MDC: Cape Nature Center hosts Women’s Trout Fishing event Feb. 20

Naturalists will lead the way to Jackson’s Rotary Lake for a morning of fishing for rainbows.

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – The Missouri Department of Conservation’s (MDC) Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature Center invites women to learn how to fish for trout Saturday, Feb. 20, from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

“This is a chance to experience camaraderie with other women while learning a new outdoor skill,” said Michelle Randecker, a naturalist at the center. “Trout fishing can be very exciting, as the fish will sometimes put up a good fight on the line.”

Registrations for this event are required and may be made beginning Feb. 2. The event is designed for ages 12 and up. Ages 16 and under should be accompanied by an adult. Participants must have a valid Missouri fishing permit and anyone interested in keeping their trout must also have a trout permit. Both permits may be purchased at the Nature Center or anywhere hunting and fishing permits are sold. Randecker said all necessary equipment will be provided at the event, although attendees may bring their own trout poles. Participants are encouraged to dress in layers and be prepared for cold weather.

Randecker said knowing how to fish for trout opens up an opportunity to spend time outdoors during winter, when other activities might not be possible.

MDC stocks 24 winter trout areas in cities across the state. Anglers may harvest rainbow trout at Missouri’s stocked trout areas beginning Feb. 1. Rainbow trout, the “king of sport fish,” are cold-water fish.

To register for this event, call (573)290-5730. For more information on this and other programs at the Cape Nature Center, go online to mdc.mo.gov/CapeNatureCenter. To find more information on trout fishing, go online to mdc.mo.gov/fishing.

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U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Announces $27 Million to Missouri from Excise Taxes on Anglers, Hunters and Boaters

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will distribute nearly $1.1 billion in excise tax revenues paid by sportsmen and sportswomen to state and territorial fish and wildlife agencies to fund fish and wildlife

City of Parkville, Mo. officials hold groundbreaking ceremony
for boat ramp and access road.
 Photo courtesy of Platte County Parks and Recreation.

conservation and recreation projects across the nation. The Service’s Midwest Region received over $210 million dollars from the excise tax revenues. This funding will be distributed among the Midwest Region’s 8 states including Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, and Wisconsin by the Service’s Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program.

“For over 75 years, hunters, shooters, anglers and boaters have supported the conservation of fish and wildlife resources and the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program,” said Midwest Regional Director Tom Melius. “Their support has left a lasting legacy in the Midwest – restoring fish and wildlife populations, improving access for recreational boaters and boosting conservation related education programs helping people to connect with hunting, shooting, fishing and boating.”

Missouri has been a recipient of user-generated funding from the Service for decades. This year, the Missouri Department of Conservation will receive over $27 million dollars in Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration dollars. All of this funding has been invested in restoring and conserving Missouri’s fish and wildlife natural resources.  Over the past few years, funding has supported important restoration projects including the Platte Landing Park Access, turkey monitoring, and researching Missouri black bears, all of which will have a significant impact on outdoor recreation opportunities.  The 2014 Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration funds will support these ongoing projects and new conservation projects. Listed below are examples of conservation projects currently funded through these dollars.

Platte Landing Park Access

MDC partnered with the County to construct the Platte Landing Park Access which is funded, partially, through Sport Fish Restoration dollars.  When completed, it will be easier and faster for Missouri anglers and boaters to use and enjoy the Missouri River upstream of Kansas City. Given its location in a major metropolitan area and in a county with one of the fastest growing populations in Missouri, this new motorboat access will receive heavy public use and encourage boaters and anglers to access the Missouri River for recreational purposes.

Survival, Recruitment, and Movements of Missouri Black Bears

With the help of Wildlife Restoration dollars, the MDC is conducting research on the black bears in the state. This research project will estimate demographics such as reproduction and survival, and develop a model to be used to estimate population size and growth. This model will be used to estimate the time at which the black bear population in Missouri will be large enough to implement a harvest season. In addition, this study will help Missouri identify suitable black bear habitat and which travel corridors connect to significant areas of habitat.  Missouri will use the final results to develop black bear conservation and management strategies identified in Missouri’s Black Bear Management Plan.

The Service apportions the funds to all 50 states and territories through the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration and Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration programs. Revenues come from excise taxes generated by the sale of sporting firearms, ammunition, archery equipment, fishing equipment and tackle, and electric outboard motors. Recreational boaters also contribute to the program through fuel taxes on motorboats and small engines. The total distributions this year are $238.4 million higher than last year because of the inclusion of funds that were not distributed last year due to the government sequester and an increase in excise tax receipts from sales of firearms and ammunition in the Wildlife Restoration Trust Fund.

The Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Program apportionment for 2014 totals a record $760.9 million, which includes $20 million that was sequestered from FY 2013 but subsequently returned to the Wildlife Restoration Trust Fund. The Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Program apportionment for 2014 totals $325.7 million, which includes $18.5 million that was sequestered from FY 2013 but subsequently returned to the Sport Fish Restoration Trust Fund. The FY 2014 Sport Fish Restoration apportionment is $34.1 million lower than FY 2013 due to lower domestic fishing equipment excise tax receipts.

The Service’s Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program reimburses up to 75 percent of the cost of each eligible project, while state fish and wildlife agencies contribute a minimum of 25 percent, generally using hunting and fishing license revenues as the required non-federal match. For information on funding for each state, visit http://www.fws.gov/home/wsfr/apportionments-fy14.html. To learn more about the projects funded in the Service’s Midwest Region, visit http://www.fws.gov/midwest/news/WFSRfunding.html.

To learn more about the Service’s Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program, please visit our website at http://wsfrprograms.fws.gov/.

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Crayfish Regulation Discussions Continue

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Department of Conservation continues to gather information to make an informed scientific decision on invasive crayfish. The Department has listened and consulted with bait producers and dealers on invasive crayfish. Education efforts have worked to inform anglers and bait sellers about how to prevent invasive crayfish from damaging the state’s sport-fishing industry.

A proposed course of action would prohibit the importation, purchase or sale of live crayfish, commonly called crawdads, for use as fish bait. It would not prevent anglers from catching crayfish and using them as bait. This action is intended to prevent damage to stream and lake ecology, species losses and protect recreational and economic values associated with fishing. More than 1.1 million Missourians enjoy sport fishing, which generates more than $2 billion in economic activity in the state annually.

Surveys conducted in 2010 and 2011 showed crayfish sales were minor for most Missouri bait shops, pet shops and aquaculture operations, typically representing only about 1 percent of their income. Nevertheless, Deputy Director Tom Draper, who chairs MDC’s Regulations Committee, says the decision to consider banning commercial crayfish sales was not taken lightly.

“The Conservation Department is responsible to the citizens of Missouri for protecting fish and wildlife and the economic and recreational benefits that go with them,” says Draper. “Other states already are seeing declines in the quality of fishing because of invasive crayfish. We don’t want to get 20 or 30 years down the road and wish we had done something to protect our fishing when we had the chance. Knowing what we do, it would be irresponsible not to take some type of action to protect Missouri’s aquatic resources.” 

MDC Resource Scientist Bob DiStefano says crayfish are unlike many invasive species, because they don’t have to be far from their native areas to cause trouble. A crayfish species whose population is in balance with other species in its native waters can cause ecological problems when introduced to a neighboring watershed.

 “Many crayfish species can become invasive if moved into the wrong setting,” says DiStefano. Imported crayfish also can carry diseases with the potential of decimating native crayfish populations. Crayfish are a staple food for black bass, sunfish and many other sport fish.

What MDC knows about invasive crayfish comes from dozens of studies in Missouri and other states. DiStefano says those studies show that the danger posed by commercial trade in crayfish is real and serious. 

For example, spot checks conducted by MDC before passage of the crayfish sales ban showed that more than one-quarter of bait shops were selling crayfish species that already were illegal under previous regulations. In most cases, these were not willful violations. Bait shop owners simply did not know the difference between crayfish species including the invasive species. Even if dealers could tell the difference, they could not be expected to detect a few individuals of an invasive species mixed in with a shipment of thousands of less-destructive crayfish.

MDC inspections also found that many bait shops were selling crayfish obtained from outside of Missouri and that some shops were illegally selling crayfish collected from the wild.

Invasive crayfish already are impacting Missouri waters. DiStefano said field studies have documented 25 instances of crayfish invasions in Missouri. Those invasions have caused declines of six native species.

DiStefano says invasive crayfish have been shown to out-compete native crayfish, compete with game fish for food, destroy aquatic plant beds used as spawning grounds and nurseries for game fish, and are known to also eat fish eggs. This combined with reduced spawning habitat and food means fewer and smaller fish. A study of lakes in Vilas County, Wisc., documented resource damage from invasions of rusty crayfish of more than $1 million annually.

Draper noted that Missouri anglers would still be allowed to catch crayfish and use them for bait if the Department implemented a regulation. A ban would only prohibit commercial trade in live crayfish bait. Bait shops would still be permitted to sell dead or preserved crayfish for bait. He says delaying implementation of a ban would give MDC time to inform anglers about the risks associated with moving crayfish from one place to another.

“The Department needs anglers’ help to protect Missouri’s lake and stream fishing,” says Draper. “It is critical for anglers to know the danger posed by moving crayfish and other bait from one place to another. How well we do our job of educating the public will make a huge difference for the future of fishing in Missouri.”

A recent survey of anglers showed that 40 percent of Missouri anglers release live bait into fishing waters. DiStefano urges anglers to use crayfish for bait only if they are caught in the same body of water where they will be used. He also asks anglers not to release commercially purchased live bait, including minnows and worms, at the end of a fishing trip. He says this has serious potential consequences, because both commercially sold live bait and bait caught by anglers often is transported across natural or state borders.

“The world is a lot smaller today than it was even a few decades ago,” says DiStefano. “In the past, we didn’t have to worry as much about introduction of exotic species, but those days are gone. We have to change our habits if we want to protect Missouri’s fisheries and other aquatic resources.” 

Besides allowing anglers to use crayfish that they catch themselves, a crayfish ban would include two exceptions for commercial sales. One is for human consumption. The other is for crayfish used for scientific research or for food for confined animals held by authorized representatives of universities, colleges, schools, incorporated city, state or federal agencies, publicly-owned zoo or other qualified individuals. Anyone who imports, sells or buys crayfish under these exceptions must meet certain record-keeping requirements. Buying or selling live crayfish taken from waters of the state already was prohibited.

For more information about invasive crayfish, visit:

·               mdc.mo.gov/node/5826,

·               news.wisc.edu/9996,

·               malibu.patch.com/articles/invasion-of-the-crayfish-pest-threatens-wildlife-in-local-streams-bdcd674a or

·               invasivespecies.wa.gov/documents/priorities/non-native_crayfish.pdf.

Related articles

• Weekly Fishing Report, 6/14/2012

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Salazar Announces Funding to States for Fish and Wildlife Projects

Image via WikipediaHunting and fishing industry, as well as recreational shooters, hunters,
boaters, and anglers, continue to fund conservation in the nation

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced today
the distribution of more than -$749 million in excise tax revenues
generated by sportsmen and women to state and territorial fish and
wildlife agencies through the Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration and
Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Programs.

“Hunters and anglers have provided the foundation for wildlife
conservation in America for more than 75 years. They continue to provide
dedicated, critical funding for fish and wildlife agencies across the
nation, especially at a time when many state budgets are under pressure,”
said Secretary Salazar. “These funds will support important fish and
wildlife management and conservation, recreational boating access, and
hunter and aquatic education programs.”

Program funds come from excise taxes paid by manufacturers, producers, and
importers on sporting firearms, ammunition, archery equipment, fishing
equipment and tackle, and electric outboard motors. Recreational boaters
also contribute to the program through fuel taxes on motorboats and small
engines.

The Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Program apportionment for 2011
totals more than $384 million, of which more than $79 million is for
hunter education and safety programs. The Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish
Restoration Program apportionment for 2011 totals nearly $365 million, of
which nearly $55 million is for recreational boating access facilities.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration
Program reimburses up to 75 percent of the cost of each eligible project
while State fish and wildlife agencies contribute a minimum of 25 percent,
generally using hunting and fishing license revenues as the required
non-Federal match.

“Our partnership with America’s hunting, fishing and boating community
through the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Programs is the
cornerstone for funding fish and wildlife conservation,” said Curtis
Taylor, President of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies and
Chief of the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources’ Wildlife
Resources Section. “Fish and wildlife can be conserved, protected and
restored through science-based management and this year’s apportionment is
critical in order for state fish and wildlife agencies to continue their
work on behalf of everyone who values our nation’s natural resources.”

Please visit the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Wildlife and Sport Fish
Restoration Program Web site at http://wsfrprograms.fws.gov/ for more
information on the goals and accomplishments of these programs and for
individual State, Commonwealth, and territorial funding allocations. Some
examples of activities planned by State fish and wildlife agencies in 2011
include:

Florida – The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission will
construct a restroom facility and a pavilion at the Escambia County
Archery Park. They will also construct a trap and skeet range and a .22
plinking range at Tenoroc Shooting Range. This will provide more
recreational shooting opportunities for the public.
Rhode Island – The Rhode Island Division of Fish and Wildlife will acquire
approximately 85 acres adjoining Carr Pond near North Kingstown, Rhode
Island. This property is a former Girl Scout property. The pond is the
site of an extremely productive herring and alewife run. The property will
provide protection of fish and wildlife habitat in the area and
recreational opportunities for the public.

Texas – The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department will construct a new
two-lane boat ramp, parking lot, courtesy dock, and lighting in Muenster,
Texas. The new facility will provide the only public access to the lake
for fishing and other recreational boating pursuits. This will be the
first public boat ramp in Cooke County.

Oregon – The agency will identify sturgeon population limiting factors,
develop responsive management strategies, and define pertinent monitoring
and evaluation activities as part of management plan development. They
will also measure juvenile recruitment through young-of-the-year sampling
in the lower Columbia River and carry out a pilot study of set line
sampling for adult and sub-adult white sturgeon. Sampling for
young-of-year white sturgeon will increase the effects of environmental
stressors on the population. A supplementary benefit of this task is the
opportunity to collect DNA tissue samples that represent fish in a single
year’s recruitment. DNA samples will be available for future
characterization of effective spawning population size and for genetic
stock comparisons with fish collected outside the Columbia River.

Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Program funding is available to all
50 states, the Commonwealths of Puerto Rico and the Northern Mariana
Islands, and the territories of American Samoa, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin
Islands. One-half of the 11 percent excise tax on bows, arrows, and
archery equipment and 10 percent excise tax on handguns, pistols, and
revolvers make up the funding for hunter education programs. The other
one-half of the excise tax are for wildlife restoration purposes,
including the 11 percent excise tax on firearms and ammunition.

Each state or territory receives a Wildlife Restoration Program
apportionment derived from a formula that incorporates its total land area
and number of paid hunting license holders. Each state or territory may
not receive more than 5 percent or less than one-half of 1 percent of the
total apportionment. Fish and wildlife agencies use these funds to manage
wildlife populations, conduct habitat research, acquire wildlife habitat,
enhance wildlife habitat, and public hunting access, carry out surveys and
inventories, administer hunter education programs, and construct and
maintain shooting and archery ranges.

The Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Program funding is available to
all 50 states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealths of Puerto Rico
and the Northern Mariana Islands, and the territories of American Samoa,
Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. States receive funds through a formula
based on the land and water area of the state or territory and its total
number of paid fishing license holders. Sport Fish Restoration funds come
from excise taxes and import duties on sport fishing equipment, motorboat
and small engine fuels, and pleasure boats. No State may receive more than
5 percent or less than one-third of 1 percent of the total apportionment.

Fish and Wildlife agencies use the funds to pay for stocking sport fish;
acquiring and improving sport fish habitat; providing aquatic resource
education opportunities; conducting fisheries research; maintaining public
fishing access, administering the aquatic resource education program, and
constructing boat ramps, fishing piers, and other facilities for
recreational boating access.

The Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Programs have generated a total of
more than $13.7 billion since their inception – in 1937 in the case of the
Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Program, and 1950 for the
Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Program. to conserve fish and
wildlife resources. The recipient fish and wildlife agencies have matched
these program funds with more than $3.4 billion. This funding is critical
to continue sustaining healthy fish and wildlife populations and provide

opportunities for all to connect with nature.

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Battling Invasive Species in Missouri

Image via Wikipedia

Missourians can help protect our state from devastating invaders

The potential effects of invasive plants, animals and diseases on the state’s economy and outdoor resources are incalculable.

JEFFERSON CITY MO – Will you be camping this summer? Boating or fishing? Planting trees or other landscaping? If so, the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) encourages you to help save the Show-Me State’s forests, fish and wildlife resources, along with our economy, from an army of invasive species. 

Missouri’s location in the middle of the continent makes it a crossroads for travelers of all kinds, including a growing number of exotic plants, animals and diseases. Among the better-known invaders are the zebra mussel, gypsy moth and bush honeysuckle. But, the list is much longer. Here are some other key culprits:

Emerald ash borer

These penny-size green beetles were first discovered in southeast Missouri in 2008. They have already killed more than 50 million ash trees in 14 states, including Missouri.

Ash trees make up approximately 3 percent of forests and 14 percent of urban trees in Missouri. In some neighborhoods and parks, that figure reaches as high as 30 or 40 percent.

The adult beetles nibble on ash foliage but cause little damage. However, the larvae feed on the inner bark of ash trees, disrupting the tree's ability to transport water and nutrients, eventually killing the tree.

The MDC is working with other state and federal agencies to help stop the spread of the beetle. A quarantine is in effect in Wayne County that restricts movement of hardwood firewood, ash nursery stock and other untreated ash wood products out of the county.

You can help prevent the spread of this deadly invader by not transporting firewood. Get firewood where you will burn it, and burn it all before you leave.

Thousand cankers disease

This infection of walnut trees is caused by the walnut twig beetle and a fungus it carries. It affects many types of walnut trees to varying degrees, but is lethal to black walnut. It is killing black walnut trees in at least eight western states.

The beetle bores into walnut trees and the fungus then forms thousands of growths, called cankers, under the bark. These cankers disrupt the tree's ability to transport water and nutrients, and can eventually kill it.

Missouri is home to more than 55 million black walnut trees and is the nation’s leader in black-walnut nut production. Missouri is also one of the largest producers of black walnut wood products. While the disease has not yet reached Missouri, estimates of potential damage to the state’s economy -- through the loss of nuts, wood products and planting stock -- could annually exceed $135 million.

The Missouri Department of Agriculture has banned the importation of “raw” walnut wood products, such as firewood, green lumber and nursery stock, from states where the disease has been found. The quarantine does not include nuts, nutmeats, bark-free, kiln-dried lumber and finished products, such as furniture. 

Again, don’t transport firewood. Get it where you will burn it, and burn it all.

Rusty crayfish

This invasive species has been spread from its native range in the Ohio River basin by anglers and bait dealers. Its aggressive nature and fast growth rate enable it to displace native crayfish, reducing the biological diversity of Missouri streams. 

You can help by not dumping bait. The Wildlife Code of Missouri prohibits the release of unused bait into waters where it did not originate and prohibits the sale and possession of this invasive crayfish.

Chinese mystery snail

This large Asian mollusk already inhabits several Missouri streams. It competes with less robust native snails, which are important parts of the food chain. Chinese mystery snails are on Missouri’s list of prohibited species and are illegal to possess.

You can help by not dumping aquarium water or contents into Missouri’s lakes and streams.  Dispose of unwanted aquarium animals humanely and deposit them in your trash.   

Northern snakehead

This 2-foot-long Asian import has gained a foothold in southern Arkansas and could spread north into Missouri. It can travel cross-country to new waters, sports a mouth full of needle-sharp teeth and devours game fish, such as bass, sunfish and catfish.

Asian carp

This species has multiplied dramatically since invading the Missouri and Mississippi rivers about 20 years ago.  They compete with important native aquatic filter feeders and can eventually take over bodies of water. Their impact on Missouri’s commercial fishing industry and sport fishing still is largely unknown, but could be devastating.

Spotted knapweed

This non-native member of the aster family takes over pastures and roadsides, rooting out native plants and ruining pastures for cattle. The 2-foot-tall perennial, bedecked with attractive, fringy pink blossoms, probably arrived in the United States in the late 1800s in contaminated hay or seed from Eurasia. Since then, it has spread to more than 45 states, including Missouri. Unlike aster species native to Missouri, spotted knapweed’s roots produce chemicals that are toxic to other plants, killing native species. It is bad news for wildlife and livestock because it is not a good food plant.

It was designated a noxious weed by the Missouri legislature in 2008.  You can help by controlling it on your property.

Purple loosestrife

Native to Europe and Asia, purple loosestrife was first brought to North America in the early 1800s. This attractive but highly invasive plant turns diverse, healthy wetlands into impenetrable stands of vegetation largely useless to native Missouri wildlife. Native wetland plants die out due to shading from the tall, dense purple loosestrife stands.

Purple loosestrife is included on Missouri noxious weed list.  You can help by controlling it on your property.

Common and cutleaf teasel

This pair of prickly thistles from Europe has been in Missouri for more than 100 years, but has multiplied dramatically in the past 10 years. It was introduced to North America, possibly as early as the 1700s, because the prickly stem was used in the textile industry to raise the nap of woolen cloth. Teasel’s unusual -- and by some perspectives, attractive -- flower heads have led to its use as a horticultural plant, in flower arrangements and in the craft trade. These are extremely aggressive plants that can take over livestock pastures and open fields, displacing even a thick stand of fescue.

Again, these are noxious weeds so it is important to control them if you find them on your property.

Feral hogs

These “hogs gone wild” destroy wildlife habitat and private property, compete with native wildlife for food, and can pose a threat to humans, pets and domestic livestock through the spread of disease.

Small populations of free-roaming domestic hogs have been part of the Missouri countryside since the days of open range. These isolated populations were kept in check by local hunting efforts.

The situation took a turn for the worse in the 1990s when hog hunting for recreation began to gain popularity. People started raising and releasing  European wild boars for hunting on private land. Some escaped, or were intentionally released on public land, and crossbred with existing free-roaming swine.

These “hogs gone wild” are prolific breeders and their numbers are growing at an alarming rate. Left unchecked, feral hogs will spread throughout Missouri, causing million of dollars in agricultural, environmental and property damage.

MDC is working with other state and federal agencies to control feral hogs on public lands, and is helping private landowners trap and kill them.

MDC encourages hunters to shoot feral hogs on sight.

It is against the law to release any type of hog on public land in Missouri. Report releases, sightings and kills to your local Conservation office.

For more information on these and other alien invaders, and how to help control them, contact your local Conservation office, or visit www.missouriconservation.org and search “invasive species” or a specific invader.

Missouri Hunting Information