Celebrate Earth Day with a hike at Pomme de Terre State Park April 26

Visitors are invited to join park staff at Pomme de Terre State Park near Hermitage on a guided nature hike to celebrate Earth Day on April 26. Sponsored by Missouri State Parks, the hike will begin at 10 a.m. at the Cedar Bluff trailhead in the Hermitage Area campground

Spring is a great time to experience the park’s wildflowers, birds and other wildlife. Hikers should be prepared for a 1.5-mile hike over uneven terrain and are encouraged to dress for the weather and wear sturdy shoes. Hikers may want to bring water, snacks, insect repellent, a hat and sunscreen. Binoculars may also be useful for looking at wildlife and scenic views of the lake.

Pomme de Terre State Park is located off Highway 64 in Hickory County. For more information about the event, contact the park at 417-852-4291. For information about state parks and historic sites, visit mostateparks.com. Missouri State Parks is a division of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.

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April 2014 Conservation Action

The Conservation Commission met April 16 and 17 at Conservation Department

Headquarters in Jefferson City.  Commissioners present were:

Don C. Bedell, Sikeston, Chair

James T. Blair, IV, St. Louis, Vice Chair/Secretary

Marilynn J. Bradford, Jefferson City, Member  

REGULATIONS

The Conservation Commission approved the following 2014 early migratory bird hunting seasons.

• Sora and Virginia rails: Sept. 1 through Nov. 9 (70 days), with a daily limit of 25 and a possession limit of 75 (combined total for both species).
• Wilson’s (common) snipe: Sept. 1 through Dec. 16 (107 days), with a daily limit of eight and a possession limit of 24.
• American woodcock: Oct. 15 through Nov. 28 (45 days), with a daily limit of three and a possession limit of nine.
• Mourning doves, Eurasian collared doves, and white-winged doves: Sept. 1 through Nov. 9 (70 days), with limits of 15 daily and 45 in possession (combined total for all three species).
• Blue-winged teal (BWT), green-winged teal, and cinnamon teal

The Conservation Commission approved the following changes in deer-hunting regulations.

Increased the number of firearms antlerless deer permits available to landowners of 75 or more contiguous acres in Barton and Jasper counties from one to two and maintained the current availability of landowner firearms antlerless permits in all other counties.

Allowed any number archery antlerless permits for Stoddard and Carter counties.

Adjusted the availability of firearms antlerless permits to one in Andrew, Atchison, Audrain, Bates, Benton, Boone (portion not in the urban zone), Buchanan, Caldwell, Callaway, Camden, Cape Girardeau, Carroll, Cass (portion not in the urban zone), Cedar, Christian, Clark, Clinton, Cole (portion not in the urban zone), Cooper, Dallas, Daviess, DeKalb, Gasconade, Gentry, Grundy, Harrison, Henry, Hickory, Holt, Howard, Johnson, Knox, Laclede, Lafayette, Lewis, Lincoln, Livingston, Marion, Mercer, Miller, Moniteau, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, Nodaway, Osage, Pettis, Pike, Platte (portion not in the urban zone), Putnam, Ralls, Ray, St. Clair, Saline, Schuyler, Scotland, Shelby,  Vernon, Warren, and Worth counties.

Adjusted the number of firearms antlerless permits to two in Adair, Barton, Boone (portion in the urban zone), Cole (portion in the urban zone), Cass (portion in the urban zone), Chariton, Clay, Greene, Franklin (portion in the urban zone), Howell, Jackson, Jefferson (portion in the urban zone), Linn, Macon, Oregon, Platte (portion in the urban zone), Randolph, St. Charles, St. Louis, and Sullivan counties.

Removed Christian County from the Springfield urban zone.

Continued issuing no-cost “Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) Management Seals” to landowners of 5 acres or more within the CWD Core Area and provide additional seals in allotments of five if requested.

Set managed deer hunts and made changes to area-specific regulations. These will be outlined in the 2014 Fall Deer and Turkey Hunting Regulations and Information booklet and at www.mdc.mo.gov.

ADMINISTRATION

The Commission:

Received presentations from:

• Stream Services Program Supervisor Sherry Fischer regarding the 25th anniversary of the founding of Missouri Stream Team.
• Federal Aid Coordinator Doyle Brown regarding the value of federal aid in wildlife and sport-fish restoration programs.
• Resource Scientist Emily Flinn regarding deer population status and the 2014-2015 deer hunting season recommendations.
• Outreach and Education Regional Supervisor Warren Rose concerning the Communications Strategy Overview.

Received public comments from Robert Brundage, Jefferson City, regarding chronic wasting disease and regulations of deer breeders and big game preserves.

Approved entering into a contract with American Pride Hauling, L.L.C., of Centertown, for a work plan for the fabrication and design at Springfield Conservation Nature Center of seven nature center exhibit features, at a total estimated cost of $346,500.

Approved entering into a contract with Museum Arts of Dallas, Texas, for the construction of the Conservation Commission Headquarters Parking Lot D Renovation, located in Cole County, at a total estimated cost of $409,295.

Approved the advertisement and sale of estimated 664,584 board feet and 467 cords of timber on 596 acres of Angeline CA in Shannon County.

Suspended hunting, fishing, and/or trapping privileges of 25 Missouri residents and one nonresident for Wildlife Code violations. Those whose privileges were suspended are:

• Robert M. Albertson, Ironton, hunting, 1 year
• Alton J. Bassett, Tina, hunting and trapping, 4 years
• Cameron Clough, Brookfield, hunting, 1 year
• Rick D. Fry, St. Robert, hunting, 1 year
• Terry A. Greene, Chillicothe, all sport privileges, 1 year
• Tyler D. Hesterlee, Ava, hunting, 1 year
• Lucas J. Hetherington, Montrose, hunting, 1 year
• Shawn L. Holt, Boonville, hunting, 3 years
• Kevin L. Hopson, Columbia, all sport privileges, 1 year
• Zackary A. Johnson, Piedmont, hunting 3 years
• Bernard R. McCready, Willow Springs, hunting, 3 years
• Jerry L. Millmaker, Jr., Fletcher, hunting, 1 year
• Melvin Nolting, St. Peters, hunting, 10 years
• Brandon T. Nuckolls, Lake Ozark, hunting, 3 years
• Alex E. Owen, Kahoka, hunting and fishing, 1 year
• Lucas H. Pace, St. Joseph, all sport privileges, 1 year
• Adam L. Perea, Perryville, fishing, 1 year
• David L. Perkins, Hartsburg, hunting 1 year
• Joshua E. Sadler, Park Hills, hunting, 1 year
• Kelby H. Siekmann, Mound City, hunting, 2 years
• Jeremy W. Sinklear, Glasgow, hunting and fishing, 1 year
• Cort Speichinger, Brookfield, hunting, 3 years
• Benjamin L. Stark, Fairfax, hunting, 1 year
• Crisciane Tran, Chino Hills, Calif., hunting, 1 year
• Billy J. Ware, Boonville, all sport privileges, 1 year
• Jimmie D. Webb, Nevada, hunting and fishing, 1 year

Approved the suspension or revocation of all hunting and fishing privileges of 301 people who are not in compliance with applicable child-support laws. Privileges suspended for noncompliance are reinstated once the Division of Child Support Enforcement notifies MDC that suspendees have come into compliance with the required laws.

Suspended privileges of 348 nonresidents under the provisions of the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact.

Imposed hunting privilege suspensions of one and three years for two hunters who injured other persons in hunting incidents. The hunters must complete a hunter-education training course before restoration of privileges.

Set the next regular Conservation Commission meeting for June 5 and 6 in Jefferson City.

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MDC limits firearm antlerless permits for upcoming deer season

Decrease in deer numbers and resulting hunter and landowner input prompt changes.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – The Missouri Conservation Commission approved regulation

changes at its meeting today (April 17) in Jefferson City that will reduce the availability of firearm antlerless deer hunting permits from “any number” in most of the state to one in most of the state.

Exceptions to this regulation change allow hunters to fill two firearm antlerless deer permits in Chariton, Randolph, Macon, Linn, Sullivan, and Adair counties, which surround the area where chronic wasting disease (CWD) has been found in a small number of deer in Macon County. According to the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC), continuing to maintain stable deer numbers in this “CWD Containment Zone” will help limit the spread of the disease to other deer and other areas.

Other areas where hunters can fill two firearm antlerless deer permits include urban zones around the state where deer numbers are typically higher than desired, and in Barton, Howell, and Oregon counties where local deer numbers are higher than deer management goals.

The regulation changes are scheduled to become effective for the 2014 fall deer hunting season.

Details on these changes and other information on deer hunting will be available in the Department's “2014 Fall Deer & Turkey Hunting Regulations and Information” booklet available beginning in July at locations where permits are sold, MDC offices and nature centers, and online at mdc.mo.gov.

According to MDC Deer Biologist Jason Sumners, the regulation changes are in response to lower overall deer numbers around much of the state as a result of long-term efforts to reduce the deer population through increased doe harvest. Previous regulations allowing the harvest of any number of antlerless deer have helped to decrease and stabilize deer numbers in many areas where deer numbers were too high.

Sumners added that the planned effort to reduce deer numbers in some areas was intensified by an unanticipated, extensive outbreak of hemorrhagic disease (HD) throughout most of the state related to the record-setting drought during summer and fall of 2012. With the resulting recent decrease in deer numbers in many areas of the state, some hunters and landowners have voiced their concerns about the level of doe harvest and the continuing need to offer hunters “any number” of antlerless permits.

“Our Regulations Committee considers the changing status of the deer herd across the state -- along with feedback from hunters, landowners, and others -- each year as it reviews recommendations for deer-hunting regulations,” Sumners said.

“Deer populations in Missouri vary regionally and county-by-county as habitat, hunting regulations, hunter numbers, and frequency and severity of disease outbreaks affect deer numbers,” he explained. “As these factors change over time, our deer management strategy is to be responsive to those changes.”

He added that MDC’s deer management strategy focuses on using science-based wildlife management practices, providing opportunities for all citizens to enjoy deer-related recreational activities such as deer hunting and watching, maintaining a healthy deer population, and providing related information to the public.   

The Department is planning public meetings throughout the state for this summer to share information and get public input on how and why it manages Missouri’s deer.

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Prairie chicken release bolsters iconic native

Eagleville, Mo. – Forty-five greater prairie chickens were trapped in Nebraska in recent

weeks and released at The Nature Conservancy’s (TNC) Dunn Range Prairie in northwest Missouri. The release will bolster small flocks of prairie chickens within the Grand River Grasslands, which includes Missouri Department of Conservation’s (MDC) Pawnee Prairie. This is the second year of a three-year, bi-state program with Iowa to help an endangered  and once-common species rebound in the two states.

   The prairie chickens were released on a lek or booming ground where males do a courtship dance for females in spring. Six hens released on April 11 took flight with the ranch’s bison herd grazing nearby, a scene reminiscent of pre-settlement times when prairie covered most of north Missouri and prairie chickens numbered almost a million statewide. Habitat losses due to farming and urban sprawl have reduced native grasslands to mere fragments and prairie chickens to only a few hundred birds.

   Earlier restoration efforts in nearby Iowa prompted some prairie chickens to return to traditional lek sites At Dunn Ranch and Pawnee Prairie in Harrison County. Biologists were encouraged by the trend and counted as many as 65 birds in the spring of 2008. But harsh winters followed and heightened natural mortality. Extremely rainy and cool nesting seasons also occurred, eliminating nesting success. The spring lek counts dwindled to only a few birds.

   Conservation partners in the Grand River Grasslands began a translocation of prairie chickens trapped in Nebraska and released at Dunn Ranch and at public grassland in Iowa to the north. All birds translocated are given leg bands. Hens released in Missouri are also outfitted with small radio telemetry transmitters. Biologists track them through nesting, brood rearing and summer seasons to learn habitat preferences, which can guide future land management.

   During one count this spring, TNC staff found 12 prairie chickens on the lek, seven males and five females. No females had radio collars, which could indicate survival of original birds and reproduction success from last spring. Two of the males had leg bands showing they were released last year, and one male was released two years ago in Iowa.

   “I’m hopeful and encouraged by what we’ve seen so far,” said Dave Hoover, MDC wildlife management biologist. “We’re seeing that we’re getting some survival and some reproduction.”

   This spring’s release at Dunn Ranch included 25 males and 20 females. On April 14, Hoover was able to track 14 of the hens on radio and more may have been just beyond range. The tracking will enable biologists to count how many hens nest in the area and possibly to later spot broods. A similar prairie chicken release was done this spring at Iowa public lands north of Dunn Ranch.

   The Grand River Grasslands was started to help all prairie species and waterways in a cooperative effort between MDC, TNC, private landowners and conservation agencies in Iowa. This year, MDC is increasing efforts in the area with a Comprehensive Conservation Strategy. Habitat management will be heightened on public lands. But also a focus area for expertise, grant and cost-sharing services will be broadened for private landowners wishing to improve native grassland habitat and stream management.

   Prairie chickens are an indicator species for overall grassland health. The birds, considered a grassland grouse, have shown a propensity to travel long distances and intermingle between flocks, Hoover said. Working on a larger scale to restore a functioning grassland ecosystem will help all prairie species. The Grand River Grasslands also offers people a unique and scenic place for people to enjoy nature and the outdoors.

   For more information on native prairie plants and creatures, go to http://www.mdc.mo.gov. Information on TNC’s Dunn Ranch and the Grand River Grasslands: http://www.bit.ly/RmQ4Rr .

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Discover nature through women’s outdoor-skills weekend

The Missouri Department of Conservation invites women to have a weekend of fun while learning various outdoor skills at our annual “Discover Nature--Women Summer Workshop.” The weekend of hands-on learning will be May 30 to June 1 at the Windermere Baptist Conference Center in Roach along Lake of the Ozarks. Registration deadline is April 25.

The workshop provides a safe and friendly environment where women learn hands-on outdoor-skills at the beginner level by selecting a group of four courses from the following offerings: archery, basic hunting, canoeing, introduction to firearms, plant-animal-tree identification, camping, fishing fundamentals, fly tying, map and compass reading, and shotgun shooting. Women attending for the first time are encouraged to attend the program a second year to complete four additional courses.

The special weekend is targeted to women 18 years and older, along with young women age 14-17 when accompanied by a woman 18 years or older. The workshop is free, but a $20 deposit is required at the time of registration and will be refunded at check in. There is no deposit fee for young women aged 14–17 when registered with an adult. Participants are responsible for lodging and meal reservations and costs through Windermere.

To register and for more info, go online to mdc.mo.gov/node/3958 and download the brochure for full course descriptions and registration form. For more information, call 573-522-4115, ext. 3808.

Women can have a weekend of fun while learning outdoor skills such as canoeing at our Discover Nature--Women Summer Workshop May 30-June 1 at the Windermere Baptist Conference Center in Roach along Lake of the Ozarks.Registration deadline is April 25.

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Youth turkey season harvest tops 4,000

Good reproduction in 2011 and 2012 helped young hunters.

JEFFERSON CITY–Young hunters checked 4,332 turkeys during Missouri’s youth turkey hunting season April 12 and 13, topping the 4,000 mark for the second time in the youth

season’s 14-year history.

Top counties in the youth season were Franklin with 107 birds checked, Cedar with 96, and Webster with 92. The Missouri Department of Conservation recorded one nonfatal hunting incident during the weekend hunt.

Conservation Department Resource Scientist Jason Isabelle says the strong youth season harvest can be attributed partly to the carry-over of adult gobblers resulting from good turkey reproduction in 2011 and 2012. Favorable weather throughout much of the state during the mornings of the hunt also helped.

Missouri’s only other 4,000-plus youth season harvest was in 2012, when young hunters checked 4,319 turkeys. Hunters age 6 through 15 are allowed to take one male turkey or turkey with a visible beard during the youth hunt. Those who do take a turkey during the youth hunt may not take a second bird until the second week of the regular spring turkey season.

The 2014 regular spring turkey season runs April 21 through May 11. For more information, get a copy of the 2014 Spring Turkey Hunting Regulations and Information booklet where permits are sold or visitmdc.mo.gov/node/4051.

The Conservation Department’s First Turkey Program is a great way to memorialize a hunter’s first successful hunt. The program provides a free commemorative certificate suitable for framing. You can even add a photo of the proud hunter with his or her bird. Creating a tangible reminder of a once-in-a-lifetime experience begins with visiting mdc.mo.gov/node/10469. The same site has forms for a hunter’s first deer for youths or adults.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Platte Landing Park Access

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

Survival, Recruitment, and Movements of Missouri Black Bears

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

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

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

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

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

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