State Fire Marshal and National Weather Service urge public to avoid any open burning

Image via WikipediaJEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – The Office of the State Fire Marshal and the National Weather Service are urging extra caution with open burning in Missouri due to low moisture conditions, low humidity and high winds that increase the danger of wildland fires.

“With the current weather conditions in Missouri, there is a real danger of what is believed to be a controlled burn quickly getting out of control,” said Missouri State Fire Marshal Randy Cole. “During these conditions we urge you to refrain from burning leaves or brush for the foreseeable future.”

The National Weather Service has been monitoring conditions and has been in close contact with the Office of the State Fire Marshal. “The weather has been quite dry across Missouri this fall,” said Jon Carney, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in St. Louis. “The dry and occasionally breezy weather pattern is expected to continue for at least the next week.”

Cole said fall and spring are the peak times of year for firefighters to respond to wildland fires that start out as controlled burns. The fires all too often result in property damage, injury and even death. Cole said three people died in February and March in Missouri when controlled burns got out of hand.

Cole urged the following precautions:

·        Check for local burn bans or restrictions before conducting any open burning.
·        Keep fire a minimum of 75 feet from all buildings.
·        Never use gasoline, kerosene or any other flammable liquid to start the fire.
·        Do not leave a fire unattended.
·        Have fire extinguishment materials on hand, including a water supply, shovels and rakes.
·        Be prepared to extinguish your fire if the winds pick up.
·        DO NOT delay a call for help – call the fire department immediately at the first sign of the fire getting out of control.

Fall firearms turkey harvest down 29 percent

JEFFERSON CITY–Hunters checked 5,928 wild turkeys during Missouri’s fall firearms hunting season Oct. 1 through 31. It was the second-smallest harvest in the fall season’s 33-year history.

Top harvest counties were Greene with 199 turkeys checked, Franklin with 157 and Webster with 154.

Resource Scientist Jason Isabelle, who oversees the Missouri Department of Conservation’s turkey-management program, said the harvest was about what he would expect based on the number of fall firearms turkey hunting permits sold.

“The number of turkeys harvested per permit sold has remained relatively constant for the last 20 years,” said Isabelle. “This year’s permit sales were off by about the same percentage as the harvest.”

Missouri held its first autumn firearms turkey hunt in 1978. Hunters bagged 4,374 turkeys that fall. The size of the fall harvest increased gradually over the following seven years. It nearly doubled in 1986, when the bag limit increased from one to two birds.

The fall harvest peaked in 1987, when hunters checked 28,139 birds. After that, the number of hunters participating in the fall season declined from a high of approximately 50,000 to 13,736 this year. The harvest trend mirrors declining hunter numbers.

Isabelle said several factors have contributed to fall turkey hunting’s declining popularity. Among those factors has been the increasing popularity of archery deer hunting.

All 13 counties where hunters checked more than 100 turkeys during the fall firearms turkey season are south of the Missouri River.

“Northern Missouri counties led the state in turkey harvest for a long time,” said Isabelle. “Hunters frequently saw lots of turkeys up there during the summer, and it got them excited about fall hunting. They have been seeing fewer birds, especially in the past few years, and I think that lots of turkey hunters in northern Missouri recognize that the population is down in that region of the state and are taking it upon themselves to not hunt birds in the fall as a result.”

Isabelle said the sharp drop in this year’s fall firearms turkey permit sales and harvest is not evidence of a proportional decline in the state’s turkey population. He noted that the slide of the fall firearms turkey harvest began 25 years ago, when the state’s turkey flock was still growing in some parts of the state.

“Our spring turkey harvest continued to increase during much of that period,” he said. “From the mid-1980s to the early 2000s, it grew from about 30,000 to just over 60,000. The decreased interest in fall turkey hunting obviously was not because we didn’t have enough turkeys.”

This year’s fall firearms turkey harvest included 3,877 hens, or approximately 34 per county. Isabelle said a fall turkey harvest of this size has no effect on the number of turkeys available to hunters the following spring.

“Missouri’s wild turkey population is estimated at approximately 500,000 birds,” said Isabelle. “Population modeling indicates that as long as fall harvest does not exceed 10 percent of the statewide turkey population, it has little impact on the population. Even when you combine the fall archery and firearms harvests, the total is less than 2 percent of the state’s turkey population. That is well below the 10-percent threshold.”

Isabelle said that although turkey numbers are down in parts of the state due to a poor reproduction, turkey hunters can still expect some outstanding hunting opportunities during the 2011 spring season.

-Jim Low-

2010 Youth Deer Harvest Numbers Hold Steady

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Youth deer harvest holds steady

Young guns posted the third-largest

harvest in the early youth hunt’s 10-year history.

JEFFERSON CITY–Hunters age 6 through 15 checked 13,263 deer during the early youth portion of Missouri’s firearms deer season Oct. 30 and 31. That is the third-largest number in the season’s 10-year history and only slightly less than the record.

The first youth season was in 2001, when young hunters checked 6,277 deer. The most ever taken during the two-day hunt was 13,466 in 2004. The harvest during last year’s early youth hunt was 13,328.

According to the Missouri Department of Conservation, this year’s top counties were Osage with 304 deer checked, Callaway with 277 and Franklin with 266.

The Conservation Department makes it easy to create a lasting reminder of young hunters’ first deer. An official First Deer Certificate, complete with congratulations and signature by Conservation Department Director Bob Ziehmer, is available at http://bit.ly/9bmk38. To create a certificate suitable for framing, you need only fill in the hunter’s information, print the form and add a photo.

From 2001 through 2007, the youth portion of firearms deer season ran for two days in early November or late October. In 2008, the Conservation Department added two days of youth hunting in January. The harvest during the late youth hunt has been small compared to the early portion, averaging a little over 1,700.

The Conservation Department recorded no firearms-related deer hunting incidents during this year’s early youth season.

Next on Missouri’s deer-hunting calendar is the November Portion of Firearms Deer Season Nov. 13 through 23. This portion normally accounts for approximately 80 percent of the state’s firearms deer harvest.

Three other portions follow the November hunt. The Antlerless Portion runs from Nov. 24 through Dec. 5. The Muzzleloader Portion is Dec. 18 through 28. The final portion of the firearms season is the Late Firearms Youth Portion Jan. 1 and 2.

Missouri also has an archery deer season that opens Sept. 15 and closes Jan. 15, with an 11-day hiatus during the November firearms deer season.

Hunters spend more than 5.7 million days pursuing deer in Missouri each year. The approximately $700 million they spend on their sport annually generates $1.1 billion in business activity and supports 11,000 jobs.

-Jim Low-

MDC needs hunter help with CWD surveillance Nov. 13-14

The Conservation Department asks hunters who harvest deer in six north-central Missouri counties during opening weekend of firearms deer season to submit samples for CWD testing.

JEFFERSON CITY Mo – As part of it ongoing efforts to monitor Missouri’s free-ranging deer for chronic wasting disease (CWD), the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) is asking hunters for help. Hunters who harvest yearling and adult deer during opening weekend of firearms deer season (Nov. 13-14) in Linn, Chariton, Macon and parts of Sullivan, Adair and Randolph counties are encouraged to take their deer to the following collection sites for tissue sampling between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

LINN CO

King Processing & Catering, 33181 Hwy WW in Marceline

Meadville Meat Locker, 101 E Gentry St. in Meadville       

Mussel Fork Conservation Area, 10 miles east of Brookfield and south of US Hwy 36 near Bucklin (look for signs)

MDC Brookfield Maintenance Center, 115 Pershing Road in Brookfield

CHARITON CO

Salisbury Meat Market & Processing, 29047 Market Lane in Salisbury

MACON CO

Special D Meats, 30637 Lake St. in Macon

Buck Ridge Butcher Shop (Saturday Only), 11245 Grouse Ave. in La Plata

Floral Hall-Macon County Fairgrounds, 1303 S. Missouri St. in Macon

SULLIVAN COUNTY

Tucker's Grocer & Processing, 355 W Front St in Green Castle

“The process of collecting tissue samples will take only a few minutes and involves removing lymph nodes from the head,” said MDC Resource Scientist Jason Sumners. “The tissue sampling will not reduce the food or taxidermy value of deer.”

Sumners, a biologist with expertise in deer management, added that hunters throughout the state who encounter or harvest a deer in poor condition with no obvious injuries should contact their local conservation agent or MDC office. If appropriate, the deer will be tested for CWD.

He noted that hunters are vital partners in keeping Missouri’s deer herd healthy, along with the supporting the state economy.

“Adult deer have no widespread natural predators in Missouri so hunting is the primary way to control the population,” he said.  “Our nearly 500,000 Missouri deer hunters spend more than $750 million directly related to deer hunting each year. This adds up to over $1 billion in overall business activity and supports more than 11,000 jobs.”

The voluntary hunter-sampling effort is part of the MDC’s response to a single case of CWD confirmed by the Missouri Department of Agriculture (MDA) in a captive white-tailed deer at a private hunting ranch in Linn County in February. This is the first and only case of CWD detected in the state.

CWD is a neurological disease found in cervids, such as deer, elk and moose. It attacks the brain and results in extreme weight loss, excessive salivation, stumbling, tremors and eventually death. CWD spreads through animal-to-animal contact and through soil-to-animal contact. The clinical tests used to detect CWD in white-tailed deer require lymph node or brain tissue.

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (MDHSS) says that there is no evidence CWD can infect people. The MDA says that current research shows there is no evidence CWD can spread to domestic livestock, such as sheep or cattle.

While CWD is new to Missouri, the MDC and MDA have been testing for it for years.  The agencies formed a state Cervid Health Committee in 2002 to address the threat of CWD to Missouri. This task force is composed of conservation agents, veterinarians and animal health officers from MDC, MDA, MDHSS and the US Department of Agriculture.

With the help of hunters, the MDC has tested more than 26,000 free-ranging deer for CWD from all parts of the state since 2002 with no cases found.

Sumners said that Missouri residents who hunt in other states should be aware of a new regulation regarding chronic wasting disease. The MDC now requires any hunter who brings a deer, elk or moose into Missouri with the head or spinal column attached to report the carcasses’ entry by calling 1-877-853-5665 within 24 hours of entering the state. If the head or spinal cord is intact on the animal, the hunter cannot process the meat or the trophy mount and must take the carcass to a licensed meat processor or taxidermist within 72 hours of entry. Meat processors and taxidermists are required to dispose of the spinal cord and other parts in a properly permitted landfill. Hunters do not need to report if they simply bring back meat, hides, antlers, teeth, skulls or skull plates with no brain tissue attached.

For more information, refer to page 3 of the “2010 Fall Deer & Turkey Hunting Regulations and Information” booklet. The booklet is available where permits are sold, including MDC offices, and online at www.missouriconservation.org.

Deer Season Forecast

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Offsetting factors expected to hold deer harvest steady

Acorn availability, crop harvest, the four-point rule and population

shifts caused by last year’s harvest and hemorrhagic disease all will

affect the final tally from this year’s November firearms deer hunt.

JEFFERSON CITY–Missouri’s top white-tailed deer expert says the number of deer killed during the 11-day November portion of firearms deer season could be down slightly this year. In the end, however, the deer harvest will depend on a variety of offsetting factors, including the perennial wild card, weather.

Resource Scientist Lonnie Hansen says he expects a harvest of approximately 200,000 deer during the November hunt. This overall prediction takes into account regional variations and assumes average weather.

Hansen said hunters in the Ozarks are likely to check fewer deer this year than they did in 2009. He bases this prediction on two factors, both related to the availability of deer’s autumn food mainstay, acorns.

Acorns were scarce in the Ozarks last year. As a result, deer were concentrated in areas where food was available, and this made hunters’ work easier.

“Hunters had a banner year in the Ozarks last year,” said Hansen. “They shot a bunch of deer, and that could have some negative effect on this year’s harvest.”

This year, acorns are abundant across much of the Ozarks. Hansen says this will magnify the effect of last year’s strong deer kill. Fewer deer will be spread out over a larger area, making them more difficult for hunters to find.

He said the Ozarks’ long-term prospects are good, however, with gradual growth of the region’s deer population over the last 25 years.

Deer-hunting prospects are bright in northern Missouri, where the harvest was down last year.

“I think that we under-harvested deer in parts of northern Missouri last year because weather conditions delayed the corn harvest,” said Hansen. “With so much standing corn, deer had lots of places to hide, and we carried over more deer than normal in that region. Most crops should be out of the fields by deer season this year, and my expectation is the harvest should be up a little bit in northern Missouri.”

Hansen notes, however, that northern Missouri’s deer population is smaller than it was five years ago. He says that is a good thing.

“We needed to get the numbers down in some areas. Of course, deer are never distributed evenly across a landscape, and the fact that numbers are down across that region means that people in some areas have fewer deer than they would like and others have more than they would like. But I still think they will have a good season up there, and they could shoot more deer than they did last year because of the crop situation.”

Hansen said deer numbers have been down a little in western Missouri in recent years because of hemorrhagic disease. He said that region’s deer population is recovering well and hunters there can expect a good season.

Hunters in the 35 northern and western Missouri counties where the four-point antler restriction went into effect in 2008 can expect to see more bucks with large antlers, according to Hansen.

“What we have seen in the counties where the four-point rule first went into effect is that the third year is when people really start reaping the benefits,” he said. “Lots of hunters will see bucks with antlers like they have never seen before. Some people are going to say, ‘Wow! Where did all these bucks come from?’”

With so many opposing trends, Hansen said he hesitates to guess how many hunters will check deer during the November hunt.

“If you force me to guess, I would guess the harvest will be not quite as high as last year.”

Whatever the November harvest turns out to be, the final tally for the season is unlikely to be much different than last year’s.

“We have reached a point in Missouri where most hunters have all the time they need to shoot a deer,” said Hansen. “Back when the November hunt was the entire firearms deer season, a low harvest on opening weekend meant the final harvest total would be down that year. Today, if you aren’t successful in November, you still have 12 days of antlerless hunting and 11 days of muzzleloader hunting to make up lost ground. We have many more muzzleloader hunters today than we did 20 years ago, and today’s muzzleloaders are much more efficient than the traditional guns that we started with. That tends to reduce year-to-year variations in harvest.”

 Last year’s November deer kill of 193,155 was 4 percent below the 2008 November harvest. That was mainly because of widespread, heavy rainfall during the opening weekend. Hunters went on to make up that difference and more during the antlerless, muzzleloader, youth and archery portions of the season after the November hunt. The combined 2009-2010 archery and firearms deer harvest of 299,461 was the fourth-largest on record.

Full details about deer hunting are available in the 2010 Fall Deer & Turkey Hunting Regulations and Information booklet. It is available wherever hunting permits are sold and online at http://bit.ly/bHgKv2.

-Jim Low-

Find great public land options for deer hunting at Missouri Public Lands Hunting

Conservation Action October 2010

The Conservation Commission met Oct. 14 and 15 at the Conservation Department’s regional office in Kirksville.  Commissioners present were:

Becky L. Plattner, Grand Pass, Chair

Don R. Johnson, Festus, Vice Chair

Don C. Bedell, Sikeston, Secretary

William F. “Chip” McGeehan, Marshfield, Member

The Commission:

Ø  Received a presentation from Wildlife Diversity Chief Gene Gardner concerning “Partnerships in Action: A Decade of State Wildlife Grants and Conserving All Wildlife in Missouri.”

Ø  Received a presentation from Resource Scientist Lonnie Hansen regarding a proposed plan for restoring elk to Missouri.

Ø  Received comments regarding potential elk restoration from individuals who submitted written requests prior to the meeting.

Ø  Voted to approve the proposed elk-restoration plan. The plan (available atwww.missouriconservation.org) calls for releasing up to 150 elk into a 346-square-mile area of Shannon, Carter and Reynolds counties early in 2011. All released elk will undergo stringent health testing and quarantines and will be fitted with radio collars to permit tracking their movements.

Ø  Approved entering into a contract with AVCO, Inc., Hamilton, for the construction of the Blind Pony Lake Conservation Area Equipment Storage and Work Area building in Saline county at a total estimated cost of $301,895.

Ø  Approved recommendations for the Conservation Employees’ Benefits Plan Trust Fund.

Ø  Approved the purchase of 161.51 acres in Pettis County as an addition to W. R. Kearn Memorial Conservation Area.

Ø  Suspended hunting and/or fishing privileges of 15 Missouri residents and two nonresidents for Wildlife Code violations and affirmed actions taken by Missouri courts suspending privileges of one Missouri resident. Those whose privileges were suspended are:


                              ·         John J. Anesi, Kirksville, all sport privileges, 1 year.

·         Richard B. Berghager, Center, all sport privileges, 1.5 additional years.

·         Collin S. Burns, Lebanon, all sport privileges, 3 months.

·         Seth E. Burns, Stoutland, all sport privileges, 1 year.

·         Maria J. Burton, Jadwin, all sport privileges, 5 years.

·        David A. Chandler, Belleview, all sport privileges, 1 year.

·        Jessica C. Gamblin, Montreal, hunting privileges, until 6/22/11.

·         Travis A. Gott, Elkland, hunting privileges, 6 months.

·         Randy C. Gresham, Jr., Rolla, all sport privileges, 5 years.

·         Derek R. Johnson, Galva, Ill., all sport privileges, 1 year.

·         Dustin J. Jones, Jonesburg, all sport privileges, 1 year.

·         David W. Kilroy, Longwood, Fla., all sport privileges, 1 year.

·         Travis L. King, Winigan, all sport privileges, 1 year

·         Brandon M. Lennox, New London, all sport privileges, 2.5 years.

·         John C. McDonald, Salem, all sport privileges, 2 additional years.

·         Byran M. Ruth, Grandview, all sport privileges, 1 year.

·         John L. Shepherd, Hannibal, all sport privileges, 5.5 additional years.

·         Bradley A. Wilson, Lowry City, all sport privileges, 1 year.

Ø  Approved the suspension or revocation of all hunting and fishing privileges of 318 people who are not in compliance with applicable child support laws.

Ø  Suspended privileges of 193 nonresidents and two Missouri residents under the provisions of the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact.

Ø  Imposed hunting privilege suspension of four 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.

Ø  Confirmed the next regular Conservation Commission meeting to be held Dec. 16 and 17 in Jefferson City.

- end -

This document is provided for public information only and is not an official record of the Missouri Department of Conservation or Missouri Conservation Commission.

Conservation commission approves elk restoration plan

The elk restoration plan is consistent with the Agency’s rich history of successful management and restoration of fish, forest and wildlife for the people of Missouri

By Jim Low, MDC

KIRKSVILLE–The Missouri Conservation Commission today approved an elk restoration plan that includes health protocols, herd management guidelines and habitat management recommendations. Releases of elk could begin as soon as early 2011.

The plan (available at www.missouriconservation.org) calls for releasing wild elk in a 346-square-mile (221,509 acres) elk restoration zone in parts of Shannon, Carter and Reynolds counties. The Conservation Department selected this limited restoration zone because of extensive public lands, suitable habitat, low road density, minimal agricultural activity and landowner support.

To ensure that Missouri’s wildlife and livestock remain healthy, the plan includes health testing guidelines developed by the Missouri Departments of Conservation and Agriculture.  “The developed animal-health-testing protocol has been proven in other states and meets or exceeds health-testing requirements to move livestock or captive elk,” said State Veterinarian Dr. Taylor Woods.  

The plan includes procedures to address elk that leave the restoration zone onto private land where they are not welcome and hunting to manage the herd in future years. All released elk will be fitted with radio collars to permit tracking their movements.

The plan calls for continued habitat management on public lands and cost share incentives for private landowners wanting to attract elk to their land in the restoration zone. Since 2000, there have been significant habitat improvements on public land in the restoration zone that will benefit elk. 

Organizations including the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and theAppalachian Wildlife Foundation have committed to contributing financial resources and volunteer time to help with elk restoration in Missouri.

Director Robert Ziehmer said the Department has actively engaged citizens and organizations to gather input on elk restoration. “A key component of Missouri’s plan is the defined restoration zone. Given habitat within this zone, the limited number of elk to be released, established health protocols, monitoring commitment, and solid citizen and landowner support, implementation will provide natural-resource and recreational benefits,” said Ziehmer.

Elk restoration programs in Arkansas, Kentucky, Pennsylvania and Tennessee have successfully restored limited elk populations with economic benefits through wildlife viewing and hunting. 

Jim Smith, owner of Cross Country Trail Ride in Eminence, said restoring elk to the Missouri Ozarks will help his business by extending the tourism season. “The natural beauty, abundant wildlife and crystal clear streams draw people to the Ozarks.  Restoring elk will be an extra attraction.”

         

Elk are native to the Show-Me State but were gone by the mid-1800s, due to unregulated hunting and habitat changes.