state, hunters can fill as many antlerless permits as they want. The Share the Harvest Program, coordinated by the Conservation Federation of Missouri, allows hunters to donate deer to food banks, often at little or no cost. This is a charitable incentive for hunters to continue hunting after they have as much venison as they want for themselves.

Approximately 450,000 hunters got a record 757,956 deer hunting permits for the opening weekend. That includes 455,060 permits sold and 302,896 distributed free of charge to landowners.

So far this season, hunters from other states bought 13,260 Nonresident Any-Deer Permits and 11,356 Nonresident Antlerless Permits worth more than $2 million. Expenditures on gas, food, lodging, equipment, supplies, guide fees and other hunting needs boosted the flow of nonresident cash into the Show-Me State to the tens of millions, according to the Missouri Department of Conservation.

For more information about deer hunting or Share the Harvest, get a copy of the 2004 Fall Deer and Turkey Hunting information guide, available wherever hunting permits are sold.

- Jim Low -

Natural resources conference to focus on leadership

Join management professionals and citizen conservationists learning about issues and how to influence them.

JEFFERSON CITY--Using leadership skills to advance conservation of Missouri's forests, fish and wildlife will be the focus of the annual Missouri Natural Resources Conference (MNRC) Feb. 2 through 4 at Tan-Tar-A Resort, Osage Beach.

National Football League great Nick Lowrey will deliver the keynote address at the conference. He will talk about adaptive leadership.
Jim Martin, former chief of fisheries for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and a national leader in wildlife advocacy also will speak.

The MNRC features dozens of presentations by nationally known experts. They discuss the latest information about natural resource management and research in Missouri. Also on the agenda are an opening social, a student job fair, displays by equipment manufacturers and an awards banquet.

For more information about the conference program and registration, visit www.mnrc.org/agenda.html or contact Renee Cook, 636/922-2833, ext. 3, renee.cook@mo.usda.gov.

-Jim Low-

Conservation Department takes a new approach to trout stream management

The Missouri Department of Conservation has proposed a new management plan for trout streams. Under the plan, streams will be classified as blue-ribbon (trophy trout, 18-inch minimum length limit and daily limit of one), red-ribbon (large trout, with a 15-inch minimum length limit and a daily limit of two) white-ribbon (catch-and-keep fishing with no length limit and a daily limit of four trout). (Missouri Dept. of Conservation photo)

By managing streams according to their trout-producing potential, the agency hopes to meet all trout anglers' needs.

JEFFERSON CITY--Trout anglers clad in vests and waders might look alike, but they can be as different as hot dogs and caviar. Some use only artificial flies not much bigger than gnats. They don't care if they take a fish home, as long as there is a chance they will hook a really big fish. Others are content to thread canned corn onto hooks as big as their thumbs. Their fondest ambition is to put trout on the table. All will find something to like in the Missouri Department of Conservation's proposed new approach to trout stream management.

The plan is the result of a comprehensive review of existing management schemes. You might call it a blue-ribbon plan. It designates different parts of Missouri trout streams as blue-ribbon, red-ribbon or white-ribbon areas, based on each area's characteristics.

Blue-ribbon areas include parts of large, cold rivers with the state's best trout habitat and smaller streams capable of supporting naturally reproducing rainbow trout populations. In these areas, the Conservation Department will restrict length and creel limits to allow the maximum number of brown or rainbow trout to grow to trophy size.

Fishing in these areas also will be limited to artificial lures and flies. This is intended to minimize the number of fish that die after being caught and released. Finally, the Department will prohibit gigging of nongame fish in blue-ribbon areas to prevent accidental harvest of trout.

Places identified for blue-ribbon designation are portions of the Current, Eleven Point and North Fork rivers and Crane, Barren Fork, Blue Springs, Little Piney, Mill and Spring creeks. In these waters, fish will have to measure 18 inches to be legal, and the limit will be one daily.

Red-ribbon areas also have high-quality trout habitat. However, some factor, such as limited cover or seasonal temperature increases, limits trout growth or survival. In such areas, the Conservation Department will use slightly less strict harvest regulations. Stocked fish will be mostly brown trout with some rainbows. The idea is to provide catch-and-release fishing with a chance of catching large trout. Gigging of nongame fish will be allowed. Natural bait will be permitted in some of these areas.

Red-ribbon areas include the Maramec River and Roubidoux Creek, where only artificial lures will be allowed, and parts of the North Fork River, where natural bait will be allowed. Anglers will be able to keep up to two trout that measure 15 inches or longer per day. All three of these areas are currently special trout management areas.

White-ribbon waters are coldwater streams capable of supporting trout populations year-round. These will be stocked mostly with rainbow trout under the new plan. The stocking will include some brown trout and a limited number of large- to trophy-sized trout not needed for brood stock at hatcheries.

There will be no length limit on rainbow trout in white-ribbon streams, and the daily limit will be four trout. This will appeal to anglers who want to take home what they catch. A 15-inch minimum length limit will apply to brown trout in areas where they are stocked. Any type of bait will be legal, and gigging of nongame fish will be allowed. These areas currently are classified as trout management areas and the Niangua River Special Trout Management Area.

Beginning March 1, a new statewide daily limit of four trout will take effect. Also on March 1, a new statewide minimum length limit of 15 inches on brown trout caught from streams will take effect.

- Jim Low

Conservation nursery has new tree, shrub seedlings

It is not just about oaks and pine trees any more.

JEFFERSON CITY--Missourians who want to improve their land's value for wildlife have a friend at the George O. White State Forest Nursery.

Greg Hoss manages the 748-acre facility near Licking for the Missouri Department of Conservation. His mission is to provide affordable planting materials that enhance wildlife habitat by creating food and cover. He and his staff are eager to help landowners with tree and shrub seedlings.

Each winter, beginning in early December, nursery workers dig up more than six million tree and shrub seedlings. They carefully pack them in bundles and put them in industrial-sized coolers until spring. Then, just in time for spring planting, the bundles are shipped all over the state.

The nursery will accept orders Nov. 18 through April 30. The assortment of plants offered varies from year to year, depending on growing conditions and changing customer preferences.

First-time offerings this year include elderberry plants. The plants themselves are very attractive, and birds love the deep purple fruit.

This is the second year that George O. White State Forest Nursery has offered water tupelo, a tree that thrives in and near shallow water.

Also for the second year, the nursery has buttonbush. This water-loving shrub is decked with ball-shaped, creamy white blossoms that resemble tiny, blazing suns. The seeds are relished by a variety of animals.

"Water tupelo and buttonbush are excellent choices for shallow lake edges," said Hoss. Their tolerance for moisture makes them perfect for low, wet areas where other trees don't do well."

Hoss said blackberry seedlings are especially plentiful this year, making it easy for landowners to ensure future food for birds and pies for themselves. Also abundant this year are hazelnut seedlings, which have been scarce in recent years.

The nursery sells plants in bundles of 25 seedlings for $3 to $12, depending on species. This year's catalog lists dozens of species, including 12 species of oak trees, six pine species, black walnut, pecan and more than 20 shrubs.

Other tree seedlings available through the state forest nursery this year include tulip poplar, sweet gum, bald cypress, silver maple, river birch, black cherry and Kentucky coffee.

This year's shrub selection includes flowering dogwood, smooth sumac, deciduous holly, redbud, wild plum, ninebark and witch hazel.

The state forest nursery also sells bundles with plant assortments for specific purposes. These sell for $12 to $16. Special bundles include:

•The Conservation Bundle, with five seedlings of each of six species.
•The Wildlife Cover Bundle, with 10 seedlings of each of five species.
•The Large Nut Tree Bundle, with 15 large seedlings each of pecan and black walnut.
•The Quail Cover Bundle, with 10 seedlings of each of five species.

A full list of trees and shrubs available through the state forest nursery is available at www.mdc.mo.gov/forest/nursery . Or you can call 573/674-3229 and request a catalog by mail.

- Jim Low

Young hunters set deer harvest record

Hunters age 6 through 15 checked 13,466 deer during Missouri's fourth youth-only deer hunting season.

JEFFERSON CITY-Hunters checked 13,466 deer during Missouri's fourth youth-only firearms deer hunt Nov. 6 and 7. The figure is a new record for the Youth Portion of Firearms Deer Season and a nearly 50 percent increase from last year.

Youth hunters checked 9,054 deer during the 2003 youth hunt. Once again, the Missouri Department of Conservation recorded no firearms-related deer hunting accidents during this year's Youth Portion of Firearms Deer Season, continuing an unblemished four-year record.

Hunters age 6 through 15 can participate in the Youth Portion of Firearms Deer season. If they do not have hunter education certification and are using a Youth Deer and Turkey Hunting Permit, they must hunt in the immediate presence of a properly licensed adult hunter who has a valid hunter education certification card. Landowner youth age 15 and younger hunting on their own property are exempt from these requirements.

This is the first year when nonresidents could participate in the Youth Portion of the Firearms Deer Season. The number of youngsters who actually took part in the youth hunt is impossible to calculate, because the same permit is used during spring turkey season and the other segments of firearms deer season. The permit is good for one deer and one turkey.

The number of deer taken during the youth and urban portions of firearms deer season is small compared to the 200,000-plus deer killed during the regular fir arms season. Resource Scientist Lonnie Hansen said the youth hunt still is important, however.

"Having a season when only kids get to hunt allows adults to focus on introducing youngsters to deer hunting," said Hansen. "They get to concentrate on instilling values like safety and good hunting ethics without the distraction of hunting themselves. It's a time for bonding and mentoring young hunters."

The youth hunt is the second of five portions of firearms deer season totaling 36 days. The Urban Portion was Oct. 8 through 11. The November Portion runs from Nov. 13 through 23. The Muzzleloader portion is Nov. 26 through Dec. 5, and the Antlerless Portion is Dec. 11 through 19.

-Jim Low

Regulation changes could affect deer harvest

Changes in deer hunting regulations could keep Missouri's deer harvest below the record set last year. However, the changes are designed to harvest more does, which will help control the state's deer herd and increase the number of large-antlered bucks available to hunters in coming years.(Missouri Dept. of Conservation photo)

Some factors favor a larger harvest, but others could keep this year's deer kill below record level.

JEFFERSON CITY--Missouri's deer herd is in good shape, and new deer regulations are designed to keep it that way, according to the Missouri Department of Conservation. Those new regulations, however, could affect the number of deer taken by hunters this year.

Missouri's firearms deer hunting season--when the majority of the annual deer harvest takes place--runs from Nov. 13 through 23 statewide. Last year's November firearms deer harvest was a record.
Greater availability of deer hunting permits this year allows hunters to take more antlered deer. However, restrictions on taking antlered deer could shave numbers off the deer harvest.

This year, for the first time, antlered deer in 29 counties must have at least four points on at least one side to be legal. Deer without antlers and those with spike antlers less than 3 inches long will be legal.

Hunters in other states have adapted easily to similar restrictions. Conservation Department Resource Scientist Lonnie Hansen said he expects the change to go smoothly here, too.

"Change is always a little unsettling," said Hansen, "but antler-based harvest restrictions have a proven track record. Hunters told us this is the way they want to go to manage the state's deer herd."
Hansen said Missouri's deer herd remains stable at about 1 million. Hunting is the Conservation Department's primary tool for regulating the size of the herd. Like most tools, it occasionally needs sharpening.

"Changes in the hunting population--their age, their numbers, their attitudes--make a difference in how well hunting works in paring down deer numbers," said Hansen. "We have to keep up with those changes to be sure hunting remains effective."

All Missourians have a stake in deer hunting, whether they hunt or not. Without the annual deer harvest, deer numbers would increase dramatically, causing a number of serious problems. Those include more deer-vehicle collisions, property damage and crop damage. In areas where deer populations go unchecked, deer browsing even damages their habitat.

The only practical way to control deer numbers is to reduce the proportion of does--female deer--in the population. To find out how Missourians preferred to accomplish this, the Conservation Department held public forums around the state. A majority of hunters who attended those meetings said they preferred antler restrictions as a way of shifting the annual deer harvest to does.

"Putting smaller bucks off limits does two things," said Hansen. "First, it encourages hunters to shoot does by making them pass up shots at young bucks. Second, it allows more deer to grow to an age where they have large antlers. That is another thing hunters told us they want."

Hansen said the antler restriction puts a new twist in his job. Each year he estimates how many deer will be killed during the November Portion of Firearms Deer Season. Last year, for example, he predicted a good chance of a record-setting season. He based his projection on the size of the deer herd and on regulation changes that included a longer hunting season and an unprecedented abundance of deer permits.
The prediction turned out to be correct. Hunters bagged a 208,834 deer during the November Portion of Firearms Deer Season. This year, Hansen has to include the antler restriction in his estimate.

"We have some changes that will tend to increase harvest and others that have the opposite effect. If this year's harvest includes more does and fewer bucks, we could actually harvest fewer deer overall while maintaining the same control on over the state's deer population."

Some hunters will have to pass up shots at young bucks in the 29 counties where antler restrictions apply. However, they will have another opportunity to shoot legal bucks or does during the Muzzleloader Portion of Firearms Deer Season Nov. 26 through Dec. 5. The Antlerless Portion of Firearms Deer Season Dec. 11 through 19 will give them a final opportunity to bag a deer.

In the past, weather exerted a powerful influence on deer harvest. Three or four days of cold, rainy weather could keep hunters out of the woods, depressing harvest numbers. This was particularly true when Missouri's deer season was only a week long, and hunters had little opportunity to make up for a poor opening weekend.

In recent years, however, the lengthening of firearms deer season--now a total of 34 days--has lessened the impact of a few days of foul weather. The twenty-fold increase in deer harvest during this year's Urban Portion of Firearms Deer Season also will help offset whatever decrease may occur due to the antler restriction.

This is the final year of a three-year testing program designed to determine whether chronic wasting disease (CWD) exists in Missouri's deer herd. Tests on more than 12,000 deer the first two years were all negative.

Counties where the Conservation Department will collect samples for CWD testing this year are Adair, Atchison, Barton, Benton, Butler, Camden, Cape Girardeau, Carter, Cedar, Cole, Cooper, Crawford, Dade, DeKalb, Dogulas, Dunklin, Gasconade, Henry, Hickory, Howard, Howell, Iron, Jackson, Laclede, Lafayette, Lawrence, Lincoln, Linn, Livingston, McDonald, Mississippi, Moniteau, Montgomery, Morgan, New Madrid, Ozark, Pemiscot, Perry, Pettis, Phelps, Polk, Pulaski, Putnam, Ralls, Randolph, Reynolds, Schuyler, Shannon, Shelby, Stone, St. Charles, Vernon, Wayne and Wright.

- Jim Low -

Deer hunters will need to look closer, work harder this year

JEFFERSON CITY--Hunters will find plenty of deer for the November Portion of Missouri's Firearms Deer Season Nov. 13 through 23, but they will need to look sharp to find widely scattered deer.

The state's deer population remains around 1 million, the same as last year. In northern Missouri, deer numbers have decreased slightly. The Ozarks' deer population is growing slowly, and deer numbers are climbing at a slightly faster rate in agricultural areas of west-central Missouri.

Above-average rainfall in much of the state has produced a good to excellent crop of acorns this year. That is good for deer and turkeys, which rely heavily on acorns for food. But the widespread abundance of acorns means deer can find food anywhere, and this makes hunters' work more difficult.

Resource Scientist Lonnie Hansen with the Missouri Department of Conservation said he already is getting calls from hunters in the Ozarks asking where all the deer have gone. He said the deer are there, but they aren't clustered around a few food sources, as happens in years when acorns are in short supply.

"Hunters will have to work a little harder to find deer this year. This is always true in years with good acorn crops, because their movements are harder to pattern."

Hansen also noted that hunters in 29 counties will have to look closer at antlered deer before shooting. The Conservation Department is testing a new regulation in these counties to better control deer numbers and increase the average age of bucks taken there.
In the designated counties, antlered deer must have at least four points on one side to be legal. Deer without antlers and those with spike antlers less than 3 inches long will be legal.

Counties where the antler restrictions apply are Adair, Andrew, Atchison, Boone, Chariton, Cole, Daviess, DeKalb, Franklin, Gasconade, Gentry, Grundy, Harrison, Holt, Howard, Linn, Livingston, Macon, Maries, Miller, Mercer, Nodaway, Osage, Pulaski, Putnam, Randolph, Schuyler, Sullivan and Worth.

The Conservation Department developed the antler restriction in response to two challenges. One is the need to reduce the incidence of deer-automobile collisions and property damage by deer. The other is hunters' expressed desire for more mature, large-antlered deer.
"Before deciding how to address those problems, we asked hunters and other Missourians what they preferred," said Hansen. "The majority chose antler restrictions."

Hansen said hunters have adapted easily to antler-point restrictions in other states, and most Missourians should have no trouble with the new rule. However, the newness of the regulation does increase the chance of errors. He said hunters who mistakenly kill illegal bucks should tag them and bring them to check stations.

"It's the right thing to do," said Hansen, "and it is much better than leaving a deer in the woods and taking a chance of getting caught."

Further details about deer hunting regulations are contained in the 2004 Fall Deer and Turkey Hunting Regulations and Information booklet. It is available wherever hunting permits are sold.

- Jim Low-

Fall turkey harvest up from last year, but not a record

JEFFERSON CITY-Firearms turkey hunters had a good fall season this year, bagging 11,743 birds without a hunting mishap.

The total bag for the season Oct. 11 through 24 was 451 more than last year. However, it was 2,744 short of the record set in 2002.
Top counties in harvest totals were Laclede with 195, Adair with 160 and Howell and Wright, which tied for third with 142 birds each.
Regional harvest totals were: Northeast, 1,136; Northwest, 1,134; Southwest, 924; Ozark, 759; Central, 732; Kansas City, 693; Southeast, 629; and St. Louis, 415.

Combined with the spring turkey harvest, the fall kill pushes Missouri's 2004 turkey harvest to 71,894. That is more than any other state. In fact, it is more than hunters in many states bag in 10 years. Only a handful of states harvest even half as many turkeys annually as Missouri.

A total of 23,623 hunters bought permits for this year's fall turkey season. Four hundred thirty-five came from other states, paying $95 for Nonresident Fall Firearms Turkey Hunting Permits. Resident permits cost $13.