Copyright ©2008 Conservation Commission of Missouri. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Use
Novices and careless hunters can make costly mistakes.
JEFFERSON CITY Following the hunting safety rule of shooting only after properly identifying your target can help prevent snow goose hunters from making the costly mistake of shooting swans. Although swans and snow geese both are white, several characteristics distinguish the two species. Knowing the differences can help hunters avoid fines and even jail time.
Trumpeter and tundra swans both are protected by federal law. A swan shooting that occurred in northeast Missouri last year illustrates why it is critical to identify waterfowl positively before pulling the trigger.
A group of novice hunters in Unionville injured an adult swan and killed a cygnet, as immature swans are called, when they shot what they thought were Canada geese. Conservation Agent Anthony Kottwitz, who investigated the shooting, says the hunters took shots based only on the birds' size.
"These guys had seen a very large Canada goose taken by a friend the day before their hunting trip," says Kottwitz. "They were out just before sunrise when a small group of birds flew overhead. Because there was no direct sunlight, all they saw were silhouettes of big birds. When they realized they had shot two swans they called me to report the incident."
Because the shooting was unintentional and the hunters called the agent, the case was handled in state court. Each of the three hunters paid a $250 fine.
Kottwitz says the hunters were wise to report the accident. He says hunters who intentionally shoot protected species or who fail to report accidental shootings generally are taken to federal court, where penalties are much more severe. Under federal law, the maximum penalty for killing a swan is $5,000 and six months in jail.
With most of the snow goose season occurring when swans may be found in Missouri, learning the distinguishing characteristics of the birds is wise for snow goose hunters.
Swans' necks and wingspans are about twice those of snow geese. While snow geese average six to eight pounds, adult tundra swans weigh 18 to 20 pounds. Trumpeter swans can weigh up to 30 pounds. Swans also tend to travel in pairs or small family groups, while snow geese most often are seen in large flocks. Finally, snow goose wings are tipped with black; swan wings are entirely white.
For more information differences between swans and geese, go to http://www.conservation.state.mo.us/hunt/wtrfowl/swan/.
- Arleasha Mays -
Ten Missourians who have made outstanding contributions to conservation will receive recognition.
JEFFERSON CITY Do you know someone who has gone above and beyond the call of duty to preserve Missouri's natural assets? The Conservation Federation of Missouri would like to know about them.
Each year, the federation honors 10 individuals or groups for outstanding service in conserving the state's forests, fish, wildlife, soil, air and water. Nominations are accepted from anyone in the state.
Recipients of Conservationist of the Year Awards sometimes distinguish themselves through years of service to conservation. In other cases, the honor is based on a single remarkable achievement.
The Federation names one person or group Conservationist of the year for overall contributions and honors nine others in specific areas. These are Forest Conservationist, Air Conservationist, Water Conservationist, Wildlife Conservationist, Conservation Communicator, Conservation Educator, Hunter Education Instructor, Professional Conservationist and Conservation Organization.
For more information about making nominations, contact Charlie Davidson, Conservation Federation of Missouri, 728 W. Main St., Jefferson City, MO 65101-1534. Phone 573/634-2322.
- Jim Low -
Hunters will have another 21-day regular season plus a special, two-day youth spring turkey hunting season.
JEFFERSON CITY Missouri hunters will have a three-week spring turkey season in 2001. Young hunters will have a spring turkey season of their own.
The Missouri Conservation Commission approved 2001 spring turkey hunting season dates and regulations at its November meeting. The regular season will run 21 days, from April 23 through May 13. A person possessing the prescribed turkey hunting permit may take two male turkeys or turkeys with visible beard during the season. Only one turkey may be taken during from April 23 through April 29. From April 30 through May 13, hunters can take one turkey per day, up to the season limit of two.
The Commission approved a two-day youth spring turkey season beginning nine days before the Monday opening of the regular spring turkey season. In 2001, the youth season falls on April 14 and 15.
A Missouri resident possessing a Youth Deer and Turkey Hunting Permit or the prescribed turkey hunting permit and who is 15 years of age or younger on the opening day of the youth spring season may take one male turkey or turkey with visible beard during the youth spring season. A turkey harvested during the youth spring season will count toward an individual's spring season bag limit, thus they may not harvest a second bird during the first week of the spring season
Youths hunting on a Youth Deer and Turkey Hunting Permit may take only one turkey.
- Jim Low -
JEFFERSON CITY The Missouri Conservation Commission's next meeting will be held Feb. 1 and 2 at Marriott's Tan-Tar-A Resort, State Route KK, Osage Beach.
The Commission will meet in closed session at 3:30 p.m. Feb. 1 and in open session at 8:30 a.m. Feb. 2. 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 Jan. 19. 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: Randy Herzog, St. Joseph, chairman; Ronald J. Stites, Plattsburg, vice chairman; Anita B. Gorman, Kansas City, secretary; and Howard L. Wood, Bonne Terre, member.
- Jim Low -
Hunters and anglers who share their knowledge with neophytes can qualify for drawings for thousands of dollars worth of outdoor equipment.
JEFFERSON CITY Sharing your love and knowledge of outdoor recreational activities can be enriching. Avid anglers, archers, hunters and target shooters who introduce newcomers to outdoor recreation can win up to $2,000 in prizes in Step Outside contests.
Step Outside is a national effort by the National Shooting Sports Foundation, a firearms and recreational shooting sports industry organization, to increase participation in outdoor recreational activities. Experienced outdoors people serve as mentors, providing newcomers with personal introductions to outdoor sport.
Step Outside includes several contests that those sponsoring or participating in outings or events can enter to win prizes. Prizes include $1,000, $500 and $250 gift certificates toward the purchase of outdoor equipment and supplies.
To receive contest registration forms, write Step Outside Group Contest, 11 Mile Hill Road, Newtown, CT 06470-2359, or access the forms in the Contest section of the Step Outside web site at www.stepoutside.org.
The organization also offers a book to help you get started with "Step Outside." It provides tips for making each outing a success, tips for helping new recruits continue participation in traditional outdoor sports and tips for working with a variety of audiences. The book, "Guide to Getting It Done," is available from the same address as the contest forms.
- Arleasha Mays -
Incentives for landowners to help wildlife just got easier.
JEFFERSON CITY -- The Missouri Department of Conservation has expanded Landowners Assisting Wildlife Survival (LAWS), making it a two-year program to better meet the needs of landowners as well as wildlife.
The Conservation Department created LAWS in 1994 to give landowners a financial incentive to provide winter food and cover for upland wildlife. Under the program, landowners receive cash payments for leaving strips of row crops unharvested in the field adjacent to permanent wildlife cover.
In the past, LAWS was an annual program. To increase wildlife benefits, the Conservation Department has expanded the contract period to two years. Landowners leave at least 10 feet of row crops adjacent to brushy cover. Enrolled land must remain undisturbed for two years.
"We expanded LAWS into a two-year program because benefits for wildlife are best during the second year when the ground is left undisturbed," says Conservation Department Private Land Services Chief Charley Maupin. "Idle strips with a mixture of bare ground and annual plants provide excellent conditions for rearing young. The early successional vegetation also attracts many insects, which are the primary food for quail and other upland birds, and there is no cost to the landowner during the second year of the program."
Maupin said unharvested grain provides high energy food that improves the ability of upland wildlife to survive cold weather. Standing stalks and other vegetation also provide cover that help protect wildlife from predators and severe weather conditions. Having the same habitat available during the summer is critical to the reproductive success of quail, rabbits and other wildlife.
In exchange for not harvesting crops, landowners receive payments of $150 per year for each acre of corn, milo, sorghum, soybeans and sunflowers left in the field. Payments of $75 a year are provided for each acre of small grain left unharvested. Payments for both years of the contract are made in May of the year following approval of the contract. The Conservation Department also makes annual lespedeza seed available at no charge for overseeding fallow strips, to provide additional wildlife food during the second year of the contract.
Landowners who want to enroll land in the LAWS program should contact the nearest private land conservationist, county conservation agent or other Conservation Department representative.
- Arleasha Mays -
Those who make their communities greener get recognition.
JEFFERSON CITY The Missouri Department of Conservation recognized nine public and private institutions for establishing new trees that will significantly benefit their communities.
At the Dec. 15 Conservation Commission meeting in Jefferson City, Director Jerry Conley and the Conservation Commissioners presented Missouri Treescape Awards and a Citation of Merit to organizations whose entries were judged best in the annual Missouri Treescape Awards competition.
Tim Frevert, Treescape coordinator for the Conservation Department, said the main criteria for winning recognition is the contribution of the new trees to the larger area, not just the site where they are planted. "The overall health and attractiveness of a community forest depends on lots of people practicing good tree stewardship together on public and private property." said Frevert. "Tree planting is one important part of this."
Awards are available in several categories, based on the type and size of institution, business or community competing. The eight winners of Missouri Treescape Awards this year were: Sikeston Business, Education and Technology Park, (commercial/industrial category); Columbia College (institutional category); Ste. Genevieve County Community Center (governmental category); Weller Elementary School, Springfield (primary school category); Metropolitan School, Maplewood (secondary school category); Rotary Club 13, Kansas City (volunteer category); City of Kahoka (municipal, under 2,500 category); City of St. Peters Parks Department (municipal, over 20,000 category). The Forestry Division of the City of St. Louis received a Citation of Merit.
To learn more about the Treescape Awards program, contact Tim Frevert, Missouri Department of Conservation, P.O. Box 180, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0180.
- Jim Low -
Live birdswild and tameare on the agenda.
JEFFERSON CITY--Events at six locations will give Missourians a glimpse into the world of the bald eagle in January and February.
Each year, the Missouri Department of Conservation sponsors events that allow participants to see wild eagles through telescopes and attend indoor programs featuring captive eagles. Interpretive programs provide insights about the birds' brush with extinction and how the loss was averted.
Eagle Days events are free. The following events begin at 9 a.m., unless otherwise noted.
--Jan. 6 and Jan. 7 (10 a.m.) at Willmore Lodge, Lake of the Ozarks;
--Jan. 13 at Paradise Pointe Golf Complex on Smithville Lake;
--Jan. 20-21 at the old Chain of Rocks Bridge, St. Louis;
--Jan. 20-21 at the Springfield Conservation Nature Center;
--Jan. 27-28 at the Apple Shed Theater, Clarksville;
--Feb. 3-4 at Mingo National Wildlife Refuge and Duck Creek Conservation Area, Puxico.
Viewing of wild eagles takes place outdoors, so warm clothing is a must. The event at Lake of the Ozarks will include eagle-watching cruises on the paddlewheeler Tom Sawyer for $3 per person. For a brochure with directions to all Eagle Days events, write to Missouri Department of Conservation, Eagle Days, P.O. Box 180, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0180, or call 573/751-4115.
- Jim Low -
Federal farm policy gave ducks a boost at just the right time.
JEFFERSON CITY--Waterfowl hunters can thank Mother Nature and Uncle Sam for much of North America's booming duck populations. Wet weather and the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) are largely responsible for boosting duck numbers to record levels.
Last spring, breeding duck numbers (about 41.8 million) were only slightly lower than the record 43.4 million ducks in 1999. Ducks Unlimited Chief Biologist Dr. Bruce Batt says, "This is almost certainly the result of excellent wetland conditions since the mid 1990s, and the increased production we have seen is a result of upland habitat provided by the Conservation Reserve Program."
Congress created the CRP in 1985 to help address environmental problems caused by the conversion of natural habitat to crop land. Clearing and draining of wetlands reduced waterfowl nesting and migrating habitat by millions of acres. Limited habitat and drought caused duck populations to dwindle to record lows in the 1980s.
CRP provides financial incentives for landowners to manage their property in wildlife- and environment-friendly ways for 10- to-15 year periods. The program has encouraged landowners throughout the duck breeding and migrating grounds to convert millions acres of crop land to grasslands.
While it is well known that ducks need water to thrive, it is unlikely that the return of favorable weather conditions alone could have caused duck populations to rebound to their current levels. Upland habitat, added through CRP, also was critically important because it provided nesting cover.
The changes in weather and habitat improvements have provided some of the best waterfowl hunting opportunities seen in decades. This is the fourth year in a row that hunters could go afield 60 days to pursue ducks. Duck season continues through Dec. 24 in the North Zone, Dec. 31 in the Middle Zone and Jan. 14 in the South Zone.
Shooting hours are one-half hour before sunrise until sunset. The bag limit is 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 is twice the daily limit.
- Arleasha Mays -
Thousands of dollars are available to young poets, writers and students in conservation-related fields.
JEFFERSON CITYThree groups are offering scholarships to students in conservation-related fields. One of the groups also sponsors a contest with cash prizes for young outdoor writers.
The Conservation Federation of Missouri (CFM) provides financial help to college students each year from the Charles P. Bell Conservation Scholarship Fund. The CFM also has scholarships for school or youth group conservation projects to promote conservation education or projects to protect natural resources. Applications are due by Jan. 15. For application forms or more information, write to Conservation Federation of Missouri Charitable Trust, 728 West Main Street, Jefferson City, MO 65101-1534 or call, toll-free, 800/575-2322.
The Missouri Conservation Agents Association (MCAA) has $500 scholarships for Missouri graduate and undergraduate students or high school students entering college. Applicants must be pursuing a course of studies in forestry, fisheries or wildlife management or in some other conservation-related field. The application deadline is April 1. Application forms for the MCAA scholarships are available from high school counselors, college financial aid advisors or conservation agents.
The Outdoor Writers Association of America (OWAA) rewards outstanding undergraduate and graduate students working toward careers in outdoor writing, radio and television, wildlife photography, art, lecturing or video or film making. Judges look for talent, promise and firsthand outdoor knowledge.
Applications for OWAA scholarships are rated on clarity, organization and originality. Grade-point average also is considered. Besides substantial cash awards, OWAA scholarship winners receive complimentary one-year student memberships in the national group.
OWAA scholarship applicants must have completed two years of college. Each participating college may name one applicant per year. Candidates should have career goals in communications demonstrated by submission of examples of their work, a job history, a college transcript, a statement of career goals and a college faculty recommendation.
Applications for OWAA scholarships must be postmarked no later than Feb. 26, 2001. Application forms are available from financial aid offices of participating colleges and universities. Application packages are available to institutions from Robin Ginner, Outdoor Writers Association of America, 121 Hickory St., Suite 1, Missoula, MT 59801, 406/728-7434.
OWAA also offers cash awards to youngsters in grades 6 through 12 who achieve excellence in communicating about outdoor pursuits.
The stipends are part of the Norm Strung/OWAA Youth Writing Award competition. The topic must focus on outdoor activities, such as fishing, hunting, camping, boating, nature, ecology or canoeing. Any prose or poetry is acceptable. The deadline for entries is January 31, 2001.
Awards will be granted in both the poetry and prose categories and in two divisions, senior and junior. Award amounts vary from year to year. Past awards have been $150 for first place, $125 for second and $100 for third in the senior division (grades 9-12). Winners in the junior division (grades 6-8) have received $50, $35 and $25. Authors must have been students in those grades at the time the entry was accepted for publication.
Entries must have been published in a newsletter, newspaper, magazine, literary collection or other publication during 2000. The publication can be school- or club-related or commercial. The only judging criteria besides contest guidelines will be excellence in writing and poetic form and content.
Entrants must submit one original copy of the published entry, including the publication name and date. A cover sheet is to include the entrant's name, address and grade in school at the time the writing was published. Students may enter as many published items as they wish, but students will be limited to one prize during the annual contest.
Students should submit entries or requests for additional contest information to: Outdoor Writers Association of America, 121 Hickory Street, Suite 1, Missoula, MT 59801. Mark the lower left-hand side of the envelope with the category and division for which the entry is intended, for example, "Junior poetry" or "Senior prose." Information also is available online at www.owaa.org/youth.htm.
OWAA will announce writing contest winners at its annual conference in St. George, Utah, in June, 2001. OWAA maintains the right to reprint the winning articles in its monthly publication.
- Jim Low -
Four men face stiff fines and jail time for cave looting arrest.
WAYNESVILLE, Mo--Jail terms could be in the futures of four men charged with robbing a Missouri cave of treasures from past civilizations.
Trial proceedings begin December 18 for David Brothers, 27, John Basham, 33 and Larry Gann, 36 of Waynesville, Missouri and Charles Carter, 30, of Pataskala, Ohio, on charges they violated the Federal Archeological Resources Protection Act (ARPA)
The four men were arrested in April for illegally digging in Decker Cave in Pulaski County. The federal indictment claims that they dug up, removed, damaged and altered archaeological resources that constitute the record of 1,000 years of human habitation. If convicted, they could face two years in prison without parole and fines up to $20,000. Those fines are minor compared to the damage caused by the vandals, said Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) Agent Rick Groeneman.
"The cave has several very large holes and piles of soil from the excavations," said Groeneman. "The damage from the digging is estimated at more than $100,000. There is no way to determine how much of the area's history been lost."
Groeneman's investigation of illegal digging on MDC lands provided information that helped federal officials arrest the four men. The agent said the lucrative market for stolen artifacts and relatively minor state penalties for the crime is causing an increase in cave looting.
"I'm working to develop a Department regulation that will address cave looting," Groeneman said. "I hope such a regulation will eventually lead to a state law similar to the ARPA law."
Enhanced protection for caves is needed said Conservation Department Cave Biologist Bill Elliott. Each year, cave vandals damage formations and cause serious problems for cave life ranging from endangered bat species to blind fish and crayfish found nowhere else on earth.
"We have three types of cave vandals," Elliott said. "Casual vandalism, caused by people canoeing and trespassing in caves. The traffic in a cave grind it down. People also damage caves by littering, using them as bathrooms and breaking things, like stalactites, to take home. Malicious vandalism, often practiced by young males, is where you get the spray painting on cave walls, killing of bats and destruction of cave formations. And then there's professional looting where people dig up artifacts for profit."
Educating the public about caves should help reduce some of the vandalism problems Elliot said. He is optimistic that when Missourians learn that overuse and abuse can permanently damage caves and cave species, incidents of casual and malicious vandalism will go down. Also he said teaching people to purchase artifacts only from sellers who can prove the items were legally obtained will help reduce professional looting. Eliminating the market for artifacts and cave minerals would remove the incentive for looters to operate.
The Conservation Department has taken action to protect caves. Gates have been placed at some cave to prevent entry when human activity can jeopardize cave structures and species. The MDC often issues special permits or makes other special arrangements that allow public viewing of gated caves. The MDC also is working with caving organizations to repair damaged caves. While those efforts have helped solve some of the vandalism problems, Elliott says it is impossible to fully restore a cave.
"Many Missourians don't even know what they're missing when they visit a cave that's been abused for several years," Elliott said. "By the time they visit the cave it's been stripped of many of its features. They often break stalactites and stalagmites. It took thousands of years for those features to evolve and many of the conditions under which they evolved have changed, so in some caves it might be impossible for more of these structures to regrow. That's why it's important to increase efforts to protect caves."
Elliott said stiffer penalties under the Missouri Cave Resources Act and more prosecutions are key to reducing cave looting. He said the small fines levied for cave vandalism are not deterrents and fail to recognize the historical and biological value of the stolen or damaged items.
- Arleasha Mays -
The good news from waterfowl experts is the opposite of what you might expect.
JEFFERSON CITY--Hunters are making inroads against burgeoning snow, blue and Ross', or light, goose populations, and waterfowl experts couldn't be more pleased.
The light goose harvest during the 1999-2000 season was 1.4 million. That is up substantially from the 1.07 million harvested the previous season.
Ducks Unlimited (DU), a private waterfowl conservation organization, says bagging 1.4 million light geese annually would slowly reduce the size of the mid-continent light goose population. DU estimates that a sustained annual harvest of this size could reduce the number of light geese to the target level of 3 million by 2008. Biologists would then monitor the situation to determine if the smaller light goose flock is sustainable.
For the past two years, government agencies and citizen conservation groups from Hudson Bay to the Gulf of Mexico have been trying to get hunters to kill as many light geese as possible. First, they increased the bag limit during the hunting season. Later they initiated a "conservation order" that allows hunters to kill the birds without bag limits from March 1 through April 30. During the conservation order, federal and state wildlife agencies lift restrictions in place during the regular season, including electronic calls and shotguns holding more than three shells.
Efforts to reduce light goose populations seem backwards when you consider that conservationists had spent two decades and hundreds of millions of dollars to stop the decline of duck and goose numbers. Light geese are a special case. Historically, harsh weather conditions during some breeding seasons limited nesting success. Sparse food supplies throughout the winter pared their numbers and put a brake on the number of young that each surviving goose hen could produce the following spring.
High-yield agriculture in the central United States increased winter survival and took the brake off the birds' reproductive capacity. The milder winters in recent years also may have helped increase the birds' reproduction rates. The result has been a light goose boom. The 1999 population of about 6 million light geese was three times more than a decade earlier. In fact, it was more than had ever been recorded.
That would have been great news if it weren't for the geese's feeding habits. After eating surface vegetation on their nesting grounds, they grub up roots. Water evaporation from the bare ground draws in salt water, and the fragile but productive tundra soil turns to sterile mud.
Satellite photos reveal the enormous scope of the damage. Hundreds of square miles have been laid waste. Experts say the damage could take hundreds of years to heal, if it ever does. Meanwhile, the light geese move on to other parts of the dwindling Hudson Bay ecosystem, unaware they are eating themselves out of house and home.
Faced with an impending ecological disaster brought on by human-caused changes in the landscape, waterfowl managers set out to reverse the trend. But getting hunters to increase their take of light geese wasn't as simple as liberalizing regulations.
The movement patterns and feeding habits of snow, blue and Ross' geese make them difficult to hunt. Over the years, this led to a sour-grapes attitude among some hunters, who derisively referred to the birds as "sky carp." And with populations of other waterfowl at or near record numbers, there was little incentive to invest time and effort learning to hunt light geese.
Eventually, though, conservation-mindedness and tremendous hunting opportunities turned the tide. Hunters are beginning to build a light goose hunting tradition and discover that the birds can be tasty table fare.
- Jim Low -
Hunters willing to learn how to hunt swirling tornadoes of white geese can enjoy banner days of shooting.
JEFFERSON CITY--For Missouri waterfowl hunters, snow geese represent a bonanza of hunting opportunity. Liberal limits during the three-month hunting season and a three-month conservation order in 2001 are a dream come true for waterfowlers.
Snow geese are challenging to hunt. Successful hunters have to be hard-working and savvy about the birds' habits. But those who find themselves in the midst of thousands of screaming birds settling into a harvested cornfield are hooked.
Snow geese fly higher than Canada geese, so it takes them longer to descend into a decoy spread. That's more time for thousands of eyes to detect any imperfections in the set-up. Also, many of the birds are older, so they have been exposed to hunting in previous seasons and are wary.
Most serious snow goose hunters use 500 to 1,000 decoys. Some use more. Most are rag decoys, simple sheets of white cloth or plastic anchored to the ground with wooden stakes.
Hunters dress either in camouflage or white. Some carry snow goose calls, but they don't use them much. It's questionable if the birds can hear calls over the din of their own flock, though calls probably do help pull in single birds or isolated pairs.
Snow geese generally roost on or near water at night, and then fly out morning and afternoon to feed in fields of waste grain. They spend the midday hours loafing on open water. Hunters drive back roads to locate fields the birds are using. Then, after securing permission from the landowner, they return to set out decoys. If this can be accomplished by mid-afternoon, they may hunt the field that evening and again the next morning.
Snow geese usually return to a field until the food there is exhausted. However, they have good memories and won't return to a place where they have been fired upon. The work of finding a hot field and setting out decoys may result in two or three successful huntsan evening, a morning and another evening. After that, the birds are gone, and the snow goose hunter is back to scouting.
Snow geese are nomads, flying as far south as necessary to find unfrozen water and staying in one area only as long as their main food itemagricultural waste grainholds out. For information on snow goose when the conservation order begins in February, go to http://www.conservation.state.mo.us/hunt/wtrfowl/weekly-snow/.
Having a large flock of snow geese swirling around your head is exhilarating. It can also be chaotic, so hunting partners need to plan their strategy ahead of time. Waiting for the best time to begin shooting can be nerve-wracking. Hold off as long as birds are landing and others are still descending. The moment when those already on the ground begin to get nervous and take flight is the time to take them. Recognizing this prime moment comes with experience.
Decide ahead of time on fields of fire so you don't waste opportunities shooting at the same birds. Your first shots should be at those geese at the greatest distance where you can be sure of a clean, one-shot kill. Then work your way back through closer birds.
Focus on one bird at a time before pulling the trigger. Novice snow goose hunters often make the mistake of flock shooting. This leads to missed birds or worse yet, cripples.
The daily limit during the regular hunting season is 20 light geese. There is no possession limit, but you must keep your birds separate and identifiable from other hunters' in the field and in storage.
A morning's shooting ends when the birds go back to roost in refuge areas during the middle of the day. Sometimes that is as early as 9 a.m. Other times they may not roost until noon. Afternoon feeding flights can arrive two hours before dark, but they may not appear until shooting hours are almost over.
Steel or other federally approved nontoxic shot is required for waterfowl hunting, no matter where you hunt. Standard 2 3/4-inch shotgun shells are adequate for hunting snow geese, which are smaller than many other goose species. Most experienced snow goose hunters use an improved or modified cylinder choke and No. 1 or 2 steel shot.
What do you do with 20 snow geese once you get them home? To minimize cleaning time, remove the breast meat and seal it in properly labeled plastic freezer bags in serving-sized portions. Gutted birds can be kept in a cool garage to be cleaned the next day.
- Jim Low -
Marinating and judicious application of heat make the difference.
JEFFERSON CITY--Thanks to liberal bag limits and burgeoning numbers of snow geese, Missouri hunters are bagging more snow geese than ever before. That translates into tasty rewards for hunters who discover how to turn these superabundant wild fowl into good eating.
Snow geese are relatively small, averaging six to eight pounds live weight. Most hunters use a fillet knife to slice off breast meat in two boneless steaks. This eliminates the time-consuming job of scalding and plucking. Experienced hunters can clean a day's limit of geese in half an hour or so.
One bird yields about a pound of dark, rich breast meat. Marinating is a frequent choice for preparation. One quick and easy recipe calls for soaking breast fillets in Italian salad dressing and then quick cooking over a hot charcoal fire or in the oven broiler. Another variation uses equal parts of white cooking wine and soy sauce seasoned with fresh garlic, ginger root and fresh lime juice.
For best results, perforate the fillets with a fork and allow to marinate overnight. Wrap breast halves in smoked bacon to prevent drying, and check often to prevent overcooking. The red color of the meat makes it easy to underestimate doneness. Cook only until firm to the center, leaving the fillets juicy and tender. Combine pan drippings with leftover marinade to make a sauce and serve with wild rice.
The huge amount of meat that successful snow goose hunters can accumulate encourages innovations, such as the following recipe for snow goose salami.
--12 pounds ground snow goose meat
--3 pounds pork sausage
-- 3/4 cup curing salt
--6 teaspoons of Liquid Smoke
--5 teaspoons garlic powder
--6 teaspoons of cracked pepper
--6 teaspoons of whole mustard seed
Mix well and chill overnight. Divide into 1-pound portions and roll each into an 8-inch log. Wrap each tightly with cheesecloth and tie the ends. Place on a wire rack over a pan and bake four hours at 225 degrees. Freeze or refrigerate until used.
- Jim Low -
The Conservation Department has approved a two-day season just for kids.
JEFFERSON CITY--Missouri youngsters soon will have a turkey hunting season of their own. The Missouri Conservation Commission has established a two-day youth-only spring turkey hunting season to begin in 2001.
The goal of the new season is to provide opportunities for youngsters to experience turkey hunting without the pressures of the normal season. The new turkey season will be open to state residents ages 15 and younger. The youth-only season will open each year on the Saturday nine days prior to the Spring Turkey season. In 2001, it will be April 14 and 15.
Teens who have a Resident Turkey Hunting Permit may hunt in both the youth-only season and the Spring Turkey Season. Children 12 and younger also may participate in both the youth-only hunt and the spring turkey season with a Youth Deer and Turkey Hunting permit. Preteens must hunt in the immediate presence of a licensed adult hunter who has successfully completed hunter education training.
During the youth-only season, hunters may harvest one turkey with a shotgun. Shot may be no larger than No. 4. Shooting hours are one-half hour before sunrise to 1:00 p.m. Central Daylight Time. Like other turkey hunters, youth hunters are restricted to killing male turkeys or turkeys with visible beards.
Youths who harvest one bird on a Resident Spring Turkey Hunting Permit during the youth-only season may not take another turkey until the second or third week of the regular spring turkey hunting season. Those who harvest a bird on a Youth Deer and Turkey Hunting Permit during the youth season may not take a second bird during the regular spring turkey season.
Further details on the youth-only turkey season will be published in the Spring Turkey Hunting Information booklet. These will be available March 1 at permit vendors statewide.
- Arleasha Mays -
Some information about trapping and muzzleloader deer hunting is incorrect.
JEFFERSON CITY--The "2001 Summary of Missouri Hunting & Trapping Regulations" being handed out by permit vendors contains errors that could be confusing to hunters and trappers during the 2001-2002 season, says Conservation Department publications editor Joan McKee.
McKee said the errors are not likely to lead to unintentional Wildlife Code violations. However, one error might confuse people who trap or hunt furbearers, and another could cause those who hunt deer with muzzleloading rifles to miss a day of the December muzzleloader hunt.
One error is in the last item in a table of furbearer bag limits on page 17 of the regulation guide. The entry reads "Furbearers, except coyote and beaver, taken with a hunting permit." Beaver should not be included in the list, since they may not be taken legally with a hunting permit.
"This is the only error that could lead readers to do something illegal," said Wildlife Programs Supervisor Bill Heatherly. "The likelihood is small, though. Trappers know there is no beaver hunting season, and beaver are active mostly at night, so there isn't much opportunity to shoot one."
Of concern to muzzleloader deer hunters is the entry on page 15 that lists the opening day of muzzleloader deer season as Dec. 2. The opening date should be Dec. 1.
Other errors in the booklet include:
--On page 26, the second paragraph says coyote pelts "may be possessed, transported, consigned for processing and sold by the taker from Nov. 20, 2001, to Feb. 25, 2002." The final date should be March 1, 2002.
--On page 26, the third paragraph says that bobcat and otter pelts must be delivered to an agent of the Conservation Department not later than Feb. 4, 2002. The paragraph should say that these pelts must be delivered to an agent of the Conservation Department not later than Feb. 4, 2002, "except that pelts of otters taken in Zone E must be delivered not later than March 4, 2002."
--On page 27, the dates for coyote trapping season are shown as Nov. 20, 2001 through Feb. 15, 2002. The closing date should be Feb. 20, 2002.
--On page 28, a map shows the bag limit for muskrats in Zone B as 20. This should read "Any number."
"We discovered the errors after 425,000 regulation guides had been printed and were on their way to permit vendors around the state," says McKee. "It's not practical to try to retrieve those, especially since most of the errors show the regulations as more restrictive than they actually are. No one is going to get in trouble for trapping fewer muskrats than allowed or checking their otter pelts earlier than they have to. However, we want to get the word out so trappers can take advantage of the longer season and more liberal limits than were published for the 2001-2002 season."
- Jim Low -
JEFFERSON CITY--The Missouri Conservation Commission's next meeting will be held Dec. 14 and 15 at Conservation Department Headquarters, 2901 W. Truman Blvd., Jefferson City.
The Commission will meet in open session at 1 p.m. Dec. 14 for a staff presentation about the Missouri Elk Feasibility Study. The open portion of the Dec. 15 Commission meeting will begin at 8:30 a.m.
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 Dec. 4. 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 -
Copyright ©2008 Conservation Commission of Missouri. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Use