January 2006

Missouri's top walleye lake about to heat up

Fishing guide Marty Thompson thinks Stockton Lake in southwest Missouri may hold a state-record smallmouth bass. He and fisheries biologists agree that it is the state's top walleye fishing spot and has walleye action as good as many northern lakes. (Missouri Dept. of Conservation photo)

Stockton Lake has some of the nation's best walleye fishing.

STOCKTON, Mo.-Think of the walleye as a syncopated fish-a little offbeat. It is still active in the midst of winter, after bass have grown sluggish and hard to catch and before crappie surge into shallow water to gorge on minnows.

Like the walleye, Stockton Lake is offbeat. Situated hundreds of miles from the nearest ocean, it is one of the top sailing destinations in the central United States. And while the center of the walleye fishing universe lies somewhere around the Canadian border, Stockton Lake offers walleye action on par with many northern lakes. That action is just about to heat up.

When it does, Marty Thompson, owner of Thompson Fishing Guide Service, will be out on Stockton Lake, showing clients where and how to catch the finicky but delicious fish. It is a challenge he relishes.

"I started coming here to fish because I love it," says Thompson. "Guiding adds a whole new level of seriousness, though. There's more of a challenge to it and more dividends. You have to be out there as much as possible, keeping track of where the fish are if you want to be able to put other anglers on them reliably. Last year I fished about 180 days."

At some lakes, fishing that often would not make sense. But the number of walleyes found in Stockton Lake makes the effort worthwhile. The Missouri Department of Conservation stocked walleyes in the lake in the early 1970s, beginning the year after the dam was closed. Those fish were the foundation of a self-sustaining population that lasted more than 20 years.

Because walleye fishing had declined by the 1990s, the Conservation Department developed a statewide program to improve fishing. The initiative, which began in 1998, identified Stockton Lake as a high-priority reservoir for walleye management. Stocking is one strategy that has been used there.

Beginning in 1998, Stockton has received a stocking of approximately 750,000 walleye fingerlings in even-numbered years. That is 25 to 30 fish per acre of water. Fisheries Management Biologist Tim Banek says a survey conducted last spring showed good numbers of walleyes, with a high percentage at or above the minimum legal length limit.

Anglers can keep up to four walleyes daily at Stockton, with a minimum length of 15 inches.

"I may be biased," says Banek, "but I believe that Stockton Lake provides the best overall opportunity for walleye anglers and is the best that we have in the state." He says Stockton Lake ranks in the middle of the 169 North American walleye waters with published harvest data.

Thompson sees evidence of Stockton's walleye abundance every time he fishes. His 21-foot fishing boat is equipped with a sonar graph in the rear, allowing him to see schools of shad and larger fish when he is motoring around, and another sonar sensor in the front of the boat so he can track fish when he is fishing from his seat in the bow.

Gizzard shad, small fish related to herrings, are the most numerous fish in Stockton Lake. They are the staple food for predatory fish. Thompson says walleyes, bass and crappie all follow shad schools to some degree, but walleyes are less attached to particular places and follow shad schools like wolves follow herds of grazing animals.

On a fish graph, schools of shad look like big black balls suspended in the water. Walleyes show up as dark crescents.

"What you want to see on your fish graph is a big ball of bait fish with lots of large fish around it," says Thompson. If the crescents are blurred, that means they are moving fast, actively feeding on shad."

Where he finds this picture depends on water temperature, wind, time of year and time of day. Walleye are creatures of the gloom. Their name refers to their huge eyes, which can detect prey in near-dark. They shy away from bright light, so fishing is best at dusk and dawn and on overcast days. On sunny days, walleye usually retreat to deep water.

Night fishing can produce excellent results. However, anglers should be aware that from Feb. 20 through April 14, walleyes can only be possessed from 6:30 a.m. until 6:30 p.m. on the unimpounded portions of streams with the exception of the Missouri and Mississippi rivers.

Walleye are active throughout the winter, when Stockton's waters may chill down to 40 degrees. Shad prefer warmer water, and because walleye eat shad, anglers often find walleye around submerged springs or in other areas where the water is slightly warmer than in the rest of the lake.

The wind that has made Stockton one of the top sailing destinations in the Midwest also helps make walleye behavior a little more predictable. The lower end of Stockton Lake and its Sac River arm run north and south. When, as often happens, the wind blows steadily out of the south for several days in a row, it creates a northward current in the lake. Tiny plants and animals that are the gizzard shad's primary foods drift with this current, eventually concentrating at the north end of the lake, near the dam.

"On days like that, fishing Stockton is more like fishing a river than a lake," says Thompson. "You can use the current to your advantage. Walleye will be on submerged rocky points and bluffs grazing on passing schools of shad." He says fishing 20 to 30 feet deep along rock bluffs also can produce good results.

Sometime in late winter, the temperature of Stockton's water creeps up past 45 degrees, and walleyes begin moving toward spawning areas. While experienced anglers can find some walleyes year-round, the short window of time in February and March when water temperatures range from 45 to 50 degrees provides some of the year's hottest action.

Some walleyes travel up the Sac and Little Sac river arms of the lake in response to runoff from warm rain. Others head down the lake to the dam. The rock-lined bank of the dam itself attracts thousands of spawning walleyes, but you also can find good numbers of fish on rocky points south of the dam.

The same baits and lures that work on walleyes in northern lakes are winners at Stockton Lake. Jigs tipped with minnows, night crawlers or plastic grubs are the reliable producers. White and chartreuse are the preferred colors. Thompson sometimes puts a curly-tailed plastic grub on a long-shanked jig and entices walleyes with a wad of worm on the hook.

Thompson trolls these rigs at 1 to 1.5 mph, using the GPS readout on his fish graph to monitor his speed. When possible, he lets his boat drift with the wind. When the wind is strong, he uses his trolling motor or even his main motor to slow his drift to the right pace.

Whatever bait he is using, Thompson often finds it helpful to add a clip-on weight to get his rig down where the fish are. To prevent spoons and other lures from twisting his line, he ties a barrel swivel a few feet above the bait and clips the weight to the line above the swivel. "That can save you several dollars on fishing line," he says.

The biggest challenge for beginning walleye anglers is not getting bites, but recognizing them and learning when to set the hook. The nearly universal walleye angling technique is to let the bait or lure fall to the depth where the fish are, then rhythmically raise and lower the tip of the fishing rod a foot or two.

When this technique is executed properly, the line never goes completely slack, and you can feel the light bump, bump-bump of a walleye testing the bait. At this point, the fish might not have the bait in its mouth, so the experienced angler leans into the fish slightly to avoid pulling the bait away. If all goes just right, the next thing the angler feels is an insistent tug as the fish takes the bait. A sharp jerk on the rod drives home the point of the hook, and the fight is on.

Walleye seldom put up the furious struggle of a hooked bass or sunfish, but walleye have another virtue that more than compensates for the lack of electrifying fight. They are among the best-eating fresh-water fish in the world.

Speaking of good eating, the same areas that hold walleye at Stockton Lake also are frequented by crappie. The number of white crappie in Stockton Lake is not impressive right now, but their average size is. Forty-five percent of fish caught by the Conservation Department in last year's sampling were 10 inches or larger, and Thompson reports that he and his clients have caught a number of crappies measuring 16 inches or better. Those catches often take place while fishing small crankbaits along rock bluffs.

Thompson doesn't usually mention this possibility to clients, preferring to see the delighted surprise on their faces when they net a world-class crappie on a walleye outing.

The daily limit on crappie at Stockton Lake is 15 fish measuring at least 10 inches.

Stockton also is an underrated smallmouth lake. The current and previous state-record smallmouths came from there, and Thompson says he believes another record is waiting to be caught. He and clients have boated several 6-pounders, while the current record is 7 pounds, 2 ounces. The daily limit at Stockton Lake includes six black bass measuring at least 15 inches.

For more information about fishing, camping and lodging at Stockton Lake, contact the Stockton Lake Association, (417) 276-5161, www.stocktonlake.com, or Stockton State Park, (417) 276-4259, mostateparks.com/stockton.htm.

-Jim Low-

Telecheck proving valuable to conservation agents

Comparing notes after the firearms deer season, agents had lots of good things to say about the new system for checking deer via telephone or computer.

JEFFERSON CITY-Missouri's new automated system for registering deer and turkey kills gives conservation agents more time to spend checking for violations and a better handle on poachers' activities. That is the consensus that emerged from a recent meeting of agents from around the state.

Each January, regional and district supervisors in the Conservation Department's Protection Division meet to conduct a post-mortem of the recently ended deer season. The meeting allows them to compare notes about how hunters handled regulation changes, special challenges agents faced, and how new regulations affected the job of enforcing game laws.

The agenda for this year's deer-season wrap-up included a discussion of Telecheck. The consensus was positive, with supervisors from all regions reporting that Telecheck gave them much faster and freer access to deer-check records. Instead of having to visit multiple check stations and check written records at each, they had instantaneous access to records from office and laptop computers.

"The information we are getting today from Telecheck is a great addition to what we get from informants," said one agent.

Protection Central Region Supervisor Tom Strother said several of his agents told him Telecheck helped make 2005 the most efficient deer season they have ever worked. He said the violation most often discovered using the Telecheck system involved hunters who killed bucks and checked them as does.

Strother's district includes several counties where hunting regulations prohibited taking antlered deer that did not have at least four points on one side. He said ethical hunters were impressed when agents showed up at their houses to verify that the 6- or 7-point bucks they Telechecked had at least four points on one side. Violators were impressed, too, but not in a positive way.

In the St. Louis region, agents said many of the cases they made using Telecheck involved people shooting a deer and then buying a permit. It was easy for agents to pick up this violation due to short time between purchase and checking.

Protection Division Administrator Dennis Steward said agents who began an investigation based on Telecheck information often uncovered numerous other violations, such as spotlighting, road hunting, illegally taken bucks, over-limits and nonresidents hunting on resident permits. "Folks who are inclined to violate one regulation often violate others," he said.

On the whole, agents said people liked the new deer-checking system, though many hunters were concerned that it would make it easier to kill deer illegally. This didn't seem to be the case, however. One supervisor said an agent spent some time spot-checking deer at a meat-packing house, comparing deer with information that hunters gave when Telechecking their kills. He did not find a single hunter who had abused the system.

Nevertheless, a few unethical hunters did try to take unfair advantage. Many of these poachers failed to understand how quickly agents would be able to check on suspicious records. Strother commented that it was surprising how many hunters bought permits at 4 p.m. but still managed to kill deer before dark.

Agents looked into all those cases. One involved a woman who bought three deer hunting permits and minutes later checked three deer. In another case, a hunter checked five deer on one permit.

Agents generally felt that Telecheck allowed them to make better use of their time. Those in southwest Missouri reported that hunting pressure was down, but arrests were up, thanks to information provided by Telecheck.

"Although conservation agents have become much more confident with the Telecheck system, we all recognize that any checking system can be abused," said Steward. "The old check station system was not perfect, and we all know some violations occurred if a hunter was so inclined. Some folks will try to get away with breaking the law with Telecheck, too."

Steward noted that hunters do not have to check most species of wildlife and fish, but field checks by agents show that most people follow the rules. "Conservation agents are there to investigate those who don't," he said.

One problem that surfaced with Telecheck was that a significant number of hunters did not understand that they needed to put the large portion of their tag on deer after Telechecking them. Taking into account that the procedure is still unfamiliar to hunters, agents only wrote citations where they believed there was clear intent to break the law.

Another problem involved the automated voice-recognition system used for the telephone portion of the Telecheck system. Some hunters could not complete the process because of poor connections. Others found that the system did not recognize their pronunciation of certain county names, such as De Kalb.

The Conservation Department had anticipated such problems and maintained a Telecheck Help Center staffed by department employees during Telecheck hours throughout the firearms deer season. Any hunter who had difficulty with the voice-recognition system immediately had a live person on the line to help them finish checking their deer.

"We made sure we had enough volunteer operators on hand so no one ever had to wait on hold after hitting a glitch in the system," said Doug Young, technology chief for the Conservation Department in Jefferson City. "Several people commented on that. They were surprised when they didn't have to wait for service."

Young said his office is working to fine-tune the system so it works even better in the 2006 hunting season.

"Telecheck isn't a success if it isn't easy for hunters to use," he said. "Top-quality customer service is absolutely critical if this is going to be an effective, efficient part of the agency's deer-management program."

-Jim Low-

Wildfire still a threat in Missouri; put off burning if possible

The threat will continue until Missouri's long-term weather pattern changes.

JEFFERSON CITY-Small amounts of scattered rain and snow over the past week have temporarily lowered the fire danger facing Missouri, but officials with the Missouri Department of Conservation say the state remains vulnerable to wildfires.

The southwestern quarter of the state experienced a rash of fires in early to mid-January. Those fires mainly affected forest and pasture lands. The Conservation Department received no reports of human injuries, although some structures were damaged or destroyed.

Forestry Regional Supervisor Duane Parker said southwestern Missouri was the first place where fires flared up because that area is in a year-long drought. He said precipitation was 10 inches or more below average during 2005.

"Not only were we behind on rain last year, we continue to have dry weather," said Parker. "There has been almost no snow or prolonged rain events, which normally helps us out at this time of year."

Parker said snow is better than rain for reducing the risk of fire, because it covers grass, leaves and other potential fuels with a damp blanket, allowing it to absorb moisture. Heavy snow compresses leaves and grass, making them less fire-prone, and they soak up more water as snow melts and slowly percolates into the ground than they do during heavy rain, when most of the water runs off.

Long-range weather projections call for a moderate drought in southwest Missouri in the coming months and average precipitation in the rest of the state.

"It is going to take precipitation spread out over several days so it can soak in to change the long-term fire outlook," said Parker. "A little here and there helps for a short time, but all it takes is a few warm, breezy days and we are right back where we started."

Parker said the way this year is shaping up reminds him of 1980, when a hot, dry summer followed an unusually dry winter. That year, thousands of acres of forest and pasture land burned, with extensive loss of property.

A strong public response has helped keep fires to a minimum this year, but continued care is critical.

"Until this weather pattern changes, people need to be extremely cautious about things that can start fires," said Parker. "Frequent causes of fires this year have been careless debris burning and dumping ashes from wood stoves or fireplaces. Embers can smolder in ashes for days. The only safe way to dispose of ashes is to put them in a metal can and leave them there for several days, until they are dead out and the can is cool, or flood the can with water and stir until dead out."

Parker offered the following recommendations to avoid starting a wildfire accidentally: --If you must burn, pick an overcast day when winds are calm and the humidity is high.
--Notify local fire officials when you intend to burn.
--Burn before 10 a.m. or after 4 p.m.
--Keep water, rakes and other firefighting tools at hand.
--Call fire officials immediately if a fire escapes.
--After burning, check several times to ensure the fire is out.
--Ask your neighbors not to burn on dry, windy days.
--Educate your children to be safe with fire.
--Don't burn brush piles. They provide important wildlife habitat and decay naturally in two to five years.

-Jim Low-

Jefferson City man holds two state fishing records

John "Buck" Hennessy caught this state-record 9-pound, 10-ounce river redhorse sucker from the Osage River Jan. 6. It is the second state fishing record currently held by the Jefferson City resident. (Missouri Dept. of Conservation photo)

A monster redhorse sucker won John Hennessy the distinction of holding two state records at one time.

JEFFERSON CITY-Holders of Missouri state fishing records make up a fairly exclusive club, but not the most exclusive. When John "Buck" Hennessy landed a state-record river redhorse sucker from the Osage River Jan. 6, he joined a far more select group-anglers who have held more than one state fishing record simultaneously.

Hennessy, of Jefferson City, is the only angler who currently holds more than one Missouri record. His most recent record catch was a 9-pound, 10-ounce redhorse. He caught the redhorse, a type of sucker, at noon on 10-pound-test line. His bait consisted of a piece of night crawler and a Gulp, an artificial, scented bait resembling a grub. The fish broke the previous record for a redhorse taken with pole, line and lure by 1 pound, 9 ounces.

Hennessy's other standing record is for a 5-pound, 1-ounce sauger he landed with a pole, line and lure in 1994. He caught that fish from the Osage River in January, too.

The other angler who most recently held at least two fishing records at the same time was James Michael Dockery of Queen City. He caught a 4-pound shovelnose sturgeon from the Des Moines River in June 2001 and a 1-pound, 7-ounce goldeye from the same river in April 2002. Both were pole-line-and-lure records. He lost the goldeye record in 2003, when Bob Hudson of Poplar Bluff caught a 1-pound, 8-ounce goldeye from the Black River.

Dockery still merits some notoriety, however, for holding two consecutive records for shovelnose sturgeon. His first was for a 2-pound, 12-ounce shovelnose sturgeon, a record he broke himself.

The Missouri Department of Conservation maintains state fishing records in two categories, pole, line and lure and "Alternative Methods," such as, snagging, bowfishing and trotlines and other set lines.

To qualify as a state record, a fish must be taken by legal methods and be a species that is included on the state-record fish list. If no record has been entered for a particular species and method, the first record must meet the minimum weight set for that species in the Conservation Department's Master Angler program.

Record fish must be weighed on certified scales in the presence of Conservation Department personnel, and their species must be verified by a Conservation Department fisheries biologist. Finally, a color photo of the fish is required.

A complete list of Missouri state fishing records is available online at www.mdc.mo.gov. Rules and entry forms also are available online, along with details of the Master Angler program. Click on keywords "Fishing" and "Browse Fishing by Subject."

-Jim Low-

Archers buck trend, come near last year's harvest record

Archers were the only group of Missouri deer hunters who topped the previous year's harvest figure.

JEFFERSON CITY-Missouri archers killed 37,036 deer during the 2005-06 archery deer hunting season, falling a little short of last year's record archery harvest.

Missouri's archery deer season opens Sept. 15 and runs through Jan. 15, closing only during the 11-day November portion of firearms deer season. Every other segment of Missouri's 2005-06 deer hunting season saw a larger decrease in the number of deer killed. Firearms deer hunters killed 9.1 percent fewer deer than in 2004, compared to a decrease of 1.6 percent for archers.

Biologists with the Missouri Department of Conservation attributed the decreases mainly to an abundance of acorns, which made deer less mobile and less visible to hunters.

With 112 days to hunt, archers persevered and killed just 610 fewer deer than in the 2004-2005 archery deer season. Missouri's top three archery deer harvest counties were Boone, with 874 deer checked, St. Louis, with 862 and Callaway, with 760.

Firearms deer harvest figures were:
--Urban portion, 1,833 (down 122 from 2004),
--Youth portion 10,577 (down 2,889),
--November portion 205,460 (down 17,869),
--Muzzleloader portion 10,115 (down 1,823),
--Antlerless portion 21,922 (down 2,295).

With archery kills included, Missouri's total 2005-06 deer harvest was 286,943. That is down 25,930 or 8.3 percent from the previous year's record harvest of 312,873.

-Jim Low-

Final deer-harvest figures provide evidence antler point restrictions are working.

Hunters killed a larger percentage of does and more deer with 8-point or bigger racks than last year.

JEFFERSON CITY-After the second year of restrictions on the harvest of antlered deer in some counties, Missouri's top deer expert says the experiment is working as planned. The change doesn't seem to be cutting into the number of deer taken, either.

After holding meetings around the state in 2003 to learn hunters' preferences, the Missouri Conservation Commission set up an experimental trial of antler-point restrictions. The new rules, which went into effect in 29 northwestern and central Missouri counties in 2004, prohibited shooting antlered deer unless they had at least 4 points on one side.

Male deer, commonly called bucks, must have antlers at least 3 inches long to be considered "antlered" under statewide hunting regulations. Most 1.5-year-old bucks have antlers 3 inches or larger. Few bucks less than 2.5 years old grow antlers with 4 points on a side, so the experimental regulation protects 1.5- to 2.5-year-old deer.

The primary purpose of the experimental, antler-based harvest regulation was to encourage hunters to take more female deer, providing more effective deer-population control. If the experimental regulation worked as planned, it also would increase the number of deer 2.5 years and older, which are more likely to have large antlers.

Resource Scientist Lonnie Hansen said this year's deer harvest data provide the first glimpse of how the experiment is working.

"We saw an increase in antlerless deer harvest in some of the experimental counties in 2004," said Hansen. "That is just what we wanted. We also saw a large decrease in the number of 1 ½-year-old bucks harvested throughout the area where the antler restrictions have been in effect."

Hansen said 2005 is the first year when the experimental regulation's effect on buck numbers and size could be seen. The number of antlered deer taken in the experimental area was up 13 percent this year. The number of antlered deer taken in surrounding counties designated as "controls" in the ongoing study was down 3 percent. The number of 2.5-year-old bucks taken in the pilot area increased 20 percent, compared to a 6 percent increase in control counties.

"It appears we gained some 2.5 year olds as expected, causing an overall increase in buck harvest in the antler-restriction counties," Hansen said. "This suggests that, as hoped, there were more 2.5-year-old-plus bucks this year. At least some of the bucks protected last year survived and were harvested this year."

As the experiment continues, Hansen expects to learn more about how antler-based harvest restrictions affect deer numbers and the survival of bucks past 1.5 years.

The experimental antler restrictions do not appear to be affecting the number of deer killed in the trial area. The total harvest in that area was down about 3 percent compared to the previous year, while the harvest in adjacent counties was down 7 percent. The statewide firearms deer harvest was down approximately 9 percent. The Conservation Department attributed the smaller statewide deer harvest to abundant acorns, which made deer less active and less available to hunters.

"The hunters I have talked with in northern Missouri seem pleased by this year's results," said Hansen. "Some hunters in the northern part of the state are asking that we extend the antler restrictions to their areas."

He said he expects the experimental antler point restrictions to continue to gain popularity in northern Missouri. However, in southern Missouri, where deer are less abundant, hunters are understandably more reluctant to welcome regulation changes that could ultimately decrease deer numbers.

"We want to take this slowly," said Hansen. "We plan to watch carefully to see how this experimental regulation affects deer numbers and listen to hunters in different parts of the state so we know how they feel about it. Our ultimate goal is to maintain or even enhance deer hunting opportunities while ensuring that we can control deer numbers in areas where they are a problem."

-Jim Low-

Women are changing the face of deer hunting in Missouri

Women, who are more likely than men to hunt deer primarily for food, make up an increasing percentage of deer hunters.

JEFFERSON CITY-Deer hunters are changing, and biologists with responsibility for controlling Missouri's deer population like the change. They say the demographic shift promises more venison on tables and fewer dents in automobile fenders.

Permit sales statistics from the Missouri Department of Conservation show that women made up about 8 percent of deer hunters in 1996. By 2004, they made up 11 percent of the deer-hunting public. Last year, women accounted for 14 percent of deer-hunting permit sales.

"As deer become more abundant and the chances of success increase, we are seeing more and more women enter the sport," said Resource Scientist Lonnie Hansen. "That is a very encouraging trend for someone in my line of work."

In the past, deer hunting was an almost exclusively male activity. Hansen said that in recent years he and other deer managers have been concerned about the fact that deer hunters as a group were aging.

"We know from surveys and harvest statistics that older hunters are less likely than young ones to shoot deer," Hansen said. "That is probably due in part to younger hunters being more active than older ones. Also, the longer hunters take part in this sport, the more likely they are to find satisfaction in the camaraderie and in the hunt itself. Shooting a deer becomes less and less necessary for them to enjoy their outdoor experience."

Biologists like Hansen, who rely on hunters to keep deer numbers in check, worry about anything that makes deer hunters less effective at thinning the deer herd. But Hansen finds encouragement in the fact that more women are entering the sport.

In surveys, women are much more likely than men to say they hunt primarily for food, rather than for trophy animals. Furthermore, women are most likely to say they hunt in order to spend time with friends and family. That means women are likely to accept invitations to hunt with husbands, boyfriends, fathers or brothers.

Male and female hunters are alike in one respect. Women are much more interested in hunting deer than other game species. Eighty-four percent of female hunters contacted in a survey commissioned by the National Wild Turkey Federation said they hunt deer.

"All that is music to my ears," said Hansen. "We need hunters to ensure that we can continue to manage deer effectively, and hunters whose primary interest is in food are much more likely to harvest does. That's what it takes to control deer numbers."

For more information about women hunters, visit www.nwtf.org.

-Jim Low-

Winter care helps trees survive harsh conditions

Trees need water in the winter as much as in the summer. The key to winter watering is not to overdo it. (Missouri Dept. of Conservation photo)

Trees don’t sleep through the winter. They struggle to survive, just like other living things. You can help.
JEFFERSON CITY-Have you ever envied an oak tree, slumbering peacefully while animals scurry and scratch to survive winter’s rigors? If so, your envy has been misplaced, according to Justine Gartner, forestry field programs supervisor for the Missouri Department of Conservation.
"Winter is a challenging time of year for trees, just like a lot of other living things," said Gartner. "They face some of the same dangers in the winter as they do during the warm months, plus some special threats."
Drought is a year-round challenge for trees. People are quick to recognize that trees are stressed when high summer temperatures and lack of rain cause leaves to wilt or wither. We are much less likely to recognize trees’ plight in the winter, when outward signs of stress are lacking.
"A full-grown tree whose roots stay dry for a month or longer during the winter can enter the next growing season in greatly weakened condition," said Gartner. "Young trees are especially vulnerable. They may not survive without help."
Help, she said, should be two-fold. First, tree owners can reduce the potential for winter drought stress by spreading a thin layer-1 to 3 inches- of composted organic mulch on the ground under trees. This provides insulation against cold and slows the evaporation of soil moisture.
The second step is to provide moderate watering during dry periods. If several weeks pass without rain or snow, run a sprinkler until the top two or three inches of soil are moist.
"It is important not to water too much and not to water when the temperature is below freezing," said Gartner. "Do it on a day when the temperature is in the 40s or 50s, and make sure the soil doesn’t become saturated."
Young trees face special hazards in winter. Rabbits, deer and other hungry animals can do serious damage by browsing buds from low branches or chewing bark from the trunk. Thin-barked young trees also are vulnerable to mechanical damage when bumped by children playing, adults doing yard work or animals rubbing against them.
To prevent such injuries, cover the bases of trees with hard, plastic guards or metal hardware cloth. Wrapping with burlap or plastic cloth also helps prevent freezing. Remove protective coverings in the spring to allow trees to grow.
Some winter damage is unavoidable. Snow and ice storms break limbs. Freezing and disease create dead wood where insects and fungus can gain footholds. However, trees can bounce back from such setbacks with a little help from you in the form of judicious pruning.
The key to pruning is to remove no more wood than necessary. Cut away dead wood with cuts that expose as little heartwood as possible. Pruning can actually prevent future injuries by removing weak branches or those whose form or placement exposes them to damage.
The final element in winter tree care is fertilization. Fall and winter are good seasons to spread a balanced, granulated fertilizer (10-10-10) within the area shaded by trees’ branches. Applying the fertilizer on top of organic mulch ensures a slow, beneficial release of nutrients. Resist the temptation to over-fertilize. A sparing application is adequate.
More information about tree care is available at the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) Web site, www.isa-arbor.com/. ISA, headquartered in Champaign, Ill., is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the care and preservation of shade and ornamental trees.
-Jim Low-

Passion, profit are the reasons for two conservation classes

Whether your goal is personal fulfillment or financial gain, the Conservation Department has a wildlife management class for you.
JEFFERSON CITY-Nuts-and-bolts knowledge about how to manage land for wildlife is the focus of two workshop series to be offered at locations around Missouri this spring. One series is aimed at producing citizen "Master Conservationists." The goal of the other series is to train a cadre of wildlife contractors to provide services to private landowners.
The Missouri Department of Conservation is working with the University of Missouri School of Natural Resources, the MU Extension Service and the Missouri Agricultural Industries Council (MO-AG) to produce the two training series. Both programs will include instruction by conservation professionals and field work.
The Missouri Master Wildlifer Program will consist of a series of eight sessions, each focusing on a wildlife species or type of habitat. They will be taught live at the University of Missouri-Columbia and beamed live via interactive television simulcast to satellite training sites around the state.
The Conservation Contractor Training will consist of a series of eight workshops, each taught at a different location around the state. Each will include a classroom session and an outdoor field exercise or demonstration. Participants will receive a printed packet summarizing each portion of the series. The full set of packets will make up a comprehensive training manual for the program.
Matt Seek, who is coordinating the Master Wildlifer Program for the Conservation Department, said the purpose of the program is to help landowners who want to include wildlife in managing their farm or forest land.
Participants will receive student manuals and supplemental materials.
Brad McCord is the Conservation Department’s Conservation Contractor Training coordinator. He said that program is not intended to produce professional field biologists. Rather, it is aimed at giving private agricultural contractors enough familiarity with wildlife management terminology and practices to enable them to deliver services to clients and help them take advantage of state and federal programs that make conservation practices affordable.
"There are real opportunities for individuals to make money by making conservation happen on private land," said McCord. "Wildlife Biologists with state and federal agencies work hard to develop plans for landowners but the real shortage is knowledgeable contractors to help landowners implement approved plans. There is certainly an opportunity for contractors to benefit from Federal Farm Bill programs and other conservation incentive programs. There is no reason why people who have the equipment and the know-how can’t turn that fact to their advantage."
The first Master Wildlifer session will cover basic wildlife management principles. Subsequent classes will cover the following topics:
--Managing grassland/prairies for bobwhite quail and grassland birds.
--Managing forests for deer and turkey.
--Managing wetlands for waterfowl.
--Managing furbearers and controlling wildlife damage.
--Managing ponds and streams.
--Enhancing wildlife diversity and improving wildlife recreation.
The classes will be offered Feb. 28 and March 2, 7, 9, 14, 16, 21 and 23. Cities where the classes will be offered and contact information for details about each are:
--Reed Springs, (417) 272-8707
--Carrollton, (660) 542-1792
--Salem, (573) 729-8163
--Nevada, (417) 448-1212
--Kirksville, (660) 785-2530
--Cape Girardeau/Jackson, (573) 243-3581
--Columbia, (573) 445-9792
--St. Joseph, (816) 279-6064.
Those who attend at least seven of the eight sessions will earn the title "Master Wildlifer." For more information on the program and topics, contact Bob Pierce, (573) 882-4337, piercer@missouri.edu or Matt Seek (573) 522-4115, ext. 3288, Matt.Seek@mdc.mo.gov.
Conservation Contractor Training sessions are scheduled for:
--Feb. 16 in Cape Girardeau
--Feb. 21 in Springfield
--Feb. 23 in Clinton
--Feb. 28 in West Plains
--March 3 in Jefferson City
--March 7 in St. Louis
--March 14 in Cameron
--March 16 in Macon.
Pre-registration is required. For more information, call MO-AG, (573) 636-6130 or the Conservation Department’s Private Land Services Division, (573) 751-4115.
-Jim Low-

Ozark Plateau Chapter of Quail Forever has roots in the past, but its eye on the future of quail

Phil Fels, (left) of Strafford, spent a December morning hunting with Don Walker, of Nixa. Fels is one of the founders of the Ozark Plateau Chapter of Quail Forever, while Walker can boast having hunted on opening day of Missouri’s last 68 quail seasons. Between coveys, they discussed the history and the future of quail hunting in southwest Missouri. (Missouri Dept. of Conservation photo)

Chapter leaders are reaching out to hunters and landowners, young and old.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo.-There was no way to be sure that Don Walker and Phil Fels would hit it off. Based on common interests, however, the chances looked good.

Walker, 76, might accurately be called a quail hunting fanatic. The Nixa resident has hunted on opening day of quail season every year since he was 8. As a young man, he sometimes hunted every one of the season's 76 days. A stroke curtailed his hunting last year, but determination and physical therapy had him back in the field following his dogs on Nov. 1, 2005.

Fels' quail-hunting history doesn't go back as far as Walker's, but he's no newcomer, either. He hunted quail while growing up, and five years ago he bought a bird dog puppy so he could get back to the sport. A year-long tour of duty with the National Guard in Iraq set back his plans for training "Willie," but Fels' hopes for the Llewellin setter remain high.

Not one to merely complain about a lack of birds to hunt, Fels joined a handful of other Springfield-area residents to form The Ozark Plateau Chapter of Quail Forever. It is the third Missouri chapter for the organization, which is a spin-off of the successful national group, Pheasants Forever.

The two met for a morning quail hunt at a 445-acre farm in Dogulas County in December. The day was frigid, with a dawn temperature in the teens. Even at 10 a.m., after a leisurely restaurant breakfast, the bright sunlight was having little effect on a fresh dusting of snow. The quail had not moved out of sheltered roosting areas, so Willie and DeeDee, Walker's English setter, had trouble scenting the birds at first.

After a false point or two, dogs and hunters were surprised to find themselves in the midst of 12 to 15 bobwhites that ricocheted out of a blackberry thicket in twos and threes. Recovering their wits, the hunters managed to pick off two of the departing birds.

The spaces of time between hunting up singles and looking for new coveys gave the two men time to trade hunting stories. As the sun warmed, frost and snow slowly disappeared, and as coffee and stories flowed, the morning's initial formality thawed, too.

Walker and Fels both recalled days when opening morning of quail season found the parking lots of country restaurants jammed with pickups carrying dog boxes. This year, Walker said, he did not see a single dog box nor hear a shot on Nov. 1.

Records from the Missouri Department of Conservation reveal that Show-Me State hunters harvested 3.9 million quail in 1969. That number had decreased more than 50 percent by 1987, when hunters bagged just 1.9 million birds. In 1996, the harvest dipped below a million, and by 2000 it was down to fewer than 500,000.

Fels said Quail Forever attributes this decline partly to the conversion of woody shrub cover, which is critical quail habitat, to large trees or grass waterways. Another factor is what Fels described as "the overwhelming presence of tall fescue grass." In many pastures, quail-friendly plants have been replaced with non-native fescue varieties, which form an impenetrable mass, choking out quail.

Looking across the farm, Walker pointed out a 40-acre area that used to be broom sedge and lespedeza pasture. He recalled finding 10 coveys in two hours in that small patch of prime quail habitat during the 1960s. That level of abundance seems impossible to hunters whose memories go back only one or two decades.

Fels voiced hopes that his Quail Forever chapter can bring private landowners together with state and federal agencies to restore some of the quail-friendly landscapes Walker remembers. He suggested the possibility of his chapter helping Walker restore quail habitat on the farm where Walker grew up.

"Our chapter is still new," said Fels. "We would sure like to have you as a member."

"I would be glad to join," said Walker. "I don't know how active I could be."

"Just your ideas would be enough."

"I've got lots of memories but not too many ideas," Walker said with a little laugh.

"Memories will be valuable, too," said Fels.

The Ozark Plateau Chapter of QF hit the ground running. Its first public event was a youth hunt a few days after Fels' and Walker's hunt. Twenty-three youngsters got to make their own memories while hunting at Bois D'Arc Conservation Area west of Springfield. Participants had to be hunter-education certified, and they got a firearms-safety refresher course as part of the event. Then they sharpened their wing-shooting skills on clay targets at the conservation area's trap and skeet ranges. Apparently the range work paid off, because every young hunter harvested at least one bird in the hunt that followed.

The Ozark Plateau Chapter will hold its first fundraising banquet April 1. The event will include live and silent auctions, raffles and drawings.

"What makes this banquet special is that 100 percent of the funds raised locally stay local after all expenses and memberships are turned in," said chapter president Mike Brooks of Willard. "That means the local committee can use the funding for the priorities established by the needs of the area we serve."

You can learn more about the banquet and upcoming meetings of the Ozark Plateau Chapter from Brooks, (417) 207-6766, mbrooks401@aol.com.

QF is built on the Pheasants Forever model of letting local chapters determine how to spend 100 percent of their locally raised conservation funds. In the four months since QF was formed, the organization has chartered 24 chapters.

The first in the nation was the Gateway Chapter in St. Louis. The Corner Covey Chapter, covering Johnson, Lafayette, Pettis and Saline counties, was Missouri's second chapter. For information about these groups, or to discuss forming your own chapter, contact QF Field Operations Director Jim Wooley, (641) 774-2238, jwooley@quailforever.org.

- Jim Low -

Nixa hunter marks 68th quail opener, hopes for better season next year

Last year, a stroke kept Don Walker from hunting quail as much as he wanted. This year it was a deteriorating ankle. But he has high hopes for 2006.

NIXA, Mo.-2004 and 2005 have not been high points in Don Walker's 68-year quail-hunting career. Still, he is sharp of mind, young at heart and determined as ever that 2006 will be better, for him personally and for quail in his beloved southwest Missouri hills

Walker's long-running love affair with the bobwhite quail was chronicled in these pages a year ago as he toughed out the waning days of the 2004-2005 quail season. He suffered a stroke early in the season, and with only limited control of his right leg, he wasn't able to hunt on Jan. 15, the last day of quail season.

That was a bitter pill for a man who has hunted on every opening day and most closing days of Missouri's quail season since he was 8 years old. He didn't let it get him down, though. Instead, he vowed to get his balky leg back under control and come back with renewed zeal in 2005. He succeeded with the first part of his resolution, only to be thwarted by circumstances again.

Walker went afield on Nov. 1 this year with the sawed-off, rusted and dinged Remington Model 11 scattergun he has carried since he bought it used at age 13. In doing so, he preserved his 68-year string of quail season openers. He even had his right leg whipped back into shape for the event. But every step brought grinding pain from his right ankle, which he injured years ago in a horseback riding accident. The joint has deteriorated to the point where walking on uneven ground is agony.

"The danged thing hurts so bad I can't hardly stand it," he admitted with a grimace. "I can't follow the dogs the way I used to, so I follow them in my pickup and get out when they get on a point."

That is a far cry from his preferred approach, but still better than nothing. If the dog work is good and his hunting companions get some shooting, it is a successful day for Walker. That was the case on a recent hunt with Phil Fels, co-founder of the Ozark Plateau Chapter of Quail Forever.

Fels brought a young Llewellin setter to learn from two of Walker's dogs, an English setter named DeeDee and a pointer pup named Josh. A veteran like her master, DeeDee managed to find birds in thickets of blackberry and sumac that filled every hollow on a 445-acre farm in Douglas County.

The work was complicated by a cold snap that kept the temperature in the low 20s and the quail in their sheltered nighttime roosting spots until practically noon. When the blackberry thorns caused her tail to stream blood, Walker gave her a well-earned rest and let Josh take her place.

Bad ankle or not, Walker was not going to miss all the action. He parked his truck at the bottom of one perennially productive hollow and hiked and hobbled his way to the top, only occasionally leaning on his shotgun or a companion's shoulder. Along the way, he shouted encouragement to his four-legged protégé.

"Come on, Josh. God-dang it, I want birds!"

And Josh did find birds in that draw, just as Walker knew he would. The birds, however, refused to play by the rules and flushed before the dogs pointed. The shooting was haphazard and mostly ineffective. Nevertheless, it was a moment to savor for a quail aficionado who, after nearly 70 years and thousands of bagged birds, still grins broadly at every covey rise.

The size of the bag for the 90-minute hunt-three quail-in no way reflected the importance of the event in Walker's eyes. Seeing two coveys of 10 to 20 quail each added new fuel to the fire of his hunting zeal.

"I'm going to get this ankle fixed after this season is over," he said. "The doctor says I'll be in a cast for a month or two, but that's okay. I want to be able to get after 'em next year."

After his hunt with Fels, Walker vowed to join Quail Forever, and was receptive to the idea of partnering with the group to improve quail habitat on his land.

"I've hunted everything in the U.S.," said Walker, "and bobwhites and dogs to me is the best. We need to help the Conservation and Quail Forever to increase quail for future hunters. Somebody's got to do something, otherwise, we won't have any quail at all before long."

-Jim Low-