SEMO Cattlemen The SEMO Cattlemen met October 23 at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Leopold. Brad Pobst, Private Land Conservationist with MDC and Jonathan Fox, Wildlife Specialist with USDA delivered the program. The topic was Missouri Wildlife Management and included information on feral hogs, black bears, mountain lions, whitetail deer, and black vultures. Over 7,400 feral hogs have been caught in Missouri this year. There are 15 trappers in southeast Missouri to help trap hogs if you have trouble. Trapping is important to catch the entire sounder. Feral swine populations have been identified in most counties in southeastern Missouri. It is estimated there are 300-350 black bears in Missouri. If the population reaches around 500, there will be discussion of bear hunting season. The season will target males and will likely be after deer season as males tend to den up the first part of December, while the females species den earlier. Mountain lions are migrating from South Dakota and Nebraska and can easily travel 100 miles in a day. There has only been one confirmed female, which occurred in January 2017. Deer are their preferred prey. Mountain lions target the throat of prey, eat intestines, and often cover up the carcass. Proof is necessary to confirm a sighting.
wasting disease is a slow progressing disease that doesn’t always appear as CWD symptoms because it takes so long to manifest. Sampling stations are mandatory this year on opening weekend. Stations are set up in counties with a 25 mile radius from a positive case. A CWD positive deer was identified in Perry County. The head/ neck area is required because the sample is obtained from the lymph nodes. The ban on feeding and mineral licks for deer is to slow the transfer of this non-treatable disease in deer. Jonathan Fox discussed black vultures. Black vultures have been a real issue to livestock producers in both Cape Girardeau and Bollinger counties. These vultures target easily available soft tissue—eyes and placenta as described by producers who have encountered these viscous pests. The accompanying pictures show the damage caused by black vultures. Black vultures are a migratory bird and therefore protected. A deprivation permit can be obtained through fish & wildlife if you are experiencing trouble. The permit requires a letter from USDA describing the damage. Contact your local USDA office to find someone who can help identify and assess a black vulture problem. The permit costs $100.
Pobst discussed a multi-year study looking at the migratory pattern of deer using GPS monitoring. He also discussed chronic wasting disease in deer. Chronic
Marketing Cattle Weekly for Cattlemen
“Across Missouri”
www.movalleylivestock.com www.emcclivestock.com Justin Angell Mike VanMaanen Jon Angell 573-819-8000 573-881-0402 573-682-4656
DECEMBER 2018
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