News and Almanac

HERITAGE CARDS PREVENT DATA LOSS

Hunters who completed a hunter education course prior to 1982 are being encouraged to quickly apply for a new Missouri Conservation Heritage Card, which will serve as a permanent record of their certification.

Every hunter born on or after Jan. 1, 1967, must have completed an approved hunter education program before they can purchase any type of firearms hunting permit.

Records of Hunter Education Certification Cards issued before 1982 are not available and replacement cards cannot be obtained.

Heritage Cards will be accepted as proof of hunter education in all states and all Canadian provinces and territories.

Hunter Education cards still will be valid, but the $2 Heritage Cards offer hunters the advantages of being able to order permits over the phone and discounts on selected Conservation Department publications.

Heritage Cards can be purchased at all retail permit vendors beginning Feb. 1. Allow 4-6 weeks for delivery.

PARTNERS BUILD WILDLIFE HABITAT

Thanks to the cooperative efforts of several organizations, the Ralph and Martha Perry Memorial Conservation Area soon will provide wildlife habitat along the Blackwater River.

A series of low-profile retention dikes are being built to hold floodwaters in place, creating 737 acres of wetlands. In addition, 120 acres of bottomland will be reforested and 400 acres of existing forest will be improved by plantings of mast-producing tree species.

Contributions donated more than half the cost of the $312,000 project. Project partners include North American Wetlands Conservation Act Grant ($90,000), Ducks Unlimited ($50,000), Missouri Chapter National Wild Turkey Federation ($16,000 for reforestation and stand improvement), Wildlife Forever ($7,500) and the McDonnell Douglas Foundation ($5,000).

FIREARMS DEER SEASON SETS RECORD

Great hunting weather, including snow cover in some portions of the state, and an extra two days of hunting season helped Missouri hunters bag a record 186,596 deer during the 1995 firearms deer season.

Firearms-related accidents during the 11-day season totaled seven - none of them fatal. The toll ties 1963 and 1993 for the least deer hunting accidents during a firearms deer season.

The take was 24,476 higher than the previous record harvest of 162,120, which was set in 1994.

The deer harvest has generally been increasing since the Conservation Department began managing the deer herd in the 1930s, after the state's deer population had dwindled to about 2,500 animals.

North Central Missouri led all regions with 33,851 deer taken. Northeast was second with 31,669, followed by Northwest with 25,573 and West Central with 25,570.

Other totals include Ozarks, 19,266; Central, 17,104; East Central, 14,576; Southwest, 10,370; and Southeast, 8,617.

READER OFFERS WALNUT SHELLING TIPS

Arnold Davidson of West Plains offers the following technique for painless, efficient walnut shelling.

First, put on safety glasses. Place a nut that has had the outer hull removed on a hard surface and strike it hard enough with a hammer to crack it open.

Use wire cutters or aviation snips to bite into the shell's outer chambers. The shell material is brittle and will fragment, releasing the nut without damage.

FLOWER SHOW RETURNS TO ST. LOUIS

The Sixth Annual St. Louis Flower Show will run Feb. 2-4 at the Cervantes Convention Center in downtown St. Louis.

The event brings together professionally landscaped gardens, a standard flower show, over 90 shopping boutiques, a multitude of floral displays and demonstrations and a special Speaker Series, featuring gardening experts from around the country.

The event is expected to attract as many as 30,000 garden enthusiasts.

Ticket prices are $7 for adults and $3 for children. Proceeds will assist the Junior League in providing trained volunteers, programs, funding and technical assistance to the community.

For ticket information call (314) 569-3117.

SEE WILDLIFE PHOTOS AT POWDER VALLEY

The wildlife photography of Matt Miles of Rogers-ville is on display through January at the Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center in Kirkwood.

Miles' photographs have appeared in numerous calendars, magazines and greeting cards. For more information call Powder Valley at (314) 821-8427.

BOWHUNTERS PLAN ANNUAL FESTIVAL

The United Bowhunters of Missouri Annual Festival and Auction will take place Feb. 10 at the Best Western Inn in Columbia.

The day-long event features display booths, seminars, a banquet and an auction. The banquet speaker will be T.J. Conrads of Traditional Bowhunter magazine and E. Donnall Thomas Jr., author of "Longbows in the Far North."

Nonmembers are welcome to join the fun at this family-oriented event.

Banquet tickets must be purchased in advance. To order or for more information about the event, write UBM, Box 548, Harrisonville, 64701, or call Marv Cochran at (816) 380-4063 or Joe Osvath at (314) 298-0292.

PERMIT PRICE CLARIFICATION

Last month's issue led some people to believe permit prices had drastically increased. To clarify the new permits, and new prices for existing permits, here is a complete list of both old and new prices, changed permits, and permits offered for the first time in 1996.

Permits

• Resident Hunting and Fishing (Old Price: $14) (New Price: $15)
• Resident Fishing (Old: $8) (New: $9)
• Nonresident Fishing (Old: $25 (New: $30)
• Resident Small-game Hunting (Old: $8 (New: $9)
• Nonresident Small-game Hunting (Old: $50 (New: $60)
• Resident Trapping (Old: $8 (New: $10)
• Nonresident Furbearer Hunt and Trapping (Old: $75 (New: $75)
• Resident Spring Turkey Hunting (Old: $10 (New: $11)
• Nonresident Spring Turkey Hunting (Old: $75 (New: $75)
• Resident Fall Turkey Hunting (Old: $10 (New: $11)
• Nonresident Fall Turkey Hunting (Old: $75 (New: $75)
• Resident Archery Deer and Turkey Hunt (Old: $12 (New: $15)
• Nonresident Archery Deer Hunting (Old: $75 (New: $75)
• Resident Firearms Deer Hunting (Old: $10 (New: $11)
• Nonresident Firearms Deer Hunting (Old: $100 (New: $110)
• Resident Muzzleloader Deer Hunting (Old: $10 (New: $11)
• Nonresident Muzzleloader Deer Hunt (Old: $100 (New: $110)

New Permits

• Daily Fishing (a*) (Old Price: $8/3 days or $15/14 days) (New: $3/day) Trout (b*) (Old: $6) (New: $6)
• Daily Small-game Hunting (c*) (Old:$25/5 days) (New: $5/day)
• Migratory Bird Hunting (d*) (Old: $7) (New: $4)
• Resident Annual Conservation (New: $70)
• Resident Annual All Hunting (New: $57)
• Resident Lifetime Small-game Hunting (e*) (New: $400)
• Resident Lifetime Fishing (e*) (New: $400)
• Resident Lifetime Conservation Partner (e*) (New: $800)
• (a*) Replaces 3- and 14-day non-resident trip fishing permits
• (b*) Replaces Missouri Trout Stamp
• (c*) Replaces Nonresident 5-day Trip Small Game Hunting Permit
• (d*) Replaces Mo. Duck Stamp and Migratory Bird Harvest Information Program Card
• (e*) Available only from MDC Headquarters, phone: 1-800-392-4115