Make a splash this summer during frogging season

MDC reminds the public frogging season runs June 30 through Oct. 31

JEFFERSON CITY Mo. – The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) encourages the public to discover nature this summer during frogging season. Beginning June 30 at sunset through Oct. 31, those with a fishing permit or small-game hunting permit may frog for bullfrogs and green frogs.

The daily limit is eight frogs of both species combined and the possession limit is 16 frogs of both species combined. Only the daily limit may be possessed on waters and bank of waters where frogging.

MDC notes that daily limits end at midnight. Froggers who catch their daily limits before midnight and want to return for more frogging after midnight must remove the daily limit of previously caught frogs from the waters or banks before returning.

The public can go frogging with a fishing or small-game hunting permit, but children 15 and under and residents 65-years and older are not required to have a permit.

Those using a fishing permit may take frogs by hand, hand net, atlatl, gig, bow, trotline, throwline, limb line, bank line, jug line, snagging, snaring, grabbing, or pole and line.

With a small-game hunting permit, frogs may be harvested using a .22-caliber or smaller rimfire rifle or pistol, pellet gun, atlatl, bow, crossbow, or by hand or hand net. The use of artificial light is permitted when frogging.

The fun doesn’t have to end after catching frogs. Be sure to browse tasty recipes by visiting MDC online at https://short.mdc.mo.gov/Zxz.

Buy Missouri hunting and fishing permits from numerous vendors around the state, online at https://huntfish.mdc.mo.gov/permits, or through MDC’s free mobile apps, MO Hunting and MO Fishing, available for download through Google Play or the App Store.

MDC reminds the public that it is still critical to continue to heed all recommendations for physical distancing, avoiding overcrowding, handwashing, and other public health measures during outdoor activities.

Take Action to Fund LWCF and Maintenance Backlogs

This is a news release from Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, an organization, along with Conservation Federation here in Missouri, that help us protect the public land outdoor resources that we enjoy. Pleas consider supporting these organizations, and please consider contacting your Senators to solicit their support for this legislation.

In a show of bipartisan and bicameral solidarity, Sens. Manchin (D-WV) and Gardner (R-CO) and Reps. Joe Cunningham (D-SC) and Mike Simpson (R-ID) and many other senators and representatives introduced legislation, the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA), addressing maintenance backlogs on public lands and ensuring full, dedicated funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund, the nation’s most popular and successful access and conservation program. 

 

GAOA would appropriate the full $900 million annually allocated to LWCF in addition to providing $1.9 billion annually through fiscal year 2025 to address the National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management and Bureau of Indian Education accumulating maintenance backlogs on roads, trails, facilities and aquatic structures. 

Hunters and anglers rely on access sites funded by the LWCF, which has supported projects in all counties across the United States. As hunter numbers decline nationwide – leading to a corresponding decline in license-based conservation funding – sportsmen and women cite a lack of public access as the single greatest impediment to time afield. We need LWCF to receive full funding to support hunters, anglers, and our $778-billion outdoor recreation economy.  

 

Last year, Congress overwhelmingly passed legislation that secures the future of LWCF. Now we have the opportunity to ensure that public land managers have the resources they need to responsively oversee critical lands and waters – and advance conservation and access projects that make our communities more livable, strengthen our economy and uphold our legacy of public lands, waters and wildlife.

 

GAOA is a big win for hunters, anglers, conservationists and other outdoor enthusiasts. Expanding funding allocations to other public land management agencies is essential in gaining broad stakeholder support. These agencies manage the public lands most important to hunting and fishing and face funding deficits due to crumbling infrastructure. We need to repair roads and bridges to enhance access and recreational opportunities on all public lands — not just on our National Parks Service lands.

Please join Backcountry Hunters & Anglers in supporting this critical effort. Contact your lawmakers today and urge them to support the Great American Outdoors Act!

FOLLOW THIS LINK TO CONTACT YOUR SENATORS

MDC begins online education programs in St. Louis region this June

Those interested in learning about nature and outdoor recreation can connect with MDC experts from computers or mobile devices.

St. LOUIS, Mo.— With concerns about COVID-19 continuing, the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) will begin new online educational programs in June. These will enable those who want to learn about nature or outdoor recreational pursuits to do so while practicing social distancing guidelines.

“The goal of our virtual educational programs is to reach those seeking nature and outdoor-based learning opportunities in a convenient and safe way, given these current circumstances,” said MDC St. Louis Regional Administrator, Julianne Stone. “As we negotiate the new COVID-19 landscape, it’s more important than ever to maintain our connections with nature and we are very excited to adapt our conservation programming, so the people we serve can continue to access the quality programming MDC is known for,” Stone added.

The following two programs will kick off the new online learning opportunities in June:

• Virtual Firearms Safety 101, Wed., June 17, 6-7 p.m.—This is a basic firearms safety and knowledge class. MDC staff will discuss basic safety of firearms, hunting opportunities, and open locations to shoot your firearm. This quick 30-minute refresher will have you headed out the door for a safe experience. Register online at https://short.mdc.mo.gov/Z7a.
• Sssensational Snakes, Thur., June 18, 1-2 p.m.—Nothing catches people’s attention like snakes. Why are snakes important? How do you tell if they are venomous? Find out the answers to these questions and more. This program will help you learn about and meet some of the slithering serpents that call Missouri home. Register online at https://short.mdc.mo.gov/Z7R.

All MDC online programs are free. Registration in advance is required to participate using the links above. Registrants must provide an email, so a program link can be sent to them. Each program will be approximately 30 minutes, followed by a chat-based question and answer period where participants can interact with the presenters.

Join MDC webcast July 1 to learn about attracting backyard wildlife

Register in advance at short.mdc.mo.gov/Zht and then join the free webcast live.

JEFFERSON CITY, MO. – Interested in attracting birds, bees, and other wildlife to your backyard? The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) invites the public to join its free live Wild Webcast on Attracting Backyard Wildlife on Wednesday, July 1, at noon.

MDC Urban Wildlife Biologist Erin Shank of Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center will explain the basics of creating backyard wildlife habitat; the importance of native plants and insects for pollination, wildlife food, and other benefits: planning and designing native plantings; attracting birds; supporting pollinators such as butterflies and bees; and more.

Register in advance for the free live MDC Wild Webcast on Attracting Backyard Wildlife at short.mdc.mo.gov/Zht and then join the webcast live on July 1 at noon.

Learn more about property improvements to attract wildlife from MDC at mdc.mo.gov/property/improve-my-property/wildlife-management.

Why Missouri Needs a 21st Century Civilian Conservation Corps - Posted from Missouri Conservation Federation Blog

As we prepare to rebuild from the devastation wrought by the pandemic, we will need to summon solutions that match the magnitude of the moment.

One challenge we will have to address is the youth unemployment crisis. Americans under 30 years of age are out of work at a level not seen since the Great Depression. This crisis touches all demographics, but disproportionally affects youth of color, indigenous youth and rural youth. More than a quarter of a million Missourians have filed unemployment claims.

The good news is that we already have a strong foundation upon which to build.

Shortly after his inauguration in 1933, President Franklin Roosevelt created the Civilian Conservation Corps to “conserve our natural resources, create future national wealth and prove of moral and spiritual value not only to those of you who are taking part, but to the rest of the country as well.” Roosevelt’s “Tree Army” ultimately employed 3.4 million young men, who planted three billion trees, created more than 700 state and local parks, and constructed trails across the country.

Continue Reading (Redirects to Missouri Conservation Federation Site)

MDC celebrates National Trails Day June 6

MDC offers options for hikers on conservation areas in northwest Missouri

St. Joseph, Mo. – Hiking in the outdoors offers fun and adventure throughout the year. But on Saturday, June 6, the American Hiking Society will also observe the annual National Trails Day. The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) invites visitors to enjoy the day by hiking on trails at conservation areas.

Users of MDC areas in northwest Missouri will find two types of trails for hiking. Some are footpaths through forest, woodlands, or grasslands. Yet also available for hiking are gravel or service roads normally closed to vehicle traffic. The types of habitats people can hike through varies, too.

In Atchison County, the Star School Prairie Conservation Area and the Brickyard Hill Conservation Area both have service roads that serve as hiking paths. Brickyard Hill also has a designated hiking trail around a fishing lake. Visitors can access loess soil prairies from parking lots at the base of the areas’ west slopes, steep bluffs that rise above the Missouri River bottom. But forest and fields managed for wildlife are also found in the area’s interior acres beyond the bluff line.

The Riverbreaks Conservation Area in southern Holt County has several designated hiking trails throughout the area. This area is in the Missouri River bluffs and has a mix of forest, pockets of loess soil prairie, and fields managed for wildlife. One tip – grab a map at the parking lot bulletin board. A map and perhaps a compass will help hikers know which way to go when arriving at a junction of trail loops.

Wetlands are featured at the Nodaway Valley Conservation Area and the Bob Brown Conservation Area in Holt County. Besides service roads closed to traffic, both areas have grass or gravel-topped levees available for hiking past wetland pools or streams.

The Poosey Conservation Area northwest of Chillicothe has numerous designated trails. The hilly area has a mix of forest, creeks, woodlands, grasslands, fields, and lakes.

MDC offers many more areas throughout northwest Missouri with fishing, hiking, birding, and hunting opportunities. But not all hiking spots are rural.

The Mark Youngdahl Urban Conservation Area in St. Joseph offers two miles of hiking trails through grassland and forest. Two of the three trails are paved and accessible for those with mobility challenges.

To find a conservation area near you, visit https://nature.mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/places, or download the free MO Outdoors app with area information, directions, and trail maps at https://mdc.mo.gov/contact-engage/mobile-apps/mo-outdoors. For more information on the American Hiking Society and National Trails Day, visit https://short.mdc.mo.gov/Z7i.

MDC bands peregrine falcon chicks in Kansas City

Bands help ornithologists track falcon movements and survival

Kansas City, Mo. – The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) biologists and conservation partners banded 12 peregrine falcon chicks on May 27 at four nests in the Kansas City area. Peregrine falcons are among the area’s most watchable wildlife. The speedy fliers are using nest boxes placed on tall office buildings and power plant smokestacks. People in offices often see them hunting pigeons and other birds from the heights.

“The nesting season had it normal swings in weather conditions from cold, hot, rain, and wind,” said Joe DeBold, MDC urban wildlife biologist. “Overall, the spring falcon nesting was a success as all chicks thus far have been healthy and strong.” 

Falcons banded by MDC included: four chicks at Shook, Hardy & Bacon LLC office building; two chicks at American Century Investments building; four chicks at Evergy’s Iatan Power Plant smokestack, and two chicks at Evergy’s Hawthorn Power Plant smokestack.

Banding falcons helps ornithologists track falcon movements and survival. The raptors are endangered in Missouri. But hosting of nest boxes by conservation partners is boosting falcon numbers in the state and throughout the Midwest. MDC’s goal is to enable the falcons to be removed from the state endangered species list in the future.

“We were lucky to band falcons this spring considering the Covid-19 threat,” DeBold said. “MDC would like to thank all of the falcon nesting partners for understanding the necessity for monitoring and banding. Their cooperation and dedication to community conservation throughout these times is greatly appreciated.”

For more information on peregrine falcons in Missouri, visit https://short.mdc.mo.gov/ZqA.