January 2019 - vol 80 no 1.pdf

CONSERVATION FEDERATION

The Voice for Missouri Outdoors JANUARY 2019 - VOL 80 | NO. 1

BE THE DIFFERENCE FOR CONSERVATION

JOIN CFM TODAY

NOW IS YOUR CHANCE to join the organization that unites thousands of Missourians with the goal of preserving the state’s immense natural resources.

Your actions now will create a better future for generations to come.

Visit www.confedmo.org/join to become a member of CFM today.

Director’s Message

Public Lands are American Freedom

S

itting high upon an Ozark ridge, waiting on a buck to wander by, I spent a few hours in deep reflection wandering back through the memories of another year’s worth of adventure across our beautiful expanse of Missouri’s great outdoors. The common thread of my incredible recollection being - public lands and water.

The number of nights I spent this past year sleeping on gravel bars wasn’t close to the number of nights I spent sleeping in hotels, but it is those few nights under the stars, and an expectation of more to come, that fuel my soul to continue the everyday efforts of life.

How could freedom be any more represented than in the ability to launch a canoe on the river, then gradually work your way down stream, knowing wherever you stop, wherever you sleep, it’s on your land, but also on my land. We, collectively, as citizens of this great country, still have access to many of her grandest landscapes. Yet sadly, so many do not see it this way. In the case of too many, financial greed outweighs a desire for true freedom.

Behind corporate dreams of owing all the acres we currently have in our public lands system, arguments are made that the federal government is stifling freedom. How people buy this farce is beyond confusing. All one has to do is ask themselves the simple question of how does freedom ring for you when you’re standing behind a gate blocking you from land or water you used to have access to?

All Americans who enjoy time spent outdoors, should be extremely concerned with the expiration of the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF).

Created by an act of congress in 1965, with the support of President Johnson, the LWCF is the most important piece of legislation we have in America that provides funds for providing public access to lands and waters of our nation for hunting, fishing, camping, paddling, hiking, bird watching and more.

Gravel bar camping under the stars is only one privilege of public land ownership. (Photo: Ben Stahlschmidt)

For more than half a century, across times of both republican and democratic control, the LWCF has benefited all Americans. Today, the fund no longer exists, but is not too late.

Congress can still reauthorize the LWCF, and better yet, they can permanently reauthorize it. We are supposed to have a representative government. One that abides the wishes of the majority of citizens. If you feel access to public lands and waters matters, then make your voice heard and contact your federal congressman today.

According to the Land and Water Conservation Fund Coalition, Missouri’s outdoor recreation industry has an annual economic impact of $14.9 billion – supporting 133,000 jobs which generate $4.6 billion in wages and salaries and produces $889 million annually in state and local tax revenue.

Our public lands do not sit idle. They are an economic powerhouse. Just ask any canoe livery owner or small business owner relying on public lands and water recreation.

Yours in Conservation, Brandon Butler Executive Director, CFM JANUARY - 2019

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CONTENTS

Conservation Federation January 2019 - V80 No. 1

Features

OFFICERS Gary Van De Velde

President

Mossie Schallon

1st Vice President

Richard Mendenhall

2nd Vice President

Ginny Wallace

Secretary

Randy Washburn

Treasurer

STAFF

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44

54

30

Trumpeter Swans Flock to Missouri for Winter

34

Cover Crops Build Better Soils and Wildlife Habitat

44

Ducks of the Mississippi Delta

46

Taxidermy Preserves Memories

48

Shed Hunting

54

Hunter Civility

60

A Winter Day on Bennett Spring

Departments 3 8 11

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4

Director's Message President's Message Member News New Members Gear Guide Weston Recipe Affiliate Spotlight Agency News

CONSERVATION FEDERATION

Brandon Butler

Executive Director & Editor

Micaela Haymaker

Director of Operations

Michelle Gabelsberger

Membership Development Coordinator

Jennifer Sampsell

Education & Outreach Coordinator

Tyler Schwartze

Events Manager

Mike Capps

Corporate Relations Manager

Joan VanderFeltz

Administrative Assistant

Emma Kessinger

Creative Director

ABOUT THE MAGAZINE

CFM Mission: To ensure conservation of Missouri’s wildlife and natural resources, and preservation of our state’s rich outdoor heritage through advocacy, education and partnerships.

Highlights 17 20 28 32 51 53 63

CLC Member Updates Risberg Grant Open Conservation Day News Fishing Lake Ozarks Control Pests Deer Camp Creates Memories Backyard Bats

Conservation Federation is the publication of the Conservation Federation of Missouri (ISSN 1082-8591). Conservation Federation (USPS 012868) is published bi-monthly in January, March, May, July, September and November for subscribers and members.

Of each member’s dues, $10 shall be for a year’s subscription to Conservation Federation.

Periodical postage paid in Jefferson City, MO and additional mailing offices.

Send address changes to: MHaymaker@confedmo.org | 573-634-2322

FRONT COVER A good dog helps find shed antlers.

(Photo: Bill Konway)

Business Alliance

Thank you to all of our Business Alliance members.

Platinum

Gold Alps OutdoorZ Bushnell Custom Metal Products Diamond Pet Foods Doolittle Trailer Enbridge, Inc. FCS Financial

G3 Boats Kansas City Zoo Martin Metal MidwayUSA Pure Air Natives Redneck Blinds Riley Chevrolet

Roeslein Alternative Energy, LLC RTP Outdoors United Country Real Estate Sun Solar Weston

Learfield Communication, Inc. Lilley’s Landing Resort & Marina Logboat Brewing Missouri Wildflowers Nursery Mitico

Moneta Group National Feather-Craft Co. Simmons SportDOG Brand Starline, Inc.

HMI Fireplace Shop Hodgdon Powder Company, Inc. Inn at Grand Glaize Missouri Wine & Grape Board NE Electric Power Co-ops NW Electric Power Cooperative, Inc.

Orscheln POET Sierra Bullets St. James Winery Terra-Char MCB Walter Knoll Florist

Dickerson Park Zoo Farmer’s Co-op Elevator Association Gascosage Electric Cooperative General Printing Service GREDELL Engineering Resources, Inc. Greenbrier Wetland Services Hulett Heating & Air Conditioning J&B Outdoors Kansas City Parks and Recreation Kleinschmidt’s Western Store Meramec Bison Farm, LLC

Missouri Native Seed Association Nick's Family Restaurant Ozark Bait and Tackle Platte-Clay Electric Cooperative, Inc. REMAX Boone Realty Shade Tree Service, Inc. Tabor Plastics Company Truman’s Bar & Grill United Electric Cooperative, Inc. White River Valley Electric Cooperative

Silver Advantage Metals Recycling Forrest Keeling Nursery G&W Meat & Bavarian Style Sausage Co. Holladay Distillery Jaguar Land Rover St. Louis

Bronze Association of Missouri Electric Coop.

Black Widow Custom Bows, Inc. Burgers’ Smokehouse Custom Screen Printing and Embroidery Drury Hotels Gray Manufacturing Company, Inc.

Iron Bass Pro Shops (Independence) Bee Rock Outdoor Adventures Blue Ridge Bank and Trust Blue Springs Park and Recreation Bob McCosh Chevrolet Buick GMC Boone Electric Co-op Brockmeier Financial Services Brown Printing Cap America Central Bank Community State Bank of Bowling Green

Your business can benefit by supporting conservation. Contact Mike Capps at 573-634-2322 or MCapps@confedmo.org.

JANUARY - 2019

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Business Spotlight

Sun Solar Provides Clean Solar Energy

S

olar power has gone from a small cottage industry in the early 80’s to a serious alternative source of green energy today. Advances in technology in solar panels and batteries have made it more affordable, with less maintenance and higher efficiency.

Solar panels are composed of silicon crystals that help turn sunlight into electricity. The panels can be placed on a customer’s roof, a ground mount system or on a nearby structure with good exposure to sunlight. Ground mount systems can be set up high enough off of the ground to provide extra storage underneath, or shelter for livestock. Once the panels are installed and receive sunlight, they immediately begin to produce energy.

Solar systems can be set up grid, off grid or a hybrid combination of both. Grid systems allow users to feed excess power back to the utility company, while allowing customers to use power from the utility company in times of low solar output. An off-grid system stores excess energy in a battery back-up system for times of low output. Sun Solar is an official Tesla Powerwall (battery storage) provider for Missouri. They also set up and install back-up generator systems. A hybrid system is a combination of both grid and off-grid, allowing users to still stay connected to their utility company, while storing energy in a battery system as well. Sun Solar often recommends this as the preferred method.

A solar carport. (Photo: Courtesy of Sun Solar)

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CONSERVATION FEDERATION

Business Spotlight Sun Solar works with customers to provide the optimum set up for their individual needs, taking each project from initial design to final installation. They also continue to provide support and advice once the customer is enjoying the benefits of solar energy.

Sun Solar was created in 2012 by founder Caleb Arthur.

Always mindful of possible business opportunities, following a career-ending injury while working as a law enforcement officer, he found a new passion in solar energy. After installing his own ground mount system in an effort to save money, he saw the opportunity to combine his drive for business with his enthusiasm for solar energy. During the day, he would single-handedly install solar systems while knocking on doors at night to sell systems. The company has gone from a single-man operation to being named one of the top solar energy companies in Missouri by several trade publications.

“When people start to look at solar energy as an alternative to traditional electrical power, we walk them through the benefits of installing a system.” Said Caleb Arthur, Sun Solar Founder. “While the initial installation isn’t cheap, the system will pay for itself over time. Solar energy provides fixed utility rates and there are tax credits and rebates available in some cases to help with the installation costs. Adding solar panels to your home or business also adds to the resale value. Solar power starts working and providing savings as soon as you hook it up. One of the greatest benefits is the fact you’re now producing clean, renewable energy and reducing our dependence on fossil fuels.”

Sun Solar is distinct from other solar companies because of their commitment to energy efficiency in addition to solar power. Their theory to “reduce before you produce” helps customers save more money while saving the planet. Sun Solar’s Smart Energy Solutions division is devoted entirely to auditing homes and businesses to find opportunities for energy efficiency. They go through a home or business to determine areas where energy loss can be reduced or eliminated and provide affordable solutions to the problem. From the beginning of an installation through the lifespan of a solar system, Sun Solar’s mission is to help their customers reduce not only their energy bills, but also environmental damage to our planet.

Solar panels on a residential house. (Photo: Courtesy of Sun Solar)

Sun Solar believes in giving back to the community by supporting a number of charitable organizations, including The Pregnancy Care Center, Relay for Life, Boys and Girls Clubs of Springfield, American Red Cross, the Children’s Miracle Network, Children’s Smile Center, Ronald McDonald House and the National Federation of the Blind in Columbia, Missouri. In 2017 Sun Solar partnered with The Gathering Tree’s Eden Village project, which provides micro-housing for homeless people in the Springfield area. 380 solar panels were donated to help provide cost effective power for the project.

Since their beginning, Sun Solar has been committed to combining energy efficiency with solar power, caring for the planet and providing superior customer service.

They have been named the #1 fastest growing business in Springfield, the #1 residential solar installer in Missouri and the 156th fastest growing company in the nation on the Inc. 500 List. Their goal is to provide an easy, affordable way to go solar and start saving money.

From 2016 to 2018, Sun solar was ranked the #1 Fastest Growing Solar company in Missouri by Inc. 5000 and 9th in the nation in 2017.

“We’re excited about the growth of the company.” Said Arthur. “What’s more exciting for us though, is how we see people wanting to be good stewards of the earth and its natural resources. They see solar power as one way they can help the environment and they are willing to make the commitment to install it in their homes and businesses.”

Sun Solar now has four Missouri locations in Springfield, Houston, Columbia and Joplin, as well as one in Olathe, Kansas. They can be reached at 855-464-6786, or their web site at www.ussunsolar.com JANUARY - 2019

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President’s Message

Where Does The Story End?

W

ith 2018 winding down, what are you planning to do for conservation in 2019?

In this next year, I encourage each of us to put forth effort toward completing a new conservation practice on our land, whether forest, wildlife, or simply in our backyard. You could plant a food plot for wildlife, develop a shallow water area for wildlife, plant a riparian forest buffer, enhance pollinator or beneficial insect habitat, establish a Monarch Butterfly habitat, create stream bank and shoreline protection--just to name a few practices.

There are a lot of conservation professionals with the Missouri Department of Conservation, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources Soil and Water Conservation Districts, United States Department of Agriculture Farm Services Agency and Natural Resources Conservation Service, National Wildlife Federation, US Fish and Wildlife Agency, private habitat developers, etc.

These agencies may or may not have financial assistance available but they do have or can recommend someone who will have the technical expertise to help complete your project. An internet search will direct you to the agency or organization. There will be someone willing to discuss ways to enhance wildlife habitat, protect our soil and water, or manage our forest.

Annabel Butler with dirt on her hands from a labor of love planting trees. (Photo: Brandon Butler)

Many of you have read Aldo Leopold’s book Sand County Almanac. Leopold emphasizes the importance of critical thinking in every step of the conservation process with our minds and hearts.

So I leave you with this question to ponder, how is our shovel doing? How has conservation progressed since 1949? Each individual and conservation organization needs to carefully consider these questions. Let us think critically about each step of the way.

“The evolution of a land ethic is an intellectual as well as emotional process. Conservation is paved with good intentions which prove to be futile or even dangerous, because they are devoid of critical understanding either of the land or of economic land-use. I think it is a truism that either frontier advances from the individual to the community, its intellectual content increases.

The mechanism of operation is the same value for any ethic: social approbation for right actions: social disapproval for wrong actions. By and large our present problem is one of attitudes and implements. We are remodeling the Alhambra with a steam shovel, and we are proud of our yardage. We hardly relinquish the shovel, which after all has many good points, but we are in need of gentler and more objective criteria for its successful use.” - Aldo Leopold

Yours in Conservation, Gary Van De Velde President, CFM

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CONSERVATION FEDERATION

It’s your

SEASON Shelter InsuranceÂŽ is a proud sponsor of Share the Harvest & the Conservation Federation.

Contact your local Shelter agent to insure your auto, home, life, and all your hunting gear. Find an agent near you at ShelterInsurance.com.

Member News

Why I Became a Life Member of CFM: Art & Kathryn Booth

T

he CFM has a great track record carrying out its mission statement which says it all. We spend a great deal of time and money with habitat projects on our own property. That effort would mean little if it were at odds with what was happening around us and throughout the state.

Raised by a family of outdoorsman and women, my appreciation for nature came at an early age. In the transportation business my wife and I had the opportunity to see and experience most of North America. When the opportunity arose to relocate we chose to settle in the Missouri Ozarks.

Not only does the area provide what we want in natural resources, the likeminded people made it obvious this is where we belong. Reverence for and reliance on our environment is second nature. Truly, we no longer need to cut wood for heat or hunt, fish or forage to eat, we just do because we always have and prefer to.

Friends and family from around the country visit our ranch annually, some travelling 1500 miles. They all have hunting and fishing opportunities where they live, but the quality is not what we enjoy here.

If supporting the CFM helps to ensure our descendants have the same opportunities, it’s the least we can do.

Art and Kathryn Booth own Hollerback Farms in Richland, MO.

Become a CFM Life Member When you purchase a Life Membership with CFM, your money is added to an endowment supporting the administration of the organization in perpetuity. Each year, we draw earnings from the endowment, so your contribution will truly be supporting the CFM for the rest of your life and beyond. This is an important funding source for our Federation.

We hope you will consider joining the over 260 dedicated conservationists who have already made a life commitment to the Conservation Federation of Missouri by becoming a Life Member today.

Contact CFM at (573) 634-2322 or email info@confedmo.org.

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CONSERVATION FEDERATION

Member News

WELCOME NEW CFM MEMBERS

In Memory

Association of Missouri Electric Cooperatives, Jefferson City Associated Electric Cooperative, Inc., Springfield David Boyer, Lebanon Kally Coleman, St. Louis Carl Doerhoff, Jefferson City

Jeremy LaFaver, Kansas City Karen A. Miller, Arrow Rock Reed Pendleton, O’Fallon Pure Air Natives, Inc., Saint Louis Roeslein Alternative Energy, LLC, Saint Louis Kenneth Wells, Salem Elna Williams, New Cambria

Forrest Keeling Nursery, Elsberry Jonathan Graham, Jefferson City Melanie Haney, Independence Joshua Hazelett, Pacific Douglas Helmers, Rothville Hodgdon Powder Company, Inc., Shawnee, KS Fred Hynes, Lebanon Julia Kamps, Bethany

Ty Wilmsmeyer, Springfield Keith Ziercher, St. Charles

CFM would like to thank the 190 members that renewed since our last publication.

In memory of Elizabeth Ann Behnke Gary Behnke Andy’s Auto Care, Inc. Mr. and Mrs. Harry Rahn Ron Coleman Mr. and Mrs. Bill Hilgeman Mr. Thomas Russell

CFM Conservation Federation Podcast Listen to CFM’s Podcast Did you know CFM has a podcast? In each episode, host Brandon Butler discusses conservation issues with special guests. Past episodes include interviews with Governor Jay Nixon, MDC Director Sara Parker Pauley, Glenn Chambers, Steven Rinella and many other passionate conservationists.

Have you heard our lastest episodes?

Episode 21: Alex Rutledge on the Ozarks Episode 20: Share the Harvest 2018 Episode 19: Bradley Schad and Steve Murphy: Corn Power

Find the Conservation Federation podcast on the CFM website and on iTunes.

Member News

Gear Guide Weston Professional Advantage Vacuum Sealer - Business Alliance Weston is known for making the most high-quality vacuum sealers around, and the Professional Advantage Vacuum Sealer is no exception. Featuring incredible vacuum strength and a powerful 210-watt motor, this sealer is of professional quality but is suitable for home use. It has a stylish black design with brushed stainless steel lid and an easy-to-use control panel. The Angled vacuum chamber opening helps prevent liquids from entering vacuum chamber. It seals bags up to 11 inches wide. www.westonsupply.com

B ‘n’ M Buck's Graphite Crappie Combo B ‘n’ M Pole Company is the leading manufacturer of crappie poles in the world today. Their product line includes top-quality gear for anglers who love to fish for panfish. A Buck’s Graphite Crappie Spinning Rod and a custom-designed BM100 Reel - This might be the Lightweight Champion Combo of the fishing world!

Crappie fishing right around the corner, so now’s the time to stock up on new B’n’M combos. www.bnmpoles.com

NEMO Spike 2 Person Tent Designed with guidance from professional backcountry hunters and anglers, weight, packed size and versatility were paramount when NEMO designed this shelter. Floorless pyramid design accommodates 2 people and their gear. The Spike™ 2P is a 1 lb., 10 oz. floorless shelter utilizing two trekking poles. Featuring the integrated Foot Trap™ and side Splash Skirt™ fold that offers increased protection in rain/light snow. It has a versatile front vestibule doubles as an awning on clear nights. Constructed with silicone impregnated fabrics for superior strength and waterproofness, it Includes drawstring stuff sack, stakes, guy cords and repair kit. www.nemoequipment.com

Pure Air Natives Pollinator Favorites - Business Alliance This spring, you can do something very simple to help the struggling pollinators species of Missouri - Plant Pure Air Natives. This strong CFM supporter provides native seed and plants for ecological restoration, habitat creation and preservation efforts in Missouri and adjoining states.

Their pollinator mixes include wildflowers and legumes that create great habitat for Missouri species. Spread some seed, sit back and enjoy the butterflies while knowing you are doing your part to help pollinators. www.pureairnatives.com

St. James Winery - Country Red - Business Alliance St. James Winery is Missouri’s largest winery and has helped put Missouri wines back on the national stage. St. James Winery is a great place for friends to meet up, relax, listen to some music and enjoy great company with great food and beverages. They produce many wines, one of which is the Country Red that isursting with fruity flavors like sweet, yet tart candied apples. Try it chilled with spicy dishes or with pork served with fresh cranberry sauce. www.stjameswinery.com

JANUARY - 2019

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Member News

Smoked Wild Goose Breasts with Roasted Pears and Blueberry Sauce Ingredients: 2 wild goose breasts

Directions: 1. Place your goose breasts into a Weston Vacuum Sealer Canister and pour in peach brandy. Seal with a Weston Vacuum Sealer and refrigerate overnight.

For Marinating 2 cups peach brandy

2. Drain and pat the goose breasts dry. Coat them with your cure.

Vacuum seal the breasts with the cure and refrigerate for 3 days.

For Curing 2 tbsp kosher salt 1/2 tsp pink cure salt 2 tbsp brown sugar 1 tbsp crushed juniper berries 1 tbsp black pepper 1 tsp cinnamon 3 star anise, crushed For Smoking 3 tbsp Darjeeling tea leaves cherry wood smoking chips, soaked in water for at least 30 min For the Roasted Pears 2 pears 1 tablespoon lemon juice 2 tablespoons brown sugar

3. Rinse the breasts thoroughly and pat dry. Preheat your Weston Smoker to 150 degrees F, fit your water bowl, and place your wood chips into the smoker box. Line your smoker racks with foil and pierce the foil all over. Lay your tea leaves on the foil and place the goose breasts over the leaves. Smoke for 4 hours at 150 degrees or until your breasts reach an internal temp of 150 in the thickest part. Let rest while you prepare the pears and sauce.

For the Blueberry Sauce 1 pint blueberries 1/4 cup red wine 1 tbsp superfine sugar 1 tsp cinnamon 3 cardamom pods

4. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Use a Weston Apple Peeler to peel, core, and slice your pears. Soak them in lemon juice and sugar, then place them onto a Weston Baking Mat. Bake for 30 minutes or until pears begin to turn golden.

5. Place all ingredients for the blueberry sauce into the Weston Food Grinder, then turn the handle to puree.

6. Use a Weston Meat Slicer to slice the goose breasts into 3/4" slices (or whichever thickness you prefer).

7. Serve with roasted pears and drizzle blueberry sauce over top.

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CONSERVATION FEDERATION

Affiliate Spotlight

The Missouri Atlatl Association (MAA)

T

he Missouri Atlatl Association was founded in 1996 by Ron Mertz, Town & Country, MO, Ray Madden, Joplin, MO, and John Whittaker, Grinnell, IA, after meeting at an atlatl event in Valley of Fire State Park, NV. The first MAA event was held that year at the Osage Knap-in near Kansas City, MO and later in 1996 at the Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site in Collinsville, IL. From that point, in addition to continuing the Osage and Cahokia events, members have held competitions and/or demonstrations throughout much of the State such as at the Bois D'Arc primitive skills event near Springfield, MO, the JAKEs event in Hermann, Graham Cave State Park, Busch Memorial Conservation Area, and in Columbia, Trenton, and Jefferson City, MO, as well as in two Iowa locations.

In recent years we have held up to 40 events, annually. Since our founding, we have also hosted the World Atlatl Association’s Annual Meeting three times at Cahokia, and this year at Graham Cave.

The Missouri Atlatl Association's relationship with the Conservation Federation of Missouri began in 2003 when the Missouri Department of Conservation's Regulations Committee recommended we work with CFM in our efforts to have the Atlatl recognized as a legal means of hunting. CFM’s support was instrumental in our efforts to legalize the Atlatl for hunting small game in 2008, and for hunting deer and turkey in 2010.

The Missouri Atlatl Association continues its mission to advance the rediscovery of the atlatl by informing the public regarding its past and present day use; encouraging participation in competitions and hunting through education, and demonstration; and by documenting modern hunting experiences, reporting results of accuracy contests, and encouraging research and experimentation.

Affiliate Organizations Anglers of Missouri Association of Missouri Electric Cooperatives Audubon Society of Missouri Bass Slammer Tackle Big Game Hunters Burroughs Audubon Society of Greater Kansas City Capital City Fly Fishers Chesterfield Citizens Committee for the Environment Conservation Foundation of Missouri Charitable Trust Deer Creek Sportsman Club Festus-Crystal City Conservation Club Forest and Woodland Association of Missouri Forest Releaf of Missouri Friends of Rock Bridge Memorial State Park Garden Club of St. Louis Gateway Chapter Trout Unlimited Greenbelt Land Trust of Mid-Missouri Greenway Network, Inc. Heartland Conservation Alliance James River Basin Partnership Katy Land Trust L-A-D Foundation Mid-Missouri Outdoor Dream Mid-Missouri Trout Unlimited Midwest Diving Council Mississippi Valley Duck Hunters Association Missouri Association of Meat Processors Missouri Atlatl Association Missouri B.A.S.S. Nation Missouri Bird Conservation Initiative Missouri Bow Hunters Association Missouri Caves & Karst Conservancy Missouri Chapter of the American Fisheries Society

Missouri Chapter of the Wildlife Society Missouri Coalition for the Environment Missouri Community Forestry Council Missouri Conservation Agents Association Missouri Conservation Pioneers Missouri Consulting Foresters Association Missouri Ducks Unlimited- State Council Missouri Forest Products Association Missouri Grouse Chapter of QUWF Missouri Hunter Education Instructor's Association Missouri Hunters for Fair Chase Missouri Hunting Heritage Federation Missouri Master Naturalist -Boone's Lick Chapter Missouri Master Naturalist- Miramiguoa Chapter Missouri Master Naturalist- Osage Trails Chapter Missouri Master Naturalist- Springfield Plateau Chapter Missouri National Wild Turkey Federation Missouri Native Seed Association Missouri Outdoor Communicators Missouri Park & Recreation Association Missouri Parks Association Missouri Prairie Foundation Missouri River Bird Observatory Missouri River Relief Missouri Smallmouth Alliance Missouri Society of American Foresters Missouri Soil & Water Conservation Society-Show-Me Chapter Missouri Sport Shooting Association Missouri State Campers Association Missouri State Chapter of the Quality Deer Management Missouri State University Bull Shoals Field Station Missouri Taxidermist Association

Missouri Trappers Association Missouri Trout Fishermen's Association Missouri Whitetails Unlimited MU Wildlife & Fisheries Science Graduate Student Organization Northside Conservation Federation Open Space Council of the St. Louis Region Osage Paddle Sports Ozark Fly Fishers, Inc. Ozark Wilderness Waterways Club Perry County Sportsman Club Pomme De Terre Chapter Muskies Prairie Star Conservation Community Quail & Upland Wildlife Federation, Inc. Quail Forever & Pheasants Forever River Bluffs Audubon Society Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation Roubidoux Fly Fishers Association South Side Division Southwest Missouri Fly Fishers St. Louis Audubon Society Stream Teams United Student Air Rifle Program The Fallen Outdoors-Team MO Tipton Farmers & Sportsman's Club Tri-Lakes Fly Fishers Troutbusters of Missouri United Bow Hunters of Missouri Walnut Council & Other Fine Hardwoods Wecomo Sportsman's Club Wild Bird Rehabilitation Young Outdoorsmen United

JANUARY - 2019

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Committed to Community & Conservation Owned by the members they serve, Missouri’s electric cooperatives do more than provide reliable and affordable electricity. They are active in their communities, concerned for the wellbeing of their neighbors and devoted to the rural way of life that makes the Show-Me State a special place to live, work and play. Missouri’s electric cooperatives are dedicated to protecting the land, air and water resources important to you and your quality of life.

Learn more at www.amec.coop.

Member News

What Are Our Recent CLC Graduates Up To?

I

f you attend the Conservation Federation Annual Convention in March you get the opportunity to meet Conservation Leadership Corps (CLC) students from all over the state. Many of these students end up doing some amazing things after their time in the program. Some stay local and some travel the world. Let’s check in on a few of our recent CLC alumni.

Ethan Green Ethan is a 2018 graduate of Missouri State with a bachelors in wildlife biology. Ethan is now working as a fisheries technician for MDC at the Bennett Springs Fish Hatchery in Lebanon.

His duties include weighing feed and loading feed in the feed truck. He also makes sure the water is running at all times at the hatchery since they have a gravity flow system. This includes making sure the screens are always clean to have good flow. He assists in cleaning of tanks to help with trout production and during the trout season he helps stock the spring with the trout that they raised.

“Working at a hatchery is a lot of teamwork with other employees on different shifts so it is important to complete all your responsibilities for the next person. CLC was a great experience that helped me gain the skills and knowledge to pursue my career in conservation. My experience with CLC helped me network with people in the fisheries field and the networking helped lead me in the process in getting a job with the conservation department. I’m very grateful for my time with CLC and recommend this organization to students wanting to enter the field of conservation as a career.”

Gabby Elliott Gabby graduated from Mizzou in 2018. Currently she is a rural sustainable Peace Corps volunteer in Senegal, Africa. She will be working and living in a small village, Sinthian in the Tambacounda region for the next 2 years. She will be teaching and helping with best management techniques and sustainable practices for farming and planting trees. She is hoping to work with women on a women’s garden.

She is the first volunteer to work in the village so she will be able to assess the needs of the community and create projects from there. She will be living with a host family as one of their own and her hope is to fully integrate into the community.

“I’m very excited to see how I can serve my community and to learn from my community.”

We wish the best to all of our CLC alumni. Learn more about the CLC at www.confedmo.org/clc.

JANUARY - 2019

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Celebrate 83 Years of CFM!

83

rd

Annual Convention

March 8���, 201�

Don’t miss out on CFM’s largest event of the year!

Capitol Plaza Hotel Jefferson City, MO ne

li ead on d t!!! i t a 1s istr Reg March

Convention Highlights:

Annual Conservation Awards Ceremony Meet Conservation & Natural Resource Leaders Natural Resource Committee Reports Banquet, Silent and Live Auctions

This is the time for conservationists to gather and share fellowship, present awards and craft resolutions to improve the outdoors.

Enjoy the opportunity to connect with other sportsmen who share your passion.

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Meet urday nig t on Sa

CONSERVATION FEDERATION

For more information, visit: www.confedmo.org/annual-convention/ or call 573-634-2322 Online Registration and Banquet Tickets are not available after March 1st

Member News

Save the Date to Celebrate at Echo Bluff State Park

H

appy New Year to all Missouri Stream Team volunteers! 2019 is a special year for Missouri Stream Team and Stream Teams United. It’s the 30th Anniversary of the Missouri Stream Team Program and the 20th Anniversary of our non-profit organization. We are excited to announce and invite you to the Missouri Stream Team 30th Anniversary Celebration on Saturday, November 23, 2019 at Echo Bluff State Park.

322-3246 and tell them you are with the Missouri Stream Team event. Lodging units will be held for our group until the end of April, so make your reservation early. Camping will also be open and there are 60 sites that provide electrical hook-up. Camping reservations can be made beginning May 22, 2019 and are available first-come-first-serve. To reserve a campsite, go to https://icampmo1.usedirect.com/ MSPWeb/ or call 877-422-6766 after May 22.

This is the weekend before Thanksgiving this year.

We are already making plans for a fun weekend celebration, including a concert at the park amphitheater, talent show, bring-your-boat and float on the Current, and anniversary banquet dinner.

We will be posting updates and additional information throughout the year at our 30th Anniversary webpage at www.mstwc.org/30thanniversary-party/. Registration for the banquet dinner is open; go to www.flipcause.com/secure/ cause_pdetails/NDU1MzI= to register for the dinner banquet, which will be held the evening of November 23rd.

To make this event a success will require team work, which is a true reflection of the power of teams exemplified through the 30 years of success of the Missouri Stream Team Program. We will be seeking financial sponsors to help defray the cost of the event and make it as affordable for Stream Team volunteers as possible. We are also accepting donations of items for a raffle and silent-auction. If you would like to help support or participate in the anniversary party in anyway, please contact me at marystreamteamsunited@gmail.com or at 573-5860747.

There are several options for lodging. We have 30 lodging units held for Missouri Stream Team and these are available first-come-first-serve. The reservations require a 2-night stay, either Friday and Saturday night or Saturday and Sunday night. To reserve your lodging, call the park directly at 844-

As we begin 2019, I am making my New Year’s Stream Team resolutions to: report all my team activity reports, do more water quality monitoring at my site, and do all I can do to promote Missouri Stream Team in our wonderful state. I hope you can join us at Echo Bluff next November.

JANUARY - 2019

19

Member News

Risberg Memorial Affiliate Grants Application Period Open

T

he Risberg Memorial Affiliate Grants are awarded by the Conservation Federation of Missouri in honor of David A. Risberg. Only CFM affiliated organizations are eligible to apply. The purpose of these grants is to provide an opportunity for affiliates to take action on conservation by implementing projects funded in whole or in part through this endowment.

Projects should fit at least one of the following: 1. Provide support for implementing a conservation project.

2. Provide an opportunity for people to take action on a conservation issue or to grow the conservation movement.

3. Provide support enabling an affiliate to implement a conservation program, project or campaign to advance conservation priorities.

Grant Awards: CFM is awarding $10,000 in 2019. These grants are to support the implementation of conservation stewardship projects by affiliates within Missouri.

Grant requests for up to $2,500 will be considered. We anticipate the average grant award will be between $1,000 and $2,000. Partial funding of the amount of the grant request may be awarded by the committee.

Indicate on the application whether partial funding would be accepted.

Each funded project will be required to assemble a description of their project to be presented at the 2019 Affiliate Summit, and a poster presentation of the outcome of their project to be displayed at the 2020 CFM Annual Convention. You may or may not have a representative present to talk about your project.

Funded projects will be notified by CFM on or about March 1, 2019. Funds will be distributed upon receipt of signed agreement.

Eligible Applicants: Eligible participants include: non-profit organizations, 501(c)3 corporations, or community groups that are affiliates of CFM. Grants may be awarded to small community groups without official 501(c)3 status, but will require a fiscal agent to receive the funds.

Only proposals that take place in Missouri will be considered. Preference will be given to smaller organizations with more limited sources of alternative funding. If you are uncertain about eligibility, please contact info@confedmo.org.

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CONSERVATION FEDERATION

Important Dates: 2019 Application Period Dec. 1, 2018 - Feb. 16, 2019 February 16: Applications for grant proposals close.

All proposal materials are due. Scan and email to bbutler@confedmo.org or mail (postmarked by February 16) to 728 W. Main, Jefferson City, MO 65101.

March 1: Proposal Review Committee completes application review and makes grant awards; all applicants will be notified about grant status within two weeks thereafter.

March 15 – April 30: Checks will be mailed to recipients upon receipt of signed grant agreements.

30 days following project completion: Project report due to CFM (including any unused funds) March 2020: Grant recipients from 2019 showcase their projects at the 2020 CFM Annual Convention.

Visit ww.confedmo.org to download the 2019 CFM David Risberg Memorial Grant Application The 11 CFM Affiliates who received a share of the $10,125 distributed through the inaugural David Risberg Memorial Grants are: • Forest Re-Leaf of Missouri • Greenway Network, Inc. • Missouri Caves and Karst Conservancy • Missouri Hunting Heritage Foundation • Missouri Prairie Foundation • Missouri Trappers Association • Missouri Chapter, Walnut Council • National Wild Turkey Federation • Open Space Council for the Saint Louis Region • Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever • Wild Bird Rehabilitation, Inc.

Member News

Senate Bill Would Enhance Research and Testing to Curb Spread of Chronic Wasting Disease

J

ust days into the lame duck session, Sens. John Barrasso, Doug Jones, and Michael Bennet have introduced legislation to ramp up on research and testing for chronic wasting disease in deer, elk, and other cervids. Combined with a companion bill previously introduced in the House by Rep. Ralph Lee Abraham, the aim of the bill would be to understand as much as possible about this always-fatal disease and implement research findings as a critical component of a nationwide response to CWD. “Chronic wasting disease has negatively affected white-tailed and mule deer in Wyoming for decades,” says Sen. Barrasso. “To protect our wildlife populations and our hunters, we need to know more about how this disease is spread and which areas are most at risk. Our bill gives wildlife managers the tools they need to research and identify exactly where chronic wasting disease is most prominent and how we can better prevent it. It’s a critical first step to addressing this debilitating disease and keeping our wildlife herds healthy.”

“Passing legislation to ultimately help curb the spread of chronic wasting disease is one of our top priorities for the remaining weeks of this Congress,” says Whit Fosburgh, president and CEO of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. “Misinformation about CWD and how we should deal with it as a hunting community is almost as rampant as the disease itself, and we need definitive research to chart an ambitious path toward recovery. In the meantime, sportsmen and women are prepared to do our part, and that includes advocating for necessary funding and demanding updates to management practices that have failed our wild deer and elk herds in the past.”

The bill directs the National Academy of Sciences to conduct a study on how CWD is transmitted in wild, captive, and farmed deer in the United States. The goal would be to identify all factors that contribute to the spread of the disease and hone in on where deeper research is needed. The bill also calls for a review of the best practices and standards for managing CWD in both captive and wild deer, to result in a report of findings and recommendations.

White-tailed deer are susceptible to CWD. (Photo: Courtesy of TRCP)

“We strongly support this important legislation, which, if passed, would aid to combat a serious wildlife health issue,” says Ed Carter, president of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies and executive director of the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. “Chronic wasting disease may be one of the biggest challenges in modern wildlife conservation history, and it will take funding for the best possible science, and many other efforts, to respond swiftly and appropriately.”

The rampant spread of CWD could have a major impact on the future of deer hunting and funding for wildlife habitat conservation. More than 80 percent of the hunting public participates in deer hunting and contributes more money to conservation funding than any other type of outdoor enthusiast through the purchase of licenses and gear.

“We applaud the sponsors of this bill for recognizing that CWD is the most significant wildlife disease issue in more than 100 years,” says Brian Murphy, CEO of the Quality Deer Management Association. “It is an imminent threat to our wild deer herds, which help generate $39.5 billion in economic impact from hunters annually, supporting hundreds of thousands of jobs and serving as the backbone for conservation funding in the United States. These deer also, quite literally, provide nearly one billion wholesome meals to Americans each year. The spread of this disease must be stopped.”

JANUARY - 2019

21

PROFESSIONAL ANGLERS

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CONSERVATION FEDERATION

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OPEN DAILY | kansascityzoo.org | 816.595.1234 The Kansas City Zoo, a private, non-profit organization is operated in agreement with the Kansas City, MO Board of Parks and Recreation Commissioners, partially funded by the Zoological District in Jackson and Clay Counties in MO, and is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

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Member News

Conservation Day at the Capitol Emphasizes State’s Appreciation

C

onservation is too often taken for granted in Missouri. A lot of that has to do with how incredible our forest, fish and wildlife resources are today. But we haven’t always been so rich in natural resources. Only 80 years ago, Missouri was home to fewer than 500 deer and maybe 2,000 wild turkeys. The Ozarks had been logged bare, and many wildlife species, including elk and bear, had been completely extirpated from our landscape.

Today’s abundance of wildlife and habitat is the direct result of intensive efforts by Missourians who lived through our state’s darkest hour. And now it is our responsibility to continue their efforts of ensuring Missouri has healthy fish and wildlife populations, and adequate habitat and access to public lands on which to recreate. Hundreds of Missourians will be showing their support at Conservation Day at the Capitol on April 3.

Conservation Day at the Capitol, hosted by the Conservation Federation of Missouri, brings dedicated conservationists together in the Capitol building to support our passion for outdoor resources. Over 30 conservation organizations will have booths set up on the 3rd floor of the Capitol between the House and Senate Chambers for you to visit. The 96.7 Classic Rock radio show The Morning Shag with Shags and Trevor is broadcasting live from the event. The World Bird Sanctuary will have a live bald eagle on display that you can take a picture with.

By attending, you will have the opportunity to meet your legislators in person and tell them how much conservation and the outdoors means to you. Will you join us?

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CONSERVATION FEDERATION

Outdoor News

Stockton Lake Might Be the Best Lake You’ve Never Fished

M

issouri just might be the best freshwater fishing state in America. That’s a bold statement, I know. But really, look at what we have here. Our large rivers produce some of the biggest catfish in the country. Our Ozark rivers rival any out west in terms of beauty and fishability. Farm ponds filled with bass and brim dot our entire landscape, and our reservoirs are famous across the country.

So much of a good thing allows for a few waters to remain under the radar.

Fisheries that might be the very best water in any other state, are just one more on a long list of incredible Show-Me State fishing destinations.

One of those waters is Stockton Lake.

Stockton is an Army Corp of Engineers reservoir, surrounded by 18,000 acres of undeveloped public land.

The lake itself is 28,000 acres and it’s full of walleye, crappie, bass, white bass, and catfish. The serenity of the lake and the lack of residential development is a nice change compared to other large lakes in the Midwest.

Kris Nelson and his wife, Amanda, have recently taken Stockton by storm. Nelson is a longtime fishing guide, operating as Tandem Fly Outfitters. The Nelson’s now own Stone Creek Lodge on the shores of little-known Stockton Lake.

Stockton’s mixed bag of fish is a large part of its appeal.

Right now, walleye, crappie, bass, and white bass are beginning their migration to the backs of creeks to feed.

They’ll be gorging themselves for the next few months to prepare for the winter. Kris and his guides at Tandem Fly will chase whatever their customers prefer to fish for, but smart clients will simply ask their guide to take them after whatever is biting best on that particular day.

Brandon Butler recently fished with Tandem Fly Outfitters on Stockton Lake and put a limit of slab crappie in the boat like the one guide Kris Nelson is holding. (Photo: Courtesy of Brandon Butler)

“Fishing is great all year round on Stockton Lake, but the winter crappie and walleye fishing is second to none. The highest concentration of fish are caught from December to March. The walleye spawn starts in midFebruary and runs to the first of April. The crappie spawn starts in April and runs to the middle of May. The bass spawn starts in the first of May and runs until the first of June. Even in the dog days of summer, the crappie are abundant on main lake brush piles, and the walleye are on main lake flats with large schools of white bass nearby. So, there is no bad time to come and fish with us,” Kris Nelson.

Stone Creek Lodge is a perfect fish camp. All of the rooms have two queen beds, a bathroom, kitchenette, satellite television and wifi. The lodge has a fully stocked bait and tackle shop that has everything you may need to fish on your own. The parking lot fits up to 30 boats with a boat ramp located conveniently right behind the lodge. For your next fishing adventure, consider visiting Stockton Lake.

Brandon Butler JANUARY - 2019

29

Feature Story

Trumpter Swans Flock to Missouri for the Winter

I

f you were fortunate enough to be at Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary on January 2, 2018, you would have seen 1,375 Trumpeter Swans—a new state high-count. Trumpeter Swans, the largest native waterfowl in North America, have been increasing their winter numbers in the state every year. This is an exciting development given the doomsday predicament the species faced eight decades before.

In the early part of the 19th century Trumpeter Swans still bred in the wetlands of northern Missouri. Sometime during the 1850s overhunting ended breeding populations in Missouri and by the 1890s they were rarely seen during migration.

The last definitive record in the state from that era was collected in April of 1900 from a pond at 75th and Holmes in Kansas City. In the 1930s only 69 Trumpeter Swans existed in the lower 48 states.

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CONSERVATION FEDERATION

A remnant population at Red Rock National Wildlife Refuge in Montana was the source for reintroduction efforts of the Trumpeter Swan in the 1960s. On December 7, 1978, six Trumpeter Swans were seen at Thomas Hill Reservoir, marking their return to Missouri. After that, reintroduction programs grew, and more and more Trumpeter Swans began appearing during migration and then began to overwinter in the state once again. In the summer of 2005 the first nesting attempt in the state in more than 100 years occurred near the Livingston/Carroll county line. There was a second attempt in 2006, and in 2007 they were successful in fledging young from the nest.

The upper bill of a trumpeter swan has a straight profile, and the bill’s broad base against the eye makes the eye appear as part of the bill from a distance. (Photo: Noppadol Paothong)

Feature Story Trumpeter Swans of the interior population, because they are reintroduced and have not yet developed parental migratory traditions, typically migrate only short distances to open water. They may continue to move further south in search of open water when freezing conditions occur. Additionally they migrate as a family unit instead of flocks. They will spend almost 50% of their time feeding, and their preferred forage is sago pondweed, with muskgrass and waterweed coming in second.

Trumpeter Swans are still monitored through population counts, breeding census, and banding, often with either a neckband or a wing tag. It was just such a bird that showed up at Smithville Lake on January 13, 2018.

Iowa DNR wildlife technician Dave Hoffman holds 9M9, or one of his siblings, shortly after finding them orphaned. (Photo courtesy of Dave Hoffman)

With most of the lake frozen, a small area of open water under the bridge at Camp Branch Marina held several species of waterfowl, including 46 Trumpeter Swans. One of those was sporting a bright red neck collar with “9M9” printed on it. Information from reporting the band and contacting Iowa DNR came back with an interesting story.

Because there are so few wetlands remaining in Missouri compared to historical levels, private wetlands play an important role for overwintering and breeding Trumpeter Swans, especially since pressure from people and infrastructure can drastically reduce nesting success.

9M9 was a male, 2014 hatch year bird, found as an orphaned, young cygnet with four siblings. He was rehabilitated by the Rehabilitation Center of Minnesota and released by Iowa DNR at Viking Lake State Park on May 7, 2015. On April 19, 2016, 9M9 was reported at a wetland next to the Chariton River in Missouri. This was the first sighting of the swan since his release. A little shy of two years later he was found with his mate at Smithville Lake.

If you are lucky enough to find a banded Trumpeter Swan, or any bird with a band, including retrieved ducks, you can report your sighting online at The Bird Banding Library at https://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/ BBL/bblretrv/ or call 1-800-327-BAND. A short period of time later you will receive information on where and when your bird was banded as well as its age and a link to a certificate you can print with all the information on it.

The story doesn’t end there. He stayed at Smithville until January 24, 2018. This spring 9M9 and his mate went back to Viking Lake in southwestern Iowa and produced one egg. The female was killed by a predator, and the egg was moved to a nest near Massena, IA. 9M9 remained at Viking Lake through the summer.

Public agencies and private citizens make an enormous difference when they support the habitat these species depend upon. Citizen scientists who report banded birds contributes to the understanding of their movement and longevity, as well as best management practices for these species for the future—and the future looks bright for the Trumpeter Swan.

Each winter the number of Trumpeter Swans in Missouri grows, a testimony to the success of reintroducing a species to its historical range. Public lands such as Loess Bluffs National Wildlife Refuge, and Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary, along with large reservoirs around the state are great places to look for them.

Mary Nemececk Conservation Chair of Burroughs Audubon

JANUARY - 2019

31

Outdoor News

Fishing Lake of the Ozarks Winter Drawdown Stages

K

nowing the plans for preventing floods in the spring can improve your chances of catching wintertime bass on Lake of the Ozarks.

AmerenMissouri annually draws down lake levels during the winter to prevent flooding in the spring, so Lake of the Ozarks anglers must adapt to the falling water to catch bass.

A typical winter drawdowns usually leads to three phases that anglers must adjust to in order to keep track of bass throughout the winter and early spring.

Phase One occurs when the drawdown begins and bass move from the shallows to deeper sanctuaries.

Next comes Phase Two when the drawdown bottoms out and bass bunch up in certain holes during the dead of winter. Phase Three follows in early spring when the lake is still low and shoreline cover is high and dry, but bass have the urge to move shallower in search of warmer water.

Here’s a look at how FLW Tour pro and Lake of the Ozarks guide Casey Scanlon tracks and catches Lake of the Ozarks bass during each phase of the winter drawdown.

Phase One: The first drawdown phase on Lake of the Ozarks usually starts slowly in late November or early December and then Scanlon notices the water levels drop sharply at some point. Scanlon keys on main and secondary points where bass are feeding on larger meals for winter. “Those fish are up there eating those big (gizzard) shad,” he said.

During the early stages of the drawdown, Scanlon relies on a Luck E Strike Buzzbait or other topwater lures to catch bass chasing the gizzard shad. As the lake level continues to fall, bass start suspending on points and vertical structure on the main lake so Scanlon tempts these fish with a Luck E Strike RC STX Jerkbait or a 3/4-ounce spinnerbait that he slow rolls.

Phase Two: The guts of creeks and main lake pockets are Scanlon’s favorite targets during the bottomout stage of the winter drawdown. He finds Lake of the Ozarks bass suspending at 8 to 10 feet over a depth of 20 feet or greater and casts his lures down the middle of the guts. “In the middle of winter, I use a (suspending) jerkbait and I am also going to

32

CONSERVATION FEDERATION

Casey Scanlon finds bass in the shallows of Lake of the Ozarks during the late phase of the winter drawdown. (Photo: Courtesy of John Neporadny)

throw some kind of an Alabama rig.” He throws an Alabama rig without blades in clear water on calm, sunny days but changes to a bladed version of the rig in windy or cloudy conditions.

Phase Three: This is the trickiest phase of the drawdown since bass want to move to warmer water in the shallows, but shallow cover is sparse and cold fronts can send bass retreating back to deeper water.

Scanlon concentrates on boulders and docks in the shallows along points and bluffs in the backs of creeks. “I look for just any type of cover available on the bank and I will throw a (1/2-ounce Trophy Bass Company) jig with a big trailer to slow the fall rate down,” Scanlon said. He also throws a suspending jerkbait and a Luck E Strike G5 crankbait for bass suspended in deeper water.

For information on lodging and other facilities at the Lake of the Ozarks or to receive a free vacation guide, call the Lake of the Ozarks Convention & Visitors Bureau at 1-800-FUN-LAKE or visit the Lake of the Ozarks Convention and Visitors Bureau web site at funlake.com.

For copies of John Neporadny’s THE Lake of the Ozarks Fishing Guide call 573/365-4296 or visit www.jnoutdoors.com.

John Neporadny *Reprinted with permission from B.A.S.S. Publications.

Outdoor News

For More Trout, Try the Miracle Fly

T

he ego of a fly fisherman can be fragile. Nothing is worse than when you’re fishing near someone hammering trout while you’re struggling for a bite. When this is happening, tying on a egg pattern can be the answer.

The Miracle Fly, which is an enhanced jig head egg pattern, can be your best bet.

I first met Jeremy Hunt during a media event at Lilleys’ Landing Resort and Marina on Lake Taneycomo nearly a decade ago.

We’ve fished together numerous times since, and I credit him with my introduction to this fuzzy little miracle.

“First of all, I didn’t invent or come up with the concept of this fly, but I do like to think that I’ve turned a novelty pattern into a legitimate weapon,” Hunt said. “I was introduced to jig head eggs at Roaring River State Park by Tim’s Fly Shop. That day, I caught a rainbow over 10 pounds, my biggest ever, and I knew that there was something about this particular style of egg that appealed to large trout.”

To make sure the Roaring River experience wasn’t a fluke, Hunt took the jig head egg pattern back to his home waters of Lake Taneycomo. He fished it during low water and caught a nice brown, and the rainbows were fighting over it. He was sold from that point on.

“The Miracle Fly works so well because it stays down where the fish are. A big key to the ease of using this fly is that the hook rides up, so it will rarely hang on the bottom. Even though the Miracle Fly can help beginners catch more fish, I prefer a specialized approach when the water is lower, and I will rarely fish blind. Still, the fact that so many bites come on the fall makes it so a lot of guys will catch a few fish pretty much by accident,” Hunt said.

A Lake Taneycomo trout caught on a Miracle Fly. (Photo: Brandon Butler)

The Miracle Fly is effective when fished a number of different ways. You can blind nymph the fly and feel for strikes. You can also drift it down current under a strike indicator. What Hunt really enjoys is sight fishing to the Miracle Fly to large trout.

“I’ve seen huge browns just pick this fly right off the bottom in slack areas. I prefer to sight-fish on light to moderate flows when I can. This way, I can see the bites and get a really solid hook-set,” Hunt said Sometimes, in order to have more fun, we just need to catch some trout when we are out on the water.

The Miracle Fly offers a way to fish with confidence.

There are times when fish are very picky about what they will eat. An instinctual pattern like an egg can elicit a response from trout that would otherwise snub the most subtle of offerings.

Hunt is also an expert guide, so if you’re looking for a trip with a fella who can teach you a ton about catching trout on Taneycomo, get ahold of Hunt.

Those interested in purchasing some Miracle Flies or learning more about the materials used to tie them, should check out Hunt’s website www.flysandguides.com.

Brandon Butler JANUARY - 2019

33

Feature Story

Cover Crops Build Better Soils and Wildlife Habitat

G

o for a drive this winter or spring and you might notice something interesting on some Missouri crop fields; short green growth makes quite a contrast with brown earth and stubble found on most corn and soybean fields. In a way, you are driving back in time to the Missouri of 100 years ago, when bare earth would have been a rare sight outside of planting and harvest.

People grow cover crops for many reasons, including erosion control, nutrient management and compaction relief. Keeping soil covered does reduce erosion, cover crops can keep fertilizers in the field where they belong, and certain deep-rooted cover crops relieve soil compaction. The idea that connects all those beneficial impacts of cover crops is soil health.

Those green islands are cover crops, and they are not just throwbacks to old-school agriculture. New planting technology and a better understanding of soil health have made cover crops an excellent way to increase the value of our land, and protect it from erosion and drought. Cover crops are bringing green back to Missouri winters, and they are bringing wildlife with them.

Healthy soil has good structure that allows water to infiltrate quickly, getting water away from the surface where it can cause damaging erosion and down to where roots can use it. Healthy soil also has sufficient nutrients in a form that plants can access.

Finally, healthy soil has a thriving community of soil organisms including fungi, bacteria, and earthworms that benefit everything from soil aggregation to disease control.

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CONSERVATION FEDERATION

Feature Story Cover crops, especially when combined with notill and diverse crop rotations, improve soil health.

The benefits of improving soil health translate to increased productivity and resilience to drought, intensive rainstorms and pest problems, all of which makes for more valuable land.

Cover crops are not all about nurturing microorganisms and feeding earthworms. Many landowners are just as interested in recreational activities such as hunting as they are in crop yields. For those folks, cover crops can deliver too.

Landowners looking to boost wildlife populations often focus on managing field edges, riparian edges, and timber. That money and effort is well spent because true natural habitat is invaluable on an intensive agricultural landscape. However, since crop fields can occupy most of the land on many farms, it is important to think about how they are managed in terms of wildlife impact. There is enormous conservation value in keeping living plants in the ground all year with cover crops, transforming traditional corn and soybean fields into year-round wildlife habitat.

In fact, many economical cover crop mixes are quite similar to expensive food-plot mixes meant to grow big deer. Spring vegetation growth will provide both food for herbivores, cover from predators, and nesting habitat. Insects, including pollinators, will benefit from spring cover crop growth, which can in turn feed nesting birds and chicks that rely on an insect diet. Cereal rye, radishes, oats, and crimson clover are popular cool-season cover crops in Missouri.

Landowners and farmers looking to get into cover crops have plenty of options as to what, when, and where to plant. Cover crops can fit into almost any crop rotation system. In Missouri, where a cornsoybean rotation dominates most cropland, coolseason cover crops can offer winter cover and shelter from harsh conditions for quail, turkey, rabbits, and songbirds. Deer, turkey, and rabbits will browse cover crops in the winter.

Summer cover crops also provide nectar and pollen to predacious insects that can control pests as well as pollinators. Perhaps the most common way of incorporating summer covers is after a small grain such as wheat. However, livestock producers can make use of these cover crops as well for grazing.

Landowners, including hunting enthusiasts, should consider cover crops to improve both soils and wildlife habitat and food sources. Fortunately, in Missouri there is good technical assistance as well as financial assistance for cover crops. The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Missouri DNR, and MDC all offer incentive payments for planting cover crops. The combined support of these agencies for cover crops was over $15 million in 2018. With incentive payments and increasing adoption of cover crops, those brown fields in winter might be a rare sight one day. That is good for soil, wildlife, and conservation.

(Left) Cover crops provide food for wildlife. (Photo: Courtesy of Joe LaRose) (Bottom) Cover crops can fit into almost any crop rotation. (Photo: Courtesy of Joe LaRose)

Although the fall to spring period might be when most Missouri farmers can utilize cover crops, there are opportunities for cover crops during the summer. In fact, summer cover crops may have the most benefits for wildlife. Buckwheat, sunflower, millet, cowpeas and sorghum-sudan grass are commonly planted covers that will vigorously during the summer months, providing critical brooding habitat for birds and cover until the following spring.

Warm-season covers provide the rare opportunity to produce a variety of seeds that stay on the landscape for wildlife. Dove hunters are probably familiar with the value of sunflowers in attracting seed eating birds.

Joe LaRose and Rob Myers University of Missouri Division of Food Systems and Bioengineering JANUARY - 2019

35

Agency News

MISSOURI DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION MDC Thanks Hunters For Help With CWD Testing

T

he Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) thanks the thousands of deer hunters who participated in its mandatory CWD sampling efforts last weekend in 31 counties. Thanks to hunter participation, MDC collected more than 20,000 tissue samples last weekend from harvested deer for CWD testing.

According to MDC, mandatory sampling dramatically increases the number of tissue samples the Conservation Department can collect in a brief period of time. The increased number of samples gives MDC scientists a much better understanding of the distribution and prevalence of the disease -- where it is and how many deer may have it. It can also help find new cases in new areas.

MDC adds that opening weekend of the firearms deer season is the most popular two hunting days for most deer hunters. Hunters take about a third of our state’s total annual deer harvest during those two days. Focusing on this key weekend gives MDC the best opportunity to collect the most tissue samples during a very concentrated time period.

MDC has also collected nearly 800 tissue samples for CWD testing over the past several months through its ongoing statewide voluntary CWD sampling efforts and from road-killed and sick deer.

MDC sends test samples to an independent laboratory for testing and will report test results as they become available. Stay up to date on test results received by MDC at mdc.mo.gov/cwd under CWD in Missouri.

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MDC employees collect samples for CWD testing. (Photo: Gus Raeker)

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there have been no documented cases of CWD in humans, but it is important to prevent human exposure to CWD. As a safeguard, the CDC recommends hunters strongly consider having their harvested deer tested for CWD before eating the meat if the animal was harvested from an area where CWD has been found. The CDC also recommends not consuming an animal that tests positive for the disease. Learn more at mdc.mo.gov/ cwd under Human Health Risks.

Get Free Test Results Hunters can get free test results for their deer from both mandatory and voluntary CWD sampling online at mdc.mo.gov/CWDTestResults. Due to the volume of test samples submitted, test results will take up to four weeks from the time of submission.

Agency News

MDC Held Open Houses, Took Comments on Future Elk Hunting

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he Missouri Department of Conservation hosted public open houses in December and took comments on options for a future, limited elk-hunting season in Missouri. MDC held open houses in communities around its elk management zone in Carter, Reynolds, and Shannon counties.

• Dec. 3 at Van Buren High School Cafeteria, 202 W. College in Van Buren; • Dec. 4 at Ellington City Hall, 100 Tubbs Ave. in Ellington; and • Dec. 6 at Eminence High School Cafeteria, 17829 S. Sixth St. in Eminence.

At the open houses, MDC staff informed the public about how the Department is managing wild elk in and around its elk management zone in the Ozarks, including herd size and anticipated growth, herd health, and how MDC is working with area landowners.

MDC staff sought out public input for a limited, future elk hunting season, including season timing, season length, hunting methods, permit allocation, future landowner opportunities, and more. Staff was available to answer questions.

For more information on MDC’s elk management, hunting options, and the open houses, visit short. mdc.mo.gov/ZpQ

MDC hosted open houses in December on options for a future, limited elk-hunting season in Missouri. (Photo: Courtesy of MDC)

Once common throughout most of Missouri, elk disappeared from the state about 150 years ago due to over-hunting and habitat loss. MDC has reintroduced more than 100 free-ranging elk to a large restoration zone between Ellington and Winona in Carter, Reynolds, and Shannon counties.

The 346-square-mile elk restoration zone includes Peck Ranch and Current River conservation areas.

Learn more about elk in Missouri from MDC at nature.mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/elk.

For more information on the open houses, contact MDC Public Involvement Coordinator Michele Baumer at 573-522-4115 ext. 3350, or Michele.Baumer@mdc.mo.gov.

Learn more on MDC elk restoration and management from this MDC video at youtube.com/ watch?v=APJKVTJh7EM

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Agency News

MDC Reports November Firearms Deer Harvest Ends with 199,427

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reliminary data from the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) shows that deer hunters in Missouri harvested a near-record 199,427 deer during the November portion of fall firearms deer season, Nov. 10- 20. Of the 199,427 deer harvested, 102,930 were antlered bucks, 19,924 were button bucks, and 76,573 were does.

Top harvest counties were Franklin with 4,021 deer checked, Howell with 3,858, and Callaway with 3,695.

Last year hunters checked 192,797 deer during the 2017 November portion of firearms deer season with 100,161 being antlered bucks, 20,267 being button bucks, and 72,369 being does.

The recent-record season was 2012 with 204,668 deer harvested, including 87,368 antlered bucks, 27,143 button bucks, and 90,157 does.

For current ongoing preliminary harvest totals by season, county, and type of deer, visit the MDC website at on.mo.gov/1jjz7Ew. For harvest summaries from past years, visit on.mo. gov/2fyMaBN. MDC reported eight firearms-related hunting incidents during the November portion of firearms deer season of which three involved fatalities -- two of which occurred incidental to hunting while at hunting camps and one self-inflicted incident while in the field. Of the five non-fatal incidents, four were self-inflicted and the fifth occurred when the shooter struck a victim while swinging on game.

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Preliminary data from MDC shows that deer hunters in Missouri harvested 199,427 deer during the November portion of fall firearms deer season, Nov. 10- 20, including 102,930 antlered bucks. Top harvest counties were Franklin with 4,021 deer checked, Howell with 3,858, and Callaway with 3,695. (Photo: Courtesy of MDC)

Deer hunting in Missouri continues with archery deer hunting from Nov. 21 through Jan. 15, 2019.

The late youth portion of firearms deer season runs Nov. 23-25. The antlerless portion of firearms deer season runs Nov. 30 through Dec. 2. Lastly, the alternative methods portion will run Dec. 22 through Jan. 1, 2019. Learn more about deer hunting in Missouri at huntfish.mdc.mo.gov/hunting-trapping/ species/deer Missouri offers some of the best deer hunting in the country and deer hunting is an important part of many Missourians’ lives and family traditions. Deer hunting is also an important economic driver in Missouri and gives a $1 billion annual boost to the state and local economies.

Agency News

Spotlight on Missouri State Parks – Iliniwek Village State Historic Site

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ake a walk back in time, high above the Des Moines River’s floodplain, where the grasses sway back and forth in the wind beckoning you to Iliniwek Village State Historic Site, near Wayland.

The site is the only Illinois Indian village site found in Missouri, and thought to be occupied from about 1640 through the late 1670s. Based on Louis Jolliet and Father Jacques Marquette’s description of the number of houses they saw when they came through the area in 1673, it is believed that perhaps 8,000 people lived in the village at the site at that time.

The explorers noticed a beaten trail on the river’s edge, which led them to the village nearly six miles from the river. Of all the places visited by the Jolliet and Marquette Expedition, this is one of the few places where it is relatively certain that Jolliet and Marquette actually stood. The population of the village in 1674 was greater than that of modern day Clark County.

The Illinois Indians began abandoning Iliniwek Village about 1677. After Fort St. Louis on Starved Rock was built in 1682-1683 (near present-day Utica, Ill.), all of the Illinois Indians (except for the Michigamea) moved to be near the fort and Iliniwek Village was no longer occupied. The number of Illinois Indians continued to decline through warfare and disease. They ceded most of their land in Illinois by the Treaty of Edwardsville in 1818 and their final tract of land in 1832 as they were forced to move to present day Kansas.

Visitors to the site can walk a short trail to learn more about the village’s inhabitants and the effect settlement had on them. An old ox-bow slough, a cut-off from the Illinois River, provides a fantastic opportunity to see water fowl, animal life and other aquatic species. On this trail you can see the preserved archeological remains of where the Illiniwek people lived.

Posts have been put back into the ground to represent the size of a round house and a long house. Read the interpretive kiosks to discover common activities of their day.

With technology today, it is really easy to look online or even read a book about our past for research. The Iliniwek Village is a place worthy of contemplation and inspiration of the past and enjoy the beauty of our natural resources. It is somewhere we can go to experience history.

Come, walk where Europeans first met American Indians in present day Missouri and imagine what it was like for Jolliet and Marquette to stumble upon the Illiniwek people.

To learn more about this state historic site, visit mostateparks.com, and find the park at Highway 27 in Wayland, MO.

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BeCoMe HuNtEr cErTiFiEd OnLiNe tOdAy! Missouri adults 16 and older can complete hunter education training all online.

Flexibility to learn at your own pace Access 24/7 No in-person skills session required The all-online course includes engaging video and animation on hunter safety, firearm safety, ethics, regulations, and wildlife management.

LeArN MoRe aBoUt mDc’s hUnTeR EdUcAtIoN PrOgRaM At mDc.mO.gOv/hUnTeReDuCaTiOn

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CONSERVATION FEDERATION

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CONSERVATION FEDERATION

Road trip. We didn’t choose the perfect playlist. Or program the GPS. But we did fuel the car that made you realize there are no wrong turns, only new adventures.

When the energy you invest in life meets the energy we fuel it with, amazing journeys happen.

JANUARY - 2019

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Feature Story

Ducks of the Mississippi Delta

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he Mississippi Delta is a land of hard working people and legends. Many in this agricultural region farm thousands of acres in cotton, soybeans, wheat, corn and any productive crop that will grow in ancient top soil, multiplied from centuries of rotting vegetation over miles of flat terrain.

Nash Buckingham wrote in 1934 of sacred waters on Beaver Dam Lake in his famed collection of short stories, “De Shootinest Gent’man.” He wrote of a time when duck numbers were extraordinarily high and fewer hunters competed for fowl. Today the fabled waters Buckingham loved are still inundated with ducks that migrate from northern states and hunters still compete.

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Theophilus Nash Buckingham was born May 31, 1880 and died March 10, 1971. Buckingham was considered one of the most widely renowned and best-loved outdoor writers of his time and remains a favorite to many present-day readers. He wrote nine books and hundreds of articles that regularly appeared in magazines. So visiting Beaver Dam Lake for this outdoor writer was like a pastor visiting the Holy Land—sacred waters.

There are some differences since Buckingham’s days on the lake, notably less low vegetation. But a good stand of flooded timber makes up for the loss of flooded ground cover, especially for hunters who navigate boats in the dark, a trip once made by kerosene lantern light.

Feature Story The Beaver Dam Duck Club started in 1878 when the first members rode steamboats down the Mississippi out of Memphis and later trains to this waterfowling Mecca.

This group started just 13 years after the Civil War ended, no doubt bringing needed money to the region.

Waterfowl was thick in this isolated stretch of Mississippi River that eventually created the oxbow now known as Beaver Dam Lake over 10,000 years ago. Today the ducks and geese still return in late fall and winter while danger sleeps.

During the warm months, lethal cottonmouths, some thick as softballs and over four feet long patrol this swamp. Few alligators remain in Beaver Dam Lake, perhaps the reason why so many snakes exist. Alligators occasionally dine on the succulent meat of these very dangerous reptiles that sane humans avoid. The chills of winter press slithering threats into hibernation making duck hunting less challenging and many of us grateful.

But snakes aside, I felt a flush of excitement on January 3, 2012 by knowing we were about to hunt Buckingham’s sacred waters. We loaded into a sturdy Jon boat, our flashlights cutting through the extreme darkness to illuminate a thick stand of cypress trees filling the lake except for a path cut into the swamp.

We soon reached the blind after a five minute boat ride.

The weather-worn structure showed evidence of numerous duck hunts over past years. Carvings in the walls probably done on a slow duck day and piles of shotgun shell casings and a few duck feathers from productive days when mallards dropped in for a Mississippi Delta meal. By now it was a few minutes before legal shooting time and every hunter’s shotgun was uncased and loaded. Most of us leaned against the sturdy wall, talking in quiet voices on the chance that ducks were in the area.

Legal shooting time soon arrived and eyes surveyed the sky. Like most early morning hunts, the action started quickly as a good brace of mallards curled around from the east to take a look at our set of over 200 over-sized decoys. Several of the hunters started a series of light quacks and feeder chuckles, a less aggressive calling approach than hunters from other parts of the country use.

Mallard green heads illuminated in the early-morning sun, offered a target for each shooter. Drab-brown mallard hens are generally passed up and saved for future breeding stock.

The flock soon swung closer as someone yelled “Take em.” Six shotguns broke the Delta swamp’s silence and four ducks splashed around the decoys.

The morning ended when 30 gray ducks made a wide turn to the north and approached from the right. The colorful flock made a couple of wide turns around our perimeter and then dropped straight into a six-gun greeting. Everyone‘s steel shot found feathers and more ducks dropped, their breasts later to be wrapped in bacon and cooked on the grill. But shooting ducks is only part of this hunt for most residents and visitors. Waterfowl enthusiasts consider Beaver Dam Lake sacred waters because of Buckingham’s earlier accounts.

The following morning we hunted another blind on the other side of Buckingham’s cherished waters. Few ducks came into the set that was productive the day before, but I was introduced to a twin of “Bo-Whoops,” Buckingham’s famous double barrel Super Fox H.E. Grade shotgun that recently sold at auction for $175,000 and was generously donated to the Ducks Unlimited Museum.

Buckingham lost the famous gun in 1948 and searched for it until his death without success. The gun was left on the back of a vehicle and it fell off as they drove away to resurface years later.

“We just try to hunt like Nash did,” Lamar Boyd said. “I know he is still here with us on every hunt.” Lamar, of Tunica MS, is part owner of one end of Beaver Dam Lake where he and his son, Mike Boyd, operate Beaver Dam Hunting Services, a commercial outfitter.

Leaving the marsh after our last hunt brought on mixed emotions. Would I ever hunt this cherished lake of waterfowling history again? I felt my hero’s spirit on the hunt and when I wrote this story of his sacred waters. I only hope the old master of waterfowling lore approves!

For more information about hunting Beaver Dam Lake, contact Mike Boyd at Beaver Dam Hunting Services at (662)-363-6288. To Hunt Mississippi, check www.mdwfp. com, or for outfitters look at www.visitmississippi.org and click on outdoors. For information about Tunica, contact their visitor’s bureau at (888)-488-6422, or check their web site at TunicaMississippi.com.

Kenneth Kieser Beaver Dam Lake is a famous duck hunting destination.

(Photo: Kenneth Kieser)

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Feature Story

Taxidermy Preserves Memories 46

CONSERVATION FEDERATION

Feature Story

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he first time I stepped foot in a taxidermy studio at 12 years old, my dad and I were delivering a 6-pound largemouth bass I had recently caught. I was so excited to have that fish mounted. In my young mind, the idea of finally having a trophy on the wall was proof of my competence as an angler and meant my mentors and peers would look at me in a more esteemed light. Overtime, I learned taxidermy isn’t about ego. It’s an art used to preserve moments in time.

Today, that bass hangs on my office wall and each time I look at, I’m transported back to an occasion I’ll never forget. It was a sunny, summer day in the early 1990’s.

Three boys were fishing from a jon boat on Bass Lake.

We were at the far north end in the back of a canal built for boat docks. One old wooden dock had a sinking corner slightly submerged. I pitched a white, willow leaf spinnerbait a few feet past the likely looking spot, and can still see the flash of that fish’s side when it shot out to strike.

I hear Josh and Jonah screaming with excitement as I lipped the behemoth and lifted her into the boat. And then an old man who had been watching us fish from a few docks down, stood up clapping. To me, when I mount a fish or animal they become a token of the memory made.

A lot of hunters and anglers, and parents of young hunters and anglers have to decide if they are going mount a fish or animal or not. Even if you don’t make the decision right away, if you mount it, you need to begin caring for your trophy as soon as you put your hands on it. It’s very important to be mindful and careful with a fish or animal that may end up on your wall.

Personally, I have taken most of my work to Schwarz Studio Taxidermy in St. Louis. According to Frank Wagner, the owner and head taxidermist, Schwarz is the oldest continually operating taxidermy studio in the country, having first opened their doors in 1882. I asked Frank to give some advice on handling deer before taking them to a taxidermist.

“When you are field-dressing your deer do not slit the throat and do not cut up any further through the breast bone than between the front legs. Do not put rope around the neck of the animal to drag it. And when you do drag your buck, try and keep the shoulders on up, and try to keep from dragging it over rocks,” he said.

Brandon Butler and Nathan “Shags” McLeod pose with Larry Barton and their 2017 Missouri bucks mounted by Scenic Rivers Taxidermy in Salem.

(Photo: Courtesy of Brandon Butler)

If you take a buck you plan to mount to a meat processor, make sure you very specifically tell them you are going to mount the deer and need them to cape it for a shoulder mount. It is a really good idea to have this put in writing on your order form. I know more than one person who took a buck to processor they planned to mount, only to lose the cape because of a lack of communication. If you process your own deer, you just need to follow a few simple guidelines.

“Do not ever hang the deer you plan to take to a taxidermist by the neck. Always hang them by back legs.

When you start skinning, work down towards the head.

Once you skin it as far as you can to the base of the skull, cut through the meat and bone, leaving the skin, head, and antlers all in one piece, then get that into a plastic bag and either freeze it, or at least keep cold until you get it to a taxidermist,” Wagner said.

Taxidermy is an art. Some people collect paintings, others sculptures and some, like me, collect their memories of times on the water and afield. Like all art, you normally get what you pay for. As with a family doctor, personal accountant or regular mechanic, you can form a long and a trusted relationship a good taxidermist. That’s how I feel about working with Frank Wagner. I have also had worked completed by Scenic Rivers Taxidermy in Salem and Hazel Creek Taxidermy in Greencastle. If none of the taxidermists I recommend are in your area, check out the Missouri Taxidermist Association website (www. missouritaxidermist.org) to find a reputable taxidermist in your area.

Brandon Butler (Left) Frank Wagner of Schwarz Studio Taxidermy stands in his studio with a number of mounts he completed. (Photo: Brandon Butler)

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Feature Story

Shed the Winter Blahs by Hunting Antlers

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needed to get out of the house yesterday, so I took a brisk, 3-mile walk on trails at the Missouri Department of Conservation’s (MDC) Runge Nature Center in Jefferson City. At one point, I spied half a dozen deer. The three bucks were easy to pick out, because they were still rocking their autumn headgear. I was a little surprised that all three males still sported antlers. Missouri whitetails typically begin shedding their antlers around Jan. 1. That’s one reason why MDC moved the antlerless deer season from early January to early December several years ago. With the original timing, hunters were legally shooting quite a few bucks that had already dropped their antlers.

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Anyway, it got me thinking about hunting for shed antlers. It’s easy to slip into a cabin-fever rut this time of year, when most hunting seasons are closed.

Shed hunting can be done any time of day. You can do it on your favorite deer-hunting land or anywhere deer live, which is pretty much anywhere in the state, including suburban parks, wildlife refuges and other areas that aren’t open to hunting. You don’t need a gun or a permit. You don’t even have to be a hunter.

Feature Story The benefits of shed hunting go far beyond gathering dust-catchers for your mantle. For one thing, it’s a much more pleasant way of getting exercise than grinding out miles on a treadmill in gym that smells of moldy sneakers. The off season – when you aren’t spending every spare hour in a tree stand – is a great time to scout new hunting areas.

And shed hunting can turn up useful clues about the size and habits of bucks that survived the past hunting season.

The most basic principle of successful shed hunting is to focus your efforts in areas where deer spend the most time. Having just undergone the rigors of the rut, bucks are hungry at this time of year, so they are actively feeding. If you can find standing corn, that is an excellent place to check. So are grain bins and other places where grain gets spilled on the ground. Clover and alfalfa pastures are favorite feeding areas, too. If you planted turnips or other food plots to attract deer, be sure to include those on your rounds. Orchards and tree plantations are deer magnets as well. Be sure to thoroughly comb through sumac thickets and other brushy cover adjacent to food sources. That’s where loosening antlers are most likely to get snagged and pop off.

Next, check travel lanes between food sources, watering spots and bedding areas. Logging roads, fencerows, utility rights-of-way and streams – even dry washes – tend to funnel deer movement into predictable routes. Game trails along these landscape features often are as obvious as superhighways, and are worth checking thoroughly.

Cedar thickets are favorite spots for deer to hunker down during severe weather. Bushwhacking through them can be a challenge if you are standing up, but they are surprisingly open at ground level. Pick your way through these, pausing every 50 feet or so to get down on your hands and knees and scan the surrounding ground for sheds.

Deer also spend lots of time resting on south- and west-facing slopes at this time of year. It doesn’t seem to matter much whether these slopes are wooded, brushy or covered in prairie grass. Hillsides with this orientation receive direct sunlight, which helps deer stay warm. Their elevation allows deer to see approaching danger while they chew their cud and digest food consumed the previous night.

When checking these areas for sheds, start on one side and methodically walk parallel lines until you have scanned the whole area, watching for matted leaves or grass that indicate day beds.

February and March are the best months for shed hunting. Once antlers hit the ground, they quickly attract mice, squirrels and other rodents that gnaw on them to take advantage of the calcium and other nutrients they contain. Even deer go after shed antlers, which is an interesting example of recycling.

Nothing goes to waste in nature, and if you want intact sheds, you have to get there first.

Searching for shed antlers is similar to other types of hunting in that the more you do it, the better you become. Long-time shed hunters sometimes bring home dozens of trophies in a year. Neophytes aren’t likely to do that well, but be patient and don’t get discouraged if your initial efforts fail to pay big dividends. Half the fun of shed hunting is having an excuse to get outdoors and seeing things you would never see if you were sitting in front of the television. On my recent walk, I got to watch a flock of turkeys feeding. A pair of Cooper’s hawks entertained me with their aerial courtship, and a juvenile barred owl eyed me curiously but without apparent fear as I walked beneath its perch. Those things seem different with a breeze in your face than equivalent views on The Nature Channel.

I didn’t find any sheds on that walk. But I’ll be back next week, hoping to glimpse a one-antlered buck and turn his loss into my conversation-piece.

Jim Low Tiffany Lakosky with her Labrador and a large whitetail Shed.

(Photo: Lee Lakosky)

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Outdoor News

Lowell Mohler honored at MDC area in Holt County

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n November, the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) dedicated the 2,500-acre Lowell Mohler Wetland Unit at Bob Brown Conservation Area in Holt County. This honors Mohler’s service to conservation, including serving as a member of the Missouri Conservation Commission from 2003 to 2009.

Mohler is a farmer and a native of Oregon in Holt County. He has a record of conserving forests, fish, and wildlife and a history of building bridges between conservation and agriculture.

Mohler received the G. Andy Runge Award from the Missouri Chapter of Wildlife Society and was named Master Conservationist by the commission in 2001.

“To be able to honor Lowell Mohler by naming this wetland unit after him only further highlights his incredible contribution to conservation over the years, not only as a former conservation commissioner but also as a strong advocate for connecting conservation and agriculture to keep Missouri thriving,” said MDC Director Sara Parker Pauley.

Mohler holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Missouri’s College of Agriculture. He served as director of the Missouri Department of Agriculture.

He has also served as chief operating officer of the Missouri Farm Bureau, senior vice president and national board member of Ducks Unlimited, member of the Conservation Federation of Missouri, board member of the Missouri Conservation Heritage Foundation, Missouri State Fair Commission, and chairman of the University of Missouri School of Natural Resources Advisory Council.

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Lowell Mohler will be honored for his service to conservation when MDC dedicates the Lowell Mohler Wetland Unit at 1 p.m. on Nov. 2 at the Bob Brown Conservation Area near Forest City, Mo. The public is invited to attend. (Photo: Courtesy of MDC)

The 3,307-acre Bob Brown Conservation Area is popular with birders, hunters, wildlife watchers, and anglers. Wetlands at the area provide important habitat for waterfowl and shorebirds during fall and spring migrations. The area is in the Missouri River bottoms and is bounded by the river for three miles.

Lowland hardwood forest habitat and fields also support wildlife. Audubon Missouri has identified designated Bob Brown’s varied habitats as an Important Bird Area.

To reach the area, take Missouri 111 to Forest City.

From Forest City, take Holt County Road 290 west 2.5 miles to the area. For information about the Bob Brown Conservation Area, visit https://short.mdc. mo.gov/ZpT.

Outdoor News

Control Pests Without Collateral Damage

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n 2013, the mountain lion known as p-22 was featured on the pages of National Geographic magazine, photographed in front of the Hollywood sign high in the hills of Los Angeles. But a year later, this urban puma wasn’t looking very photogenic when biologists captured him to replace the battery in his radio collar. He appeared to have a severe case of mange.

Seth Riley, one of the National Park Service researchers tracking the cat, suspected P-22 was suffering from rodenticide poisoning after eating contaminated rodents, and blood tests confirmed it.

When these ingested rat and mouse poisons don’t kill outright, they can lead to skin diseases and other health problems, says Riley. But P-22 was lucky: He was treated and survived—not the case for most rodenticide victims.

“We have documented a ton of exposure to rodenticides in carnivores,” says Riley, including bobcats and coyotes as well as mountain lions.

Because most rodenticides are anticoagulants that interfere with blood clotting, many of the unintended targets bleed to death.

“The problem is both urban and rural, and it’s widespread,” says Beth Pratt-Bergstrom, regional executive director of the National Wildlife Federation’s California office. “It is not limited to the West Coast.” The long list of rodenticide victims includes foxes, raccoons, skunks, bald and golden eagles, American kestrels, red-tailed and Cooper’s hawks and barn, barred and great horned owls.

“Walking poison packages” Depending on the product used, rodenticides are dispensed by licensed companies or homeowners who place them inside bait boxes. Unfortunately, “the poisoned rats don’t die in the boxes,” says Philippe Thomas, a biologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada’s National Wildlife Research Centre.

Rodent-feeding barred owls are among the many unintended victims of rodenticides. (Photo: Courtesy of MDC)

Thomas has studied the poisons’ effects in wildlife ranging from fishers and martens to birds of prey.

Instead, he says, “they typically live for five to seven days and become little walking poison packages.”

“If you use rodenticides to control rats,” says NWF Naturalist David Mizejewski, “there is a fallout.” But preventive practices can eliminate nearly all rodent problems, he adds.

Kian Schulman, founder of the nonprofit Poison Free Malibu, says one critical step is to make sure your trash bins are secure. “And don’t put pet food outside, or at least no more than what will be consumed in one day,” she says. If you put out birdseed, keep the area clean.

Most important, rodent proof your home and garage.

To do it yourself, find out how at PoisonFreeMalibu. org. For help, Schulman suggests hiring a rodentexclusion company. If you use a conventional pestcontrol company, she adds, they will almost always use rodenticides.

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Outdoor News

Chronic Wasting Disease Detected in Grand Teton National Park

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he Wyoming Game and Fish Department’s Wildlife Health Laboratory has confirmed that an adult buck mule deer from Grand Teton National Park has tested positive for chronic wasting disease (CWD). The deer had been struck by a vehicle and tissue samples were collected by National Park Service personnel and submitted for testing.

Wildlife managers say that while this raises concern, the positive test result does not come as a surprise based on recent positive results for mule deer in Star Valley and Pinedale in 2017. Recent migration research has shown that some mule deer that summer in Grand Teton National Park spend winters to the east near Dubois and Cody, which have both had deer that have tested positive for CWD in recent years.

The Wyoming Game and Fish Department and Grand Teton National Park are concerned about CWD and how it may affect the future of Wyoming’s deer. The disease is fatal to deer, elk, and moose. State, federal and other agencies within the Jackson and Greater Yellowstone area are continuing to coordinate on efforts to address CWD. Intensive surveillance in the park has been ongoing since 2009. This has included sampling and testing, through a partnership with Wyoming Game and Fish Department, of deer, elk and moose found dead in the park and elk harvested through the elk reduction program.

In 2017, Wyoming Game and Fish personnel tested 3,882 samples throughout the state for CWD, a significant increase from past years, and they continue to consider new recommendations for trying to manage the disease.

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Wyoming Game and Fish has also conducted surveillance for CWD in elk in northwest Wyoming for more than two decades. Over the last two years Game and Fish has increased surveillance for CWD at the elk feedgrounds with additional personnel.

To date, no elk that visit winter feedgrounds have tested positive for the disease. However, with the discovery of CWD in Star Valley and Pinedale, Game and Fish officials believe CWD is likely to arrive in elk at feedgrounds at some point in the future.

Although chronic wasting disease has not been shown to be transmissible to humans, Game and Fish follows the human health recommendation of the Centers for Disease Control, which states that hunters should not consume any animal that is obviously ill or tests positive for CWD. To ensure that hunters and the public are informed about CWD, Game and Fish announces when CWD is found in a new hunt area. A map of CWD endemic areas is available on the Game and Fish website.

Please visit the Game and Fish website for more information on chronic wasting disease transmission and regulations on transportation and disposal of carcasses.

Outdoor News

Deer Camp Provides Lasting Memories

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y favorite weekend of the year has come and gone. The 2018 firearms opener for deer is in the books and it was a blast. Driftwood Acres deer camp 2018 consisted of my dad, cousin Derek and Nathan “Shags” McLeod. We were deep in the Ozarks and enjoyed the bounty of Missouri public land.

My dad doesn’t hunt. He came to camp just to hang out and put his incredible carpentry skills to use at the cabin. I have to admit to feeling a little guilty about his plans to work on my place while I sat in a deer stand, so when the first buck rolled by my stand at 10:15 on open morning, I took the opportunity and filled my tag with a nice nine-pointer. My freezer is again full of healthy, organic game meat, and I’ll forever have memory of a beautiful, frosty morning buck taken high upon an Ozark ridge.

With my deer hanging from the recently constructed buck pole made out of a sturdy cedar tree trunk harvested from my property, I was free to toil alongside my dad while Derek and Shags worked to fill their tags. Dad and I finished hanging the last of the cedar wall paneling and knocked out a bunch of other tasks. With the punch list completed, the interior of the cabin is really near completion. A lot of time and effort has gone into getting to this point, but with the construction all but buttoned up, I can now start tackling many of the habitat improvement tasks I have my heart set on. I can’t wait to have my food plots and bedding areas developed.

Shags hunted the same spot where he took a bruiser buck last year and had the same result. He was able to fill his tag on Sunday evening with a really unique five-point buck. The deer grew quite a bit of antler, they just didn’t branch. Coming from Oregon, Shags likes to still hunt like he did as a kid. The technique has paid off handsomely for him the past two seasons, proving one doesn’t need to sit in a treestand to be successful in the Midwest.

Nathan “Shags” McLeod with his 2018 Missouri Ozark Mountains firearms fork horn. (Photo: Brandon Butler)

On our way to camp, Shags and I stopped at Scenic Rivers Taxidermy to pick up our bucks from last year. As always, Heath and Larry produced true works of art.

Hanging two big bucks on the cabin wall the night before the opener was great motivation for the coming morning.

Although we had hoped to repeat the scenario next season, which meant bagging big bucks, we ended up with smaller ones this year, but the memories and the meat we collected are certainly trophies we’ll forever cherish.

Derek hunted hard. He walked more miles in a few days than he likely has in the last few months.

Not that he isn’t normally active, I’m just saying pounded some dirt on this trip in search of a buck.

He passed some smaller ones and had a whopper within 30 yards, but was facing the wrong way when the buck blew and bounded off. He didn’t have to time to shoot and ended up not killing a deer. He was the nonetheless satisfied with his Missouri deer hunting experience. The Ozarks moved him, as the region has a way of surprising out of towners when they experience the grandeur of these middle of America mountains for the first time.

Bald Eagles were around the entire time we were in camp. Tuesday morning, I sat on my porch with binoculars for two hours and watched a pair of mature eagles and a juvenile flying up and down the creek. I drank an entire thermos of coffee. There wasn’t a single interruption. No phone calls, emails or texts. No sounds or signs of civilization. It was a deep sort of relaxation rarely experienced in today’s technological world. Only found in nature.

Brandon Butler JANUARY - 2019

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Feature Story

Hunter Civility The Hunter’s Code: Aldo Leopold stated, “Voluntary adherence to an ethical code elevates the selfrespect of the sportsman.” That famous statement on ethics in the outdoors echoes the sentiments of our first conservation minded President, Theodore Roosevelt. Both these great leaders gave their full devotion and support to the esteemed place of ethics and conservation in sportsman’s behavior. In the 21st Century youth hunters across America who have participated in Hunter Education Programs have been certified as ethical hunters. They are the hunting code standard bearers for the next generation of hunters.

These youth to my knowledge participated in possibly the only formal youth ethics training programs offered by the states.

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That’s “Lit”: Think of that in an era of bullying, protests designed to agitate, of putting self before others and getting even by shouting down any one with an opposing opinion. Now a group of young hunters in this “lit” generation have taken it on themselves to self certify in fairness. They call it fair chase in hunter education classes and in the hunting community. Of course the principle taught is fairness in the hunt.

Fairness in hunting is ethical hunting. Following all the laws and regulations that govern hunting is a given.

Respecting the rights of property owners and other hunters in the woods is necessary for the safety and well being of all those afield. Treating all wildlife and the associated habitat with respect is a commitment to sustainability of both wildlife and habitat. That’s “lit” for sure!

Feature Story Who’s “Savage”?: All the youth hunters who have successfully completed Hunter Education Certification I think are “savage” enough to transfer their knowledge of fairness into everyday practice. This “lit” generation is the one that will step forward to protect and carry the banner of fairness and individual freedom with them in the 21st Century. Civility is what they practice because they have learned it in part by being polite and courteous hunter citizens. They treat others and their environment with civility.

That’s “savage”: Think of youth that choose a course of action for respect of the law and freedom of others. Youth that are smart enough and possess the moral courage to do the right thing even deep in the wilderness out of sight of the world. Youth that know doing the right thing is the only way to true freedom and self respect. Ethical choices may not be easy but that is the exact reason they are great character builders.

Poachers Are “Sketch”: These youth hunters know that poachers are the bullies of the woods. Poachers are well known terrorists of wildlife and habitat.

Poachers will be held accountable for their poor choices and cannot escape the consequences of those outlaw decisions. Hunting rights and freedoms are lost by poor decision making poachers. Those are hunting privileges that the ethical and educated youth hunters will not have to worry about losing. Trophy hunting poachers are the worst like of “sketch” because they rob all honest hunters the opportunity for the trophies that they illegally take.

Values and Standards: Two words, honesty and integrity, come to mind when I think of the Hunter Education Program and the youth that participate.

The lasting principles of honesty and integrity are first taught in the family. So to have such great principles reinforced in Hunter Education Courses is a win-win for the young hunter as well as a caring family. Participation in wholesome family traditions like hunting and fishing and showing love and respect for each member serves to strengthen not only the family but also the community. Formal support of such necessary principles as taught in Hunter Education is indeed note worthy.

Friends and family members often attend Hunter Education Class together. The best way to have a good friend is to be one. The nice thing about true friends is they will not compromise each others standards.

Hunter Education Classes provide a platform where people who stand for keeping hunting laws and for

showing respect for self, others and wildlife meet. Here friends learn about the goals and objectives of hunting ethics. The fellowship and friendships of woodsmen ship skills and ethics development related to hunting are enhanced. In hunter education activities everyone is included by design.

Hunter Education is education at its’ best. Hands on and learn by doing are powerful methods of learning and skill development. A model of education that involves the participant in learning activities is a most viable model of learning. Education has long been recognized as an investment that brings dividends and opens the doors of opportunity that may have otherwise been closed. The principles of ethics taught in hunter education classes are easily transferred into the practice of daily ethics. Ethics as such are really not formally taught in most public schools because of political reasons. Ethics Education as taught in hunter education helps give participants the courage to do the right thing.

Hunter Education Classes emphasize service, work and self-reliance. All youth participants will be encouraged to find solutions for their own problems.

Youth will help with sustainability of wildlife and other natural resources. Safety and fairness in all of life’s activities, including hunting is taught. Many of the learning activities in hunter education classes are situational awareness decision making problem solving simulations. What would you do if when hunting with a friend your friend shot a buck but only had a doe tag? In all circumstances, the hunter educated youth will know the legal and proper way to resolve such an issue. As youth keep the laws and work with proper authorities, situations like this can be explained and dealt with. By following directions decided upon in hunter education classes the path to a clear conscience and doing the right thing is assured.

No one young or old is excluded from trials and challenges in hunting or life. But youth who have successfully completed Hunter Education Certification have additional wisdom and extra help to meet all such trials and challenges. They will be armed with an outdoor code of ethics, knowledge of wildlife codes, respect for laws, landowners and all others afield. They will be well versed in the civility of the outdoors and nature. They are the future conservationists among us.

Terry T. Clapp Hunter Education teaches hunting civility. (Photo: Courtesy of MDC)

JANUARY - 2019

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Feature Story

A Winter Day on Bennett Springs

I

once waded into ice-cold water on a January morning many years ago when most sane people were sitting next to a roaring fireplace. Bennett Springs Trout Park was deserted that day except for Dr. Andrew Cline and me, a rare occurrence that will always be one of my best days afield!

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CONSERVATION FEDERATION

Dry flies disappeared in Bennett’s swirling mix of cold water and colder air creating a fog-like mist, so we used wet flies with floats. An occasional quick dip in the water cleaned ice out of rod guides, but our rods had to frequently be submerged as ice reformed. Very little wind mixed with 19-degree air temperature reached Missouri’s popular trout park where thousands of rainbow and brown trout prowled for food morsels in crystal-clear water.

Feature Story I started stripping flyline while observing about a thousand trout in the clear water. A couple swam by my wader boots as line slipped back and forth through the air until enough fed out to make a desirable presentation.

My fly gently landed close to a big submerged rock.

I focused on the spot where my size 18 poison tung occasionally twitched in the current. I could place four of the tiny flies on my thumbnail, meaning in the water it was invisible to human eyes, but the highly visible float bounced freely in the current. A slight twitch must have made my fly more enticing as the float moved slightly sideways, sign that a trout took the bait. I raised my rod to set the hook— nothing!

That rainbow trout attacked my fly quicker than any human mind could register and I missed the hook set.

Another trout struck-- same result. The trout were just too fast that cold morning. I slipped more line out to a different spot, making sure my line was tight in the fast-moving water and waited. The next strike cropped up quick as a flash of lightening, but this time my barbless hook drove into flesh.

My six weight flyrod took a deep bend as this rainbow trout dove for the safety of rocks. I clearly had hooked a good fish, maybe over four pounds I mentally surmised while picking up line whenever possible. Finally, the trout was close and I looked down to see what might have been a pound fish that fought like a lunker in the strong current. The darned fish would not give up.

We purposely used barbless hooks to avoid injuring the trout. Catch and release is the law on Bennett Springs after October 1 and until March 1 when fishermen celebrate a new season, shoulder to shoulder and without me. But this day the place was ours.

I cautiously waded over the slick submerged rocks, finally making it to the famous concrete bridge, close to a deep drop-off. My flyrod, a six weight had been pre-rigged on the bank.

The little trout used up his allotted energy minutes later. I admired it in my net, with vivid colors of pink and salmon that rivaled most fish species for beauty. I released the fighter and was splashed with cold water by a departing tail flip.

Dr. Cline soon connected with a fine rainbow trout.

The beautiful fish barely touched net before being released to swim away and sulk on the bottom.

Later I moved to a calm pool out of the current and switched to a dry fly, a Royal Coachman with enticing red, black and white feathers that disappeared after my first light twitch. The fight lasted a few minutes before the rainbow slid into my waiting net for an easy release.

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Feature Story Dr. Cline decided to change tactics by midmorning and tied on a wet fly he had created with pheasant feathers suspended under a float. He moved downstream and soon his presentation was drifting through swift currents that carried his fly over weed beds and rocky strips.

His float slightly twitched prompting a hook set and the fight was on. The scrappy rainbow made several good lunges before giving up to his net. I watched as the veteran trout fisherman caught two more before he gave me a matching fly. My bobber soon slipped under the surface and I was enjoying another fine fight.

Our time was limited that day and we caught and released several rainbow trout each. But we would return many more days when the crowds were thin, although we have never again had the area to ourselves.

We silently drove out of the park a few minutes later after peeling off waders and securing our equipment.

The pickup heater brought our body temperatures back to normal and only thoughts remained of fishing Bennett Springs when trout were attacking our flies and we were alone.

Trout we have caught through the years from Bennett Springs are prodigies of an aggressive Missouri Department of Conservation’s fishery programs. Few states can boast of better fly fishing.

Trout are not native to Missouri, yet it was discovered that rainbow and brown trout could survive in natural streams scattered throughout the state’s southern end. Bennett Springs’ trout are stocked from the state hatchery located in the park. Fishermen annually catch more than 400 rainbow and brown trout that weigh three pounds or more. Both species occasionally are caught over seven pounds on exceptionally light tackle.

Trout have sharp eyes, so experienced anglers use one to two-pound tapered leaders. Lower, clearer water means using lighter leaders. Fly fishermen use a variety of dry and wet flies on Bennett. The most popular seem to be kapoks, carcass flies, scuds, zebra midges, soft hackles, mohair leeches, small brown nymphs, fur bugs and woolly worms with spinners.

I generally include royal coachman, black gnats, poison tung or light cahill flies with great success.

Try experimenting with flies that match each insect hatch. I often visit Weaver’s Tackle Store located about a mile from the park’s entrance. They always have excellent advice on what flies to use.

Flyrod sizes vary. Lightweight rods are more than adequate for most rainbow trout. However, many anglers use medium-weight rods, anticipating the possibility of hooking a lunker.

I advise that you dress warmly, but with lightweight garments that allow you to move in the everpresent currents. Well-insulated waders are always comfortable on Bennett, even in the summer.

Bennett Springs, located close to Lebanon, Missouri, is an excellent place to spend quality time, especially when the crowds have cleared out. Winter hours and eligible days to fish change during this off season, so make sure you contact the park for winter hours and regulations. For example, winter regulations state that the only legal days to fish are Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday. The park closes for fishing on the second Monday in February until the March 1 opener. You are always required to purchase a daily permit from the park before fishing.

For more information, call Bennett Springs: (417)532-4307 or The Department of Natural Resources for all state park information (800)-334-6946.

Kenneth Kieser (Front) Bennett Spring is a prime place to fish in the winter months. (Photo: Keith Kieser) (Top) A lone angler doesn’t miss the crowds during the catch and release season. (Photo: Keith Kieser)

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Outdoor News

How to Make Backyard Bats Feel at Home

O

ne warm muggy afternoon, we cranked open the patio umbrella and found inside four small brown bats hanging upside down, snoozing peacefully. Rudely awakened, the creatures loosened their grip, dropped down a foot or two and flew off as our human guests shrieked and beat a hasty retreat.

It was a typical reaction, given our culture’s aversion to bats, much in evidence on television shows about blood-sucking demons that abound at this time of year. But the truth is, bats are our friends—and they need our help.

Although three kinds of tropical bats do consume blood—almost entirely that of birds and cattle— most of the 47 bat species native to the United States and Canada feed on insects, including those that spread disease and decimate crops and other plants. A single little brown bat can devour from 300 to 3,000 insects a night. Three bat species—lesser long-nosed, Mexican long-tongued and greater long-nosed bats—migrate from winter homes in Mexico into Arizona, New Mexico and Texas during late spring and summer, feeding on and pollinating the blooms of agave and native cacti such as saguaro.

Eight native bats are on the federal endangered species list. Some species are declining sharply due to white-nose syndrome, an often fatal disease that since 2006 has spread from a few caves in the Northeast to 33 states and seven Canadian provinces, killing an estimated 5.7 to 6.7 million hibernating bats, says Catherine Hibbard of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. According to Bat Conservation International (BCI), the other biggest threats are habitat destruction, including the loss of mature tree roosts; shrinking water resources in the West; and the rapid expansion of wind turbines, which are estimated to kill more than 200,000 bats annually. For these reasons, says BCI’s Fran Hutchins, “anything gardeners can do to create habitat for bats is helpful.”

A lesser long-nosed bat drinks nectar from an agave flower near Tucson, Arizona. (Photo: Courtesy of Janet Marinelli)

Here are some specific actions you can take to help beleaguered bats: •

•

• • • • •

More than half of our native bats roost in tree cavities and the narrow, rough spaces between bark and wood. If a dead tree doesn’t pose a safety concern, leave it in your yard.

The next best thing is to put up a bat house for roosting and rearing baby bats, called pups. Consult the BCI or National Wildlife Federation Garden for Wildlife™ websites for bat house designs and other tips.

If you live in the Southwest, cultivate and protect the cacti needed by nectar-feeding bats.

A garden that is good for insects is good for bats, so avoid insecticides.

A pond or water feature for diurnal wildlife will nurture bats at night.

Cat attacks are one of the most common causes of bat mortality, so keep your cats indoors.

Take these steps and you’ll benefit from bats’ pest-control and pollination services while enjoying views of their evening aerial displays.

Janet Marinelli

JANUARY - 2019

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