Huge ice storms that struck most of Missouri early and late in the year bracketed 12 months of meteorological extremes.
JEFFERSON CITY-Weather is a perennial topic of conversation, especially among outdoors men and women. But 2007 produced meteorological extremes so remarkable that they will be talked about for decades to come. The effects of 2007’s weather will be visible to generations yet unborn.
A freak ice storm rolled across 34 counties when 2007 was barely two weeks old, extending from the state’s southwest corner to St. Louis. The results were devastating. Ice grew so thick that hundreds of power lines and countless thousands of trees collapsed under its weight. More than 320,000 customers in southwest and south-central Missouri were without electricity, some for more than a week.
Meanwhile, night-time temperatures plummeted into the teens and single digits. Roads in cities and rural areas alike were impassable mazes of downed trunks and limbs, cutting people in distress off from escape or emergency services and preventing utility workers from restoring power.
Workers with the Missouri Department of Conservation abandoned their usual duties and turned the agency’s heavy equipment, chainsaws and know-how to the life-saving work of clearing roads. The agency set up an emergency command post in Springfield to coordinate the massive effort as more than 100 Conservation Department workers labored around the clock to open hundreds of miles of rural highways. Less could be done to soften mother nature’s next blow.
In early April the mercury plunged. The arctic blast followed two weeks of temperatures from the high 60s to the low 80s. Columbia went from a high of 81.6 degrees on April 2 to a low of 18.7 degrees April 7. Similar temperature extremes occurred throughout the state.
These two events spawned a bevy of other weather-related stories that continue to unfold today. The first visible effect was the failure of what had been predicted to be an unusually early and spectacular display of dogwood blossoms.
The late freeze also killed the flowers of virtually every oak in the state, dramatically reducing the supply of acorns, a staple food for deer, turkeys, squirrels and a host of other wildlife, for at least two years.
The ice storm’s effects continued to be noticed as the year progressed and foresters got out in the woods in southwest Missouri. They discovered that downed tree limbs and trunks had multiplied the supply of fuel for wildfires by a factor of 10. That could create a second storm, this time with fire, not ice.
An even larger ice storm parked over Missouri from Dec. 7 through 11, spreading destruction over the entire state. Although the power outages were not as extensive, the year-end storm also created an enormous amount of woody debris.
In response to the increased risk of wildfires, the Conservation Department has launched a public-awareness campaign, encouraging property owners to take preventive measures before the spring fire season arrives. Information will be posted on the Conservation Department Web site, missouriconservation.org, under the keyword "Forestry."
The loss of a significant portion of Missouri’s annual turkey hatch was another weather-related story. Turkey hens had responded to two weeks of above-normal temperatures in March by starting to lay eggs, and the severe freeze destroyed many of those eggs.
The extended cold spell in early April put a halt to turkey mating behavior. Turkey hens that had been laying eggs were back to wintertime behavior patterns. Hens all over the state were seen roaming the landscape with gobblers in late April, rather than sitting on nests full of eggs. That meant that male turkeys didn’t have to gobble as much to attract hens, which made them much less likely to respond to hunters’ calls.
Partly as a result of this, the spring turkey harvest was down. More important to turkey hunters, the number of young turkeys was the second-lowest on record.
Missouri was both more and less colorful than usual on account of the April freeze. The destruction of many trees, flowers and the insects that visit them caused migrating songbirds, such as orioles and grosbeaks, to visit backyard bird feeders more than usual. However, the stress to trees from the freeze and an unusually hot, dry summer reduced the duration and vividness of Missouri’s fall foliage display.
Spring floods affected operations at the Conservation Department’s Bennett Spring Trout Hatchery and caused problems at conservation areas along the Missouri River and at wetland areas in west-central Missouri. Finally, the January freeze killed hundreds of thousands of tree and shrub seedlings at the George O. White State Forest Nursery near Licking, limiting the supply of some seedlings available to Missouri landowners for planting in 2008.
Not all of the Show-Me State’s 2007 outdoor news was weather-related.
The 1 millionth hunter education graduate completed Missouri’s mandatory training, which has led to a dramatic decrease in hunting accidents.
Zebra mussels turned up in four new locations in Missouri - Lake of the Ozarks, Bull Shoals Lake, Lake Taneycomo and the Osage River just downstream from Bagnell Dam.
A 127-pound alligator gar caught by Larry Wolfe, of Chaffee, Mo., with archery tackle on May 21 in Cape Girardeau County set a new state record for that species.
Public meetings on catfish prompted the Conservation Department to drop the idea of experimental regulations to increase the number of big catfish in the Missouri River in central Missouri. Eight out of 10 catfish anglers said they didn’t like the idea.
Conservation Commissioners Stephen C. Bradford, Cape Girardeau, and Cynthia Metcalfe, St. Louis, finished their terms and were replaced by Don Johnson, Festus, and Becky L. Plattner, Grand Pass. Johnson is Human Resources Vice President with Cequel III Communications in St. Louis and a former president of the Conservation Federation of Missouri (CFM). His strong interest in bowhunting prompted him to help launch Missouri’s Archery in the Schools Program. Plattner is the financial manager for Plattner Brothers LLC Custom Farming and is Saline County’s Presiding Commissioner. A strong supporter of outdoor and conservation education, she is the great-niece, by marriage, of the late Harry A. Plattner, who was the fourth president of the CFM, a Master Conservationist and a Master Farmer.
Dave Erickson was promoted from Wildlife Division chief to assistant director, replacing John Smith, who retired.
DeeCee Darrow and Ron Dent were chosen to lead the Conservation Department’s Wildlife and Resource Science divisions, respectively.
Max C. Hamilton and Earle P. Coleman were inducted into the Missouri Conservation Hall of Fame.
Hamilton was a hunter, an angler, a naturalist and a newspaper journalist who wrote about the outdoors for the Chillicothe Constitution-Tribune for more than 50 years. He played pivotal roles in deer, turkey and ruffed grouse restoration and served as president and chairman of the board of the National Wild Turkey Federation.
Coleman served as a conservation agent in Callaway and Cole counties. The job paid $150 a month when he started in 1949. He got two days off each month, never on weekends. Later in his career, Coleman served as the Protection Division’s training officer. During his tenure as Protection Division chief, he supported the hiring of the Conservation Department’s first female conservation agent trainee.
Hunters checked an impressive 214,494 deer during the November Portion of Missouri’s Firearms Deer season. The muzzleloader harvest added a record 13,372. A strong showing during the Antlerless Portion of Firearms Deer Season propelled the 2007 firearms deer harvest to the third-largest number in history, in spite of a severe ice storm on the opening weekend of that segment. The firearms deer harvest, including the Urban, Youth, November, Muzzleloader and Antlerless portions, was 260,162.
For details about the year in conservation, visit mdc.mo.gov/news/
-Jim Low-
The possibilities are limitless for those who think outside the crock pot.
JEFFERSON CITY-Not to impugn hunters’ creativity, but the treatment that venison usually receives in the kitchen does not show much creativity. If you removed jerky, summer sausage, chili and pot roast from the menu, not much would be left on most sportsmen’s tables. It doesn’t have to be that way. Deer meat can be as versatile as a cook is creative.
Admittedly, venison imposes certain constraints on those trying to think outside the crock pot. Unlike most domestic animals, deer do not store fat throughout their muscle tissue. Instead, it is found in the body cavity and under the skin. That is just as well, since deer fat is solid at room temperature, and it feels waxy on the tongue - not a pleasant sensation. Smart cooks trim off all the fat they can.
Venison’s lack of fat is great for a heart-healthy diet. The downside is that overcooking can make even high-quality venison dry and tough. One way to avoid this is to cook steaks, roasts and other whole cuts no more than absolutely necessary. Venison loins (found against the backbone inside the body cavity) and back straps (the cuts of meat just under the hide along each side of the spine) can be as succulent as beef prime rib if cooked rare.
Roasting can ruin venison if overdone. To avoid this, sear the outside of roasts first, and cook them quickly in an extremely hot oven. Coating with a crust made of ground nut meats, bread crumbs and olive oil with seasoning also helps keep moisture in the meat. Or create a pulp with chopped fresh garlic, olive oil and kosher salt and pack it around a loin or back strap before roasting.
Another venison challenge is gamey taste. This comes in two varieties. One is preventable. The other is fixable.
Some people develop a dislike for venison based on bad experiences with spoiled meat. Nothing can salvage venison that has been tainted with stomach contents or that has spoiled because it was not chilled promptly and kept cool. Proper field care is beyond the scope of this article, but you can learn more at mdc.mo.gov/hunt/deer/deer_hunting/dress.htm.
Even if you take good care of your venison, the meat of older bucks can have a strong taste. This is partly due to hormonal changes during the rut and partly due to the stress of the rutting marathon. A huge, five-year-old buck with enormous antlers taken in December will never be as good on the table as a fat young doe. However, treatment with marinades using vinegar or wine can diminish gamey favor, and highly seasoned recipes, such as Swiss steak, can make it much less noticeable.
One excellent use for tough, gamey venison is turning it into sausage. Commercial processors offer this service for a fee, or you can do it yourself.
A common sausage recipe begins with equal parts of venison and Boston butt pork roast. Each type of meat is ground separately, then mixed by hand in a large container with seasonings and ground a second time. An electric kitchen grinder will do the job if you use the coarse screen.
This base can become breakfast, Polish, chorizo or Italian sausage, bratwurst or anything your imagination concocts, depending on seasoning. Hundreds of recipes are available in wild-game cookbooks or online.
An example is this recipe for hot Italian sausage. 2 pounds fresh venison 3 ½ teaspoons minced fresh garlic 2 pounds Boston butt pork roast 4 ½ teaspoons salt 7 teaspoons fennel seed 1 ¼ teaspoons cayenne pepper 3 ¼ teaspoons red pepper flakes 7 teaspoons ground black pepper ¼ cup dry red wine
Grind venison and pork together, using coarse screen. Mix dry ingredients together, and then combine with meat. Add wine and mix thoroughly. Refrigerate for 24 hours, then stuff into casings, or package and freeze.
This sausage is excellent in any Italian recipe. For example, you can sauté a pound of bite-sized sausage pieces in ¾ cup of olive oil until golden brown. Add one large sliced onion and one each large red, yellow and green bell pepper, cover and simmer until vegetables are tender-firm. Add salt and red pepper flakes to taste and serve over small penne pasta with grated parmesan, Romano or Asiago cheese.
Instead of discarding deer livers, consider the following recipe for venison pate. Slice the liver into 1-inch slabs and cook it on a smoker or covered barbecue grill with plenty of wood chips for smoke. Cube the smoked liver and run it through a meat grinder’s coarse screen. Mix the ground liver with enough prepared mustard - plain yellow or Dijon - to make a paste. Regrind the mixture using a fine screen. Spread it on crackers or toasted sourdough bread slices.
-Jim Low-
Information from the MU Extension accommodates every learning style.
JEFFERSON CITY-Do you learn best with a live instructor, or studying when it is convenient for you? Would you rather work online, or does a slow Internet connection make working with a DVD more practical? The Missouri Department of Conservation and MU Extension has a way for Missourians to learn about woodland stewardship, whatever their learning preferences.
MU developed the Woodland Stewardship Training Program to help landowners conveniently acquire the knowledge needed to manage their land for wildlife habitat and timber production. Live workshops consisting of four evening classes and a weekend “Walk in the Woods” are being offered in 2008. Information about the dates and locations of these sessions are available from any MU Extension or Conservation Department office.
Originally conducted as live workshops, the training has been condensed in DVD form, allowing woodland owners to learn basic timber and habitat management principles without having to attend classes.
For those who want a more formal, structured learning experience without actually attending classes, there is an online course through the MU Center for Distance and Independent Study. The non-credit course allows users to work whenever they have time, at their own pace, but with assignments and the opportunity for feedback from professionals and other landowners.
Those who use the online option have nine months to complete the course. After successful completion of the virtual training, they can take part in live “Walk in the Woods” sessions. Those who live too far away to participate in the walks can discuss their specific needs with a professional forester.
The DVD set is available for $40 plus tax, shipping and handling by calling (573) 882-7216 or (800) 292-0969 or online at muextension.missouri.edu. For $80, participants can get the DVD set and take part in the online training. Visit cdis.missouri.edu/CourseInfo/DetailCourseInfo.asp?9502 for details.
-Jim Low-
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| Carefully regulated trapping is the key to the Missouri Department of Conservation’s emerging strategy for managing river otter populations in different regions of the state. (Missouri Dept. of Conservation photo) |
Even with an 8 percent decline in the number of deer taken during the December antlerless hunt, the 2007 firearms deer harvest was the third-largest of all time.
JEFFERSON CITY-Weather, the perennial wild card in the deer-harvest game, dealt a lousy hand to hunters in the Antlerless Portion of Missouri’s firearms deer season. In spite of this tough break, they went on to shoot enough deer during the December antlerless hunt to push the 2007 firearms deer harvest to the third-largest level in history.
Hunters checked 19,472 deer during the Antlerless Portion of Firearms Deer Season Dec. 8 through 16. That is down 8 percent from last year, and the smallest number since the antlerless season went from four to nine days in 2003.
Hunters shot more than 25,000 deer the first year of the nine-day antlerless hunt, a figure that has never been topped in the antlerless season’s 12-year history.
High counties during the Antlerless Portion of Firearms Deer Season were Macon with 608 deer checked, Pike with 601 and Callaway with 593.
Going into the nine-day Antlerless Portion, the 2007 firearms deer harvest was on pace to be the third- or fourth-largest on record. Then a slow-moving winter storm blanketed most of the state in ice. Trees by the thousands collapsed in many areas, bringing down power lines and blocking roads.
Many hunters were more concerned about keeping their homes and families safe than they were in putting venison in the freezer. Those who did hunt, found they could not move through the woods without making so much noise that deer could hear them coming.
On the other hand, the severe weather caused deer to stay close to available food sources, making their behavior more predictable. Snow that fell across much of the state on the last Saturday of the antlerless hunt gave hunters a last-minute break by making deer more visible.
At the end of the first week of the Antlerless Portion, hunters had checked a little more than 10,000 deer. They nearly doubled that figure in the last two days of the antlerless hunt.
When added to the harvests during the Urban Portion of Firearms Deer Season (554), the Youth Portion (12,267), the November Portion (214,494) and the Muzzleloader Portion (13,372), the Antlerless Portion harvest brings the 2007 firearms deer harvest to 260,162.
Missouri’s sole remaining deer hunting season is the archery season, which runs until Jan. 15. Archers have killed between 35,000 and 43,000 deer in recent years.
The Missouri Department of Conservation recorded no firearms-related hunting accidents during the Antlerless Portion of Firearms Deer Season. It recorded four during the preceding segments. Three involved self-inflicted injuries. None was fatal.
-Jim Low-
Anglers spoke decisively, and the Conservation Department listened.
JEFFERSON CITY-Responding to an overwhelming majority of anglers’ preference, the Missouri Department of Conservation has decided not to test special restrictions on catfishing in central Missouri. The agency held four public meetings in July and August to gauge anglers’ attitudes toward a possible trial of more restrictive flathead and blue catfish regulations.
“We often find that public opinion is very closely divided on questions like this,” said Conservation Department Assistant Director Dave Erickson. “That was not the case this time. Eight out of 10 anglers who commented on the proposed regulations said they did not want the change.”
Erickson said the response was in contrast to the results of a catfish angler survey the Conservation Department conducted in 2002. In that statewide survey, 55 percent of Missouri River catfish anglers who responded expressed support for some form of harvest restrictions on flathead and blue catfish if it increased their chances of catching a trophy-sized catfish.
The agency was considering restrictions on an 82-mile reach of the Missouri River from Glasgow to Jefferson City and part of the Lamine and lower Blackwater rivers. The changes were designed to increase the number of large flathead and blue catfish.
A mail-in survey form was included in brochures handed out to people who attended meetings in Boonville, Columbia, Glasgow and Marshall. The brochures explained several regulations options that were being considered. The options would have restricted harvest with reduced daily limits, minimum length limits or slot length limits.
“Many anglers have told us in past surveys that they would like to have a greater chance of catching big catfish,” said Erickson. “The strategies we presented were aimed at meeting that demand. However, the majority of anglers in the area where we wanted to test those strategies didn’t like the idea.”
Erickson said the Conservation Department will continue studying catfish and the availability of Big River forage in the next couple years, and may come back to anglers with other approaches to catfish management in the future.
The Conservation Department is seeking anglers and business people to join a catfish-management stakeholder group. The group will meet to discuss catfish management with Conservation Department biologists. For more information about this advisory group or to ask questions or submit comments about catfish management, contact Resource Scientist Kevin Sullivan, P.O. Box 368, Clinton, MO 64735, phone (660) 885-6981, e-mail Kevin.Sullivan@mdc.mo.gov.
-Jim Low-
This year's theme is "Get ready for Change: Ensuring Resource Sustainability in an iPod World."
OSAGE BEACH, Mo.- Richard Louv, author of "Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder," will be one of three plenary session speakers at the 2008 Missouri Natural Resources Conference (MNRC) Jan. 30 through Feb. 1 at Tan-Tar-A Resort, Osage Beach.
Louv, who chairs the Children and Nature Network, will talk about changes in the relationship between children and nature, how the loss of outdoor experiences affects child development and how to reconnect children with nature. Conference organizers encourage elementary and secondary school teachers to attend the conference, since Louv's message is of special interest to educators.
Also on the plenary session agenda is Robert Wendover, author of "On Cloud Nine: An Inspirational Tale - Weathering the Challenge of Many Generations in the Workplace." He will take a realistic, yet amusing look at how different generations relate and offer insights into the challenges and opportunities organizations face when people, values, trends and technologies converge.
The final plenary session speaker is Brett Butler, coordinator of the Family Forest Research Center, which researches family forest owners' attitudes, behaviors, needs, concerns and demographics.
The MNRC is an opportunity for conservation professionals and volunteers to share information about ongoing work and discuss local, state, regional and national resource-management issues. The event includes dozens of workshops, exhibits, technical presentations and meetings of professional societies for foresters, fisheries and wildlife biologists and soil conservationists.
This year's MNRC workshops will focus on the theme "Get Ready for Change: Ensuring Resource Sustainability in an iPod World." Sessions will cover everything from the "Top-down effect of an avian community on insect herbivore community size and structure," to using blogs to communicate about conservation. Other conference features include a book signing by Louv, a mixer the evening of Jan. 30, a student job fair, conservation awards ceremony and a 5K fun walk/run.
For registration forms and further information, visit mnrc.org, or contact Donna Baldwin, P.O. Box 180, Jefferson City, MO 65102-1080, phone (573) 522-4115 ext 3111, e-mail donna.baldwin@mdc.mo.gov.
Conservation agents became better trained and equipped through his efforts.
JEFFERSON CITY-Earle P. Coleman, whose career with the Missouri Department of Conservation spanned 35 years and jobs from Conservation Agent to Protection Division Chief, was inducted into the Missouri Conservation Hall of Fame at a ceremony Dec. 14.
The induction came at the Missouri Conservation Commission's meeting at Conservation Department Headquarters in Jefferson City. Coleman is among 32 Missourians to be honored for lifetime contributions to the cause of conservation in Missouri since the Hall of Fame's establishment in 1988.
The Boone County native's first posting was to neighboring Callaway and Cole counties in 1949. The job paid $150 a month. He got two days off each month, never on weekends. Duties that went with the job included wildlife law enforcement, presenting programs at schools and civic organizations, recovering drowning victims and distributing wildlife taken from poachers to hospitals and schools.
Later in his career, Coleman would serve as the Protection Division's training officer. During his tenure as Protection Division chief he supported the hiring of the Conservation Department's first female conservation agent trainee.
When he retired in 1983, he had achieved the four goals he set for himself. He had paid off his home. His two daughters had master's degrees from the University of Missouri-Columbia. Every conservation agent had a state vehicle for his or her work. Conservation agents had radio communication between their homes, offices and cars.
Honors received during his distinguished career included the E. Sydney Stephens Wildlife Award and serving as president of the Southeastern Association of Game and Field Commissioners.
Anyone may nominate candidates for the Conservation Hall of Fame. Nominees are screened by a committee appointed by the director of the Missouri Department of Conservation. The committee consists of two current Conservation Department employees, two retirees and the president and executive director of the Conservation Federation of Missouri.
The Missouri Conservation Commission selects inductees from candidates recommended by the committee. For more information, or to request nomination forms, write to Director, Missouri Department of Conservation, P.O. Box 180, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0180.
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| Chillicothe writer-conservationist Max Hamilton joins Missouri Conservation Hall of Fame (Missouri Dept. of Conservation photo) |
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| Missouri hunters checked a record 13,372 deer during the 10-day Muzzleloader Portion of Firearms Deer Season. A strong showing in the final, Antlerless Portion could make this year's firearms deer harvest third-largest of all time. (Missouri Dept. of Conservation photo) |
Businesses cash in on Missourians' fascination with wildlife.
WASHINGTON, D.C.-Figures from the latest national survey of wildlife-related recreation show Missouri near the top of the heap for participation in hunting, fishing and wildlife watching. The survey also shows the Show-Me State’s wild resources constitute an economic powerhouse.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) has conducted a survey every five years since 1955 to determine trends in recreational activities that focus on wildlife. "The National Survey of Hunting, Fishing and Wildlife-Associated Recreation" divides activities into hunting, fishing and wildlife watching. The latest survey was conducted in 2006. Preliminary national survey results are available now. The FWS will release final results from each state in the months ahead.
The 2006 survey showed that more than 87 million Americans (38 percent of the population 16 and older) hunted, fished or watched wildlife that year. They spent $120 billion on wildlife-related activities. Thirty million Americans (13 percent) fished in 2006, 12.5 million (5 percent) hunted that year and 71 million (28 percent) watched wildlife.
The survey counted only people who engaged in wildlife-related recreation in 2006. The real number of wildlife-related recreationists is larger than the preceding figures imply, because not all hunters, anglers and wildlife watchers pursue their chosen activities every year. For example, cumulative survey data show that 44.4 million Americans fished and 18.6 million hunted between 2002 and 2006.
Missouri ranked fifth in the nation in both the percentage and total number of state residents 16 and older who hunted - 613,000/13 percent. The Show-Me State was fourth in the percentage of its population that fished (21 percent) and fifth in the percentage of residents who engage in wildlife watching (45 percent).
Missouri's strong showing in wildlife-related recreation was mirrored in regional statistics. The West North-Central Region, which encompasses Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota and North and South Dakota, led the nation in participation in fishing (21 percent) and hunting (12 percent).
The survey showed that wildlife-related recreation is big business. Anglers spent $42 billion on their activities nationwide, and hunters spent $23 billion exclusively for hunting. American sportsmen and women spent another $11 billion on items used for both hunting and fishing. Wildlife watching accounted for more than $45 billion in expenditures.
The economic impact of wildlife-related recreation was especially prominent in Missouri. The Show-Me State led its region in the number of participants (613,000) and total expenditures ($1.1 billion) for hunting. Missourians also topped regional totals for wildlife watching, with 2.8 million participants spending $847 million. Missouri's fishing participation (1.1 million) and expenditures ($1.1 billion) were exceeded only in Minnesota, where 1.4 million anglers spent $2.5 billion.
Missouri, whose population was the nation's 16th largest in 2006, ranked 15th in wildlife-related expenditures.
The survey found a statistically insignificant decline of 4 percent in the number of active hunters nationwide between 2001 and 2006. The steepest declines were among migratory bird hunters and small-game hunters. Big-game hunter numbers remained stable.
Nationwide, hunting expenditures declined by 3 percent compared to 2001. Equipment accounted for 47 percent of hunters' expenses. Food, lodging and trip costs made up an additional 29 percent. Licenses and fees made up 3 percent of what hunters spent on their sport.
Angler numbers declined 12 percent, but their expenditures for fishing equipment increased by 4 percent, and they spent 7 percent more than in 2001 on fuel, lodging and other trip-related expenses.
Thirty-one percent of Americans 16 and older fed, watched or photographed wildlife in 2006. That is an 8 percent increase from 2001. Their expenditures increased 21 percent since 1996. The biggest increases in spending compared to 2001 were for equipment (20 percent) and trip-related expenses (38 percent).
More than half (51 percent) of wildlife-watchers' expenditures were for equipment. Trip-related expenses accounted for 28 percent, and “other expenditures” 21 percent.
The great majority of wildlife watching activities (67.8 million participants) took place around people’s homes. Another 23 million Americans traveled away from home to watch or photograph wildlife.
Although many states have declining participation in wildlife-related activities, Missouri Department of Conservation Public Involvement Coordinator David Thorne said that preliminary results from the survey show Missourians' participation in hunting and wildlife viewing have increased, and their participation in fishing decreased only slightly compared to 2001. Expenditures by Missourians have increased greatly compared to 2001 for all kinds of wildlife recreation.
"Fishing, hunting and wildlife viewing have important economic impacts in Missouri, helping the economy and supporting jobs," said Thorne.
Hundreds of pages of statistics regarding wildlife-based recreation in America are available at federalaid.fws.gov/surveys/surveys.html.
-Jim Low-
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