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1. Special Hunts Improve Access for Youths
2. Workshops Feature Special Forest Products
3. Hunter Ed Cards Negotiable for Heritage Cards
4. Outdoor Calendar
"A true conservationist is a man who knows that the world is not given by his fathers, but borrowed from his children." -- John Madson
1. Special Hunts Improve Access for Youths
The experience of two brothers from Jefferson City is a perfect illustration of why the MDC offers youth hunts -- to make safe, quality hunting experiences more accessible to kids.
JEFFERSON CITY -- Jamie and Stewart Strong will always remember 1996 as the year they killed their first white-tailed deer. Jamie will reminisce about bagging a six-point buck beside a creek at Weldon Spring Conservation Area in St. Charles County. Stewart will recall taking a fat doe while sitting in an open jeep parked on one of the CA's interior maintenance roads.
The brothers were among 58 youths who took part in the Missouri Department of Conservation's fourth annual youth deer hunt at Weldon Spring Conservation Area. Twenty-six of the youths -- including four of seven girls who attended -- brought in deer. The biggest was a 10-point buck taken by 12-year-old Kayla Ohmes of St. Peters. The hunters, who ranged in age from 11 to 15 years, were uniformly enthusiastic about the experience.
Stewart, 12, hunted with his father, Jim Strong, on the first day of the two-day hunt. It wasn't easy to stick it out that morning. The temperature started at a frosty 27 degrees and never rose above 40 degrees. A stiff wind made it feel a lot colder in the World War II vintage jeep, which has no top or windshield.
Stewart, who was born with spina bifida and has always used a wheelchair, couldn't jump up and down or walk around to warm up. At midday, Stewart, Jamie, their dad and Jamie's guide met at their truck and had a lunch of cold sandwiches. Then it was back to the hunt. Their persistence and hardihood paid off.
At 4:45 p.m. a whitetail doe appeared not far from Stewart's jeep stand.
"We heard it coming through the creek, and I got my gun ready," said Stewart. "It walked right into my safe shooting area. It was 44 steps away when I shot it."
Brother Jamie's experience was similar. He and his guide didn't see a deer during the morning's hunt, so they scouted around until they found an area with lots of tracks and other signs of deer activity.
"We waited for about five hours under this tree," said Jamie. "Finally one came up over the ridge behind us. There was a doe first, and it crossed the creek without me ever getting a shot. Then there was a buck following it, and it stopped right across the creek, 50 or 60 yards from us. I missed the first shot. I think I must have hit a branch or something. Then I cocked the gun again but a bullet didn't go up in the chamber. The second time I shot I hit it right in the heart."
Jamie bagged his buck just five minutes after Stewart shot his. Nightfall found the brothers and their guides enjoying hot chili at the headquarters of August A. Busch Memorial Conservation Area.
Both boys are looking forward to months of enjoying the venison roasts and steaks they brought home. But from Jim Strong's standpoint, the real value of his sons' participation in the youth hunt lies in what they learned from it. To qualify, participants must earn their hunter education certification and complete an intensive deer-hunting workshop that covers hunting safety, hunting techniques, field dressing deer and hunting ethics.
"You can't teach kids all the hunting fundamentals and safety as quickly and as well as they did in the class," said Jim Strong. "It packed years of learning into a real short time."
The youth deer hunt is one of several similar events sponsored by the MDC each year to provide increased opportunities for interested youths to learn safe, ethical hunting in a controlled environment. Other MDC youth hunting events include waterfowl clinics and dove hunts. The agency hopes to expand the program to include other species in coming years.
"I liked it a lot," said Jamie, "I learned a lot in that program before the hunt. It's pretty helpful."
To learn more about youth hunting activities, contact: Missouri Department of Conservation, Wildlife Division, P.O. Box 180, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0180.
2. Workshops Feature Special Forest Products
Landowners can learn how to get the most from their forested acres in a series of workshops offered by the Missouri Department of Conservation.
KIRKSVILLE, Mo. -- Money may not grow on trees, but trees can make your income grow if you use them to tap into the special forest products market. Many of the plants that grow in woodlots or forests can be sold for use in products that range from medicine to potpourri. Landowners can learn about the markets for the special forest products industry at four workshops scheduled for early 1997.
The Special Forest Products Workshops are designed to teach landowners about opportunities for generating income as suppliers to the special forest products industry. Shelby Jones, Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) forestry staff supervisor, says becoming a supplier to the industry can be very easy and profitable. "By selling seeds from plants on your woodlot, collecting pollen, or harvesting wild plants you can easily earn income without having to invest much time or money," Jones says. "These things can be harvested every year, so your return is sooner than with the conventional products like saw logs and pulpwood. And because you don't have to have large tracts of land, everyone from farmers with lots of acreage to owners of small woodlots can produce products for these specialized markets."
Topics to be discussed at the workshops include agro-forestry, native plants, and harvesting and marketing wild edibles, potpourri, pollen, medicinals, botanicals and seeds. Workshop speakers also will discuss stewardship of resources and many aspects of marketing special products.
The first workshop is scheduled for Jan. 15 at the Kirksville Days Inn. The other workshops will take place March 7 at the St. Joseph Ramada Inn; March 15 at Graceland Community College, Lamoni, Iowa; and June 10 at the Best Western Motor Lodge at Fort Madison, Iowa.
The sessions are open to anyone interested in learning about the special forest products industry. A registration fee of $20 dollars pays for the conference sessions and lunch. On-site registration is $25. For more information call the Green Hills RC&D at 816/359-2253 or write to: Green Hills RC&D, 905 Main Street, Trenton, MO 64683.
The Special Forest Products workshops are sponsored by the MDC, The Green Hills Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D), Prairie Rose RC&D, Goede RC&D, Southern Iowa RC&D, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, US Forest Service and the University of Missouri Extension.
3. Hunter Ed Cards Negotiable for Heritage Cards
Got a hunter education card? If so, you can trade it in for a free Conservation Heritage Card.
JEFFERSON CITY -- If you have a hunter education card the Missouri Department of Conservation has an offer that you won't want to pass up. Return your hunter ed card to the MDC for a free Conservation Heritage Card.
The Heritage Card, which normally costs $2, makes the permit-buying process easier. It eliminates the need to fill out a permit application or show proof of hunter education certification.
In addition to getting you through permit sales lines faster, the Heritage Card provides an easy way of replacing lost hunter ed cards. This is especially important to those who were hunter ed certified prior to 1983 according to Bob Staton, MDC protection programs supervisor. "It wasn't until the fall of 1982 that the MDC established its computer database of people who were hunter ed certified. Those who received the training prior to that only have their hunter ed card and certificate to prove that they've taken the class. If they lose those papers they will have to take the course over," says Staton.
Persons born on or after Jan.1, 1967 must complete hunter ed training in order to purchase hunting permits in Missouri. Many other states have similar requirements. "You'd be surprised at the number of people who go on hunting trips to other states and forget their hunter ed cards," says MDC administrative secretary Martha Green. "If they're in the system, we can verify their hunter ed certification and they will be allowed to hunt. But there is nothing we can do for the ones who aren't in the system."
An additional bonus of the card is a five-percent discount on retail purchases of MDC publications, gift items, nursery stock and some other items sold at MDC offices. The discount doesn't apply to permits, daily tags, rentals, or surplus property purchases.
To receive a free Heritage Card just take your hunter ed card to one of the MDC offices listed below. The card will be mailed to you in eight to 12 weeks. MDC offices where hunter ed cards can be exchanged are located in Camdenton, Cape Girardeau, Chillicothe, Clinton, Hannibal, Jefferson City (at Runge Conservation Nature Center), Kansas City, Kirksville, Mexico, St. Joseph, St. Louis, Sedalia, Springfield, Sullivan and West Plains.
Contact: Jim Low (News Services Coordinator)
(573) 751-4115, ext. 243
HUNTING
Bag Limit
Opens Closes (Daily-Possession)
Bullfrogs 6/30/97 10/31/97 8-16 (See Wildlife Code)
Common Snipe*+ 9/ 1/96 12/16/96 8-16
Coyotes 5/ 6/96 3/31/97 Some restrictions during
deer season. (See Wildlife Code)
Crows 11/ 1/96 3/ 3/97 No Limit
Deer/Turkey (Archery) 10/ 1/96 11/15/96 See Regulations, available mid-July
11/27/96 1/15/97 See Regulations, available mid-July
Deer (Firearms) 11/16/96 11/26/96 See Regulations, available mid-July
Deer (Muzzleloader) 11/16/96 11/26/96 See Regulations, available mid-July
12/ 7/96 12/15/96 See Regulations, available mid-July
Deer 1/ 4/97 1/ 5/97 Open only to hunters with unfilled
(Firearms & Muzzleloader Any-Deer Bonus Deer Tags for
in units 1-17, 22, 58 & 59) open units. See Regulations
Dove*+# to be announced
Ducks and Coots*
North Zone 10/26/96 12/14/96 Five ducks daily with no more
Middle Zone 11/ 2/96 12/21/96 than 4 mallards (no more than 1 female),
South Zone 11/23/96 1/11/97 2 wood ducks, 2 redheads, 1 pintail,
Youth-only Duck Hunting Dates 1 black duck, 1 hooded merganser or
1 canvasback. Daily bag for coots is
15. Possession limits are twice the
South Zone 11/16/96 11/16/96 daily limit.
Furbearers 11/20/96 1/20/97 No Limit
Geese and Brant
Blue, Snow and Ross' Geese*+# Daily bag limits include no more than
North and Swan 10 blue, snow or Ross' geese; 2
Lake Zones 10/26/96 1/19/97 Canada geese; 2 brant; and 2 white-
2/17/97 3/9/97 fronted geese. Possession limits for
Middle and Schell-Osage Canada geese, brant and white-fronted
Zones: 11/ 2/96 11/ 7/96 geese are twice the daily limit. For
blue, snow and Ross' geese, the
South Zone 11/23/96 3/ 9/97 aggregate possession limit is three the
White-fronted Geese and Brant daily limit.
North Zone 9/28/96 10/ 6/96
10/26/96 11/ 3/96
11/29/96 1/19/97
Swan Lake Zone 10/26/96 11/ 3/96
11/29/96 1/19/97
Middle and Schell-Osage
Zones 11/ 2/96 11/ 7/96
11/29/96 1/31/97
South Zone 11/23/96 1/31/97
Canada Geese
North Zone 9/28/96 10/ 6/96
10/26/96 11/3/96
11/29/96 1/19/97
Swan Lake Zone 10/26/96 11/ 3/96 (Unless a quota of 5,000 geese is
11/29/96 12/29/96 reached before Dec. 29; a daily limit
of 10 shot shells.)
Middle Zone 11/ 2/96 11/ 7/96
11/29/96 1/31/97
Schell-Osage Zone 11/29/96 1/ 7/97
South Zone 11/23/96 1/31/97
Groundhogs 5/ 6/96 12/15/96 No Limit
Pheasants and
Gray Partridge 11/1/96 1/15/97 (See Wildlife Code)
Quail 11/1/96 1/15/97 8-16
Rabbits 10/1/96 2/15/97 6-12
(may include only
2-4 swamp rabbits)
Ruffed Grouse 10/15/96 1/15/97 (See Wildlife Code)
Sora and Virginia Rails*+ 9/ 1/96 11/ 9/96 25-25
Squirrels 5/25/96 1/15/97 (See Wildlife Code)
Teal*+ 9/ 7/96 9/15/96 4-8
Turkey 4/21/97 5/ 4/97 1 bearded bird per week
Turkey (Fall Firearms) 10/13/97 10/26/97 (See Wildlife Code)
Woodcock*+ 10/15/96 12/18/96 5-10
FISHING
Trout Parks 3/ 1/97 10/31/97 5-10
Trout Parks 11/8/96 2/ 8/97 Catch & release Fri., Sat.,
(Winter Tag Required) Sun. 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Trout Management Areas Open All No Closed 5-10 (See Wildlife Code)
(Trout Permit Required) Year Season
Trout (Trophy and Wild) Open All No Closed 3-3 (See Wildlife Code)
Trout Management Areas) Year Season
(Trout Permit Required)
Black Bass
(streams, specified zone) 5/25/96 2/28/97 6-12 (See Wildlife Code)
(impoundments) Open All No Closed (See Wildlife Code)
Year Season
Bullfrogs 6/30/97 10/31/97 8-16 (See Wildlife Code)
Paddlefish 3/15/97 4/30/97 2-4 (See Wildlife Code)
Nongame Fish Stream Gigging 9/15/96 1/31/97 20
(See Wildlife Code for creel limits on other species.)
TRAPPING
Beaver 11/20/96 3/31/97 No Limit (See Wildlife Code)
Coyotes 11/20/96 2/15/97 No Limit (See Wildlife Code)
Furbearers 11/20/96 1/20/97 No Limit (See Wildlife Code)
___________
*Hunters of migratory birds are required to have a migratory bird
hunting permit in addition to other appropriate permits (See Wildlife Code).
+Subject to final federal approval
#Complete waterfowl details will be found in the Migratory Bird Hunting Digest,
to be available from permit vendors and MDC offices in early October.
CONSERVATION COMMISSION MEETING
December 13 MDC Headquarters, Jefferson City, MO
(For additional information contact the Department Director.)
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