August 2003

Teal and most other ducks surge back

Blue-winged teal numbers have recovered dramatically, increasing from 4.2 million breeding birds in the 2002 survey to 5.5 million this year. Green-winged teal numbers increased from 2.3 million to 2.7 million. (Missouri Dept. of Conservation photo)

Reports of waterfowl numbers and nesting conditions show that most species have rallied significantly since last year.

JEFFERSON CITY-Teal hunters are rejoicing at news of a dramatic turn-around in their favorite ducks' fortunes. Other duck hunters will find ample cause for joy in this year's waterfowl status reports, too.

Poor nesting conditions during the 2002 breeding season prompted wildlife officials to shorten last year's early teal season by a week compared to 2001. Early indicators this year left biologists and hunters alike wondering whether teal numbers would justify any early teal hunting at all. But unusually wet weather saved the day.

"The prairie pothole region of south-central Canada was dry as a bone this time last year," said Resource Scientist Dave Graber, with the Missouri Department of Conservation. "But starting in the late summer and especially during the past April, the region got an extraordinary amount of rain and snow. That moisture, combined with habitat put in place by Ducks Unlimited and other conservation groups, enabled waterfowl to stage a remarkable comeback."

The recovery in blue-winged teal was dramatic--a 31 percent increase from last year's population of 4.2 million breeding birds to 5.5 million. The green-winged teal estimate of 2.7 million was the second-highest on record.

Other species increased even more dramatically. Breeding numbers of Northern shovelers jumped 56 percent to 3.6 million. The Northern pintail, a species of special concern for several years, posted an encouraging 43 percent increase.

Numbers of mallards, the most numerous waterfowl species pursued by hunters, were similar to last year, at 7.9 million (7.1 million in 2002). Numbers of other common duck species also were similar to last year.

The increase in teal numbers is welcome news to hunters who plan to pursue the fast-flying little ducks during the early teal season Sept. 6-21. However, their ultimate success will depend, as always, on weather conditions between now and late September.

"It has been extremely dry in most parts of Missouri this year and teal hunters should take that into consideration when hunting," said Graber. "Unless conditions change dramatically, there will not be much habitat out there to hold teal in Missouri for any length of time. The obvious exception is managed wetlands, with water control capability."

Graber said hunters should focus on public wetland areas where water levels are maintained artificially or try to hunt on migration days.

"It doesn't take much of a cool front to move teal, so hunters should be flexible and plan to be out the day of, or the day after a front moves through. Large reservoirs, farm ponds, and rivers provide hunters an opportunity to catch birds that are looking for a place to set down. Waiting for that northwest wind might be the key this year.

The good news for hunters is that teal are likely to congregate around available water, making them easier to find. Public wetland areas, lakes and rivers will be good spots to hunt when teal are moving through Missouri.

The increase in breeding numbers of pintails, scaup, canvasbacks and redhead ducks is particularly encouraging to waterfowl managers and hunters. These species have experienced long-term declines and didn't share equally in the overall waterfowl recovery that took place in the late 1990s and early 2000s. This year, seven of the 10 most common ducks are at or above population goals set under the North American Waterfowl Management Plan.

Teal aren't the only ducks in Missouri in September. Significant numbers of shovelers, wood ducks, pintails and wigeons also arrive ahead of the main duck migration, and these species are not legal game during teal season.

"The ability to identify ducks is particularly important during teal season," said Graber. "If you aren't 100 percent sure that a duck is a teal, you would be wise not to pull the trigger."

For information about teal hunting on state wetland areas, visit http://www.conservation.state.mo.us/ and click on key words "hunting" and "waterfowl hunting."

- Jim Low -

Late-summer migrants flooding Missouri

Leaving nectar feeders out late in the fall won't delay hummingbirds' departure.

JEFFERSON CITY - In late August and early September each year, thousands of freeloaders descend on Missouri. Many people welcome the hungry visitors with their favorite food -- sugar water.

The freeloaders are ruby-throated hummingbirds. The Show-Me State is an intermediate stop in a migration that takes some migrants thousands of miles from Canada to Central America.

By Oct. 10, most have passed through Missouri. Stragglers may visit feeders later, however. Each year a few Missourians who leave nectar feeders out into November and December are treated to the sight of late-migrating hummer species that seldom visit Missouri.

The rufous hummingbird, a western species, occasionally is seen in Missouri later in migration, and some may stay into the winter. Other "accidental" species seen in Missouri include Green Violet-ear, Anna's, Costa's, Broad-tailed, Allen's and Calliope hummingbirds.

Regardless of species, hummingbirds need lots of food to fuel their epic journeys. Ruby-throated hummingbirds, which weigh a mere one-eighth of an ounce, consume prodigious quantities of natural and manmade nectar during migration. People who put out multiple feeders can go through hundreds of pounds of sugar water in one season.

Andy Forbes, a wildlife ecologist for the Missouri Department of Conservation, said Hummingbirds tend to fly south during the day and stop at evening to rest and eat. Consequently, most are seen around feeders early and late in the day.

A mixture of one part sugar to four or five parts water is suitable for hummingbird feeding. You don't have to add artificial coloring to the water if the feeder has yellow or red on it. However, a garden with brightly colored flowers is a powerful advertisement to passing hummingbirds that your hummer filling station is open.

Forbes said the notion that adding honey makes nectar feeders more attractive or nutritious is mistaken. Honey is unnecessary and can actually be unhealthy, because it spoils more easily than plain sugar water.

Unused nectar should be replaced every three or four days. If you find that the birds aren't emptying the feeder in this amount of time, don't fill it completely. Store premixed nectar in the refrigerator to prevent spoilage. Keeping your feeder out of direct afternoon sunlight will help delay spoilage. If mildew forms inside the feeder, wash and sterilize it with a diluted bleach solution before refilling.

Another persistent myth is that leaving nectar feeders out in the fall endangers hummers by delaying their migration. Forbes said hummingbirds fly south in response to decreasing day length. They will leave at the proper time no matter how much food is available.

Leaving feeders out through November allows migrating birds to fatten up for their arduous journey. Late feeding also helps young or injured hummers, which tend to lag behind healthy, mature ones.

he Audubon Society of Missouri has a Wild Bird Forum where you can learn about unusual bird sightings. To subscribe to this service, visit http://www.mobirds.org/audubon/asmhtmls/mobirdsl.html.

For general information about hummingbirds, visit http://www.hummingbirds.net/ or write to Ruby-throated Hummingbirds in Missouri, Missouri Department of Conservation, P.O. Box 180, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0180.

- Jim Low -

Mountain lion younger than first thought

A thorough external and internal examination of the mountain lion killed by a car near Fulton Aug. 11 showed it was in good physical condition and showed no sign of having been held in captivity. (Missouri Dept. of Conservation photo)

A cougar killed in a traffic mishap on Highway 54 near Fulton last week probably was looking for a new home.

JEFFERSON CITY--A detailed examination of a mountain lion killed near Fulton last week showed the animal was younger than first thought. Biologists learned what the big cat had eaten recently, and they took tissue samples for DNA testing.

The 105-pound mountain lion (also known as a cougar) died when it was struck by an automobile on Highway 54 shortly before midnight Aug. 11. Wildlife biologists, a veterinarian and a taxidermist gathered at the Missouri Department of Conservation's Resource Science Center in Columbia Aug. 13 to perform a necropsy -- the veterinary equivalent of an autopsy -- on the animal's carcass.

Conservation Department Resource Scientist Dave Hamilton said a thorough external examination showed that the big cat still had dark spots on its flanks and hindquarters, and barring on the inside of its front legs.

"Those markings are very prominent on kittens, and they fade slowly as the animal matures," said Hamilton. "They disappear entirely by the age of three. Judging by this animal's appearance, we think it was between a year and a year and a half old."

Ticks from the mountain lion's skin have been sent to a laboratory for identification. If any of these are not indigenous to Missouri, they could provide clues about where the cat came from.

Investigators also conducted an internal examination and concluded that the mountain lion died instantly. Hamilton said the impact separated several of its neck bones and broke both front legs.

The mountain lion seemed to have been in good health before the accident. Hamilton said it had ample fat deposits around its internal organs. It wasn't fat, however, as many captive animals are. The teeth were clean. Captive animals sometimes have plaque deposits on their teeth and gums from eating commercially prepared food.

Investigators found a gray squirrel in the cat's stomach. The squirrel carcass carried numerous fly eggs, indicating the animal had been dead some time before it was eaten. In the lower intestines, they found hair, which also has been sent to a lab for identification.

Hamilton said the necropsy didn't answer the question of whether the mountain lion was strictly wild or if it might have been kept in captivity at one time. "It showed no signs of captivity. That's about all we can say."

Researchers took tissue samples for DNA testing. This will determine whether the mountain lion is more closely related to North American mountain lions or to those from South America. Most captive mountain lions come from South American stock.

The mountain lion's pelt will be mounted for display at a nature center.

Mountain lions were believed to be extirpated from Missouri in 1927, when the last known individual was killed in the state's Bootheel region. The Callaway County mountain lion is the seventh verified sighting in recent years.

The first recent sighting was in 1994, when a man shot a small adult female cougar in Carter County. There is considerable evidence that this was the same animal whose pelt turned up in Texas County four years later.

Mountain lions were video-taped in Reynolds County in 1996, in Christian County in 1997 and in Lewis County in 2000. In 1999, a rabbit hunter saw a mountain lion in Texas County, and the discovery of fresh cougar kills nearby confirmed the sighting. The sixth sighting came last October, when a motorist killed a cougar in Clay County.

The increasing incidence of mountain lion sightings in Missouri parallels neighboring states' experience. Mountain lions used to be rare in South Dakota, but they have a well-established population there today. Nebraska is seeing them more often, and there have been verified sightings in Illinois, Wisconsin and Iowa.

Hamilton said Missouri almost certainly has a small population of mountain lions, "a handful." It is impossible to know whether these have migrated into Missouri, which he considers the most likely case, if they are escaped or released captive cougars or if they are descended from native Missouri stock that survived for decades undetected.

So far, said Hamilton, the Conservation Department hasn't seen evidence of cougar reproduction in Missouri, but he said this probably is only a matter of time.

Hamilton said the Conservation Department isn't stocking mountain lions and isn't doing anything to encourage the species' return to Missouri. He said their resurgence is partly a result of Missouri's success in restoring deer, which are cougars' primary food.

Mountain lions are classified as endangered in Missouri, so they are protected by law. However, it is legal to kill mountain lions or other wildlife that threaten people, livestock or pets.

Cougars sometimes attack pets or livestock, and attacks on people are rare. They are shy of humans and normally stay away from areas frequented by people. Missourians who think they see mountain lions are encouraged to contact the nearest conservation agent or Conservation Department office. The agency's Mountain Lion Response Team investigates every report.

"It's natural for people to wonder if they should be afraid for their children or themselves, now that we have seen several mountain lions here," said Hamilton. "I try to encourage them to keep their worries in perspective. More people are killed by bee stings every year in the United States than have been killed by mountain lions in the past 100 years. Your chances of being struck by lightning are better, and children are much, much more likely to be attacked by someone's pet dog than by a mountain lion. We shouldn't let those worries keep us indoors."

Experts say that mountain lions are ambush predators and avoid fights. The best way to avoid attack if you encounter a mountain lion is to appear large and threatening. Standing tall, raising a shirt or jacket over your head with your arms, talking firmly in a loud voice and throwing objects all can help deter an attack. Don't lean over or turn your back on a threatening cougar.

If attacked, fight back. People have stopped mountain lion attacks by hitting them in the face, stabbing them with sharp objects and gouging their eyes.

- Jim Low -

Conservation Department quadruples dove acreage

The goal is to provide excellent dove hunting spots within easy driving distance of every Show-Me State hunter.

JEFFERSON CITY - Missouri has plenty of mourning doves, and Missouri hunters will find thousands of acres of specially managed fields where they can hunt them.

Dove hunting season opens Sept. 1 and runs through Nov. 9. John Schulz, a resource scientist for the Missouri Department of Conservation, says hunters will find plenty of doves when opening day arrives.

"The number of doves counted in our roadside survey this year was up in five out of eight regions," Schulz said. "The dry weather we are having probably is helping doves."

Schulz said mourning doves make flimsy nests that provide little protection from the elements, so rainy weather cuts into chicks' survival. Dry weather reduces such losses.

Furthermore, doves are ground feeders and are not as agile on their feet as quail or songbirds. Consequently, they have trouble reaching seeds and insect foods when vegetation is thick. Droughty weather decreases undergrowth, giving doves easier access to food.

Schulz said hunter success on opening day will depend heavily on Midwestern weather conditions just before Sept. 1 and on local availability of food that draws doves into huntable concentrations.

The Conservation Department has made a big push to turn the food factor in hunters' favor. This year it has dramatically increased the number and acreage of crop fields planted with doves' favorite foods -- mainly sunflowers and wheat. Doves appreciate the food plots, and hunters appreciate having places where doves are easy to find.

The Conservation Department doubled the number of fields planted for doves, and it quadrupled the acreage in such fields. In all, the Conservation Department has more than 100 dove hunting fields in 50-plus counties. The total acreage is approximately 5,000 acres, four times the dove hunting ground available on conservation areas last year.

"The mourning dove is Missouri's most popular game bird," said Wildlife Division Administrator Dave Erickson. "That's partly because it's a very democratic sort of hunting. It doesn't take lots of experience or fancy equipment. Just about anyone can enjoy if they have a place to go, and we are doing our best to make sure everyone has a dove hunting spot within reasonable driving distance of their home."

Maps showing the locations of dove fields are available through Conservation Department regional offices statewide. A list of conservation areas with dove fields and maps of the areas is available at http://www.conservation.state.mo.us/hunt/gamebird/dove/. The latest mourning dove status report also is available at http://www.conservation.state.mo.us/hunt/.

Areas where dove population indices were up compared to last year include the Mississippi Lowlands (+31.5 percent), Ozark Plateau (+26.2 percent) Western Prairie (+19.7 percent), Northwestern Prairie (+12.7 percent), and Western Ozark Border (+2.6 percent). Areas where indices dipped this year were the northern and Eastern Ozark Border (-16.6 percent), Northern Riverbreaks (-14.3 percent) and Northeastern Riverbreaks (-6.3 percent).

Although dove numbers were down from last year in the Northern and Northeastern riverbreaks, these areas remain 10.4 and 6.9 percent above their 10-year averages, respectively. Statewide dove numbers were 3.9 percent higher than last year and 5.5 percent greater than the 10-year average.

Dove hunters ages 16 through 64 must buy a Small Game Hunting Permit and a Missouri Migratory Bird Hunting Permit to pursue doves. Shooting hours are one-half hour before sunrise to sunset.

Although mourning doves are the primary object of dove hunters' attention, Missouri also has one exotic dove species and another native species that is seen occasionally. Eurasian collared-doves and white-winged doves are legal game in Missouri, but they must be included in the aggregate daily limit of 12 and the possession limit of 24 doves.

Full details on dove season regulations are available in the 2003 Migratory Bird Hunting Digest. The booklet is available free of charge at Conservation Department offices and wherever permits are sold.

- Jim Low -

2003 dove season presents new opportunities

Dove hunters should check every dove they shoot for a leg band. Reporting banded birds helps the Conservation Department manage the birds more effectively. Hunters who report banded birds get certificates with information about the birds' life histories. (Missouri Dept. of Conservation photo)

Hunters can enjoy the hunt, the harvest and the knowledge that they helped keep dove management on a sound scientific basis.

JEFFERSON CITY--Dove hunting is always challenging, and the results provide savory table fare. This year, Missouri hunters will find extra incentives in the dove fields.

The mourning dove is North America's most prolific game bird. The annual harvest of this one species exceeds the total bag of all other game birds combined. Last year, 38,500 Show-Me State hunters bagged approximately 685,000 mourning doves.

To ensure that this harvest is sustainable, wildlife agencies need reliable, up-to-date information about how many doves there are and how many are taken by hunters. Biologists conduct population surveys each year to keep track of dove numbers. For harvest data, they rely on banding studies.

Banding studies involve marking birds with leg bands and keeping records of where and when hunters shoot marked birds. This makes hunters a critical link between wildlife research and wildlife management. Without hunter's help, biologists have no way of learning how long doves live, what percentage of the dove population is harvested by hunters each year or where and when they are killed.

This year is the first of a three-year dove banding study involving 25 states. In all, 85,000 doves are being fitted with metal leg bands. Workers with the Missouri Department of Conservation began July 1 banding doves captured in wire-mesh traps baited with grain. Their goal is to catch and band 1,200 doves in Missouri before the start of dove hunting season Sept. 1.

Each of the bands has a toll-free telephone number where hunters can call to report bagging marked birds. You can also report banded birds online at www.pwrc.usgs.gov/bbl/.

"It's very important for hunters to check doves they bag for leg tags this year," said John Schulz, a resource scientist with the Conservation Department. "We truly can't manage doves well without hunters' help in studies like this one."

In return for their help, hunters who report banded birds receive a certificate with information about the bird's history, including its age, sex and where it was banded.

- Jim Low -

Commission to meet Sept. 4 in Mexico, Mo.

JEFFERSON CITY - The Missouri Conservation Commission will meet Sept. 4 at the Audrain 4-H Center, 21509 Highway D, Mexico, Mo.

The Commission will meet in closed session at 8:30 a.m., followed by an open session.

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 Aug. 20.

People requiring special services or accommodations to attend the meeting can make arrangements by writing to the same address, or by phone at 573/751-4115.

Commission officers are: Stephen C. Bradford, Cape Girardeau, chairman; Cynthia Metcalfe, St. Louis, vice-chairman, Anita B. Gorman, Kansas City, secretary and Lowell Mohler, Jefferson City, member.

- Jim Low -

Initial examination of road kill mountain lion indicates the animal was wild

Cougar's physical condition and stomach contents support MDC belief that the cat was free-ranging. (Missouri Dept. of Conservation photo)

JEFFERSON CITY --A necropsy of the mountain lion killed Monday night by a motorists in Callaway County indicates the animal migrated to Central Missouri from the west. That is the preliminary finding of a team of Missouri Department of Conservation wildlife biologists who examined the cat Wednesday.

"Our examination found nothing that indicates the mountain lion had been in captivity," said Conservation Department Wildlife Research Biologist Dave Hamilton. "It had no tags, tattoos or wear on its claws and pads that is typical of animals that have been kept in concrete-floored enclosures. Its stomach contained a single gray squirrel, which probably means it was feeding in the wild rather than being fed by humans."

Other findings of the necropsy are as follows:
* The animal likely was 1 1/2-to-2 years-old based on the presences of dark barring on the fur, which normally disappears by age 3.
* The overall health of the animal was good. Its death probably was instantaneous, as the impact with the automobile separated the cat's neck vertebrae and broke both its front legs.
* The pad of the cat's left forepaw was missing in addition to the missing toes from that paw. It is possible that the injury was sustained in a fight with a larger mountain lion or perhaps a bear several months ago, perhaps even a year ago.

Tissue samples taken from the mountain lion have been sent to a lab for DNA testing. Animal hairs contained in the cat's lower intestine also are being sent to a lab for identification. It will be several weeks to several months before the Conservation Department receives the lab results.

Hamilton said as mountain lion populations continue to grow in western states cougar sighting may increase in Missouri and other Midwestern states. He said young males often wander long distances in search of areas not already occupied by adult male lions.

Since 1994 eight instances of mountain lion have been confirmed by the Conservation Department Mountain Lion Response Team (MLRT). The MLRT investigates all credible reports of mountain lions sightings. To report a mountain lion sighting call the nearest conservation agent or Conservation Department office.

- 30-

Teal season longer, dove season same length as last year

The 2003 early teal hunting season is 16 days, same as last year. The season runs from Sept. 6 through 21. (Missouri Dept. of Conservation photo)

Missouri's early teal season will run 16 days, and hunters will have 70 days to pursue doves.

JEFFERSON CITY-- Missouri's dove season remains unchanged from last year, but hunters have an extra seven days for teal hunting. The 2003 teal season will run for 16 days and dove season for 70.

The 2003 early teal season opens Sept. 6 and runs through Sept. 21. The daily limit remains four, with a possession limit of eight. Shooting hours are from sunrise to sunset.

Dove season runs from Sept. 1 through Nov. 9, with a daily limit of 12 and a possession limit of 24. Common snipe season runs from Sept. 1 through Dec. 16, with bag limits of eight and 16.

Sora and Virginia Rail season opens Sept. 1 and runs through Nov. 9. The possession limit is the same as the daily limit, 25 rails in the aggregate.

Woodcock season runs from Oct. 15 through Nov. 28, with limits of three and six. Shooting hours for doves, snipe, rails and woodcock are from one-half hour before sunrise to sunset.

The Missouri Conservation Commission approved these early migratory bird hunting regulations earlier this year. However, the approval was contingent on final approval by federal officials. That final approval was, in turn, dependent on the outcome of annual surveys of game bird populations, particularly teal.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has set population triggers to determine the length of the early teal season each year. If the population index for blue-winged teal is at least 4.7 million, the season is 16 days long. Season length decreases to 9 days if the blue-winged teal population index is between 3.3 and 4.7 million. A population index of less than 3.3 million results in closure of the early teal season.

- Jim Low -

Special events offer deer hunting opportunities for Missourians with mobility impairments

Eight hunts with more than 150 openings are available.

JEFFERSON CITY--Hunters who might ordinarily have trouble taking part in deer season will have access to special deer hunting opportunities at seven public areas this fall and winter.

Hunters who use wheelchairs, crutches, braces or canes to get around sometimes have trouble reaching good hunting spots. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (COE) offers five special hunts on land around its reservoirs to help such hunters overcome those barriers. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) offers a handicapped hunt at one of its Missouri wildlife refuges, and the National Park Service (NPS) has a handicapped hunt on land bordering the Current River for the first time this year.

Hunt dates and places include:
--Nov. 1-2 Clearwater Lake in Reynolds County, two openings. Contact Jason Wilson, USACE, RR3, Box 3559D, Piedmont, MO 63957. Phone 573/223-7777, ext. 35. Application deadline Sept. 5.
--Nov. 8-9 Truman Lake in Benton, Henry and St. Clair counties, 20 openings. Contact Larry Smith, USACE, Rt. 2, Box. 29A, Warsaw, MO 65355. Phone 660/438-7317, ext. 1212. Application deadline Sept. 30.
--Nov. 8-9 Stockton Lake in Cedar, Dade and Polk counties, 20 openings. Call 417/276-3113.
--Nov. 17-18 Wappapello Lake in Wayne County, five openings. Call James Gracey, 573/222-8562. Deadline Sept. 15.
--Nov. 22-23 Mark Twain Lake in Ralls and Monroe counties, 30 openings. Contact Allen Mehrer, at 573/735-4097. E-mail allen.mehrer@mvs02.usace.army.mil. Application deadline Sept. 15.
--Nov. 22-23 Smithville Lake in Clay and Clinton counties, 60 openings. Contact Bruce Clark, USACE, P.O. Box 428, Smithville, MO 64089. Phone 816/532-0174, ext. 10. E-mail bruce.k.clark@usace.army.mil. Applications can be requested starting Sept. 15 and must be received by Oct. 20.
--Jan. 3-4 Swan Lake National Wildlife Refuge in Chariton County, eight openings. For reservations, contact John Guthrie, Rt. 1, Box 29A, Sumner, MO 64681. Phone 660/856-3323. E-mail swanlake@fws.gov. Application deadline Nov. 15.

Local organizations help out with some of the hunts. At Truman Lake, the Sunrise Optimists and the Warsaw municipal golf course help with meals, guides and other needs. The event starts with rifle sighting-in the afternoon of Nov. 7. Hunters have access to several blinds on 500 acres. They are responsible for providing managed deer hunt permit, rifle, ammunition and other equipment. They can take up to two deer, including one antlered buck.

At Mark Twain Lake, the Paris Lion's Club and volunteers from Monroe City provide guides and lunch and supper meals for hunters. Hunters provide their own firearms (shotguns with slugs only) and firearms deer tags valid in Unit 15. All participants, regardless of age, must have a valid hunter education certificate card. They have exclusive hunting access to the 1,200-acre Indian Creek Recreation Area and can take up to two deer.

At Smithville, the Kiwanis Club and Boy Scout Troop 394 of Kearney provide breakfasts and lunches. This hunt offers all-weather blinds, and guides are available on request to help hunters. You might need help, as this hunt allows participants to take up to three deer, including one antlered buck. All firearm and archery gear are allowed when hunting this 4,000-acre combination of waterfowl refuge and undeveloped park land.

At Swan Lake, the Mendon Lion's Club provides lunch for hunters both days. FWS employees, staff from the Missouri Department of Conservation and local hunters serve as guides, helping hunters get to and from heated blinds made of large, round hay bales. They also help hunters transport any deer killed. Hunters will have exclusive use of 3,000 acres for the weekend. They can take up to two deer, including one antlered buck, during the hunt. Only muzzle-loading rifles are allowed. Hunters can bring their rifles or use ones provided. All they must provide are managed deer hunting permit and lodging during their stay

The first-ever COE hunt at Clearwater Lake has room for two mobility-impaired hunters on a 335-acre wildlife area. The land is oak-hickory forest with seven food plots. Participants will be allowed to take up to two deer, one antlered. Hunters must bring a managed hunt permit and a helper if needed. The hunt is for muzzle-loading rifles only.

In past years, participants in the hunt at Lake Wappapello were drawn to hunt for one day. This year, successful applicants will be able to hunt both days.

Besides increasing access to hunting opportunities for people with mobility impairments, several of these hunts also are important tools to control deer populations.

- Jim Low -

Long-term forest study shows bird's response to logging is more complex than expected

The Missouri Ozarks Forest Ecosystem Project began as an effort to learn about the needs of migratory birds but has expanded to an all-encompassing, long-term study of what makes forests tick. (Missouri Dept. of Conservation photo)

The Missouri Forest Ecosystems Project is shedding light on what makes forests tick and how they are affected by logging.

EMINENCE, Mo.--Ground skinks and fence lizards don't seem to suffer from timber harvests. Wood thrushes like clearcuts. Ovenbirds don't. And Kentucky warblers thrive in timber harvest areas, regardless of whether all or some of the trees are removed.

Those are some of the early trends seen in data coming out of the Missouri Ozarks Forest Ecosystem Project (MOFEP). The study aims to learn how existing forest management practices affect the forests from the smallest scale to entire landscapes.

The Missouri Department of Conservation began MOFEP as an effort to determine how active forest management was affecting birds that spend summers in Missouri and winters in Central and South America. Seeing the potential for greater understanding of a wide array of ecological issues, the Conservation Department added other facets to the long-term study.

The augmented study tracks changes in amphibians, reptiles, small mammals, forest-floor insects, bugs in the forest canopy, soils, microclimatic conditions, trees, herbaceous plants, even lichens. More information about MOFEP is available online at http://mofep.conservation.state.mo.us/overview/default_overview.htm.

MOFEP is remarkable not only for its material scope but also for its temporal span. The life of a forest far exceeds human life spans, so to understand how human activity affects the forest mechanism, it's necessary to transcend a short-term outlook. The study is designed to provide a series of snapshots of a dynamic system over the course of 100 to 150 years, making it one of the few true long-term forest ecology studies in the world.

MOFEP is being conducted on nine tracts of Conservation Department land comprising 9,000 acres. The study began in 1991, with field workers gathering baseline data. They counted plants and animals and measured physical characteristics of the nine 1,000-acre compartments to provide a basis for comparison as the study progresses.

The next phase of the study began in 1996. On three compartments, loggers harvested all the trees from areas as large as 20 acres. These clearcuts comprise one-tenth of each compartment=s total acreage. This process will be repeated on another 10 percent of each of the three compartments= acreage once every 15 years.

When the study reaches its conclusion, all the land in three compartments will have been clear-cut once. By then, these compartments will be mosaics of small tracts where the forest ranges from 150 years old to clear-cuts just beginning to regrow. This type of forest management, sometimes called clearcutting, also is called Aeven-age,@ because all the trees in a given harvest area are the same age.

Another three MOFEP compartments will have harvests, also at 15-year intervals. However, trees will be harvested individually or in small groups so some trees always remain standing in logged areas. This type of harvest is called Auneven-age,@ because trees of all ages can be found growing together.

The remaining three compartments won=t be cut at all. They will provide a control area for comparison to the harvested tracts, allowing a fuller understanding of how the number and type of plants and animals have been affected by tree cutting in other compartments.

One of the concerns that led to MOFEP was the possibility that cutting trees fragmented large forest tracts, exposing birds to danger from predators and "nest parasitism" by cowbirds. Cowbirds lay their eggs in other birds' nests, and the larger cowbird babies crowd out the host birds' own young.

Information already is accumulating from MOFEP. For instance, while numbers of all five bird species that nest in mature forest drops sharply immediately after logging in even-age and uneven-age harvest tracts, some rebound quickly. Wood thrushes seem to find even-age harvest areas even more hospitable than those where uneven-age harvests are conducted. The opposite is true of ovenbirds and worm-eating warblers. Kentucky warblers thrived in both areas.

Another group of birds, those that nest in densely vegetated areas where trees have been removed, also showed different and sometimes surprising responses to logging. Five out of six of these "early-successional" species increased dramatically after timber harvests. Yellow-breasted chats and prairie warblers preferred even-age harvest areas, while indigo buntings and hooded warblers did equally well in even- and uneven-age tracts. But researchers found fewer blue-winged warblers and white-eyed vireos in both even- and uneven-age areas immediately after harvests, and these population decreases have continued.

Investigators speculate that the abundance of insects found in recently logged areas accounts for heavy usage by both forest-interior nesters and early-successional bird species. The dense, brushy cover in such areas also provides protection from some hawks. Overall, MOFEP results so far show no significant change in nest success rates before and after timber harvests. Similar results are coming out of amphibian, reptile and small-mammal studies.

One unanticipated result of MOFEP is the discovery of new species. Lichens are partnerships between fungi and algae. The fungi give the algae a good place to grow, and the algae make food that sustains the fungi. When documenting the types of lichen in the study area, field workers documented more than 180 species. Among those were three previously unknown to science. Another interesting discovery is that tree size doesn't seem to affect the diversity of lichen species present. The number of tree species found in a given area does.

Plant investigators are finding that the number of herbaceous plant species declines in areas where no trees are cut compared to areas with timber harvests. They also say that timber harvests in one area don't seem to affect the diversity of herbaceous plants in neighboring, unlogged areas.

The number of spotted salamanders and American toads decreased on all MOFEP areas, regardless of management, indicating something unrelated to timber harvest is hurting these species.

Conservation Department Resource Science Supervisor Eric Kurzejeski says that while these early trends are interesting, the significance of MOFEP will increase as the study progresses.

"These early results are encouraging, but some of the trends will almost certainly change as data continue to accumulate over the next 100 years," said Kurzejeski. "MOFEP will deepen our understanding of the tremendously complex relationships within trees--which we normally think of as being the forest--and all the other organisms and physical factors that really make up forests. This study is going to give the next generation of foresters and biologists much better information on which to base management decisions."

Funding for the ground-breaking work being done in MOFEP comes from the one-eighth of 1 percent sales tax dedicated to conservation. Missouri voters approved the tax in 1976. It provides approximately 60 percent of the Conservation Department's revenues. Although this makes Missouri's conservation agency among the best-funded in the nation, it comprises less than one half of 1 percent of Missouri's overall state budget.

- Jim Low -

State fair includes conservation adventures

Step back in time with Lewis and Clark or explore your crafty side.

SEDALIA, Mo.-Outdoor adventures aplenty await Missouri State Fairgoers, with programs ranging from living history to practical crafts.

The fair runs Aug. 7 through 17 in Sedalia. The Missouri Department of Conservation's pavilion at the south end of the fair grounds will host the Lewis and Clark Dugout Canoe Crew this year. The living history program gives visitors a glimpse into the daily life of the Corps of Discovery as it made its way up the Missouri River in 1804. Modern-day explorers in period dress will be chopping out a 28-foot dugout canoe and answering questions about the role of Missouri's namesake river in the historic expedition.

Also on display will be a half-scale model of Lewis and Clark's river keelboat.

The Conservation Department's "Show-Me Missouri Fish" mobile aquarium will be on hand with practical programs on fishing techniques at 1, 4 and 6 p.m. daily. The demonstrations provide a unique opportunity to see how baits simulate the movement of prey to attract fish. A wide array of fish native to Missouri will be on display in other aquariums, too.

If you are more interested in land animals, check out the live displays of snakes, a bobcat, a red fox, a raccoon and a groundhog. And if your taste runs more toward wildflowers, you will want to visit flower beds showcasing native plants.

Conservation Department Public Relations Specialist Ralph Duren will take fairgoers on an audio tour of outdoor Missouri with his astonishing wildlife calling ability at noon and 3 p.m. daily.

From 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. each day, fairgoers can escape the summer heat in the air-conditioned Conservation Discovery Room. There they can enjoy a host of hands-on exhibits, including a wildlife track-making table and animal furs, as well as river, forest, prairie and cave exhibits. If you are inclined to arts and crafts, try your hand at making a miniature dugout canoe, a jumping paper frog, a bird feeder or a turkey call, or use animal stamps to make a bookmark. Take time to say hello to Smokey Bear while you're there, too.

As always, Conservation Department experts on fish, amphibians, reptiles, mammals, birds, forests and wildlife management will be available to answer questions.

- Jim Low -