October 2003

Regulation changes could boost Missouri's deer harvest

Changes in this year's deer regulations make it easier and less expensive than ever to put venison in the freezer. (Missouri Dept. of Conservation photo)

Cheaper, more plentiful antlerless-only permits take the cap off the number of deer a hunter can take home in most of the state.

JEFFERSON CITY--Plenty of deer, 34 hunting days and unlimited bonus permits in most of the state could add up to another record-breaking firearms deer season for Missouri.

Or not.

The number of deer killed during Missouri's five-part deer season always depends heavily on weather. Cool weather encourages deer to move around, making them more visible to hunters. On the other hand, weather that's too cold or rainy keeps hunters indoors, decreasing the annual harvest. Still, Resource Scientist Lonnie Hansen says that with average to good hunting conditions Missouri's 425,000 deer hunters stand a good chance of topping last year's record harvest of 247,792.

Hansen, who works at the Missouri Department of Conservation Resource Science Center in Columbia, estimated the state's deer herd at just over 1 million. He said deer numbers are down slightly in north-central and northwestern Missouri, but deer still are plentiful there. Deer numbers have grown in the Ozarks and in west-central Missouri in recent years, but the increase has been small. Deer numbers are stable in the rest of the state, with the exception of some metropolitan areas, where they continue to increase.

To help local officials in metropolitan areas control deer numbers, the Conservation Commission instituted a new, two-day urban portion of firearms deer season. On Oct. 25 and 26, hunters using historic weapons--bows, crossbows and muzzle-loading rifles--were allowed to take antlerless deer only in units 58 and 59 in the Kansas City and St. Louis areas, respectively.

Missouri's two-day youth portion of deer season continues on Nov. 1 and 2 this year, giving Missouri residents age 15 and younger an early opportunity to take one deer of either sex. Last year they bagged 7,580 deer.

This year's firearms deer hunting main event remains 11 days long, running from Nov. 15 through Nov. 25. Muzzleloader season is a week earlier and a day longer this year, running from Nov. 28 through Dec. 7. The antlerless-only deer season also comes earlier this year, and it is four days longer than in the past, running from Dec. 13 through Dec. 21. These seasons were shifted forward on the calendar to reduce the likelihood that deer taken in the antlerless-only season will be bucks that have shed their antlers.

Hunters will find it much easier to get various deer hunting permits this year. First-Bonus Deer Permits, which allow holders to take antlerless deer, are available to every hunter in 49 out of 58 management units, three more than last year. Second-Bonus Permits (also for antlerless deer only) were available in 29 units last year. They are available in 38 units this year.

In the past, you could get only one first- and one second-bonus permit. This year, there is no limit on the number of second-bonus permits a hunter can buy in the units where they are available, and you can buy bonus permits for as many units as you want. This effectively removes the cap on the number of deer a hunter can take each year.

There are other liberalizations too. People who hunt on their own land of five acres or more have always been able to shoot one deer without buying a permit and tag it with a hand-written tag bearing their name and address. In the past, they were restricted to shooting antlered deer only on such "farm tags." This year, they will be able to take one deer of either sex.

Unlike past years, hunters can go straight for bonus permits without first having to buy the more expensive bucks-only or any-deer permits. The price of Resident First-Bonus Permits dropped from $11 to $7. Nonresident First-Bonus and Second-Bonus Deer Permits dropped from $75 and $50, respectively, to $7. These changes make shooting antlerless deer easier and more attractive than ever.

All these liberalizations are aimed at increasing the effectiveness of hunting as a tool for managing deer populations around the state. The urban portion of deer season gives local governments a way to reduce deer numbers where damage from browsing and deer-vehicle accidents are problems.

Hansen said he expects hunters to buy more bonus permits this year, and this could lead to a modest increase in the number of deer killed.

"I don't expect anything dramatic," said Hansen. "Many hunters prefer to shoot bucks rather than does, and very few hunters want to shoot more than two deer." He said approximately 40 percent of firearms hunters take at least one deer, but in the past only about 9 percent of hunters (39,600) have taken advantage of bonus tags to take a second deer.

Bottom line -- Hansen thinks that with favorable weather hunters could shoot more deer this year than ever before. However, he doubts it will be many more. "Nothing has changed that much," he said. "We still have about the same number of deer, and we haven't drastically changed regulations. Aside from weather, hunter behavior is the biggest factor determining deer harvest. Although we have made it easier and cheaper to shoot does, that doesn't change the traditional attitude toward hunting for horns. Even though we are in a position today to harvest many more does than in the past, hunter behavior hasn't caught up with that fact yet."

Hansen said acorn production by oak trees in the Ozarks is good this year. That means deer will be able to find their favorite food almost anywhere. It means deer distribution will be more random than in years when acorn production is poor and deer gather around pockets of acorn abundance.

Hansen said he does not expect drought conditions in the northern half of the state to affect either deer population or harvest significantly.

Where should you hunt for the best chance of success? One answer can be found in deer harvest numbers. Missouri's top deer harvest counties in terms of deer harvested per square mile are: Pike, 8.255; Hickory, 7.736; Howard, 7.658; Benton, 7.577; Boone, 7.502; St. Clair, 7.464; Cedar, 7.023; Osage, 6.987; Gasconade, 6.685; and Montgomery, 6.545. Statewide, the average county deer kill per square mile was 3.976.

- Jim Low -

Birds' life histories available for the price of a stamp

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will send you information about the life story of banded ducks and geese if you report the band number.

JEFFERSON CITY - Waterfowl hunters who are lucky enough to shoot ducks or geese wearing leg bands proudly display the trophies on duck call lanyards. But did you know that wearing a leg band without reporting it defeats the purpose of banding? Did you know that by reporting the band number you can learn the bird's story?

Banding is one of wildlife biologists' most important tools for learning about waterfowl numbers, distribution, lifespan and behavior. It is, however, a little like casting bread on the water hoping it will come back to you.

Each year state and federal officials across Canada and the United States put leg bands on thousands of ducks and geese captured in net traps, then release the birds. For the vast majority of the banded birds, that's the last that's ever heard of them. They die of natural causes or are eaten by predators or killed by cold or disease. But every year a small percentage of marked birds are taken by hunters.

"That's when the payoff comes," said Resource Scientist Dave Graber, a waterfowl specialist with the Missouri Department of Conservation. "If the hunter reads the inscription etched on the band and reports it, that bird becomes a data point in a vast collection of information. Over the years, those data points accumulate and we get a clearer picture of where birds go, when they go there, how long they live and how many there are."

Without leg band reports, Graber and other waterfowl managers would find it much more difficult to set hunting seasons and bag limits, plan habitat restoration and preservation programs and ensure that troubled waterfowl species, such as pintail, canvasback and lesser scaup, survive.

To repay hunters who report band information, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service sends them information about where and when the bird was banded.

Every band bears a unique serial number and information about how to report its recovery. Reporting can be done by calling 800/327-2263. You can also write to Bird Banding Laboratory, 12100 Beech Forest Road, Suite 4037, Laurel, MD 20708-4037 or report online at www.pwrc.usgs.gov/bbl/ .

The Web site also has information about the history of bird banding, types of bands and the uses of bird-band data.

- Jim Low -

Fall turkey harvest down from last year

Hunters bagged 3,195 fewer turkeys during the fall firearms season.

JEFFERSON CITY--Hunters bagged 11,292 wild turkeys during Missouri's two-week fall firearms turkey season, falling 3,195 short of the 2002 fall harvest.

The 2003 fall harvest included 5,450 adult birds and 5,842 juveniles. High counties were Laclede with 314, Wright with 232 and St. Clair with 224. Regional harvest totals were: Northwest, 2,275; Northeast, 1,863; Southwest, 1,589; Kansas City, 1,582; Central, 1,353; Ozark, 1,323; Southeast, 700 and St. Louis, 607.

Fall turkey season opened Oct. 13 and ran through Oct. 26.

- Jim Low -

Unlucky tree stand users reveal secrets of failure

Hunters should wear safety harnesses while climbing into and out of tree stands, not just when sitting in stands. (Missouri Dept. of Conservation photo)

Carelessness, not equipment failure, is at the heart of most accidents.

JEFFERSON CITY--Each fall, hunters in Missouri and across the nation suffer injuries in falls from tree stands. A few die or are permanently disabled. To find out how such accidents happen, the International Hunter Education Association (IHEA) went to the ultimate experts--hunters who have taken spills from tree stands. Their answers could help other hunters stay safe.

Responsive Management of Harrisonburg, Va., conducted the telephone survey of 1,056 hunters in Vermont and North Carolina. One in seven hunters surveyed said they had fallen from tree stands. The average age of hunters who had falls was 33 years.

About half of the 78 hunters who reported falls were bowhunters and about half were gun hunters. A large majority (79 percent) were careful enough to use a rope to get their hunting equipment up to their stands. This is the method recommended by hunter education instructors. However, 16 percent of hunters who had falls said they carried their gear on their backs and 3 percent carried it in their hands, the worst possible ways to do it.

The difficulty of climbing with weight on their back or in their hands may have contributed to falls that occurred when hunters were climbing up to or down from tree stands. These falls accounted for three-quarters of the total number. Not one hunter reported falling from a tree stand while shooting game.

Most hunters who had falls said their equipment was not to blame. Nearly half (43 percent) admitted to not having read the instructions that came with the commercially manufactured tree stands from which they fell.

Although only eight hunters reported injuries serious enough to require medical attention, the economic loss was significant. The average cost, including medical care, rehabilitation and lost wages, averaged $7,506.

One-quarter of the injuries occurred when the hunters hit the ground. Thirteen percent suffered injuries when they caught on steps while falling. Only 1 percent reported injuries from safety belts or harnesses.

Tree stand height was not significantly related to the severity of injuries. Carelessness and lack of sleep led the list of factors that hunters said contributed to their falls.

Rick Flint, hunter education program coordinator for the Missouri Department of Conservation, said all these facts emphasize what hunters learn in hunter education classes.

"It's a mistake to think that you're safe because your tree stand isn't 20 feet off the ground," said Flint. "Falling five feet can cause severe injuries if you land wrong or fall on a sharp object or a stump."

Flint noted that while 80 percent of those surveyed said they were somewhat concerned or very concerned about tree stand safety, 79 percent also said they thought they were not at all likely to fall from a tree stand in the next two years.

"Wearing a safety harness is important to reduce injuries if you fall," said Flint, "but the best thing that tree stand users can do to protect themselves from falls is believe it can happen to them and take every precaution to prevent it."

Hunters who use tree stands should take the following precautions to protect themselves:
* Tell a reliable person where you will hunt and when you will return.
* Wear a safety harness while climbing up to or down from a stand, not just when on the stand.
* Use a harness that distributes your weight around your torso. Single-strap belts can cause spinal or internal injury when the wearer's weight suddenly jerks tight. Furthermore, the pressure from a single strap on the abdomen or chest can cause rapid loss of consciousness.
* Keep yourself on a short leash. Eight inches to a foot usually is plenty. Never leave more than two feet of slack in your safety belt. Falling farther than this causes severe impact when the belt finally snaps taut.
* Inspect your stand before each use. On climbing stands, look for loose bolts or nuts, slick gripping surfaces, cracked or bent metal and worn chains, cables or straps. Check permanent stands for loose steps, rotten wood and exposed nails or screws.
* Practice with your stand at ground level until you are skilled at using it.
* Choose the location for your stand carefully. Avoid trees with hollow trunks or rotten branches that could fall on you.
* Remove twigs and branches that make it difficult to get in and out of your stand.
* Check the sturdiness of your stand each time you climb into it. Hold onto the tree trunk while slowly transferring your weight to the stand. While still hugging the tree, bounce lightly up and down to check for secure mounting.
* Always use a safety chain with climbing-type stands.
* Climb down from your stand before you grow sleepy or the weather turns bad. Drowsiness, wind, rain, sleet or snow increases the danger of falling.
* Don't climb with equipment in your hands. Instead, use a rope to haul items into the stand after you are securely positioned.
* Don't leave equipment on the ground directly under you while climbing. You could fall on an arrow or other item, worsening injury from the fall.
* Carry survival gear including food, water, a whistle to signal for help, a reflective foil blanket and matches.

- Jim Low -

What Missouri anglers don't know could hurt them

Liberated bait can have devastating effects on fish populations.

ST. CHARLES, Mo. – Missouri is under attack by aliens bent on destruction. Luckily, some Missourians are alert, ready to report alien landings to the Missouri Department of Conservation.

The Conservation Department?

That's right. The Conservation Department is on the front lines of the battle to protect the Show-Me State from aliens--alien wildlife species that is. Don't bother looking for these aliens at Area 51 in New Mexico. Try the nearest bait shop. That's where one vigilant Missourian spotted a rusty crayfish.

Instead of panicking and running for his life, the sentinel called Resource Scientist Bob DiStefano at the Resource Science Center in Columbia. He traced the dreaded critter to a bait company in Monroe County.

"The person who called us knew what a rusty crayfish looks like and he knew it was potential trouble for Missouri," said DiStefano. "We really appreciated his quick action."

Rusty crayfish (Orconectes rusticus) are bad news because they are what scientists call "invasive." Removed from their original areas, without normal population controls such as diseases, parasites and specialized predators, invasive exotics can run rampant. That has been true of the rusty crayfish in other areas.

The medium-sized crayfish originally was found only in the Ohio River Basin. In recent years, however, the species has turned up in lakes or streams in 18 other states and Canada. Outside its original range, it has caused a variety of ecological problems.

One problem is the rusty's appetite for fresh-water snails and mussels. In some areas, it has decimated native frogs, plants and crustaceans, undermining the natural food chain. In extreme cases, it has caused numbers of popular sport fish species to crash.

Another common result when rusty crayfish invade new areas is the elimination of other crayfish species through competition. This reduces biological diversity.

"This is not a problem we need," said DiStefano. "Sport fish are the basis for a big chunk of Missouri's tourism industry. And while losing biological diversity may not have any immediately noticeable economic effects, it eventually takes a toll. Biological systems that lack diversity are more susceptible to ecological disasters. You can't undermine the integrity of Missouri's aquatic ecosystem without paying a price eventually. We are very serious about keeping the rusty crayfish and other exotic species out of Missouri."

One tool the Conservation Department uses to keep the rusty crayfish and other unwanted animals where they belong is the Approved Aquatic Species List. It is illegal for fish farms and bait producers to sell species that aren't on the list. But enforcing such rules is difficult.

"The bait wholesaler who sold the rusty crayfish to the St. Charles bait shop did not know they were doing wrong," said DiStefano, "and we don't think the bait shop knew either. The bait wholesaler has been very cooperative with us, and I am convinced that he really wants to do the right thing. He fully recognizes that if he helps introduce a potentially dangerous exotic crayfish to Missouri waters, he could be hurting his own livelihood and the fishing that he loves."

Another example of exotic species invading Missouri is the dramatic increase of Asian carp species. No one knows yet what burgeoning numbers of silver and bighead carp in the Missouri and Mississippi rivers will do to native fish, such as the ever-popular flathead, blue and channel catfish. The hefty carp already have affected boaters on the river, who must be extra careful to avoid being injured when the Asian carp make spectacular, airborne jumps to escape approaching water craft.

Asian carp have entered Missouri from a variety of sources. Rusty crayfish usually are spread by anglers who buy them in one area and bring left-over bait back home with them. DiStefano said this makes anglers a critical link in the effort to keep the crayfish out of the state.

"I know it seems wasteful to destroy crayfish at the end of a fishing trip," he said, "but emptying your bait bucket into the lake or stream can have disastrous results. The same goes for minnows, worms and other commercial bait. "If you don't know where it came from originally, there's a chance it is an invasive exotic. Better to be safe and put them in your trash for a trip to the landfill."

Wisconsin has experienced such serious damage from exotic crayfish that it has banned the use of live crayfish as bait. Arizona won't even allow crayfish to be transported through the state. Some fisheries professionals are calling for a national ban on the use of crayfish as bait.

"I don't know if it will come to that in Missouri," said DiStefano. "I hope not. Anglers can help by destroying unused crayfish after each trip."

- Jim Low -

Hunter education grads continue learning in Hunter Skills University

Hunter Skills University gives mid-Missouri youths a chance to practice what they learn in hunter education classes. (Missouri Dept. of Conservation photo)

Even adults get caught up in the excitement of a youth's first hunt.

JEFFERSON CITY--The smells of frost, wet Labrador retriever and coffee mingled in 12-year-old Harrison Boyer's nostrils as he lay snug inside his layout boat just before dawn. It was 6:45, minutes before the start of the 2002 youth duck season. Boyer's senses were humming.

Too excited to sleep, the Wardsville resident had awoke on his own at 3:30 a.m. When alarm clocks began sounding 10 minutes later, he was already slipping into insulated clothes for the morning hunt. He and fellow hunters Charlie Bass, 14, of Columbia, and Chris Skahan, 13, of Jefferson City, shoveled down a hearty breakfast in the equipment shed at Charles W. Green Conservation Area (CA), where they had bunked for the night. Then they made the short drive to Eagle Bluffs CA, south of Columbia.

The full moon was setting as they hauled boats and gear from trucks and set out decoys. Now, with ducks stirring in the marshes around them and the eastern sky brightening, the three shivered with excitement.

Adult chaperones and guides huddled behind willow trees nearby, savoring the moment and anticipating the excitement the boys were about to experience.

Gray shapes of ducks fluttered over the bobbing decoys, but no one moved. Then the hunt leader announced that shooting time arrived. Moments later two green-winged teal swooped into the decoys, barely above the water.

"Take 'em!" the hunt master called, and the boys unleashed a volley of shotgun blasts. The ducks, startled but apparently unharmed, swerved upwind and were gone as swiftly as they had come.

The three young hunters experienced many more exciting flurries of activity before the hunt ended around 9:30 a.m. Their game bags weren't bulging, but they left their first duck hunt laden with memories

Boyer, Bass and Skahan were among eight youngsters who participated in the first-ever Hunter Skills University (HSU). The program is the brainchild of two Missouri Department of Conservation employees, Outdoor Skills Specialist Brian Flowers in the agency's Protection Division and Central Region Outreach and Education Supervisor Jeff Cockerham in the Outreach and Education Division.

"I thought there was a need for an advanced hunter education program," Flowers said. "I approached Jeff with the idea, and we sat down and hammered out the details and came up with the name 'Hunting Skills University.'"

"Hunter education classes get kids fired up about hunting," Cockerham said. "They get a solid grounding in how to be safe, ethical hunters, but after that they're kind of on their own. If they don't come from families with strong hunting traditions, the next step can be tough. I thought it would be good to start a program to take them take that next step"

Flowers and Cockerham landed a $2,900 grant from the National Rifle Association (NRA) to pay for supplies and equipment. With additional help from the Missouri Waterfowl Association, the National Wild Turkey Federation, the Missouri Hunter Education Instructors Association and other groups, HSU was off and running.

They launched the program with a squirrel hunt and workshop in Cole County last October. A few weeks after the duck hunt, boys ages 11 to 15 gathered at Green CA for a deer hunt/workshop. Later came a goose hunt on a Missouri River sandbar, a rabbit hunt at Rocky Fork Lakes CA, and a pheasant and quail hunt at Turkey Creek Outfitters near Laclede. A spring turkey hunt and clinic the following spring capped the first year's schedule.

HSU accepts applications from youths age 11 through 15 who complete hunter education courses in central Missouri. Each applicant writes an essay explaining why he or she wants to participate. Those who are accepted get detailed instruction on the biology, identification, hunting techniques, equipment, safety, ethics and conservation related to a particular kind of hunting. Guides provide individual supervision and instruction for youngsters during hunts. Participation by adult family members or friends is encouraged.

One unexpected discovery from the first year of HSU was that adult participants got just as excited as the young hunters.

"I know at least two parents decided to get back into hunting as a result of these events," Cockerham said. "They saw how excited their kids were, and it brought back memories of experiences from their own youth."

Flowers said maintaining a family hunting tradition takes effort, but it is one of the most powerful bonding rituals adults and youths can share.

"Learning to hunt is a rite of passage where you are inducted into adult responsibility by someone who cares enough to teach you these age-old skills," he said. "It is an authentic connection with nature that strikes a chord deep within us."

Cockerham and Flowers are touching that chord again this fall with an expanded Hunter Skills University program. If you want to get involved in HSU, or if you are interested in starting a similar program in your area, call 573/882-8388 and talk with Cockerham at ext. 230 or Flowers at ext. 288.

- Jim Low -

Youths can win cash in duck stamp contest

Winner also wins free trip to accept awards.

JEFFERSON CITY -- Young Missouri artists have a chance to reap cash and travel rewards by participating in a national art contest sponsored by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Artistic kids will be interested in the Fish and Wildlife Service's Federal Junior Duck Stamp Conservation and Design Program. The competition begins with state contests. The agency awards ribbons for first, second and third places, and honorable mentions in each of four age groups--K- 3, grades 4-6, grades 7-9, and grades 10-12. Everyone who enters gets a certificate.

The entry selected as best of show in each state advances to the national competition. The national winner receives $4,000 and a free trip to Washington D.C. with his or her art teacher and one parent to attend the adult Federal Duck Stamp Contest. The winning artwork is made into the Federal Junior Duck Stamp. The money raised from sales of this stamp goes for conservation awards and for scholarships for kids who enter the contest.

The winner of the entry placing 2nd receives $2,000 and $1,000 is awarded to the 3rd-place winner.

Big Muddy National Wildlife Refuge administers Missouri's Junior Duck Stamp contest. For entry packets or for more information about the contest, contact Tim Haller, 4200 New Haven Road, Columbia, MO 65201, 800/611-1826, or email. For more information about the Federal Junior Duck Stamp contest go to http://duckstamps.fws.gov and select "2004 Junior Duck Stamp Program" and download the contest entry regulations. The application deadline for the contest is March 15, 2004.

The Federal Junior Duck Stamp Conservation and Design Program is a dynamic arts curriculum designed to teach wetlands and waterfowl conservation to students in kindergarten through high school. This program incorporates scientific and wildlife management principles into a visual arts curriculum.

This non-traditional pairing of subjects brings new interest to both science and the arts. It crosses cultural, ethnic, social, and geographic boundaries to teach greater awareness of our nation's natural resources. This benefits not only ducks, but all migratory birds, including neotropical migratory songbirds, and hundreds of other plants and animals that depend on wetlands habitat for their survival.

The art competition requires an understanding of anatomy and environmental science and can be a valid barometer of a student's grasp of these topics. It also offers a way to express that knowledge outside the traditional science classroom. And for all students, it offers an opportunity to experience the beauty and diversity of wildlife.

Proceeds from the sale of Junior Duck Stamps (which cost $5) support conservation education by providing awards and scholarships for the students, teachers, and schools that participate in the program.

State agencies that sell Junior Duck Stamps may use their share of the proceeds for designated conservation purposes. For a free copy of the curriculum guide: duckstamps@fws.gov.

- Jim Low -

Arbor Day contest rewarding for students and schools

Cash and trip awarded for artwork that best illustrates benefits of trees.

JEFFERSON CITY -- The Missouri Department of Conservation and the Missouri Community Forestry Council are calling on all fifth-grade classrooms in Missouri to showcase their artistic talents by creating posters for the 2004 National Arbor Day Poster Contest.

The theme of the contest is "Trees are Terrific. Through the contest, students will learn about the importance of trees to the environment and how they can make a difference.

Each school's winning poster advances to the state competition. The state winner receives a $50 savings bond. What's more, the Conservation Department plants a 6- to 12-foot tree on the grounds of the winner's school. The winner also gets to attend Gov. Bob Holden's signing of the Missouri Arbor Day Proclamation at the State Capitol in Jefferson City and enter the national contest.

The deadline for state Arbor Day contest submissions is Feb. 13. Packets with contest information will be sent to all fifth-grade art teachers. Teachers will receive free curriculum materials, including in-depth lesson plans, hands-on activities and contest information. Any fifth-grade teacher can obtain a packet by contacting Donna Baldwin, P.O. Box 180, Jefferson City, MO 65102, Donna.Baldwin@mdc.mo.gov.

The national winner will be announced on National Arbor Day, April 30, 2004. The winner will receive a $1,000 savings bond. The winner's teacher will receive $200 for classroom materials.

- Jim Low -

Conservation officials hope second year of CWD tests will show same results as first

CWD Monitoring Sites at Deer Check Stations.

Entire heads not needed this year, but procedure will make taxidermy difficult.

JEFFERSON CITY -- Hunters in 30 counties around Missouri will be asked to take part in the second year of systematic testing for chronic wasting disease (CWD). Conservation officials say they hope they will again get all negative tests for the brain-wasting disease.

As last year, the Missouri Department of Conservation will try to gather samples from 200 deer in each of 30 counties. Participation will be voluntary. Unlike last year, this year's procedure won't require removing entire deer heads to obtain brain stem tissue. CWD researchers have developed a new, equally reliable test that uses retropharyngeal lymph nodes, which are located in the back of deer's throats.

Last year, hunters who wanted to participate in the testing but also wanted to hang their trophy antlers on the wall could choose to have the antlers and a skull plate sawed off the head before it was removed. Although heads from sampled animals will be left intact, the cuts that will be made in the skin just behind the jaw of each sampled deer still will interfere with trophy mounting.

This year's samples will be taken at check stations in the following counties: Audrain, Barry, Boone, Buchanan, Cass, Dallas, Daviess, Dent, Gentry, Grundy, Harrison, Knox, Lewis, Macon, Maries, Marion Mercer, Miller, Newton, Nodaway, Oregon, Osage, Ray, Saline, Scott, Ste. Genevieve, Stoddard, Washington, Webster and Worth. Samples will be taken during the opening weekend of firearms deer season in most counties.

Eric Kurzejeski, resource science supervisor for the Conservation Department in Columbia, said the Conservation Department still has no indication that CWD is present in Missouri but is taking no chances. During the firearms deer hunting season Nov. 15 through Nov. 25, the agency hopes to take tissue samples from 6,000 deer. During the 2004 firearms deer season they will collect samples from deer in counties not checked last year or this year.

Hunters who agree to let their deer be tested won't be delayed for long at check stations. "It should be much quicker than last year, and that only took about five minutes when we had to remove the heads."

Tissue samples from all the deer will be sent to a federal laboratory in Wyoming. Test results will be released as soon as all tests are complete. Last year's tests took nearly five months to complete, due to the large volume of samples from many states and limited laboratory capacity. "We hope to improve on that turn-around time this year," said Kurzejeski.

While there is no evidence that CWD can infect humans, hunters who take part in the testing will be contacted if the tests show CWD infection. "We were very pleased not to have to make any of those calls last year, and we're hoping this year will be the same."

Missouri hunters should be aware that Illinois has loosened restrictions on bringing deer and elk into that state, but there still are some restrictions. Kurzejeski said Illinois is allowing hunters to bring deer and elk hunted out of state back into Illinois so long as the carcasses are brought to a licensed meat processor or licensed taxidermist within 72 hours of entry into the state.

The rule amends an earlier prohibition on the transportation of hunter-harvested deer and elk carcasses into Illinois. Hunters also may bring boneless meat, antlers, antlers attached to skull caps, hides, upper canine teeth and finished taxidermy mounts into Illinois. Details of Illinois deer and elk importation rules are available online at http://dnr.state.il.us/pubaffairs/2002/CWD.htm.

CWD is a fatal neurological disease found in deer and elk. Kurzejeski emphasized that CWD is not considered a threat to human health or livestock. "The World Health Organization and the Missouri Department of Health agree there is no evidence that CWD infects humans or domestic livestock," he said. "This disease has been known for more than 30 years, and in all that time not one of the nation's 16 million deer and elk hunters has ever been known to get CWD. It hasn't affected livestock, either."

Kurzejeski said deer hunters should take common-sense measures when harvesting and handling deer. To begin with, he said, it makes sense not to shoot any deer that appears unhealthy. If you do shoot a deer that is acting strangely, report it to a conservation agent. He said it also makes sense to wear rubber gloves when field dressing or butchering wild game.

Missouri counties where deer were tested last year were Andrew, Bates, Bollinger, Caldwell, Callaway, Carroll, Chariton, Christian, Clark, Clay, Clinton, St. Francois, Franklin, Greene, Holt, Jasper, Jefferson, Johnson, Madison, Monroe, Pike, Platte, Ripley, St. Clair, St. Louis, Scotland, Sullivan, Taney, Texas, and Warren.

- Jim Low -

Hunters can learn from painful history or repeat it

Missouri's 2002 hunting accident reports point the way to safe days afield.

JEFFERSON CITY - "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."

Philosopher George Santayana probably wasn't thinking of hunting accidents when he penned that famous saying. However, Rick Flint, hunter education program coordinator for the Missouri Department of Conservation, says hunters would do well to heed the warning. Year after year, they make the same mistakes.

"If people could see how history repeats itself in our hunting accident reports and see first-hand the suffering those mistakes create, we could cut hunting accidents in half overnight."

Flint, who has been investigating hunting accidents for more than a decade, has seen his share of suffering. But you don't have to look any farther than last year's hunting accident summary to find the lessons hunters need to learn.

In 2002, the Conservation Department recorded 36 firearms-related hunting accidents. No one died in those accidents, but several people suffered serious or disabling injuries.

Nine of last year's accidents, exactly one-quarter of the total, were self-inflicted. You might think it would be difficult to shoot yourself unintentionally, but accident reports show a surprising variety of ways it can happen.

The first two accidents of 2002 were self-inflicted. On Jan. 6 of that year, a .45 cal. pistol fell from an unsecured holster of a 22-year-old Independence man who was hunting deer near Strasburg. Seeing that it had dirt in the barrel, he tried to clear the pistol and it discharged, piercing the palm of his left hand.

On Jan. 12, 2002, a 14-year-old St. James resident was hunting crows in Maries County. He put his 20 gauge shotgun down to cross a fallen tree. That was a wise move. But when his hunting companion handed him the loaded shotgun the young hunter grasped it by its barrel. Moments later, the gun discharged a load of No. 6 lead pellets into his right forearm.

On Oct. 3, 2002, a 32-year-old St. Joseph man was returning from bowhunting for deer in Buchanan County when he found a .25 cal. pistol along a railroad track. As he tried to clean mud off the pistol, it discharged into his left hand.

On Nov. 17, a 16-year-old Stafford resident climbed into her tree stand to hunt deer in Lawrence County. Her companion handed her a loaded .357 cal. lever-action rifle. She lost her grip on the rifle, and as it fell the exposed hammer struck her metal tree stand, causing the rifle to discharge. The bullet stuck her right forearm.

A lever-action rifle also figured in a Nov. 22, 2002, accident that involved a 24-year-old Keokuk, Iowa, man. He fell about 5 feet while climbing out of his tree stand with the loaded .30-30. Again, the rifle discharged, and the bullet struck the hunter's left leg below the knee. He was able to crawl to his vehicle, where his father found him.

As seen in these incidents, most hunting accidents are associated with the most popular types of hunting -- deer, rabbits and squirrels. That is predictable. More hunting means more hunting accidents, just as more automobile driving means more traffic accidents. However, turkey hunting accounts for a disproportionate number of accidents every year.

That is partly because turkey hunters do their best to become invisible while imitating the calls of their quarry. The majority of turkey hunting accidents fall into the category of "victim mistaken for game." Last year, eight of 11 turkey hunting accidents were of this kind.

Turkey hunters can take measures to avoid such accidents. Ultimately, though, mistaking another person for game is the shooter's fault. A case from April 28, 2002 makes this clear. A 39-year-old Belton man had finished hunting in Cass County and was walking back to his vehicle wearing a hunter-orange vest and with an orange vest thrown over one shoulder. He saw another hunter and waved. A few moments later the other hunter shot him.

The only thing the victim in this accident did wrong was to wave instead of shouting a greeting. Movement can be misinterpreted by a hunter who is intent on finding a turkey. Another case illustrates this fact.

On April 22, 2002, a 55-year-old Belton man was hunting on national forest land in Texas County. He later said he heard what he thought was a young turkey gobbler. Then he thought he saw a turkey feeding near a tree. Then he thought he saw a red turkey head and fired his 12 gauge shotgun, striking the victim, in the head and right shoulder with No. 4 lead pellets.

"This case is very typical," said Flint. "The victim was wearing camouflage clothing, but shooter's desire to find a turkey clouded his judgment enough that he was convinced he saw a turkey."

Turkey hunters aren't the only ones who mistake other hunters for game. On Nov. 16, 2002, a 37-year-old Queen City man was deer hunting with his cousin in Schuyler County. They saw a deer go into some brush. The shooter thought he saw a deer coming out of the brush 30 or 40 yards away and fired his .30-30 rifle. His target turned out to be his cousin's brown pants. The bullet hit the victim in the right thigh above the knee. This incident was the only one in 2002 where a deer hunter mistook another hunter for game.

Most of the other accidents that happened during the 2002 deer season were the result of defective firearms or careless gun handling. Three involved victims who were out of sight of the shooter, moved into the line of fire or were injured when the shooter fired at moving deer and they were in the way.

This last type of accident, "shooter swinging on game," is more common in other types of hunting, especially rabbits and game birds. Last year this type of accident accounted for eight incidents, second only to "victim mistaken for game." The cases included one waterfowl hunting accident, one dove, one squirrel, one deer, two quail and two rabbit. These included the last hunting accident of the year.

The victim, a 17-year-old Westphalia man, was one of five hunters in a party hunting in Cole County Dec. 29, 2002. They had surrounded a brush pile and the victim was about 30 yards away, directly across and in plain sight of the shooter, a 25-year-old Mokane resident. When a rabbit bolted from the brush pile, the shooter fired his 12-gauge shotgun at the rabbit, striking the victim, his cousin, in the legs, abdomen and chest with approximately 60 No. 6 shot pellets.

Nearly a third of 2002 hunting accidents involved friends shooting hunting companions. In five cases, the shooter was the father, son or brother of the victim. On Nov. 25, three days before Thanksgiving Day last year, a 73-year-old Greenville man taking part in a deer drive fired two rifled slugs from his 12 gauge shotgun at a running deer. One of the slugs struck his 39-year-old son in the left side of his abdomen and exited through his left buttock.

Illegal activity sometimes figures in hunting accidents, too. Two days before Christmas last year, two Chadwick men, ages 36 and 17, were hunting deer in Christian County. Deer season had been closed for more than a week. They wounded a deer, and in the process of pursuing the deer the older man fired two shots from a .22 cal. magnum rifle. After the first shot, the younger man jumped up and stepped in front of the rifle. The second shot entered his head from behind on the right side and exited on the front, right side.

Twenty-six of the 2002 hunting accidents involved known shooters and injuries that were not self-inflicted. The Conservation Commission has revoked the hunting privileges of 18 of those shooters. Three other cases are pending final Commission action.

Flint said hunters could prevent nearly all hunting accidents by obeying the following rules:
--Always keep firearms pointed in a safe direction.
--Keep firearms unloaded except when hunting or preparing to shoot.
--Treat every firearm as if it were loaded.
--Be sure of your target before you pull the trigger.
--Never point a gun at anything you do not want to shoot.
--Never climb or jump with a loaded firearm.
--Never shoot at a flat, hard surface or water.
--Store firearms and ammunition separately and under lock and key.
--Avoid alcohol and other drugs before and while handling firearms.

- Jim Low -

Quail care isn't just academic to college administrator

Don Willis can hunt quail in his own back yard, thanks to the bobwhite education he got from the Missouri Department of Conservation. (Missouri Dept. of Conservation photo)

This college administrator is a successful graduate of the Conservation Department's quail management school.

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. -- Don Willis is looking forward to the opening day of quail season with special anticipation this year. He has at least five big coveys of quail waiting for him. The best part is that he won't have to put his Brittany spaniels and his shotgun in the pickup truck to hunt those coveys. They live in his back yard.

Willis, formerly dean of student affairs at Missouri Western College, now directs the college's scheduling services. He lives on 100 acres of hilly farmland a few miles from St. Joseph. One hundred acres is a pretty big back yard. On the other hand, it's not a very big farm. How does he manage to sustain five coveys of quail on his postage stamp of land? Chalk it up to a good education.

When Willis bought his land five years ago, it had a nice pond, a few acres of farm land, a few acres of trees, some brushy draws, a few acres of pasture and a few quail.

The pond had hundreds of largemouth bass, but they were all small and didn't seem to be growing. So Willis signed up for a pond management workshop offered by the Missouri Department of Conservation. With the tricks he learned there, he reduced the number of bass, and before long he was catching bigger fish. Today he regularly catches 2.5-pounders, and the bass continue to put on weight.

"That made a believer of me," said Willis. When he learned that Conservation Department Private Land Conservationist Bill White was offering a quail-management workshop, he signed up. Afterwards, another private land conservationist, Jim Pierson visited Willis' property to show him how to put his new knowledge to work.

"I grew up in Kansas when you could find multiple coveys in every fence row. I hunted quail as a kid, and I thought I knew everything about them. Now, looking back, it's amazing how ignorant I was."

Before attending the quail workshop, Willis thought quail needed only a few brushy waste areas to thrive. In class, and later under Pierson's instruction, he discovered there is quite a bit more to effective quail management.

One of the first things Willis did to benefit quail was convert part of his pastures to switchgrass and other native warm-season grasses. He also planted legumes -- high protein, seed-producing plants -- on parts of his land where there were no quail and changed the way he managed his grassland acres.

Much of Willis' grassland acreage was enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). CRP is a federal program that pays landowners to take erosion-prone cropland out of production and plant permanent cover, such as grass or trees. Enrolled grassland can be very good for quail. In the first few years after planting it provides excellent places for quail to find insects and seeds to eat. But if left undisturbed, grass plantings become so dense that the better seed and insect-producing plants are crowded out and quail and other small animals can't walk around in the accumulated litter. From then on, they are useless to quail.

Pierson showed Willis how to use carefully planned burns to open up CRP acreage and keep it beneficial for quail. He also emphasized the importance of small patches of bare soil, where quail can dust their feathers to kill parasites.

Willis began disking strips of pasture lightly in different locations each year. Besides exposing bare soil, this prevents the grass from getting too thick. He also planted food plots of sorghum or corn. The standing crops give quail concealment from hawks and other predators while they dust, and in the fall they provide food for a variety of wildlife.

"It wasn't until I started disking that I realized how important bare ground is to quail," he said. "Within 24 hours I saw both quail and pheasants dusting in the newly opened areas."

Pierson advised Willis to cut down trees that sprouted in the brushy edges along woodlots and draws to keep these areas in shrubby cover. By arranging felled trees in piles strategically located between food plots, crops, grassland and woodlots, Willis created "covey headquarters." These spots shelter quail in severe weather and give them secure hiding places at night. Locating them close to other habitat elements allows quail to meet all their needs with minimal effort and exposure to danger.

The results were dramatic. Willis went from having two small coveys of quail to five big ones.

"Before I learned what to do and saw how well it worked, I blamed the low quail population on raccoons and opossums," said Willis. "I thought I had excellent quail habitat, but it wasn't. Subtle changes take place right under your nose, so you don't notice them. Land that's not worked doesn't stay good quail land. Woody plants take over and your quail habitat disappears."

Willis says he's totally sold on fish and wildlife management workshops. "I'd still be in the dark if it weren't for the Conservation Department's training."

Pierson now works in Holt, Atchison and Nodaway counties, but his work in Andrew and Buchanan counties has been taken up by Private Land Conservationist Jeff Powelson, Willis's new partner in wildlife management.

For information about workshops and other educational resources to help with quail management, visit a Conservation Department office near you or call 573/751-4115.

A new, quarterly newsletter, The Covey Headquarters, provides practical information about quail management as well as quail success stories and the latest news about quail research. To subscribe contact: The Covey Headquarters, 3915 Oakland Ave, St. Joseph, MO 64506, E-mail Bill.White@mdc.mo.gov

- Jim Low -

Key elements in place for good duck season

Water, food and a larger number of young birds could make the 2003-2004 waterfowl hunting season one to remember.

JEFFERSON CITY - Six months ago, Dave Graber was preparing duck hunters for bad news. Now he says the 2003-2004 waterfowl hunting season could be one of the best in recent memory. It's the kind of reversal that every wildlife manager likes to make.

Graber is a resource scientist at the Missouri Department of Conservation's resource science center in Columbia. His specialty is waterfowl. Each spring, he looks at the number of ducks and geese returning north to nest and the number of ponds, which are an indication of breeding habitat. Those statistics help him form a picture of the coming waterfowl hunting season.

This winter the outlook wasn't bright. Waterfowl nesting success was fair to poor last year, so there were fewer birds to carry on. Furthermore, below-normal precipitation in the northern prairie region -- the central United States and Canadian duck factory -- had reduced available nesting habitat. Based on these facts, it seemed possible that declining duck numbers would trigger shorter hunting seasons and smaller bag limits.

Then came April, and it came in wet. Above-average precipitation on the northern prairies nearly doubled the number of seasonal ponds, and by the time ducks arrived, they found an abundance of nesting habitat.

"It was the kind of spring you pray for but seldom get," said Graber. "No matter how many ducks you have, without suitable habitat, they don't nest. By the same token, you can have fewer birds, but if the habitat is favorable, you can get a bumper crop of young ducks. That's what happened this year."

Aerial surveys conducted in May showed a 160 percent increase in the total number of breeding ducks compared to last year and 25 percent above the long-term average. Brood surveys conducted in July showed a 21 percent increase in numbers of young ducks from 2002. Overall, breeding duck numbers increased from 31.2 million last year to 36.2 million.

Among the best news to come out of this year's waterfowl surveys is a substantial increase in pintail numbers. Last year, breeding pintails numbered only 1.8 million, down from a historic high of more than 10 million in the 1950s. This year's number was 2,558,000. That 43 percent increase raises hopes for a long-awaited pintail recovery. But with the species still 39 percent below long-term population numbers, it still has a long way to go.

Mallards, always the mainstay of Missouri duck hunters, were similar to last year, keeping them slightly above the long-term population average.

Other duck species whose breeding numbers increased this year include: Northern shoveler, 56 percent and blue-winged teal, 31 percent. Green-winged teal stood at 2.7 million the second-largest number on record.

The increase in breeding pairs of ducks and geese and the resulting increase in broods of waterfowl counted later in the summer prompted the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to extend liberal hunting regulations for another season. That's welcome news to duck hunters.

Also welcome will be the presence of a larger proportion of young birds among this fall's migrants. Young birds that have never been shot at are less wary of hunters.

Graber said this spring's abundant rain alone wouldn't have been enough to spur a waterfowl recovery. Habitat preservation and restoration efforts of government agencies, the USDA Farm Bill, the North American Wetland Conservation Act and citizen organizations, such as Ducks Unlimited, laid the groundwork for the recovery.

If you don't hunt waterfowl, you probably will be surprised to learn that a bumper crop of ducks doesn't guarantee a good hunting season. Missouri hunters get a shot at ducks only when they are passing through the Show-Me State on their way south. In years when large numbers of ducks linger here, hunters have ample opportunity to hunt them.

Last year's duck season was a good one. Missouri's 31,000 active waterfowl hunters bagged approximately 393,000 ducks. That's fewer than the 461,000 taken during the 2001-2002 season. However, it's important to keep those numbers in perspective. Last year was the sixth in a row in which Missouri hunters topped the previous record of 311,600 set in 1975. To say that Missouri duck hunters have been spoiled by their recent good luck is an understatement.

In some years, ducks stay in Missouri only a few days then leapfrog south, leaving hunters empty-handed. The difference between good and bad years often hinges on habitat. If ducks find lots of food and water in Missouri, they hang around. If not, they move on.

Graber said food supplies are adequate to keep ducks in Missouri when they arrive. Native plants, such as smartweed and millet, produced average to above-average seed crops. Agricultural crops such as corn, soybeans, sorghum and wheat have done moderately well along rivers and around wetland areas, even in drought-stricken northwestern Missouri.

Recent rains have helped set the stage for a good waterfowl season, too. Ducks need standing water to rest and take advantage of available foods. Graber said the water levels at most managed wetland areas are good. One exception is Nodaway Valley Conservation Area. Low water in the Nodaway River has hampered efforts to flood wetland pools there.

With normal rainfall between now and the opening of duck season, Missouri hunters could be in duck heaven. On the other hand, with below-average rainfall ducks could be in Arkansas before you know it.

So if Missouri gets normal precipitation for the next two months, hunters will have a field day, right? Not necessarily. All the food and standing water in the world won't help hunters if ducks don't arrive early in the season or an early cold spell locks up shallow-water habitat. A few birds may linger on big rivers and reservoirs, but the rest will head for warmer regions.

"Ducks are creatures of wind and water, so duck hunting will always be a weather-driven game," said Graber. "Successful hunters are inveterate weather watchers. They know when a cold front is pushing down from the upper Midwest, and they do whatever it takes to be in the marsh when the front reaches Missouri. A day can make the difference between a once-in-a-lifetime hunt and empty skies."

Missouri's 2003-2004 duck season will run for 60 days in each of the five management zones. In the North and Swan Lake zones the season will open Oct. 25 and run through Dec. 23. In the Middle and Southeast zones, opening and closing dates will be Nov. 1 and Dec. 30, and in the South Zone the season will run from Nov. 22 through Jan. 20.

The season on pintails and canvasbacks will be Oct. 25 through Nov. 23 in the North and Swan Lake Zones, Nov. 1 through Nov. 30 in the Middle and Southeast zones and Nov. 22 through Dec. 21 in the South Zone

The bag limit on ducks will continue at six daily and 12 in possession. As in recent years, hunters can take up to four mallards daily, including no more than two hens. The limit on pintails, canvasbacks, black ducks and hooded mergansers is one each. Bag limits for other ducks include three scaup, two wood ducks and two redheads. The possession limit is twice the daily limit.

Youths will have an opportunity to hunt ducks before adults hit the marshes, lakes and streams. The Youth Waterfowl Season will be Oct. 18 and 19 in the North and Swan Lake zones, Oct. 25 and 26 in the Middle and Southeast zones and Nov. 15 and 16 in the South Zone.

Participants in Youth Hunting Days must be age 15 or younger and must be accompanied by a licensed adult at least 18 years of age who will not be permitted to hunt ducks. Adults need not be licensed if the youth possesses a valid hunter education certificate card.

Full details of waterfowl hunting regulations are contained in the 2003-2004 Waterfowl Hunting Digest, available wherever hunting permits are sold. For information about food and water conditions at public wetland areas, visit http://www.conservation.state.mo.us/hunt/wtrfowl/ and click on "updated 2003status of Missouri wetland areas."

- Jim Low -