August 2006
Play, work and networking inseparable for Meramec Valley Stream Teams
Friday, August 25, 2006
The Meramec Valley Stream Team Associations' annual gathering is about fun, networking and learning about their favorite subject, stream conservation.
SULLIVAN, Mo.-Clad in T-shirts, nylon shorts and sandals, the crowd gathered at the Meramec State Park picnic area didn't look like a bunch of work-obsessed overachievers. However, animated conversations around the shady area showed a clear trend.
"We got an implement company to donate the use of a track hoe, so we could pull tires out of the river 10 at a time."
"That portable winch got the job done, but we had to bring in a power saw to cut the culvert in half. It was 7 feet wide and 40 feet long."
"We filled up nine 40-cubic-yard trash containers."
The theme of the gathering was trash and how to get it out of streams. The casually-clad workaholics were from Missouri Stream Teams, and they had gathered for the Meramec Valley Stream Team Association's annual gathering. The advertised purpose of the event was fun, but there was a lot of networking going on.
Children were very much a part of the event. They played games with stream conservation messages and won prizes ranging from rubber snakes and butterfly nets to hand-launched foam rockets and balsawood glider planes.
For adults, there was a raffle for a sleek red kayak, a propane fish fryer, autographed sports memorabilia, hand-tied fishing flies, a microscope set, camping equipment, fishing rods and reels, electronic equipment, a quilt and much more - about $5,000 worth of goods in all. After the barbecue lunch, vehicles shuttled people and their inner tubes upstream for a lazy float back to the picnic area and. Those with a need for speed organized a canoe race.
The main event seemed to be conversation, however. "I only came for the networking," said Bob Coffing of Stream Team 2991 on Labarque Creek.
Stream Teamers were eager to learn of others' achievements and how they were accomplished. Dennis Marz of Stream Team No. 211 in Arnold told proudly of the challenges his team has tackled. They removed a 1977 Chevy pickup and a huge steel culvert from the Meramec River.
These projects required creativity and power equipment, such as a portable winch and an electric saw. It has taken Stream Team No. 211 five or six years to work up to these challenges. Marz describes the group as "recreational stream-cleaner/recyclers," whose love of streams leads them to tackle ever-bigger projects.
Some teams set up photo displays of their activities, providing a visual record of how they accomplished their projects. People clustered around, excitedly trading information about how to get heavy items up steep banks and how to approach private landowners without alarming them or making them feel guilty about having a trashy stream.
"Everyone's challenges are a little different," said Fisheries Management Biologist Mark VanPatten, "but their experiences have applications for others. The more people you talk to, the better the chance of finding a workable idea for your stream."
To help Stream Team members better understand the dynamics of stream-bank erosion, the Conservation Department set up its stream table, a working model of a river. A park naturalist gave a lengthy program on freshwater mussels. The topic of clams might sound less than fascinating, but the audience was spellbound for nearly an hour as the naturalist talked about the amazing strategies these stay-put creatures have developed to attach their larvae to fish and other hosts. Among other things, the audience learned that the Meramec River's mussel fauna is among the most diverse in the world.
After lunch, a group of experienced stream teamers waded into the river to show beginners how to catch invertebrates with a small "kick" net. Then they talked about how to identify the creepie-crawlies as an indirect measure of water quality. They pointed out that some bottom-dwelling creatures cannot tolerate pollution, and their presence or absence provides clues to invisible problems with water quality.
At the end of the day, participants went home with a wealth of prizes, the most valued of which were strategies for future stream conservation efforts.
The Missouri Stream Team program is cosponsored by the Conservation Federation of Missouri and departments of Conservation and Natural Resources. They launched the program in 1989 with the goal of organizing 250 teams statewide. In July, the 3,000th stream team was chartered.
Some stream teams focus on trash cleanups. These events routinely rally hundreds of participants. Other teams monitor water quality, using training and equipment provided as part of the program. Some stream teams focus on public education. Every stream team forms its own goals.
For information about Stream Teams and how you can get involved, contact Missouri Stream Team, P.O. Box 180, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0180, (800) 781-1989, streamteam@mdc.mo.gov, or visit www.mostreamteam.org/.
-Jim Low-
Smart, ethical ORV owners keep their tires dry
Friday, August 25, 2006
State agencies are making progress in encouraging ethical off-roading.
LESTERVILLE, Mo.-Missourians who plan to enjoy a little off-road recreation over the Labor Day weekend would be smart to keep their tires dry. Officials with the Missouri Department of Conservation and the Missouri Water Patrol will be watching to ensure that recreational use of off-road vehicles (ORVs) doesn't damage Show-Me State streams.
Running ORVs in or through streams kills aquatic insects and other small animals that fish depend on for food. It also destroys habitat needed by fish and the animals they eat. Furthermore, it muddies water, making it less suitable for fish and for recreation.
Missouri law prohibits driving ORVs in streams except when fording streams at customary road crossings or for agricultural purposes on land owned by the ORV operator. Doing so under other circumstances can bring fines and suspension of hunting and fishing privileges.
Conservation agents and Water Patrol officers conducted a joint stream patrol in southeast Missouri Aug. 12, using a helicopter to locate ORV users in streams and officers on the ground to apprehend violators. They issued a few citations for littering and made five arrests for felony drug possession, but they found only two people operating ORVs illegally in streams. Both were minors, so those cases were referred to juvenile authorities.
Protection District Supervisor Mike Lancaster said ORV traffic was minimal the day of the patrol, but evidence of damage from recent all-terrain vehicle use in streams was evident from the air.
Lancaster said officers will be on patrol again over the Labor Day weekend to ensure that increased traffic doesn't cause a spike in illegal ORV use during the holiday.
There are some times and places where off-road vehicles can be taken into streams legally. These are explained in Section 304.013 of the Missouri Revised Statutes. ORV owners who enter streams under other circumstances risk expensive trips to court.
People who run ORVs in or through streams also risk losing hunting and fishing privileges. The Conservation Commission made this an option last year as a better way of getting irresponsible ORV users' attention. The normal suspension period is one year, but longer suspensions are possible, depending on the seriousness of the offense.
Missouri has public areas set aside especially for ORV riders. These include:
* Finger Lakes State Park in Boone County, (573) 443-5315.
* St. Joe State Park, 8,238 acres in St. Francois County, (573) 431-1069.
* Sutton Bluff Recreation Area in Reynolds County, (573) 729-6656.
* Chadwick ATV and Motorcycle Area in Christian County, (417) 683-4428.
-Jim Low-
Teal hunting prospects good, but birds won't stay long
Friday, August 25, 2006
The early teal season is a week longer this year, but dry weather could limit hunting opportunities.
JEFFERSON CITY-Teal hunters have a lot to be thankful for this year. Unfortunately, Missouri waterfowl habitat conditions are not among them. Unless the Show-Me State gets lots of rain in the next few weeks, hunters will have to be in the field at just the right times to make the most of the 16-day early teal season.
Teal season opens Sept. 9 and runs through Sept. 24. Shooting hours are sunrise until sunset. The early teal season is designed to give hunters an opportunity to pursue blue-winged teal, most of which migrate earlier than other ducks. Green-winged teal also are seen in Missouri in September, but in much smaller numbers.
This year's survey of breeding ducks showed 5.9 million blue-winged teal, up 1.3 million or 28 percent from last year. Green-winged teal numbers were up 20 percent from last year, for a total of 2.6 million.
The increase in blue-winged teal numbers set the stage for a 16-day season with a daily limit of four blue-winged and green-winged teal in the aggregate. For the past two years, the birds' numbers have dictated a nine-day season.
Having extra days afield is good for hunters, but overall hunting opportunity also depends on how long migrating birds stay in Missouri. That depends on habitat conditions. In years when summer rainfall is plentiful, shallow water covers low-lying land, and teal find lots of places to linger. If they also find plenty of seeds from smartweed, millet and other plants, they are even more likely to loaf in the Show-Me State.
This year's hot, dry weather in July and August can be expected to reduce seed production on wetland areas. If such weather continues, teal will quickly move south in search of better conditions. That could reduce hunting opportunities. Hunters can improve their chances of finding birds by paying close attention to weather forecasts and by hunting when cool fronts arrive.
Even minor cool fronts can push significant numbers of teal ahead of them, creating short-lived but exciting periods of excellent hunting. This emphasis on timing favors hunters who watch the weather forecast and plan trips on short notice.
The three-zone structure for Missouri's duck season will remain unchanged except for a slight northward shift in the North/Middle zone boundary. The boundary formerly ran west along I-70 from its junction with Highway 47 in Warren County to the junction of Highway 54 in Callaway County. At that point, it followed Highway 54 south to Highway 50 and then followed Highway 50 west to the Kansas border. The new boundary follows I-70 from its junction with Highway 47 west all the way to the Kansas border. For details of the Zone Boundary change, visit mdc.mo.gov/hunt/wtrfowl/zones/index.htm.
-Jim Low-
Zebra mussel awareness critical on Labor Day weekend
Friday, August 25, 2006
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CAMDENTON, Mo.-With Labor Day approaching, officials with the Missouri Department of Conservation remind anglers and recreational boaters to protect the state's waters from zebra mussels.
The zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) is native to the Caspian Sea. It entered North America in the ballast tanks of ocean-going ships about 20 years ago. After gaining a foothold in the Great Lakes, it began spreading through the Mississippi River and its tributaries. The pest recently was found on boat docks at Lake of the Ozarks. That was the first documented infestation in Missouri's interior waters, although they infested the Mississippi River adjacent to Missouri about 15 years ago.
Adult zebra mussels attach to solid objects and gather food by filtering tiny plants and animals from the surrounding water. Each female can produce up to a million offspring a year. They can form dense colonies several layers thick, encrusting objects with their shells.
Heavy zebra mussel infestations can clog water intakes of boat motors and power plants, compete with native animals for food and smother native mussels, many of which already are endangered. Zebra mussels also compete with native animals for food, upsetting the ecological balance of healthy lakes and streams.
"Knowing what zebra mussels can do and how easily they can be spread, I think everyone who fishes or owns a boat or personal watercraft in Missouri needs to be watchful," said Steve McMurray, the Missouri Department of Conservation's expert on mussels. "The threat from zebra mussels is something that Missourians need to make part of their day-to-day awareness, and holiday travel presents a special risk."
McMurray said boaters at Lake of the Ozarks should take precautions against zebra mussel spread when moving their craft to other waters. He said the same is true for those bringing boats to Missouri from other states.
Before moving a boat between waters, slide your hand along the hull and other submerged surfaces. A rough or grainy texture could indicate the presence of hundreds of tiny zebra mussels.
Remove any vegetation or other material that is caught on the boat or trailer, and scrape off any suspected zebra mussels before moving to another location.
Adult zebra mussels are dime- to quarter-sized. Their shells have black and white zigzag markings. You can get a pocket identification card and brochure by contacting MDC, Zebra Mussel Watch Card and Zebra Mussel: Missouri's Most Unwanted, P.O. Box 180, Jefferson City, MO 65102. Or e-mail a request for these publications to pubstaff@mdc.mo.gov.
There are other important measures to take to prevent spreading zebra mussels. Drain water from the motor, live well, bilge and transom wells and any other water from your boat and equipment while on land before leaving any water body. Dump leftover bait in a secure trash container away from water before leaving any water body. Do not take leftover live bait from one body of water to another.
Before launching your boat again, thoroughly rinse and dry the hull, drive unit, live wells, live well pumping system, bilge, trailer, bait buckets, engine cooling system and other boat parts with a hard spray from a garden hose.
If your boat was in infested waters for a long period of time, or if you find any attached adult mussels, use hot (104 F) water instead of cold, or take the boat to a do-it-yourself carwash and use the high pressure hot water to "de-mussel" boat and trailer. Do not use chlorine bleach or other environmentally unsound washing solutions unless you can capture and properly dispose of the rinse water.
Let boats, motors and trailers dry thoroughly in the sun for at least five days before boating again. In infested waters, the best way to keep a hull mussel-free is to run the boat frequently. Small juvenile mussels are quite soft and are scoured off the hull at high speeds.
Leave outboards or outdrives in the up position when not in use. Periodically inspect hulls and drive units, and scrape off mussels. Pump hot water through your engine's intake on a regular basis to prevent mussel growth inside the engine's cooling system.
Consult the Conservation Department before trying to control zebra mussels or any other exotic pest. Pest species often thrive on disturbance. Do-it-yourself control treatments can make matters worse and can harm native species.
Several Missouri Stream Teams are monitoring lakes and streams for zebra mussels. If you would like to join the effort, call (800) 781-989 or visit the Stream Team web-site at www.mostreamteam.org.
For more information about zebra mussels, visit www.protectyourwaters.net. To report a potential zebra mussel sighting, contact the nearest Missouri Conservation Department office or go to: www.mdc.mo.gov/nathis/exotic/zebra/: www.missouriconservation.org/nathis/exotic/zebra/.
-Jim Low-
Citizens, Conservation Department wade into stream conservation challenges together
Friday, August 18, 2006
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| Bill Ambrose (left) was dismayed when gravel deposition in Little Tavern Creek destroyed a thriving smallmouth bass population on his land. The same problem was costing the Miller County Commission money and blocking traffic on a nearby road. Greg Stoner (right), a fisheries management biologist with the Missouri Department of Conservation, helped Ambrose and Miller County solve both problems by finding state and federal funds to build a better bridge. (Missouri Dept. of Conservation photo) |
JEFFERSON CITY-Bill Ambrose didn't know what he was going to do about changes that were taking place on his land in northeastern Miller County. Gravel was choking Little Tavern Creek, where he once caught 16-inch smallmouth bass. The time, money and effort he had invested in stopping stream bank erosion seemed wasted.
The source of Ambrose's problem lay just downstream, where a gravel road crossed the creek. The concrete structure with metal culverts was acting as a dam, slowing the passage of floodwater. When the water slowed, it dumped sand and gravel on Ambrose's property, instead of flushing it on downstream as it had done for years.
Meanwhile, the Miller County Commission had troubles, too. Their stream crossing was a perennial problem. When the stream backed up behind the high concrete barrier, it flooded the road approach, blocking passage of commercial and passenger traffic.
Swirling currents periodically undermined the concrete structure, requiring costly and maddeningly temporary fixes. The latest fix had landed them in another kind of fix. It didn't comply with federal regulations on construction in and around streams. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers directed the county commission to fix the situation, but an acceptable solution was beyond the county's financial means.
The Missouri Department of Conservation came to the rescue with a solution that benefitted Ambrose, Miller County taxpayers and a third player, the endangered Niangua darter. Fisheries Management Biologist Greg Stoner pulled together a package of state and federal grants that allowed the county to install a bridge that lets raging flood flows pass unimpeded. Now, fertilizer delivery trucks and other commercial traffic can reach area farms in all kinds of weather.
Furthermore, the new, wide-span bridge will permit flood flows to flush sand and gravel out of Ambrose's fishing creek. Finally, thanks to Stoner's efforts, Niangua darters are free to swim upstream and reclaim historic habitat that previously was inaccessible because the concrete low-water crossing blocked their passage.
Eighty miles to the west, Kara Tvedt also is wearing a white hat these days. A Conservation Department fisheries management biologist like Stoner, Tvedt is responsible for helping landowners in five southwest Missouri counties that encompass much of the Pomme de Terre River watershed. When Paul McNealy came to the local Natural Resources Conservation Service for help with a stream erosion problem, they sent him to the Conservation Department.
"Mr. McNealy and a neighbor, Ron Hartman, had almost 1,000 feet of eroding steam bank," said Tvedt. "They were losing land at a high rate. Staff from the Conservation Department and the Natural Resources Conservation Service paid them a visit and helped develop a course of action to stop the erosion."
The solution was not cheap. It involved armoring the toe of the eroding stream bank with large rock, establishing stream-side vegetation and installing an alternative watering system so cattle fenced out of the stream-side land would have access to water. Planned grazing systems also were established to improve water quality of the runoff from the two farms.
Money from the Stream Stewardship Trust Fund administered by the Missouri Conservation Heritage Foundation was used to pay for rock, revegetation, fencing and alternative watering systems. Other cost-sharing programs paid for up to 90 percent of some practices. The landowners' contribution was to revegetate the stream corridor by planting redbud, ninebark, maple, sycamore and oak trees to help hold the stream bank in place. The landowners also contributed many hours of labor building fences.
Another farmer's land along the Maries River in Maries County was eroding along a 350-foot front and costing him precious acreage each time the river filled with storm water. Fisheries Management Biologist Rob Pulliam was able to put together a package of matching money that paid 90 percent of the cost of protecting the stream bank from further erosion.
The landowner agreed to plant trees along the eroding bank to anchor it in place so it will continue to resist stream bank erosion. Not only will this prevent the river from carving away more acreage from his farm, it will shade the stream, making it more habitable for fish.
This stretch of the Maries River benefitted from a unique combination of help from the Conservation Department and from the Maries County Soil and Water Conservation District's Special Area Land Treatment (SALT) project. SALT is intended to help landowners with stream-bank stabilization.
When a series of floods swept through the town of Piedmont in southeast Missouri, leaving buildings in the flood plain of McKenzie Creek devastated and the creek itself strewn with dangerous debris, the Conservation Department again came to the rescue. Stream Teams held a massive cleanup, removing tons of trash from the stream. Grants helped plant trees to restore the blighted flood plain to its former beauty. The agency also helped the city remove automobiles that had been used to stabilize a stream bank and replace them with rock rip-rap and stream-bank stabilization structures to ensure that bridges and remaining buildings would not be undermined by erosion.
These are just a few examples of the many ways the Conservation Department helps Missourians preserve one of their most treasured resources - streams.
"The value that Missourians place on their creeks and rivers is obvious in many ways," said Paul Calvert, the Conservation Department's stream services program supervisor. "One of the most striking examples is the Missouri Stream Team program. From its start in 1989, the program has chartered more than 3,000 citizen-led Stream Teams with more than 60,000 members. What else do you know that inspires that kind of response?"
The Conservation Department cosponsors Missouri Stream Team with the Conservation Federation of Missouri and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (DNR). From the start, the program was designed to let each Stream Team define its mission and to empower them to pursue their goals.
The most popular Stream Team activity is stream clean-ups. Over the past seven years these efforts have grown increasingly ambitious. Stream cleaning teams now routinely haul tons of refuse from dozens of stretches of stream each year. The trash ranges from paper cups to abandoned automobiles. Some elite Stream Teams specialize in projects that would daunt a battalion of engineers, removing hundreds of sunken tires or whole cars from streams where they have been mired for years.
Other Stream Teams conduct water-quality monitoring, using skills and equipment provided by Conservation Department and DNR personnel. Some Stream Teams focus on public education.
In 2005, more than 45,000 Stream Team members spent 134,964 hours in activities ranging from adopting an access to zebra mussel monitoring. The value of their labor was calculated at $2,434,750.
In recent years the Stream Team program has entered a new phase where individual teams join together in watershed associations. This permits them to tackle problems on a scale far beyond what any team could accomplish alone.
"No government agency could ever have achieved these kinds of results alone," said Calvert. "Missouri Stream Teams are a conservation success story without parallel."
Far from resting on its laurels, the Conservation Department is stepping up stream conservation efforts. Its new strategic plan, titled "The Next Generation of Conservation," calls for doubling the number of Stream Teams and developing new methods to provide more affordable and effective erosion-control options for landowners. It also calls for managing stream corridors on all conservation areas to serve as models for landowners.
Whenever possible, the Conservation Department tries to leverage its own resources with those of other government and private partners. For example, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service sometimes contributes matching funds for projects that benefit wildlife. The cases mentioned earlier involving the endangered Niangua darter are good examples. Fisheries Management Biologist Craig Fuller said Niangua darters were found in a stretch of Thomas Creek in Dallas County where they had never been seen before. The discovery came after the Conservation Department helped county officials replace a low-water bridge that effectively blocked upstream migration of the endangered fish. Changes that benefit endangered species - the most vulnerable fish - provide similar benefits to smallmouth bass and other game species.
The Conservation Reserve Program administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture has several provisions designed to protect stream corridors. When combined with Conservation Department resources, these federal programs can make stream conservation affordable for Missouri landowners. In the Niangua River watershed alone, the Conservation Department has been able to install stream protection and enhancement projects on more than 24 miles of stream.
One of the Conservation Department's most familiar stream conservation efforts is Stash Your Trash. The program distributes free plastic- mesh trash bags to river recreationists, mostly through canoe-rental operations. This year the agency expects to distribute more than 300,000 Stash Your Trash bags, making it easy for floaters to keep an untold volume of trash out of streams.
"Caring for Missouri streams has always been an important part of the Conservation Department's mission," said Calvert. "There are lots of challenges in this work, but right now there are a lot of things to be excited about, too. With the help of citizens and other government agencies, we are making gains every day."
To learn more about stream conservation, visit www.missouriconservation.org. For more information about Missouri Stream Teams, visit www.mdc.mo.gov/documents/fish/streams/streamteam.pdf.
- Jim Low -
Waterfowl reservations open Sept. 1
Friday, August 18, 2006
Fountain Grove will have a reservation drawing again.
JEFFERSON CITY-Waterfowl hunters who hope to get reservations to hunt at state-managed wetland areas should mark their calendars for Sept. 1. That is when the Missouri Department of Conservation will begin taking applications for its waterfowl hunting reservation lottery.
Applications can be made by calling (800) 829-2956 or by visiting www.missouriconservation.org Sept. 1 through 18. You will need the nine-digit identification number found at the top of your hunting or fishing permit or next to the bar code on your Conservation Heritage Card. Drawing results will be available at the same phone number and Web site Oct. 1.
Fountain Grove Conservation Area (CA), which was not included in last year's reservation drawing due to renovation work, is back on the list this year.
The Every Hunter Draws system will be in effect for hunters without reservations on three additional areas this year. The Conservation Department tested the system at Eagle Bluffs and Otter Slough CAs for the past two years and has found that it increases the number of hunters who get to take advantage of hunting opportunities. A majority of participating hunters said they favor the procedure. This year Every Hunter Draws will be extended to Grand Pass, Ten-Mile Pond and Bob Brown CAs and will be considered for other CAs in the future.
Past applications to hunt at Little River CA have not justified taking reservations for this area, so it will be left out of this year's drawing for the second year in a row. Hunting there will be on a first-come, first-served basis in designated areas as posted at the check-in parking lot. Hunters will check themselves in and out.
Reservation applications are limited to Missouri residents. Nonresidents can still participate in managed waterfowl hunting on state-owned areas, either by hunting with a resident reservation holder or by taking part in daily morning drawings for unreserved hunting spots.
Another first this year is that reservation applications are limited to Missouri residents. Nonresidents can still participate in managed waterfowl hunting on state-owned areas, either by hunting with a resident reservation holder or by taking part in daily morning drawings for unreserved hunting spots. The change was made to give residents more opportunity to hunt on state areas. Nonresidents received nearly 8 percent of reservations last year. At Ten Mile Pond and Four Rivers CAs, nonresidents accounted for 20 percent of the hunting trips.
-Jim Low-
Apply now for special quail hunts in southern Missouri
Friday, August 18, 2006
A drawing will determine who gets to hunt at two conservation areas in southern Missouri.
ALTON, Mo.- The Missouri Department of Conservation is accepting applications for special quail hunts on the Dan and Maureen Cover Prairie Conservation Area (CA) and the Carrick W. Davidson-Robert G. Paris Wildlife Area (WA).
Permits for the hunts in Howell County will be issued by lottery. Applicants may apply for only one of the areas. Successful applicants will be given one-day permits to hunt on the area selected during an assigned time. There will be 18 hunts on Cover Prairie CA and eight hunts on Davidson-Paris WA.
Each successful applicant will be allowed to take three other hunters, and each party will be allowed to take four quail.
To apply for these special hunts, contact: Missouri Department of Conservation, Special Quail Hunts, 551 Joe Jones Blvd., West Plains, MO 65775 or call (417) 256-7161.
All applicants must include the area on which they wish to hunt, the applicants name, permanent mailing address, phone number and the names of no more than three additional people who will be in the hunting party. No person's name may be listed on more than two applications. Applications will be accepted from Sept. 1 thru Sept. 30. Successful applicants will be notified by mail by Oct. 15.
-Jim Low-
Unfinished race still rewarding for one tired paddler
Friday, August 11, 2006
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| Don Wilkison was one of 20 kayakers and canoeists taking part in the 100-hour, 340-mile Missouri River 340 Aug. 2 through 6. Although he didn't reach the finish line, he was content with being part of a modern-day adventure that helped raise awareness of the Missouri River's recreational value. (Missouri Dept. of Conservation photo) |
JEFFERSON CITY-Don Wilkison didn't win the Missouri River 340. In fact, he didn't even finish the race. However, in the 270 miles he covered in four days he did learn several things about floating the Muddy Mo. He and other participants also got something that is increasingly difficult to obtain these days - an authentic adventure.
The Missouri River 340 is the brainchild of two Kansas City area residents, Scott Mansker and Russ Payzant. They conceived the race as a way to focus attention on the neglected recreational opportunities offered by Missouri's namesake river.
They organized the 340-mile canoe and kayak race from Kansas City to St. Charles on a shoestring. Many Missouri paddlers didn't know about the river marathon until after contestants left Kaw Point, near the mouth of the Kansas River, at 8 a.m. Aug. 2. Just to make it interesting, they decided to require that participants finish the race in 100 hours, a little over four days.
Wilkison found out about the event three weeks beforehand. He had been planning a leisurely, two-week float on the Missouri River in September, but figured he might as well join the race. It would save him 10 days of vacation and make him part of something big and exciting.
As a hydrologist for the U.S. Geological Survey, Wilkison knew the Missouri River's current at this time of year is 3 mph. Therefore, just drifting with the current should get him 300 miles downriver during the prescribed time. He figured he could easily make up the remaining 40 miles in four days of paddling.
Wilkison's competition consisted of 20 other paddlers, comprising five tandem teams and ten solo paddlers. One of the soloists dropped out within 500 yards of the start, because his kayak was overloaded. One team dropped out several miles into the race when it became clear that the physical demands were beyond what a 70-something paddler should tackle.
As the remaining contestants - mostly in racing kayaks - forged on, Wilkison found himself falling behind. He had learned about the contest too late for serious training, so instead he concentrated on resetting his sleep cycle to allow him to paddle through the cool of the night and rest during the day. That worked, to a degree.
He had calculated that he should reach the riverside community of Lexington by 2 p.m. Arriving there several hours behind schedule turned out to be a blessing in disguise. He reached the safety of a public restroom at Lexington's river access just before a terrific thunderstorm struck. Safe and dry, he and his chow-mix dog, Trex, listened to 50 mph winds howling around the concrete privy.
Miles downriver, solo paddler Dawn Keller of Outer Banks, N.C., (whom Wilkison described as "uber-kayaker woman") and her Seda Glider kayak were flying - literally. She was hurled through the air, by what she still is not sure. It could have been a tornado or a downburst created by a super-cell thunderstorm. Whatever it was dumped her on a rock-covered bank. Race organizer Mansker responded to her distress call and found her "covered in centipedes and bruised, but otherwise unhurt. She and most of her gear had been ejected from the sealed kayak, but the boat was still intact, so she and her rescuer took off downriver. When a second storm overtook them, they hastily pitched a tent on a sandbar, where they rode out nature's fury.
Back upriver, Wilkison had gotten back on the river after the first storm subsided. He found himself on a barren stretch of river when the second storm broke. All he could do was lash his canoe to rocks fore and aft, put on all the clothing he had with him against hypothermia, and take Trex to the highest part of a rock wing dike to huddle in the fetal position as the storm lashed the rocks. He wasn't sure what time it was - probably between 11 p.m. and 1 a.m.
"I was just glad to be alive," said Wilkison.
Did I mention that the Missouri River 340's logo is a skull and crossed paddles?
Wilkison got back in his canoe after the second storm passed and gained the town of Waverly about 5 a.m. "I hadn't even been out one full day and I was dead dog beat," he recalled.
As he and Trex paddled doggedly downriver, he learned from periodic updates that the rest of the racers were pulling farther and farther ahead. Wilkison was surprised at how deeply grateful he was for human contact when the motorized boat bringing up the rear visited him periodically to check his condition, deliver sport drinks and relay news of the front-runner.
Meanwhile, Wilkison toiled on, paddling until around 2 p.m. each day. He would rest through the heat of the day, eat and catch a "power nap," then hit the water again around 6 p.m. He had never entertained illusions about winning the race, but never doubted that he could reach St. Charles in 100 hours. Somewhere around the midpoint of the race course, however, he began to have doubts.
"I was in way over my head," said Wilkison during a rest stop at the Carl R. Noren Access across the river from the State Capitol. It was mid-morning on the fourth day of the race. Fatigue and sleep deprivation, combined with a double shot of espresso from a local shop, left him a little manic. You got the feeling he might fall asleep in mid-sentence in spite of the caffeine.
"I really don't have any business doing this. I'm in more of a touring canoe than a racing canoe. I'm doing okay. Slowly every day the gap widens between me and the rest of the racers. Yesterday I was within 15 miles of a couple of women. I think they're going to make it."
By then, Wilkison had decided he would not make it to St. Charles. He planned to camp on a sandbar across the river from the tiny town of Portland that night. The tavern serving cold beer and hamburgers across the river might have figured in his choice of camping spots. He said he didn't care if he never saw another Power Bar.
His original goal was to reach St. Charles exactly at noon Aug. 6, the official end of the race. Instead, he moved his own personal finish to Hermann, about 70 miles upriver. "It's not perfect, but it's a game effort," he said philosophically. "I've always wanted to canoe all of the Missouri, but it doesn't have to be all at one time."
"This has been a combination of ecstasy and misery," Wilkison said in summary. "It's an endurance race. It's very grueling." He says he will be better prepared physically for next year's event. He said paddlers who aren't in top form might want to just enjoy the river the way he originally intended to, waiting for pleasant weather and camping on sandbars at night. He also suggested not floating when severe weather is forecast.
Wilkison was struck by the kindness of many strangers who helped him in various ways. Several people shared refreshments. One good Samaritan even took him to her home for a shower and a four-hour nap.
"I learned from this trip that we do nothing alone; there is no such thing as a solo venture. Everyone relies on the kindness of strangers as well as friends and family to do anything in life."
One contestant, Katie Pfefferkorn of Columbia, described her experience as a of voyage of self-discovery. She finished the race in 98 hours and 36 minutes, time during which she completely escaped everyday cares and pressures.
Planning for next year's event already is underway. Payzant said his electronic mailbox is clogged with notes from people who want to be part of Missouri River 340 - 2007.
"They want to know how come we never did this before," he said. "It's right in the center of country, easy for lots of avid adventurers to reach - much easier than the Boundary Waters or the bottom of the country. They can't wait for next year."
Asked what the race accomplished, Payzant said, "All the people who entered plus their support teams discovered there is an incredible river valley out there that they had never seen. There were 20 humans who found themselves in real situations, reaching into themselves and finding a person who they didn't even know existed, and that person looked pretty good. All of them came away with a real connection to each other. There were hugs and kisses at the end. It was an incredible human experience."
Visit rivermiles.com/ for more information about the Missouri River 340. For more information about more leisurely Missouri River floating, visit www.mdc.mo.gov/conmag/2002/07/10.htm.
-Jim Low-
Change to steel shot a natural move for Brunswick family
Friday, August 11, 2006
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| Mark Steiman and son Scott have switched to steel shot for most of their hunting. They say the nontoxic alternative to lead shot is an effective hunting tool that protects the wildlife they love. (Missouri Dept. of Conservation photo) |
BRUNSWICK, Mo.-"Are you ready?" Scott Steiman nodded, so I pulled the release lever on the spring-loaded clay-pigeon thrower. An orange target rocketed away at 40 mph. followed an instant later by the emphatic "wham!" of his 20 gauge shotgun. The target evaporated into a cloud of dust.
"That's the way to do it," called Scott's dad, Mark, with obvious pride. Mark's mother, "Cookie" Steiman, was on hand to witness her 13-year-old grandson's performance. Both avid hunters, they enjoy watching a good wingshot at work. They got a lot of pleasure that morning early in August, as Scott vaporized target after target. Out of 50 shots, he missed only four. When Mark took his turn, he missed just two.
The Steimans' marksmanship is not surprising. Mark has honed his skill through thousands of hours of hunting, mostly for ducks. Although young, Scott clearly inherited quick reflexes and superb hand-eye coordination. Instead of using it on video games, he competes in 4-H trapshooting. He won first place in the Chariton County competition this year.
What was unusual this morning was the fact that the Steimans were using shotgun shells loaded with steel pellets, rather than lead shot. Even more unusual is the fact that they have embraced steel shot for hunting other game, including pheasants and turkeys.
Missouri began requiring hunters to use steel or other non-toxic shot for waterfowl hunting on some areas in 1978. Lead shot, which has been shown to poison ducks, eagles and other birds, still is allowed for other game or for target practice in most areas.
Why have the Steimans switched to steel shot, even when it isn't required? They consider shooting steel shot the right thing to do for both ethical and practical reasons. Their experience provides powerful evidence that steel shot can be as effective as lead shot in the hands of hunters who know the limits of their ammunition, their guns and their own shooting skills.
The ethical part of Mark Steiman's steel-shot conversion took place before the use of nontoxic shot became mandatory for duck hunting.
"Doc is really the man who got me to do this," he says, pointing to a photograph of a hunter with a wild turkey. Veterinarian J.W. Smith had a small waterfowl hunting spot of his own, but he also hunted the Dalton Cutoff, a 800-acre oxbow lake created by the Missouri River in southern Chariton County.
"Doc went down to the Dalton Cutoff during duck season and saw all these ducks on the water that wouldn't fly and he wondered why. So he got his dog and got some of those birds. Some of them couldn't hardly move. He thought maybe they had been shot, so he took them home and did autopsies on them. None of them had a hole in them, but when he got into their gizzards he found pieces of lead shot in every one. That lead had poisoned them."
That made a believer of Smith. He made using steel shot, which was the only nontoxic alternative at the time, mandatory on his property. Steiman was harder to convince. "I shot it when I had to," he said, "and I had to on Doc's little duck hole. It would kill a duck at 20 yards, but I hated the first steel shot."
He says he hated it for several reasons. One is that early steel-shot loads were far less effective than what is available today.
"They hadn't figured out how to load it, yet," said Steiman. "All they did was put the same weight of steel shot in a shell designed for lead. You crippled a lot more birds. The shot cups were the same as they used for lead, and that hard steel would scratch gun barrels. They have come a long way with that now. They kept improving it."
Today, ammunition makers use high-density plastic shot cups that protect gun barrels. Another advance in steel-shot technology is higher velocity loads that hit harder.
Steiman has found other reasons for shooting steel shot, particularly at game for which it isn't required. Several years ago he was preparing for a pheasant hunt when he discovered that he didn't have the right ammunition. He bought lead-shot shells, but then decided to use steel shot anyway.
"I thought, lead shot is slower and I don't know how much to lead a bird with it. I'm only going to see two or three pheasants, and I don't want to miss them. I'll just take the steel. I know how to shoot that."
He said he killed every pheasant he shot at that day.
On other occasions, Steiman found himself hunting in areas where lead shot was legal but steel shot was required within a certain distance of water. In those cases, it was easier to carry one kind of ammunition and not have to worry about whether he was legal.
Eventually, Steiman even made the switch to steel shot for turkey hunting, where tight shotgun patterning is critical. Does steel have enough knock-down power for such big birds?
"Steel shot will break their necks quicker than anything," says Steiman. "I have a gobbler on my wall with one and three-quarter-inch inch spurs that I shot through a hedge limb with steel shot. Only a few pellets got through, but they put him down."
Perhaps most surprising of all is Steiman's choice of steel shot sizes for different game. Asked what he uses for teal, he answered, "No. 4 steel." Mallards? "No. 4 steel."
"I shoot 4 steel for everything - pheasants, snow geese. I even shoot 4 steel for Canadians. One No. 4 steel pellet in the neck, he's dead."
One key to Steiman's success with No. 4 steel shot is his determination to get birds in close range before shooting.
"I have done the thing where you shoot three times at birds way out there and maybe scratch one out and then hunt for him for an hour. I would rather do it right and get them in where steel shot really works well."
Does he ever miss lead shot?
"Honestly? Yes. I miss it hunting geese. We used to shoot those lead No. 2s or BBs at geese at 40 yards, and man it would just roll them. You can kill them with the steel shot they've got today, but you have to know your limits."
Since lead shot was outlawed for waterfowl hunting, ammunition makers have developed several nontoxic alternatives to steel that are nearly as dense as lead. A few actually are denser and perform better than lead. Steiman has tried them and says they are great*for those who can afford them.
"Your gun goes "cha-ching!" every time you shoot one of those shells through it," Cookie joked. The Steimans are sticking with the modestly priced steel shot.
Mark said he and Scott use 20 gauge guns for two reasons. One is because they often hunt in blinds with large parties of hunters, some of whom he doesn't know.
"I really try to do things right," he said. "I don't agree with people who think steel shot is bad, and I especially don't agree with the ones who will use lead shot if they think they can get away with it. Almost every other duck hunter shoots a 12 or 10 gauge. If a conservation agent ever finds lead shot shells in the blind, they can't be ours."
The other reason for the Steimans' devotion to 20s has to do with shooting accuracy. The kick of a 20 gauge is less than that of bigger guns. Scott shoots a Remington Model 11-87, while Mark uses an older but nearly identical Model 1100. Both guns bleed off a little of the hot gas from each shot to operate the reloading mechanism, which further reduces the gun's kick.
This is important, because shooters who come to expect a painful kick with each shot eventually begin anticipating the punishment. The resulting flinch before a shot causes misses.
Although the Steimans are strong believers in the effectiveness of steel shot, they ignore steel-shot experts' advice in one regard. Both use full chokes.
Choke refers to a constriction in barrel diameter that determines how quickly shot pellets spread out as they fly toward the target. Choke is critical when shooting lead shot, because lead is soft. Lead pellets get bent out of shape as they push against each other traveling up the shotgun barrel under pressure. Misshapen pellets don't fly as straight as round ones, so lead shot pellets spread out quickly after leaving the barrel unless kept in line with a choke. If they get too spread out, the number of pellets in a target-sized area grows too small to ensure clean, quick kills.
Steel shot starts out more perfectly round than lead shot, and its hardness prevents deformation. Consequently, steel shot flies straighter and it patterns much tighter than lead shot.
The most common shotgun chokes, from loosest to tightest, are cylinder, improved cylinder, modified and full. When lead shot was used for waterfowl hunting, ammunition makers recommended using modified or full chokes. With steel shot, experts recommend modified or improved cylinder chokes. Some hunters even use straight cylinder bores.
The Steimans' use of exceptionally tight chokes reflects exceptional shooting ability. An average shooter with a full-choked shotgun and steel shot would wait until a target was 30 yards away before pulling the trigger. That would give the shot pellets time to spread out to a diameter of 20 or 30 inches. That is large enough to ensure a hit for a shooter of moderate skill. At that distance, a few pellets would strike the target, breaking it into several pieces.
When Scott tried this strategy he missed several targets, so he fell back on his habit of firing as soon as he was able to track the target. Most of his shots came when the target was 15 to 20 yards away. Some were barely outside 10 yards. That is how he broke 46 of 50 targets. When he fired, there was seldom a fragment of target large enough to identify.
Not every hunter has the reflexes or can practice enough to consistently place a swarm of pellets less than 12 inches in diameter on top of a speeding target.
Mark said another key to shooting steel shot effectively is realizing that it travels faster than lead. In some cases, the difference is 300 to 400 feet per second. This extra speed means a target does not travel as far between the time of the shot and the moment of impact. That reduces the lead - or forward allowance - that the shooter must give the target to ensure a hit.
"I think a lot of hunters who are used to shooting with lead shot lead a duck too far with steel shot. With the speed of these shells now, even at 40 yards, if you shoot that far in front of his bill (he holds up thumb and forefinger spaced about 4 inches) he's dead. It's some killin' stuff if you shoot it within its range."
"Every gun shoots different, and everybody shoots different," said Mark. "You have to shoot with the same gun until you figure out what works for you and stick with it. A full choke works for me, even though it might not be the best thing for everybody. Steel, well, steel will work for anyone who shoots it enough to figure out how to shoot it."
For more information about selecting the best steel-shot load for different game, get a copy of the 2006-2007 Waterfowl Hunting Digest. The booklet is available wherever Missouri hunting permits are sold.
- Jim Low -
Dove numbers surge; hunting forecast bright
Friday, August 11, 2006
Population indices jumped by as much as 88 percent in some areas.
JEFFERSON CITY-Dove hunters in the Kansas City and St. Louis regions have reason to rejoice, if population figures released by the Missouri Department of Conservation are any indication.
Dove season opens Sept. 1 and runs through Nov. 9. The daily limit remains 12, the possession limit 24. Shooting hours are one-half hour before sunrise until sunset. Mourning doves are Missouri's most prolific game birds, with most nesting pairs hatching several broods each year. The Conservation Department tracks the state's dove population through two surveys each summer. One counts the number of doves heard calling along predetermined survey routes. The other counts doves actually seen.
This year's calling bird survey showed a statistically insignificant decline in dove numbers. However, the roadside survey turned up a significant increase in the number of doves seen statewide and dramatic increases in some regions.
Statewide, the number of doves observed in roadside counts increased 29 percent compared to last year and 54 percent compared to the average of the past 10 years.
The Kansas City Region (Jackson, Cass, Bates, Vernon, Lafayette, Johnson, Henry, St. Clair, Pettis and Benton counties) showed an 88.3 percent increase from last year. The St. Louis Region (Lincoln, Warren, St. Charles, St. Louis, Franklin, Jefferson, Washington and Crawford counties) was a close second with an 82 percent gain. Other regions with increased dove numbers were Northeast Missouri, 41.1 percent; Central Missouri, 40.3 percent; Southeast Missouri, 33.1 percent; Southwest Missouri, 17.6 percent; and northwest Missouri, 2.4 percent. The Ozark Region posted a 5.5 percent decrease in dove numbers.
While gains are important, from a dove hunter's point of view the important thing is total numbers. Going strictly by numbers of doves seen per mile of survey route, the 10-county Kansas City Region still leads the pack with 2.58 birds per mile. However, Central and Southwest Missouri are tied for second with 1.74 per mile, followed by Southeast Missouri with 1.69, Northwest with 1.68, Northeast with 1.56, St. Louis with .71 and the Ozarks with .69.
"These numbers are about as good as we have seen in 10 years," said Conservation Department Resource Scientist John Schulz. "This is just a survey-a snapshot of how many birds surveyors happened to see along certain routes on a particular day in a given year. It isn't a count of all the birds in an area, so the value of the numbers it yields are most useful for detecting long-term population changes over a period of many years. Just the same, these are terrific numbers, and I expect hunters to see more doves this year than they did in 2005."
Habitat conditions are likely to be much like last year's, due to hot, dry weather. Doves' primary food is seeds, and they like to feed on open ground. Droughty weather produces lots of open ground, and it causes plants to mature earlier. That is good for the September first dove opener - if hunters can find places with enough seeds to attract doves.
The Conservation Department manages fields on some conservation areas especially for doves. Sunflowers, wheat, millet and other seed-producing crops make many of those spots dove magnets. However, the quality of managed dove fields varies widely depending on local weather conditions and resources available for cultivation. Some fields are excellent, others poor. Only pre-season scouting can reveal the difference.
For dove field locations, visit www.missouriconservation.org/hunt/dove.
Dove hunters ages 16 through 64 must buy a Small Game Hunting Permit to pursue doves. All dove hunters 16 and older must have a Missouri Migratory Bird Hunting Permit for dove hunting.
Three species of doves are legal game in Missouri. Mourning doves are native to Missouri. White-winged doves, which once were found only in the southwestern United States, have expanded their range into Missouri in recent years. A third species, the Eurasian collared dove, arrived in Florida in the 1980s, probably blown there by tropical storms. That species also has expanded its range to include Missouri and is locally abundant in parts of southeast Missouri.
Mourning doves make up 99.9 percent of Missouri's annual dove harvest, but all three species are legal to hunt. The daily limit of 12 doves is an aggregate limit, including all three species. For example, a hunter could shoot 10 mourning doves, one Eurasian collared dove and one white-winged dove in one day.
Full details of dove hunting regulations are found in the 2006 Migratory Bird Hunting Digest, available wherever hunting permits are sold.
Schulz reminded hunters to pick up spent shotgun shells and remove them from hunting areas when they leave. Empty shotgun shells are litter, and leaving them behind carries the risk of a littering ticket.
-Jim Low-
Cool birds draw visitors to steamy locale
Friday, August 04, 2006
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| The fact that king rails are nesting at B.K. Leach Conservation Area in Lincoln County is proof that the area's newly restored wetlands provide quality habitat for shorebirds. Other species seen there in recent years include sandhill cranes, little blue herons, common moorhens, least bitterns, marbled godwits, glossy ibis and black-necked stilts. (Missouri Dept. of Conservation photo) |
ELSBERRY, Mo.-In the movie Field of Dreams, ghostly voices tell the main character "If you build it, they will come." The Missouri Department of Conservation has its own field of dreams in Lincoln County. Unlike the original, it is covered with water, rather than corn, and instead of baseball legends, the players are endangered birds.
The Lincoln County story began when the Conservation Department decided to restore more than 2,000 acres along the Mississippi River to its original condition, wetlands. The agency did not need apparitions to tell it that birds would come to B.K. Leach Conservation Area. The area was a historic haven for ducks, geese and other water-loving birds, not to mention furbearers, reptiles, amphibians and other wildlife. These began to repopulate the area shortly after the new wetland units were built. One of the units, called Bittern Basin for the birds it might attract, began to fill with water in 2004.
Area Manager Brian Loges was thrilled when he first found a king rail nest there in 2004. This was the feathered equivalent of seeing Chicago Black Sox outfielder Shoeless Joe Jackson in an Iowa cornfield. Graduate students working on a distribution study of king rails were jubilant this year when they found at least two pairs of king rails nesting at B.K. Leach CA. At one point, they observed a brood of eight fuzzy black king rail chicks.
The king rail sighting generated excitement among bird enthusiasts because the species is classified as endangered in Missouri. The statewide nesting population is estimated at approximately 20 pairs. The species is holding its own in coastal areas of the United States, but inland populations are declining steeply, due to loss of suitable habitat.
King rails have very specific habitat needs. They only nest in large tracts of marsh where sedges, rushes, cattails and other plants rise above standing water. Their presence at B.K. Leach CA proves the area has high-quality wetland habitat.
"It is incredible how quickly B.K. Leach became a refuge for this species," said Conservation Department Ornithologist Andy Forbes. "When a bird like this arrives, it is a sign of very good habitat."
The king rail is not the only unusual bird that has found a home at B.K. Leach CA recently. Bird enthusiasts also have spotted stately sandhill cranes, elegant Mississippi kites, little blue herons, common moorhens (also with chicks), least bitterns, marbled godwits, marsh and sedge wrens and western meadowlarks. In the past few years, the area also has hosted glossy ibis and black-necked stilts.
The presence of these birds, which are seldom seen in Missouri, has attracted a larger-than-normal number of birders to the area. Although the area can hardly be called crowded, increased visitation does raise the possibility of people becoming a problem for the birds. Forbes said bird experienced birders generally are careful not to disturb birds. For newcomers to the sport, he offered a few rules for ethical birding.
--Use binoculars or spotting scopes to observe birds so you can remain at a respectful distance.
--Stay on trails. At B.K. Leach CA, this means levees.
--Avoid nesting areas. Chicks and eggs are more vulnerable to predators when parents are flushed from nests.
Dawn and dusk are the best times to see wetland birds. If you want to try to see king rails or least bitterns at B.K. Leach, visit the shallow marshes in the northern third of the Bittern Basin Unit. Wetlands are ever-changing places, so the birds' exact location from year to year depends on water levels and other habitat conditions.
You can pick up area brochures with maps from kiosks at parking lots around the area or download them from the online Conservation Atlas at www.missouriconservation.org.
-Jim Low-
State Fair program includes nuisance wildlife control
Friday, August 04, 2006
While you are at the Agriculture Building, stop and visit with Conservation Department wildlife damage biologists.
SEDALIA, Mo.-Visitors to the Missouri State Fair have more than one place to learn about services offered by the Missouri Department of Conservation. The agency will host a booth at the Agriculture Building to help landowners with nuisance wildlife problems.
The State Fair runs from Aug. 10 through 20. As always, the Conservation Department pavilion at the south end of the fairgrounds will have aquariums with fish, turtles and amphibians plus live displays of snakes and other animals. While there, visitors can get answers to their questions from conservation agents and biologists.
The Discovery Room will be open from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. daily Aug. 10 through 16 and Aug. 18 through 20. The air-conditioned room is the site for naturalist programs, hands-on nature activities and a fishy game to keep Missouri litter free through the No MOre Trash! campaign.
Anglers can enjoy fishing programs conducted in the Conservation Department's 3,200-gallon Mobile Aquarium at 1, 4 and 6 p.m. daily.
The Operation Game Thief (OGT) traveling exhibit will let fairgoers see trophy taxidermy mounts and other items seized from poachers. Visitors will get to see how citizens are using the toll-free OGT hotline to turn in game-law violators.
The Conservation Department pavilion also is a convenient place to pick up landowner deer and turkey hunting permits or buy other permits.
At the Agriculture Building, visitors will find wildlife damage biologists ready to offer advice about preventing wildlife problems and solving those that do crop up.
For more information about the state fair, call (800) 422-3247 or visit www.mostatefair.com/.
-Jim Low-
Handicapped dove hunt offered Sept. 3
Friday, August 04, 2006
Ten Mile Pond Conservation Area will host the event for hunters with mobility impairments.
SIKESTON, Mo.-Hunters with mobility impairments will get a special shot at dove hunting at Ten Mile Pond Conservation Area again this year. The Conservation Department and the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) are sponsoring a special event for disabled hunters Sept. 3 at the conservation area in Mississippi County.
Event organizer Larry Neal said only one hunter took advantage of the opportunity last year, and quickly bagged a limit of doves. The event can accommodate up to 15 hunters. Areas are reserved for hunters with mobility impairments, and NWTF volunteers serve as guides, helping hunters get to and from the field and retrieving downed birds.
Participants should arrive at Ten Mile Pond CA headquarters before 6 a.m. and must leave the fields by 1 p.m. They need small-game and migratory-bird hunting permits and hunter education certification cards. For reservations, call Larry Neal, (573) 334-8881, or Tim Hendershott, (573) 335-9350.
-Jim Low-
Surplus property auction set for Aug. 26 at Brookfield
Friday, August 04, 2006
Items for sale include used trucks, cars, ATVs, boats, outboard motors, farm equipment, office furniture and much more.
BROOKFIELD, Mo-Missourians who can't resist a bargain will want to attend the Missouri Department of Conservation's surplus property auction Aug. 26 in Brookfield. Items ranging from johnboats to air conditioners will go to the highest bidders.
A complete list of sale items will be available at the registration desk the day of the sale. Auction items are on display from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. the day before the auction and starting at 8 a.m. the day of the auction.
All property must be paid for on the day of the sale and before removal. Acceptable methods of payment include cash, MasterCard or Visa or personal checks with proper identification. For lists of sale items, call (573) 522- 4115, ext. 3279 or 3283.
The Conservation Department plans a second surplus property auction Oct. 21 in Salem.
-Jim Low-
