Missouri Outdoors and Conservation News for September 17th, 2016

Have a big nice Christmas tree for the governor?  If you do, the Missouri Department of Conservation would like to hear from you. Get your entry in by September 30th.  Here's where to get more info or enter a tree: https://goo.gl/qOmnp9

Missouri deer hunters who harvest deer and use Telecheck will get some new questions you probably should be prepared for.  Telecheck will ask deer hunters who harvest does if the distance from the edge of the eyeball to the edge of the nostril is greater than 4.5 inches. For deer hunters who harvest antlered bucks, Telecheck will ask if the circumference of an antler one inch above the base is greater than 2.5 inches (the approximate circumference of a nickel). The measurement request will not apply to hunters who harvest button bucks. The info will be used to determine age classes of harvested deer so they can manage the herd better,  

The MDC is seeking comments on management at Busiek State Forest and Wildlife Area in Christian County.  You need to get your two cents worth in this month (September) and you can get the details at https://goo.gl/QwiP1z.

There has been initial approval made by the Conservation Commission on Smallmouth Bass and Rock Bass (known as Goggle Eye in Missouri).  There will be a comment period beginning in October.  The new regs will change length and possession limits in certain waters and the Commission hopes these changes will ensure a sustainable fishery for future generations.  MDC makes reg proposals based on sound science, and often local interests find them objectionable because they might change the way things have been.  We encourage readers to educate themselves on the reg changes and give their input.  More info is at https://goo.gl/lzrS6a.

One of the largest public land areas in Missouri is Current River Conservation Area, and MDC is also seeking

input on its management.  The comment period ends September 30th.

This area is rich in outdoor opportunities including paddling, fishing, hunting, hiking, and camping.  Let MDC know what you'd like to see happening in the area. Info is at https://goo.gl/QwiP1z.

The MDC has designated a new State Champion Tree - a chinkapin oak tree in Columbia, as the largest of its kind anywhere in the state.  

MDC Community Forester Ann Koenig took an official measurement using a uniform formula to assess a point value to big trees. The formula, which accounts for the tree’s height, crown spread, and trunk size, scored 310 points for the tree Russell nominated – dethroning the previous state champion chinkapin oak in St. Charles County by only 17 points.  See this beautiful tree below.

If you are interested on improving habitat on your property, particularly for quail, get a copy of the Covey Newsletter from MDC at https://goo.gl/Kb1AeW

If you are looking for some family outdoor fun on September 24th, check out Family Outdoors Day in Lee's Summit.  Exhibits and teaching stations will be set up throughout the Reed Wildlife Area at 12405 S.E. Ranson Road. Also serving as co-sponsors this year are Nathan’s Catch, a non-profit effort providing fishing rods and reels for youths, and the J.E. Fehsenfeld Family Foundation in memory of Jan M. Dillow.

Fishing gear and instructors will be available at a Reed Area lake. MDC staffers and volunteers can provide hands-on instructions on how to cast bait or a lure with a rod and reel. Loaner gear and bait will be provided for fishing. MDC experts can also answer questions about fish populations in the region’s lakes and streams.

It will run from 10 until 3 and more info is available by calling 816-622-0900.

With the Missouri deer season now underway with the archery season going, hunters are encouraged to help the less fortunate by utilizing the Share the Harvest program.  

The program works by deer hunters donating their extra venison -- from several pounds to whole deer -- to participating meat processors throughout the state who grind and package the deer meat. The packaged venison is then given to food banks and food pantries for distribution to Missourians in need of food assistance.

Processing fees are covered entirely or in part by numerous local sponsors, along with statewide sponsors that include: MDC, CFM, Shelter Insurance, Bass Pro Shops, Gateway Area Chapter of Safari Club International, Missouri Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation, Midway USA Inc., and the Missouri Food Banks Association.


Funds are available to help with processing costs when a whole deer is donated during all portions of the archery and firearms deer seasons. The Conservation Federation of Missouri reimburses processors a pre-determined amount for each whole deer donated. This allows processors to reduce processing fees to hunters. In addition, many processors have local funds available that allow deer to be processed for free or at a reduced cost. Hunters should contact individual processors to determine what funds are available. The cost of processing is the hunter’s responsibility when funds to help cover the full cost are not available.

Get more info on Share the Harvest at https://goo.gl/hf7OVM

MDC needs hunter help in southwest Missouri to detect CWD

Deadly Chronic Wasting Disease in northern Arkansas has prompted MDC to continue increased surveillance efforts near state border. 

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – More than 100 cases of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) found in deer and elk in northwest Arkansas has prompted the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) to continue its increased CWD surveillance efforts in seven southwestern and south-central Missouri counties this fall and winter.

The Conservation Department encourages hunters who harvest deer in Barry, Christian, Douglas, McDonald, Ozark, Stone, and Taney counties to have their animals tested for CWD. Testing is free for hunters and MDC will have results available to participating hunters as they become available. 

These seven counties are close to where the Arkansas CWD positives were found—with the closest detected less than 15 miles from the Missouri border. No cases of CWD have been found in southern Missouri.

“Early detection of Chronic Wasting Disease is critical because once the disease is well established in an area, it is impossible to eradicate,” said MDC Wildlife Division Chief Jason Sumners. “We want our kids and grandkids to grow up being able to hunt and watch a healthy and strong deer population in the state. CWD could destroy that. The simplest thing hunters can do to help is to get their harvested deer tested.”

CWD sampling and testing involves collecting tissue samples from the necks of harvested or other dead deer for analysis by an independent laboratory that specializes in animal-disease testing. It takes only a few minutes to collect the tissue samples and consists of cutting an incision across the throat of the harvested deer to remove lymph nodes for CWD testing. Processing test results takes several weeks.

CWD Testing Locations

From Sept. 15 through Jan. 15, hunters can take their harvested deer for CWD testing to either the MDC Ozark Regional Office in West Plains or the MDC Southwest Regional Office in Springfield. Testing will be available during normal business hours, typically 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday – Friday.

MDC staff will also collect tissue samples at select meat processors during the opening weekend of the firearms deer season, Nov. 12 and 13. Cooperating taxidermists in the area will be collecting samples throughout the hunting season. Call the MDC Southwest Regional Office at 417-895-6880 or the MDC Ozark Regional Office at 417-256-7161 for participating businesses.

The Department will continue to test road-killed and sick-looking deer in the region. MDC encourages people to report deer that appear sick to local MDC offices or conservation agents.

Chronic Wasting Disease infects only deer and other members of the deer family by causing degeneration of the brain. This leads to a lack of coordination, paralysis, excessive salivation, unusual behavior, and emaciation. The disease has no vaccine or cure and is 100 percent fatal. A total of 33 free-ranging deer with CWD have been found in northeast, central, and east central Missouri since 2012.

Out of State Harvests

The Department reminds hunters who harvest deer, elk, or moose outside of the state -- such as in Arkansas -- and bring the animal back to Missouri that they must report the animal’s entry into the state within 24 hours by calling 877-853-5665 or reporting it online atmdc.mo.gov/carcass. Reporting is required by law. The carcass must be taken to a licensed meat processor or taxidermist within 72 hours of entry.

Hunters just passing through Missouri on their way to another state are exempt from this requirement as long as they are not in Missouri for longer than 24 hours.

The reporting requirement is only for whole carcasses and carcasses that have the head and spinal column attached. Parts that do not require reporting and that are at lower risk for harboring CWD include: meat that is cut and wrapped, boned-out-meat, quarters or other portions of meat with no pars of the spine or head attached, hides or capes from which excess tissue has been removed, antlers including those attached to skull plates or skulls where all muscle and brain tissue has been removed.

Get more information on Chronic Wasting Disease at mdc.mo.gov/CWD. 

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Invasive zebra mussels now widespread at Truman Lake

MDC urges boaters to clean and dry all boats and bait gear

 Warsaw, Mo. – Zebra mussels, a harmful invasive species, are now present in all arms of Truman Lake, said Mike Bayless, fisheries management biologist for the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC). Evidence that mussels might be present in the lake was found in prior years. But inspections conducted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in recent weeks have determined that they are now fairly widespread in the lake, Bayless said. This makes it imperative for boaters and anglers at Truman Lake to take steps to avoid spreading zebra mussels to other waters.

Zebra mussels are fingernail-sized bivalve mollusks native to the Caspian Sea region of Asia. The mussels arrived in the United States in the ballast water of ships. They were first discovered in a lake near Detroit in the late 1980s. Since then, they have spread into the Mississippi and Missouri River basins. The mussels reproduce rapidly and can form dense colonies attached to boat hulls, docks, pipes and other submerged materials. Nationally, they have caused billions of dollars in damage. The mussels also filter nutrients from the water that benefit native fishes. No natural or man-made controls are effective in eliminating them from large bodies of water. But they can be prevented from entering new waters.

The microscopic young, called veligers, can survive in lake water left in boat live wells, bilge pumps or bait buckets. Adult mussels attached to hulls, engine drive units and anchor chains can survive several days out of the water. Zebra mussels usually enter new lakes or rivers when a boat or dock is moved from one body of water to another.

Boaters and anglers can help prevent zebra mussels and other exotic species from spreading into new waters by draining, cleaning and drying watercraft, Bayless said. Inspect all parts of boats and motors before moving them, scrape off and trash any suspected mussels however small. Remove all water weeds from boats and trailers. Drain all water from boats and motors while on dry land before leaving a water body. Dump leftover bait on dry land. Wash and dry boats before moving them if your craft was in infested waters for a long period of time.

Zebra mussels have been found in Missouri in Smithville Lake, Lake Taneycomo, Bull Shoals Lake, Lake of the Ozarks, the Missouri River and the Mississippi River. They also occur in Lake Lotawana in the Kansas City area, the lower Meramec River in the St. Louis area, and in rivers that drain into Missouri from other states. MDC encourages all water recreationists to help keep them from spreading to other waters, Bayless said.

For more information on zebra mussels in Missouri, visit http://on.mo.gov/2bBnqY7.

New Dade County conservation agent on familiar turf

Sarcoxie native Jeremy Edwards grew up fishing, camping at Stockton Lake.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – When Jeremy Edwards begins his duties as Dade County Conservation agent on Sept. 1, he will be patrolling an area he knows well. A native of Sarcoxie in nearby Jasper County, he grew up fishing and camping at Stockton Lake and is looking forward to helping protect the resources of that area that he has enjoyed since he was a youth.

“I love the outdoors and I want to protect the fish, forest and wildlife natural resources we have in this state,” he said. “If we work together to properly manage and protect these resources, future generations will be able to enjoy them like we do.

Prior to his Dade County assignment, Edwards was one of two conservation agents in Shannon County. In addition to his enforcement duties, Edwards has been involved with trapping and eradicating feral hogs, elk restoration and black bear trapping and tagging. He graduated from Missouri Southern State University in 2013 with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice.

Edwards said he is looking forward to getting to know and working with the people of Dade County. He can be reached at Jeremy.Edwards@mdc.mo.gov or (417) 955-2389.

Conservation agents work to stop wildlife trafficking

MDC asks for help to report poaching and wildlife trafficking.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) are working together to stop wildlife trafficking. Wildlife trafficking consists of poaching or taking of a protected or managed species to sell for profit. This includes buying or selling living or dead animal parts such as bones, skins, meat, and other products in violation of state or federal laws.

From the United States and Canada to Eastern Europe, China, and Africa, wildlife trafficking is a worldwide problem with some cases having roots in Missouri. It has been noted that wildlife trafficking once was predominately a crime of opportunity committed by individuals or small groups.  Currently that has changed to international criminal cartels that are well structured, highly organized, and capable of illegally moving large commercial volumes of wildlife and products.

Thousands of wildlife species are threatened every year by illegal wildlife trafficking globally. From killing elephants in Africa for their tusks to poaching rhinos for their horns, these represent just a few of the targeted species for international wildlife traffickers.

In response to this crisis, Presidential Executive Order 13648 was created to establish a task force and implement a plan to combat wildlife trafficking. The plan centers on three objectives: strengthening enforcement, reducing demand, and expanding international cooperation.  This cooperation includes several wildlife trafficking investigations taking place in Missouri.

What MDC is doing

Conservation agents have had a big role in working to stop wildlife trafficking both locally and globally. Missouri conservation agents have been fighting illegal caviar trafficking from paddlefish poachers on Lake of the Ozarks, Truman Lake, and Table Rock Lake for years.

Caviar is a delicacy created by preserving fish roe in special salts. According to MDC, about 20 pounds of eggs or more can be harvested from a large, pregnant paddlefish.

“Caviar prices in illegal or black markets vary,” MDC Protection Division Chief Larry Yamnitz said. “A common black-market price is about $13 an ounce. Therefore a single large female paddlefish with about 20 pounds of eggs is carrying about $4,000 worth of potential caviar for black market sales.”

MDC agents, USFWS, and other state wildlife agencies have successfully stopped more than 100 people from Missouri and eight other states, from trafficking paddlefish eggs from Warsaw (Missouri) in order to sell them as caviar. Currently, 240 out of 256 state charges have been completed through the court system with more than $61,000 in fines and court costs collected. Some federal cases are still on going.

“It’s important that our conservation agents were a part of this because this is just one example of Missouri’s wildlife being exploited for commercial gain,” Yamnitz said. “If MDC didn’t put a stop to this, it could have wiped out Missouri’s paddlefish.”

Missouri also played a role in another large, nationwide criminal investigation. The investigation continues, but so far it has led to 41 arrests, 30 convictions and the seizure of smuggled elephant tusks and rhino horns with street value of more than $75 million.  Some of the rhino horns seized in the investigation were trafficked through a Macon (Missouri) resident.

“Wildlife trafficking also includes the illegal transportation of captive cervids, such as whitetail deer, across the U.S. This illegal movement of animals significantly increases the risk of spreading wildlife diseases such as Chronic Wasting Disease,” Yamnitz said. “Our agents are actively involved in several investigations involving this around the state.”

The Show-Me-State also has a healthy ginseng, turtle, and snake populations. The international demand for such species makes Missouri a prime location for illegal wildlife trafficking for those also.

Yamnitz added that illegal wildlife trafficking investigations are complicated and often take months to even years to complete. From conservation agents going undercover and dealing with intense situations to filling out paper work and using hi-tech video surveillance, agents have to be prepared for anything when dealing with illegal wildlife trafficking.

How the public can help

MDC encourages the public to report any wildlife violation or concerns of wildlife trafficking to a local conservation agent or by calling MDC’s Operation Game Thief hotline at 1-800-392-1111. If an individual provides information to MDC and it results in an arrest, that individual may receive a reward. The Conservation Federation of Missouri assigns the reward based on the severity of the violation involved. Rewards range from $50 to $1,000 or more.

If an individual would like to help more, MDC encourages them apply to become a conservation agent. MDC is accepting online applications through Aug. 29 for its next class of conservation agent trainees. Selected candidates will undergo 26 weeks of intense training in all facets of law enforcement and resource management. Learn more about becoming an agent on MDC’s website at http://on.mo.gov/2aKSu7d. 

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MDC will offer free Prairie Day event Sept. 17

Visit Wah'Kon-Tah Prairie near El Dorado Springs for tours and exhibits  

El Dorado Springs, Mo. – The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) will host a free Prairie Day event 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 17, at Wah’Kon-Tah Prairie near El Dorado Springs. Tallgrass prairie is a diverse ecosystem of native grasses, wildflowers, upland streams, insects and wildlife. Prairie Day will offer wagon tours of the prairie, wildflower walks and conservation exhibits.

Co-host for the event is The Nature Conservancy. Much of the Wah’Kon-Tah Prairie Conservation Area is owned by the Conservancy but managed by MDC in a partnership. The St. Clair County Cattlemen’s Association will provide food concessions.  Representatives of the Osage Nation will discuss the tribe’s historic ties to the Upper Osage Grasslands.

MDC staff will discuss the role prairie plays today, whether it’s preserving the iconic grassland birds like the prairie chicken, conserving plant diversity, boosting wildlife habitat or providing a place to learn how conservative grazing can be used to improve wildlife habitat.

Wah’Kon-Tah Prairie and the nearby Taberville Prairie hold remnant flocks of prairie chickens, which are endangered in Missouri. But the key to those flocks surviving is the native grasses and wildflowers that provide food and good places to nest, raise broods, hide from predators and survive winter. The same warm-season grasses and forbs also can provide summer grazing forage or winter hay for livestock. Bobwhite quail and other ground-nesting birds also benefit from prairies or the use of native grasses and forbs in pastures.

Prairies are also simply beautiful to look at, either across the open horizons, or by observing the plant diversity during a hike. Prairies also harbor wildlife such as songbirds, deer and turkeys.

For information about Prairie Day, call 417-876-5226. Information and a map for Wah’Kon-Tah Prairie Conservation Area is available at https://nature.mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/places/wahkon-tah-prairie. To learn about prairie in Missouri, visit http://mdc.mo.gov.

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Register now for Perryville Deer Management Workshop Sept. 14

MDC wildlife biologists offer tips to attracting deer to your land.

PERRYVILLE, Mo. – Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) wildlife biologists will host a white-tailed deer workshop for landowners Wednesday, Sept. 14, from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Perryville Higher Education Center. Kyle Lorenz, MDC private lands conservationist, said the workshop is a great opportunity for landowners to hear tips from wildlife biologists and ask questions about management on their own property.

“Providing the right habitat for deer can greatly increase the odds of successful deer seasons in the future,” Lorenz said.

The workshop will include classroom discussions on basic management techniques of different habitat found in southeast Missouri, food plots, and financial assistance available to landowners. Specific topics are forest and woodland management for white-tailed deer, open land management strategies, and native plants as food plots.

A variety of MDC and Quality Deer Management Association employees will be present to talk with guests throughout the workshop. Space is limited, so registration must be made in advance by Friday, Sept. 9, by calling MDC’s Southeast Regional Office at (573) 290-5730. The Perryville Higher Education Center is located at 108 South Progress Drive.

More information on deer management and landowner workshops throughout the state can be found at mdc.mo.gov/property.

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