August 2011 Conservation Action

THIS CONTENT IS ARCHIVED
News from the region
Statewide
Published Date
08/30/2011
Body

Conservation Action

August 2011

The Conservation Commission met Aug. 25 and 26 at Conservation Department Headquarters in Jefferson City. Commissioners present were:

Don R. Johnson, Festus, Chair

Don C. Bedell, Sikeston, Vice Chair

Becky L. Plattner, Grand Pass, Secretary

James T. Blair, IV, St. Louis, Member

REGULATIONS

At its regular meeting Aug. 26, the Missouri Conservation Commission set the following 2011-2012 waterfowl seasons, contingent on final federal approval.

North Zone: Oct. 29 – Dec. 27

Middle Zone: Nov. 5 – Jan. 3

South Zone: Nov. 24 - Jan. 22

 

Shooting Hours: One-half hour before sunrise to sunset.

Bag Limit: Six ducks daily with species restrictions of:

o 4 mallards (no more than 2 females)

o 3 wood ducks

o 2 scaup

o 2 redheads

o 2 hooded mergansers

o 2 pintail

o 1 canvasback

o 1 black duck

o 1 mottled duck

Possession Limit: Twice the daily bag (in total 12; varies by species).

COOT SEASON: Coot season runs concurrently with duck seasons in the respective zones with a daily bag limit of 15 and a possession limit of 30.

GOOSE SEASON:

Blue, snow, and Ross’s geese - Oct. 29 - Jan. 31 statewide

White-fronted geese - Nov. 24 - Jan. 31 statewide

Canada geese and brant - Oct. 1 – Oct. 9 statewide and

Nov. 24 - Jan. 31 statewide

Shooting Hours - One-half hour before sunrise to sunset.

Bag/Possession Limit - The bag and possession limits include no more than three Canada geese daily (six in possession), 20 blue, snow, and Ross’s geese (all species combined) daily (no possession limit) with, two white-fronted geese daily (four in possession), and one brant daily (two in possession).

YOUTH HUNTING DAYS:

Any person fifteen (15) years of age or younger may participate in the youth waterfowl hunting days without permit, provided they are in the immediate presence of an adult 18 years of age or older. If the youth hunter does not possess a hunter education certificate card, the adult must be properly licensed (i.e., must meet any permit requirements that allows small-game hunting) and have in his/her possession a valid hunter education certificate card, unless they were born before Jan. 1, 1967. The adult may not hunt ducks but may participate in other seasons that are open (e.g., dove) on the special youth days.

North Zone: Oct. 22 - 23

Middle Zone: Oct. 22 - 23

South Zone: Nov. 19 - 20

Bag Limit: Bag limits for ducks and geese are the same as during the regular waterfowl season (including three Canada geese with six in possession).

FALCONRY SEASON FOR DUCKS, COOTS, AND MERGANSERS:

The federal framework allows 107 days. Falconry is open during the teal (16 days) and regular gun duck season (60 days), including the youth season (2 days) in the respective zones, leaving 29 days remaining for extended falconry. The extended falconry days are as follows:

Statewide Feb. 11 – March 10

Bag Limit - The daily bag and possession limits shall not exceed three and six birds, respectively, singly, or in the aggregate during the regular duck hunting seasons (including teal and youth seasons) and extended falconry seasons.

LIGHT GOOSE CONSERVATION ORDER:

Persons must possess a Conservation Order permit to chase, pursue, and take blue, snow, and Ross’s geese between the hours of one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset from February 1 through April 30, 2012. Any other regulation notwithstanding, conservation order participants may use electronic calls and shotguns capable of holding more than three shells. A daily bag limit will not be in effect during the Conservation Order.

ZONES

This year’s regulations include changes to the middle/south zone boundary in southwestern and southeastern Missouri.

NORTH ZONE: That portion of Missouri north of a line running west from the Illinois border at Lock and Dam 25; west on Lincoln County Hwy. N to Mo. Hwy. 79; south on Mo. Hwy. 79 to Mo. Hwy. 47; west on Mo. Hwy. 47 to I-70; west on I-70 to the Kansas border.

SOUTH ZONE: That portion of Missouri south of a line running west from the Illinois border on Mo. Hwy. 74 to Mo. Hwy. 25; south on Mo. Hwy. 25 to U.S. Hwy. 62; west on U.S. Hwy. 62 to Mo. Hwy. 53; north on Mo. Hwy. 53 to Mo. Hwy. 51; north on Mo. Hwy. 51 to U.S. Hwy. 60; west on U.S. Hwy. 60 to Mo. Hwy. 21; north on Mo. Hwy. 21 to Mo. Hwy. 72; west on Mo. Hwy. 72 to Mo. Hwy. 32; west on Mo. Hwy. 32 to U.S. Hwy. 65; north on U.S. Hwy. 65 to U.S. Hwy. 54; west on U.S. Hwy. 54 to U.S. Hwy. 71; south on U.S. Hwy. 71 to Jasper County Hwy. M; west on Jasper County Hwy. M to the Kansas border.

MIDDLE ZONE: The remainder of Missouri.

NONTOXIC SHOT:

Shells possessed or used while hunting waterfowl and coots statewide, and for other species as designated by posting on public areas, must be loaded with material approved as nontoxic by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.

The Commission also approved the following regulation changes, effective March 1, 2012.

• Banning the use of porous soled waders or footwear incorporating or having attached a porous sole of felted, matted, or woven fibrous material when fishing in trout parks and other specific trout waters.

• Changing certain area-specific regulations.

• Adding specified hunting methods for taking bullfrogs and green frogs on conservation areas and removing the prohibition for taking bullfrogs and green frogs with a bow on specific areas.

• Extending the hunting and fishing permit exemption to include members of the U.S. military currently assigned as patients to a Warrior Transition Brigade, Warrior Transition Unit, or a military medical center and identifies the documentation requirements for this exemption.

• Stipulating that holders of Commercial Deer Processing permits must meet certain requirements of the Department of Agriculture to ensure sanitary conditions in their operations.

ADMINISTRATION

The Commission:

• Received presentations from:

 Policy Coordination Unit Supervisor David Thorne regarding Missouri Values Conservation.

 Big River Specialist Mark Boone and Policy Coordinator Janet Sternburg regarding Mississippi River conservation initiatives and opportunities.

• Recognized the following MDC employees for years of service.

35 YEARS

Chester G. “Gary” Cravens, West Plains

30 YEARS

Rick L. Golden, Greenville

James D. Harris, Holts Summit

Rocky D. Hayes, Cape Girardeau

Michael R. Hoffmann, Jefferson City

Richard G. Howard, Vienna

Leslie A. Leppin, Meadville

Scott N. McWilliams, West Plains

Gene A. Toombs, Fair Play

25 YEARS

Lisa G. Allen, Jefferson City

Jasper L. Allman, Liberty

Timothy J. Banek, Holts Summit

Don L. Barns, Loose Creek

Edward K. Brown, Liberty

Jeffery L. Buck, Shell Knob

Bryant C. Chilton, Licking

Christopher C. Cox, New London

Robert J. DiStefano, Harrisburg

David V. Emmendorfer, Jefferson City

Tim J. Gladbach, Mendon

Robert A Hrabik, Oak Ridge

Matthew E. Jones, Ironton

Jeffrey B. Koppleman, Columbia

Mike S. Kruse, Columbia

Leora M. May, Jefferson City

David A. Mayers, West Plains

Tim S. McDaniel, Troy

Richard Meade, Cole Camp

Kevin J. Meneau, Wright City

Paul H. Michaletz, Columbia,

Mitchell L. Miller, Savannah

Dean M. Nicks, Harrisburg

Jeffrey J. Petty, Jefferson City

Larry T. Rieken, Ava

Edward W. Rousellot, Jefferson City

John H. Schulz, Columbia

Merle K. Smith, Eminence

Timothy E. Smith, Jefferson City

• Approved seeking executive operating lump-sum spending authority of $145,467,841 for fiscal year 2013, and appropriations to other state agencies from the Conservation Commission Fund for fiscal year 2013 for related operational expenditures.

• Approved the purchase of 25 acres in Stone County as an addition to Wire Road Conservation Area (CA).

• Approved the purchase of 20 acres in Montgomery County as an addition to Grand Bluffs CA.

• Approved the designation of two new natural areas on MDC lands: 398-acre Fern Nook Natural Area on Little Black Conservation Area in Ripley County; 13-acre Great Spirit Cave Natural Area In Pulaski county.

• Approved entering into a contract with Cannon General Contractors Inc., Troy, for the construction of Hamburg Ferry Access Pavement Replacement Project in Pike County, at a total estimated cost of $232,125

• Approved the suspension of hunting and/or fishing privileges of 25 Missouri residents for Wildlife Code violations. Those whose privileges were suspended are:

Alan W. Allphin, Boonville, all sport privilege, 1 year

Daren K. Bewley, New Madrid, all sport privilege, 1.5 years

John D. Bishop, Lockwood, all sport privilege, 6 years

Billie J. Boyer, Steelville, all sport privilege, 1 year

Fred G. Clark, Macon, all sport privilege, 1 year

Eric Colborn, Carrollton, all sport privilege, 1 year

Kaleb Duff, Carrollton, all sport privilege, 1 year

Sandy J. Edwards, Mountain View, all sport privilege, 3 years

Michael Q. Fieth, Willard, all sport privilege, 1 year

Kevin G. Friend, Doniphan, all sport privilege, 1 year

Anthony T. Galant, Greenwood, all sport privilege, 2.5 years

Terry A., Gruer Jr., Mexico, hunting, 1 year

Lucas J. Henson, Bixby, all sport privilege, 1 year

Daniel W. Hopke, Vandalia, all sport privilege, 1 year

Barry A. Hughes, Louisburg, all sport privilege, 7 years

Lucas C. Hughes, Louisburg, all sport privilege, 9 years

Rodney A. Hunter, Foley, all sport privilege, 1 year

Jake E. Knapp, Craig, all sport privilege, 6 years

Nicholas A. Lockhart, Bolivar, all sport privilege, 1 year

Brian W. Parsons, Macomb, all sport privilege, 3 years

Billy P. Phillips, Sparta, all sport privilege, 2 years

Micheal M. Robinson, Rich Hill, all sport privilege, 1 year

Joshua E. Sadler, Windsor, hunting only, 1 year

Shawn L. Stark, Springfield, all sport privilege, 1 year

Clinton L. Wombles, Collins, all sport privilege, 3 years.

• Approved the suspension or revocation of all hunting and fishing privileges of 300 people who are not in compliance with applicable child support laws. Privileges suspended for noncompliance are reinstated once the Division of Child Support Enforcement notifies MDC that suspendees have come into compliance with the required laws.

• Approved suspending privileges of four Missouri residents and 209 nonresidents under the provisions of the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact.

• Approved imposing hunting privilege suspension of two years for a Missouri resident who injured another person in a hunting incident. The hunter must complete a hunter-education training course before restoration of privileges.

• Reinstated fishing and trapping privileges and reduced the hunting revocation from six years to four years for Christian Jordan Henderson, Louisburg.

• Confirmed its next regular meeting for Oct. 13 and 14.

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