March 2001
Adopting wildlife isn't kind
Friday, March 30, 2001
Wild adoptions seldom have happy endings.
JEFFERSON CITY-- Wildlife Research Biologist Jeff Beringer has sobering advice for kindhearted people who find white-tailed deer fawns and are tempted to take them home: "Don't. Adopting a fawn is a death sentence."
Each year, more than 100 Missourians find fawns without their mothers nearby and decide the young deer have been abandoned. Believing they are performing a good deed, they bundle the adorable, spotted animals off to the nearest Missouri Department of Conservation office.
From there, the next stop is a private wildlife rehabilitation facility, where the deer is hand-fed until it is mature enough to be released back into the wild. Beringer, a deer specialist at the Conservation Department's research center in Columbia, decided to find out what happens to these "rehabbed" deer once they are released.
"Last year we radio-collared 23 of these fawns and followed them after their release," said Beringer. "Of the 23, we know of only one survivor."
The trouble, says Beringer, is that fawns adopted by humans lose the chance to learn survival skills from their mothers. Fawns learn what to eat and where to find it, what to be afraid of and how to avoid predators from their mother's examples.
"Fawns raised in artificial settings have to learn on their own," said Beringer. "They are not likely to survive."
Beringer said this is particularly unfortunate, because in most cases it is unnecessary. Most whitetail fawns brought to Conservation Department offices weren't deserted. Their mothers simply weren't visible when well-meaning humans happened along.
"A human mother would never leave her baby alone in a clump of grass," said Beringer, "so people assume when they find a fawn in that situation its mother must be dead or gone. They don't realize that what's good for human babies isn't necessarily good for wild ones."
Beringer said does visit their fawns only long enough to nurse them. By staying away the rest of the time, they avoid drawing predators' attention to their young.
People who take fawns out of the wild often do so within sight or earshot of their mothers. The good news, says, Beringer, is that the mistake can be corrected.
"A mother has a big investment in her fawns. She's not going to give up on them easily. She probably will find them if they are returned to the area where they were picked up, even if someone has had them for a couple of days."
Similarly, Conservation Department offices statewide receive hundreds of calls each spring and summer from people who find birds, raccoons, opossums and a variety of other juvenile wildlife that they believe have been abandoned. In most cases nothing is wrong, and human intervention is inappropriate.
Birds often grow too large for their nests before they are able to fly. They fall or jump out, and parents continue to bring food for them on the ground. "Rescuing" a young animal from this situation is likely to result in its death. Most people aren't equipped to supply young animals' dietary needs.
If a child brings home a baby bird or rabbit, forget the popular myth that human scent will prevent the parent from taking it back. Return the animal as quickly as possible to the place where it was found.
If you have a flightless bird in your back yard, keep your pets indoors and chase away neighbors' cats and dogs that come snooping around. The parent birds will continue to care for the little one until it can fly.
Some young deer, birds, rabbits and squirrels do die, victims of predators, inclement weather or just bad luck. But Conservation Department biologists say that's how it's supposed to be. Predators need food to survive, and nature produces many more baby animals than needed to sustain wildlife populations. Death, they say, is a necessary part of life in the wild.
- Jim Low -
Youths to get an early crack at spring turkeys
Friday, March 30, 2001
JEFFERSON CITY -- Young hunters who are itching to test their skills against the wily wild turkey have a season of their own this year.
The 2001 youth season will be April 14 and 15. The regular spring turkey season opens April 23 and runs through May 13.
The new season provides opportunities for youngsters to experience turkey hunting without the pressures of the normal season. Any Missouri resident who is 15 or younger on April 14 is eligible for the youth season. Participants need either a Resident Spring Turkey Hunting Permit ($15) or a Youth Deer and Turkey Hunting permit ($15).
Youths with Resident Spring Turkey Hunting Permits may hunt in both the youth-only season and the regular spring turkey season. Children who are under age 12 and are not hunter-education certified may participate in both the youth-only hunt and the spring turkey season with a Youth Deer and Turkey Hunting Permit. Those using the Youth Deer and Turkey Hunting Permit must hunt in the immediate presence of a licensed adult hunter who has successfully completed hunter education training. Hunter education certification is required for those 11 and older who are using the Resident Spring Turkey Hunting Permit (and for all hunters born on or after Jan. 1, 1967).
During the youth-only season, hunters may harvest one turkey with a shotgun. Shot may be no larger than No. 4. Shooting hours are one-half hour before sunrise to 1 p.m. Central Daylight Time. Like other turkey hunters, youth hunters are restricted to killing male turkeys or turkeys with visible beards.
Youths who harvest one bird on a Resident Spring Turkey Hunting Permit during the youth-only season may not take another turkey until the second or third week of the regular spring turkey hunting season. Those who harvest a bird on a Youth Deer and Turkey Hunting Permit during the youth season may not take a second bird during the regular spring turkey season.
Further details on the youth-only turkey season are found in the 2001 Spring Turkey Hunting Information booklet, which is available at permit vendors statewide.
- Jim Low -
Missouri deer and livestock free of brain wasting diseases
Friday, March 30, 2001
JEFFERSON CITY--Despite lingering concerns about so-called, "brain-wasting diseases," Missouri's deer herd and livestock industry appear to be healthy.
News of brain diseases affecting cattle and deer has made national and international headlines recently. Dr. Howard Pue, communicable diseases specialist for the Missouri Department of Health, said the reports have generated a lot of misinformation about a group of diseases known as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies or TSEs. In turn, ill-founded and incomplete reports have fueled unnecessary concern about the safety of consuming beef and venison.
The diseases, Pue explained, result from mutated proteins called prions. A European outbreak of one type of TSE, commonly called "mad cow disease," created unsubstantiated rumors here, which led to a heightened level of public concern. Mad cow disease has been associated with a variant of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in Great Britain, causing a number of deaths in that country.
In the United States, another TSE, called chronic wasting disease, has been reported in three western states, said Lonnie Hansen, deer research biologist for the Missouri Department of Conservation. Specifically, it has been documented in whitetailed deer, mule deer and elk in Colorado and Wyoming. One case involving a wild mule deer was documented in western Nebraska. No case of chronic wasting disease has ever been reported in Missouri.
"Chronic wasting disease has been present in the United States for at least 20 years," Pue concurred. "There is no known evidence that chronic wasting disease affects humans."
Even though it is perfectly safe to eat deer meat, Hansen encourages hunters who harvest and process deer to take common-sense precautions, such as wearing rubber gloves. Since TSEs appear to affect the central nervous system of the afflicted animal, Hansen also cautions against handling or eating deer brains.
In light of the recent outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in Europe, Dr. John Hunt, state veterinarian with the Missouri Department of Agriculture, said it's important to understand that the threat of foot-and-mouth disease in Missouri is even more remote than chronic wasting disease.
"Chronic wasting disease is not the same thing as foot-and-mouth disease," Hunt said, emphatically. "It's not the same thing as mad cow disease. It's a separate entity altogether, and presently, none of these things is an issue in Missouri."
To make sure it stays that way, the departments of Conservation and Agriculture are monitoring the state's deer and livestock for any signs of brain-wasting diseases. The effort will include random testing of deer harvested during the 2001 deer hunting season. The U.S. Department of Agriculture is developing a voluntary chronic wasting disease certification program. Missouri elk producers will have to enroll if they want to ship their products out of state.
For more information about these issues, contact the MDC's Columbia Research Center at 573/882-9880, the Missouri Department of Agriculture at 573/522-8429, or the Missouri Department of Health at 573/751-6113.
- Bryan Hendricks -
Treescape awards honor green communities
Friday, March 30, 2001
JEFFERSON CITY -- Nine public and private institutions recently received recognition from the Missouri Department of Conservation for tree-planting efforts that significantly benefit their communities.
Missouri Treescape Awards and a Citation of Merit went to communities whose tree-planting efforts were judged best in the annual competition sponsored by the Conservation Department. Tim Frevert, Missouri Treescape Awards Coordinator for the Conservation Department, says the main criteria for winning recognition is the contribution of the new trees to the larger area, not just the site where they are planted.
"The overall health and attractiveness of a community forest depends on lots of people practicing good tree stewardship together, on public and private property," said Frevert. "Tree planting is one important part of this."
Awards are available in several categories, based on the type and size of institution, business or community competing. This year the Conservation Department recognized eight winners:
• Sikeston Business, Education and Technology Park, (commercial/industrial category);
• Columbia College (institutional category);
• Ste. Genevieve County Community Center (governmental category);
• Weller Elementary School, Springfield (primary school category);
• Metropolitan School, Maplewood (secondary school category);
• Rotary Club 13, Kansas City (volunteer category);
• City of Kahoka (municipal, under 2500 category);
• City of St. Peters Parks Department (municipal, over 20,000 category).
The Conservation Department presented a Citation of Merit to the Forestry Division of the City of St. Louis.
Information about the Treescape Awards program and cooperative tree planting assistance through the Conservation Department is available at the Conservation Department's regional offices statewide or from Forestry Division, Missouri Department of Conservation, P.O. Box 180, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0180, 573/751-4115.
- Jim Low -
Fishing reports are good news for Missouri anglers
Friday, March 23, 2001
The Missouri Department of Conservation's website has information
about fish populations and fishing conditions at dozens of lakes and streams.
JEFFERSON CITY -- Access to Missouri's weekly, statewide fishing reports is as close as your personal computer.
The Missouri Department of Conservation compiles fishing reports for selected lakes, rivers and trout parks from April through October. The reports are posted each Thursday at http://www.conservation.state.mo.us/fish/fishrt/ .
The reports cover more than 60 areas. They include information about water conditions, most active fish species, angler success and the most effective baits, lures and strategies.
The Conservation Department also has released its 2001 Fishing Prospects at Selected Missouri Lakes and Streams, covering more than 30 lakes around Missouri, and the news is good. Prospects are excellent at many of the state's most popular fishing lakes and streams. Fishing hot spots scattered all around the state offer good to excellent prospects for catching everything from bluegill and crappie to hybrid striped bass.
The Fishing Prospects will be available on the fishing page of the Conservation Department's website, http://www.conservation.state.mo.us/fish/. Request printed copies from Randy Noyes, Fisheries Division, Missouri Department of Conservation, P.O. Box 180, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0180.
-Jim Low-
Plants selected now ensure butterfly visits
Friday, March 23, 2001
Keep hummingbirds in mind when browsing garden catalogs.
JEFFERSON CITY --Are you interested in adding double color to your garden? If so, the Missouri Department of Conservation recommends that you begin planning your butterfly garden today.
A.J. Hendershott, regional outreach and education coordinator for the Conservation Department, says gardeners can add color to their gardens and attract butterflies with judicious plant selections. Among his recommendations are:
Contact native plant nurseries now for catalogs. Native plants require less maintenance than many cultivated varieties.
Select plants with different blooming periods to keep your garden attractive to butterflies throughout the summer.
Pick a sunny site and sketch out a planting map. Group tall plants toward the back, medium-tall ones in the middle and shorter ones in front.
Plant shrubs as well as flowers. Flowering shrubs provide butterfly food for years without replanting and contribute to landscaping goals.
Use plants that provide food for both caterpillars and butterflies.
Hendershott says you don't have to create the whole garden the first year. Cash, time or energy may limit how much you can accomplish at one time. Start with perennial plants that will provide a foundation for your butterfly garden every year.
After planning your butterfly garden, try to put plants in the ground or plant seeds in March, April or May. Shrubs can be planted in spring or autumn.
The Conservation Department has a free guide to butterfly gardening with detailed tips on plant selection, arrangements and more. You can contact your local Department of Conservation office for a print copy or look on the web site at www.conservation.state.mo.us/nathis/insects/butterf/.
-Jim Low-
Nurseries help Missourians Grow Native!
Friday, March 23, 2001
Plant nurseries around the state are ready to provide native planting stock that enhances beauty and wildlife habitat.
JEFFERSON CITY -- Responding to gardeners' increased awareness of how their hobby affects nature, a number of Missouri nurseries are offering native plants for landscape use.
Until recent years, gardeners focused on exotic plants from all over the world. But bad experiences with aggressive exotics like kudzu and purple loosestrife proved that imports can have a downside. Besides being hard to control in landscape settings, some exotics can escape to the wild, where they compete with native plants, diminishing biological diversity.
A look through national gardening magazines reveals growing interest in gardening with native plants that are perfectly adapted to local conditions, require little maintenance and don't wreak ecological havoc. Many nurseries now sell native plants to meet the growing demand for native stock. A few specialize in this trade, selling native plants exclusively.
To encourage this trend, the Missouri Department of Conservation has joined other conservation organizations in Grow Native! This statewide alliance of conservationists and nursery owners encourages home gardeners, developers and communities to grow plants that benefit wildlife and are compatible with local plant communities. By involving nurseries, the program increases the availability of reasonably priced seed, plants, shrubs and trees suited to Missouri's growing conditions.
Grow Native! also sponsors programs about gardening with native plants at locations throughout the state. Publications that explain how to use beneficial plants and tell gardeners where such plants are available also are part of the program. The Conservation Department plans to publish a book about gardening with native plants this year as a Grow Native! tie-in.
Information about gardening with native plants is available at the Conservation Department's Web site, http://www.conservation.state.mo.us/ and enter a keyword search for "grownative", or by sending a self-addressed, stamped envelope to Grow Native!, P.O. Box 104671, Jefferson City, MO 65110-4671.
Participating nurseries can provide advice and planting materials to help make your property more hospitable to wildlife. These nurseries label wildlife-friendly plants with special Grow Native! tags.
Go to http://www.conservation.state.mo.us/cgi-bin/mdcdevpub/apps/gn_nurseries/search.cgi for a full listing of participating nurseries.
-Jim Low-
Annual count shows eagle numbers up
Friday, March 16, 2001
Open waters of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers draw a record number of eagles to Missouri.
JEFFERSON CITY -- Extremely low temperatures in the upper Midwest helped Missouri's wintering bald eagle population soar to an all-time high.
The annual midwinter eagle survey conducted Jan. 2 through Jan. 5 found a record 2,880 eagles. That is up significantly from last year's count of 1,970 and the previous record of 2,621 set in 1997.
All but 14 eagles counted in Missouri this year were identified as bald eagles. Three were identified as golden eagles, and 11 were listed as unidentified. Immature bald eagles can be difficult to distinguish from golden eagles.
Jim D. Wilson, an ornithologist with the Missouri Department of Conservation, says this year's record eagle count resulted from cold weather in more northerly states. Eagles need open water to obtain their preferred foods fish and waterfowl. When lakes and streams north of Missouri freeze over, the birds move south until they find open water.
Frigid weather also affects where eagles settle within the state. Because smaller lakes, streams and ponds froze this winter, bald eagles were concentrated around big rivers and lakes. The largest concentration of eagles, 414, was reported in Pike County, along the Mississippi River. Counters tallied 250 of the birds of prey in Barry County, which contains the upper reaches of Table Rock Lake. Lincoln County, which also fronts the Mississippi River, posted a count of 214 eagles.
Eagles are counted two ways in Missouri. Conservation Department biologists note eagle numbers while conducting annual waterfowl surveys from airplanes. Conservation agents and national wildlife refuge staff statewide also count eagles from the ground during the week of the eagle survey.
Missouri is home to many more eagles in the winter than during the rest of the year.
- Arleasha Mays -
Grants help Missouri communities green up
Friday, March 16, 2001
Want to make your community a nicer place to live? Consider caring for your trees with help from the Missouri Department of Conservation.
JEFFERSON CITY -- Could your town use a little green to help create or spruce up its greenways? The Missouri Department of Conservation's Tree Resource Improvement and Maintenance (TRIMII) program can help.
The cost-share program is designed to encourage tree planting and maintenance in Missouri communities. TRIMII is a new program replacing the old Branch Out Missouri and TRIM programs.
Grants of $1,000 to $10,000 are available to local governments, county, state or federal agencies, public schools and nonprofit organizations for tree planting and maintenance projects on public lands. Applicants submit applications and letters of approval from the governmental body owning the trees or proposed planting site if the land is not owned by the applicant. Applications must include details and sketches of the project.
Justine Gartner, TRIMII project coordinator, says grants are awarded on a competitive basis. A panel of judges assesses each proposal for its value to the community, economic feasibility and practical considerations for planting and maintaining the trees.
"It's a good idea to have a local forester, nurseryman or landscape expert prepare your tree planting or maintenance plan or at least look over it," says Gartner. "That could prevent you from making mistakes that would cause the judges to turn down your request."
All grant recipients receive at least 60 percent of the money needed for their projects. The Conservation Department pays an extra 15 percent for projects in communities currently participating in the Tree City USA program.
TRIMII grant applications are available at Conservation Department Forestry Division offices throughout the state. To receive an application by mail, write to TRIMII Project Coordinator, Forestry Division, Missouri Department of Conservation, P.O. Box 180, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0180.
Applications must be postmarked no later than June 1, 2001.
- Bruce Palmer -
Preparations ensure safe, rewarding turkey hunt
Friday, March 16, 2001
Buy your permits early, check your calls and don't fail to pattern your shotgun, if you hope to put a gobbler in the oven.
JEFFERSON CITY -- You have to get up pretty early in the morning to outsmart a wild turkey gobbler. With Missouri's turkey flock flourishing, every hunter should have an exciting and enjoyable season. But if you're determined to put meat on the table, take the following steps to maximize your chances of bagging a turkey.
There is no limit on the number of permits available to hunt turkeys in Missouri, but those who wait until the last minute to buy permits sometimes have to stand in long lines at permit vendors. The Conservation Department recommends buying permits at least two days before opening of spring turkey season, which falls on April 23 this year.
Youngsters under age 12 can buy the Youth Deer and Turkey Hunting Permit. This $15 permit allows kids under the minimum legal age for hunter education certification to participate in the spring and fall turkey seasons if they hunt in the immediate presence of adult hunters who are licensed to hunt and have successfully completed a hunter education course themselves. The permit allows young hunters to take one bearded turkey during the spring season and one during the fall season and one deer in the fall.
This year for the first time qualifying nonresident landowners can apply to buy turkey and deer hunting permits at reduced prices.
Applicants must own at least 75 contiguous acres within a single management unit to qualify. Permit prices are:
--$75 for Nonresident Landowner Firearms Spring Turkey, Nonresident Landowner Firearms Deer Hunting, Nonresident Landowner Archer's Hunting and Nonresident Landowner Firearms Any-Deer Hunting permits.
--$40 for Nonresident Landowner Firearms First Bonus Deer Hunting Permits
--$25 for Nonresident Landowner Firearms Second Bonus Deer Hunting Permits
--$50 for Nonresident Landowner Firearms Fall Turkey Hunting Permits.
Details about how many permits may be obtained and application procedures are printed in the 2001 Spring Turkey Hunting Information booklet, which is available wherever hunting permits are sold
Have you examined your camouflage clothing, seat cushion, calls, decoys and shotgun shells since last spring? Now is the time to check essential items to avoid being caught flatfooted on opening day. Diaphragm calls deteriorate, friction calls may require sandpapering to restore proper tone, and shot shells may have mysteriously disappeared during the off season (probably fired at squirrels!).
Take time to check the safety and proper functioning of your shotgun. While you have your gun out, place the yellow "Be Safe" sticker from the transportation tag provided at permit vendors on the receiver of the gun. This is a legal requirement for turkey hunters.
The key to killing a gobbler is calling it as close as possible before pulling the trigger. Get a bird within 20 yards, and any shotgun will do the job. Fail to get the bird within 40 yards, and you run the risk of losing a wounded bird no matter how impressive your artillery.
Don't wait until the night before the season opens to brush up on calling technique. The best way to learn to call turkeys is to listen to real wild turkeys and imitate their sounds. If you can't do this in the woods, consider buying an audio tape of turkey sounds. Instructional audio and video tapes can be helpful, too.
The best thing you can do to increase your turkey hunting enjoyment and your chances of killing a turkey is to spend some time in the woods prior to the hunting season and learn your quarry's habits. If you approach this casually, strolling around carelessly in regular hunting clothes, not only will you probably not learn much, you'll spook the turkeys, making them even harder to hunt.
Approach scouting trips as seriously as actual hunts. Wear full camouflage, move slowly and silently and spend most of your time afield sitting absolutely still, watching and listening for information about turkey activity.
As much as possible, do your scouting from afar. Choose a concealed, elevated location from which you can survey the terrain you plan to hunt, and use binoculars to discover where turkeys like to feed, strut and loaf.
Most important, be in the woods at dusk the week before turkey season opens. Post yourself in several different locations at sunset on successive days and listen for the sound of turkeys flying up to roost as darkness falls. Just because a gobbler roosts in one location today is no guarantee that he will return to the same tree the next night. But if you have discovered the location of several favorite roosting sites you'll be way ahead of the game on opening day.
Body shots don't count in turkey hunting. To prevent a turkey from running off, you must hit him with at least one pellet in the skull or in one of his neck bones.
If you aim directly at a turkey's head, half your shot pattern will fly harmlessly over his head. Worse, if the bird ducks his head just as you fire, you may miss entirely. Instead, aim at the middle of the bird's neck.
A turkey shot from behind, from the side, or with his head pulled up next to the body while strutting does not have his vital area fully exposed. The ideal position is with the turkey facing you with his head up and his neck fully extended.
When the excitement of the hunt builds to a spine-tingling crescendo, remind yourself that no turkey is worth taking the chance of hurting another person or being injured yourself. Force yourself to wait until you can see the entire bird before clicking off the safety on your gun. Look beyond your target before pulling the trigger to be sure no one else is in the line of fire.
- Jim Low -
Lowell Mohler is Missouri's 46th Master Conservationist
Friday, March 16, 2001
The new director of the Missouri Department of Agriculture has a reputation for blending sound agricultural and conservation practices.
JEFFERSON CITY -- Lowell Mohler, whose career and personal interests have wedded farming to conservation, is the Missouri's 46th Master Conservationist.
Mohler, who was appointed by Gov. Bob Holden in January to head the Missouri Department of Agriculture, received the Master Conservationist Award from the Missouri Conservation Commission during the Missouri Natural Resources Conference in February.
Mohler was honored for his career commitment to enhancing the relationship between agriculture and conservation. For 26 years, Mohler served as chief administrative officer and corporate secretary of the Missouri Farm Bureau Federation, retiring in 1996. After retiring from the Farm Bureau, he served as chairman of the Missouri State Fair Commission. He is a former national vice president of Ducks Unlimited and a member of the University of Missouri's School of Natural Resources advisory council.
Mohler also worked with federal legislators on the Conservation and Reinvestment Act, legislation that is crucial to the long-term health of wildlife in the United States. He was instrumental in helping to secure funding for the construction of the Anheuser-Busch Natural Resources Building at the University of Missouri-Columbia.
Mohler previously has been named Man of the Year in Agriculture by Missouri Ruralist Magazine and Ag Leader of the Year by the Missouri Ag Industries Council. He also has received the Missouri University Distinguished Service Alumni Award and the Missouri Chapter of the Wildlife Society's G. Andy Runge Award.
Mohler and his wife, JoAnn, live on a 200-acre farm northwest of Jefferson City.
The Master Conservationist Award is the Conservation Commission's highest honor. The Conservation Commission established the award in 1941 to recognize substantial and lasting contributions to fisheries, forestry or wildlife conservation. Only 45 people have received the award in 61 years.
- Jim Low -
Corps offers hunt for physically challenged hunters
Friday, March 09, 2001
The Mark Twain Lake community rolls out the red carpet for hunters who use wheelchairs.
MONROE CITY, Mo. -- Mobility-impaired hunters can get help realizing their turkey-hunting dreams through the annual Mark Twain Lake Turkey Hunt for the Physically Challenged.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which owns and manages Mark Twain Lake, works with local community groups to make the hunt May 5 and 6 at Indian Creek Recreation Area a memorable experience. Twenty physically challenged hunters get VIP service normally associated with expensive guided hunts.
Participants supply their own guns and ammunition, 20 gauge or larger. A limited number of guides are available, but participants are encouraged to bring their own helpers.
To qualify, applicants must be permanently disabled (nonambulatory or semiambulatory), have valid hunter safety certification cards and valid spring turkey hunting permits.
For application materials, contact the Corps of Engineers, Mark Twain Lake, Rt. 2, Box 20A, Monroe City, MO 63456, 573/735-4097. Applications must be received by April 2. Reservations will be awarded by random drawing April 4.
- Jim Low -
Missouri officials keeping an eye on deer health
Friday, March 09, 2001
Although the possibility of problems is remote, officials with the departments of Conservation and Agriculture aren't taking any chances.
JEFFERSON CITY -- Officials with the Missouri departments of Conservation and Agriculture are watching deer and livestock for signs of brain-wasting diseases. They say there's no sign of mad cow-like maladies here, but are taking precautions anyway.
News of brain diseases affecting cattle and deer have made national and international headlines recently. Lonnie Hansen, a wildlife research biologist at the Missouri Department of Conservation's research center in Columbia, said the news has created public concern about a group of diseases known as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies or TSEs. He said the news reports have triggered rumors and a good deal of misinformation.
According to Hansen, the diseases result from mutated proteins called prions. A European outbreak of one type of TSE, commonly called mad cow disease, fed panic and rumors here. Mad cow disease caused several human deaths and led to a massive slaughter of cattle in Great Britain.
The Conservation Department has been on the lookout for signs of another TSE called chronic wasting disease or CWD. CWD has been found in wild deer and elk in parts of Colorado and Wyoming since the 1970s. It hasn't caused health problems in humans or cattle, and there is no known link between CWD and diseases known to affect humans or cattle. Hansen said the chances of CWD moving beyond deer and elk are small.
To be on the safe side, Conservation Department biologists will check some deer taken by hunters for the disease during the 2001 deer hunting season. The U.S. Department of Agriculture is developing a voluntary chronic wasting disease certification program. Missouri elk producers will have to enroll if they want to ship their products out of state.
Hansen said worries about CWD should be kept in perspective. "With no evidence that it exists in Missouri, and no evidence that it has ever infected humans in western states, it makes more sense to worry about whether your automobile's air bag is in working order," he said.
- Jim Low
Mississippi River fishing regulations simpler
Friday, March 09, 2001
Illinois and Missouri conservation agencies cooperate to simplify
sport fishing regulations on Mississippi River boundary waters.
HANNIBAL, Mo. -- Today's fishermen might well envy Huck Finn. When Mark Twain's fictional boy angler prowled the channels and sloughs of the Mississippi River, he didn't have to wonder which state's fishing regulations to obey. In contrast, anglers plying the Illinois-Missouri boundary waters today must keep track of unmarked state boundaries and study both states' regulations. An agreement between the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) will restore some of the simplicity of Huck Finn's era.
On March 1, new agreements and rules will allow anglers from either state to fish anywhere in the Illinois-Missouri boundary waters of the Mississippi River or its backwaters, mostly under one simple set of regulations. Fishery biologists, law enforcement officers, and top fisheries administrators from the MDC and the IDNR worked out the agreement to make it easier for conscientious anglers to obey fishing regulations.
Under the old pact regulating fishing between Missouri and Illinois, creel limits and length limits were different for almost every sport fish, depending on which state's waters you were fishing. The new agreement establishes uniform regulations on methods, seasons, length limits and daily limits for sport fishing on the two states' boundary waters.
The new agreement also makes it easier for anglers and law enforcement officers to determine where each state's fishing regulations apply. Formerly, an Illinois-licensed angler fishing on the Missouri side of the river (sometimes defined by the center of the navigation channel, sometimes not), could legally fish without a Missouri license, but only if doing so in "flowing portions" of the river (a subjective and often temporary condition). A Missouri-licensed angler could fish on the Illinois side of the river, but could not stand on shore and fish from Illinois property in the same water that was legal to fish from a boat. All that has changed.
MDC Fisheries Division Administrator Norm Stucky summed up the change, saying, "It is time that we treat this great river as it truly is a single ecosystem in which fish move freely throughout. Anglers should be able to enjoy this wonderful resource without undue anxiety over geopolitical boundaries that mean nothing to the fish."
Treating the river as one system required Missouri and Illinois officials to define the term "backwater." For the purposes of Missouri fishing regulations, a backwater is now "any flowing or nonflowing water lying exclusively within the flood plain of a river and connected to that river at any water level below official flood stage."
"If you can get there by boat under any river stage short of a flood, we consider it a backwater," said MDC Northeast Protection Regional Supervisor, Matt Wolken, "and any Illinois-licensed angler may fish there. Tributary streams and ditches are not considered backwaters."
Missouri anglers enjoy the same privileges in Illinois backwaters. Illinois defines the term more broadly, but Missouri anglers can enjoy worry-free fishing in waters that are connected to the Mississippi River at levels below flood stage.
Missouri anglers should be aware that their statewide three-pole limit has been reduced on the Mississippi River. However, the number of hooks they may use on labeled set lines has been increased. As of March 1, not more than two unlabeled poles (formerly three) and not more than 50 hooks (formerly 33) may be used by any person at one time anywhere on the river.
"Unlike Illinois, Missouri could make this change without an act of the legislature," said Stucky, "so we did the compromising." Missouri anglers fishing near the confluence of the Mississippi River and Missouri tributary streams must remember that no more than the statewide limit of 33 hooks may be used at one time in waters other than the Mississippi River.
For all species except paddlefish (spoonbill) there is no closed season. Snagging for paddlefish will be allowed from March 15 through May 15 and again from Sept. 15 through Dec. 15. This represents a compromise between the formerly non-aligned seasons in both states.
The new agreement establishes a 12-inch minimum length limit for largemouth and smallmouth bass. In a rare departure from complete uniformity, Missouri has maintained its statewide minimum length limit of 24" for paddlefish (measured from the eye to the fork of the tail), while Illinois license holders (and those exempt from buying an Illinois fishing license) may keep spoonbill of any size if caught in Illinois waters.
Complex length limits for rarely-caught striped bass or their hybrids were dropped by both states. No other sport fishing length limits are in effect on Illinois-Missouri boundary waters.
Daily limits were changed dramatically in both states. Each had their own rules based upon long-standing traditions that were consistent with statewide regulations. Each had to make significant compromises in the interest of achieving simplicity and uniformity. "The primary goal is to make fishing on the Mississippi River easier and more enjoyable by developing one simple set of rules that is effective but does not compromise the quality of the resource," said Stucky.
Illinois Department of Natural Resources Director Brent Manning agrees and added, "We had to set tradition aside in order to better serve our public, and we tried not to unduly restrict anglers in the process."
For many species or groups of species, Illinois agreed to establish a daily limit where none had existed previously. In such instances, Missouri doubled its statewide daily limit for the Mississippi River only, thus achieving a numerical compromise acceptable to both states. Biologists in both states said they believe that these changes will not significantly affect Mississippi River sport fish populations.
Beginning March 1, the daily sport fishing limits on Illinois-Missouri boundary waters of the Mississippi River will be as follows: 20 channel and blue catfish combined; 10 flathead catfish; six black bass (usually largemouth); 30 white bass and hybrid striped bass combined; eight walleye and sauger combined; one northern pike (rarely caught); 30 white and black crappie combined; two paddlefish (spoonbill); and 100 other fish combined.
Signs informing anglers of these new regulations have been posted at marinas and other points of boater access on the Mississippi River in Illinois and Missouri.
Illinois fishery biologist Bob Williamson played a major role in coordinating the new uniform sport fishing regulations, and he has retired just in time to enjoy the fruits of his labors. "Bob and all the dedicated professionals with Illinois DNR should be proud of the role they played," said Stucky. "Without their extraordinary cooperation and hard work, this joint initiative would have gone nowhere. Now we have a more user-friendly river and a solid, uniform foundation upon which to build even better regulations to meet the sport fish management challenges of the new millennium."
- Dave Neuswanger -
Two Missourians honored for waterfowl contributions
Friday, March 09, 2001
ST. LOUIS -- Adolphus A. Busch IV and Jim Tom Blair IV received the 2001 Canvasback Award for their contribution to two wetland projects. The award is sponsored each year by the Upper Mississippi River/Great Lakes Joint Venture of the North American Waterfowl Management Plan.
Blair and Busch, both sons of former Missouri conservation commissioners, were instrumental in arranging funding for an expansion that doubled the size of Four Rivers Conservation Area (CA). They also helped bankroll wetland development at B.K. Leach CA. Their involvement was critical to the success of the two projects during a time of tight budgets for the Conservation Department.
Working through the St. Louis Sponsor Chapter of Ducks Unlimited (D.U), the two men organized and contributed to the largest single fundraising event in D.U. history. They raised $4.5 million for wetland conservation. Half a million dollars of the total went to the wetland development at B.K. Leach C.A., and $1.5 million went to pay for the Four Rivers addition.
- Jim Low -
Paddlefish season opens March 15
Friday, March 02, 2001
The Conservation Department reminds anglers of regulation changes that went into effect last year.
LAKE OZARK, Mo. -- With the opening of paddlefish snagging season just around the corner, the Missouri Department of Conservation reminds anglers that some regulations have changed.
The paddlefish is one of Missouri's most unusual creatures. It's also the object of an annual pilgrimage that draws hundreds of anglers to the tailwaters of dams on the Osage and White rivers. They come to catch huge fish with outrageous, spoon-like snouts and skeletons made of cartilage, like sharks.
Paddlefish are among the largest fish in Missouri. The state record is 130 pounds. Ironically, they live on plankton. Their cavernous mouths are designed to strain tiny plants and animals from the water.
This makes paddlefish next to impossible to catch with bait. Instead, anglers pursue them by jerking lines with big, three-pointed hooks through the water and snagging the behemoths.
The only time paddlefish gather in sufficient numbers to make this method of fishing practical is in the spring. Driven by the urge to spawn, the big fish swim upstream. Dams stop them below Lake of the Ozarks and Truman Lake. At Table Rock Lake, they swim up the James River and Flat Creek in the Cape Fair area. These seasonal concentrations create terrific fishing opportunities for anglers who are hardy enough to brave sometimes frightful weather and muscle huge fish out of the swirling water.
Paddlefish snagging season opens March 15 and continues through April 30. The daily limit is two. In most waters, paddlefish must be released immediately if they measure less than 24 inches from eye to fork of tail.
Several new regulations that went into effect in 2000 continue this year. The minimum length limit is 34 inches on Lake of the Ozarks, Table Rock Lake and Truman Lake and their tributaries. The Osage River between Bagnell Dam and the U.S. Highway 54 bridge is closed to snagging, snaring and grabbing from March 15 through April 30.
Also, you must stop snagging, snaring or grabbing for any species of fish after taking a daily limit of two paddlefish on Truman Lake and Lake of the Ozarks and their tributaries and on the Osage River below Highway 54.
Full details of paddlefish regulations are listed in the year 2001 Summary of Fishing Regulations, which is available free wherever fishing permits are sold.
Since lakes now cover virtually all the paddlefish's historic spawning areas, the state's paddlefish population is sustained by stocking fish spawned in captivity. The Conservation Department stocks approximately 25,000 paddlefish annually.
- Jim Low -
Spring migration creates waterfowl watching bonanza
Friday, March 02, 2001
Now's the time to "bag" ducks with binoculars and spotting scopes.
FOUNTAIN GROVE Mo. -- Missouri may appear to be in the grip of winter, but spring is here. Proof can be found at dozens of wetland areas across the state, where hundreds of thousands of ducks, geese, grebes, coots and other birds are arriving on their spring migration.
"Spring waterfowl watching is wonderful," said Ornithologist Jim D. Wilson with the Missouri Department of Conservation. "The birds are in their brilliant breeding plumage, and you can see lots of interesting behavior associated with courtship."
Wilson said the nesting urge keeps waterfowl moving through Missouri in the spring. The push usually begins in mid to late February. It usually peaks in mid-March, but waterfowl viewing can continue into April, depending on weather conditions.
During the spring migration hundreds of thousands of geese and ducks throng the state's wetland areas. Areas that often host large concentrations of waterfowl include Schell-Osage Conservation Area (CA) in Vernon and St. Clair counties, Bob Brown CA and nearby Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) in Holt County, Duck Creek CA and adjacent Mingo NWR in Stoddard and Wayne counties. Keep in mind that rainfall can make road access to these areas difficult.
Diving ducks can be seen in huge rafts on large expanses of open water, while dabbling ducks prefer shallow, marshy areas. Flooded timber areas are good places to find wood ducks, one of the most beautiful waterfowl species. Geese often can be seen in pastures and crop fields.
Besides migrating waterfowl, a spring hike in the woods during March is likely to lead to sightings of brown creepers, kinglets, gnatcatchers, yellow-rumped warblers, towhees and other early-migrating perching birds. By late April, other warblers, vireos, tanagers and a rainbow of other small migrants reach Missouri to delight bird watchers.
Conservation areas aren't the only places where Missourians can see waterfowl. Wilson said lakes and even farm ponds attract their share of migrants looking for places to rest. The many lakes and ponds at August A. Busch Memorial Conservation Area in St. Charles County provide excellent waterfowl viewing opportunities. One lake even is equipped with viewing blinds.
"The appearance of migrating waterfowl in Missouri during March is always a heartening sight," said Wilson, "particularly when it comes on the heels of a hard winter. Looking at a calendar tells you that spring is near, but that's just ink on paper. The birds are tangible proof that we're almost done with winter."
- Jim Low -
Waterfowl zoning workshops set for March
Friday, March 02, 2001
Choosing waterfowl hunting seasons and zones that take
into account unpredictable weather and different hunting styles is a balancing act. The Conservation Department wants hunters to help.
JEFFERSON CITY -- Every five years, Missouri gets to decide how to structure its waterfowl hunting seasons. Having choices is nice, but making them is far from simple. That's why the Missouri Department of Conservation is holding workshops at eight locations around the state to find out what hunters think about duck and goose seasons.
Workshops are scheduled for:
--March 13 at 7 p.m. at the Columbia United Church of Christ, 3201 I-70 Drive.
--March 14 at 8 p.m. at the American Legion Post 101, 2721 Collier Ave., St. Louis.
--March 15 at the Columns Banquet Center, 711 Fairlane, St. Charles.
--March 20 at 7 p.m. at Otter Slough Conservation Area Headquarters, near the junction of Routes ZZ and H southwest of Dexter.
--March 21 at 7 p.m. at the Knights of Columbus Hall, 3305 N. High St. on Highway 61 between Jackson and Fruitland.
--March 22 at 7 p.m. at Steadley Elementary School on Route HH just west of Highway 71 near Carthage.
--March 24 at 2 p.m. at the Lodge of Four Seasons on Highway HH, Osage Beach.
--March 29 at 7 p.m. at Burr Oak Woods Conservation Nature Center, 1401 NW Park Road, Blue Springs.
Since 1990, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has given states a periodic say in how waterfowl seasons are structured. To be able to evaluate the effects of different regulations, federal officials require states to pick season structures and hunting zone boundaries and leave them in place for at least five years.
Missouri's current system is up for review this year. It sets duck season opening and closing dates to coincide with historic peak migration periods for mallards in three zones north, middle and south.
On the table during the upcoming review are not only season dates, but the number of zones and their boundaries. The scheme selected this year will remain in effect through the 2005 hunting season.
"Duck hunters in Missouri have seen extremes of every sort during the last decade," said Conservation Department Wildlife Research Biologist Dale Humburg. "We have had short seasons and long seasons and record low duck populations and record highs. Some years we have gotten early, almost arctic winters, and others we've had practically no winter at all."
Humburg says hunters' preferences vary almost as widely as hunting seasons and conditions. "Even if you could predict what the weather is going to be, hunters would still have different preferences for season structure, based on where and how they hunt. Every hunter has some thoughts on how waterfowl zone boundaries should be drawn and when seasons should be set. We hope they all come to these workshops to express their desires."
Conservation Department personnel will provide information about long-term trends in migration timing, weather, duck populations, waterfowl harvests and hunter opinions. Workshop participants will fill out questionnaires about their hunting experiences and preferences.
During the workshops, Conservation Department hunters will meet in small groups to work toward a consensus about zones and seasons.
"There always are considerable differences in opinion about the best zone configuration and season timing," said Humburg. "The challenge is to balance these to accommodate a wide range of hunting styles."
Humburg says zone changes are likely if most hunters from a particular region prefer different zones. If there is no overwhelming support for a change, or if there is great disparity between suggestions, the Conservation Department will look for the zone structure that accommodates the broadest range of hunting preferences.
Mutually satisfactory compromise is the goal, said Humburg. "It's not a 'majority rules' situation. We try to make sure as many people have as much hunting opportunity as possible."
For more information about the zoning workshops, check out the MDC Hunting webpage
at www.conservation.state.mo.us/hunt/wtrfowl/zonewkshp.htm
- Jim Low -
Children can enter state fish art contest
Friday, March 02, 2001
Students from grade four through high school can enter their artwork of Missouri's state fish, the channel catfish.
JEFFERSON CITY -- Missouri youngsters can draw top honors in the Wildlife Forever State-Fish Art Contest with artwork of the channel catfish.
The contest, open to students in grades four through 12, is designed to promote conservation education. All artwork must be the contestant's original, hand-done creation. Art techniques that may be used include scratch-board, chalk, charcoal, dry brush, watercolor, crosshatch, lead, collage, linoleum printing or crayon. The artwork must be presented horizontally on an 8.5"x 11" piece of paper.
Entries must be accompanied by official entry forms and a one-page typed composition on the characteristics of the state fish, its habitat, behavior, or efforts to conserve the fish. Submission must be postmarked by March 31.
For contest rules and entry forms visit the Wildlife Forever State-Fish Art Contest website at: www.state.fishart.com or call toll-free 877/347-4278.
Winning entries will be displayed at the Mall of America in Minneapolis, Minnesota at the State-Fish Art Expo June 1-3. Winning designs also will be presented online at: www.statefishart.com and America Online. All contestants will receive a certificate of participation.
- Arleasha Mays -
