April 2004

First week's turkey harvest edges up

The first-week harvest for Missouri's spring turkey hunting season edged up slightly from last year's record level. This year's seven-day total was 29,018, up 27 birds from 2003. (Missouri Dept. of Conservation photo)

Bad weather didn't stop turkey hunters from topping last year's first-week harvest total.

JEFFERSON CITY--The weather outside was frightful, but Missouri turkey hunters seemed not to mind. They persevered and eventually beat last year's record first-week harvest -- if only by a nose.

Hunters checked 29,018 turkeys April 19 through 25. That is just 27 more than last year's record first-week harvest. The achievement is more impressive when you consider the weather. Cool, rainy and often windy weather prevailed throughout the week.

Wind and rain create background noise and motion in vegetation. Turkeys rely on their senses of hearing and sight to alert them to danger, so wind and rain make them nervous. Under such conditions, turkeys' behavior changes. They spend more time in open areas, where they are more difficult to approach. Turkey hunters must change their tactics to adapt to those behavior changes.

Top turkey harvest counties were: Franklin, 599; Laclede, 533 and St. Clair, 484. Regional harvest totals were: Central, 4,519; Northwest, 4,508; Northeast, 4,403; Kansas City, 3,843; Southwest, 3,485; Ozark, 3,185; Southeast, 2,448; and St. Louis, 2,187.

The Conservation Department recorded one fatal turkey hunting accident and five nonfatal ones. Last year's first-week total was two nonfatal accidents and no fatalities.

- Jim Low -

2004 archery and firearms deer seasons include test of point restrictions

Missourians will have more days of deer hunting in 2004 than ever, but they may have to count antler points before pulling the trigger.

JEFFERSON CITY--The Missouri Conservation Commission has approved 2004 deer hunting regulations that include 15 extra days of archery hunting and expand the length and area of the urban portion of firearms deer season. This year's regulations also establish two pilot areas to test the effectiveness of antler point restrictions in increasing the doe harvest.

The Commission approved the following deer season dates:
--Archery Deer Season - Sept. 15-Nov. 12 and Nov. 24-Jan. 15 statewide
--Urban Portion of Firearms Deer Season - Oct. 8-11 in Boone, Cass, Christian, Clay, Cole, Greene, Jackson, Platte, St. Charles, St. Louis and Webster counties
--Youth Portion of Firearms Deer Season - Nov. 6 and 7 statewide
--November Portion of Firearms Deer Season - Nov. 13-23 statewide
--Muzzleloader Portion of Firearms Deer Season - Nov. 26-Dec. 5 statewide
--Antlerless Portion of Firearms Deer Season - Dec. 11-19 in 74 counties.

The Commission approved a test of deer harvest regulations aimed at shifting the sex ratio of the states' deer herd. The goal of the antler restriction is to control the number of deer by reducing the proportion of does from 60 percent to 55 percent.

The pilot program will take place in 29 counties this year. Hunters in these areas can shoot only antlerless deer and antlered deer with at least one antler having at least four antler points. No other antlered deer may be taken. The antler restrictions apply to both archery and firearms seasons, except during the youth portion of the firearms deer hunting season.

To count, antler points must be at least one inch long from base to tip. The end of the main beam is counted as one antler point. Any broken tine that is at least 1 inch long counts as a point.

Conservation Department Resource Scientist Lonnie Hansen said the benefits of a more balanced deer herd will extend beyond better control of deer numbers.

"Shifting the deer harvest more onto antlerless deer also will increase the number and age of antlered bucks," said Hansen. "In states that have tried antler restrictions, they have had some opposition at first, but as hunters see the results, opinion shifts very quickly in favor of the regulations. Hunters like the fact that they see more antlered deer, and everyone is glad about reductions in deer-car accidents and property damage."

Counties included in the pilot area are Adair, Andrew, Atchison, Boone, Chariton, Cole, Daviess, DeKalb, Franklin, Gasconade, Gentry, Grundy, Harrison, Holt, Howard, Linn, Livingston, Macon, Maries, Mercer, Miller, Nodaway, Osage, Pulaski, Putnam, Randolph, Schuyler, Sullivan, and Worth.

The Conservation Department held 26 public meetings statewide to learn citizens' preferences for achieving this goal. The agency also sought citizen ideas through a survey, asking their opinion of five options to shift deer sex ratios. Harvest restrictions based on antlers were most popular by a large margin.

Among the 2,901 people who sent written comments, 44 percent of people surveyed statewide said they favored antler restrictions. The next most-popular option, with a 30 percent statewide favorable rating, was moving the November deer season outside the time of the deer "rut," or breeding season. Earning the right to shoot a buck by first tagging an antlerless deer came in third, with 26 percent favoring this option.

Qualifying landowners who formerly used a "farm tag" or received no-cost permits by mail will need to pick up formal, printed permits from any permit vendor statewide. The permits will still be available at no cost.

As an added convenience to landowners, all deer taken on landowner permits can be checked without visiting a check station, using the new telephone checking system. Information about "telecheck" procedures will be available at permit vendors.

To make deer management as flexible as possible, the Conservation Department has dropped the 59 deer management units used in the past in favor of county-based regulations.

-Jim Low-

LEWIS AND CLARK QUIZ

Question: How much "portable soup" did the Corps of Discovery take for emergency food?

Answer: 193 pounds

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2003 deer harvest tops 290,000

Missouri's 2003 deer harvest set a record, totaling 290,631 when all firearms, archery and special hunts were tallied. (Missouri Dept. of Conservation photo)

Female deer made up a slightly higher percentage of the harvest, but not enough to meet the Conservation Department's management goals.

JEFFERSON CITY--Missouri's 2003 deer harvest topped 290,000, setting a record but falling short of the Conservation Department's goals for doe harvest.

Hunters killed 208,834 deer during the 2003 firearms portion of deer season in November. That is 4 percent fewer than in 2002. However, hunters made up the deficit in December, taking 11,184 deer during the muzzleloader portion of deer season (a 19 percent increase) and 25,545 during the antlerless-only portion (a 90-percent increase). Archers killed 33,526 deer last year, a 13 percent increase from 2002.

The dramatic harvest increase during the antlerless-only portion was partly the result of unlimited availability of antlerless-only hunting permits in many areas. Reduced cost of the permits contributed to the larger harvest, too. However, the increase still only accounted for 4 percent of the total deer harvest.

Adding deer taken during the youth-only season (9,117, +22 percent), those taken in managed deer hunts (2,291, +14 percent), and those bagged during the new urban deer hunting season, (134), the 2003 harvest totaled 290,631. The final tally was 4 percent more than 2002.

Pike County led 2003 overall deer harvest totals with 6,139 deer killed. Benton County was second with 5,789, and Boone County came in third with 5,676. Other top-ten counties were: Callaway, 5,635; St. Clair, 4,962; Morgan, 4,675; Texas, 4,619; Oregon, 4,219; Henry, 4,173; and Monroe, 4,162.

The 2003 deer harvest was 52 percent male deer. Male deer comprised 54 percent of the total harvest in 2002.

"Naturally, we were glad to see the harvest shift a little toward does," said Conservation Department Resource Scientist Lonnie Hansen. "That was what we were hoping to accomplish by reducing the price of antlerless-only deer hunting permits and increasing the number of those permits that hunters could buy. However, the size of the increase still is not large enough to make a significant difference in the sex structure of the deer herd statewide."

Going into the 2003 hunting season, the state's deer herd was about 60 percent does and 40 percent bucks. To control deer numbers and offer hunters the chance to kill more older bucks, the Conservation Department would like to shift the ratio to 45 percent bucks and 55 percent does. Hansen said this is not likely to happen unless the Conservation Department finds some other way to convince hunters to take more does.

The agency is considering changes in deer regulations to achieve its deer management goals. Hansen and other Conservation Department biologists have discussed changes under consideration with hunters and non-hunters public meetings statewide. The agency plans to develop a new deer management strategy based on the responses received at those meetings, and test these strategies in a pilot area this fall.

The Conservation Department noted that changes in permit procedures this year could place a premium on buying deer permits early. The 2004 hunting season is the first in which all hunters will need formal deer hunting permits. Qualifying landowners will not have to pay for permits to hunt on their own property. However, they will have to go to permit vendors to pick up free permits. This means that an undetermined number -- perhaps tens of thousands -- of Missourians will visit permit vendors for the first time this year.

"Lots of people wait until the last minute to buy deer hunting permits every year," said Wildlife Programs Supervisor Bill Heatherly. "That means standing in line in some places if you buy your permit a day or two before the season opens. This year, the lines will be longer, and in the event of a telephone outage or a power failure, it could be a problem. Smart hunters will buy their permits early to avoid the last-minute crush."

- Jim Low -

Conference to bring groups together on Missouri River

Sponsors say the event focuses on connections rather than conflicts.

JEFFERSON CITY--Missourians who are interested in compromise rather than conflict in deciding how to manage the Missouri River will want to attend the eighth annual Missouri River Natural Resources Conference May 23 through 26.

The conference, titled "Rediscovering Missouri River Connections," will draw participants from the entire Missouri River Basin. It provides a forum for all stakeholders to pursue cooperative approaches to river resource management. Hands-on workshops will explore the connection between research and citizens and the use of independent science review to resolve management problems.

Retired U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Brigadier General Gerald Galloway will deliver the keynote address May 23, giving his perspective on the future of Missouri River management. Galloway led the commission that studied river management in the wake of the Great Flood of 1993, culminating in the report "Sharing the Challenge, Floodplain Management ion the 21st Century."

The conference location in the Manitou Bluffs stretch of the Missouri River lends itself to a variety of field trips highlighting flood prevention and fish and wildlife habitat rehabilitation projects.

Conference programs will focus on collaboration between river stakeholders and on science that everyone can trust. Other programs will examine the river's role in history, including Lewis and Clark's Corps of Discovery. The agenda includes presentation of more than 40 papers concerning wildlife habitat, hydrology, water quality, river uses and public/private partnerships.

The conference will take place at the Holiday Inn Select, 2200 I-70 Drive SW, Columbia. Further information and registration forms are available at http://infolink.cr.usgs.gov/ or from Brian Canaday, 573/522 4115, ext. 3371

The Missouri River Natural Resources Committee and the United States Geological Survey established the conference in 1997. This year's host is the Missouri Department of Conservation.

- Jim Low -

LEWIS AND CLARK QUIZ

Question: How much gunpowder did the Corps of Discovery take for their 28-month expedition?

Answer: 226 pounds

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Turkey Hunting 101: How to bag a gobbler

The basic challenge of spring turkey hunting -- convincing a keen-eyed, experienced, wary gobbler to approach within shotgun range -- is fairly simple. In practice, however, it can be devilishly complicated. (Missouri Dept. of Conservation photo)

It's true that turkeys are wary, but people have been hunting them successfully for thousands of years. Here is how to get started.

JEFFERSON CITY--A brain-rattling gobble shatters the pre-dawn silence. On a sturdy branch high in an old oak tree, a wild turkey gobbler announces to all hens within half a mile that he is the cock of the walk, ready to thrash any other "tom" foolish enough to dispute his dominance.

A hundred yards away, the lusty gobble sends shivers down the spine of a camouflage-clad hunter huddling against the trunk of his own big oak.

At his side is a wooden box call. He holds a slate-and-peg call in his hands and cradles a shotgun in the crook of his arm. He lets the tree-top tom gobble a few more times. As daylight begins to steal across the pasture he is facing, he slaps his arm against his hunting coat in a rapid succession of beats, simulating the sound of a turkey hen flying down from her roost. Then he makes a soft, high-pitched "kee-kee-kee" on his slate call.

Hearing the sound of what he takes for a romantic prospect, the excited tom gobbles again, then pitches headlong from his perch and lands in the middle of the pasture. As the gobbler settles its feathers, the hunter raises his shotgun with painstaking slowness and rests it on his raised knee.

A plaintive purr from a call in the hunter's mouth causes the gobbler's head to swivel like a red-and white periscope, looking for the source of the sound. Head bobbing, craning from side to side, the gobbler takes a few steps toward a hen he cannot see.

Scenes like this one play out tens of thousands of times during Missouri's spring turkey hunting season. In more than 58,000 cases last year, the story ended with a turkey feast for the hunters' family. For those truly hooked on turkey hunting, however, the sport is more about adrenaline than roast turkey.

For Missouri's 120,000-plus turkey hunters, the three-week season (April 19-May 9 this year) offers a chance for friends and family to enjoy the outdoors together. They watch dogwood and redbud trees blossom and hunt for morel mushrooms on their way to and from hunting spots. Truthful turkey hunters admit to taking luxurious, sun-warmed naps during lulls in the action.

If all this sounds like your kind of fun, but you don't know how to get started, read on. Turkey hunting doesn't require high-dollar equipment or years of practice. Prospects for success increase with experience, but even novice hunters have a good chance of bagging bragging birds in Missouri, which leads the nation in turkey harvest.

GUNS, AMMO AND PATTERNING

The only two things you need to hunt turkeys are a shotgun and a caller. Almost any shotgun will do, although 12-gauge guns with tight chokes are preferred. If you don't know what "choke" is, visit a firearms retailer and ask. They will be glad to explain.

You can get a new shotgun suitable for turkey hunting for as little as $250 to $300. For a used gun, you might pay $150 to $200. Nice-to-have features include a shoulder sling for easy carrying. If your shotgun isn't camouflage-colored when you buy it, you can easily disguise it with camo tape or a camouflage cloth cover.

Ammunition for turkey hunting is easy to choose. Buy the maximum load available for your particular gun. Hunting regulations prohibit the use of shot larger than No. 4 for turkey hunting. Lead shot is legal. No. 4, 5 and 6 shot all are effective.

More important than shot size is "patterning" your shotgun before you hunt. This simply means setting up large pieces of cardboard at different distances and shooting them with the shotgun and shells you plan to use for turkey hunting. This will tell you the maximum distance at which you can shoot at a turkey with a reasonable expectation of killing it.

For a sure kill, the shot holes in a cardboard target should average no more than about an inch apart. Very few shotgun chokes not specifically made for turkey hunting can do this beyond 40 yards. You may find that your gun won't give you a dense enough shot pattern beyond 30 yards. Remembering this and resisting the temptation to shoot beyond your gun's effective range increases your chances of success.

CAMOUFLAGE

Turkeys have extremely keen vision, so anything that helps you blend into your surroundings is a plus. Outdoor equipment makers have developed a dizzying array of camouflage patterns, and special camouflage garments with fringes of loose fabric are amazingly effective at breaking up the wearer's silhouette.

However, hunters were killing turkeys long before designer camo patterns arrived on the scene. If your budget is tight, military surplus camouflage clothes work fine. Waterfowl hunters can use their camouflage parkas unless the weather is too warm for comfort.

It is important to disguise your face and hands. The most common method is to wear a camouflage mask and a pair of dark gloves. You also can buy camouflage powder or paste to daub on your face. In a pinch, smear mud on your cheeks, nose, forehead and hands.

The best camouflage in the world won't help a hunter who can't sit still. Turkeys ignore brightly colored objects if they are motionless, but they shy away from unexpected motion.

CALLS

Turkey calls fall into two broad categories, friction and diaphragm. Each type has advantages and disadvantages.

The easiest for most hunters to learn to use is the box-type friction call. This combines a 4- to 10-inch long wooden resonating box with a hinged paddle-shaped striker. When the paddle is dragged across the top edges of the box, it sounds remarkably like a turkey. In the hands of an experienced hunter, a box call can make every sound a turkey hen makes, plus the sound of a tom's rattling gobble.

Box calls are a little more expensive than some other types, and they can be difficult to use in wet weather. They are bulky and more subject to breakage than some other kinds. One of the biggest disadvantages of box calls is that they require two hands to operate, making it impossible to call and hold a shotgun at the same time. However, their versatility and ease of mastery make them very popular with beginning hunters.

In recent years, call makers have developed box calls that can be operated with one hand. Some even strap onto the front stock of a shotgun, allowing you to hold a gun in shooting position while continuing to call.

The other main type of friction call is the slate call. This uses a piece of slate or other material, such as glass or plastic, mounted on a hollow resonating chamber. A wooden striker peg is held like a pencil and rubbed across the surface of the slate in a circular motion.

Like box calls, slate calls are very versatile, but they can be hard to use in wet weather and require two hands to operate. They are more compact and less likely to break than box calls. There is no way to produce a turkey gobble with a slate call, but they are better than box calls for making subtle hen sounds, such as the purr or the fly-down cackle.

Indians used to hold blades of grass or other natural materials between their fingers and blow through them to imitate turkey calls. Today, hunters get the same results with small pieces of supple latex rubber stretched across a U-shaped aluminum frame covered with plastic tape.

These modern diaphragm calls, often referred to as "mouth calls," are held between the caller's tongue and the roof of the mouth, leaving the hands free. They can make any sound in a hen turkey's repertoire, and experienced turkey hunters agree that they can sound more real than a real hen. They are relatively inexpensive and extremely compact (some hunters carry dozens, each with a special function). Although they eventually wear out, they are almost immune to breakage.

The catch is that mouth calls are more difficult to learn to use well. Novices are more likely to make false notes with a mouth call than with slate or box calls. For this reason, some hunters stick with friction calls for life. Others start with friction calls while they work on mastering diaphragm calls. Pros use all types of calls.

Whatever your choice, practice is critical to honing calling skills. Keep your call with you wherever you go, so you can practice in spare moments. You will get better the more you practice, and people in cars next to you at traffic lights will get a laugh out of your efforts.

Instructional tapes can be helpful in learning to imitate different turkey calls and knowing which sounds to use under different circumstances. The ultimate instructors, however, are turkey hens. Spend as much time as possible in the woods listening to real turkeys engaged in real communications.

DECOYS

Turkey decoys come in hen, strutting gobbler and jake (one-year-old male turkey) models. The attraction of hen decoys is obvious. With a gobbler or jake decoy, the idea is to make a dominant gobbler angry enough to rush in and confront an apparent rival.

Experts are divided in their opinions of decoys' usefulness. Some claim that toms often sense that something is wrong when they hear a hen but can't see her, and a decoy prevents this. Others claim that when a gobbler sees a hen he is more likely to stand his ground and strut, expecting the decoy to do what real hens do and approach him. They say that toms sometimes are frightened by imitation gobblers.

Decoys are not necessary for turkey hunting, and having imitation turkeys near you when hunting can increase the risk of hunting accidents if other hunters are in the area. This is especially true if you are using jake or gobbler decoys.

Always place decoys so you can see well beyond them and detect a hunter who might have you in the line of fire with the decoy.

HOW TO HUNT

Spring turkey hunting strategies rely on gobblers' desire to mate with as many hens as possible. The classic turkey hunting strategy is to spend the evening before the hunt in the woods. Listening for turkey activity at dusk and noting where birds roost allows you to position yourself nearby the next morning. With luck, you will call a gobbler to you first thing in the morning.

During the mating season, gobblers spend most of the mornings following hens around. This makes your job difficult, since a gobbler is unlikely to leave a real hen.

As hens begin laying eggs, however, they drift off to their nests some time during the morning. This makes the period from 9 or 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. (the end of legal shooting hours) a choice time for hunting.

Turkey hens wait until all their eggs are laid to begin incubating them. When most of the hens in an area reach this stage of nesting, gobblers suddenly find themselves alone. That is hunters' best opportunity. Missouri's turkey season is set with the goal of having the first week of the season coincide with this peak of gobbler vulnerability.

Before calling, it is always a good idea to either sit down and get ready for an approaching gobbler or at least pick out a spot where you can set up quickly. The ideal hunting spot has:
--A large tree or other object that will break up your silhouette and protect you if another hunter approaches from behind.
--A few weeds or other light foliage a few feet in front of you to obscure your outline.
--Good visibility in the direction of the gobbling bird.

If the bird answering your call seems to be more than 100 yards away, you probably should move toward it. However, don't approach unless the terrain and vegetation provide concealment. Also don't set up in a location that will force gobblers to approach from uphill. They know instinctively that having high ground at their backs is a disadvantage if they have to flee.

Once you are within 50 to 100 yards of a gobbling turkey, sit down and get your stand site set up. Clear saplings and other vegetation to allow you to maneuver your shotgun. A pair of pruning shears comes in handy for this purpose. Remove rocks or other lumpy things so you can sit still comfortably.

Pay attention to the approaching bird's behavior and try to tailor your calls to its actions. A hesitant bird may need a little extra excitement to motivate him to come closer. A bird that seems unwilling to approach closer than 50 or 60 yards might be fooled into following the unseen hen if you reduce the volume of your calling, making it sound farther away.

Anything you can do to lend an air of normality and realism to the situation may help. Try raking the leaves around you with your hand to simulate the sound of a hen scratching for acorns. Make a few clucks with different callers to make it sound like several hens are keeping track of each other while they feed.

The most sought-after birds are heavyweight, two- to four-year old gobblers with long beards and long spurs--the sharp projections on their lower legs. These are the wariest birds. Trying to get the drop on an experienced gobbler can be almost impossible. One way is to break a stalemate is to study the bird's daily routine and try to ambush him without calling. However, this eliminates the calling interaction that makes turkey hunting so exciting.

Another strategy for catching a longbeard off guard is to disrupt its routine. The best way to do this is to discover where it is roosting with a group of hens and wait there for them in the evening. After they have flown up to roost, and after it is too dark for the birds to gather again, charge into the middle of the roost, making as much noise as possible to scatter the flock. In the morning, wait in the same spot and try to call the birds back together. The gobbler may join the party.

WHERE TO HUNT

Missouri has a wealth of public turkey hunting land, including hundreds of conservation areas and more than a million acres of national forest, Corps of Engineers land around major reservoirs and scenic riverways land in the Ozarks.

You can locate public lands in the "Discover Outdoor Missouri" map from the Missouri Department of Conservation. It is free on request from Distribution Center, MDC, P.O. Box 180, Jefferson City, MO 65109, pubstaff@mdc.mo.gov. For more information about turkey hunting, request the free booklet, "Missouri Wild Turkey Hunting," from the same address.

When hunting public land, be respectful of other hunters who set up to hunt in an area before you arrive. Be aware of the potential for mistaking another hunter's calls for a real turkey and of the possibility that someone else might make the same mistake. Wear hunter orange when moving from place to place, and always shout -- never wave -- to another hunter approaching you.

When you experience the excitement of fooling one of nature's wariest creatures to come to you in the flower-scented spring woods, you might become one of Missouri's turkey hunting enthusiasts.

- Jim Low -

No MOre Trash week encourages action against litter

Those who care about the state's beauty and its environment can help reverse the costly effects of discarded trash.

JEFFERSON CITY--Everyone knows litter is unsightly, but the Missouri Department of Conservation says litter does much more than deface the Show-Me State. The agency is urging Missourians to take direct action to reverse litter damage during No MOre Trash Week May 1 through 9.

Each year, the Missouri Department of Transportation spends approximately $5 million clearing litter from highways. More than 3,000 Adopt A Highway groups invest approximately $1 million in litter pickup work annually. On Missouri rivers and creeks, Missouri Stream Team members pick up hundreds of tons of trash ranging from milk cartons to major appliances. The Conservation Department spends more than $1 million annually clearing litter from conservation areas. Cities and counties invest millions more in cleaning their areas, and law-enforcement officials at all levels issue thousands of littering citations each year.

Amazingly, all this effort is not enough. Litter still mars views statewide. Worse, some litter harms water quality and imperils wildlife.

In 2002, the Conservation and Transportation departments launched No MOre Trash! in an effort to raise Missourians' awareness of the problem and encourage direct citizen action to solve it.

"We have two goals, really," said Ginny Wallace, the Conservation Department's No MOre Trash! coordinator. "One is to get more people involved in cleaning up litter. We hope thousands of Missourians will organize litter pickups the first week in May to get rid of litter that already is out there.

"Ultimately, though, picking up litter isn't a complete solution. We have to change the way people think--help them realize littering isn't good for anyone. We need to get people to stop littering themselves and convince their friends to stop, too."

To find out how to get involved in No MOre Trash!, visit www.nomoretrash.org.

-Jim Low-

Missouri youth advances to national art competition

This fifth-grader could win $1,000 and a lifetime membership in the National Arbor Day Foundation.

BALLWIN, Mo.--Michelle Marchiony has won Missouri's 2004 Arbor Day Poster Contest, qualifying her to compete for a $1,000 scholarship in the National Arbor Day poster contest.

Marchiony, a fifth-grader at Holy Infant School in Ballwin, used bold primary colors to portray the stages of a tree's life and show trees in urban settings. This fit the contest theme, "Trees are terrific. . .in cities and towns!" Her whimsical artwork included the text of this theme, with each letter T turned into a tree.

More than 2,000 fifth-graders from 67 schools entered the contest. A panel of judges from the Missouri Community Forestry Council chose the winners. First-place prize in the state contest is a $50 savings bond and a framed certificate. The winning student's teacher, Theresa Walker, receives a Trees are Terrific curriculum kit, and the Conservation Department plants a tree in the winner's honor at their school.

"Students like Marchiony across the state have learned about the importance of trees to our environment and how they can make a difference," said Missouri State Forester Robert Krepps. "Awareness of the relationship of trees to our environment begins at a young age, and the Missouri Department of Conservation helps promote many conservation education programs, like the recognition of Arbor Day and the poster competition."

Marchiony's poster will appear at the U.S. Botanic Garden in Washington, D.C. and be judged in the National Arbor Day Poster Contest. Should she win there, she would receive a $1,000 savings bond, an all-expense paid trip to Nebraska City, Neb., for the National Arbor Day celebration April 30 through May 1 for herself, her parents and her teacher and a lifetime membership in the National Arbor Day Foundation. Her teacher would receive $200 for classroom materials.

For more information about the National Arbor Day Foundation or for educational materials, visit www.arborday.org.

Youth turkey harvest dips from last year's total

This year's harvest of 3,258 represents an 11 percent decrease.

JEFFERSON CITY--Missourians 15 years and under killed 3,258 turkeys during the state's two-day youth turkey hunting season April 10 and 11. The figure is 11 percent fewer than last year's youth harvest.

As in the three previous years of the youth season's history, no firearms-related turkey hunting accidents were recorded.

Franklin County led the state with 83 turkeys checked, followed by Laclede County with 62 and Osage County with 61. Regional totals were: Southwest, 505; Central, 502; Northwest, 478; Kansas City, 427; Northeast, 394; Ozark, 358; Southeast, 306; and St. Louis, 288.

The season was open to Missouri residents 15 and younger. Those 11 and younger had to hunt under the supervision of a hunter-education certified adult.

Hummingbird experts share secrets and rewards

Paul McKenzie is one of Missouri's most enthusiastic hummingbird feeders. Besides attracting dozens of the tiny birds to his home, he bands ruby-throated hummingbirds there and in other locations, adding to scientific data about their the life history. (Missouri Dept. of Conservation photo)

Here, just in time for the feeding season, are tips from some of Missouri's most successful hummingbird aficionados.

JEFFERSON CITY--Jim and Judy Ainsworth went through 430 pounds of sugar last year, providing sweet treats for their friends. That's particularly impressive when you know that their friends weighed only about one-eighth of an ounce each.

Like millions of Americans, the Ainsworths enjoy feeding hummingbirds. They put out several feeders in their back yard near Trail of Tears State Park in Cape Girardeau County. They started modestly eight years ago after Judy saw ruby-throated hummingbirds visiting a friend's feeder. She decided to try attracting the tiny, shimmering jewel-tone birds, and Jim was quick to join her effort to turn their rural home into a hummingbird haven.

To say she succeeded is quite an understatement. Last year they were up to 12 feeders, each holding more than quart of nectar. During the peak of migration in late summer, they had to refill the feeders twice a day to satisfy the 500 or so hummingbirds that flocked to their home.

This might have been more of a commitment than some people bargained for, but the Ainsworths consider their feathered friends more than worth the trouble. "You can't believe what it is like to walk out there to fill the feeders and be surrounded by all that buzzing and chirping," said Jim.

One person who would have no trouble believing is Columbia resident Paul McKenzie. Twenty-five years ago, while living in Baton Rouge, La., he discovered that he was living in a hummingbird watcher's paradise. Many hummers spent the winter there, so he had a chance to feed and watch them all year long.

Before long, McKenzie was up to 22 feeders and hundreds of birds. Besides ruby-throated hummingbirds (the only species commonly seen in the eastern half of the United States) McKenzie played host to western migrants, such as Anna's, calliope, black-chinned, buff-bellied, Allen's, broad-tailed and rufous hummingbirds.

McKenzie formed a hummingbird watchers' club and landscaped his home to provide year-round food sources for hummers. Eventually, he began helping federally licensed hummingbird banders locate and band birds.

Some people fall farther down the rabbit hole of hummingbird feeding than others. Take Lanny Chambers of Fenton. He bands hummingbirds and has an intense curiosity about their lives. He was surprised at the lack of information about hummers on the Internet, and since he was an aspiring Website designer, he decided to fill this need. His efforts led to www.hummingbirds.net/map.html, where you can find a wealth of information about hummers.

One of the most interesting features of Chambers' Web site is a spring migration tracking map for the ruby-throated hummingbird. There he plots the location and date of first sightings reported by people across the eastern United States and Canada. Missouri's first reported sighting of 2004 came on March 28 in Farmington.

"At first, I thought he was mistaken," said Chambers, "but then the man told me that he had seen the bird two times." He said the sighting is unusually early for Missouri.

Chambers' interest in hummingbirds began on an August camping trip in Colorado 20 years ago. Hummingbird migration was in full swing, and he was fascinated by the number and variety of hummers visiting feeders in the campground.

His quest for knowledge about hummingbirds eventually led Chambers to become a certified bander. To share his fascination with others, he conducts monthly banding seminars at Onondaga Cave State Park near Leasburg. Taking hummingbirds from trap nets and putting them in the hands of wide-eyed children makes an impression that he says he hopes will kindle a life-long interest in the natural world.

The grandmother of all hummingbird feeders in Missouri is Master Bander Sarah Driver, who lives near Nixa. She taught both Chambers and McKenzie the craft of hummingbird banding.

Driver's interest in hummingbirds was a family legacy. Her great-uncle, Jim Johnson, got her interested in hummers and taught her the bander's art. When he retired to a nursing home, Driver took over his work. Besides working full-time as a nurse, Driver continues banding, sending records of newly banded birds and sightings of previously banded ones to the U.S. Geological Survey's Bird Banding Laboratory in Patuxent, Md.

Hummingbirds are the only birds capable of flying upside down and backwards . . . at the same time if necessary. They accomplish this by beating their wings 75 times per second and changing the angle of the wingbeats to suit their maneuvering needs.

They eat tiny insects for protein and other nutritional needs, but for their tremendous energy requirements they need high-octane food--sugary plant nectar or manmade substitutes. They consume about half their body weight of nectar daily.

Hummers' enormous appetites offer an opportunity for millions of home birdwatchers, who can get up-close looks at the birds for the price of a little sugar water. All the experts interviewed for this article agreed on some things about hummingbird feeding:
--Use a solution of one part sugar dissolved in four parts boiling water.
--Do not add red food coloring or use commercially prepared solutions with red dye. A little red or yellow on the outside of the feeder is enough to draw in hummers. Colored solution won't attract more birds, and may even harm them.
--Empty and wash feeders at least once a week and refill them with fresh sugar water to prevent the growth of harmful germs.
--Now is the time to put out nectar feeders. Hummingbirds usually begin arriving in Missouri the first or second week of April. They work their way to northern Missouri in one to three weeks, depending on weather.

On other matters, opinions vary. Chambers and McKenzie separate their feeders and keep them out of sight of each other as much as possible to minimize fights between birds. They admit, however, that preventing territorial conflicts is difficult. Dominant birds choose perches with a view of the entire area and try to drive off all hummingbirds except their mates, particularly during the nesting season.

Driver and the Ainsworths take the opposite approach, putting all their feeders in one place. They say this makes it impossible for one dominant bird to defend all the feeders at once. Eventually, they learn to share.

All agree that turf battles decrease in later summer and early autumn, when hummers' need for extra energy for migration partially overrides territoriality. In August and September, migrating hummingbirds gather by the dozens or even hundreds around reliable nectar sources. At that time of year, there may be four or five hummingbirds waiting their turn in trees and bushes for every bird at a feeder.

Like many serious hummingbird watchers, these four experts keep their feeders out late into the fall. This provides food for birds that migrate late, as young or sick birds often do. Keeping feeders out late also is a good way to see species that are seen only rarely in Missouri, such as Anna's, green violet-eared, Costa's, broad-tailed, Allen's and Calliope hummingbirds. McKenzie reports seeing hummers as late as Nov. 13. Chambers said he leaves his out until early February, just in time to clean it out for spring.

Asked how she handles absences for vacation, Driver replied "Do you think I ever leave?!" She and the other experts said they simply clean and fill feeders before leaving and immediately after returning. If they will be gone more than a week, they ask friends to maintain their feeders.

HUMMER STORIES

LANNY CHAMBERS
"In 1969 I was a seasonal park ranger at Mesa Verde National Park, and one of the permanent residents there had hummingbird feeders. One drizzly day I decided to see how close I could get to the birds that were visiting their feeders. I stood under an umbrella and edge closer and closer. Then a bird flew up under the umbrella -- out of the rain -- perched on one of the umbrella braces and sat there preening, inches from my face. I was completely captivated."

PAUL MCKENZIE
"My wife and I were camping in southeast Arizona, where they have several species of hummingbirds. The lodge where we were staying had lots of feeders to attract hummingbirds, and we had seen lots of different ones, but I had not seen a magnificent hummingbird -- a really big hummingbird. I really wanted to see one. One night I hung a little feeder from the string of our tent, and when I woke up in the morning and looked out, there was a magnificent hummingbird perched on the feeder!"

JIM AINSWORTH
"A couple of years ago, Judy had a heart attack, and every day when I walked into her hospital room the first thing she would ask was 'Did you feed my hummingbirds this morning?' I would tell her 'Yes, I fed them before I fed myself.'"

- Jim Low -

Patience will be a virtue for turkey hunters this year

The good news is that 3- and 4-year-old gobblers will make up a larger percentage of the harvest. The bad news is that these birds are no dummies.

JEFFERSON CITY-Missouri hunters will find more mature gobblers in the woods this year, but they might have to work harder to bag them.

That is the word from Resource Scientist Jeff Beringer, the Missouri Department of Conservation's turkey specialist. He based those predictions on statewide surveys of turkey reproduction.

This year, Missouri's spring turkey season begins with a youth-only hunt April 10 and 11. During this early hunt, youths can take one bearded bird.

The regular spring turkey season runs from April 19 through May 9.

Hunters can take one bearded bird the first week of the season. After that, they are allowed to take one bearded bird per day, up to the season limit of two. Hunting hours are one-half hour before sunrise to 1 p.m. Full details of spring turkey hunting regulations are found in the 2004 Spring Turkey Hunting Information booklet, available wherever hunting permits are sold.

Every year, Conservation Department workers and citizen volunteers around the state report the number of wild turkey hens and chicks (called poults) they see. This "brood survey" provides an idea of turkey population trends and sheds light on future hunting conditions. Anyone interested in helping with this work can contact Beringer at Jeff.Beringer@mdc.mo.gov.

"Brood survey results from 2003 were 1.6 poults per hen," Beringer said in his annual turkey forecast. "This ratio is considerably off the 42-year average of 2.7 poults per hen and 24 percent below the previous 10-year average of 2.1 poults per hen. I suspect the harvest of juveniles will be down during 2004, as we usually see a strong correlation between spring juvenile harvest and the previous year's poult-to-hen ratio."

Beringer said most hunters take 2-year-old gobblers, partly because they are more plentiful than older birds and partly because these mature birds are more desirable than 1-year-old males, which are known as "jakes." Mature tom turkeys also are more likely than jakes to gobble, so they are more likely to draw hunters' attention.

Beringer said the poult-to-hen ratio was 1.7 in 2002, when this year's 2-year-old gobblers hatched. He said this below-average production suggests that hunters will see fewer 2-year-old birds this year. Those not willing to shoot jakes will have to concentrate more effort on more experienced 3- and 4-year-old gobblers.

Turkey reproduction varies from place to place each year, creating local and regional hot spots. Beringer said south-central Missouri is likely to be a bright spot in this year's turkey hunting picture, and northwest Missouri continues to be an above-average area for turkey hunters.

People in southwest Missouri report seeing more turkeys since the Conservation Department began a special turkey reintroduction program there, but it is too soon to tell whether that effort will yield tangible results this year.

"Scouting is always important," said Beringer, "but this year it is even more important. Hunters who find places where turkeys are plentiful and those who spend the time to figure out a mature gobbler's daily routine stand a much better chance of tagging a bird."

Gobblers are most vulnerable to hunters after hens have laid all their eggs and begin incubating them. The opening of Missouri's spring turkey season is set to coincide with this event, but actual timing varies from year to year, depending on weather.

"I think the green-up of trees is usually a pretty good indicator of when hens are going to go on the nest," said Beringer. "So far this year, spring is running a little behind, and that could mean hens will still be available to gobblers when the season opens. But that could turn around pretty quickly if we have warm weather between now and April 19."

Beringer noted that Missouri's three-week spring turkey season guarantees hunters a chance to pursue gobblers when hens are on the nest. However, he said hunters tend to be most active the first seven days of the season. Half the gobblers killed each year fall during that first week.

Last year's spring turkey harvest was 58,421, which was a record. Beringer said record harvests, which have been the norm for the past 30 years, are bound to be less common in the future.

"The decline in our poult-to-hen ratio over the past few years shows that our turkey population is finally reaching a plateau," said Beringer. "Our turkey population has been growing since restoration began 40 years ago, so naturally the harvest increased, too. As long as the birds still had habitat to fill, the reproduction rate stayed high."

Now, however, with available habitat almost full, the state's turkey population is reaching a plateau, and turkey harvest will plateau, too. Some variation will occur from year to year as weather affects hunting conditions and turkeys' reproductive success, but the annual harvest can be expected to hover around its present level.

This spring, some turkey hunters will be asked to take part in a trial of the new "telecheck" game checking system designed to make checking deer and turkey more convenient and efficient. A small, random sample of hunters will be asked to participate in the trial when they buy their turkey hunting permits. They will receive information about the program at that time.

This is the last turkey season when qualifying landowners will be able to check turkeys with a "farm tag." Starting with the 2003 fall turkey season, landowners will need to pick up free tags from permit vendors.

- Jim Low -

Quail Academy accepting applications through May 1

High school students and teachers interested in quail get an in-depth introduction at this intensive, week-long course.

JEFFERSON CITY-Missouri teens can learn firsthand what it is like to be a quail biologist and how to promote quail conservation at the 2004 MO Quail Academy July 25 through 30 at Central Methodist College in Fayette.

The MO Quail Academy is an intensive, five-day course that focuses on quail management, biology and hunting. Teachers can get in on the action, too, serving as "covey leaders" for quail cadets and training alongside them.

The event combines education in quail biology, habitat management and wildlife conservation with exercises in recreational shooting sports. Cadets also learn about outdoor ethics, firearm safety, insects and plants, bird dogs and leadership skills. The academy is a joint effort of the Missouri Department of Conservation and Quail Unlimited.

The training includes foods and cover plants that quail need to thrive. Quail cadets learn what they can do to improve quail habitat in their communities. They also learn leadership skills, including how to write news releases and give public talks. Each student is expected to give three programs in his or her community after completing the course.

Teacher chaperones learn along with cadets. They can earn two hours of graduate college credit by developing a lesson plan for their own use based on information gained at the academy.

The MO Quail Academy is open to current high school freshmen and sophomores who have grade point averages of 2.5 or above. Students also must successfully complete a hunter education course before the start of the academy. The academy, including food and lodging, is free.

For more information, ask a high school guidance counselor or vocational agriculture instructor. The application deadline is May 1. Successful applicants will be notified by May 15. Application forms are available online at www.mdc.mo.gov/programs/academy/ or from Quail Unlimited Regional Director Jef Hodges, 660/885-7057 or any Conservation Department office.

- Jim Low -

LEWIS AND CLARK QUIZ

Question: What fishing equipment did the Corps of Discovery take for their own use?

Answer: More than 250 hooks of various sizes, fishing line, an "8 Stave reel" and several pre-rigged fishing lines, including one with multiple hooks.

Educators sharpen teaching tools at Forest Park

The Conservation Department is helping teachers turn today's youths into tomorrow's conservationists.

ST. LOUIS-Do you think teachers take summers off for three months of rest and relaxation? Think again. Each summer, educators from several schools in the St. Louis area are busy learning valuable approaches to outdoor education, while earning professional development credits - all within historic and culturally rich Forest Park.

The Voyage of Learning Teachers' Academy lets participants experience firsthand the cultural and natural resources offered in the park that once hosted the 1904 World's Fair.

The 2004 Voyage of Learning Teachers' Academy will take place July 21 through 23 and July 26 through 30. The program introduces educators to the services and resources of eight cultural institutions within Forest Park. But there's much more to this story than the setting.

The Missouri Department of Conservation has teamed up with Forest Park Forever, the Missouri Botanical Garden, the Missouri History Museum, the Saint Louis Zoo, the Saint Louis Art Museum and the Saint Louis Science Center to provide educators an astonishing array of skills and knowledge.

The emphasis is on resources that boost the educational performance of students in innovative and creative ways.

Teachers who take part in the eight-day "camp" learn about pond ecology from naturalists on the shore of Jefferson Lake. They take samples of the water and observe pond life through the lens of a magnifier.

"If we are fishing to catch a fish, it is just fishing," explains Jim H. Wilson, E. Desmond Lee Professor for Experimental Education. "But if we catch a fish, find out what the fish eats, what the oxygen level and temperature of the water mean to that fish and how the time of day affects fishing success, and if we then figure out how we might use that information to catch other fish or create better fish habitat, then it becomes a learning experience."

Down the next valley, art curators discuss techniques of light and shadow using sketch pads next to the "Seven Pools" site. At the same time, Show Me Missouri Standards are being woven into an overview of the park's history and resources.

Not only do instructors come away with a greater understanding and appreciation of the resources in Forest Park, they become stewards of the park, bringing back generations of students for years to come.

"The Voyage of Learning experience is like no other in St. Louis," says Conservation Department Education Supervisor Liz Lyons. "By presenting several disciplines simultaneously in this urban yet natural setting, teachers create a connection with all there is in Forest Park. It enables them to come up with their own design of experiential curricula to present to their own students."

Throughout the school year, teachers who have participated in the Forest Park Voyagers Academy are encouraged to use the park and its resources with their students. Show Me Standards are met, but most important, teachers are prepared to bring students back to Forest Park during the school year and pass on the skills and knowledge that they have learned, using all of the cultural institutions and natural resources the park offers.

The educators gain a tremendous arsenal of techniques and lesson plans to use when they present the information to students both in the classroom and at Forest Park. For more information about the Forest Park Voyage of Learning Teachers' Academy, log onto www.mdc.state.mo.us/teacher/workshops or e-mail Lee Anna Good at lagood@forestparkforever.org.

- Holly Berthold -

Workshops help Missourians keep forests healthy

The crash courses cover everything from tree selection and planting to diseases and insect pests.

JEFFERSON CITY-Missourians who treasure trees can pursue their interest by attending workshops offered by the Missouri Department of Conservation and Forest ReLeaf of Missouri in April, May and June.

One of the day-long crash courses provides an introduction to tree care, including selection, planting, pruning and maintenance. These workshops are offered May 1 at the Powder Valley Nature Center, Kirkwood, and May 22 at the Farm Credit Services Building, Hannibal.

The other workshop is an advanced course covering tree identification, diseases and insect pests. Dates for this program are April 17 at the Conservation Department's regional office in Cape Girardeau and June 5 at the Discovery Center in Kansas City.

The workshops are part of the Missouri Forestkeepers Network program started by the Conservation Department in 1996. The program's goal is to give Missourians the opportunity and knowledge they need to care for trees, whether they are found in remote forests or urban parks.

Some Forestkeepers' involvement is limited to periodic monitoring of forest health through direct observation. Other Forestkeepers are interested in doing more than observing. They work with trees in their home neighborhoods, on their own land or cherished tracts of wilderness. The program is designed to help anyone who wants to make the most of trees in their surroundings.

Membership in the Forestkeepers Network is free. Forest monitoring is encouraged, but not required. Members decide what forest, park or other land to adopt and set their own goals

Members of the Missouri Forestkeepers Network receive The Monitor, a quarterly newsletter with bulletins on current forest health issues and hints for tree care. The newsletter also publishes information collected by Forestkeepers in their ongoing monitoring program. The annual Forestkeepers state meeting is June 12 at August A. Busch Memorial Conservation Area, St. Charles.

Lunch is provided as part of the workshops, which are free and open to Missouri residents age 15 and older. To register, or for more information about Forekeepers, call Forest ReLeaf at 888/936-7378. The registration deadline is one week before each workshop.

- Jim Low -

LEWIS AND CLARK QUIZ

Question: What sort of goods did Lewis & Clark take to trade with Indians?

Answer: Pipe tomahawks, sheet iron, bolts of fabric, needles, thread, binding, ribbon, sewing scissors, awls, thimbles, beads, knives, combs, mirrors, lockets, earrings, brass kettles, broaches, rings, corn mills, fish hooks, brads, tobacco, shirts, blankets and other items totaling 669.5 pounds.