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Populations of these popular game species are strong, thanks to average to excellent reproduction the past two years.
JEFFERSON CITY--Favorable weather and a second year of strong reproduction spell good news for Missouri hunters who pursue turkeys and rabbits starting in October.
October marks the beginning of fall action for many Missouri hunters. Rabbit season and archery turkey hunting begin Oct. 1, and Missouri's fall firearms turkey season opens Oct. 9. Biologists with the Missouri Department of Conservation say hunters who pursue these popular game species can look forward to a good season.
Wildlife Research Biologist Tom Dailey says rabbit population surveys conducted in July showed a statewide population index 26 percent higher than last year and just 12 percent below the average over the past 17 years. Counts were highest in northwestern, north-central and northeastern Missouri.
Wildlife Research Biologist Mike Hubbard says the state's turkey flock enjoyed good nest success this year, posting average to good reproduction throughout most of the state. Coming on the heels of excellent nest success in 1998 and 1999, this spells ample fall hunting opportunities.
"The fall season should provide ample opportunity for Missouri hunters to harvest a turkey," says Hubbard. "In addition to tremendous turkey numbers, hunting pressure is much lower in the fall than during the spring season."
The Conservation Department sold 32,606 fall firearms turkey hunting tags in 1999, compared to 113,495 for the 2000 spring turkey season.
Dailey noted that although rabbit populations still are below the long-term average, bunnies are locally abundant in areas with good habitat and favorable spring weather. Rabbits and other ground-nesting animals enjoy the best nest success in years when spring weather is warm and moderately dry. Cold weather and heavy rains can reduce the number of young that survive.
Dailey says he expects rabbit hunting opportunities to be similar to 1999. Northern Missouri will provide the most action. Population indices were above last year's in the northwestern, north-central and northeastern parts of the state. The Mississippi lowland region in southeastern Missouri had about the same number of rabbits as last year, but only half as many as the long-term average. Rabbit numbers in the Ozarks and Ozark border regions were about the same as last year, off slightly from the long-term average. The western prairie region's rabbit population index this year is off significantly from 1999 and stands at only one-third of the long-term average.
Rabbit season opens Oct. 1 and runs through Feb. 15. The daily limit is six, and only two of these can be swamp rabbits. Possession limits are twice the daily limits.
Archery turkey hunting runs from Oct. 1 through Nov. 10 and from Nov. 22 through Jan. 15. Fall firearms turkey hunting begins Oct. 9 and runs through Oct. 22. The season limit is two birds of either sex. Only one bird may be taken during the first week of the season. After that, the limit is one bird daily, up to the season limit of two.
Further details of rabbit and turkey hunting regulations are available in the 2000 Summary of Missouri Hunting and Trapping Regulations," which is available wherever hunting permits are sold.
- Jim Low -
Uneven distribution of summer rains will cause a patchwork of color.
JEFFERSON CITY--Missouri's fall color season will be a mixture of brilliant and blah. Foresters with the Missouri Department of Conservation predict a mixed bag of color due to differences in rainfall around the state.
Fall color will be duller than usual in drought-stricken areas and vivid in areas that received near normal rainfall, according to conservation Department Forestry Education Coordinator Bruce Palmer. He suggests going to eastern and northern Missouri to see the most brilliant color.
"Adequate rainfall in the north, east-central and southeast regions of the state prevented trees from being stressed by the summer heat," Palmer says. "We expect very vivid color in those areas. The river hills along the Mississippi and Missouri rivers are excellent places to view fall color."
Do not expect much of a color display in Missouri's western, southwestern and south-central regions. Extreme heat and little rainfall already have caused leaves on some trees to turn brown and fall earlier than normal.
The peak of fall color in Missouri usually occurs the second and third weeks of October. In dry years, trees often drop leaves early to prevent moisture loss. More rain could help reduce the drought stress and extend the fall color season.
The change of season triggers leaf color changes. Cooler temperatures stop the production of chlorophyll, the green substance in leaves. As chlorophyll fades, underlying yellow and orange pigments become visible. Cooler temperatures also prevent the food produced in leaves from moving into the rest of the tree. The trapped sugars turn leaves red or purple.
Get a copy of the "Missouri's Season of Splendor" poster for an in-depth explanation of why leaves change color and information about where to see fall color. To receive a free poster by mail write to: Missouri Department of Conservation, Distribution Center, PO Box 180, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0180.
The "Fall Colors of Missouri" brochure includes a map of scenic drives and information about public lands with hiking trails through scenic areas. The brochure is available at conservation nature centers and Conservation Department offices statewide.
Information on the peak of fall color is available on the Conservation Department website at www.missouriconservation.org. Use the keyword "fallcolor" to access the information.
- Arleasha Mays -
Senators Bond and Ashcroft joined a bipartisan group of 61 other senators in urging immediate consideration of the conservation measure.
WASHINGTON, D.C.--Both Missouri's U.S. senators recently reaffirmed their support for legislation that would fund state wildlife, recreation and conservation education programs, making it impossible for opponents of the Conservation and Reinvestment Act (CARA) to stymie the measure by filibuster.
Twenty-three Republican and 40 Democratic senators sent a letter to the Senate leadership Sept. 19 encouraging them to schedule this important legislation for consideration by the full Senate this month. This bipartisan CARA alliancewhich includes partisan stalwarts Strom Thurmond (R-SC) and Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.)is remarkable for the ideological gulf it spans.
"The fact that CARA has the support of such a lopsided majority of senators from both parties, some of whom seldom agree on anything, is strong evidence that this measure is the right thing to do," said Rick Thom, Natural History Division Administrator for the Missouri Department of Conservation. "The fact that CARA is getting this kind of support in an election year makes it doubly convincing."
"As U.S. Senator for Missouri, I have the opportunity to help bring $34 million in new funds to conserve Missouri's diverse wildlife, fields, streams, and parks," said Ashcroft. "The Conservation and Reinvestment Act is a proposal I support, but I want to make sure that private property rights are protected in the final outcome. This bill will provide Missouri familiesincluding all who camp, fish, and huntwith even better opportunities to enjoy the outdoors and act as good stewards of the environment."
Bond says he believes the state agencies that will administer CARA funds can work with landowners to ensure their concerns are addressed.
Senate Majority Leader Lott (R-MS) and Senate Minority Leader Daschle (D-SD) have said CARA is a priority for this year's final agenda, but, due to a limited legislative calendar and many other priorities, action on CARA is not assured. An unprecedented national coalition of up to 10,000 organizations, businesses and elected officials support securing conservation funding through the enactment of CARA.
The popular support for CARA across the nation is reflected in the wide, bipartisan support in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. The House passed CARA on May 11 by a three-to-one vote. It awaits final action by the Senate to see the fruition of this coalition's work.
In a related development, The Tarrance Group announced results of a survey indicating that 80 percent of voters favor passage of CARA. Furthermore, the Republican strategic research and polling firm's survey showed that 73 percent of voters said that knowing a candidate for the U.S. House or Senate supported such a measure would make them more likely to vote for that candidate.
CARA would provide funding for fish and wildlife conservation, parks, recreation, education and other local projects from existing federal revenues. The money would come from revenues the federal government receives from oil and natural gas leases on the outer continental shelf (OCS).
These funds originally were intended to support local parks and recreation projects and conservation programs that mitigate the environmental impacts of offshore oil drilling. However, the legislation setting up the fund failed to earmark its monies for conservation, parks and recreation programs, and Congress has used most of the money for other purposes.
CARA earmarks $2.8 to $4 billion in OCS funds annually for the purposes for which they were originally intended. Under the bill's provisions, this money would be turned over to states for recreation, fisheries, wildlife, conservation education and other related projects.
Annual funding through CARA would include:
--Coastal conservation programs - $1 billion
--Land and water conservation - $900 million
--Wildlife conservation and restoration - $350 million
--Conservation easements and species recovery - $150 million
--Urban parks and recreation - $125 million.
Missouri's share of the money would be channeled through the Missouri departments of Conservation and Natural Resources. Much of the money would be available to local governments and conservation groups through grants administered by the two state agencies. Qualifying projects could include local parks, outdoor classrooms and wildlife habitat work.
Proponents say Missouri wildlife will benefit from CARA funding through conservation partnerships in which state agencies and local groups promote wildlife viewing, grants to schools, habitat restoration, urban green space and nature tourism. They say the program also would help songbirds whose populations are in decline and other nongame wildlife.
Community grants that would be available through CARA could provide support for development of trails, wildlife habitat, parks, green space, nature areas, outdoor classrooms, aquariums and nature-related tourism.
"We thank these 63 Senators for their tremendous leadership in the final weeks of the 106th Congress," said R. Max Peterson, Executive Vice President, International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. "We believe this support reflects that CARA is truly a national priority and action must be taken on it this year."
The IAFWA has made funding for state-level wildlife conservation its number one priority for the last five years. "Expanded funding is necessary for
states to conserve the full spectrum of wildlife and will allow states to employ a much needed prevention approach to wildlife conservation to avoid the listing of endangered species, along with wildlife-associated education and recreation," said David Waller, President, International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies.
"The need is estimated to be around $1 billion nationwide," said Waller, who is director of the Georgia Division of Wildlife Resources. "The $350 million that CARA provides will address some of the most serious wildlife problems facing our nation. We shouldn't have to wait until a species reaches the emergency room status of being listed under the Endangered Species Act. CARA will help save wildlife and the U.S. taxpayer from costly and uncertain recovery efforts."
For more information about CARA, Act, visit www.teaming.com, or call the IAFWA, 202/624-7890.
- Jim Low -
Western fires and drought may push unusual migrants into Missouri.
JEFFERSON CITY--Missourians who maintain nectar feeders for hummingbirds throughout the summer may collect a bonus for their efforts this year, according to the Missouri Department of Conservation. All they have to do is keep the faith a little longer.
Most years, maintaining nectar feeders for hummingbirds is an April through September affair. During that period Missourians get to see just one kind of hummingbird, the ruby-throated.
In most years, the number of western hummingbirds reported in Missouri is tiny. But this year could be different, according to Jim D. Wilson, an ornithologist for the Missouri Department of Conservation. He says birdwatchers in Kansas have reported an unusual number of sightings of calliope, broad-tailed, broad-billed and rufous hummingbirds this summer.
Bird experts speculate that a few of these western birds may wander eastward voluntarily each year. An eastward jog through Missouri isn't particularly significant on a trip that stretches from Montana to the Texas coast and then 1,000 miles across the Gulf of Mexico to wintering grounds in Central America. The abundance of fall flowers and nectar feeders here might actually make the Show-Me State an attractive stopover for hummers after crossing the Great Plains.
Wilson says the upswing in exotic hummingbird sightings may be related to drought and wildfires that have swept western states this year. "A severe drought affects nectar supplies in these species' normal range and forces them to search for food elsewhere. Add to that the loss of millions of acres of habitat blackened by fires, and you're looking at an enormous number of displaced birds. They have to go somewhere, so we shouldn't be surprised to see some of them here."
If the trend reported in Kansas continues into the fall migration period, many Missourians could see late, rare visitors at their nectar feeders. "The western hummer most often seen here is the rufous hummingbird," says Wilson. "But this year the variety and number of such sightings could be exceptional."
Since some western hummingbird species are adapted to chilly climates, they may be seen in Missouri as late as December. Wilson suggests leaving hummingbird feeders out at least until Thanksgiving this year.
"There is a common misconception that leaving feeders out late in the season will cause hummers to stay here and they'll freeze to death," says Wilson. "That just isn't true. Their departure is triggered instinctively, and it has to do mostly with day length. If anything, providing a reliable food source helps by ensuring that they have plenty of energy reserves for migration."
Besides those already named, western hummer species include the blue-throated hummingbird and green violet-eared. These are larger than the ruby-throated hummingbirds Missourians are accustomed to seeing, and they have greenish-blue plumage.
Other possibilities include the Anna's, Allen's, lucifer, violet-crowned, magnificent, blue-throated, black-chinned and Costa's hummingbirds. For descriptions of these species, Wilson suggested consulting a field guide to North American birds, available from book stores or most public libraries.
- Jim Low -
Though generally favorable to the idea of bringing elk back to Missouri, citizens expressed concern about possible property damage and accidents.
JEFFERSON CITY--Most Missourians like the idea of reintroducing elk to the state, according to survey results released by the Missouri Department of Conservation. Even farmers, many of whom strongly oppose the possibility of elk releases, are about evenly divided into pro- and anti-elk camps.
Leading concerns about bringing the big grazers back to Missouri include the potential for collisions with automobiles and adverse impacts on agriculture. But Missourian also see pluses, foremost of which are hunting and viewing opportunities.
The Missouri Department of Conservation released results of extensive public surveys about elk at a series of public meetings Sept. 18, 19 and 20. Highlights of the survey data include:
--The overall percentage of survey respondents favoring elk restoration was the same74 percentstatewide and in the 10-county potential elk restoration area.
--48 percent of farmer-operators and landlords in the 10-county potential elk restoration area opposed elk restoration, while 46 percent favored restoration.
--Elk restoration was least popular in the Ozarks and in central, west-central and east-central Missouri.
--86 percent of those surveyed were very concerned about elk-vehicle collisions and property damage.
Farmers and landlords were especially concerned about conflicts between elk and agricultural activity, including fence damage (77 percent), crop damage (75 percent), disease transmission to livestock (73 percent), hunter or viewer trespass problems (73 percent) and elk poaching (69 percent).
The Conservation Department asked Missourians' opinions about elk restoration in four surveys. One was a 1999 survey of landowner opinions and attitudes toward deer, which included four questions about elk. The Conservation Department also included questions about elk restoration in a Gallup survey about conservation issues during May and June.
A second telephone survey conducted by the Gallup Organization in May and June focused entirely on elk restoration. The fourth survey, conducted by the Conservation Department, was a mail survey of farmer-operators and landlords in the 10-county area identified as a potential elk restoration area.
The survey information just released came out of a two-part feasibility study of elk restoration requested by the Conservation Federation of Missouri, the state's largest citizen conservation group. The first part was a biological assessment to determine if Missouri had areas where elk could survive with minimal conflict with human activities. The second part gauged public support and opposition to elk reintroduction.
The Conservation Department will combine results of the biological and sociological assessments and comments received at public meetings in a report to the Conservation Commission. The four-person Conservation Commission appointed by the governor will use this information in deciding whether to reintroduce elk into the state.
The biological feasibility study identified two potential elk reintroduction areas. The first is 365 square miles with Peck Ranch Conservation Area as the southern boundary and the cities of Eminence and Ellington as west and east boundaries. The second is 331 square miles around the Irish Wilderness. This area is south of Highway 60 and consists mostly of land in the Mark Twain National Forest.
Both sites are mostly forested with a high percentage of the land in public ownership. Both areas have agricultural activity similar to areas in Arkansas that also have free-ranging elk. These areas include all or parts of Carter, Crawford, Dent, Iron, Oregon, Reynolds, Ripley, Shannon, Washington and Wayne Counties.
Results from the statewide elk restoration telephone survey revealed that respondents were very concerned about elk-vehicle collisions and property damage. Most respondents indicated concerns about elk and vehicle collisions (86 percent), crop damage (79 percent), elk poaching (71 percent), hunter or viewer trespass problems (68 percent) and elk competing with deer for food and space (67 percent). In the potential elk restoration counties, respondents were most concerned about elk-vehicle collisions (80 percent), hunter or viewer trespass problems (80 percent), elk poaching (69 percent) and crop damage (68 percent).
Respondents in the 10-county farmer-operator survey felt the most benefit from elk could come from hunting (70 percent) or wildlife viewing and tourism (66 percent). Most were concerned about elk and vehicle collisions (83 percent), fence damage (77 percent), crop damage (75 percent), disease transmission to livestock (73 percent), hunter or viewer trespass problems (73 percent) and elk poaching (69 percent).
More than 300 Missourians telephoned or wrote the Department of Conservation about the elk restoration feasibility study. Most expressed opposition to any elk restoration program.
More than 150 people attended the public meeting in Salem Sept. 18, and 70 attended the meeting in Van Buren Sept. 19. Conservation Department officials expected about 100 people at the final meeting in Winona Sept. 20.
Elk once roamed much of Missouri, but unregulated hunting extirpated the species here shortly after the turn of the century. The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, a national group dedicated to elk conservation and restoration, provided funding for the elk restoration feasibility study.
- Jim Low -
New publication puts season changes at trappers' fingertips
JEFFERSON CITY--Trappers now have a quick reference guide to otter season regulations. The Missouri Department of Conservation's new "Otter Trapping Regulations" pamphlet explains changes in trapping rules for the 2000-2001 otter trapping season.
The guide details the two major regulation changes for this year's otter season, the establishment of trapping zones and revised bag limits. The boundaries of the five zones and each area's bag limit are clearly described to assure that trappers understand harvest limits. The goal of the revised limits is to increase the harvest of otters in areas where they are found to be causing damage to property or sport fisheries.
Trappers can refer to the new guide for any information needed to participate in the otter trapping season. The pamphlet lists the season dates and deadline for registering otters with the Conservation Department. Restrictions on the possession and sale of pelts also are listed in the new publication.
For a copy of the Otter Trapping Regulations write to the Conservation Department's Wildlife Division at P.O. Box 180, Jefferson City, Missouri 65102-0180.
-Arleasha Mays -
Archers have fewer accidents than firearms deer hunters, but they face their own unique set of hazards.
JEFFERSON CITY--Try to envision a deer hunting accident, and chances are you'll picture someone with a gun. But bowhunters can have accidents, too. Hunter safety officials with the Missouri Department of Conservation say many of the factors that contribute to bowhunting accidents are different from those that lead to firearms-related hunting accidents.
Hunters who use archery gear have a much lower accident rate than those who hunt with guns. But Conservation Department Protection Programs Supervisor Bob Staton says this is partly due to how Missouri defines hunting accidents.
"A hunter who gets shot becomes a hunting accident statistic," says Staton. "But one who falls out of a tree stand and breaks his back doesn't. Bowhunters have a well-deserved reputation for being less likely to hurt other people, but the way we keep records masks the fact that archers often hurt themselves."
Staton notes that bowhunters must get very close to their quarry. This drastically reduces the likelihood of making a mistake in target identification. And because arrows have such a short range, so-called "line-of-fire" accidents are much less likely than with guns.
On the other hand, archery season lasts for months, so bowhunters spend much more time afield. And because archers are more likely to hunt from tree stands, they are at greater risk from falls.
Bows and arrows are more complicated and bulky than guns, and this also creates unique opportunities for mishaps.
"The first thing every archer should do in preparation for the hunting season is go over their equipment with a fine-toothed comb," says Staton. "That means everything from arrows to tree stands."
Staton says to start with your bow, checking for frayed strings, worn moving parts or cracked limbs. Get any defects fixed immediately. Check arrows for flaws. Pay special attention to broadheads, arrow rests and overdraw mechanisms, which can catch arrows as they are released.
Give tree stands a thorough going-over, too. Make sure all nuts are tight on climbing and portable stands. Look for cracks in platforms and braces. On permanent stands, check the sturdiness of wooden steps, platforms and supports. Look for slick places where a hand or foot could slip and sandpaper them rough or cover them with material that provides a secure hand or foot hold.
Staton says archers must practice until they are proficient with their equipment. "Take your tree stand out and practice mounting it at ground level before trying to do it 10 feet up in a tree. Practice shooting your bow at least 20 minutes a day, so you can shoot effortlessly and accurately. This will also help you work out any bugs in your gear.
Other bowhunting safety tips include:
--Never hunt without giving a reliable person detailed information about where you will hunt and when you will return.
--Always wear a safety harness while climbing up to or down from a stand and while on the stand.
--Use a harness that distributes your weight around your torso. Single-strap belts can cause internal injury when the wearer's weight suddenly jerks them tight. Furthermore, the pressure from a single strap on the abdomen or chest can cause rapid loss of consciousness.
--Keep yourself on a short leash. Eight inches to a foot usually is plenty. Never leave more than two feet of slack in your safety harness. Falling farther than this causes severe impact when the harness finally snaps taut.
--Choose the location for your stand carefully. Avoid trees with hollow trunks or rotten branches that could fall on you.
--Remove twigs and branches that make it difficult to get in and out of your stand.
--Check the sturdiness of your stand each time you climb into it. With your safety harness on, hold onto the tree trunk while slowly transferring your weight to the stand. Then bounce lightly up and down to check for secure mounting.
--Always use a safety chain with climbing-type stands.
--Climb down from your stand before you grow sleepy or the weather turns bad. Drowsiness, high wind, rain, sleet or snow can make tree stands treacherous.
--Never carry anything while climbing into or out of your stand. Use a rope to haul these items into the stand after you are securely positioned.
--Don't leave equipment on the ground directly under you while climbing. You could fall on an arrow or other item, worsening injury from the fall.
--Carry survival gear, including food, water, a whistle to signal for help, a space blanket and matches. Some hunters even carry walkie-talkies, cell phones or emergency strobe lights to summon help in an emergency.
- Jim Low -
Check the list below for an opportunity near you.
JEFFERSON CITYMissourians who are interested in outdoor activities but have never had an opportunity to try them will get their chance later this month when the Missouri Department of Conservation celebrates National Hunting and Fishing Day at events statewide.
The event, celebrated annually on the fourth Saturday in September, falls on Sept. 23 this year. The Conservation Department cooperates with the National Hunting and Fishing Day Foundation and sporting groups to sponsor events where newcomers can get a hands-on introduction to hunting and fishing. Events typically include archery, air gun, rifle, shotgun and fishing clinics, hunter safety instruction, demonstrations and displays of outdoor sports, games for youngsters and other entertainment.
This year's events include:
--Autumn Outdoors Day from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. at the Runge Conservation Nature Center in Jefferson City. Call 573/526-5544 for more information.
--Step Outside Day from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. at the shooting range at August. A. Busch Memorial Conservation Area in St. Charles County. Call 636/441-4554 for more information.
--Free trap and skeet shooting from noon until 5 p.m. at the North Lake Shooting Range north of Harrisonville. Bring your own guns and ammunition. Call 816/250-2185 for more information.
--A manned trap shoot from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. at the Golden Valley Shooting Range on Highway 18, six miles west of Clinton. Call 660/885-6981 for more information.
--Exploring Missouri Outdoors Day from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. at Mark Youngdahl Urban Conservation Area in St. Joseph. Call 816/271-3100 for more information.
--A trap and turkey shoot and muzzleloader fun shoot from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. at the Lake City Range and Training Center east of Highway 7 on Argo Road in Independence. Call 816/229-4448 for more information.
--Great Outdoor Day will include nature hikes, shooting sports, fishing (bring your own equipment) hunting dog training, fly tying and more from 8:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. at the Andy Dalton Shooting Range on Bois D'Arc Conservation Area northwest of Springfield. Call 417/742-4361 or 417/895-6880 for more information.
Some local hunting and fishing clubs also sponsor independent National Hunting and Fishing Day events in their areas. For information about these events, visit the National Hunting and Fishing Day Foundations' website at http://www.nhfday.org.
- Jim Low -
WARSAW, Mo.--The Missouri Conservation Commission's next meeting will be held at 8:30 a.m. Oct. 6 at the Harry S Truman Visitor Center at Truman Lake. The commission will meet in closed executive session at 3:30 p.m. Oct. 5 at the Benton House restaurant in Warsaw.
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. Requests must be received by Aug. 9. People requiring special services or accommodations to attend the meeting can make arrangements at the same address, or by phone at 573/751-4115.
Commissioners are: Ronald J. Stites, Plattsburg, chairman; Randy Herzog, St. Joseph, vice chairman; Anita B. Gorman, Kansas City, secretary; and Howard L. Wood, Bonne Terre, member.
- Jim Low -
The results of this year's drawing for managed deer hunts are now available. Click here to view managed deer hunt drawing results.
Results of a citizen survey should be ready in time for release later this month.
SALEM, Mo.--Missourians will get their first look at results from a survey of attitudes toward possible elk restoration at three meetings in the Ozarks later this month.
The meetings--Sept. 18 at Salem City Hall, Sept. 19 at the National Park Service office in Van Buren and Sept. 20 at Winona High School--will present findings of an elk reintroduction feasibility study conducted by the Missouri Department of Conservation. Each meeting will run from 6:30 to 9 p.m.
The study was designed to learn whether Missouri has sufficient habitat and public support to warrant reintroducing elk. The Conservation Department undertook the study at the request of Missouri's largest citizen conservation organization, the Conservation Federation of Missouri.
The feasibility study was divided into an initial, biological phase to determine whether the state had suitable elk habitat and a sociological phase to gauge public opinion about the idea of reintroducing elk into the Show-Me State.
The first phase identified areas with enough room and suitable habitat to sustain free-ranging elk with minimal potential for conflict with agriculture, highway traffic and other human activities. Areas fitting the bill were Peck Ranch Conservation Area, the Potosi and Doniphan Ranger Districts of the Mark Twain National Forest and the Clearwater Lake, Current River and Sunklands areas of the Ozarks.
The second phase included four surveys to gauge citizens' feelings about an experimental elk restoration program. Last fall, the Conservation Department included several questions about elk in a study of landowner and farmer-operator attitudes about deer. This spring, a telephone survey conducted by the Gallup Organization for the Missouri Department of Conservation asked Missourians for their opinions of elk restoration. Another statewide telephone survey of conservation opinions, also conducted by the Gallup Organization, included a question about elk restoration. Finally, the Conservation Department conducted a mail survey of farm operators in the 10 southern Missouri counties where elk restoration seemed biologically feasible.
The four-person Conservation Commission appointed by the governor will consider the results of the studies and citizens' comments when deciding whether to reintroduce elk into the state.
Elk once roamed much of Missouri, but unregulated hunting extirpated the species here shortly after the turn of the century. The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, a national group dedicated to elk conservation and restoration, provide funding for the feasibility study.
- Jim Low -
The Conservation Department continues its restoration program, but now birds brought from other states have home-grown Missouri cousins.
WARSAW, Mo.--It has been mostly smooth soaring for seven osprey chicks recently released by the Missouri Department of Conservation. The release is the latest phase of the Osprey Restoration Program, designed to return nesting pairs of ospreys to the Show-Me State.
For much of the past century, opportunities to view ospreys in Missouri came only during migration periods. Ospreys stopped nesting in the state around 1895 due to habitat loss in the swampy lands of southern Missouri and along the state's largest rivers. The birds nest near large bodies of water to have easy access to their favorite food, fish.
Lake construction and wetland restoration in recent years have created many areas suitable for osprey nesting. The Conservation Department release program enables the birds to take advantage of that habitat. Ospreys are described as "nonpioneering" birds. This refers to the fact that ospreys are not normally inclined to move into new areas to nest. Instead, male ospreys typically return to the area where they were fledged when it is time to rear their own young, and the females follow their mates' lead.
In Missouri's restoration program, osprey chicks are removed from natural nests in Minnesota a few weeks after hatching and placed in artificial nests called "hack boxes" at Missouri lakes. The nests are constructed with wire mesh on all four sides to protect the chicks while they become familiar with their surroundings.
The osprey chicks released this year were placed in nests at the Kansas City Power and Light (KCP&L) Montrose power plant near Clinton. KCP&L obtained the birds, and its employees assist Conservation Department biologists in caring for them. The caretakers provide fish for the birds to eat until they can fly and fend for themselves. This "hacking" process took two to three weeks, according to Conservation Department Wildlife Management Biologist Roger Wombwell.
"Their reaction to being jerked from their nests is to pout," says Wombwell. "They do that by refusing to eat, so for the first few days we had to force feed them. It took about three days for them to eat on their own. After they started eating well, we looked for indications that they were ready to fly. They begin climbing the walls of the cage and flapping their wings. At that point we open the doors to the cages."
Wombwell says the first bird flew about a week after it was put into the nest. "A couple of the others had a few crash landings before they were able to fly off," he says. "Within four weeks all the birds had left the nest."
Bird watchers should look skyward near Montrose and Truman lakes to get a glimpse of the fledglings. The birds have brown and grey speckled bodies and white heads with dark strips running from the eyes to the napes of their necks. They weigh about three pounds when mature and have a four- to six-foot wingspread. In flight, their light-colored wings show a pronounced crook and a dark spot at the wrist.
Results of this year's release won't be known for several years. Ospreys become sexually mature at three years old. However Conservation Department Ornithologist Jim D. Wilson says there is no guarantee the birds released in Missouri will nest here.
"Ospreys tend to nest in the area where the male of the pair was fledged," Wilson says. "Without an operation there is no way to tell if we're releasing males or females, so we just take our chances. If all the birds we release are female, it's possible that none of them will nest in the state."
This was the first year the Conservation Department saw results from the Osprey Restoration Program. Missouri's first nesting pair of ospreys since the 1800s built a nest and fledged one chick at Truman Lake near Clinton. The chick was the offspring of a male osprey released at Pony Express Lake in 1996.
Missouri's Osprey Restoration Program began in 1995. Thirty-three ospreys have been hacked at Montrose Lake, Mark Twain Lake near Hannibal, Thomas Hill Reservoir near Moberly, Pony Express Lake near St. Joseph and Truman lake at Warsaw. Wilson says the goal of the program is to have five to a dozen nests at several lakes throughout the state.
- Arleasha Mays -
A single sighting last year hasn't expanded into a full-blown infestation.
ARNOLD, Mo.--A year after the discovery of a zebra mussel in the Meramec River, a survey of several sites has failed to turn up signs of a growing infestation. That's good news for native mussel species and for fisheries biologists.
In August 1999 fisheries biologists discovered a single adult zebra mussel in the Meramec River near the I-55 bridge. It was attached to a much larger native mussel, underlining the threat the exotic mussel poses to Missouri's indigenous mussel species.
The discovery was the first sighting of a zebra mussel in Missouri's interior waters and fueled fears that the exotic invader would take the state by storm, as it has elsewhere. But a survey of several vulnerable streams last summer found no zebra mussels.
Zebra mussels compete with native wildlife and are costly to control when their dense colonies clog water intake pipes at power plants or water treatment facilities. Zebra mussels are costing Great Lakes industries $3 million per year to remove from their operating systems.
The invading mussels feed on plankton, the microscopic plants and animals that form the basis of the aquatic food chain. This puts them in direct competition with native mussels and young fish, including bass, bluegill and other popular sportfishes. Zebra mussels can attach to power boats' drive units and clog water intakes, causing damage to engines.
Zebra mussels arrived in the U.S. from Europe in the mid-1980s. They apparently first escaped into the St. Lawrence Seaway by hitching a ride in ballast water carried by oceangoing ships. After spreading across the Great Lakes in five years, they jumped from southern Lake Michigan into the Illinois River. Their spread downstream from there was easy. Biologists first documented zebra mussels in the Mississippi River in 1991.
Anglers can unknowingly transfer microscopic zebra mussel larvae to uninfested waters by filling bait buckets or live wells with water at an infested lake or stream and dumping it in another location. The greater the number of successful rides upstream, the greater the likelihood of these "hitchhikers" establishing themselves.
Missourians can slow the spread of the zebra mussel by draining all bilge water, live wells, bait buckets and any other water from their boats and equipment before moving from one body of water to another.
Boaters should dispose of leftover live bait and should inspect boat hulls, drive units, trolling plates, prop guards, transducers, anchors and trailers. Scrape off and trash any suspected mussels, however small. Remove all water weeds from boats and trailers. Flush boat hulls, drive units, live wells, bilges and their pumping systems, trailers, bait buckets, engine cooling water systems and anything that got wet with a hard spray from a garden hose.
If your boat was in infested waters for more than a day or two, take the boat and trailer through a carwash and clean them with hot, high-pressure water. Dry boat and trailer for two to four days in the sun before launching it in a new area.
Running boats frequently helps reduce zebra mussel infestation. Small juvenile mussels are soft and are scoured off the hull at high speeds. If possible, avoid leaving outboard motors or the drive units of inboard motors in the water when not in use. Hulls and drive units should be inspected periodically and scraped free of mussels. Pumping hot water through engine intakes prevents zebra mussel growth in the cooling system.
Zebra mussel sightings should be reported to the nearest Conservation Department office. For detailed information about what to look for, look in the "Summary of Missouri Fishing Regulations," available wherever fishing permits are sold. You can also get a copy of "Zebra Mussels Come to Missouri," a brochure available from Conservation Department offices statewide. Or visit the Sea Grant National Aquatic Nuisance Species Clearinghouse, http://www.entryway.com/seagrant/.
- Jim Low -
Beginning September 5-25, 2000, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, submission for the Waterfowl Reservation will begin. Click here to submit your reservation online.
Experts will give state-of-the art advice on hot to increase the number and quality of bucks on your hunting area.
COLUMBIA, Mo.--The Missouri Department of Conservation and the Quality Deer Management Association (QDMA) will host a quality deer management short course Sept. 23 at the University of Missouri-Columbia. The agenda includes presentations by state and national experts on deer management and hunting.
The event will last from 8:45 a.m. until 5 p.m. at the Anheuser-Busch Natural Resources Building on Rollins Avenue. It is designed for landowners and hunters interested in learning to improve the quality of deer herds and hunting experiences through proven management techniques.
Space in the course is limited. To register by phone, call 800/209-3337. Registration for any remaining places will be taken at the door beginning at 8 a.m. Sept. 23. The cost is $15 per person or $25 per married couple.
Participants can join QDMA when registering by paying $30 per person or $40 per married couple for the course and membership. Children under 16 are free with a registered adult. Fees include course admission, lunch, refreshments and a chance to win door prizes.
Presenters include Missouri Department of Conservation deer biologist Lonnie Hansen, wildlife consultant Grant Woods, outdoor personality and deer management consultant Ray Eye and QDMA Executive Director Brian Murphy.
Seminar topics will include:
--Deer management in Missouri.
--Deer hunting tips.
--Food plot management.
--The biology of antler growth.
More information is available online at http://www.qdma.com.
- Jim Low -
Young hunters will have more opportunity for early action this year.
JEFFERSON CITY--Missourians will have 60 days of duck hunting and up to 107 days of snow goose hunting under waterfowl hunting regulations approved by the Conservation Commission Aug. 21. The regulations also double the number days set aside for youth duck hunting.
Duck and coot seasons
The Commission approved a 60-day 2000-2001 duck season. All waterfowl hunting regulations are subject to final federal approval. Hunting in the North Zone will open Oct. 26 and continue through Dec. 24. In the Middle Zone the season will run from Nov. 2 through Dec. 31. In the South Zone duck season will open Nov. 16 and run through Jan. 14.
Shooting hours will be one-half hour before sunrise until sunset. The bag limit will be six ducks daily, with the following species restrictions: four mallards (no more than two females); three scaup; two wood ducks; one pintail; one black duck; two redheads; one hooded merganser; one canvasback. The possession limit will be twice the daily bag limit.
Coot season will run concurrently with duck season in the respective zones, with a daily bag limit of 15 and possession limit of 30.
Youth hunting days
Two youth hunting days for waterfowl will precede regular duck season openings in each zone. Youth hunting day will be Oct. 21 and 22 in the North Zone, Oct. 28 and 29 in the Middle Zone and Nov. 11 and 12 in the South Zone.
Participants in Youth Hunting Days must be less than 16 years of age and must be accompanied by a licensed adult at least 18 years of age who will not be permitted to hunt. Adults need not be licensed if the youth possesses a valid hunter education certificate card. Bag limits for ducks and geese will be the same as during the regular season.
Goose seasons
The season for blue, snow and Ross' geese will be Oct. 26 through Jan. 31 in the North Zone, Nov. 2 through Jan. 31 in the Middle Zone and Nov. 16 through Jan. 31 in the South and Southeast zones. This is in contrast to last year's season on "light" geese, which was split in some zones. Also unlike last year, there will not be separate season dates for light geese in the Swan Lake Zone. Bag limits for blue, snow and Ross' geese are the same as last year's statewide—20 daily, with no possession limit.
White-fronted goose season will be split in each zone again this year. In the North Zone (except in the Swan Lake Zone), the season will be divided into three segments: Sept. 30 through Oct. 8, Oct. 26 through Nov. 26 and Dec. 23 through Jan. 31.
In the Swan Lake Zone white-fronted goose season will be in two segments, Oct. 26 through Nov. 26 and Dec. 16 through Jan. 31.
The Middle Zone (except the Southeast Zone) will have a three-segment white-fronted goose season, Sept. 30 through Oct. 8, Nov. 2 through Nov. 26 and Dec. 23 through Jan. 31.
The South and Southeast zones' white-fronted goose season will run from Sept. 30 through Oct. 8 and from Nov. 16 through Jan. 31.
The daily limit for white-fronted geese is two daily, with a possession limit of four.
Canada goose and brant hunting in the North Zone (except the Swan Lake Zone) will run from Sept. 30 through Oct. 8, from Oct. 26 through Nov. 26 and from Dec. 23 through Jan. 20.
In the Swan Lake Zone, Canada goose and brant season will run from Oct. 26 through Nov. 26 and Dec. 16 through Jan. 14. No hunter is allowed to fire more than ten shells at Canada geese daily in this zone.
In the Middle Zone (except the Southeast Zone) Canada goose season will run from Sept. 30 through Oct. 8, from Nov. 2 through Nov. 26 and from Dec. 23 through Jan. 20.
In the South and Southeast zones, Canada goose season will run from Sept. 30 through Oct. 8, from Nov. 16 through Nov. 26 and from Dec. 16 through Jan. 31.
In the Swan Lake Zone, the limits for Canada geese are two daily and four in possession. In the North, Middle (except Swan Lake), South and Southeast zones, the limits for Canada geese are three daily and six in possession from Sept. 30 to Oct. 8 and two daily thereafter in each zone. The limit on brant is two daily and four in possession.
Other regulations
Falconry season for waterfowl is split—Sept. 9 through Sept. 24 and Oct. 16 through Jan. 14. The daily bag and possession limits are three and six birds respectively.
Light goose conservation order
United States and Canadian conservation agencies continue to encourage hunters to harvest snow and blue geese to minimize ecological damage being caused by record numbers of these birds. "We have seen increases in the blue and snow goose harvest for the past two years," says Missouri Department of Conservation Wildlife Research Biologist Dave Graber. "But we need to continue increasing the number of birds taken by hunters if we are to stabilize or reduce light goose numbers. The damage these birds are doing to their own habitat is undeniable, and it is continuing."
The hunting season for blue, snow and Ross' geese is closed statewide beginning Feb. 1, 2001, in order to implement the light goose conservation order. During the light goose conservation order, persons who possess a valid migratory bird permit may chase, pursue and take blue, snow and Ross' geese between the hours of one-half (*) hour before sunrise to one-half (*) hour after sunset from Feb. 1 through April 30, 2001. Any other regulation notwithstanding, methods for the taking of blue, snow and Ross' geese include using shotguns capable of holding more than three shells, and with the use or aid of recorded or electrically amplified bird calls or sounds, or recorded or electronically amplified imitations of bird calls or sounds. A daily bag limit will not be in effect between Feb. 1, and April 30, 2001.
Breeding numbers of several other waterfowl species are at or near all-time record levels. Only two duck species—pintails and scaup—remained below population goals set under the North American Waterfowl Management Plan. Numbers of both green-winged and blue-winged teal are at historic highs for the second year in a row.
- Jim Low -
With blue- and green-winged teal populations both at record levels and good habitat conditions, the 2000 hunting season could be memorable.
JEFFERSON CITY--Hunters looking forward to teal season Sept. 9 through 24 will be pleased to know that both blue- winged and green-winged teal numbers are at record levels for the second year in a row.
Surveys of breeding birds showed an estimated 7.4 million blue-winged teal in the northern United States and Canada this summer. That's a 4 percent increase from last year.
Green-winged teal reached a record of nearly 3.2 million breeding birds. That's a 21 percent increase from 1999 and an astonishing 56 percent increase from 1998.
Although strong teal populations are important to hunters, hunting success during the September teal season also depends heavily on weather and habitat conditions. Cool temperatures in the north-central United States and south-central Canada start these little ducks flying south toward Missouri. Once here, they look for marshy habitat and food. If they find these basic requirements, they stay. Otherwise, they keep migrating southward.
Rains during July and August have replenished Missouri wetlands and have encouraged a good growth of seed-bearing plants that provide food for migrating ducks. With continued normal rainfall, teal should find conditions favorable to an extended stay in the Show-Me State.
- Jim Low -
Missourians help protect homes and lives from towering blazes.
JEFFERSON CITY--Each summer a satchel containing a sleeping pad, a sleeping bag, socks, t-shirts and skivvies remains packed in Stan Lovan's spare bedroom. That satchel enables the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) forestry resource technician to be ready at a moment's notice to answer the call for help fighting fires. Over the past 20 years Lovan and his satchel have made dozens of trips to battle blazes throughout the country. His most recent trip was a 16-day stint fighting fires in the western U.S.
Lovan worked with crews battling fires in the Bitterroot National Forest that have burned more than 274,000 acres in west-central Montana and east-central Idaho. He is one of 23 MDC firefighters who recently returned home from the western front. MDC has provided personnel to fill five 20-person interagency crews. These crews include trained firefighters from MDC, the Forest Service, Boone County Fire District, rural fire departments, National Park Service, Americorps and Job Corps.
As a strike team leader, the Missouri firefighter was responsible for coordinating the work of two fire crews. He also ensured that their equipment, food and safety needs were met. Strike team leader is the latest in a string of positions Lovan has held during fire emergencies.
He also has served as a fire crew member, fire crew squad boss and crew boss. The 20-member fire crews are on the front lines of the fire fighting efforts. Their duties range from laying hoses to clearing vegetation and other fuels out of the path of a fire.
"This was the worst fire I've ever seen," says Lovan. "When I went up the fire tower the last Sunday I was there, I saw eight major fires."
That was the day when dry, windy weather caused the fire Lovan's crews were working to burn so fiercely it threw columns of smoke 30,000 to 60,000 feet—5 to 11 miles—into the sky.
"When a fire burns out of control like that there's nothing you can do, so our objective changed from fighting the fire to saving structures and lives. I'd never been in a situation where that was my objective; I had to move quickly to get the crews out of danger. Fortunately everyone got out, but we lost a lot of our base camp. The fire burned within 12 feet of my tent."
As the more dangerous fire spread, Lovan's job shifted from working to suppress the fire to protecting the community of Sula. Lovan says it was tough work that required quick thinking and fast reactions.
"I had to make decisions on how to save the community, coordinate fire crews and assure those crews had escape routes," Loven says. "It was hard work but we managed to hold our line and save a lot of houses. And that's why you do it."
Working fire emergencies in other states helps the Conservation Department address fire dangers that occur at home, says MDC Forestry Staff and Research Chief Mike Hoffmann.
"Working the western fires is excellent training that we get free of charge," says Hoffmann. "It gives us experience in understanding fire behavior, fuels, how to handle fires under adverse conditions. It also teaches leadership, supervision, incident management and organizational skills.
Hoffmann says helping other states with fire incidents also assures that Missouri will get help when it's needed. "We have an agreement with the Forest Service that provides reimbursement to MDC for personnel costs associated with fire fighting outside of the state," he says. "It also provides a mechanism for MDC to request assistance from the Forest Service and other states if fire conditions exceed the capabilities of our resources in Missouri."
Helping fight fires is one of many jobs the Conservation Department staff does during fire emergencies. As part of a cooperative agreement with the Forest Service, the MDC maintains one of four fire mobilization centers in the north-eastern United States. Fire crews from throughout the eastern U.S. are flown into St. Louis, where MDC's forestry staff work cooperatively with Forest Service and National Park Service personnel to arrange transportation and assure the crews are properly equipped and prepared to assist in fire fighting efforts.
- Arleasha Mays -
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