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This former assistant director of the Conservation Department was known for his work on waterfowl research and wetland conservation.
JEFFERSON CITY--A career that helped establish Missouri as a leader in conservation has earned Michael Milonski entrance into the Missouri Conservation Hall of Fame. He is one of only 28 Missourians to receive the posthumous honor for substantial and lasting contributions to the state's fisheries, forestry or wildlife conservation efforts.
Milonski's 22-year career with the Missouri Department of Conservation is rife with accomplishments that helped shape conservation in Missouri. He was a leader of the campaign that resulted in passage of the one-eighth cent conservation sales tax. He also championed minority hiring and upgrading of the salaries and skills of conservation agents.
The native St. Louisan was known throughout the nation for his work and interest in waterfowl management. He worked with early waterfowl researchers and was considered a pioneer in the field. He did early work on the effects of predators on nesting waterfowl in Manitoba, Canada, and founded the Jefferson City Chapter of Ducks Unlimited.
Milonski joined the Conservation Department in 1958 as manager of the state portion of Swan Lake National Wildlife Refuge. In 1959 he became manager of the August A. Busch Memorial Conservation Area near St. Charles. Milonski also supervised the upland game program, worked as waterfowl area supervisor and was assistant chief and chief of the Wildlife Division. He served as assistant director of the Conservation Department from 1976 until his retirement in 1980.
The E. Sydney Stephens Award, Missouri's top professional wildlife honor, is among the many awards Milonski received. He often wrote for "Missouri Conservationist" magazine and was an accomplished wildlife artist. He painted the large mural that stands at the edge of Sumner, Missouri, near the Swan Lake Refuge.
Milonski was active in Jefferson City civic organizations, serving on the board of directors of Rotary, the YMCA and Jefferson City Memorial Hospital.
- Arleasha Mays -
Like one seen in Missouri 18 months ago, the cougar apparently was living wild.
CHESTER, Ill.--Illinois officials say a mountain lion found dead on railroad tracks just across the Mississippi River from Missouri was making a good living in the wild. But they say it is doubtful the animal is part of a self-sustaining population.
Illinois Division of Wildlife Resources Chief Jeff Ver Steeg confirmed that a 110-pound cat found dead on a railroad right-of-way July 15 not far from Fort Kaskaskia Historic Site was a mountain lion. He said the animal was a male about two years old.
An examination of its stomach contents revealed that it had been eating wild prey. Furthermore, the cougar's paws showed no sign of abrasion from pacing on a concrete floor.
The foot pads of animals held in captivity sometimes show abnormal wear. Hairless or calloused elbows also can indicate that an animal has spent more time lying on hard surfaces than it would in the wild. Such evidence increases with the animal's age.
Conservation officials in Illinois, like those in Missouri, have always received periodic reports of mountain lion sightings. These tend to come from the southern parts of both states. Missouri's first confirmed report in decades came in January of 1998.
A rabbit hunter in Texas County went to find out why his beagles were milling around and baying frantically under a tree. When he looked up, he made eye contact with a full-grown cougar. The animal leaped from the tree and dashed away with the beagles in hot pursuit.
Conservation Department biologists visited the Texas County site and confirmed that two deer carcasses near where the cat was seen bore classic signs of a mountain lion kill.
Having made kills in the wild and fleeing from people sets the Illinois and Texas County sightings apart from most others. The evidence at most kills attributed to mountain lions don't match the big cats' hunting methods. In other cases, sightings are verified, but the animals let people get closer than a wild animal would tolerate.
"Wild mountain lions are naturally afraid of humans," says Conservation Department Wildlife Research Biologist Dave Hamilton. "When a lion lets someone get close enough to tape them, it's a pretty strong indication that the animal has spent quite a bit of time around people."
There is no way to tell whether the Illinois cougar was tame or if it simply was disoriented by the noise and lights of the train. Hamilton says the fact that the animal had taken wild prey doesn't mean it was wild. "Even captive mountain lions are not domesticated animals. They may have missed the opportunity to learn hunting techniques from wild adults, but most of their instincts are still intact. A captive animal released to the wild could learn to forage on its own."
That leaves the question of where the cats came from up in the air. Ver Steeg says DNA samples from the train-killed cougar will be tested to see if it is genetically similar to mountain lions from other parts of North America. Similar tests performed on the carcass of a cougar found beside a gravel road in Missouri in 1998 were inconclusive.
Hamilton says it would be difficult to say how the cougars got to Missouri and Illinois, regardless of DNA test results. "There is a very active trade in captive mountain lions," he says. "It's surprisingly easy to get one. With so many of these cats in captivity, we shouldn't be surprised when one escapes or an owner gets tired of taking care of one and turns it loose."
Ver Steeg and Hamilton both are doubtful that Illinois or Missouri has a self-sustaining mountain lion population. "We would expect to see more evidence of their presence if that were true," says Hamilton. "In areas with significant cougar populations, road kills and other confirmed sightings are fairly common."
Because wild mountain lions are afraid of humans, attacks are rare, even in areas where large human populations coexist with thriving cougar populations. But a few cougars may be aggressive toward humans.
The best way to deal with a cougar encounter is to make yourself look as large and threatening as possible. Shout and throw rocks. Hold up the sides of jackets or other clothing to exaggerate your bulk, and back away from the animal. Experts say it is best to fight back if attacked by a mountain lion. Don't turn your back on a cougar or run away.
This is the opposite of recommended tactics for dealing with bear encounters. Experts say it is best to turn and walk away from bears slowly and quietly. If attacked, curl up in a ball and offer no resistance. In most cases, bears attack because they are startled or feel threatened. They stop attacking once their victims no longer seem to be a threat.
- Jim Low -
Boats, motors, pickups, SUVs, ATVs, tractors,bulldozers, mowers and office equipment are among items offered.
BROOKFIELD, Mo.--Missourians looking for used vehicles, farm equipment or outdoor goods might want to check out the Missouri Department of Conservation's surplus property auction Aug. 19 at Brookfield.
The Conservation Department will sell 19 half-ton, 4X4 Dodge pickup trucks, 10 Jeep Cherokees, two two-ton trucks, plus 23 other pickups, a sedan, a van, a Suburban and a station wagon.
Also on the auction block will be two all-terrain vehicles, four V-bottom and 18 flat-bottom boats ranging from 14 to 19 feet, six outboard motors ranging from 15 to 50 horsepower and one lot of outboard motor fuel tanks.
Farm equipment on sale will include two bulldozers, three tractors with front-end loaders, two rotary mowers, a disk and two sprayers. Other items on the sale bill include electric generators, push and riding mowers, air compressors, pickup truck tool boxes, table saws, tire chains, fish tanks, aerators and other fish hatchery equipment, cameras, binoculars, a spotting scope, a photocopier, desks and other office equipment.
Auction items will be on display from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. Aug. 18 and at 8 a.m. Aug. 19 at the Conservation Department maintenance center at 115 Pershing Road in Brookfield. The sale will begin at 10 a.m. Aug. 19. Items may be added or deleted before the sale. A complete listing and terms of sale will be available at the registration desk the day of the sale.
All property must be paid for on the day of the sale and before removal. The Conservation Department will accept personal checks with proper identification. For a list of sale items, call the Conservation Department General Services Division at 573/751-4115, ext 3675.
- Jim Low -
Increasingly concerned about water quality, Missouri's fast-growing citizen conservation network is helping train more volunteer water quality monitors.
JEFFERSON CITY--Missouri Stream Teams continue to multiply, both in number and in productivity. Missourians formed 209 new teams last year, bringing the total to 1,422.
The 31,000-plus individual stream team members invested more than 76,000 hours on projects that included litter pickup, water quality monitoring, storm drain stenciling and tree planting. Stream teamers created a zebra mussel monitoring program, removed 1,200 tons of trash from streams, published a booklet to help stream-side landowners and conducted 14 water quality monitoring workshops.
Water quality monitoring is the most popular Stream Team activity. Stream teams are monitoring more than 330 sites, periodically checking to assure water quality problems are diagnosed and addressed promptly. Water quality volunteers also helped ensure that these monitoring activities will continue to expand. They helped conduct 14 water quality workshops, enabling the program to double the number of volunteers trained in 1998. This was due in part to "Train the Trainer" workshops offered to volunteers who demonstrated the required level of proficiency.
Other Stream Team highlights and accomplishments in 1999 include:
--Creation of a zebra mussel monitoring program.
--Removal of more than 1,200 tons of trash from Missouri streams.
--Creation of a booklet to improve services available to stream-side landowners.
--Conducting a successful Rivers and Streams Conference.
New training opportunities through the Stream Team Academy are among the goals that Stream Teams has set for this year. Workshops teach participants about fish identification and the relationships between streams, their flood plains and watersheds.
For more information about the Stream Teams program call 800/781-1989.
- Jim Low -
Better grades and a healthier planet are the goals.
JEFFERSON CITY--The nature of learning is changing in some Missouri classrooms. Teachers participating in the Show Me Environmental Education Model Schools program are using nature and the environment as tools to help teach math, science, fine arts, social studies and other courses.
"The program kept us moving and trying new things with our students," says Marion Perrey, a seventh-grade teacher at Lewis and Clark Middle School in Jefferson City. "The students were enthusiastic about coming to school. Many who otherwise wouldn't get involved in the class work were excited about projects and anxious to participate. By the end of the year many of them were applying what they'd learned in the classroom. The neatest thing for a teacher is to see that what you've taught has made a difference."
Perrey says the model schools program enhanced learning by providing practical exercises for the students. Math lessons to learn how to determine geometric area were done by designing food plots in various shapes. Biology lessons in tree identification came to life as the kids tasted pawpaws. Language arts lessons involved writing descriptive essays of field trip locations and activities.
New and often hands-on approaches to teaching old subjects highlight the Model Schools program. They enable teams of elementary and middle school teachers to design lesson plans and activities that use locally relevant material as a unifying theme for their curricula.
"The goal of the Model Schools program is to enhance instruction of the basics and teach students the value of our natural resources and the pertinence of those resources to our everyday lives," says Conservation Department Education Consultant Jane Rehrer. "It gives kids authentic problems that we need to solve in order for the planet to survive."
The model schools program was launched in 1998 by the Missouri Department of Conservation, the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Heart of Missouri Regional Professional Development Center and state universities. The idea was to help improve student learning, advance school improvement goals and address Missouri's new academic performance standards.
Participation in the model schools program begins with assessment of teachers' goals in cooperation with education consultants from the Conservation Department. Consultants and educators work together to determine beneficial ways to weave environmentally based information into lesson plans and create instructional strategies and activities. Conservation education consultants work with teachers throughout the year, helping implement lessons and activities and helping teachers address any problems that occur.
Seven teams of teachers from five schools have participated in the model schools program. Conservation Department Environmental Education Coordinator Kim Wade is eager to see the program expand and says she will invite schools to apply this fall. Teachers can contact Wade at 573/751-4115, ext. 3370, to learn more about the program.
- Arleasha Mays -
A managed hunt sponsored by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers helps hunters with mobility impairments overcome obstacles to the enjoyment of deer hunting.
HANNIBAL, Mo.--Hunters with disabilities can sign up now for a shot at pursuing deer at Mark Twain Lake.
The U.S. Army Corps of engineers is accepting applications for the Annual Mark Twain Lake Deer Hunt for Physically Challenged Hunters Nov. 18 and 19. The hunt is open to people with permanent physical disabilities that require use of wheelchairs, braces, walkers, crutches or canes.
Applications detailing medical condition and physical requirements must be completed and returned to Corps officials by Aug. 25. A selection committee will choose 30 applicants to participate in the hunt. Successful applicants will receive notice of their selection in early September.
The special hunt will take place at the 1,200-acre Indian Creek Recreation Area. Hunters must have hunter education certification cards, managed deer hunting permits and hunting gear. Participants may use shotguns, muzzle-loading firearms, longbows or crossbows. Volunteers will help hunters get to and from the field, and with any special medical needs. Participants must obtain their own lodging and food.
To receive an application form, contact Mark Twain Lake Project Office, 20642 Highway J, Monroe City, MO 63456, phone 573/735-4097.
- Arleasha Mays -
JEFFERSON CITY--The Missouri Conservation Commission's next meeting will be held Aug. 20 and 21 at the Adam's Mark Hotel, Fourth and Chestnut streets, St. Louis. The commission will meet in closed executive session at 4 p.m. Aug. 20. The public portion of the meeting will begin at 10 a.m. Aug. 21.
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 Aug. 9. People requiring special services or accommodations to attend the meeting can make arrangements at the same address, or by phone at 573/751-4115.
Commissioners are: Ronald J. Stites, Plattsburg, chairman; Randy Herzog, St. Joseph, vice chairman; Anita B. Gorman, Kansas City, secretary; and Howard L. Wood, Bonne Terre, member.
- Jim Low -
Disease and exotic species could affect mourning dove populations.
JEFFERSON CITY--Seen any sick doves lately? John Schulz would like to hear about them. Even better, he'd like to have their chilled carcasses. He also wouldn't mind hearing from you if you spot a dove wearing a collar.
Schulz, a wildlife research biologist with the Missouri Department of Conservation, is in the midst of a four-year study of how a disease called trichomoniasis may affect mourning dove populations in Missouri. The disease, which often kills its victims, is caused by a protozoan parasite called Trichomonas gallinae. The one-celled parasites create sores in birds' mouths and throats, making it difficult for them to swallow or drink.
Typical of infectious diseases, trichomoniasis spreads most readily when birds are crowded together. Dry conditions force birds to gather around scarce water sources, facilitating transmission, and hot summer weather creates conditions favorable for the parasite's growth.
The severity of a trichomonas infection depends on the bird's susceptibility and on the strain of the disease attacking the animal. Trichomonas gallinae can vary in virulence from year to year, much like the flu. In years when a particularly harmful strain crops up, outbreaks can be widespread and kill large numbers of birds.
Schulz's study involves collecting infected doves that turn up at bird feeders across the state. He also gets infected doves from hunters at James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife Area, southeast of Kansas City. He plans to continue the sampling through the year 2002.
"Once again, we are asking people around the state to watch for doves that show signs of trichomoniasis," says Schulz. "Infected doves may have difficulty flying, act listless and have swollen necks. Anyone who sees mourning doves that fit this description should call me."
Schulz says Trichomonas gallinae is not dangerous to humans. He asks that people who collect dead doves not freeze them; freezing destroys evidence of the disease. Instead, place them in plastic bags and keep them cool.
Schulz hopes to develop techniques for monitoring the presence and severity of trichomoniasis outbreaks. Such techniques would enable the Conservation Department to make better predictions about how dove numbers will be affected by the disease under different environmental conditions. If you find birds with trichomoniasis symptoms, call Schulz at 573/882-9880, ext. 3218.
Until recent years, almost all doves seen in Missouri were either mourning doves or rock doves commonly known as pigeons. In the past three years, however, another sort of dove has become increasingly common here. The Eurasian collared dove, which is native to the Middle East, showed up first in Cape Girardeau, St. Louis and Marion counties. Schulz says the birds now might be seen anywhere in the state. Dove hunters are especially likely to encounter collared doves.
Collared doves are larger than mourning doves. As their name implies, they have dark bands on the backs of their necks. Their tails are square at the end, rather than pointed like a mourning dove's. In contrast to mourning doves' overall buff color, collared doves are gray-brown, with purplish buff throats.
Collared doves aren't known to cause any ecological or economic problems, but Schulz says the arrival of any exotic species warrants watchful attention. If you see one, notify the Conservation Department by calling 573/751-4115, ext. 3196, or 573/882-9880, ext. 3218.
- Jim Low -
Missourians who travel out of state this summer should inspect their outdoor gear for egg masses.
JEFFERSON CITY--Cooperation from state residents is key to forestalling a gypsy moth infestation, say officials with the Missouri Department of Conservation.
Gypsy moths got their start in the eastern United States in 1869 and have extended their range a few miles westward each year since then. The insects are harmful because of their huge appetite for foliage. A gypsy moth caterpillar can eat a square yard of leaf surface before it goes through metamorphosis into an adult moth. When gypsy moths get established in new areas, their populations increase to enormous numbers, and damage to trees often is severe.
The moths are too well established in the United States to ever be eliminated entirely, and forestry officials say it is only a matter of time until they reach Missouri However, citizens can prevent the pests from becoming established in the Show-Me State by inspecting their belongings before returning home from trips to gypsy-moth infested areas. Preventing a gypsy moth infestation is vital to protecting Missouri's forests.
Missouri Department of Conservation Entomologist Robert Lawrence says our state forests are particularly vulnerable to gypsy moths. "Oak trees are the gypsy moth caterpillar's favorite food," says Lawrence. "Many of Missouri's forests are dominated by oak trees. We would likely see high oak tree mortality, which could change the composition of our forests, cause food shortages and habitat loss for wildlife and create increase fire hazards."
The insects also pose a potential health risk to humans. At epidemic levels the caterpillars create large amounts of waste that can contaminate water sources. Also, hairs from the caterpillars cause problems for allergy sufferers.
A gypsy moth outbreak in northwestern Arkansas in 1992 demonstrated how quickly an undetected infestation can develop and how important it is for citizens to be vigilant. By the time the Arkansas Forestry Commission found the gypsy moth outbreak 80 miles south of Springfield, the destructive pests' egg masses were spread over an area of 60 to 80 acres. One windy day could have blown hatching larvae over tens of thousands of acres, making the outbreak extremely difficult and expensive to contain. Only quick action, including a quarantine and biological controls, made it possible to extinguish the gypsy moth hot spot.
"At that time, Arkansas wasn't trapping as intensively as we do now to detect isolated gypsy moth populations," says Lawrence. "With vigilance we can keep ahead of these outbreaks outside the main population that is moving toward Missouri from the east and prolong the time before gypsy moths become permanently established here. Every year we can buy is worth millions of dollars in forest products, recreation, tourism and homeowners' costs of removing and replanting trees."
Citizens are in a position to make or break Missouri's gypsy moth control efforts. When vacationing out of state in July and August, travelers should be on the lookout for gypsy moth egg masses. Gypsy moths lay eggs on anything in their path during these prime vacationing months.
Travelers to Chicago and the northeastern and north-central United States should inspect all items that have been outdoors for velvety, sandy brown masses .75 to 1.5 inches in diameter. Any that are found should be scraped off before returning home.
Those finding egg masses after returning to Missouri should contact the nearest Conservation Department office or call the Missouri Department of Agriculture Plant Industries Division at 573/751-5505.
The Missouri departments of Conservation and Agriculture, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the University of Missouri cooperate to set more than 10,000 traps each year to detect the presence of gypsy moths in the Show-Me State. The traps, which contain a chemical that mimics female moths' sexual attractant, are designed to capture males. Egg-laden females can't fly.
The traps are not intended to control gypsy moth numbers but to detect infestations. They are placed across the state, especially in areas with high risk of infestation, such as state parks and popular tourist destinations.
The first gypsy moth was captured in Missouri in 1974. Gypsy moths accidentally transported into the state have been trapped every year since 1980. Last year 13 moths turned up in Missouri traps.
- Arleasha Mays -
Dozens of events over a three-month period will focus attention on grasslands.
JEFFERSON CITY--Living history programs and tours of prairie lands at Dunn Ranch Prairie Preserve are just a few of the attractions to be featured at the kickoff of the Missouri
rasslands Coalition's three-month Lek Trek July 22.
The public is invited to come and see Indian dancing, listen to live music, take a wagon ride and hear spellbinding tales of pioneer life from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. at The Nature Conservancy's Dunn Ranch prairie preserve. The site is 6.4 miles west of Eagleville on Highway M near the Missouri/Iowa border.
The Lek Trek is a combination fundraiser and public awareness campaign for Missouri's grasslands. Trekkers supported by individual and corporate sponsors will hike along sections of the 565-mile route through western Missouri. Along the way they will pass numerous "leks" flat, open areas where prairie-chickens perform their spring mating dance. The Grasslands Coalition selected the greater prairie-chicken as the Lek Trek mascot because the large, colorful birds are unique to prairie areas. The prairie-chicken now survives on only a fraction of the range it once inhabited in Missouri. It is one of hundreds of plants and animals that depend on native grasslands for survival.
On Sept. 23, a second group of Lek Trekkers will begin a northward hike from the Arkansas Border near Southwest City. The two groups will rendezvous Oct. 14 at Prairie State Park near Lamar. In between, trekkers and those who attend public events will experience some of Missouri's best remaining prairies, learn about prairie ecology from experts and take part in activities that highlight the value of grasslands.
The Lek Trek will cover a different segment of the trail each week. One day of each week usually a Saturday the public will be invited to join in a 3- to 5-mile public walk, finishing at the site of a special event. Another day each week will be set aside as a "Learner Day," when naturalists share prairie lore with hikers, school classes and Scout and conservation groups. Some Learner Days are reserved for school groups. On others, the public is welcome to join Grasslands Coalition biologists and learn about prairie life.
To learn more, visit the Lek Trek web site at www.lektrek.org, or contact the Lek Trek office, 315 Lawrence St., Kansas City, MO 64111, phone 816/561-8735. You can send questions or comments by e-mail to goughs@mail.conservation.state.mo.us or Lintecum.michael@worldnet.att.net.
Local Lek Trek events are open to the public. These will include nature walks, living history characters, prairie tours, wagon rides, live music and dancing, food and activities for all ages. Call the contact numbers below for information about each event.
--Dunn Ranch, July 22, 660/867-3866, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
--Eagleville, July 24, 816/561-8735
--Bethany, July 29, 660/425-6358 or 425-6628, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
--Trenton, Aug. 4-5, 816/675-2205, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
--Chillicothe, Aug. 12, 660/646-6122
--Lexington, Aug. 18-19, 660/259-4654
--Blue Springs, Aug. 26, 816/228-3766, walk 5 p.m., event 7 p.m.
--Knob Noster, Sept. 2, 660/563-2463 or 563-2939, 10 a.m.
--Cole Camp, Sept. 8-9, 417/533-9301
--Clinton, Sept. 16, 660/885-8166, 9 a.m.
--Taberville, Sept. 23, 660/885-6981
--El Dorado Springs, Sept. 30 417/876-5226, 10 a.m.
--George Washington Carver National Monument, Sept. 30, 417/325-4151 or 358-5801, 9 a.m.
--Nevada, Oct. 7, 417/876-5226, walk 9 a.m., event noon\--Joplin, Oct. 7, 417/623-1180 or 623-2341, walk 9 a.m., event 1 p.m.
--Prairie State Park, Oct. 14, 417/843-6711. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Learner Day schedule:
July 27 Grand Trace, 660/726-3746
Aug. 2 Helton C.A., 660/726-3746
Aug. 29 Powell Gardens, 816/697-2600
Aug. 31 Warrensburg, Sharron Gough, 417/876-5226
Sept. 5 Green Ridge (Katy Trail), Kathy Cooper, 417/533-9301
Sept. 14 Calhoun (Katy Trail), 660/885-5652 or 660/885-8642
Sept. 19 La Due (Sharp Brothers Seed), 660/693-4666
Sept. 22 *Taberville Prairie, 660/885-6981
Sept. 27 *Seneca Schools, 417/325-4151
Sept. 28 *El Dorado Springs, 417/876-5226
Oct. 1 Shawnee Trail C.A., 417/681-1094
Oct. 4 *Diamond Grove Prairie, 417/681-1094
Oct. 5 Camp Clark, 573/884-6861 ext. 3225
Oct. 11 Bushwhacker C.A., 417/681-1094
Oct. 12 Comstock Prairie, 417/681-1094
If you are unable to obtain information from any of these numbers, call 417/876-5226.
* for school groups only
- Jim Low -
Adding ice to live wells can help keep fish in shape for catch-and-release.
JEFFERSON CITY--Missouri, once an angler reduces a fish to possession by putting it on a stringer or in a live well in a boat, he cannot exchange it later for a larger fish. The only exception to this Conservation Department regulation is during black bass tournaments. Bass handled properly can be kept alive and healthy, weighed or measured by tournament organizers and then released in good shape.
Exchanging fish caught earlier in a fishing tournament for larger catches later in the day is commonly known as "culling." The Wildlife Code, Missouri's Bible of hunting, fishing and trapping regulations, notes, however, that even bass tournament culling is prohibited during July and August, when air and water temperatures are high enough to be lethal to fish held in boat live wells.
In a study by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, 28 percent of bass caught during summer tournaments died within six days of their release. Tournament contestants don't want to kill these fish, but many simply aren't knowledgeable enough to keep their fish in good shape.
In hot weather, bass kept in a live well can suffer from water that is too warm, too low in oxygen and too high in ammonia. Anglers who keep fish in live wells need to be vigilant in keeping the temperature in the livewell suitable for fish. Water at the surface of a lake can be significantly warmer than in deeper water where most fish are caught. For a fish put into a live well, a difference of 5 degrees can be stressful, and a difference of 8 degrees can be lethal. Hence, live well water taken from the surface of a lake may be too warm for a fish pulled from deeper water.
In moderate weather, when the water temperature is below 75 degrees, you can keep fish in a live well in good shape simply by adding fresh water. But in hot weather, adding ice is almost mandatory. You can make your own block ice for live well use by freezing water in milk jugs or in two-liter soda bottles.
When water surface temperatures are higher than 85 degrees, adding ice will reduce the water temperature in a live well by as much as 10 degrees. Block ice works better than cube ice because it cools the water more evenly and lasts longer. One 8 pound block will cool a 30-gallon livewell for about three hours. Water should be recirculated in the live well through the aerator rather than pumped in from surface water.
Fish should not be cooled too much, either. In a catch-and-release tournament they will be returned to the lake water; if they are too cool, they will suffer heat shock.
To keep the oxygen in a live well at a high enough level to keep fish healthy, Oklahoma researchers suggest you "Fill your live well as soon as you launch your boat and turn on the aerator to build up dissolved oxygen levels. Run your aerator continuously, no matter what time of year. Fish confined in live wells use oxygen faster than an aerator can replace it." At least half of the water in a live well should be replaced several times during the day. This will remove ammonia from the tank.
They also note that the "ultimate fish care system involves the use of pure oxygen supplied from a pressurized cylinder through a bubble hose in the live well.," This system can reduce fish mortality from 10 to 20 percent even on the hottest days.
Many non-tournament anglers also release fish rather than keeping them to eat. The Conservation Department suggests that, for catch-and-release fishing, you remove your hook or lure from the fish's mouth without removing the fish from the water when possible. This avoids excess handling of fish.
Other tips include removing the barbs from your hooks by pinching them flat with pliers or filing them off, and never putting your fingers in the gills or eye sockets of a fish. If a fish has a hook deep in its throat, cut the line and release it rather than trying to remove the hook. The flesh around the hook will eventually die back, and the hook will fall out. If you must handle a fish to remove the hook, avoid squeezing or dropping it. Holding a fish upside-down will often quiet it long enough for you to remove your hook.
- Jim Auckley -
The Conservation Department is using reintroduction efforts and surveys to keep healthy populations of plants and wildlife a part of life in Missouri.
JEFFERSON CITYIn a continuing effort to ensure wildlife diversity, the Missouri Department of Conservation publishes an annual biodiversity activities report. The most recent issue of the report documents 1999 efforts to sustain the wide variety of plants and animals that make up Missouri's natural communities.
The annual Biodiversity Activities Report notes that there were 47 successful bald eagle nests in Missouri in 1999, fledging 80 to 90 young. Missouri has experienced a dramatic increase in bald eagle production since 1984, when there were no known productive nests in the state. Last year saw 18 newly productive nests in the state; many of them were associated with Truman Reservoir. Bald eagles seem to be rebounding after the ban on the use of the chemical DDT, which appeared to cause thinning of egg shells in eagles and other birds.
Missouri has one of the highest wintering concentrations of bald eagles in the contiguous 48 states. The report documents a total of 2,363 bald eagles spotted during a count conducted in early January. This is not a record; a mild winter may have held eagles in states to the north in 1999.
In contrast to bald eagles, Missouri's prairie chickens continue to struggle. In 1998 the Conservation Department conducted a statewide census of prairie chickens on booming grounds. The census is repeated every five years. Excluding attempts at reintroductions of birds on certain sites, numbers produced by the census have been discouraging.
In 1988, the Conservation Department counted 1,400 male prairie chickens statewide. In 1993, the agency counted 1,045, but in 1998 could find only 370 birds at the same sites. A statewide census in 1999 showed similar numbers of birds as in 1998.
On a brighter note, prairie chickens reintroduced to northern Missouri continue to do well. The Conservation Department counted 53 males on booming grounds in Harrison County and 58 in Sullivan County. The agency made an additional release of 94 birds in Harrison County after the surveys were completed.
Another bird, the interior least tern, is a species of concern in Missouri. The birds frequently nest on sand islands in the lower Mississippi River. These islands often are disturbed by shipping channel maintenance or recreational use of the islands. The Conservation Department surveys the numbers of nests on these islands, using the information to negotiate for the maintenance or creation of habitat diversity with the Mississippi River basin during annual negotiations with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
The 1999 survey occurred June 14 through 17. The report notes that "the Mississippi River gauge at Caruthersville read 22 feet on June 16, 1999. Least terns nested on ten islands in 1999. A total of 968 tern nests were located. The greatest number of nests located on an island was 347. The smallest colony contained nine nests. The number of nests located in 1999 is similar to the number located in 1996 and 1998."
Missouri's biological "capital" consists of plants as well as animals. One Conservation Department study involves the annual monitoring of a small plant called geocarpon. The study site is a sandstone glade near Stockton Lake. The goal is to document annual fluctuations in numbers of geocarpon plants and to assess some other factors that might help assure the future of the species. On April 9, 1999, researchers found 2,897 plants in the 13 permanent plots, the largest total since this monitoring began.
The blind Ozark cavefish is one of Missouri's most interesting creatures. This small, white fish lives in the darkness of the streams in caves, mostly in southwestern Missouri. The Conservation Department is working to restore populations of the fish to specified levels in nine caves in Missouri, Arkansas and Oklahoma. It also is working to protect important components of the water recharge areas of these caves.
Areas that harbor cavefish sometimes called ghost fish are receiving more focused attention through work with private landowners. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Conservation Department approved incentive funding for a joint Partners for Wildlife project focusing on protection and recovery of Ozark cavefish on private land. "Through this program," the report says, "landowners will be eligible for cost-share funding at rates up to 95 percent to implement land-use practices to enhance and protect Ozark cavefish habitats."
Even insects get attention under the Conservation Department's program to protect biological diversity. One survey includes butterfly counts at the Conservation Department's Powder Valley Nature Center in St. Louis County. The report notes that, "Beginning in September 1995, counts have been conducted with the objective of determining which species of butterflies are present at Powder Valley and Emmenegger Park. A secondary objective of the counts is to gather data that would document the increase or decrease of butterfly populations and diversity."
The Conservation Department conducts the counts along a 2-mile route for about two hours so that information from one site or year can be compared to another. "Time, weather conditions and blooming plant species are also noted," the report says. "During 1999, three surveys showed 31 species and 178 individual butterflies. The 1998 count summary for four counts was 32 species and 425 individual butterflies."
- Jim Auckley -
Taking away foods that can attract black bears to
your home will keep you and the bears out of harms way.
JEFFERSON CITY--The contents of your bird feeder may be as attractive to black bears as it is to birds. One good meal at a feeder can be all it takes to make a bear add your yard to its foraging grounds. To prevent bears from searching for food in populated areas, the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) advises homeowners in areas inhabited by bears to forgo bird feeding from now through November.
Without enticements there is very little risk of bears foraging near your home. Missouri has a small bear population about 300 mostly in the east-central Ozarks and southwestern corner of the state. Forests in those areas supply the food bears need to survive and enough space to steer clear of people. Bears are naturally afraid of humans and in most cases avoid them. However, the prospects of regularly supplied meals can make some bears ignore their fear of humans.
Bears spend most of the summer and fall building fat reserves that enable them to survive winter hibernation. They need foods that are high in nutrition and quantity and obtained with very little expenditure of energy. Well-stocked bird feeders meet those requirements. Especially, says Wildlife Research Biologist Dave Hamilton, feeders containing the sunflower seeds.
"The black oil-type sunflower seeds have proven to be an excellent source of nutrition for bears," says Hamilton."In some cases it's more nutritious than what they normally eat. Bears are very easily habituated to human feeding. A lot of problems can occur when bears are conditioned to expect food from humans. It's up to us to prevent those problems by removing anything that can attract bears to our homes."
Hamilton recommends the following measures to avoid bear problems.
--Take down, clean and put away bird feeders, and clean up any seeds that may have fallen to the ground.
--Feed dogs and cats indoors. If you must feed them outdoors, clean up spilled food and place food dishes inside after each meal.
--Store pet food in airtight containers in locked storage areas.
--Clean up outdoor grills after each use and store them indoors.
--Put garbage out the morning of collection. Double bagging and use of ammonia will reduce odors that can attract bears.
--Do not place meat or sweet food scraps in your compost pile.
--Never intentionally feed bears.
Campers also should be watchful this time of year, because bears sometimes learn to associate campgrounds with an easy meal. Rules for bear-safe camping include never cooking, eating or storing food in tents or sleeping areas and keeping food locked inside vehicles when not in use. If a bear enters your campsite, get inside your vehicle and stay there.
If a bear wanders into your yard while you are outside, make your presence known by making lots of noise and get inside as quickly as possible.
"There's an old saying that 'a fed bear is a dead bear,'" says Hamilton. "Bears that lose their natural fear of humans can become aggressive. At that point they are a danger to property and in rare cases to people. Almost always when that happens the only solution to the problem is killing the bear."
Missourians who suspect a bear is foraging at, or near their homes should call the nearest Conservation Department office.
- Arleasha Mays -
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