Landowners play key role in elk restoration

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Habitat on private land helps ensure the future of Missouri’s  growing elk herd.

VAN BUREN–Ron and Sandy Morton probably don’t think of themselves as being lynchpins in Missouri’s elk-restoration program. Nevertheless, their efforts to create habitat that benefits elk – and a wide range of other wildlife – could make the difference between success and failure of Missouri’s latest conservation saga.

Since beginning its elk-restoration program last year, the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) has brought 69 elk to a 221,000-acre restoration zone in and around Peck Ranch Conservation Area. The restoration program aims to re-establish elk to an area they inhabited until the mid-1800s, eventually building a herd of approximately 400 elk.

The Mortons were among 20 landowners from Reynolds, Shannon and Carter counties who attended a workshop earlier this year to learn how to make their 500 acres more productive for deer and turkey and maybe even elk eventually. They were surprised what they learned.

“Everything they talked about, from glades to woodlands, we’ve got that on our property,” says Sandy. Ron calls the event “very informative on what elk habitat is,” and said he hopes his children and grandchildren will get to see elk on their land one day. Chances of that seem good, since they already have seen elk on their property straddling the Shannon- Reynolds-county line. Approximately 100 landowners took part in the second round of elk-habitat workshops in Shannon County.

Elk Restoration Coordinator Ron Dent says the help of citizens like the Mortons are a critical part of Missouri’s elk-restoration effort. He said elk are grazing animals, with different habitat requirements than another Ozarks native, the white-tailed deer.

“Elk can subsist on foods found in forested landscapes,” says Dent. “The Ozarks landscape 200 years ago had much more open land than we are accustomed to seeing there today. Fires set by Native Americans created and maintained glades, savannas and grassy woodlands where elk grazed. They need some open areas to thrive.”

In recent years, MDC and federal agencies with large Ozarks landholdings have turned to management strategies that produce landscapes more closely resembling pre-settlement conditions. This laid the foundation for elk restoration, but Dent says much remains to be done.

Besides showing landowners how to manage for elk, MDC shares the cost of some management practices on private land in the restoration zone. So far, it has partnered with 26 landowners on 1,600 acres. MDC plans to continue offering elk-habitat workshops and cost-sharing arrangements for landowners in the elk-restoration zone. It also is working with the National Park Service, the USDA Forest Service, The Nature Conservancy, Pioneer Forest and other land-owing organizations in Carter. Reynolds and Shannon counties to ensure the long-term viability of Missouri’s elk herd.

Priority habitat practices include woodland restoration, prescribed burning and food plots designed for elk and other wildlife. That is in line with what’s been done on the property of Phil and Charlotte Moss, who also took part in MDC’s first elk-habitat workshop. Their family has owned land in Shannon County since the 1940’s.  They already have a cost share agreement with the MDC.

“We’ve disked up an area and are working to turn it into a wildlife food plot area and we’re really looking forward to see more wildlife, hopefully elk, on our land,” says Phil.

The Moss and Morton families see benefits from Missouri’s new elk herd that go far beyond their personal interest in the project.

“We see how the elk are increasing revenue through tourism,” says Ron Morton, adding that he and Sandy regularly meet visitors to the community who come just to get a glimpse of the elk at Peck Ranch CA.

“We’re glad to see elk coming to Missouri,” says Moss.

For more information about elk in Missouri, visit go.usa.gov/VoX.

Related articles

• Peck Ranch welcomes second elk cohort

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• Elk restoration enters second year

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• Missouri's Peck Ranch and Elk Restoration

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• Peck Ranch Refuge closed to spring turkey hunting

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• MDC and Ameren launch WOW program to improve wildlife habitat

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Weekly Fishing Report, 5/24/2012

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In most streams south of the Missouri River, black bass season will open May 26, 2012, until that date all black bass in those streams must be returned to the water unharmed immediately after being caught.  For details see Chapter 6 of the Wildlife Code.

PLEASE CHECK REGULATIONS CAREFULLY: Special regulations may apply to designated portions of water bodies; some baits and lures may not be legal for all portions.

 

CENTRAL REGION (573) 882-8388

    LAKES

Binder Lake: 72 degrees, normal, clear; bluegill good on crickets and worms;  largemouth bass fair on spinnerbaits and soft plastics;  crappie fair on jigs and minnows; all other species slow. (Report made on 5/24/2012)

Blind Pony Lake: 72 degrees, normal, dingy; sunfish and channel catfish fair on nightcrawlers;  largemouth bass fair on soft plastics;  all other species slow; the lake is closed to private boats, and bait held or transported in containers with water is prohibited. (Report made on 5/23/2012)

Lake of the Ozarks (Glaize): 77 degrees, dingy; black bass fair using dark colored soft plastics and buzzbaits; white bass slow, try light colored soft plastics; crappie fair on minnows and crappie jigs; catfish fair on stinkbaits, cut baits and worms.
 (Report made on 5/23/2012)

Lake of the Ozarks (Gravois): 71 degrees, dingy; black bass and catfish fair; crappie and white bass slow.
 (Report made on 5/23/2012)

Lake of the Ozarks (Niangua): 71 degrees, dingy; black bass good on soft plastics and spinnerbaits; crappie slow, try minnows or small lures with spinners; white bass fair using light colored soft plastics; catfish good using worms and cut baits; sunfish good using worms.
 (Report made on 5/23/2012)

Lake of the Ozarks (Osage): 71 degrees, dingy; black bass good using soft plastics and crankbaits; crappie slow, try minnows and jigs tipped with Crappie Nibbles; white bass fair using light colored soft plastics; catfish good using cut bait and worms; sunfish good on worms.
 (Report made on 5/23/2012)

Little Dixie Lake: 73 degrees, normal, clear; largemouth bass good on spinnerbaits and plastic worms; channel catfish good on chicken liver; bluegill good on earthworms; crappie fair on live minnows and white jigs; the area is closed to all activity including fishing from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. (Report made on 5/23/2012)

    RIVERS

Lamine River: 1' below normal level; channel catfish and flathead catfish good on setlines baited with bullhead and bluegill from I-70 upstream to Shackelford bridge; channel catfish and blue catfish good on setlines baited with bluegill downstream from De Bourgmont Access to the Missouri River; crappie good on minnows at Old Highway 50 Access near Otterville; all other species slow. (Report made on 5/24/2012)

Missouri River (middle): low, channel catfish and blue catfish good on worms and cut bait; flathead catfish good on live bullhead and bluegill; buffalo and drum fair on worms;  all other species slow.  (Report made on 5/24/2012)

Osage (Bagnell Tailwater): 70 degrees, normal, dingy; black bass season opens May 26th, fair on worms and dark colored soft plastics; white bass slow, try light colored soft plastics and crappie jigs; crappie slow, try crappie jigs and minnows; catfish slow, try worms, cut shad, chicken livers and stinkbaits.

 (Report made on 5/23/2012)

Osage (lower, at Tuscumbia): 70 degrees, normal, dingy; black bass season opens May 26th, fair on worms and dark colored soft plastics; white bass slow, try light colored soft plastics and crappie jigs; crappie slow, try crappie jigs and minnows; catfish slow, try worms, cut shad, chicken livers and stinkbaits.
 (Report made on 5/23/2012)

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KANSAS CITY REGION (816) 655-6254

    LAKES

Atkinson Lake (Schell-Osage CA): 74 degrees, low, dingy; catfish good; crappie fair; all other species good; fishing pressure light. (Report made on 5/23/2012)

James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife Area: 78 degrees, clear; full pool; bluegill and redear sunfish good; channel catfish,   largemouth bass and crappie fair; all other species slow. (Report made on 5/23/2012)

Montrose Lake: 75 degrees, normal, dingy; white bass fair; catfish fair; crappie slow; fishing pressure light. (Report made on 5/23/2012)

Schell Lake (Schell-Osage CA): 75 degrees, normal, dingy; catfish good; crappie fair; all other species good; fishing pressure light. (Report made on 5/23/2012)

Truman Lake: 74 degrees, normal, dingy; crappie good summer pattern, 14 - 40' deep on jigs and minnows; black bass fair on spinners and buzzbaits in creek backs and pockets; white bass good when water is running, on jigs and crankbaits; hybrid bass good when water is running; catfish good on rod and reel, jug lines and trotlines, fresh cut bait and shad. (Report made on 5/23/2012)

Truman Lake Tailwaters: 74 degrees, normal, dingy; crappie good on jigs and minnows; catfish good on cut baits and shad; black bass fair; white bass and hybrid striped bass good when water is running.  (Report made on 5/24/2012)

    RIVERS

Missouri River (Kansas City area): 70 degrees, rising, muddy; flathead catfish good on nightcrawlers and bluegill on the river and in the tributaries; a few sauger are being caught around the wing dams on nightcrawlers; all other species slow. (Report made on 5/24/2012)

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NORTHEAST REGION (660) 785-2420

    LAKES

Hunnewell Lake: 74 degrees, normal, clear; largemouth bass fair using spinnerbaits; channel catfish fair on doughbait and chicken liver; bluegill fair on nightcrawlers; all other species slow; the lake is closed to private boats and bait held or transported in containers with water is prohibited. (Report made on 5/23/2012)

Long Branch Lake: 70 degrees, normal, dingy; channel catfish good on nightcrawlers, leeches, stinkbaits and shrimp; crappie good; hybrid striped bass good on Sassy Shad lures, nightcrawlers and leeches; all other species slow. (Report made on 5/23/2012)

Mark Twain: 71 degrees, normal, clear; all species slow.  (Report made on 5/23/2012)

Sever: 77 degrees, normal, clear; crappie fair on multi-colored tube jigs and minnows; channel catfish good on liver and nightcrawlers; all other species slow.  (Report made on 5/23/2012)

Thomas Hill Reservoir: 70 degrees, normal, dingy; largemouth bass fair on white Sassy Shad lures; hybrid striped bass fair using copper and brass rattle lures; crappie fair off Hwy. T rocks; all other species slow.   (Report made on 5/23/2012)

    RIVERS

Mississippi River (upper): 72 degrees, falling, dingy; flathead catfish good on live baits and fair on nightcrawlers; blue catfish good on cut baits; channel catfish good on stinkbaits; all other species slow.  (Report made on 5/23/2012)

Salt (below Mark Twain): 72 degrees, high, muddy; channel catfish good on live baits; drum good on nightcrawlers; all other species slow.  (Report made on 5/23/2012)

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NORTHWEST REGION (816) 271-3100

    LAKES

Bilby Ranch Lake: 74 degrees, high, muddy; black bass good on topwater lures in morning and evening; channel catfish good on liver; all other species fair. (Report made on 5/23/2012)

Lake Paho: 70 degrees, normal, clear; hybrid striped bass good on artificial and natural baits; largemouth bass fair on soft plastics and large spinnerbaits; channel catfish fair on commercial type baits; all other species slow. (Report made on 5/23/2012)

Mozingo Lake: 70 degrees, normal, clear; channel catfish and bluegill good; all other species fair.  (Report made on 5/23/2012)

Pony Express Lake: 70 degrees, normal, clear; crappie good using jigs; black bass good using spinnerbaits; channel catfish good using chicken liver; all other species fair. (Report made on 5/23/2012)

Smithville Lake: 73 degrees, clear; crappie good using jigs; black bass good on topwater lures in early morning and late evening, also try buzzbaits and plastic worms; channel catfish good on live bait; white bass fair near the dam in the evenings. (Report made on 5/24/2012)

    RIVERS

Grand River: 70 degrees, falling, dingy; channel catfish and blue catfish good; flathead catfish slow; all other species fair. (Report made on 5/24/2012)

Missouri River (upper): 69 degrees, high, muddy; channel catfish and flathead catfish fair on worms and live baits; carp fair on worms; all other species slow. (Report made on 5/23/2012)

----------------------
OZARK REGION (417) 255-9561

    LAKES

Bull Shoals Lake (East): 75 degrees, normal, dingy; all species slow. (Report made on 5/23/2012)

Norfork Lake: 74 degrees, normal, dingy; all species slow. (Report made on 5/23/2012)

    RIVERS

Big Piney River (lower, Pulaski Co.): 68 degrees, low, clear; goggle-eye and black bass (catch and release only) good on soft plastic baits. (Report made on 5/23/2012)

Big Piney River (upper, Texas Co.): 70 degrees, low, clear; black bass (catch and release only) fair on soft plastics; goggle-eye fair on nightcrawlers; all other species slow. (Report made on 5/23/2012)

Bryant Creek: 71 degrees, normal, clear; smallmouth bass (catch and release only) and goggle-eye fair on soft plastics. (Report made on 5/23/2012)

Current River: 70 degrees, low, clear; all species slow. (Report made on 5/23/2012)

Eleven Point River: 60 degrees, low, clear; all species fair. (Report made on 5/23/2012)

Gasconade River (middle): 69 degrees, low, clear; goggle-eye and black bass (catch and release only) good on soft plastic baits. (Report made on 5/23/2012)

Gasconade River (upper): 72 degrees, low, dingy; goggle-eye and sunfish fair on live bait and small plastics. (Report made on 5/23/2012)

Jacks Fork: 70 degrees, low, clear; all species good on soft plastics. (Report made on 5/23/2012)

North Fork of the White River: 65 degrees, normal, clear; smallmouth bass (catch and release only) and goggle-eye good on soft plastics. (Report made on 5/23/2012)

----------------------
SOUTHEAST REGION (573) 290-5858

    LAKES

Clearwater Lake: 81 degrees, normal, clear; bluegill fair on live worms and crickets; channel catfish fair on nightcrawlers and stinkbaits; largemouth bass fair on topwater baits, plastic baits and spinnerbaits; all other species fair. (Report made on 5/23/2012)

Council Bluff Lake: 75 degrees, normal, clear; redear sunfish good on worms and crickets; crappie fair on jigs; channel catfish fair on liver; all other species slow. (Report made on 5/23/2012)

Cypress Lake: 78 degrees, normal, dingy; channel catfish good on stinkbaits, worms and crickets in 2 - 6' depths; bluegill and redear sunfish good on jigs, crickets and worms in 1 - 3' depths; redear have been in shallow waters over the last week; largemouth bass fair on minnows and jigs, plastic worms and crankbaits in 1 - 3' depths; crappie fair on minnows and jigs in 1 - 3' depths. (Report made on 5/23/2012)

Duck Creek CA Pool 1: 77 degrees, falling, clear; bluegill and redear sunfish fair on crickets; largemouth bass fair on plastic worms; all other species slow. (Report made on 5/24/2012)

Lake Girardeau: normal, clear; bluegill and redear sunfish good on crickets; largemouth bass and channel catfish good on worms; all other species fair. (Report made on 5/23/2012)

Perry County Lake: 74 degrees, clear; redear sunfish good on crickets; black bass fair on plastic worms; channel catfish fair on worms; all other species slow. (Report made on 5/21/2012)

Robert DeLaney Lake: 79 degrees, normal, bluegill fair on crickets and wax worms; channel catfish fair on stinkbaits; all other species slow.  (Report made on 5/23/2012)

Wappapello Lake: 77 degrees, low, channel catfish good on trotlines and jug lines using live bait at night; bluegill fair on crickets and worms near the shore; crappie fair on minnows and jigs; black bass fair on spinnerbaits and plastic worms early and late; all other species slow.
Anglers should note the 9" minimum length limit regulation for crappie on Wappapello Lake.  Call the Wappapello Lake Recreation Hotline for updates at 573-222-8139. (Report made on 5/23/2012)

    RIVERS

Black River (above Clearwater Lake): 74 degrees, low, clear; smallmouth bass (season opens May 26) and goggle-eye fair on plastic baits; channel catfish fair on chicken liver or stinkbaits; all other species slow. (Report made on 5/23/2012)

Black River (below Clearwater Lake): 71 degrees, dingy; level is at summer pool; black bass good on minnows and jigs (season opens 5/26, 12" minimum length); channel catfish fair on live bait and worms; crappie fair on jigs and minnows; all other species fair.  (Report made on 5/23/2012)

Castor River (above Zalma): low, clear; all species fair. (Report made on 5/23/2012)

Mississippi River (middle): 71 degrees, falling, muddy; channel catfish and blue catfish good on worms; all other species fair. (Report made on 5/23/2012)

Mississippi River (Ohio River to Arkansas): normal, muddy; channel catfish fair on stinkbaits and cut baits; all other species slow. (Report made on 5/23/2012)

St. Francis River (above Wappapello): low, clear; all species slow. (Report made on 5/23/2012)

St. Francis River (below Wappapello): 74 degrees, normal, dingy; channel catfish good on chicken liver, stinkbait and worms; flathead catfish fair on goldfish and green sunfish; black bass fair on plastic worms and spinnerbaits; all other species slow. (Report made on 5/23/2012)

----------------------
SOUTHWEST REGION (417) 895-6881

    LAKES

Bull Shoals Lake (West): 52-57 degrees, normal, dingy; Dam Area - white bass fair on swimming minnows; black bass fair on crankbaits, soft plastics and jigs; crappie fair on white swimming minnows; walleye fair on jerkbaits and nightcrawlers; Beaver Creek Arm - black bass good on crankbaits, soft plastics and jigs; crappie good on white swimming minnows and crappie jigs; all other species slow. (Report made on 5/23/2012)

Lake Taneycomo: 50 degrees, normal, clear; trout good in upper portion of lake on flies (scuds, midges, and San Juan worms), Rooster Tails and crankbaits; trout good in lower portion of lake on orange, chartreuse, pink, and white colored Gulp Power Nuggets and nightcrawlers. (Report made on 5/23/2012)

Pomme de Terre Reservoir: 75 degrees, high, dingy; crappie good on minnows and tube jigs over structure; muskie fair over mudflats; black bass fair on jigs and spinnerbaits in the back of coves; walleye good up river on weighted jigs, fair on bottom bouncers and jig and minnow or jig and worm combinations off of points; white bass fair on Twister Tails in the rivers; catfish fair on cut baits with trotlines and jug lines; all other species slow. (Report made on 5/23/2012)

Stockton Lake: 73 degrees, high, clear; catfish good on liver or earthworms from the bank in coves and off points; crappie slow, best on minnows and various colored artificial lures in 20 - 25' of water; black bass slow, best on various colored jerkbaits, mainly chartreuse, blue, and white off points in 12 - 18' of water; walleye slow, best on artificial worms in 25' of water; all other species slow. (Report made on 5/23/2012)

Table Rock Lake (James River arm): 70 degrees, normal, dingy; black bass good on soft plastic crayfish, live nightcrawlers and live large creek chubs, black or shad colored crankbaits, pearl or shad colored swimbaits, grubs or tube baits also working well; catfish good on crayfish tails, nightcrawlers, cut shad, small live sunfish and chicken liver; bluegill good on live earthworms, crickets and small soft plastic tube jigs, natural cricket color or black, red and white colors on 1/8 oz. jig head work best; all other species slow. (Report made on 5/23/2012)

Table Rock Lake (main lake): 75 degrees, normal, clear; black bass good in early morning on topwater lures, then use crankbaits that look like shad, soft plastics or jigs later in the day; crappie good on live minnows and jigs in standing timber in 15' of water; flathead catfish good on small live bluegill; channel catfish good on nightcrawlers or chicken liver; bluegill good on earthworms or small live baits like crickets or grasshoppers. (Report made on 5/24/2012)

    RIVERS

James River: 71 degrees, normal, clear; black bass good on white flukes weighted hook in the wind and small crankbaits in bluegill colors (catch and release only); catfish good on bait fish and worms using pole and line and trotlines; crappie fair on jigs and minnows in 5 - 15' of water around brush; white bass fair on Road Runners and Power Bait plastic minnows on 1/8 oz. jig head. (Report made on 5/24/2012)

Niangua River: 62 degrees, high, clear; trout fair, best on natural baits and Power Baits below Bennett Spring; goggle-eye fair, best on natural baits and jigs; black bass slow, best on soft plastics and natural baits (catch and release only); all other species slow. (Report made on 5/23/2012)

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ST. LOUIS REGION (636) 300-1953

    LAKES

Busch Memorial Conservation Area Lake 33: 70 degrees, normal, dingy; channel catfish fair on livers; black bass fair on spinners, plastic worms and crankbaits; crappie slow on minnows and jigs; bluegill fair on worms and crickets; all other species slow, please remove litter.
 (Report made on 5/24/2012)

Busch Memorial Conservation Area Lakes 3, 4, 5, 7, and 23: 70 degrees, normal, dingy; channel catfish fair on cut bait, worms, doughbait, blood bait and livers; limit 4; black bass fair on spinners, plastic worms and crankbaits; please remove litter.


 (Report made on 5/24/2012)

    RIVERS

Big River: 65 degrees, normal, dingy; channel catfish good on either 3" bluegill or goldfish, liver and blood bait; black bass fair on minnows (catch and release only); crappie slow on minnows and jigs; bluegill fair on crickets; all other species slow. (Report made on 5/24/2012)

Bourbeuse River: 72 degrees, low, dingy; black bass fair on plastic worms and crankbaits (catch and release only); channel catfish fair on blood bait and cut bait; crappie slow on minnows; bluegill good on worms and crickets; all other species slow on worms.
 (Report made on 5/24/2012)

Meramec River (Crawford Co.): 65 degrees, normal, clear; channel catfish slow on liver; black bass fair on spinners and soft plastics (catch and release only); bluegill good on worms and crickets; all other species slow. (Report made on 5/24/2012)

Meramec River (St. Louis Co.): 65 degrees, normal, dingy; channel catfish fair on cut bait and worms; black bass slow on topwater lures (catch and release only) and crankbaits; crappie slow on minnows; bluegill slow on worms; all other species slow on corn and doughbait. (Report made on 5/24/2012)

Missouri River (lower): 65 degrees, falling, muddy; channel catfish fair on cut bait and live sunfish; all other species fair. (Report made on 5/24/2012)

----------------------
TROUT PARKS

Bennett Spring State Park: 57 degrees, the spring level is slightly above normal and clear; Zone 1 and 2 best lures: white colored roaches; bedspread colored, and white sparkly blue-green colored mini-jigs; gray or white colored scuds; green grizzly colored and red holographic colored Cracklebacks; ginger snap colored and  white colored marabou jigs; white colored Rooster Tails; easter egg colored and Jimi Hendrix colored glo balls; olive or brown colored wooly buggers with gold spinner; Zone 3 best lures: red or white colored plastic worms; white colored and yellow colored Power Baits; Gulp pink maggots. Fishing hours for May are 6:30 a.m. until 8:15 p.m. (Report made on 5/23/2012)

Maramec Spring Park: 57 degrees, low, clear; low, clear; fishing is good; the water is very clear; use very light weight line and tackle; fish are holding in shady areas and deep holes, below the waterfalls and around boulders, target these areas for best success; throughout the spring branch feather jigs in light colors are producing good numbers of fish; dough and putty baits are producing when fished on or near the bottom; use white, green or brown; Fishing hours for the month of May are 6:30 a.m. to 8:15 p.m.  (Report made on 5/24/2012)

Montauk State Park: 58 degrees, the river level is slightly below normal and slowly dropping; the water is clear; fishing is good on most baits; white, brown and yellow scented dough and putty baits are working well in the bait zones; flies, Rooster Tails and jigs in black and yellow, white, and olive colors are working well.  Best fishing is in the mornings and evenings. May fishing hours are 6:30 a.m. to 8:15 p.m.
For up-to-date stream conditions check  http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/uv?07064440 (Report made on 5/23/2012)

Roaring River State Park: 58 degrees, clear; the river is getting low; use 2 pound test or lighter; beetles, ants and hoppers, Cracklebacks, pheasant tails and copper johns are good; olive, black, and brown wooly buggers or worms are good; orange, white, chartreuse, fluorescent yellow plastic eggs are working well; cheese yellow, white, mint green, yellow/orange, pink, and the orange, and orange/white plastic worms are good; spinners are good early, black, brown, olive and black/yellow are good early; marabou jigs in white, tan and pinks early and later in the day; use black, black/yellow, brown, brown/yellow, and black/olive marabou jigs in 1/16th - 1/100 in size; in Zone 3 use nightcrawlers, corn, Power Bait paste and nuggets.  (Report made on 5/24/2012)

Related articles

• Weekly Fishing Report, 5/17/2012

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• Weekly Fishing Report, 5/10/2012

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• Missouri Fishing Report 5/5/2012

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• Weekly Fishing Report, 4/26/2012

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• Weekly Fishing Report, 4/19/2012

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DNA reveals different origins for Missouri mountain lions

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Four cougars seen in Missouri came from three states.

JEFFERSON CITY–DNA test results show that four mountain lions seen in Missouri last year came from three Western states, illustrating the species’ capacity for long-distance travel.

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) confirmed 14 mountain-lion sightings in 2011. That was a sharp increase from the previous 16 years, when MDC was able to document only 12 cougar sightings.

Four of the 2011 sightings yielded hair or tissue samples adequate for DNA testing. Eleven Western states maintain databases of mountain-lion DNA. Comparing the genetic makeup of cougars found in Missouri enables biologists to learn if they came from one of these states.

DNA tests tied two young male cougars to the Black Hills area of South Dakota. One was shot by a raccoon hunter in Ray County in January 2011. A Texas County homeowner shot the other one in September.

DNA from the young male mountain lion killed by coyote hunters in Macon County in January 2011was traced to central Montana. The remaining cougar, which left a tuft of hair on a barbed-wire fence after crossing the road in front of a motorist in Oregon County, was related to mountain lions from Colorado. DNA showed the Oregon County cat also was a male.

“Large carnivores have big home ranges,” says Resource Scientist Jeff Beringer, “and males disperse long distances in search of females. It seems logical that the rate of dispersal would be greater when cats have repopulated available habitat in neighboring states, but there is also an innate drive to travel.”

2011 remains a puzzling aberration in Missouri’s mountain-lion history. The largest number of sightings documented by MDC in any previous year was two, in 2006 and 2010. MDC has confirmed two sightings so far this year.

“Increased public awareness and the growing popularity of trail cameras might account for part of the increase in sightings,” says Beringer, “but last year’s spike is hard to explain. What we now know for sure is that mountain lions are traveling a long way to get here.”

All wildlife is protected under the provisions of the Wildlife Code of Missouri. However, the Code provides for the taking of wildlife during prescribed hunting and trapping seasons and under other circumstances, such as when mountain lions are attacking or killing livestock or domestic animals or threatening human safety. MDC has not stocked mountain lions in Missouri and has no plans to do so.

MDC has established a Mountain Lion Response Team to gather mountain lion reports and investigate those for which there is physical evidence. You can report sightings by email to mountain.lion@mdc.mo.gov. For information about mountain lions in Missouri, visit mdc.mo.gov/node/4168 or  mdc.mo.gov/node/3505.

Celebrate National Trail Day with two new Missouri State Park Trails

The Meramec River flowing through Castlewood State Park near St. Louis (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Celebrate National Trail Day by walking two new trails and experiencing both history and nature in Missouri state parks and historic sites.
On Friday, June 1, Missouri State Parks officials will dedicate the new Brogans’ Trail at Fort Davidson State Historic Site in Pilot Knob. The 1 p.m. ceremony will officially open the historic site’s first hiking trail and kick off National Trail Day activities.
Brogans’ Trail is a relatively flat one-half mile loop that leads visitors from a new parking lot on the east branch of Knob Creek along the east side of the Battle of Pilot Knob battlefield. The ribbon-cutting ceremony will be at the parking lot on Industrial Drive in Pilot Knob and the public is invited to attend.
The trail is named for the shoes worn by most Civil War soldiers on both sides of the conflict. A brogan was a heavy laced, usually ankle-high shoe that had the sole attached to the upper part by wooden pegs. The wooden pegs would swell when wet and shrink when dried, causing Brogans to be repaired quite frequently.

On Saturday, June 2, the Vilander Bluff Trail along the Meramec River in Onondaga Cave State Park will officially open at 9 a.m. The 1.5-mile natural surface loop trail traverses through the Vilander Bluff Natural Area, providing the first trail access to the 206-acre natural area. The natural area’s namesake is the highest bluff along the Meramec River and is known for ancient eastern red cedars – some 300-500 years old -- that grow out of the rocks along the bluff. The trail was built and is maintained by the Miramiguoa Chapter of Missouri Master Naturalists from Franklin County.
"Missouri state parks and historic sites have more than 230 trails and these two trails illustrate how diverse our trail system is. There’s truly a trail for everyone, whether you’re looking for great recreation, windows into nature or stories about our history,” said Bill Bryan, director of Missouri State Parks, a division of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.
 The new trails are only two options for celebrating National Trail Day. Another option is a guided hike on the Umber Ridge Trail at Stockton State Park near Stockton. The 1.75-mile hike will begin at 9 a.m. and travel through the wooded landscape along the shores of Stockton Lake.
“All trails provide endless opportunities to celebrate National Trail Day on June 2 and kick off the entire month of June as Great Outdoors Month,” Bryan said.
 Fort Davidson State Historic Site, the site of the Battle of Pilot Knob in 1864, is located on Highway 221 in Pilot Knob. To reach the Brogans’ Trail lot, turn from Hwy. 221 (South McCune) onto Industrial Drive. Drive about one-half mile and the parking lot is on the left prior to reaching railroad tracks. The trail will be open during normal site hours, sunrise to sunset daily. For more information about the event or the trail, contact Fort Davidson State Historic Site at 573-546-3454.

Onondaga Cave State Park is located four miles east of Leasburg on Highway H in Crawford County (exit 214 off Interstate 44). A new parking lot for the natural area is 1.4 miles down Thickety Ford Road, east of Highway N and south of Meramec River’s Campbell Bridge Crossing. The river bridge on Highway N is approximately five miles south of Bourbon. For more information about the event, contact the park at 573-245-6576.
 Stockton State Park is located south of Stockton on Highway 215. The Umber Ridge Trailhead is located on the beach road .5 miles north of the state park office. For more information about the hike, contact the park directly at 417-276-4259.

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Peck Ranch welcomes second elk cohort

This year’s gang includes 22 adult cows, 18 of which are pregnant.

By Jim Low, MDC

Courtesy Missouri Department of Conservation

VAN BUREN, Mo – Missouri’s elk herd doubled in size today (May 19) with the arrival of the Show-Me State’s second batch of wild elk from Kentucky. A tractor-trailer truck carrying 22 mature cows, three one-year-old cows, three two-year-old bulls, six one-year-old bulls and one newborn bull arrived at the Missouri Department of Conservation’s (MDC) Peck Ranch Conservation Area (CA) in northwestern Carter County around 6:30 a.m. MDC staff quickly ushered the hoofed cargo into spacious holding pens, and within an hour Missouri’s newest four-legged residents were resting in the shade and grazing on lush clover.

“It’s an amazing day for the state of Missouri and conservation,” said MDC Director Bob Ziehmer, who was on hand to witness the arrival of Missouri’s second batch of elk. “We’re here today because of decades of conservation work by citizens and diverse partners across the state, and the world class staff of MDC.”

Ziehmer said the elk program is exciting. “With continued citizen support, we’re going to continue this success for generations to come.”

The elk will remain in holding pens for approximately one month to allow them to acclimate to their new home. MDC Resource Scientist Lonnie Hansen said cows will begin dropping calves while still in holding pens. Those that have not calved before being released will seek out secluded spots to do so. Most calves should be born by late June.

The 12,000-acre central refuge area of Peck Ranch CA is closed to the public to minimize disturbance of cow-calf pairs as they settle into their new surroundings. MDC will announce the reopening of the refuge, probably in July.

Cows will come together in social groups during the summer. Hansen is unsure how much the new arrivals will mix with social groups already formed by last year’s elk. In September, mature bulls will begin gathering harems of cows, including cows brought in this year.

“It will be interesting to see how the two groups of elk relate to each other,” said Hansen.

The new arrivals join 36 elk from last year’s restoration effort. The established elk include 13 adult cows, five two-year-old cows, five adult bulls, eight two-year-old bulls and five one year olds.

Tests conducted earlier this month revealed that 19 of the newly arrived adult cows were pregnant. Hansen said he expects that most of the mature cows already roaming Missouri’s 221,000-acre elk-restoration zone will produce calves this year. Some of the two-year-old cows are likely to produce calves, though most elk cows have their first calves at three years of age.

“We have no way of determining how many of last year’s cows are pregnant,” said Hansen. “We just have to wait and see. I would be thrilled if we got 20 calves recruited into the population between the established cows and those that came in this year.”

He added that MDC staff and partners learned a lot from last year’s experience.

“We hope that better weather conditions this year will translate into more successful calving and growth of our herd,” Hansen said. “As our bulls mature, we will see more progress toward our initial goal of 150 elk as a founding herd.”

He added that MDC will use carefully regulated hunting to maintain the elk herd at a manageable size and that hunting could begin within four to five years. That decision will be based on information about reproduction and natural mortality, ensuring a sustainable annual harvest.

MDC is radio fitting all elk brought to Missouri with GPS collars so their movements can be tracked.

Experience gained during last year’s elk-trapping effort allowed MDC and the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife to capture enough elk to share with the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. Virginia helped with last year’s trapping operations and received its first allocation of 15 elk this year.

“This partnership has enabled us to do something that none of the participants could do alone,” said Hansen. “We owe an enormous debt of gratitude to the State of Kentucky, not only for sharing their elk with us, but also for the benefits we received from their knowledge and experience with elk. Virginia has also been an active partner from the start. The work we have done together is likely to benefit other states that are planning elk-restoration efforts of their own.”

Missouri’s elk partnership has relied heavily on contributions from other government agencies and citizen conservation groups. It could not have been done without the help of the Missouri, Kentucky, Virginia and United States departments of agriculture, which oversaw veterinary-health protocols. The University of Missouri and the University of Kentucky have provided research support for the project and Missouri’s State Veterinarian provided invaluable service in this restoration effort.

Major funding came from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (RMEF), and volunteers from Missouri RMEF chapters provided substantial assistance with labor needed to build holding pens at Peck Ranch CA. RMEF Habitat Council Member Ed Carmack was present for the elk arrival.

“I’ve been involved from the beginning of the elk project and it’s great to see this elk restoration come to fruition after working so hard to see it come together,” Carmack said.

MDC workshops gave landowners around the restoration zone a first-hand look at management practices that benefit elk, as well as other wildlife that thrive on the patchwork of open woodlands and forest that existed in the Ozarks when elk still roamed the region 200 years ago.

Habitat work on public and private land will continue to be a priority for MDC as elk restoration progresses. Elk Restoration Program Coordinator Ron Dent said this ongoing work helps ensure that elk remain in and around the restoration zone.

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Public invited to share ideas at an informational meeting at Rock Bridge Memorial State Park

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources invites you to bring your ideas to an informational meeting on Thursday, May 31, at Rock Bridge Memorial State Park south of Columbia.
The informational meeting will address issues related to Rock Bridge Memorial State Park and Jewell Cemetery and Clark’s Hill/Norton State Historic Sites. It will begin at 6 p.m. at the Gilbert picnic shelter, located in the third loop of the day use area of the park. Recent accomplishments and future plans will be highlighted during the informational meeting.
The informational meeting is part of an ongoing effort to ensure the public has an opportunity to provide input regarding services provided in state parks and historic sites. People requiring special services or accommodations to attend can make arrangements by calling the park at 573-449-7402 or by calling the Department of Natural Resources toll free at 800-334-6946 (voice) or 800-379-2419 (Telecommunications Device for the Deaf ). For more information about Missouri state parks and historic sites, visit the Web at mostateparks.com. Missouri State Parks is a division of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.

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May Meeting of the Missouri Conservation Commission

MEETING OF THE

MISSOURI CONSERVATION COMMISSION

Thursday, May 24, 2012

Camp Geiger – Herzog Lodge

9515 County Road 388, St. Joseph

1:00 p.m. – Executive Session (Closed)

Friday, May 25, 2012

Remington Nature Center of St. Joseph

1502 MacArthur Drive, St. Joseph

8:30 a.m. – Regular Open Meeting

TENTATIVE AGENDA

(Background documents related to each agenda item are available for public viewing at Conservation Department Headquarters, Jefferson City, for eight calendar days prior to the meeting. Any person who would like to comment to the Commission about a specific agenda item must make a written request to the Director at least four calendar days prior to the meeting. Speakers will be limited to five minutes each and number of speakers may be limited.  Recording the open meeting is permissible, pursuant to any guidelines established by the Commission to minimize disruption to the meeting. Individuals wishing to record the open meeting by audiotape, videotape or other electronic means should notify the Director at least four calendar days prior to the meeting so accommodations for such recording can be made.)

Thursday, May 24, 1:00 p.m.

Executive Session (Vote to go into closed session – reconvene open meeting at 8:30 a.m. on Friday, May 25):

(1)        Call to order and approval of minutes of previous Executive Session(s). (610.021 RSMo.)

(2)        Consideration of supporting documentation for recommendation to suspend or revoke all hunting and fishing privileges of individuals who are juveniles or who are not in compliance with applicable child support laws. Action to be taken in open meeting. (Disclosure protected by law, 610.021(14), 454.440.9, 211.321, RSMo.)

(3)        Consideration of confidential or privileged communications between the Commission and its Internal Auditor regarding work product. (Communications between public governmental body and its auditor, 610.021(17) RSMo.)

(4)        Consideration of recommendation relating to the hiring/firing/disciplining/promoting of personnel. (Hiring, firing, disciplining or promoting, 610.021(3) RSMo.)

(5)        Consideration of negotiated contracts. (Documents related to a negotiated contract, 610.021(12) RSMo.)

(6)        Update on potential real estate transactions/negotiations. (Leasing, purchase or sale of real estate, 610.021(2) RSMo.)

(7)        Consideration of legal actions and attorney-client privileged communications involving the Conservation Commission. (Legal actions, causes of action or litigation, 610.021(1) RSMo.)

Friday, May 25, 8:30 a.m. – Regular Open Meeting:

Approval of minutes of previous meeting.

Staff Presentation:

8:35 a.m.         Wildlife Division Report – Wildlife Division Chief DeeCee Darrow.

Report of the Regulations Committee, which includes recommendations for the 2012-2013 deer hunting season and the 2012 Early Migratory Bird seasons.

           

April Monthly Financial Summary. 

Recommendation for approval of the Fiscal Year 2013 Internal Expenditure Plan.

Status of Major CI-IT Projects Funded in FY12 Budget.

Recommendations for authorization to advertise and sell 1) an estimated 1.27 million board feet of timber located on 550 acres of Compartment 2, Little Black Conservation Area in Ripley County; and 2) 778,380 board feet of timber located on 338 acres of Compartment 54, Rocky Creek Conservation Area in Shannon County.

Recommendation for approval of personnel reclassifications.

Conservation Employees’ Benefits Plan Update.

Staff Presentations:

10:30 a.m.       Integrated Communications Strategy – Outreach and Education Division Chief Mike Huffman.

10:45 a.m.       Permit/Privilege Suspension Program – Deputy Director Tim Ripperger.

Recommendation for approval to sell the 4-acre Stono Mountain Towersite in St. Francois County.

Recommendation for approval of proposed responses to certain Resolutions adopted by the Conservation Federation of Missouri at its February 2012 annual meeting.

Recommendations for approval to 1) suspend or revoke one or more hunting, fishing, or trapping privileges of individuals for cause; 2) reinstate one or more hunting, fishing, or trapping privileges of an individual previously suspended for cause; 3) suspend or revoke all hunting and fishing privileges of individuals who are not in compliance with applicable child support laws; 4) suspend or revoke one or more hunting, fishing and trapping privileges of individuals in accordance with the terms of the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact; and 5) suspend or revoke hunting privileges of one individual who inflicted injury to another person while hunting.

Legislative Report.

Announcement of actions taken in executive session, if any.

Other matters of interest.

Confirmation that the next regular meeting will be held July 12-13, 2012

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