The Conservation Commission met August 9 and 10 at Conservation Department headquarters in Jefferson City.
Commissioners present were:
- William F. "Chip" McGeehan, Chairman
- Lowell Mohler, Jefferson City, Vice-chairman
- Don Johnson, Festus, Member
- Becky L. Plattner, Grand Pass, Member
The Conservation Commission set its next meeting for Sept. 27 and 28 in West Plains. Commission meetings are open to the public. Those wishing to be placed on the agenda for a presentation or other business must send a written request to Director, Department of Conservation, P.O. Box 180, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0180, or FAX 573/751-4467, at least 10 working days before the meeting date. The deadline for the next meeting is Sept. 13.
REGULATIONS
The Commission approved the following recommendations of the Regulations Committee:
- The Conservation Commission set its next meeting for Sept. 27 and 28 in West Plains. Commission meetings are open to the public. Those wishing to be placed on the agenda for a presentation or other business must send a written request to Director, Department of Conservation, P.O. Box 180, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0180, or FAX 573/751-4467, at least 10 working days before the meeting date. The deadline for the next meeting is Sept. 14.
REGULATIONS
The Commission approved the following recommendations of the Regulations Committee:
- 2006-2007 waterfowl hunting regulations, including:
Youth Duck Hunt North Zone - Oct. 20-21
Middle Zone - Oct. 27-28
South Zone - Nov. 17-18 - Bag Limit: Bag limits for ducks and geese are the same as during the regular waterfowl season (including two Canada geese daily and four in possession).
- Regular Duck Season:
North Zone - Oct. 27-Dec. 25
Middle Zone - Nov. 3 -Jan. 1
South Zone - Nov. 23-Jan. 21 - Shooting hours are one-half hour before sunrise to sunset.
- The daily limit on ducks is six, including no more than:
Mallards, 4 (no more than 2 females)
Scaup, 2
Redheads, 2
Wood ducks, 2
Hooded mergansers, 2
Black ducks, 1
Pintails, 1
Canvasbacks, 2
Other species may be taken in any number up to the daily bag limit of six ducks total. - Possession Limit: Twice the daily bag (12 total, varies by species).
- Coot Season: Concurrent with duck seasons in the respective zones with a daily bag limit of 15 and a possession limit of 30.
- Canada geese & brant: Statewide, Sept. 29-Oct. 8 and Nov. 23-Jan. 30
- White-fronted geese: Statewide, Nov. 23-Jan. 30
- Blue, snow & Ross's geese: Statewide, Oct. 27-Jan. 30
- Bag limits include:
Twenty blue, snow or Ross's geese daily (no possession limit)
One brant daily (two in possession)
Two white-fronted goose, daily (four in possession)
Three Canada geese daily (six in possession) Sept. 29-Oct. 8 and two Canada geese daily (four in possession) thereafter. - Falconry season for ducks, coots and mergansers: Falconry is open during the teal and regular gun duck season, including the youth season in the respective zones. General hunting regulations, including seasons and hunting hours, apply to falconry. Regular season bag and possession limits do not apply to falconry. The falconry bag limit is not in addition to gun limits. In addition to the regular falconry season, the Conservation Commission approved extended falconry days of Feb. 11 through March 10 statewide.
- Bag limits: three birds daily and six in possession.
- LIGHT GOOSE CONSERVATION ORDER: People must only possess a valid migratory bird permit to take blue, snow and Ross's geese from Jan 31 through April 30, 2008. Methods for the taking of blue, snow and Ross's geese during the Conservation Order include shotguns capable of holding more than three shells, and with the use or aid of recorded or electrically amplified bird calls or sounds or imitations of bird calls or sounds. Hunters may shoot from one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset. A daily bag limit will not be in effect during the Conservation Order.
- The Commission set teal season dates and bag limits earlier this summer. That season will run from Sept. 8 through 23 statewide. The daily limit is four blue-winged and green-winged teal in the aggregate, with a possession limit of eight. Shooting hours are from sunrise to sunset.
- The Commission approved establishment of a winter catch-and-release trout fishery for Everyday Pond at Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph, effective Nov. 1.
The Commission also approved changes to the wildlife code that will become effective March 1, 2008. These include:
- Allowing the use of atlatls to take fish, except at blue-ribbon trout fishing areas
- Allowing the use of high-compression, air-powered guns of .40 caliber or larger for deer hunting
- Changing the expiration dates of certain trapping permits
- Changing the age categories for lifetime permits, allowing persons over age 64 to purchase them
- Removing the length limit of 12 inches on gizzard shad taken with methods permitted for live bait
- Correcting the dates for which Resident Fur Handlers Permits are allowed
- Making the privileges under Commercial Fishing and Resident Shovelnose Sturgeon Commercial Harvest permits more comprehensive
- Adding dip nets and throw nets as methods permitted for taking shad from lakes and ponds on conservation areas
- Changing fishing regulations at several CAs
Details of theses changes will be published in the 2008 summaries of hunting and fishing regulations, available wherever hunting and fishing permits are sold.
ADMINISTRATION
The Commission took the following action:
- Approved a revised policy on state purchasing cards
- Authorized the advertising and sale of 776,550 board feet of timber on Peck Ranch CA in Carter County
- Approved the designation of two new natural areas and declassifying of one natural area
- Approved the purchase of 165 acres in Pettis County to be named Hartwell CA
- Approved the purchase of 38 acres in Benton County as an addition to Granny's Acres CA
- Approved the nomination of Dr. Nadia Navarrette-Tindall, Sgt. John Taylor Wright and Vicki Richmond as Master Conservationists
- Approved the nomination of Earl Coleman and Max Hamilton to the Missouri Conservation Hall of Fame
- Honored 21 Conservation Department employees with service awards. Honorees were: 25 YEARS - Danny Crigler, Defiance; April Dozier, Cape Girardeau; Jackie Haffer, Jefferson City; Larry Heggemann, Cape Girardeau; Gerald Henderson, Lebanon; Mark Hutchings, Pierce City; Terry Jones, Rolla; Harold Kerns, Savannah; Vanessa Mahaney, Holts Summit; Jack Mitchell, Licking; Donna Richards, Henley; Judy Schwarzer, Jefferson City 30 YEARS - Michael Anderson, Perryville; Richard Clawson, New Bloomfield; David Erickson, Columbia; Marvin Farwell, Eagle Rock; Frank Hawkins, St. Charles; Bill Lueckenhoff, St. Thomas; Bill Manning, Salem; Bruce Palmer, Jefferson City; Larry Sanderson, Sullivan
- Suspended all sport hunting and fishing privileges of 14 Missouri residents and one nonresident for Wildlife Code violations. Those whose privileges were suspended are:
| Robert D. Barker | Ellington | 18 months | All sport privileges |
| Robert J. Berube | Windsor | 1 year | All sport privileges |
| Sean C. Bowler | Hannibal, | 1 year | All sport privileges |
| Richard D. Brandkamp | Sedalia | 1 year | All sport privileges |
| Cory B. England | Calhoun | 1 year | All sport privileges |
| Glendon T. Hostetler, | Lamont | 18 months | All sport privileges |
| Jeremiah J. Jones, | St. Joseph | 1 year | All sport privileges |
| Robert J. Lee | Williamsville | 1 year | All sport privileges |
| Roger A. Motley | Corder | 1 year | All sport privileges |
| Leonard D. Neely | Everton | 3 years | All sport privileges |
| Leonard F. Parsons | Salem | 3 years | All sport privileges |
| Christopher A. Skaggs | Viburnum | 1 year | All sport privileges |
| Andrew L. Strong | Knox City | 4 years | All sport privileges |
| Ronald L. Tracey, | Excelsior, MN | 18 months | All sport privileges |
| Irvin S. Zimmerman | Fortuna | 1 year | All sport privileges |
- Suspended or revoked all hunting and fishing privileges of 214 Missouri residents and one nonresident who are not in compliance with applicable child support laws
- Suspended the hunting and fishing privileges of 59 nonresidents and one Missouri resident under the provisions of the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact
- Suspended the hunting privileges of one Missouri resident for one year and one Missouri resident for two years for injuring other persons in firearms-related hunting incidents
