Youth waterfowl hunting clinic offered Oct. 11 and 25

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The two-part workshop Oct. 11 and 25 is open to participants age 9 through 15. First-time participants will spend the first Saturday of the event learning about waterfowl hunting rules, safety and calling, duck identification and retrieving-dog training. They will also practice wing shooting and learn how to choose the right combination of shotgun and ammunition for ethical, effective hunting. The program will take place from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The second Saturday will be devoted to a guided waterfowl hunt. Breakfast and lunch will be provided both days, and all activities are free of charge, courtesy of Everhart’s Wilderness Lodge, members of the former West Side Missouri Waterfowl Association, Missouri Department of Conservation, Truman Lake National Wild Turkey Federation, Everhart’s Outdoor Store, Clinton Wal-Mart, and the Kansas City Chapter Safari Club International. This portion of the event will run from 6 a.m. until noon. Everhart’s Wilderness Lodge is at 651 NW Highway O, 6 miles northwest of Clinton. To reserve a place, contact Johnny or Linda Everhart at 660-885-5049.

MDC Cape Nature Center hosts Missouri author-artist duo

CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO. – The Missouri Department of Conservation Cape Girardeau Oct. 24 and Oct. 25. Glines will present from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Friday evening and O’Donnell will bring a group of artists to paint on the grounds of the Cape Nature Center Saturday from 1 to 4 p.m. 

Conservation Nature Center will host author Karen Glines and artist Billyo O’Donnell for a presentation and art demonstration 

Glines and O’Donnell collaborated to create the book, “Painting Missouri: The Counties en Plein Air,” which combines essays and paintings that display unique features of each county in Missouri.

“Their book weaves the natural story of the Missouri landscape throughout the histories and cultures of each county of our state,” said Sara Turner, manager of the Cape Nature Center. “This is representative of how conservation and nature are not only essential to each community, but often set the tone for the formation of a community through rich natural scenery and abundant wildlife.”

Glines said before she and O’Donnell worked on this book, the two worked together on “Artists Along the Katy Trail” where hundreds of artists from across the state painted outdoors with O’Donnell in 2000 and 2001.

“During that time, we realized how our similar interests coincided with the beauty within our state could be part of a book,” Glines said. “With his expertise in art and mine in writing, the end result was “Painting Missouri: The Counties en Plein Air.”

Glines said she has very specific goals for her Friday evening presentation at the Cape Nature Center.

“I hope to convey an appreciation for the diversity within our state regarding land, people, culture, and history,” she said. “While researching for seven years, I came to look upon Missouri almost as a small continent with its separate borders and regions, and immersed myself in learning about the distinctive differences.”

Turner said this perspective of Missouri is not surprising due to the ecological diversity throughout the state.

“From the plains in the north, down through the hills of the Ozarks and then the flat wetlands of the southeast, Missouri’s diversity in landscape, habitats and wildlife species is impressive,” she said.

It’s that diversity that inspired Glines’ writing throughout the project and that she hopes to convey through her presentation.

“The wildflowers, varieties of trees, and abundant waterways create a harmony that is difficult to duplicate,” Glines said. “The audience will go away with a sense of that diversity within our state along with knowing what an important part the people play in making this such a remarkable place to live. Stories upon stories helped compose the tone of the essays and also inspired the artist to choose the subjects chosen by O’Donnell.”  

Glines’ and O’Donnell’s book received the 2009 Governor’s Distinguished Literary Achievement Award by the Missouri Humanities Council.

Glines is an award-winning journalist and photojournalist who lives in Des Peres, Mo. She has taught communication classes at the university level, served as a mentor to journalism students, and served as president of both the Missouri Professional Communicators and the St. Louis Artists' Guild. Her published works have appeared locally, nationally, and internationally.

O'Donnell, lives in Eureka, Mo., and is founder of the Artists along the Katy Trail program, the precursor of Plein Air organized events across Missouri -. He is a signature member of the Plein Air Painters of America and was selected as one of America's Fifty Exceptional Plein Air Painters by the Haggin Museum in Stockton, Calif. His works are included in prestigious collections in the United States, Japan, and Europe.

The public is invited to view Glines’ presentation Friday evening and then return to the Cape Nature Center Saturday for an opportunity to watch O’Donnell and his students in action as they paint natural scenes surrounding the nature center. No registration is required. Saturday’s event is an unstructured event, where guests may view the artists’ work throughout the nature center grounds.

More information about Glines’ and O’Donnell’s work may be found online at PaintingMissouri.com. More information on this and other programs at the Cape Nature Center may be found atmdc.mo.gov/events.

Go mobile with free MDC hunting, fishing, and fall color apps

Discover nature through the Missouri Department of Conservation’s free mobile apps for Learn more and download the apps at mdc.mo.gov/mobile/mobile-apps.

hunting, fishing, and fall color. Our MO Hunting, Find MO Fish, and MO Fall Colors FREE apps are availablefor both Android and Apple mobile devices through Google Play and iTunes stores.

MO Hunting lets you purchase and view hunting and fishing permits directly from a mobile device, and also view previously purchased permits. The app also lets deer and turkey hunters telecheck current harvests and review previous telecheck harvest information.

Find MO Fish shows public boat ramps and underwater fish structures in Missouri's major lakes, rivers, and streams, along with regulations for specific species and specific areas. The app also provides a handy Fish ID Guide along with annual fishing prospects and weekly fishing reports.

MO Fall Colors shows current fall-color scenes around the state and how to get there, along with weekly fall color forecasts for areas of the state from Mid-September through October. You can even add your fall-color finds and share them.

MDC to hold cable restraint certification class

NEOSHO, Mo. – The Missouri Department of Conservation will hold a cable restraint trapping certification class at 10:30 a.m. Sept. 20 at the Neosho National Fish Hatchery

meeting room, which is located at 520 E. Park St. in Neosho.

When used correctly, cable restraint devices can hold animals alive and allow trappers to release non-target animals unharmed. The devices can be used to take furbearers during Missouri’s furbearer trapping season (see the Wildlife Code of Missouri for details on season dates and regulations) by trappers who have successfully completed a cable restraint training course, validated by a certified instructor.

This free course will cover the basics of safely and legally utilizing cable restraints to capture furbearers. Regulations, proper set location and cable restraint construction will be discussed.

Interested individuals are asked to pre-register by contacting Missouri Department of Conservation Wildlife Management Biologist Frank Loncarich at 417-451-4158 or Frank.Loncarich@mdc.mo.gov.  

Fishing clinic reels fathers in first

KENNETT, Mo. – More than 600 people converged on Jerry P. Combs Lake near Kennett recently to participate in the 16th annual Missouri Bootheel Regional Consortium (MBRC)

Inc. Fishing Clinic, which is the largest annual fishing event in the Bootheel. The fishing clinic is a cooperative event hosted by the MBRC and the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC).

The purpose of the event, which is part of MBRC’s Fathers First Initiative, is to engage fathers and children in outdoor activities together in an environment where they can learn with equipment provided. In addition to fishing, parents and children enjoyed an archery activity led by representatives from the National Wild Turkey Federation, fish identification, boat rides and fur identification led by representatives of the Corps of Engineers. 

“We had a high turnout and the fish were biting,” said Eric Heuring, an MDC Conservation agent and MDC’s coordinator of the event. 

Heuring has coordinated MDC’s portion of the event for nine years. He said watching children experience nature, sometimes for the first time, never gets old.

“The highlight of this event is always witnessing the children have a great time catching fish, getting a bull’s-eye and going on the boat rides. For many, this was all a first time experience with these activities,” he said.

Heuring said for MDC, this event is part of a mission to help people discover nature. He said the hope is that after experiencing these outdoor activities for the first time at an event, parents and children will incorporate things like fishing, archery and general outdoor time into their regular routines.

Cynthia Dean, CEO of MBRC, said the Fatherhood First program was initiated in 1998 in order to assist fathers in maintaining positive relationships with their children and families. She said the fishing clinic helps support local interventions and services to assist fathers in overcoming barriers to responsible fatherhood.

“MBRC is committed to continuing this important community event to emphasize the importance of male involvement in the lives of their children and families,” Dean said.

Heuring agreed that seeing fathers and their children fish together at this event is representative of the rich cultural tradition of sharing the outdoors with family and friends.

“Fishing, like anything else, is only improved when enjoyed with your family,” he said.

For more information on places to fish in Missouri, use the conservation atlas at mdc.mo.gov.

MDC welcomes new wildlife management biologist to southeast Missouri

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) welcomes a new wildlife management biologist, Ryan Dirnberger, to the River Hills and Crowley’s Ridge districts. Dirnberger is based out of the MDC’s Perryville Forestry Office, although his responsibilities include managing conservation areas in Cape Girardeau, Perry, Scott, Ste. Genevieve, and Stoddard counties.

Matt Bowyer, MDC wildlife regional supervisor, said Dirnberger will also be an asset to the

community as a resource to answer wildlife and habitat questions.

Dirnberger earned his B.S. Degree in Wildlife Conservation Biology from Southeast Missouri State University -.  After obtaining his degree, he worked part time for the MDC’s Fisheries and Resource Science Divisions in the southeast region before being hired as a resource science assistant in Chillicothe.

In Chillicothe, Dirnberger worked as a crew leader for large river sampling on the Missouri River, supervised staff, and assisted with public events and educational programs.  During this time, Dirnberger also produced a report on the growth of sauger that was later published in the American Journal of Fisheries Management. 

In 2010, Dirnberger transferred to the MDC’s Wildlife Division and gained experience in the management of wildlife habitats as a resource assistant at Duck Creek Conservation Area.  In the last four years, he has worked at Duck Creek carrying out numerous management practices on the wetland and upland habitats. 

Over the years, Dirnberger has worked additional assignments doing urban deer surveys, waterfowl banding, dove banding, elk trapping, quail surveys, and swamp rabbit surveys.  He has worked hard to obtain additional training in areas that add to his skill set as a manager, including certification as a Missouri Prescribed Fire Burn Boss and burn planner.  He has federal certifications as a Fire Fighter Type 2 and is chainsaw certified as a Faller Type A.  During his time at Duck Creek, Dirnberger became known for always being one of the first to volunteer to help other districts and divisions in their time of need.  He has repeatedly taken advantage of opportunities to cross train with other divisions including working with professional staff in Fisheries, Forestry, Resource Science and Private Lands Divisions. 

“This desire to grow professionally as a biologist combined with a strong work ethic, great teamwork, and a broad background of on the ground management and monitoring practices will benefit Dirnberger greatly as a wildlife management biologist,” Bowyer said.

“I am really excited to improve habitat on our conservation areas and work with landowners in the River Hills and Crowley’s Ridge districts,” Dirnberger said.

Dirnberger may be reached at the Perryville Forestry Office at 573-547-4537. He currently resides in Chaffee with his fiancée, Lora Brewer.

Missouri Lawmakers Show who they Really Work For in Governor's Override Attempt

Missouri sports men and women knew what was at stake when Missouri legislators went to Jefferson City to try to override as many of Governor Nixon's vetoes as possible.  Of the utmost interest to the sporting community was the effort to take away regulation of the captive cervid industry from the MDC and turn it over to the Ag Department. Why does it matter so much?

In the immediate term, the MDC has done a magnificent job working to eradicate CWD in Missouri.  Much of this effort centers on captive cervid operations because that is where the first cases occurred.

Clearly, the captive deer farmers did not like the regulations being placed on them and utilized the strategy that works so well with Missouri Republican legislators as of late.  They lobbied hard and got their law passed.

The Missouri Conservation Commission is the authority for the MDC, and by design is nonpartisan. Therefore, Missouri legislators have as of late tried a multitude of ways to take money and authority from the MDC. If the cervid industry had been classified as agriculture and were under the auspices of the Department of Ag, it is possible that further regulation of them would have been difficult or impossile due to the rcently passed Amendment 1.

A family member asked me the question, "Why would it really matter if agriculture regulated the deer farms?"  It's a fair question.  The answer is that having two governmental entities regulate the captive and wild deer populations makes no sense.  Also, as previously outlined, if one of those entities is overseen by legislators who are bought off by the cervid industry, it is pretty unlikely our deer popuations will remain disease free.

In the long term, letting politicians get their foot in the door on wildlife management is a worrisome proposition.  Our legislators have had their grreedy eyes on MDC's sales tax revenue and regulatory authority for some time.  Missouri has been blessed with politics free fish and wildlife management for several generations and has become the envy of sportsmen and women nationwide.

It is this way because oldtimers rolled up their sleeves years ago and got grimy politicians out of the picture,  Our fishing and hunting is seriously being imperiled as we speak.  The success of these politicians relies on their theory that because the majority of us lean conservative, we won't throw their rear ends out if they mess with our hunting and fishing.

I wrote my state "representative," Bart Korman, and told him that because of his override vote I would do all I could do to see him replaced.  I hope you do the same.

Enough is enough!

SEE HOW YOU LEGISLATOR VOTED BELOW:

House Votes on Cervid Override

HERE WAS THE SENATE VOTE:

Senator Munzlinger moved that HCS for SB 506 be passed, the objections of the Governor thereto

notwithstanding, which motion received the necessary two-thirds majority by the following vote:

YEAS—Senators

Brown Cunningham Curls Dempsey Dixon Emery Kehoe Kraus

Lager Lamping LeVota Libla Munzlinger Nasheed Nieves Parson

Pearce Richard Romine Sater Schaaf Schaefer Silvey Wasson—24

NAYS—Senators

Holsman Justus Keaveny Schmitt Sifton Wallingford Walsh—7

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