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| Hunters checked 7,004 turkeys during the first day of the three-week spring turkey hunting season April 21. That is 17 percent more than last year, but still below the number taken on opening day in other recent years. (Missouri Dept. of Conservation photo) |
Gift certificates are an added incentive.
JEFFERSON CITY-When was the last time you went fishing? If you used to fish but haven’t lately, you might receive a friendly reminder from the Missouri Department of Conservation.
The agency recently sent postcards to 66,000 people who have bought fishing permits in the last five years but haven’t done so recently. It is part of a national campaign to remind lapsed anglers of how much they enjoyed fishing.
“People get busy, and sometimes they just don’t think about fishing,” said Fisheries Program Supervisor Mike Kruse. “A year goes by without a chance to go fishing, and pretty soon it just slides off your radar screen. We want to remind people what a great way fishing is to reconnect with family and friends and enjoy the outdoors. Missourians have a wealth of fishing opportunities available to them, and you don’t have to travel far from home to find a great place to fish.”
Kruse said the first 100 people who respond to the mailing by purchasing fishing permits will receive $5 gift certificates from Bass Pro Shops. Those who do not buy permits will receive a second postcard in May. If they buy fishing permits by June 15 they will be entered in a drawing for two $250 gift certificates from Bass Pro Shops.
The mailings are part of a three-year national effort spearheaded by the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation. RBFF is underwriting the direct-mail campaign in Missouri and 29 other states and boosting state efforts with national advertising.
Fishing benefits touted by the campaign include time spent with loved ones, the excitement of catching fish and the opportunity to enjoy nature. It also points out that fishing is inexpensive and that Missouri has hundreds of public fishing areas on lakes and streams.
For more information about fishing in Missouri visit www.mdc.mo.gov/fish.
-Jim Low-
Heavy rains in southern Missouri create questions about fishing at trout parks. This website has answers.
JEFFERSON CITY-A torrent of rumors swirled around Missouri trout parks after heavy rains raked southern Missouri. This one was closed; that one lost half its fish, the water was too high for fishing at yet another. Anglers could have saved a lot of wondering and guessing by checking the Missouri Department of Conservation’s online fishing report. They still can.
Paul Spurgeon, manager of the Conservation Department hatchery at Maramec Spring Park near St. James, said the telephone there rang almost nonstop following heavy rainfall in the Ozarks. Callers wanted the latest information about fishing conditions so they could adjust their plans if necessary.
Spurgeon said some callers had heard that Maramec Spring Park had lost all its fish. That was not true. He said losses to flooding were minor, and the hatchery has plenty to meet trout anglers needs throughout the summer.
“We are glad to talk to people when we are indoors,” said Spurgeon, “but we spend a lot of time out around the hatchery and in the park, so we can’t always answer. When we were able to answer the phone, I am sure a lot of people got a busy signal because we were talking to others. They could have gotten the same information at the department’s website.”
Jerry Dean, who manages Roaring River Hatchery in Barry County, near the southwest corner of the state, said he got a lot of calls about flooding, too.
“People worry that the river is flooding and they don't want to spend money for high gas prices to drive here if there is a possibility that we are flooding,” said Dean. “Lots of people don't realize that high water events at Roaring River don't really last that long-- like they do at other rivers in the area.”
Trout hatchery managers update information about their sites when conditions change, giving web-browsing anglers access to the latest information.
Dean said the U.S. Geological Survey recently installed an electronic water gauges at Roaring River, Bennett Spring and Montauk state parks. These gauges allow visitors to check up-to-the-minute stream flow 24 hours a day. Each hatchery’s web page has a link that allows visitors to check up-to-the-minute stream flow 24 hours a day. Stream flow at many other locations can be checked by visiting http://waterdata.usgs.gov/mo/nwis/rt.
Montauk Assistant Hatchery Manager Ben Havens said most anglers do not realize that the trout park spring branches rise and fall quickly after big rains. A stream that is high and murky one day can be back to normal the next afternoon.
Havens said anglers also often ask if all the trout have been “washed out” of hatchery raceways, reducing the supply of fish for stocking.
“It would take quite a big rise to flood our raceway system and wash the fish downriver,” said Havens. “Throughout the floods this spring, we have not even come close to this happening. We have lost no fish.”
Havens said Montauk does occasionally have trouble maintaining water quality in raceways as water in the adjoining spring branch is warmed by rainwater and carries more soil particles.
“We can have some elevated mortality due to extended periods of poor water quality,” said Havens. “Our fish usually come through just fine, but sometimes they become stressed from the poor water conditions such as the sediment/silt load irritating their gills. We have pumps and recirculation systems that help us tremendously. Our hatchery renovations have drastically improved the way we can combat a flood episode.”
For information about fishing conditions at Maramec Spring Park, visit mdc.mo.gov/2921. The Bennett Spring Hatchery website is mdc.mo.gov/areas/hatchery/bennett/. For Montauk State Park, visit mdc.mo.gov/areas/hatchery/montauk/. For Roaring River, visit mdc.mo.gov/2856.
The website mdc.mo.gov/fish includes a fishing report from the first Thursday in April through September. The fishing report also has information about water conditions, recent angler success and fishing tips for lakes and streams statewide. Anglers can subscribe online and receive the weekly fishing report each Thursday throughout the fishing season.
-Jim Low-
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| Young hunters checked 2,898 turkeys during the Youth Turkey Hunting Season April 12 and 13. That is 17.5 percent fewer than last year. Conservation Department Resource Scientist Tom Dailey attributed the decrease to cold, wet, windy weather. (Missouri Dept. of Conservation photo) |
Eleven areas in southeastern Missouri have been closed due to flooding.
KENNETT, Mo.-Turkey hunters who normally head for conservation areas in southeastern Missouri should check the list of closed areas before opening day of spring turkey season. They may find their favorite areas closed.
The Missouri Department of Conservation closed 11 of its areas last week due to flooding. Those conservation areas are:
--Wolf Bayou, Girvin, Black Island, DeSoto and Gayoso Bend in Pemiscot County;
--Ten Mile Pond and Seven Island in Mississippi County;
--Donaldson Point in New Madrid County;
--Coon Island in Butler County;
--Ben Cash and Hornersville Swamp in Dunklin County.
--Parts of Duck Creek CA in Bollinger, Stoddard and Wayne counties
Conservation Department officials said the closures serve two purposes. One is to keep visitors out of areas where high water has created unsafe conditions. The other is to protect turkeys and other wildlife that have been forced to take refuge from flooding on a limited amount of high ground.
“Chapter 7 of Missouri’s Wildlife Code says that wildlife may not be pursued or taken while trapped or surround by floodwaters or while fleeing from floodwaters,” said Conservation Department Protection Regional Supervisor Ken West. “We certainly are experiencing that now. We encourage landowners who have property near the closed public areas to restrict hunting activity to help protect wildlife fleeing high waters.”
For more information, contact the Conservation Department Southeast Regional Office, 573/290-5730.
-Jim Low-
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| The Anita B. Gorman Conservation Discovery Center in Kansas City is a model for building with energy conservation and environmental principles in mind. (Missouri Dept. of Conservation photo) |
Flowering trees are back after disastrous weather in 2007.
JEFFERSON CITY-The return of more normal weather promises a good display of wild, flowering trees this year, according to the Missouri Department of Conservation.
The Eastern redbud (Cercis canadensis) and flowering dogwood (Cornus florida) are Missouri’s showiest native flowering trees and draw most attention from photographers, artists and sightseers. Redbuds blossom first, sending out clusters of rose-purple flowers from late March through early May, before their leaves appear. Dogwood blossoming normally peaks in mid-April near the Arkansas border and two to three weeks later near Iowa.
Domesticated varieties of both trees tend to blossom earlier than their wild counterparts. Even native trees in cities bloom earlier, due to the warming effect of heat-retaining asphalt and concrete.
The exact time of dogwood blooming depends on weather. Below- or above-average temperatures can shift the peak as much as two weeks. Both dogwoods and redbuds began flowering much sooner than normal last year, responding to above-average temperatures throughout most of March. The hard freeze that struck the entire state early in April put a premature end to the display.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s long-range weather forecast (available at www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/forecasts/) predicts above-average temperatures and rainfall for the eastern half of the United States, favoring a normal flowering tree display.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Weekly Snowpack/Drought Monitor (www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/water/drought/wdr.pl) shows that wet weather has erased Missouri’s precipitation deficit. This also favors vigorous dogwood and redbud flowering.
With normal weather, Missourians can look for the usual beautiful spring display of flowering trees. Most dogwoods and redbuds came through last year’s ice storms with minimal damage, and the end of the state’s drought-at least for now-will go a long way toward relieving stress on trees.
Several stretches of highway in the Show-Me State provide scenic backdrops for the annual dogwood display. These include: --Highway 19 between Montgomery City and Thayer; --Highway 5 between Versailles and Gainesville; --Highway 142 between Doniphan and Bakersfield; --Highway 72 between Cape Girardeau and Rolla; --Highway 63 between Kingdom City and Thayer; --I-44 between Eureka and Rolla; --Highway 50 between Eureka and Jefferson City; --Highway 60 between Poplar Bluff and Springfield.
-Jim Low-
The future is bright, thanks to Missouri’s large wild turkey flock and the birds’ ability to bounce back under favorable conditions.
JEFFERSON CITY-Missouri’s top turkey expert says hunters can expect another good spring turkey season. While the 2008 spring turkey harvest is not likely to set any records, Show-Me State hunters’ success rate still will inspire envy in hunters from most other states.
Missouri’s spring turkey season opens April 21 and runs through May 11. Hunters are allowed to take one bearded turkey during the first week of the season and one bird a day during the second and third weeks of the season, up to a season limit of two. Only one turkey may be taken each day during the spring season. Hunting hours are one-half hour before sunrise to 1 p.m. Central Daylight Savings Time.
The regular season is preceded by a Youth Turkey Season April 12 and 13, with a limit of one turkey. Hunting hours during the youth season are one-half hour before sunrise to sunset.
Details about turkey hunting regulations are explained in the 2008 Spring Turkey Hunting Information booklet, which is available wherever hunting permits are sold, or at mdc.mo.gov/hunt/turkey/sprturk/.
A large part of the thrill of turkey hunting is hearing lots of gobbling. Highly vocal males are easier to hunt, since their calls give away their locations and indicate how receptive they might be to hunters’ calls.
The most vocal male turkeys are those that are two years old. Consequently, the amount of gobbling activity hunters hear in a given year depends heavily on how successful turkeys were at raising their young two years earlier.
Dailey said Missouri’s 2006 turkey hatch was one of the better ones in recent years. Observers reported seeing 1.6 poults - recently hatched turkeys - for every hen counted that year. That means hunters should hear plenty of gobbling on warm, sunny spring mornings this year.
On the other hand, hunters are likely to see fewer one-year-old male turkeys - known as jakes - than normal this year. Last year’s nest success was the second worst ever recorded since the beginning of modern turkey hunting in 1960. The cause was an unusually severe freeze last April.
“Hunters will probably notice that this year and next year,” said Resource Scientist Tom Dailey, who oversees the Missouri Department of Conservation’s turkey management program. But turkeys can bounce back very rapidly when favorable nesting conditions return, so I have a lot of hope pinned on this year’s hatch.”
That hope rests on normal rainfall and temperatures. Dailey said extreme cold and heavy rains in April, May and June, when hens are laying and incubating eggs, can cut into nesting success. Cold, wet weather also is hard on newly hatched turkeys.
“It is normal for turkey populations to fluctuate from year to year as a result of variations in weather,” said Dailey. “You get a few years together where turkeys just can’t catch a break, and their numbers dip a little. Then you get several years in a row where everything is right, and they bounce right back.”
Dailey said the key to keeping the state’s wild turkey flock strong is nesting and brood-rearing.
“If you have close to half a million birds like we do right now, that’s nearly 200,000 hens. If they raise an average of two poults each, you can have quite a recovery in just one year.”
Dailey said annual surveys showed turkey hens with an average of as many as 4.5 poults per hen during the era of turkey restoration, when the state’s turkey flock was expanding to fill unoccupied areas. The average has been much lower in recent years. This is to be expected in a stable turkey flock that is in balance with available habitat. Last year, observers reported a poult-to-hen ratio of 1:1.
Dailey predicted this year’s spring turkey harvest, including birds taken during the youth season, will be similar to last year’s, around 48,000.
“Only a handful of states are in the same league as Missouri when it comes to turkey population and harvest,” said Dailey. “There is a good reason why nearly 9,000 people pay a premium for nonresident permits to hunt turkeys in Missouri every year. An abundance of suitable habitat and careful turkey management continues to pay off in the Show-Me State.”
-Jim Low-
The dramatic decline in turkey-hunting accidents is reason to hope for a perfect season.
JEFFERSON CITY-Spring turkey season is almost here, and Tony Legg has a dream. Unlike most turkey hunters’ dreams, however, his fantasy is less about the hunting itself than about hunters. He dreams of a turkey season when no one is injured in a firearms-related hunting accident.
Legg, who is the Missouri Department of Conservation’s hunter education coordinator, does not think it is a pipe dream.
“I think it is a realistic goal,” he said. “We have seen our numbers go down dramatically year after year. I think some other states have had years with zero incidents. It’s something we need to strive for.”
Hunting accident statistics for the past three decades support his optimism. From 1979 through 1988, the number of reported spring turkey hunting accidents averaged 18 per year. From 1998 through 2007, the average has been 6.9. Last year the Conservation Department recorded just two such accidents.
Even more impressive than the reduction in accidents per year is the decline in the number of accidents per hunter. The worst years on record were 1961 and 1973, when the Conservation Department recorded approximately one accident for every 1,800 spring turkey hunters. In contrast, last year’s average was approximately one per 75,000 hunters.
Legg offered three critical tips about the causes of turkey hunting accidents to help hunters avoid becoming statistics. He said the most important thing to remember is that most turkey hunting accidents are mistaken-for-game incidents, and most happen when the victim is moving around.
“Thirty or 40 years ago, before camouflage was as available as it is today, I used to hunt in blue jeans and a gray shirt,” Legg recalls. “It was easier back then to recognize a turkey hunter walking or crawling through vegetation. The best way to avoid mistaken identity now is to wear hunter orange.”
He said it is critical for hunters to wear blaze orange when moving. They can take off orange caps and vests when they sit down with their backs to tree trunks, or they can leave them on.
“It won’t make any difference to the turkeys,” said Legg. “They focus on movement. If you are moving, a turkey will spot you no matter what you are wearing. By the same token, if you are wearing orange but sit still, they won’t notice you. They are not that particular about color. Studies have proven that.”
Legg’s second caution is not to assume you are the only one in a particular area, even if you are hunting on private land. “Most hunting incidents occur on private ground,” he said, “not on public land. People get a false sense of security on private land. They don’t think that the landowner may let others hunt on their property, or other hunters may get lost or trespass.”
Furthermore, he said birdwatchers, mushroom hunters, hikers or people walking their dogs might be present, not to mention unattended pets or livestock.
“You can’t get lax. You have to assume others could be there so as not to accidentally hurt someone or be injured yourself.”
His final warning is to be sure you know what is in the line of fire before shooting at a turkey.
“People are really starting to get that message that ‘I’ve got to be sure of my target.’ That is a good thing, but we have had incidents where people shoot at turkeys but are so focused on the turkey that they fail to notice another person in their line of fire 50 or 70 yards away. You have to make sure the area beyond your target is clear before you slip that safety off to take the shot.”
Legg said he thinks concern about the safety of ground blinds is exaggerated.
“I have been hunting out of ground blinds ever since I started hunting turkeys. There were no commercial blinds back then, so we made them out of limbs and leaves with cedar around the top. I have never had a problem with safety in almost 40 years of hunting from blinds. So far, I am not aware of a single Missouri incident where someone has gotten hurt because another hunter didn’t see them in a ground blind. So far, the worries are just what-ifs.”
He said ground blinds can actually reduce the likelihood of mistaken-for-game accidents by hiding occupants’ movements from other hunters.
In contrast, Legg says he does think the growing popularity of heavier-than-lead shot increases the likelihood of serious injuries from turkey hunting accidents. He said this is because these types of shot retain their penetrating power at greater distances. Not only does this increase the severity of injuries, it encourages hunters to take longer shots.
“People think that if a turkey hangs up at 40 or 50 yards they can shoot out there farther with this ammunition. Safety-wise, you probably shouldn’t be taking some of those shots. It increases the difficulty of identifying your target positively and makes it harder to ensure a clear line of fire.”
Legg said he considers heavier-than-lead shot unnecessary. In nearly 40 years of hunting, he has killed 100-plus turkeys. Most were taken with a 16-gauge shotgun, 2 3/4-inch shells and lead shot.
For those who use heaver-than-lead shot, he urges greater caution to compensate for its greater lethality. He also suggests using smaller shot, since ultra-heavy shot has greater penetrating power. Using smaller shot sizes also increases the number of pellets in a given load, increasing the chances of a clean, quick kill.
-Jim Low-
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| Kayakers and canoeists looking for authentic adventures can blend historic and modern-day wilderness experiences on the Lewis and Clark Water Trail. For more information, visit www.missouririverwatertrail.org/. (Missouri Dept. of Conservation photo) |
Missouri honors disabled vets and former POWs, regardless of where they live.
JEFFERSON CITY-A recent decision by the Missouri Conservation Commission extended permit exemptions to all qualifying disabled veterans and former prisoners of war, regardless of where they live.
The Commission made the change at its meeting March 19 in Kansas City. Previously, only Missouri residents who were honorably discharged military veterans with service-related disabilities of 60 percent or more and Missourians who were prisoners of war during military service did not have to purchase resident small-game hunting or fishing permits. Now the exemption applies to veterans from other states who meet the same standards.
The Commission also changed rules to allow qualifying nonresident veterans to purchase resident deer and turkey hunting permits. This represents a substantial savings.
The action was stimulated by an earlier presentation from William White and the Board of Directors of Camp Hope in Farmington. Camp Hope’s mission is to allow disabled American veterans, regardless of state of origin, to enjoy the outdoors by participating in outdoor activities.
“It is an expression of our gratitude to disabled veterans and former POWs,” said Commission Chairman William F. “Chip” McGeehan. “We think it is an important gesture to let veterans know how deeply grateful we are for their service and sacrifice.
“My father, Lt. Col. William F. McGeehan, was shot down over Hamburg Germany, July 25, 1943 while on a bombing run. He was liberated from a prison camp in April 1945. This action by the Conservation Commission is very close to my heart, as I know what my father went through in the hands of his captors. While dad is 87, and he gets to hunt and fish free now.”
The Commission previously granted military personnel from other states the privilege of buying resident hunting and fishing permits if they are stationed and living in Missouri.
While the exemption puts resident and nonresident disabled veterans and former POWs on an equal footing, the change is not an exemption from all permit requirements. They still must purchase Missouri deer and turkey hunting, migratory bird hunting and trapping permits if they want to engage in those activities. Exempt veterans born on or after Jan. 1, 1967, must have successfully completed an approved hunter education class. Likewise, they still need daily tags to fish in trout parks and must have a trout permit to keep trout caught in trout-management areas.
Exempt veterans must carry a certified statement of eligibility from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs when purchasing permits or exercising permit privileges.
For more information, contact the Missouri Department of Conservation, P.O. Box 180, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0180.
-Jim Low-
A poor crop this year could pay dividends in 2009.
JEFFERSON CITY-As if the immediate damage from flooding were not enough, recent wet weather could reduce the number of morels Missourians find this spring. Those who are inclined to look for a silver lining will cheerfully note that a poor morel crop this year probably would boost next year’s production.
Resource Scientist Bruce Moltzan is the Missouri Department of Conservation’s resident mushroom expert. He said morels are the fruiting bodies of a larger plant, just as apples are the fruiting structures of an apple tree.
Morel fungi emerge each spring from wintering bodies known as sclerotia. When warm, moist weather arrives, sclerotia invest their stored nutrients in two ways. One is to produce root-like structures to draw water and nutrients from the soil and decaying plant tissue. The other is to grow “primordia,” the familiar, sponge-like cone that is the holy grail of mushroom fanatics.
Moltzan said morels need the right combination of nutrients, humidity, carbon dioxide and temperature to form mushrooms.
“Morel sclerotia are amazing survival structures,” he said, “so flooding should not kill them. However, if during the formation time sclerotia are sitting in flooded areas, it is likely they won’t form primordia this year, and mushrooms will be more abundant next year.”
All this applies only to flooded areas. Morel sclerotia growing on higher ground can still produce normal crops of mushrooms under good conditions.
One way to identify good morel hunting spots is related to how morels make their living. Moltzan said morels have a mutually beneficial relationship with trees. The roots of trees intertwine with those of morels, known as mycorrhizae. The fungi get sugars from the trees’ roots, and the trees benefit from an effective expansion of their root systems, increasing their ability to draw water and nutrients from the soil. Some evidence suggests that morel mycorrhizae also provide protection from other organisms that damage tree roots.
Mushroom hunters have long known that the death of a tree can trigger a flush of morel fruiting. Moltzan said this is because morels’ underground, vegetative parts sense a decrease in their sugar lifeline and react by sending up spore-producing fruits to perpetuate the species when food runs out.
“That is why mushroom hunters who notice a dead slippery elm one year may find a bonanza of morels the next spring,” he said.
That provides insight into where morels will grow, but Moltzan said the question of when they will emerge is a deep mystery.
“Predicting the timing of morels is very complicated,” he said. “To quote a prominent mycologist, ‘The thrill of the hunt is what makes morelling so exciting ... and often so frustrating.’”
Moltzan said that all things being equal (which they seldom are), late April is a prime time for morel hunting.
“I start hitting the trails about the middle of April in mid-Missouri. Production continues for about two weeks. In general, this window is earlier in the south and later in the north. The key is getting out and looking.”
-Jim Low-
JEFFERSON CITY-The Missouri Conservation Commission will meet April 24 and 25 in Jefferson City and Columbia, respectively.
The Commission will meet in closed session at 10 a.m. April 24 at Conservation Department Headquarters, 2901 W. Truman Blvd., Jefferson City. It will reconvene in open session at 1 p.m. the same date and place for a budget workshop. The workshop agenda includes no action items. The Commission will meet in open session for its regular monthly meeting at 8:30 a.m. April 25 in Christopher S. Bond Life Science Center’s Monsanto Auditorium at the University of Missouri-Columbia.
Items to be placed on the agenda for presentations or other business should be sent in writing to Director, Missouri Department of Conservation, P.O. Box 180, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0180, fax (573) 751-4467, at least 10 working days before the meeting date. The deadline for the next meeting is April 10.
People requiring special services or accommodations to attend Conservation Commission meetings can make arrangements by writing to the same address, or by phone at (573) 751-4115.
Commissioners are: William F. “Chip” McGeehan, Marshfield, chairman; Lowell Mohler, Jefferson City, vice-chairman; Don R. Johnson, Festus, Secretary; and Becky L. Plattner, Grand Pass, member.
-Jim Low-
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