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| Box turtles are fascinating animals that lend themselves to long-term observation by amateur naturalists. They do not survive long in captivity, however, and the Missouri Department of Conservation urges nature lovers to leave turtles where they belong – in the wild. (Missouri Dept. of Conservation photo) |
From July 1 through Aug. 31, no angler in Missouri may release bass after putting them in a live well.
JEFFERSON CITY-If you think summer is uncomfortable for you, put yourself in a fish's place. Your home heats up, oxygen gets scarce, and there is no air (or water) conditioning or fans to turn on. That is why Missouri fishing regulations prohibit anglers from "culling" during July and August.
Culling is the practice of releasing one fish that was caught previously so you can keep a larger one. When anglers put the last fish of their daily limit in a live well, they no longer can keep any fish of that species that day. However, under certain conditions, anglers fishing in tournaments can continue to fish if they stop one fish short of a limit and release a living fish from their live well before replacing it with a fish they just caught. This allows them to "trade up," replacing one fish with a larger one.
Tournament bass anglers may cull live bass from September through June. July and August are the months the no culling rule applies. The rule is meant to reduce the number of tournament-caught bass that are subject to higher mortality during the hot summer months. The rule also heightens tournament anglers' awareness of the factors that influence fish mortality.
Missouri's limit on black bass is six per day. This includes any bass that are not released immediately, whether they are in live wells for one minute or for eight hours. Once you placed a sixth bass in your live well you may not replace any of the bass with another. However, if you are fishing in a tournament in which the limit is five bass, and you have five bass in the live well, you can replace one fish, one time.
If a bass dies in your live well it cannot be replaced with a live one, any time. If you have caught your sixth legal bass and have placed all six fish in your live well for any length of time, you can continue fishing but you must release any bass caught immediately, regardless of size.
Fisheries Field Operations Supervisor Kevin Richards said some anglers - and even some tournament officials - are not as familiar with the culling rule as they should be. They can find detailed information about culling and catch-and-release fishing techniques at www.mdc.mo.gov/conmag/2006/05/40.htm.
"Let's think about why Missouri has a no-culling rule in the summer and see if there are ways we can use new tournament formats to increase survival of bass during the hot water months," said Richards.
-Jim Low-
Farmers can learn first-hand how to bring the bobwhite quail back to their land.
JEFFERSON CITY-Landowners who want to integrate bobwhite quail management into their land management have an excellent opportunity to see quail-management practices at work from 8 a.m. to noon Aug. 25 at the MU Bradford Research and Extension Center.
Featured stops during the event include trailing soybean and native wildflower food plots, native shrub plantings, three varieties of millet food plots, invasive species eradication, native grass management options, buffers and edge feathering, alternative planting mixes for erosion control, next-door neighbor's quail management efforts and grassland bird and quail habitat needs.
To reach the Bradford farm, take Highway AC five miles east from the junction of Highway 63 at the south edge of Columbia. Turn right at the T and go just over one mile to the farm entrance on the right. For more information, call (573) 884-7945 or (573) 882-4337.
The quail management field day is cosponsored by the Missouri Department of Conservation, the University of Missouri and the Missouri Soybean Association.
-Jim Low-
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| Another race will give experienced canoeists and kayakers a chance to pursue adventure and knowledge about the Missouri River. The Race for the Rivers has divisions for both serious endurance paddlers and those who are more interested in learning about river conservation. For more information, visit www.racefortherivers.org/, or call (636) 498-0772. (Missouri Dept. of Conservation photo) |
Show-Me State waterfowlers are showing hunters in other states how to turn duck-hunting dreams into reality.
JEFFERSON CITY-Three Missouri chapters of a waterfowl conservation group are listed among the top 3 percent nationwide in fundraising. They played a key role in conserving more than 170,000 acres of waterfowl habitat last year.
Ducks Unlimited (DU) recently announced that its chapters in Clinton, Columbia and St. Louis were among the top 100 fundraisers out of more than 3,500 chapters nationwide.
The St. Louis Sponsors Chapter was Missouri's top fundraising DU chapter, bringing in $93,486 for waterfowl conservation in 2006. The Golden Valley Chapter in Clinton was second with $67,897, followed by the Columbia Chapter with $60,831.
"These chapters set the standard for what volunteers can do," said DU President Jim Hulbert. "They prove how crucial volunteer efforts are to our conservation mission. The more money we raise, the more habitat we can conserve. Our challenge is to get more people involved and raise money for waterfowl and wetlands conservation."
Volunteer efforts like Missouri's resulted in more than $162 million raised in 2006. At least 80 cents of every dollar raised by DU chapters goes to conservation work, enabling DU to protect nearly 170,000 acres of waterfowl habitat last year. For more information, visit www.ducks.org.
-Jim Low-
Those not drawn for hunts this year will get preference in next year's drawing.
JEFFERSON CITY-July 1 is the starting date to apply for deer hunts at state parks, national wildlife refuges, military reservations and nature preserves. Those who apply for hunts this year and are not drawn will receive preference the next time they enter.
The Missouri Department of Conservation holds a drawing each summer to determine who gets to take part in managed deer hunts that take place from October through January. The application period runs through Aug. 15.
To complete the application process, you need your conservation identification number. You can find this on previous permits or on the back of your Conservation Heritage Card by the bar code. If you don't have a conservation identification number, call 573/751-4115, and one will be assigned to you. You also need a two- or three-digit code for your chosen hunt. Hunt dates, locations and code numbers are listed in the 2007 Fall Deer and Turkey Hunting Information booklet, which is available wherever hunting permits are sold.
Applications can be submitted by toll-free phone call to 800/829-2956. The service is available from 4 a.m. until midnight seven days a week. Applicants must have touch-tone phones to enter their nine-digit conservation ID number.
You also can log onto www.missouriconservation.org/hunt/deer. Everything you need, other than your Conservation Heritage Card number, is there.
As in the past, all applications received by the Aug. 15 deadline receive the same consideration because this year presents the first opportunity for unsuccessful applicants to earn a preference point. Successful applicants receive notices of their selection by mail. Hunters can check the status of their applications on the Conservation Department Web page after Sept. 11.
Only a Resident or Nonresident Managed Deer Hunting Permit is valid at a managed deer hunt. The number of deer that may be taken with a single permit depends on the hunt. In some, up to three deer may be taken, and in one hunt, four deer are allowed.
The Conservation Department is implementing a preference system this year to give unsuccessful managed deer hunt applicants an advantage in future drawings. Those not drawn for a hunt this year will have one preference point the next time they enter. One preference point will be awarded for each unsuccessful application. A hunter's preference points return to zero when he or she is drawn for a hunt.
Preference points are like extra pieces of paper in a hat. Hunters who apply for the first time or who were drawn for hunts the previous year have only one piece of paper with their name on it in the hat. Those who entered but were not drawn the previous year get an extra piece of paper in the hat for each unsuccessful year. A hunter not drawn four years in a row would receive five pieces of paper in the hat the fifth time he or she applied.
-Jim Low-
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| Missouri's frog season opens at sunset June 30. Bullfrogs and green frogs may be taken with either a hunting or fishing permit. Hunting and fishing regulation guides available at permit vendors explain what methods are legal. (Missouri Dept. of Conservation photo) |
The leadership role reflects the national stature of the Conservation Department's director and the agency.
JEFFERSON CITY-Missouri Department of Conservation Director John Hoskins will lead the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (SEAFWA) in the coming year, enhancing the agency's national stature and his ability to serve the state.
SEAFWA is an organization whose members are state and territorial fish and wildlife conservation agencies. It was founded more than 60 years ago. Hoskins was elected to a one-year term as president during a meeting of member agencies' directors May 6 in Georgia. He has held leadership positions in the group for the past five years, serving terms as a director, secretary-treasurer and vice-president.
"Fish and Wildlife do not know political boundaries," Hoskins said in a recent interview. "Managers have long recognized that, and have worked together regionally and nationally. States in the southeastern region of the United States have a longstanding tradition of cooperation."
Missouri usually is considered a Midwestern state. Hoskins said the Show-Me State belongs to SEAFWA because it shares borders and resource-management issues with other member states, including Arkansas, Kentucky, Tennessee and Oklahoma.
"Collegial interaction with other states gives us an excellent forum to explore common challenges," said Hoskins. "You learn about approaches that other states are using that may be applicable here, and you can pool resources on shared concerns or bring in outside resources. You wind up helping good ideas grow and expand from a state to a regional or even a national level."
As president of SEAFWA, Hoskins will be a director of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, a group with similar goals but with member agencies from all 50 states. He recently became this group's representative on the North American Bird Conservation Initiative, a professional organization that works to deliver resources needed to achieve bird conservation continent-wide.
Hoskins said all these interlocking commitments represent a natural progression for the director of one the nation's leading conservation agencies.
"It is apparent that I'm going to find myself more involved at the regional and national levels," he said. "That is partly due to having been the Conservation Department's director for five years, but it really is not so much kudos to me as it is kudos to Missouri. Missouri truly is looked upon as a leader in so many areas of natural resource conservation."
Hoskins expects his year in office to benefit the Conservation Department.
"I think there are some things I can bring home that will help me make better decisions, and taking a leadership role increases our state's stature and visibility as a tourist destination for outdoors men and women. It also makes us more attractive as a place where fish and wildlife professionals want to live and work."
SEAFWA membership also gives member agencies' professional staff opportunities to network at annual conferences. Meetings like the one in St. Louis in 2005 bring together 700 to 900 resource-management professionals to share information and plan cooperative efforts. Representatives of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the USDA Forest Service and other federal agencies also attend these meetings. Federal agencies' directors often attend meetings of SEAFWA member-agency directors, also.
Hoskins cited the Northern Bobwhite Conservation Initiative as an example of the sort of collaboration that can benefit resources across state lines. The program draws on outside resources to leverage state funds and create landscape-scale habitat changes to benefit quail and other open-land wildlife.
Other issues of concern across the southeastern United States include aquatic invasive species such as Asian carp and exotic mussels. "It's just good business to have states collaborate on tough issues like this," said Hoskins.
Hoskins said enhancing efforts to maintain or increase participation in traditional outdoor activities, including hunting, fishing and trapping, is one of the top priorities for his presidency. He noted that Missouri is a leader in this area, with the nation's highest recruitment rate among young people.
"This is an enormous challenge across the Southeast and the whole United States," said Hoskins. "We have some of the best outreach programs in the nation, but we can still learn a lot from efforts in other states."
Hoskins said he also would like to increase the number of states participating in the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact. All 24 compact member states honor one another's suspension of poachers' hunting and fishing privileges. This effectively cuts off repeat fish and wildlife offenders who otherwise might be able to escape suspensions imposed in their home states.
Other priority items for his year as SEAFWA president include bobwhite quail conservation and ensuring the inclusion of wildlife-friendly provisions in the federal farm bill currently being drafted in Congress.
"There is much to do right now," said Hoskins. "It is a great thing to have an organization like SEAFWA to bring all the members' resources to bear on shared challenges and opportunities."
SEAFWA members include the fish and wildlife conservation agencies of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.
-Jim Low-
Prolonged high flows on the Big Muddy forced organizers to change the date.
JEFFERSON CITY-Two river cleanups scheduled for the Missouri and Osage rivers have been rescheduled.
A cleanup for the Missouri and Osage rivers near their confluence has been rescheduled from June 23 to July 28, according to Steve Schnarr of Missouri River Relief. He said a cleanup originally scheduled to take place May 12 on the Missouri River around St. Charles has been moved to Aug. 11.
The St. Charles cleanup event was postponed because of a near-record flood crest predicted for the day of the event. Major flooding along the Osage River led to postponement of the Missouri and Osage River cleanup event.
The Missouri Department of Conservation's Bonnot's Mill Access on Highway A in Osage County will be the event headquarters for the Missouri-Osage cleanup. Headquarters for the St. Charles event will be the old boat ramp near the Lewis and Clark Boathouse in Frontier Park. Both events will begin at 9 a.m. and end at 3 p.m.
"We have seen some massive deposits of trash brought in by the high water," Schnarr said. "It's exciting to be able to follow up a flood event with a major clean-up."
Water transportation is provided for cleanup participants. Volunteers also receive a T-shirt, work gloves and personal flotation devices. The supply of children's lifejackets is limited. Families with children should bring their own if available.
Participants should wear clothing they don't mind getting wet and muddy. Strong shoes that won't get sucked off in the mud (no sandals or slip-ons), long pants, a hat to shade your head and face and bug repellent are recommended. Also bring a morning snack and drinking water. Lunch will be provided following the cleanup.
Individuals and groups can register for the clean-up at www.riverrelief.org or by calling (573) 443-0292.
-Jim Low-
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| Missouri State Rep. Charles Schlottach (R-Owensville) spent time answering questions from Conservation Leadership Corps members when they visited the State Capitol April 24. (Missouri Dept. of Conservation photo) |
Missourians who want to explore their state's historic namesake river now can get how-to, where-to information online.
JEFFERSON CITY-When Lewis and Clark's Corps of Discovery set out up the Missouri River more than 200 years ago, the commodity in shortest supply was information about where they were going and what they might find there. Modern-day explorers of the Show-Me State's namesake river will find their task considerably easier, thanks to the new Lewis and Clark Water Trail Web site.
Gov. Matt Blunt announced plans for the Lewis and Clark Water Trail last year at an event in St. Louis marking the end of the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial. The concept is for state agencies to work together to make it easier for Missourians and visitors from other states to take advantage of the canoeing, kayaking, hunting, fishing, photography and cutural opportunities that abound on the Missouri River. The Web site is the first tangible step in plans to develop the river's recreational and tourism potential.
Visitors to www.missouririverwatertrail.org will not have to guess about the location of boat ramps, conservation areas, state parks and other public areas on the "Big Muddy's" 550-mile path through Missouri. Interactive maps show the location of river accesses, public lands and communities with facilities and services, such as camping, rest rooms, restaurants, stores and other amenities.
The Web site also contains paddling tips, safety information and geographical and historical information about the river. Over time, the state will develop closer linkage between this information and Web sites or trail-side communities and businesses.
"The Lewis and Clark Water Trail offers paddlers the kind of access that cyclists have enjoyed along the Katy Trail State Park for several years," said Shannon Cave, one of three representatives from the Missouri Department of Conservation working with the Department of Natural Resources and the Division of Tourism to make the trail a reality. "It opens outdoor recreation opportunities on an epic scale. People who have never been on the river always have the same reaction on their first visit. They say 'This is beautiful! Why don't more people use the river?'"
Cave said state agencies are working to help Missouri River communities flooded in May with recovery efforts. "As recovery proceeds, the Lewis and Clark Water Trail may become a useful element in some places to rebuild economically in ways that respect the river. Communities hardest hit by flooding may also be among those in the best position to reap economic benefits as recreation and tourism pick up over the summer months, and as the water trail becomes better known."
-Jim Low-
JEFFERSON CITY-The Missouri Conservation Commission will hold its next meeting June 29 at Conservation Department Headquarters, 2901 W. Truman Blvd. Jefferson City.
The Commission will meet in open session at 8:30 a.m. in the Conservation Auditorium. Commission meetings are open to the public. 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 June 14.
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: Stephen Bradford, Cape Girardeau, chairman; William F. "Chip" McGeehan, Marshfield, vice-chairman; Cynthia Metcalfe, St. Louis, secretary; Lowell Mohler, Jefferson City, member.
-Jim Low-
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| Larry Wolfe, Chaffee, set a new state record for alligator gar in the alternate methods category by taking this 127-pound monster while bow-fishing May 21. The fish came from the Headwater Diversion Channel southwest of Cape Girardeau. (Missouri Dept. of Conservation photo) |
Spring is a lean time for bears, but they are better off living on what nature provides than dining on food from people.
JEFFERSON CITY-Black bears normally are shy and elusive, but the Missouri Department of Conservation urges those few Missourians lucky enough to see bears to keep them at arm's length. Keeping bears wild not only protects people and property, it protects bears, too.
Missouri's bear population is small. The Conservation Department estimates their number at fewer than 500, nearly all of which live south of the Missouri River. Bear numbers are growing slowly, however, as individuals disperse into Missouri from the established population in Arkansas.
Throughout most of the year, Missouri's black bear population is nearly invisible. Naturally fearful of humans, they prefer to mind their own business, foraging for natural foods in fields and forests.
Early summer is the exception. A winter long on naps and short on meals leaves them hungry just when their staple foods - acorns and other wild crops - are least abundant. Until berries begin to ripen, they are extra active, ranging widely in search of food.
It is not surprising, then, that June brings an uptick in bear sightings. Missourians are apt to find that bruins have raided their bird feeders, emptied pet food bowls or even ventured into out buildings and onto back porches, lured by the smell of human foodstuffs or garbage. There is a danger in all this for both people and bears.
Bears are primarily a threat to property, such as bee hives and outbuildings where livestock feed is stored. Most bears that become nuisances can be scared away. Occasionally one must be trapped and relocated. In rare cases, bears that have lost their natural fear of humans must be destroyed.
It is much better for a bear never to get used to humans and handouts. People in southern Missouri - especially those living in rural and suburban areas, should be aware of the potential for bear problems and eliminate the source of such problems - unsecured food.
Even bird feeders with sunflower seeds, hummingbird feeders and suet cakes all can attract hungry bears. It is a good idea to discontinue bird feeding until midsummer if you know bears live in your area.
Other advice for avoiding bear problems includes: --Feeding dogs and cats indoors. --Storing livestock feed in airtight containers in locked storage areas. --Cleaning up outdoor grills after each use and storing them indoors. --Putting garbage out the morning of collection. Double-bag refuse, and add a dash of ammonia to each bag before sealing to discourage bears. --Do not place meat or sweet food scraps in your compost pile. --Never intentionally feed bears.
Campers also should be watchful this time of year, because bears sometimes learn to associate campgrounds with an easy meal. Rules for bear-safe camping include never cooking, eating or storing food in tents or sleeping areas and keeping food locked inside vehicles when not in use. If a bear enters your campsite, get inside your vehicle and stay there.
If a bear wanders into your yard while you are outside, make your presence known by making lots of noise and get inside as quickly as possible.
If you suspect a bear is foraging at, or near your home, call the nearest Conservation Department office.
-Jim Low-
Residents and nonresidents age 6 through 15 can buy as many antlerless permits as they want.
JEFFERSON CITY-Missouri's 2007 deer season will include several new features, including a youth antlerless deer permit and a weighted random selection process for managed deer hunts.
The Conservation Commission approved firearms and archery deer and turkey hunting regulations at its meeting May 18. Season dates are: --Archery deer and turkey season - Sept. 15 through Nov. 9 and Nov. 21 through Jan. 15. --Urban counties portion of firearms deer season - Oct. 5 through 8. --Youth portion of deer season - Oct. 27 through 28. --November portion of deer season - Nov. 10 through 20. --Muzzleloader portion of deer season - Nov. 23 through Dec. 2. --Antlerless portion of deer season - Dec. 8 through 16.
The new $7 Youth Firearms Antlerless Deer Hunting Permit is available to residents and nonresidents age 6 through 15 who are not hunter education certified. Each permit is valid for one antlerless deer in counties where allowed during any portion of the firearms deer hunting season. Youths may purchase and fill any number of the permits, and may purchase the permits without first purchasing a Youth Deer and Turkey Hunting Permit.
Youths hunting on youth antlerless permits must be in the immediate presence of a properly licensed hunter at least 17 years of age who is hunter education certified. An exception is that landowners and lessees born before Jan. 1, 1967, who accompany a youth on the landowner's or lessees' property are not required to be hunter-education certified.
As in the past, the application period for managed deer hunts held from September through January is July 1 through Aug. 15. You can apply for most of these hunts, including youth hunts either by calling 800-829-2956 or online at www.missouriconservation.org. In the past, special hunts for persons with disabilities were not listed in the fall deer & turkey booklet. This year those hunts will be listed in the booklet, but applications will be made directly through the hunt location, not through the regular process.
In the past, every applicant had the same chance of being drawn every year they applied. Many hunters expressed support for a system that would give some advantage to hunters based on the number of times they entered a drawing unsuccessfully. The Conservation Department developed the "Weighted Random Drawing System" in response to these requests.
Starting this year, applicants will receive one preference point each year they apply but are not drawn. The next time they apply, that preference point will be used to increase their odds of being drawn. For example, hunters who are not drawn this year will have their name entered into the drawing twice if they apply again in 2008, once for the current application and once for the preference point. If they are unsuccessful again next year, their name will be entered three times when they apply in 2009.
Having preference points increases the number of times your name is put into a box with all the other applicants. A hunter who is unsuccessful four years running will have his or her name put in the box five times the next time he or she applies, providing a greater chance of being drawn than a hunter who was drawn the previous year.
Points remain valid even if hunters do not apply in some years. However, hunters who are drawn lose all accumulated preference points and start fresh the next year. While the Weighted Random Drawing System multiplies unsuccessful applicants' chances of success, the system is still random, so every hunter has some chance of being drawn each year they apply, even if they have no preference points.
Hunters may only apply for one hunt each year. The likelihood of any given hunter being drawn in a given year is small, because many more people apply for managed hunts than can be accommodated.
Hunters can shift the odds in their favor, however. Applicant success rates range from 3 percent for some hunts to 100 percent for others. To help hunters decide which hunts to apply for, the Conservation Department publishes applicant success rates for the previous year's drawings on its Web site, www.mdc.mo.gov/7454.
The $25 surcharge for residents of Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, and Oklahoma has been eliminated. However, many nonresident permit prices have increased. Nonresident Firearms Any-Deer and Nonresident Managed Deer hunting permits are $175, and the Nonresident Archer's Hunting Permit is $150. The Nonresident Fall Firearms Turkey Hunting permit is $105.
Missouri residents still can purchase firearms and archery antlerless deer permits without first buying an any-deer or archer's permit. However, nonresidents must purchase a firearms any-deer permit, a managed deer hunt permit or an archer's permit before buying a comparable antlerless-deer permit.
The Conservation Commission continued the trial of four-point antler restrictions for deer in the same 29 counties as last year.
Details about these and other regulation changes will be included in the 2007 Fall Deer and Turkey Hunting Regulations and Information booklet, available from permit vendors in July.
-Jim Low-
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