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What could be better than fishing? FREE fishing.
JEFFERSON CITY -- Gear is all you need to enjoy fishing June 8 and 9. On those two days, anyone in
the state can fish at Missouri Department of Conservation areas and most other places without having
to buy fishing permits.
The Conservation Department has designated the second weekend in June as Free Fishing Days. The
idea is to encourage people to sample the Show-Me State's fishing resources. Requirements for
special permits still may apply at some county, city or private fishing areas. Although Missouri residents
and nonresidents can fish without state permits on Free Fishing Days, all other fishing regulations
remain in effect.
The Conservation Department and other organizations will sponsor fishing clinics and other events
throughout June to help Missourians learn about fish and how to fish.
This year, Wal-Mart stores around the state are sponsoring dozens of Free Fishing Days events around
the state. Others are planned by local businesses and civic groups. Check with your local Conservation
Department office for details about programs in your area. Or visit the fishing section of the
Conservation Department web page, www.missouriconservation.org.
Missouri's Free Fishing Days is held in conjunction with National Fishing and Boating Week. For more
information about this celebration, visit www.rbff.org/. Information on fishing opportunities, regulations
and fishing techniques can be found at the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation web site,
www.nationalfishingandboatingweek.org.
Recognizing that farming and conservation are complementary, the FFA and the Conservation
Department are working to train tomorrow's farmers.
JEFFERSON CITY -- Several participants in agricultural education programs supported by the Future
Farmers of America (FFA) and the Missouri Department of Conservation recently received awards and
cash for efforts to promote wise use of our natural resources.
The awards were handed out at the 74th Annual Missouri State FFA Convention April 17 in Columbia.
Awards honored outstanding achievement by individuals and FFA chapters encouraging outdoor
recreation and environmentally-friendly land management practices. Awards also went to FFA partners
who help the organization achieve its goals.
Alisa Hilker of Richmond was named the 2002 State Proficiency Award Winner for Outdoor Recreation.
The award, sponsored by the Conservation Department, recognizes efforts that promote outdoor
recreational land use. Hilker was recognized for her involvement with competitive trap shooting and the
1999 Junior Olympic Team. Second place went to Matt Bohan of Cole Camp for his commercial bull
bucking enterprise and bull riding accomplishments.
Four FFA chapters received grants from the Conservation Department and the United Sportsman
League for programs encouraging the use and study of wildlife management practices on agricultural
lands. The Everton, Memphis, Plato and Woodland chapters each received grants of $500.
The Conservation Department and FFA selected several local chapters to participate in the Grow Native
program. Grow Native, sponsored by the Conservation Department, encourages use of native plants for
landscaping to maintain the state's biodiversity and provide food and habitat for wildlife. FFA chapters
will help supply the Grow Native program plants. Participation in the program will enable the students to
learn about native plants and provide the chapters with money-making opportunities. The chapters at
Clopton R-III High School, Crest Ridge High School, Eldon R-I Technical School, Franklin Technology
Center, Northeast Nodaway R-V High School, Northwest Technical School, Pleasant Hope High School,
Troy High School, Warren County R-III High School and West Nodaway High School received grants to
get started in the program.
Conservation Department Agriculture Education Coordinator Veronica Feilner received a 2002 honorary
state FFA degree. The award recognizes education professionals for achievements in advancing
agricultural education and the FFA mission. Feilner has been a major force in developing Missouri's
agricultural education curriculum and has been especially active in conferences and judging events.
She currently helps develop Missouri's agricultural education curriculum and train educators in sound
agricultural and conservation practices.
The Conservation Department received special recognition for its contribution to construction of the FFA
building at the Missouri State Fair. The building, scheduled to open at the 2002 state fair, will house
FFA displays and competitions and other FFA activities throughout the year.
Experience is showing benefits from setting aside flood plain land that go far beyond hunting, fishing &
birdwatching.
JEFFERSON CITY -- Farmers, business owners and emergency management workers breathed a sigh
of relief May 15 when the muddy water on Missouri River gauges began to fall. The worrisome but
ultimately harmless flood crest on the Missouri River this spring was the second of what some state
officials are calling "the great floods that weren't." They say things could have ended much differently
this year if not for the legacy of the Great Flood of 1993.
Nine years ago, communities along the Missouri River suffered the worst flood damage in Missouri
history. More than 10,000 people were forced from their homes, dozens died in flood-related incidents,
and property damage ran into the billions of dollars. The flood crest at Hermann was 36.97 feet, nearly
17 feet above flood stage. Losses of homes, businesses and agricultural crops were devastating.
Following that historic flood, the Federal Emergency Management Agency bought much of the
flood-damaged property. This buyout allowed home and business owners to relocate out of the flood
plain. Buildings were demolished, and grass was planted in their place, ensuring that future deluges
wouldn't cause so much property damage.
Conservation agencies got involved, too. The Missouri Department of Conservation set aside $10
million to buy land from farmers who wanted to sell acreage that had been washed away or buried
beneath several feet of sand. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service bought some former cropland for Big
Muddy National Wildlife Refuge.
One of the most visible buyout areas is Overton Bottoms, 5,399 acres of flood plain north and south of
the I-70 bridge in Cooper County. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers bought the northern portion of this
tract. Since it owned the entire river bottom north of the highway, the federal agency didn't rebuild levees
breeched by the '93 flood. All 1,700-plus acres remain open to the river.
"When you drive over the I-70 bridge at Rocheport during a flood, you get an unmistakable picture of
how Overton Bottoms is affecting people downstream," said Conservation Department District Wildlife
Biologist Jeff Pennock. "Assume that the water standing on the area averages four feet deep. That's
6,800 acre-feet of water that's not rushing downriver the way it did before 1993, when the levees were
still there. I imagine people in Jefferson City, Hermann and St. Charles are pretty pleased to see that
much water spread out on a wildlife refuge instead of in their houses and factories."
Dick Hudson, emergency management director for Gasconade County, certainly was glad to see no
more water than he did when the river crested at Hermann on May 15 this year. He said the crest was
about 29.6 feet. That's well below the 1993 high-water mark but still too high for comfort. At 32 feet, said
Hudson, the river goes over Highway 19 and low-lying businesses in Hermann.
"We watched the river come up, and up, and up," said Hudson. "We were kind of thinking we were going
to have another big flood, but then it went back down."
The water held upstream at Overton Bottoms is only part of what spared Hermann and other
communities from "the flood of 2002," said Pennock. Since 1993, land purchases by the Conservation
Department, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Fish and Wildlife Service have given the Missouri
River free access to more than 11,000 acres of the flood plain that formerly were behind levees.
Combined with the nearly 10,000 acres of conservation areas and other public land that were open to
the river before 1993, the public holdings in the Missouri River flood plain provide an enormous buffer
against floods.
On the other hand, 21,000 acres isn't much in the larger scheme of things. The Missouri River flood
plain occupies about 1 million acres in Missouri. Public land open to the river is only about 2 percent of
that total.
"We have bought enough land to really make a difference in future flooding," said Pennock, "but not
enough to change overall land ownership or land use in the flood plain. It's quite a bargain compared to
the cost of a flood."
The Corps of Engineers bought the 3,662-acre portion of Overton Bottoms south of I-70 to compensate
for wildlife habitat destroyed by its activities along the river. Because some land adjoining the southern
part of Overton Bottoms still is in private ownership and is farmable, some levees there were repaired,
and approximately half of the area remains closed to the river. The same is true of several Conservation
Department purchases along the river.
Pennock said the flood control benefits of river land purchased by the Conservation Department will
increase in future years as the Conservation Department finds people who are willing to sell land
adjoining the agency's existing flood plain holdings.
"Eventually we will be able to open more levees and increase the area available for the river to spread
out in," he said. "We have the potential to reconnect another 10,000 acres to the river. Every acre-foot of
water that goes out on one of our areas instead of rushing downstream in a flood tide creates wildlife
habitat, and that means more hunting and fishing opportunities. The fact that it helps people
downstream just sweetens the deal."
This year isn't the first time that conservation areas and other public land along the Missouri River have
helped avert flooding. On Oct. 5, 1998, following torrential rains, the National Weather Service predicted
a Missouri River flood crest of 35.9 feet at Jefferson City. The next day, the Weather Service reduced its
crest prediction to 32.5 feet. On Oct. 7, the river crested at 29.55 feet. What might have been the Great
Flood of 1998 went down in history as the flood that wasn't.
Why didn't the original crest predictions pan out? Where did all the water go? Gordon Farabee,
long-time river management expert for the Conservation Department, thought he knew. To test his
hypothesis, he flew over the river from the mouth of the Osage River to Glasgow. He found the water
right where he expected it.
Smokey Waters Conservation Area, almost 1,000 acres of low-lying land at the Osage/Missouri river
delta, was half covered with a sheet of chocolate brown water. At Overton Bottoms, the Fish and Wildlife
Service's 1,700 acres and much of the 3,662 acres owned by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was
under water. Marion Bottoms Conservation Area north of Jefferson City, also is open to the river and all
its 3,000 acres hold water when the Missouri River is at flood stage. The picture was similar up and
down the river. Thousands of acres of land formerly closed to the river held standing water.
"It's difficult to calculate exactly how many acre-feet of water these areas will hold at a given river stage,"
said Farabee, now retired. "But it is, unquestionably, a huge amount. Take a moment to remember how
close the water came to the tops of levees in October 1998; then imagine that 10,000 or 20,000 acre
feet of water had been forced down the river at the same time. If you want to know what that extra
flood-holding capacity is worth, ask airport operators, business owners, farmers and homeowners
behind the remaining levees."
Another Conservation Department project that will enhance fish and wildlife habitat while providing
flood-control benefits is a levee "setback" project at Columbia Bottom Conservation Area in St. Louis
County. The original levee was at the river's edge. After buying the 4,318-acre area, the Conservation
Department built a new levee farther back from the river's edge. In the near future, the old levee will be
removed.
Officials say the increase will maintain conservation programs and ensure that hunters and anglers
are well-served.
JEFFERSON CITY -- Missourians will pay more for hunting and fishing permits next year as a result of
new permit fees approved by the Missouri Conservation Commission May 30. In approving the
increase, the four commissioners cited the need to maintain conservation programs and the
importance of ensuring that hunters and anglers continue to have a wide range of hunting and fishing
activities.
At its May meeting, the Conservation Commission approved permit fee increases ranging from 50
cents to $2. Conservation Department Deputy Director John Smith said the increases are the first since
1999, when resident permit fees increased by $1 to $4.
"It has been three years since we had a permit fee increase," said Smith, "and the cost of doing
business - even conservation business - does go up a little every year. And like everyone else, the
Conservation Department has been affected by the recent economic downturn."
The increases will go into effect March 1, 2003, the beginning of the 2003-2004 permit year. The price of
Daily Fishing Permits will increase from $5 to $5.50. The price for Resident Fishing Permits will
increase from $11 to $12, and Resident Small-Game Hunting Permits will increase from $9 to $10.
Daily hunting permits will increase from $10 to $11. The cost of the combination Hunting and Fishing
Permit remains unchanged at $19.
Permits fees increasing by $2 are Resident Fall Firearms Turkey ($11 to $13), Resident Archery ($17 to
$19), Resident Firearms Deer ($15 to $17), Resident Managed Deer ($15 to $17), Resident Spring
Turkey ($15 to $17) and Youth Deer and Turkey ($15 to $17).
Denny Ballard, executive director of the Conservation Federation of Missouri, the state's largest citizen
conservation group, said his organization supports the permit fee increases.
"Sportsmen and sports women are extremely pleased with the Conservation Department's new
programs for them" said Ballard. "New youth seasons, more liberal deer hunting seasons and limits,
outstanding fishing opportunities - and Missouri permit fees are still low compared to other states."
Conservation Department's Fiscal Services Section projects that the increase in resident permit fees,
along with increases in nonresident fees approved earlier, will boost agency revenues by $185,000 this
year, and by approximately $1.1 million in Fiscal Year 2003. After the permit price increases go into
effect, approximately 23 percent of the agency's revenues will come from permit sales.
Smith said keeping permit fee revenues constant compared to total Conservation Department income
is being faithful to the agency's commitment to hunters and anglers. Ever since Missouri voters
approved the one-eighth of one-percent sales tax for conservation, said Smith, hunters and anglers
have worried about how the sales tax would affect their status.
"The concern has been that more and more of the Conservation Department's funding would come
from the sales tax, and as their permit fees made up less and less of our budget, their interests would
get less and less attention," said Smith. "The Commission understood this concern and thought it was
a reasonable one. So several years ago the Conservation Commission decided that it would not allow
permit revenues to decrease as a percentage of total Conservation Department revenue. Most hunting
and fishing groups like the policy. They like knowing that hunting and fishing will always be an important
part of conservation in Missouri."
Smith said he believes most Missouri anglers and hunters have supported permit fee increases
because they see results from their investments. "Our deer herd is thriving," he said. "We have the best
turkey hunting in the nation, hands down, and people come from far and wide to catch monster
paddlefish, trophy trout, walleyes, muskie, bass and panfish."
Smith said the quality of Missouri's hunting and fishing is no accident. "We conduct scientific research
to provide the basis for fish and wildlife management decisions, and we have a top-notch staff to
implement them. Hunters and anglers have always supported fish and game management in Missouri,
and I think they always will."
Even with the increases, Missouri's resident hunting and fishing permit fees remain below those of
most other states. Minnesota charges residents $18 for an annual fishing permit. The fee is $19 in
Texas, $20 in New Hampshire and $30.45 in California. Lower-priced fishing permits are available in
Louisiana ($9.50 plus $5.50 for a saltwater fishing permit) and North Dakota ($11).
Resident Small-game hunting permits sell for $7 in North Dakota, $11 in Virginia, $14 in Wisconsin,
$15 in Louisiana, $17 in Minnesota, $19 in Texas and $31 in New Hampshire and California.
Missouri Department of Conservation still monitoring damage and hoping for a solution with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and AmerenUE.
JEFFERSON CITY, MO - The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) was alerted to the loss of paddlefish and other species of fish on Thursday, May 23. Several MDC employees went to the scene to investigate the extent of the injuries and damage to fish and to determine the cause.
MDC crews conducted counts of dead and dying fish from Bagnell Dam to Highway 54 for 4 hours each day from Friday, May 24 through Monday, May 27. “In sixteen hours the crews picked up 177 paddlefish and counted 1703 fish of other species, including freshwater drum, catfish, bighead carp, bluegill, buffalo, white bass and gizzard shad,” said Bill Turner, Fisheries Programs Supervisor for MDC. “The fish counts and analysis are ongoing, however for the past four days fish have been injured or killed at a rate of over 100 fish per hour. Every hour that passes at these release levels results in more death to fish below Bagnell Dam.” MDC wants to remind anglers that it is illegal to possess a paddlefish out of season.
AmerenUE is responsible for managing the flows of the dam. Recent flooding has required the release of additional water to maintain flood control and storage capacity in case of additional rainfall. “We are hopeful that our current work with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and AmerenUE will change the release patterns soon to minimize the kills that have been occurring over the weekend and are still occurring,” said Norm Stucky, Fisheries Division Administrator.
The investigation by MDC shows that fish may have been damaged or killed through three methods: by being caught in water released over the spillway at tremendous speed, getting caught in the turbines which generate the electricity and by swimming under the spillway during the release.
The MDC states that the damage caused by this on-going fish kill shows the need to examine Bagnell Dam operating alternatives to ensure the operation is less threatening to the fish populations. “The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) re-licensing process has focused much attention on Bagnell Dam and offers a unique opportunity to address fish kill problems and to work with AmerenUE to find long term solutions,” said Turner.
-End-
The Conservation Department, CFM and Lt. Gov. Joe Maxwell are combining forces to ensure firearms safety in the home.
JEFFERSON CITY -- The keys to helping prevent deaths and injuries from firearms accidents, literally, are coming to a city near you. Firearms locks, keys to secure the locks and safety brochures are included in free firearms safety kits being distributed by the Conservation Federation of Missouri, (CFM), Missouri Department of Conservation agents, hunter education instructors and the state's law enforcement agencies.
Sixty thousand safety kits will be given away in Missouri. The gun-lock give-away is part of Project HomeSafe, a national campaign promoting safe firearms handling and storage.
Project HomeSafe was created by the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) through a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) and funding from NSSF members, the manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers and retailers of shooting sports equipment. In addition to distributing the locks, local cooperators in the program provide firearms safety education.
"This program can prevent parents from facing the anguish of their children being seriously injured or killed from firearms accidents," said CFM Executive Director Denny Ballard. "We're giving people a simple device that can make their homes safer. The locks assure guns are stored properly and help prevent kids from getting guns in their hands."
The firearms locks consist of vinyl-covered steel cables with one end permanently secured to a keyed padlock. They fit a wide variety of firearms. Firearms must be unloaded before the locks can be engaged. The cable passes through the chamber or action, making it impossible to load the firearm.
Learning to use the locks takes only a few minutes. The locking devices can be detached within seconds, allowing an authorized user quick access to a gun if necessary.
According to the DoJ Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, firearms are the fourth leading cause of accidental deaths among children ages 5 to 14. The DoJ also reports that about one-third of the deaths resulting from accidental shooting could be prevented by a firearms safety device such as a trigger lock.
Lt. Governor Joe Maxwell launched Missouri's Project HomeSafe program May 10 with the announcement of the Project HomeSafe Safety Tour. Maxwell says educating state residents about firearms safety and giving them a way to secure guns from unintended use is vital to protecting Missouri's children.
"This is a program supported by all people regardless of their position on Second Amendment issues," said Maxwell. "The cable locks can prevent tragedies from happening."
The tour features two 16-foot mobile classroom trucks in which Missourians can watch a safety video and view displays of safe firearms storage equipment. The buses will travel to about 30 cities across the state. At each stop local conservation agents, hunter ed instructors and police officers will provide instructions on firearms safety and use of the firearms locks. Visit the CFM website www.confedmo.com and click on key word "News" to view the HomeSafe Tour schedule.
Missourians in cities not on the tour schedule have several other options for getting firearms safety kits. Conservation agents, hunter education instructors and officers in every state policing agency also have received locks to distribute. Local Project HomeSafe participants also will distribute locks at county fairs, firearms safety training classes and other local events. For details on how to get cable locks for distribution at special events, contact the nearest Conservation Department office or the conservation agent in your county.
- Arleasha Mays -
Proper storage is only half the solution to firearms safety for children.
JEFFERSON CITY - If your son found a pistol, do you think he might be tempted to pick it up? If your daughter was at a friend's home and another youngster got a rifle out of a closet to show his friends, would she know how to tell if it was loaded? In either of these situations, would your children be wise enough to tell an adult immediately?
Knowledge of firearms is half the answer to gun safety for kids. The Missouri Department of Conservation has programs to ensure that children have the firearms knowledge they need to protect them against gun-related accidents.
Project HomeSafe, a national program aimed at getting gun locks into the hands of residential gun owners, recently launched a month-long campaign in Missouri. With the backing of Lt. Gov. Joe Maxwell and the Conservation Department, Project HomeSafe seeks to make guns safe. But Conservation Department officials say gun locks are only part of the firearms-safety equation.
"Project HomeSafe is a terrific idea, said Protection Programs Supervisor Bob Staton. "But realistically, we know that it can't reach every gun owner in the state. To be sure our kids are safe, we need to educate them so they respect firearms and know how to handle them, whether they are hunting, target shooting or just visiting in a neighbor's home."
Staton said the Conservation Department and cooperating organizations have several programs to accomplish this goal. The most widely available is basic hunter education classes. Hundreds of these 10-hour classes are offered each year throughout Missouri. Finding a hunter education class in your community is as easy as calling the nearest Conservation Department office or visiting the Conservation Department Web site, http://www.conservation.state.mo.us/hunt/heclass-search.html.
The Wildlife Code of Missouri requires anyone born on or after Jan. 1, 1967 to successfully complete a certified hunter education class before buying a hunting permit. You must be 11 or older to be hunter education certified. Most other states have similar requirements and recognize training taken in Missouri. The classes are free, although a few host organizations charge $2 or $3 to cover the cost of facilities.
Other programs cater to youngsters who want to take their firearms safety training a step further. This year, for the first time, the Conservation Department is offering a Hunting Skills University for youths 11 to 15 years old. The four-day program will provide advanced training to graduates of basic hunter education classes.
Hunter Skills University participants will study firearms safety, firearms maintenance and skills needed to hunt deer, turkey, waterfowl and small game. They also will participate in live-fire exercises with rifles and shotguns. The program is made possible by grants from the Missouri Conservation Heritage Foundation and the National Rifle Association. Graduates of the program will be eligible for follow-up hunts under Conservation Department supervision.
Hunter Skills University is scheduled for Aug. 5 through 8 at the United Sportsman's Club in Jefferson City. Enrollment is limited to 30 to 35 youths. For more information call 573/884-6861, ext. 221.
Another program that increases youth's firearms awareness is the Youth Hunter Education Challenge (YHEC). Sponsored by the National Rifle Association.
, this program helps youths further develop the outdoor skills and ethics they learn in hunter education classes. Participants work with adult coaches to prepare for competition at state and international levels. All contestants are eligible to participate at all levels of competition, regardless of skill level or how they place in state contests. The emphasis is on having fun and learning.
YHEC competition is divided into junior (up to age 14) and senior (14-19) divisions. First-, second- and third-place winners in each event receive outdoor equipment as prizes. The biggest prizes go to those who score the most total points in all events. Competitors provide their own .22 cal. rifles, shotguns and archery equipment. Sponsors provide muzzle-loading rifles and ammunition for all firearms competitions.
This year's YHEC competition will be held at June 22 and 23 at the United Sportsman's Club in Jefferson City. Further details are available from: Missouri YHEC, P.O. Box 38, Imperial, MO 63052, or at http://www.moyhec.com.
"These programs are ideally suited to channel kids' natural curiosity about guns and give them the knowledge they need to be safe with firearms wherever they encounter them," said Staton. "Safety training like this, together with proper storage of firearms, is the best way to protect children from firearms-related accidents."
- Jim Low -
The same conditions that contributed to the deaths of some bass last year is fueling rapid growth of bass, crappie and other sought-after game fish.
JEFFERSON CITY -- Anglers who were disappointed and concerned about bass fishing at Lake of the Ozarks last year will be glad to learn that the situation has a silver lining. They can look forward to good fishing this year and even better fishing in the foreseeable future.
Last summer and fall, anglers reported lackluster fishing for two black bass species - largemouth and spotted bass. Below-average success in fishing tournaments confirmed the reports.
Anglers were understandably concerned when they not only caught fewer fish, but discovered that some of the bass they were catching had open sores on their bodies. Many feared an outbreak of Largemouth Bass Virus (LMBV), a disease that has hurt bass populations in lakes in Arkansas and some other states in recent years. Conservation Department Fisheries Management Biologist Greg Stoner says this concern wasn't unreasonable, but doesn't seem to have been on target.
"We collected several largemouth bass during the fall, 2001 B.A.S.S. Invitational tournament," said Stoner. "Analysis of these fish showed they were suffering from infections of a protozoan parasite and a bacterial infection. Both of these organisms are common in Missouri lakes and streams and can cause fish to lose scales and develop open sores. It also causes the fish to be sluggish, which makes them less likely to be caught by anglers."
According to Stoner, the Conservation Department found LMBV in a few fish at Lake of the Ozarks the previous spring, but they didn't find any evidence of the disease there in the fall. He said the cause of last fall's bass sickness probably can be traced to weather patterns over a three-year period.
"Rainfall around Lake of the Ozarks was significantly below normal during 1999 and 2000," said Stoner. "During droughts, nutrients, including nitrogen and phosphorus, accumulate on the ground. When more normal rains returned in 2001, they flushed these accumulated nutrients from the watershed into the lake. That created ideal conditions for the growth of the bacteria and protozoans we found on the sick fish. A shot of nutrients is the most likely suspect for causing the fishing slump we saw last year.
The good news, says Stoner, is that last fall's slump was a temporary phenomenon. "The great concern among bass anglers was the absence of keeper-size largemouth bass. I'm happy to announce that our electrofishing catch rates of legal largemouth bass this spring was very similar to the 1997 to 2001 average. We may have lost a few fish to disease last fall, but good numbers of legal fish remain."
That's not the only good news, or even the best news, says Stoner. He said the same nutrient boost that encouraged abnormal growth of disease organisms also favored a bountiful crop of the microscopic plants and animals that form the foundation of the lake's food chain.
"It looks as though conditions during 2001 were extremely good for spawning success and survival of young fish," said Stoner. "Fall 2001 fish surveys showed what could be the best crappie reproduction in a decade." Furthermore, said Stoner, Conservation Department biologists found the highest number of young largemouth bass ever recorded.
And the news gets even better. Although spring electrofishing surveys don't normally find significant numbers of the walleye fingerlings the Conservation Department stocks each year, last year's surveys captured walleye fingerlings at a rate of more than 10 per hour of sampling. "That indicates extremely good survival of these stocked fish," said Stoner.
"Even though Lake of the Ozarks experienced some problems recently," said Stoner, "the fish populations remain in good shape, and the future is extremely promising."
- Jim Low -
Widespread rain during the last two weeks of Missouri's spring turkey season kept this year's harvest out of the record book.
JEFFERSON CITY -- The wind blew, and the rain flew, and turkey hunters shivered in their camouflage outfits. But when Missouri's spring turkey hunting season closed May 12, the harvest was only 5 percent short of a record.
The season got off to a good start with a record opening-day turkey harvest of 9,504. A cold, wet first weekend slowed the pace, causing the first week's harvest to fall short of last year's figure. Hunters made up lost ground the second week of the season, but continued rainy, windy weather and widespread flash flooding kept a lid on turkey hunting action. Statewide, hunters brought 53,932 turkeys to check stations during the three-week turkey season. That is 1,370 fewer than last year and 2,902 below the record of 56,841 set in 2000.
"What I find remarkable about this season is that hunters bagged as many birds as they did," said Wildlife Research Biologist Mike Hubbard, the Missouri Department of Conservation's turkey specialist. "After the first week, I predicted that we would have a harvest around 52,000 birds, and I stuck with that number after the second week."
Hubbard noted that although the harvest from Missouri's three-week spring turkey season isn't a record, if you add the 3,102 birds killed during this year's youth turkey hunt, the season harvest is second only to last year, when hunters bagged 57,832 gobblers.
"The fact that we killed that many turkeys under such tough conditions is quite a tribute to the health of the turkey flock statewide and to hunters' devotion to this sport. I couldn't be more pleased with the season, considering the circumstances."
Texas County led harvest totals with 1,216 birds checked. Laclede County came in second with 1,103, and Howell County placed third with 955. West-central Missouri led regional harvest totals with 8,742 birds checked, followed by the northeast with 8,158, northwest with 7,211, east-central with 6,307, central with 5,486, southwest with 5,157, Ozark with 5,143, southeast with 5,041, St. Louis with 1,350 and Kansas City with 1,337.
The Conservation Department recorded eight firearms-related hunting accidents during the 2002 spring turkey season, two fewer than last year. None of this year's accidents were fatal. The safest spring turkey season on record in Missouri was 2000, when the Conservation Department recorded only four accidents, none fatal. The worst season for safety purposes was 1986, when two people died and 29 were injured in spring turkey hunting accidents. The last fatal spring turkey hunting accident was in 1998.
"Getting the number of accidents into single digits is great progress," said Protection Programs Supervisor Bob Staton. "That figures out to one accident for every 15,600 hunters. We have made enormous strides in hunters' commitment to safety, but we won't be satisfied until we routinely have seasons with no injuries or deaths."
Hubbard said the cold rain and flooding won't necessarily reduce wild turkey reproduction this year. "These rains will cause a number of early-nesting turkey hens to lose their nests. However, it's still early enough in the season that birds that lose their nests will attempt to renest. Wet weather would have to continue for a few more weeks to influence overall nesting success. Let's hope the weather between now and the middle of June is going to be nice and sunny."
- Jim Low -
Hunters from other states spend millions of dollars on travel, services and equipment to enjoy Missouri's world-class turkey hunting.
JEFFERSON CITY -- With some Missouri companies laying off employees and state government in a budget crunch, you might think that the outcome of the state's spring turkey season would be of little economic interest. You would be wrong. The lusty cry of the wild turkey gobbler pumps tens of millions of dollars into the state economy each year.
This year, Missourians spent more than $1.6 million on spring turkey hunting permits. More important to Missouri's economic well-being, out-of-state hunters shelled out nearly $1.5 million for Missouri spring turkey hunting permits this year.
The economic impact of turkey hunting goes far beyond permit sales, however. Turkey hunters spend approximately $10 million in Missouri each year for shotguns, ammunition, calls, camouflage clothing and other hunting equipment. Missouri residents also spend more than $10 million on travel, food, lodging and other miscellaneous items during the spring turkey season. Nonresidents add another $2 million-plus. In all, economic activity generated by spring turkey hunters tops $30 million annually and supports 1,100 Missouri jobs.
An economic impact model developed by the University of Missouri-Columbia shows that turkey-hunting related expenditures generate nearly $1.5 million in state sales taxes and about $1 million in state income taxes annually. The figures on hunter expenses come from a Missouri Department of Conservation survey of approximately 5,000 turkey hunters. Hunters provided details on turkey hunting related expenses for clothing, calls, ammunition, guns, transportation, lodging, food, land leases, taxidermy and other items.
- Jim Low -
What do wildlife managers from Iowa and the quarterback for theChicago Bears have in common? They are among the 10,000 hunters who cometo Missouri each year to take advantage of the best turkey hunting in the nation.
JEFFERSON CITY -- Chicago Bears Quarterback Jim Miller knows the importance of statistics in evaluating performance. Maybe that's why this spring found him in Missouri, hunting wild turkeys. He was among 10,073 people from all 49 other states who bought nonresident permits for Missouri's spring turkey hunting season April 22 through May 12.
Wild turkeys inhabit all the lower 48 states, yet people come from far and wide to hunt gobblers here. Why are thousands of people willing to pay $145 for Missouri's nonresident spring turkey hunting permits? The factual answer is that Missouri has the best turkey hunting in the nation.
Over the past three years, Missouri's annual spring turkey harvest has averaged more than 57,000 birds. Compare that to Illinois' 2001 spring turkey harvest of 12,840 or Arkansas' 17,603. Oklahoma and Iowa each harvest approximately 21,000 gobblers each spring. Figures for Kansas are hard to come by, but probably run between 15,000 and 20,000. Kentucky hunters took 23,600 gobblers last spring, and Tennessee led Missouri's neighboring states in 2001 spring turkey harvest with 29,185. Nationwide, Missouri's nearest competitor is Mississippi, where hunters bag around 40,000 gobblers each spring. Texas, with nearly four times Missouri's land area, harvested fewer than half as many turkeys as Missouri last year.
Miller and Chicago Bears Defensive Coordinator Greg Blashe came to Missouri to hunt with Mark and Terry Drury of M.A.D. Calls and Drury Outdoors. Their parent company, Outland Sports, headquartered in Neosho, makes turkey calls, hunting videos and other hunting equipment. Blashe, who is a media representative for a firearms manufacturer, met the Drurys at the annual Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade Show. The show is a national event where outdoor manufacturers pitch their products to retailers. Mark Drury said he routinely brings 10 to 12 outdoor writers to Missouri to turkey hunt each spring. This year, he invited Blashe to sample Missouri's turkey hunting in Adair and Putnam counties.
"I love to bowhunt for white-tailed deer back home in Michigan," said Miller, "but bowhunting is a fall sport, right in the middle of football season, so I don't get to do it much. Greg knows I love to hunt, so he invited me to come along with him to Missouri. When he told me about turkey hunting, I got really excited."
Neither of the football professionals had ever hunted wild turkeys before. Miller said he gave himself a crash course in turkey hunting, learning all he could about how it's done from books and videos in three months. When they headed into the woods at 4:30 on the rainy morning of May 10, he was pumped full of "game-day adrenalin."
They hunted hard throughout the early morning, trying six different spots. Gobblers responded to their calls, but none of the wary birds came close enough for a shot. After breakfast, they went back to the woods and hunted almost until the close of hunting at 1 p.m. "It was as close to fourth quarter, fourth and one as you can get," said Miller. "I killed a 22-pound gobbler with a 12-inch beard just a few minutes before one. It was awesome."
Mark Drury said outdoor writers' reaction to Missouri turkey hunting is similar to Miller's. "These folks get to hunt a lot of camps around the country," he said. "After seeing what we have here, they all want to know 'When can we come back.'"
Armand Labonville owns a retail store that sells logging supplies, outdoor clothing and custom-made turkey calls in Gorham, New Hampshire. He hunted in Missouri for the first time last year and killed his first gobbler. "I've hunted a few times in New Hampshire," said Labonville, "But we don't have as many birds as you do in Missouri. Turkey hunting is still fairly new here. We've only had a season for about three years. I read a lot of outdoor magazines, and when I read about Missouri's turkey hunting, I thought, 'Gee, I'd like to go there one day.'" A business acquaintance from Louisiana invited Labonville to join him for a hunt in Morgan County, Missouri, and he jumped at the chance.
Labonville was so thrilled with the experience that he returned this year with his two teen-aged sons. Rainy, windy weather hampered their four-day hunt, but they got to see gobblers. He says his sons still are talking about the experience. "They totally loved it," he said. "They want to do it again."
Labonville estimates this year's hunting trip to Missouri cost him $3,500.
Todd Bogenschutz, a biologist for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, lives in Ames, Iowa. Neither the $145 nonresident permit nor the hour-and-a-half drive to northern Missouri were enough to keep him from taking advantage of Missouri's turkey hunting opportunities.
"There's a lot more timber in Missouri than where I usually hunt in Iowa. Here, the patches of timber are much smaller. It's mostly crop land. It's a very different experience hunting big conservation areas in northern Missouri."
Bogenschutz had hunted five days in Missouri when interviewed. Although he hadn't killed a turkey yet, he had been in the midst of a lot of gobbling birds, and hoped to get one during the final weekend of Missouri's three-week season.
Bryan Hellyer is a private lands biologist for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. He lives near the Minnesota border, so northern Missouri is several hours' drive from home for him. He spent nine days hunting at Riverbreaks Conservation Area in Holt County, Missouri this spring. Later he switched to a conservation area and private land in Putnam County.
Hellyer took advantage of Missouri's strong turkey population and his own state's more liberal hunting regulations. In Missouri, turkey hunting ends at 1 p.m. daily. Iowa regulations allow hunters to pursue turkeys all day long, so he hunted in Missouri in the mornings and then crossed the state line for afternoon hunts.
Hellyer killed a 21-pound Missouri gobbler early in the season. Later, he and five others bagged six gobblers on one trip.
"It's great having the option of hunting in Missouri in the morning and going back across the state line to hunt the afternoon," said Hellyer. "I was really impressed with the wildlife management that was going on there. We saw a lot of good wildlife management and worked a lot of turkeys while we were there."
Bob Moors of Bolant, Penn., is president of his home county's chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation. As a result, he was familiar with Missouri's reputation as a wild turkey Mecca. So when his brother moved to the Smithville area, he took the opportunity to travel west and hunt. He killed a mature gobbler early the first morning he hunted. One of the other two Pennsylvanians who came along also bagged a mature gobbler.
"We saw a lot of turkeys," said Moors. "Of course, you have a really great population of turkeys."
Ted Torgerson of Callaway, Minn., says he doesn't mind the trip to Missouri for turkey hunting. He started hunting turkeys here more than 20 years ago. At the time, Minnesota didn't have a turkey season. Even now, Minnesotans aren't guaranteed a chance to hunt wild turkeys. They have to apply for a drawing in one management zone during one of eight five-day segments. In years when he strikes out in the drawing, he comes to Missouri to hunt with his brother.
"We hunt the Corps of Engineers land around Truman Lake and other reservoirs," said Torgerson. "We got skunked this year, but we usually have great luck." Still, he said, the crappie fishing was outstanding, and he went home with memories of exciting close encounters with gobblers.
- Jim Low -
Nothing beats the savory flavor of a wild turkey cooked properly.
JEFFERSON CITY -- Bagging a bird is just part of the stuff that makes Missouri's Spring Turkey Hunting season special. Wonderful stuffing that makes your turkey a tasty treat for the table is another outstanding aspect of the season.
The National Wild Turkey Federation's "Stuffed Midwestern Wild Turkey" recipe is a delectable dish your family is sure to enjoy. Ingredients are:
--14 slices of bacon, divided
--1 cup chopped onion
--¼ cup chopped celery
--½ cup water
--1 (8-ounce) package cornmeal stuffing mix
--1 chicken bouillon cube
--½ cup hot water
--1 cup dry red wine, divided
--1 (10- to 12-pound) wild turkey
Fry eight slices of bacon until crisp. Remove the bacon, crumble it, and set it aside. Sauté the chopped onion and celery in the bacon drippings. When the vegetables are tender, add one-half cup water, and simmer for five minutes. Stir in stuffing mix and crumbled bacon. Dissolve bouillon cube in one-half cup hot water. Add ½ cup of red wine to bouillon. Add the bouillon-wine mixture with the stuffing mixture and stuff the turkey.
Transfer the turkey to a roasting pan. Lay four slices of uncooked bacon across the breast and wrap a slice of bacon around each leg. Cover pan with foil and place a lid on the roasting pan. Bake in a 300-degree oven for 4.5 hours. Remove cover and foil. Pour the remaining wine over the turkey. Cook an additional 40 minutes, basting the turkey every 10 minutes. The recipe yields 12 to 15 servings.
Other delicious turkey recipes, along with recipes for cooking other wild game and fish can be found in the Missouri Department of Conservation's "Cy Littlebee's Guide to Cooking Fish and Game." The book sells for $3.50 at conservation nature centers and Conservation Department regional offices. The cookbook also may be ordered online from the Nature Shop at www.mdcnatureshop.com or by calling toll-free, 887/521-8632.
- Arleasha Mays -
JEFFERSON CITY -- The Missouri Conservation Commission will meet May 29 and 30 at Conservation Department headquarters, 2901 W. Truman Blvd. in Jefferson City.
The meeting will begin at 10 a.m. May 29. The Commission will meet in closed session beginning at 8 a.m. May 30, followed by an open meeting.
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 May 15. People requiring special services or accommodations to attend the meeting can make arrangements at the same address, or by phone at 573/751-4115.
Commission officers are: Anita B. Gorman, Kansas City, chairman; Howard L. Wood, Bonne Terre, vice chairman, Stephen C. Bradford, Cape Girardeau, secretary, and Cynthia Metcalfe, St. Louis, member.
- Jim Low -
Turkey hunters had a better second week, but still not enough to catch up with last year's two-week total.
JEFFERSON CITY -- Missouri turkey hunters made up lost ground during the second week of the spring turkey season. A strong second-week showing brought the harvest to date to 44,518.
After setting an opening-day record, hunters were hampered by cool, rainy, windy weather. They harvested 27,943 birds in the season's first week, 933 fewer than they killed during the first week of the 2001 spring turkey season.
With the return of favorable weather last week, hunters bagged 16,575 turkeys, compared to 16,219 during the second week of turkey season last year. This closed the gap between this year's first two weeks' turkey harvest and last year's to 467. However, this year's two-week figure still is 2,141 fewer turkeys than hunters checked on their way to a spring turkey harvest record in 2000.
Wildlife Research Biologist Mike Hubbard said he is sticking with the prediction he made after the first-week harvest figures came in. "I'm pleased to see that hunters are sticking with it and getting their money's worth of turkey hunting," he said. "There have been plenty of birds gobbling, and with another week to go I still think we will have a harvest of somewhere around 52,000 birds."
Turkey hunters continued the long-term improvement of their safety record, logging seven firearms-related accidents during the first two weeks of the season, compared to nine during the same period last year.
Texas County led harvest totals with 1,060 birds checked. Laclede County was second with 929, and St. Clair County came in third with 801. Regional harvest totals were: west-central, 7,143 (+632); northeast, 6,979 (-1,387); northwest, 6,029 (-623); east-central, 4,968 (-282); central, 4,563 (-207); southeast, 4,394 (+998); Ozark, 4,182 (+429); southwest, 4,021 (+25); St. Louis, 1,122 (-31); and Kansas City, 1,117 (-21).
Spring turkey season continues through May 12. Hunters can take a total of two bearded turkeys during the 21-day season.
- Jim Low -
A $20 per permit increase will bring fees closer to those of some neighboring states. A $25 surcharge will make prices more equitable for hunters from states with the highest nonresident fees.
JEFFERSON CITY -- Out-of-state hunters will pay more for Missouri deer and turkey hunting permits this year. Those from states that impose the highest nonresident permit prices on Show-Me State hunters will pay even more.
The Missouri Conservation Commission voted last June to increase nonresident deer and turkey hunting permit prices by $20. The Commission was responding to complaints from Missourians that they pay more to hunt in other states than nonresidents do here. "The difference in fees sort of makes it seem as if hunting deer and turkey in Missouri is less desirable than in bordering states," said Conservation Department Director Jerry Conley. "That's not true. Our deer and turkey hunting are top-notch, and many Missourians resent the difference."
To bring Missouri's nonresident deer and turkey hunting permit prices closer to neighboring states', the Conservation Commission approved a $20 increase for Nonresident Firearms Any-Deer Hunting Permits (from $125 to $145), Nonresident Archer=s Deer Hunting Permits (from $100 to $120) and Nonresident Managed Deer Hunting Permits (from $125 to $145). The Commission also added $20 to the cost of Nonresident Spring Turkey Hunting Permits (from $125 to $145) and Nonresident Fall Turkey Hunting Permits (from $75 to $95).
Some states - Illinois, Iowa, Kansas and Oklahoma - charge significantly more for their nonresident permits than other states around Missouri. To take this into account, the Conservation Commission voted in January to tack a $25 surcharge onto nonresident deer permits for those states' residents. Both the $20 across-the-board increase and the $25 surcharge go into effect July 1, when 2002-2003 fall deer and turkey hunting permits go on sale.
These increases brought the price of Missouri's nonresident deer and turkey hunting permits closer to those of adjacent states. However, it's still cheaper for nonresidents to hunt deer and turkey in Missouri than in most bordering states.
For example, in Iowa, nonresident hunters pay $220.50 for a deer permit, plus $80.50 for a hunting permit and $8.50 for a habitat stamp. Total cost to Missouri hunters: $309.50. In Kansas, the cost to Missourians is $275, in Illinois, $256.25 and in Oklahoma, $201.
Conley said the Conservation Department surveyed nonresident permit buyers and heard several arguments against increasing the fees. Some said that increasing the cost of nonresident permits would make it harder for family members from out of state to take part in family deer hunting traditions. Others noted that out-of-state deer hunters boost Missouri's economy and help keep the Show-Me State's deer population in check. The Conservation Commission weighed these arguments against Missourians' desire for fairness and decided to approve the increases.
Missouri's prices for nonresident turkey and archery deer hunting permits are comparable to those for firearms deer permits. The cost of nonresident turkey hunting permits can be as high as $225 (in Arkansas), and archery deer hunting privileges can cost Missourians up to $295.25 (in Illinois).
The price of the Youth Deer and Turkey Hunting Permit, which is available to residents and nonresidents, will stay the same. Nonresident bonus deer hunting permits also will remain unchanged. The surcharge will not apply to these permits, either.
AHunting in Missouri is an excellent value,@ said Conley. AEven with the increases, we are proud that our permits will be significantly less expensive than those in surrounding states. We are striving to continue our history of success in the management of game and other wildlife to ensure recreational enjoyment for hunters, trappers, hikers, anglers and all of the citizens of Missouri.@
- Jim Low -
JEFFERSON CITY -- Deer hunters, mark your calendars. The November portion of this year's firearms deer season will run from Nov. 16 through Nov. 26. You may also want to mark Nov. 2 and 3. Those are the dates for this year's youth-only hunt. And if hunting with a muzzle-loading rifle is your favorite, mark Dec. 7 through 15.
Those portions of the firearms deer season are in line with last year's. New for this year is an earlier, four-day antlerless-only portion of firearms deer season. In the past, this antlerless only portion of firearms deer season has taken place in early January. This year, the antlerless only hunt has been moved to Dec. 19 through Dec. 22. Furthermore, the antlerless-only season will be open in 11 more management units than last year. This year's open units include 1 through 27, 33 through 37, 58 and 59. Newly opened units are 18, 19, 21, 25, 26, 27 and 33 through 37.
The late-December antlerless-only hunt is designed to offer the same hunting opportunity that the January antlerless-only hunt has for the past six years while reducing the number of bucks taken by hunters in the late hunt. The Conservation Department initiated the late antlerless-only hunt in the 1996-1997 firearms deer season to encourage hunters to harvest more does.
Removing female deer is essential to reducing and controlling deer populations in areas where they cause excessive property damage or pose an unacceptable hazard to motorists. However, the January antlerless-only hunt failed to accomplish this goal. "Part of the problem was that hunters tended to pass up shots at does during the earlier portions of firearms deer season, hoping to harvest antlered deer," said Conservation Department Wildlife Research Biologist Jeff Beringer. They knew they had the January antlerless-only hunt to fall back on if they didn't kill a deer in November or December. Some of them harvested does in January, and some didn't. The net result was that the January antlerless-only hunt didn't significantly increase the doe harvest in target areas."
Beringer said one unintended result of the January antlerless-only hunt was the harvest of bucks that already had shed their antlers. He said this harvest wasn't significant on a statewide basis - only about 700 bucks. But hunters who place a high value on bucks bearing trophy racks didn't like to see those animals taken after they had already shed their antlers.
Another significant change in this year's deer regulations is the creation of a statewide any-deer permit. This permit, good in any of the state's management units, replaces the old any-deer permit, which was good only in one unit for which it was issued. This increases hunters' chances of taking deer outside their regular hunting areas.
Another change in this year's deer hunting regulations is the requirement that all hunters wear a hunter-orange cap or hat and a shirt, vest or coat during all firearms deer season segments. This includes small-game hunters, who have not been included in the hunter-orange requirement previously. Exceptions to the hunter-orange requirement are waterfowl hunters, hunters using archery methods while hunting within municipal boundaries where discharge of firearms is prohibited, hunters on federal or state public hunting areas where deer hunting is restricted to archery methods and hunters in closed deer management units during the antlerless-only part of firearms deer season.
The only other change in deer season regulations approved by the Conservation Commission are the establishment of a minimum age of 6 years for deer and turkey hunting beginning in 2003. Children ages 6 through 15 will be eligible to buy Youth Deer and Turkey Hunting Permits. Hunters 11 and older will be eligible to buy other firearms hunting permits if they have successfully completed hunter education courses. These restrictions don't apply to qualified landowners, who do not have to buy permits.
Full details of deer hunting regulations can be found online at http://www.conservation.state.mo.us/regs/ or in the 2002-2003 Fall Deer and Turkey Hunting Regulation Information booklet, available from permit vendors statewide July 1.
- Jim Low -
State agencies are working together to keep deer population safe and develop contingency plan should CWD be found in Missouri.
JEFFERSON CITY -- During the last year, efforts to address chronic wasting disease (CWD) risks associated with the interstate transportation of captive deer and elk have involved the departments of Conservation and Agriculture, and the captive deer and elk industry.
"The Department of Conservation is actively working to protect our wild deer herd-a resource that not only provides viewing enjoyment and hunting opportunity, but boosts Missouri's economy annually by nearly $800 million," said Jerry Conley, Missouri Department of Conservation Director.
Through a partnership approach, several steps have been taken to help ensure the continued health of Missouri's wild deer herd and captive elk and deer populations. Recent steps include: (1) requiring an entry permit for all deer and elk entering Missouri, (2) banning the import of deer and elk from states where the disease has been found, until an approved surveillance program is established and the herd is CWD-free for three years, (3) establishing a surveillance program for Missouri's captive deer and elk and (4) drafting a contingency plan to guide actions should the disease be found in our state. Completion of the contingency plan is anticipated in the near future.
CWD is known to affect mule deer, white-tailed deer and elk. CWD attacks the animal's brain and is assumed always to be fatal. The disease is receiving the attention of animal health organizations, hunters and wildlife agencies nationwide.
CWD has not been found in Missouri. "The Department is committed to reducing the risk of CWD entering Missouri. CWD could enter Missouri through the natural movement of animals in the wild. The interstate transportation of deer and elk from diseased areas or populations could also spread CWD," said Conley. "Interstate transportation, including animals transported by the captive deer and elk industry or by hunters who harvested game from diseased areas, is viewed as the greatest risk. But that risk can be controlled."
The Department of Agriculture filed an emergency rule effective May 11 creating a four-month moratorium on the importation of mule deer, white-tailed deer and elk that are sixteen months of age and over into Missouri. "Insight provided by the captive deer and elk industry proved extremely beneficial in developing and implementing this step," said Conley. "Additionally, the Conservation Department is halting any transportation of live wild deer within Missouri from its county of origin. We are doing everything within our authority to manage and protect the deer already within our borders."
To ensure the state is taking the appropriate steps to protect deer and elk from CWD, Gov. Bob Holden has directed the Department of Agriculture to form a task force of industry, government and conservation representatives. This committee will review actions the state has already taken to prevent the introduction of CWD and formulate a long-term plan to prevent chronic wasting disease from becoming established in the state. "The governor believes that a proactive approach to this issue will be the best way to ensure that chronic wasting disease never gets a foothold in Missouri," Missouri Department of Agriculture Director Lowell Mohler said.
CWD was first documented in 1967 in Colorado; however, it is currently receiving a lot of media attention. It has been found in deer or elk in Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Wyoming, and Alberta and Saskatchewan, Canada. There is no evidence that CWD affects people or livestock.
"The Department of Conservation is currently working to inform hunters about CWD to reduce risks associated with the interstate transportation of harvested animals. Missourians who harvest a deer or elk from a state where CWD disease is found are encouraged to process the animal where taken-bringing only boned meat back to our state," said Ollie Torgerson, Wildlife Division Administrator. "The Department also suggests making your taxidermist aware that the animal was harvested from a known CWD area. This will help ensure proper disposal of animal material."
Monitoring of Missouri's wild deer herd was initiated during the 2001 firearms season. All collected samples tested negative. "This fall the Department of Conservation anticipates expanding efforts to more fully monitor the health of our valued deer herd. The continued cooperation of deer hunters will be essential to the success of this effort," said Conley. "The Department of Conservation remains committed to efforts that work to fully address risks associated with all potential ways chronic wasting disease might enter Missouri."
-Stephanie Ramsey Westbrook-
Continued importation of captive elk and deer could endanger the state's wild deer herd.
JEFFERSON CITY -- The Missouri Department of Conservation says it supports the Missouri Department of Agriculture emergency rule announced May 1. The Department of Agriculture's action creates a four-month moratorium on the shipment into Missouri of mule deer, white-tailed deer and elk that are 16 months and older.
Effective May 11, the moratorium builds upon existing animal health and shipment requirements to help prevent the spread of chronic wasting disease.
"Chronic wasting disease is a wildlife issue that demands attention," said Jerry Conley, Director of the Missouri Department of Conservation. "Animal health officials, conservationists, hunters and the captive deer and elk industry must work together to minimize the risk of this disease entering Missouri."
First documented in 1967 in Colorado, chronic wasting disease is known only to affect mule deer, white-tailed deer and elk. This disease attacks an animal's brain and is assumed always to be fatal. There is no evidence that chronic wasting disease affects people or livestock.
Recently, chronic wasting disease has been documented in additional states, raising concerns among animal health officials and state wildlife agencies nationwide. Currently, it has been found in Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Wisconsin and Wyoming. It is also documented in the Canadian provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan.
The state departments of Agriculture and Conservation are working closely together on the chronic wasting disease issue. Both agencies have tightened regulations and have developed a chronic wasting disease surveillance program to test for the disease in captive animals.
"There is no live animal test for this disease and no vaccine. As a result, additional control and monitoring of interstate transportation of deer and elk is appropriate. We are committed to protecting our wild deer herd," said Jerry Conley. "Testing of Missouri's wild deer herd began during the 2001 firearms season, and we will continue testing next season."
To date, chronic wasting disease has not been found in Missouri.
-Stephanie Ramsey Westbrook-
Mother's Day is a great time to discover the family fun that fishing offers.
JEFFERSON CITY -- In the freezer at Sandy Dawdy's home is a sunfish - the first fish that her daughter Sherry Fischer ever caught. Sherry's own children now love to have their grandma produce the relic - with third-degree freezer-burn - and hear the story of its capture.
Norma Darrow loves to go fishing with her daughters and son partly because it preserves the spirit of her husband, who died in military service.
Fishing means many things to many people. Ask a few mothers why they fish, and you quickly learn it's about family and other enduring values.
SHERRY FISCHER, JEFFERSON CITY
Fischer was 4 or 5 the first time she went fishing. Her grandfather took her to Hough Park Lake in Jefferson City, but it was her mom who was so proud of her daughter's catch that she enshrined it in the family freezer. Sherry's memory of her first catch - a 4-inch bluegill - is much fresher than the freezer-burned, 28-year-old relic. She has caught much bigger fish since then. For her, though, the best part of fishing isn't the size of the fish she nets, but having time away from traffic and cell phones with her family.
Fischer and her children, Chelsea, age 6 and Caleb, 2, still favor bank fishing with worms and bobbers. Thanks to tutoring from her mom, Chelsea is a surprisingly competent angler. Caleb still needs a lot of help.
"With kids this age, you're kidding yourself if you think you are going to get much fishing done," says Sherry. "The key to enjoying fishing with little kids is enjoying the overall experience. When the kids get bored, we put down the fishing poles and get a net to hunt for tadpoles and bugs."
SANDY RACKERS, HOLTS SUMMIT
Sandy Rackers remembers digging worms to go fishing at her grandmother's farm pond. "All I had was a cane pole with a long line and a hook and bobber," she says. "I would swing it back and forth until it reached the perfect spot, or at least as far as I could get it. Then I would put a watchful eyeball on the bobber in hopes of getting a wiggle. Some days we would catch fish, and some days we fed them. If we got tired of fishing, we'd jump in the pond with them."
Rackers' husband, Joe, didn't share her passion for fishing. When her sons, Craig and Curt, were big enough, she bought them fishing poles and off they went to the creek at her dad's farm, where they set about turning over rocks to collect fishing worms.
"Whoever said you have to be quiet when fishing or you'll scare the fish didn't know what they were talking about," says Rackers. "We laughed and talked the whole time we fished, and we let out a big scream when we thought we had a good one on the hook. The boys' great-grandma would sometimes go with us and she was the loudest giggler of all. It didn't matter what was on the other end of the line. We were just excited to feel the tug."
When Rackers' sons went away to college, she missed their fishing trips, so she converted her late-sleeping husband into an early-rising fishing partner. Then she got her sister and brothers and their families involved. "I suppose my desire to fish goes along with my desire to socialize with the ones I care about the most," she says.
Her sons, now 27 and 30, still come home for trout opener when possible. "I was so pleased last year when my oldest son, Craig, flew in from Michigan to meet me at Bennett Spring. Although it's 20 years later and my sons have lives of their own, we still find time each year to get together for fishing . . . and socializing."
JUDY BETHEL, ST. CLAIR
Not everyone is lucky enough to grow up in a family of fisherwomen. Judy Bethel had never fished until she met her husband, the late C.W. "Zeke" Bethel. He wasted no time introducing her to the Bourbeuse River so his domestic partner could be his fishing partner, too. As newlyweds, they spent most of their spare time on the river. "I would stop at the A&W Root Beer stand after work on Friday, get a Papa Burger and a Momma Burger and head for the river. He would be there already, and we would spend the weekend fishing and sleeping in the back of his Dodge panel truck.
"I used to paddle him and his boss on a lot of those river trips," says Bethel. "I must have been pretty good at it, because they even let me do the paddling at night when they were frogging." That was a real honor," she says, tongue in cheek.
The Bethels' shared passion for fishing eventually took them to Canada, where they had some of the most memorable fishing experiences of their lives. Bethel says her "bigtime fishing days" ended with the death of her husband 17 years ago, but she still fishes. She seldom gets to the river any more. Instead, most of her fishing is done at a friend's farm lake near her home. She prefers to fish with worms and no bobber - tightlining - for channel catfish. She goes most weekends through the summer, sometimes fishing alone, other times with sons, daughters, nephews or one of her 12 grandchildren.
"Who I fish with depends on how much time I want to spend actually fishing. If I'm serious about catching fish, I'll go with one of the older ones who don't need me to bait their hook or untangle their line." The youngest grandchild she has initiated so far is 4-year-old Elizabeth Bardot. "She loves to fish, but she's too dangerous to put a hook on her line. We just tie a plastic worm on the end and let her drag it in and out of the water as much as she wants. She still thinks she's fishing."
Bethel says fishing has been a bridge between the generations of her family. She enjoys introducing her grandchildren to the mysteries of fishing, and she says she doesn't have to beg anyone to go fishing with her. "My kids call and ask me to go with them," she says.
NORMA DARROW, LEBANON
Norma Darrow began fishing as a child on a farm. Her affection for angling figured prominently in her attraction to the love of her life, Donnie Len Darrow. On their first date they went fishing at Lake of the Ozarks. Fishing for catfish with chicken livers might not seem romantic to everyone, but it started them on a road that eventually led to marriage. Later, Norma traveled to Alaska's Kenai Peninsula, where she landed hundreds of pounds of sockeye salmon.
Donnie Len Darrow went on to become a major in the United States Marine Corps. Norma says he dreamed of retiring and having time to fish with his family. The dream went unfulfilled. He died in Vietnam in 1967. She says fishing with her children and grandchildren provides a tangible link with her late husband.
"I think his love of the outdoors is a big part of why DeeCee (her oldest daughter) works for the Conservation Department now and why we still fish."
Darrow says she loves fishing with her children and four grandchildren, ages 5 through 19. She has bought the little ones their own fishing vests. She also has been a mentor for other women and children. "Fishing is always there when you are looking for something to do," she says. Bennett Spring, where she does most of her fishing now, has hiking trails and other things to do when the fish aren't biting.
KATHY MOORE, PALMYRA
Kathi Moore was a less willing fisherman's bride, but a husband who was equally devoted to her and fishing won the day. "I had fished with my grandparents when I was growing up," she says, "but it was boring sitting and watching the bobber, so I never did it when I got older. Travis found out I didn't like the boring part, so he took me bluegill fishing and made sure the fish were biting the first time we went."
Travis also discovered that Kathi didn't like to eat fish because she hated bones in the meat. "He filleted all the fish I caught so there were no bones, and I really liked it that way. It was something he wanted me to enjoy as much as he did, so he eliminated all the barriers
With the barriers gone, Moore found herself enjoying bluegill fishing trips to a community lake near home. As her confidence and interest grew, she found that her natural competitiveness emerged. "It's fun to try to catch the first fish before Travis does," she says. "Of course, I don't actually 'win,' but I enjoy the friendly competition."
Moore says fishing is a way for her to explore the mysterious world under water without special breathing apparatus. "There's an overwhelming sense of curiosity in fishing," she says. "When you hook a fish, you wonder, 'Can I keep it on the line?' 'What kind of fish is it?' and 'How big is it?'"
Moore says the excitement of having a fish at the end of her line never grows old. She enjoys passing on that excitement to her two sons. "Fishing with kids can be challenging, but it's worth it to see the look on their face when they catch their first fish," she says. "Fishing is much more social than other things I do outdoors, like turkey hunting. For me, fishing is something to be shared. It's a way to experience nature, to participate in nature with my family, and it's something anyone can do, regardless of size or limitations."
BRIDGET CANADAY, ASHLAND
Bridget Canaday is another mother whose love affair with fishing has its roots in romance. She was already hooked on her husband, Brian, so she was willing to try his favorite pastime. When she caught a 2-pound walleye from the Mississippi River on their first fishing trip together, she was hooked on fishing, too.
She introduced her kids to fishing as soon as they were big enough to wear life jackets. Now she and her children, ages 3 and 8, fish at a community lake near her home in Ashland every week. They keep it simple, using bobbers and hooks with worms and minnows for bait.
In recent years, the Canadays have taken up trout fishing at Montauk and Bennett Spring state parks. Bridget says 3-year-old Haley is quite a sight with her trout fishing permit pinned to her fishing hat.
"I like being solitary when I fish," says Bridget, "but I like fishing with my family, too. It's fun to watch Haley play with the minnows in the minnow bucket. Fishing also gives us a chance to talk with our kids about our connection and concern for the environment. You harvest some fish to eat and put back the ones you don't need."
LEILA BROWNING, AURORA
Leila Browning got a relatively late start. Fishing is her husband's hobby, and after retiring from the Aurora school system in 1989 she began going with him. Back then, they had a bass boat and spent a lot of time fishing at Table Rock Lake. Nowadays, that seems like too much trouble when they have quality trout fishing close by at Roaring River State Park.
They are there every other week or so, catching rainbow trout, often with their son, Dennis, and his family. They were there for opening day this year, camping out for four days and braving 2-degree temperatures to catch trout. "We kept going back to the truck to warm up when our hands got cold," she says.
In recent years, Browning and her husband have renewed their excitement for fishing by teaching beginners. They help with Kids Fishing Day at Roaring River and teach WOW (Wonders of the Outdoor World) fishing classes. She says events like these are perfect opportunities for mothers who want to fish but don't know the basics.
ANDREA HOGSETT, MACON
Andrea Hogsett doesn't fish as often as some of the other mothers interviewed for this story, but she believes the future holds more fishing for her and her children, ages 18 months to 7 years. Growing up on a farm, she fished with her mother and grandmother, so it seemed natural for her to take her own children fishing. She started her oldest, Jacob, with a cane pole at age 2. The younger children, with limited attention spans, spend most of the time "messing around the edge of the pond," but that's part of the fun.
"They love to go fishing," says Hogsett. "Right now it's kind of a circus getting everybody ready, getting worms on their hooks and keeping their lines untangled. But in the future, I think it will get easier and we will be able to go more often. It's something we can do together as a family."
Hogsett says she likes the calm, easy pace of fishing. Afterwards, there's a fish fry, and everyone gets to enjoy the fruits of their labor, another chance for family bonding.
Moms who want to try fishing or introduce their families to the hobby can attend special events around the state in May and June. For details of introductory fishing events in your area, contact the nearest Conservation Department regional service center.
The free publication "An Introduction to Fishing" is available at Conservation Department regional offices and nature centers statewide or by written request to "Missouri Department of Conservation, P.O. Box 180, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0180. A list of other fishing publications, plus information about where to fish and weekly fishing reports, are available at the Conservation Department's Web site, www.conservation.state.mo.us/fish/.
- Jim Low -
The number of gobblers bagged in the first seven days of spring turkey season was down in spite of a strong showing on opening day.
JEFFERSON CITY -- A cold, wet weekend put a damper on turkey hunters' success, holding the harvest during the first week of Missouri's spring hunting season nearly 1,000 birds below last year's figure.
Check stations statewide processed 27,943 turkeys April 22 through 28. That is down 933 from last year and 2,497 fewer than the first-week harvest record set in 2000.
The drop in first-week harvest followed a record-breaking turkey kill on opening morning. Hunters bagged 1,285 more birds on opening day this year than they did a year earlier. The 2002 opener topped the previous record, set in 2000, by 401 birds.
In contrast to weather on this year's opening day, which was ideal for turkey hunting, the weekend was cold, rainy and windy.
"Any one of these factors can make hunting tough," said Missouri Department of Conservation Wildlife Research Biologist Mike Hubbard. "Having all three in one weekend is bound to have a significant effect on hunters' success."
Hubbard said that while the first-week harvest is likely to prevent the 2002 harvest from setting a record, it still is an enviable figure.
"It's no accident that Missouri attracts turkey hunters from all over the country, he said. "We have a tremendous turkey population and excellent hunting almost everywhere in the state. We're still headed for a likely turkey harvest in the neighborhood of 52,000. It's hard to find bad news in that scenario."
The Conservation Department recorded six firearms-related hunting accidents during the first week of turkey season. That is one fewer than last year and well below the long-term average.
Texas County led the state with 673 birds checked during the first week of the season. Franklin County was second with 569, and Laclede County was third with 549. The state's west-central region led regional harvest totals with 4,471. That is 311 more than last year. Other regional totals were: northeast, 3,927 (-1,083); northwest, 3,584 (-530); east-central, 3,538 (+115); southeast, 2,884 (+316); southwest, 2,832(+256); central, 2,698 (-549); Ozark, 2,638 (+215); St. Louis, 718 (+58); and Kansas City, 653 (-42).
Spring turkey season continues through May 12.
- Jim Low -
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