November 2016 vol 77 no 6

CONSERVATION FEDERATION

The Voice for Missouri Outdoors NOVEMBER 2016 - VOL 77 | NO. 6

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

Building Our Federation One Event at a Time

T

he Conservation Federation of Missouri is growing fast. A lot of this success is attributed to our drastically expanded statewide events schedule.

Events benefit the Federation by raising awareness of our mission, engaging current members, generating new members, expanding our Business Alliance, raising funds and highlighting our affiliates. I cannot think of a better way to educate the public about CFM while advancing our growth, than through fun and inspiring community events.

CFM currently conducts our Annual Convention, “Explore the Outdoors” regional events, a series of sporting clay shoots, political rallies, partner events and internal meetings. We plan to add location customer events, town hall meetings, in-home fundraising dinners and more.

The CFM Annual Convention remains our hallmark event. This important three-day conference honors scholarship and award recipients, sets policy through resolutions, keynotes several speakers, gathers the Conservation Leadership Corps, strengthens committees, builds professional and personal relationships, and hosts our largest fundraising auction of the year.

In 2015, CFM launched our Explore the Outdoors series of regional events in Kansas City and St. Louis. Both events were smashing successes. We gained hundreds of new members and surpassed our budgeted expectations.

Explore the Outdoors: Columbia was added in 2016, and we proved pulling together 500 or so friends of conservation for live music on the lawn of Logboat Brewery was no problem. Many in the giant crowd were introduced to CFM for the first time that night.

Next year, we are adding Explore the Outdoors: Springfield. We hope to partner with CFM Platinum Business Alliance Member – Bass Pro Shops to host a star-studded, sold-out experience like no other. CFM needs to improve our presence in Springfield, which is quickly becoming the center of the Conservation Universe. Explore the Outdoors: Springfield will jumpstart the process.

The CFM Pull for Conservation clay shoot at River Hills in Boonville has been a 10-year stalwart event for our organization. We are now expanding the Pull Series to four more Missouri cities in partnership with another CFM Platinum Business Alliance Member - Associated Missouri Electric Cooperatives. The first such expansion was last May with the inaugural Pull for Conservation: St. Joseph. Our friends at the NW Electric Power Cooperative hosted a very successful first-time event, with over 75 shooters. They even provided an amazing fish fry. We are excited to see how big this event becomes in 2017. The Pull for Conservation: Branson is currently being planned for 2017 in partnership with White River Valley Electric Cooperative. Then we plan to add Cape Girardeau and Hannibal in subsequent years.

The annual CFM Media Event at Lilleys’ Landing continues to grow in importance. We use a few days of fishing to land an audience of media professionals who we educate about conservation and legislative issues.

Then they educate their audiences. Conservation Day at the Capitol also quickly became a big deal. Last year, at the second annual, over 30 affiliates displayed in the Rotunda of the Missouri State Capitol. We even walked a bald eagle from the World Bird Sanctuary down the floor to the Speaker’s dais while the Missouri House of Representatives was seated. It was a great moment for conservation in front of the entire House.

All of this growth has been accomplished by the dedication of incredible volunteers, backed by a hardworking staff. We want to keep moving forward; hosting bigger, better and more influential events. To manage this daunting amount of growth, CFM is hiring an Events Manager. This person will conceptualize, plan, budget, and execute events that integrate into our marketing goals and contribute directly to our mission. I am proud to say we are currently in the process of on-boarding an individual we believe will maximize the effectiveness of our events to increase awareness of our organization, grow our membership and exceed budgeted financial results. Be on the lookout for an official announcement in the near future.

Brandon Butler Executive Director, CFM

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CONTENTS

Conservation Federation November 2016 - V77 No. 6

Features

OFFICERS Ron Coleman

President

Gary Van De Velde

1st Vice President

Mossie Schallon

2nd Vice President

Richard Mendenhall Secretary Randy Washburn

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58 30

42

LA Charter Boat Assoc. Opens Door To Fishing Paradise

Venice, Louisiana needs to be on the bucket list of any dedicated angler.

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Understanding Shotgun Stocks

Refresh your understanding of gun fit to really shoot a shotgun accurately.

42

Treasurer

STAFF Brandon Butler

Executive Director & Editor

Rehan Nana

Director of Corporate Relations

Micaela Haymaker

Director of Operations

Laurie Coleman

Membership Director

Jennifer Sampsell

Education & Outreach Coordinator

Emma Kessinger

Creative Director

ABOUT THE MAGAZINE

Deer Hunting the Simple Way

Forget the latest technology to get back to the basics of deer hunting.

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Now's The Time For Missouri Mallards

Read some tips for getting those late season ducks.

54

Invasive Honeysuckle, Wildlife and You

Get rid of the invasive honeysuckle bush before it's too late.

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Wild Horses Still Roam Free Along Scenic Riverways Seeings these horses is an experience you won't soon forget.

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Four Season to Success

After four years, this hunter finally made the kill of a lifetime.

Departments 3 6 8 10

23 36

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Director’s Message Business Alliance Spotlight President's Message Member News Member Memories New Members Gear Guide Calendar Wildgame Recipe Affiliate Spotlight Agency News CONSERVATION FEDERATION

Highlights 19 20 21 28 49 60 61 62

Yeti Membership Giveaway CFM Resolution Changes Share the Harvest Updates CLC Share Experiences Cygnets At The Kansas City Zoo Book Release: Growing Up With The River Project Healing Waters Deer Breeder Lawsuit Continues

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.

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: LColeman@confedmo.org | 573-634-2322

FRONT COVER Upland Bird Hunting Copyright: JMichl

Business Alliance

Thank you to all of our Business Alliance members.

Platinum Gold

Silver

Alps OutdoorZ Bushnell Diamond Pet Foods Enbridge, Inc. Kansas City Zoo MidwayUSA Redneck Blinds Riley Chevrolet Roeslein Alternative Energy, LLC Weston Products United Country Real Estate

Burgers’ Smokehouse Custom Metal Products CZ-USA Doolittle Trailer Forrest Keeling Nursery G&W Meat & Bavarian Style Sausage Co. G3 Boats Jaguar Land Rover St. Louis Learfield Communication, Inc. Lilley’s Landing Resort & Marina Logboat Brewing

Lowe Boats Missouri Humanities Council Missouri Wildflowers Nursery Mitico National Feather-Craft Co. Pure Air Natives, Inc. SportDOG Brand Starline, Inc. Sydenstrickers Tiger Hotel

Hodgdon Powder Company, Inc. Huzzah Valley Resort Inn at Grand Glaize James T. Blair IV

Missouri Wine & Grape Board NW Electric Power Cooperative, Inc. Sierra Bullets, LLC Walter Knoll Florist

General Printing Service Greenbrier Wetland Services Grundy Electric Cooperative, Inc. HMI Fireplace Spot Hulett Heating & Air Conditioning J&B Outdoors Kansas City Parks and Recreation Kleinschmidt’s Western Store Lewis County Rural Electric Cooperative Meramec Bison Farm, LLC Midwest Mailing Service Missouri Conservation Pioneers Missouri Credit Union

Missouri Deer Classic Missouri Teardrops MTAR Platte-Clay Electric Cooperative, Inc. REMAX Boone Realty Shade Tree Service, Inc. St. Joseph Harley Davidson Tabor Plastics Company Tanks Pawn & Gun Truman’s Bar & Grill United Electric Cooperative, Inc. White River Valley Electric Cooperative

Bronze Association of Missouri Electric Coop.

Black Widow Custom Bows, Inc. Drury Hotels Gray Manufacturing Company, Inc.

Iron 3 Creeks Outdoor Group Advantage Metals Recycling Bass Pro Shops (Independence) Blue Ridge Bank and Trust Blue Springs School District Blue Springs Park and Recreation Bob McCosh Chevrolet Buick GMC Brown Printing Cap America Central Bank Columbia Daily Tribune Dickerson Park Zoo Farmer’s Co-op Elevator Association

Learn how your business can benefit from supporting conservation by contacting Rehan Nana at 573-634-2322 or RNana@confedmo.org.

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Business Alliance

Powering Conservation

For more than 80 years, CFM has been known as “The Voice for Missouri’s Outdoors.”

From hunters to hikers, birders to mountain bikers, outdoor novices to outdoor veterans, CFM provides a platform for a diverse group of individuals and businesses to have their conservation voice heard.

A

s we move into the 21st century, energy and the wise use of energy resources will become increasingly important conservation topics for Missouri citizens. CFM is proud to work with companies across Missouri and the United States who provide energy to citizens and support CFM and national conservation efforts. In this issue of the Business Alliance Spotlight, we want to present the conservation voice of our energy partners and showcase what they are accomplishing to protect Missouri’s outdoors and further conservation across the nation.

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CONSERVATION FEDERATION

Roeslein Alternative Energy Gold Business Alliance Supporter Roeslein Alternative Energy (RAE) is the owner, operator and developer of renewable energy production facilities that convert agricultural and industrial wastes, along with biomass feedstocks to renewable natural gas and sustainable co-products.

RAE engages in these business operations with a focus on incorporating native prairie restoration.

Business Alliance RAE’s goal is to restore 30 million acres of grasslands on marginal land throughout the Midwest region within the next 30 years, and use this as a model to restore hundreds of millions of acres of grassland around the globe. They call it their 30-30 program.

Together, RAE believes we can solve the problems of a growing population’s needs for energy, food, clean water, clean air, and a biome that includes wildlife with a diversity of plant and animal life important to our quality of life. Together we can turn problems into opportunities for our future generations. Visit Roeslein at www.roesleinae.com for more information.

Enbridge Energy Gold Business Alliance Supporter Enbridge Energy Partners, L.P., operates the world’s longest crude oil pipeline network. And as part of its long-term focus on sustainable resource development, Enbridge also invests significantly in programs that promote environmental stewardship, conservation and education.

In February 2015, Enbridge launched its Ecofootprint Grant Program, administered in partnership with Minnesota’s Resource Conservation and Development Councils. The three-year Ecofootprint program provides up to $1 million in funding per year for grassroots environmental restoration and improvement efforts in the Minnesota, North Dakota and Wisconsin communities crossed by its Sandpiper and Line 3 Replacement projects.

“The common thread among all of these projects is that they’re locally driven,” says John Beckwith, executive director of the MARC&D. “They’re projects that come to us from local people, at the grassroots— and that’s exactly why we were so excited about this Ecofootprint Grant Program with Enbridge.”

In February 2015, Enbridge also became the first corporate partner for the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s (NFWF) Refuge Friends grant program— which offers funding to volunteer groups that play a key role in conserving natural resources identified for protection by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Enbridge has earmarked its annual $125,000 investment in the grant program for Friends groups near the company’s projects and operations in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Texas, and Oklahoma.

Missouri Electric Cooperatives Platinum Business Alliance Supporter When one of Missouri’s electric cooperatives ran into a roadblock over a transmission line, the Conservation Federation of Missouri helped the Missouri Electric Cooperatives work through the issue.

The result was an agreement that let the cooperative build its power line while at the same time providing new habitat for an endangered bat species. That was the beginnings of a beneficial partnership between Missouri’s electric cooperatives and the state’s conservation organizations.

The most recent group project is a wildflower demonstration plot at its headquarters in Jefferson City. The effort transformed a hillside of fescue into a beautiful wildflower plot that in its first summer fed a huge number of migrating monarchs — and educated the public on the need for more of these plantings.

Its conservation efforts continue, through reclaimed mine land that is now home to wildlife and hacking towers for peregrine falcons at our power plants.

Missouri Electric Cooperatives know conservation is important, but a spinoff from helping wildlife comes in the support of rural communities through increased tourism, hunting and fishing.

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President’s Message

AMENDMENT #1 A True Conservation Collaborative

L

ikely by the time you read this article you and others have already cast your vote in the November 8, 2016 general election in favor of renewing the onetenth-cent sales tax for state parks, soil and water conservation. I am so optimistic that this statewide funding measure will pass that I am writing this article well in advance of the November election.

I am of course hanging my hat on the fact that the amendment has garnered the support of the voting public by a respectable margin of success three times after first being established in 1984. In 1988, 1996 and 2006 Missourians went to the polls and expressed their firm interest in protecting and enhancing our soil, water and state park programs.

During my long tenure of four decades of involvement with the passage of this focused statewide tax initiative I have gained a great deal of respect for the leadership engaged in promoting its many merits to the people of Missouri.

The Citizens Committee for Soil, Water and State Parks, is a true conservation collaborative made up of many outstanding leaders from the agriculture, conservation, parks and water resources community of our state. Each entity contributes time, resources and funding for months in advance of the election date to educate the public about the value and benefits of renewing the tax.

Seldom with the exception of Amendment #1 do groups such as farmers, sportsmen, conservationists and the outdoor recreation community pull together in such a collaborative fashion for the good of our state. Imagine what we could achieve if other such partnerships emerged to keep good things going in Missouri.

Regardless of the outcome of the November 8th vote, The Conservation Federation of Missouri (CFM) is pleased to have been a true collaborative partner in recognizing a good thing for Missouri. We can all now hopefully celebrate and enjoy another ten years of funding for good soil practices, healthy waters and quality state parks.

Yours in Conservation, Ron Coleman President, CFM

ABOUT AMENDMENT 1 The parks, soils and water tax was created through a constitutional amendment and earmarked specifically for the state park system and efforts to stop soil erosion.

The tax was first approved by voters in 1984, and has since been reapproved by voters three times in 1988, 1996 and 2006.

Two-thirds of voters approved the tax the last three times, showing how much Missouri voters support their state park system.

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CONSERVATION FEDERATION

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Member News

Member Memories

(Top) Submitted

by Kenneth L. Kieser: Steve Matt shows off a large mouth bass caught on a tipped Roadrunner.

(Top) Submitted by Jim Kent: A large moose among the cattails in Algonquin Provincial Park.

(Left) Submitted by Rudi Roeslein: A great hunt in Arizona resulted in my first elk with a bow.

(Right) Submitted by Steve Nagle: CFM President Ron Coleman and CFM Board Member Steve Nagle ask you to vote YES on Amendment 1.

Share your photos on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter and they could be published in the next issue!

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CONSERVATION FEDERATION

ConFedMo

Member News

WELCOME NEW CFM MEMBERS Andrea & John Balkenbush, Jefferson City

Thomas Palitzsch, Saint Charles

Arthur Brandon, Macon

Ronald Raglin, Saint Louis

Earl Carrow, Festus

Pat Roll, Fayette

Gerald & Shirley Clary, Springfield

Ed Twehous, Jefferson City

Ann Holland, Jefferson City

Dick vanBenschoten, Kansas City

Herbert Huebner, Saint Louis

Leo Waltemade, Saint Albans

Lynn McClamroch, Kirksville

James Whitten, Platte City

Stanley Mehrhoff, Prairie Home

CFM would like to thank the 293 members that renewed since our last publication.

Matt Miles, Fordland Janet Neale, El Dorado Springs

Why I Became A CFM Life Member: Denny Coleman

I

started hunting and fishing with my grandfather and my father when I was six years old. We lived in the city of St. Louis in a small house with a postage stamp sized, asphalt back yard so any chance I had to go out to the “country” with my family felt like a slice of heaven. It still does! My wife, Bonnie, and I own a farm in Franklin County with our good friends Mike and Emily Grady. And it provides the same wonderful escape into nature that I experienced as a young boy.

It’s just that now we have a lot more deer and turkey!

I became a life member of CFM in order to support our great organization that does so much to preserve and enhance the wonderful outdoor heritage we enjoy in Missouri. I want generations to come to be able to experience the same love of the outdoors that I have.

That’s why I support the Conservation Federation of Missouri.

&

Honorariums

Memorials

In memory of John Walther Mark Everett, Swansea, IL In memory of Michael Blackwell Holly Muns, Springfield

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CONSERVATION FEDERATION

Member News

Gear Guide GoPro HERO 5 Black This is simply the best GoPro yet. Enjoy hands-free control using simple voice commands. Preview and play back your shots, change settings and trim your footage, all on your GoPro. Durable by design, HERO5 Black is waterproof to 33 feet without a housing. A single press of the shutter button powers the camera and starts recording automatically. HERO5 Black can capture stunningly smooth video handheld, mounted to your favorite gear and more. With an optional subscription, HERO5 Black can auto upload photos and videos directly to the cloud for easy viewing, editing and sharing on the go. www.gopro.com

Stanley Classic Vacuum Growler Rising to the call for cold, fresh beer, the 64oz Classic Vacuum Growler lets you transport your favorite brew in fully functional and iconic style. Take control with a rugged handle for easy carry and pouring. The wide mouth allows for quick filling, sharing and cleaning. An audible ‘pop’ when you open this bad boy is a sure sign your beer is still carbonated. It ain’t Grandad’s old vacuum bottle, but he’ll raise his pint in admiration. www.stanley-pmi.com

Clean-Trek Outdoor Enthusiast Odor Eliminators Outdoor adventures into the backcountry don't have to be accompanied by odors from gear and clothing when you use the new Clean Trek line. Outdoor enthusiasts can eliminate odors from their body, technical gear, clothing, tent or RV with quick and easy Clean Trek odor eliminating products.

Clean Trek is formulated to eliminate odors at the source and inhibit growth of future odors. Once odors are neutralized, all that remains is the pleasantly light Mountain Moss scent. Products include: Foaming Hand Cleanser, Body Wipes, Body Towels, Pocket-Sized Spray and 2-N-1 Shampoo/Conditioner. www.cleantrek.com

ArcticShield Insulated Kennel Covers ArcticShield Insulated Kennel Covers feature an aluminized polypropylene core layer in the fabric system that retains more than 90% of a dog’s escaping heat in the kennel. Simultaneously, it deflects cold outside air to keep dogs warmer. The fabric system is a wind and rain barrier, which is critical when transporting dogs. It features top carry handles and heavy-duty D-rings for tying down kennels.

Take-up straps ensure a tight, custom fit and minimize wind flap. Side windows and main doors are zippered and can roll up and be secured. The open bottom is hemmed with an elastic cord to prevent heat loss. Keep your hunting buddy warm, with ArcticShield Insulated Kennel Covers. www.onyxoutdoor.com/arcticshield

Compass360 Ledges Breathable Chest Wader The LEDGES Breathable Wader is one of the most functional and value driven waders in the U.S. market today.

It's constructed with tough, durable 4-ply Nylon upper and 6-ply nylon knee and shin inserts. The LEDGES offers a reinforced front legging design and functional 3-pocket storage. The LEDGES has attached Duraspan nylon gravel guards over 100% Chloroprene booties. The fully adjustable elastic suspenders has quick release buckles and a web wading belt with quick release buckle that are super convenient. The 2-N-1 nylon B.A.P. (Big Ass Pocket) chest storage system with fleece lined hand-warming pocket is a game changer. www.compass360gear.com

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Member News

CALENDAR UPCOMING AFFILIATE EVENTS AUDUBON SOCIETY OF MISSOURI DEC 12: CBC, Big Oak Tree State Park BURROUGHS AUDUBON SOCIETY OF GREATER KANSAS CITY NOV 2: Winter Birds Program, Burroughs Nature Center and Bird Sanctuary, Blue Springs (10am) NOV 4: Winter Bird Gardening Program, Burroughs Nature Center and Bird Sanctuary, Blue Springs (10am) NOV 5: Bird Banding, Burroughs Nature Center and Bird Sanctuary, Blue Springs (10am) NOV 10: Winter Birds Program, Burroughs Nature Center and Bird Sanctuary, Blue Springs (10am) NOV 12: Winter Bird Gardening Program, Burroughs Nature Center and Bird Sanctuary, Blue Springs (10am) NOV 15: Native Bees, Anita B. Gorman Discovery Center, Kansas City (6:45pm) DEC 3: Bird Banding, Burroughs Nature Center and Bird Sanctuary, Blue Springs (10am) GATEWAY CHAPTER OF TROUT UNLIMITED DEC 7: Driftless Angler Fly Shop Owner & Guide Mat Wagner, Mike Duffy's, Kirkwood (6:30 - 8pm) GREENWAY NETWORK NOV 7: Board Meeting, St. Peters (7 - 9pm) DEC 5: Board Meeting, St. Peters (7 - 9pm) MID MISSOURI TROUT UNLIMITED NOV 4-6: Ozark Council Annual Meeting, Gaston's Resort - Lakeview, AR

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CONSERVATION FEDERATION

MISSISSIPPI VALLEY DUCK HUNTERS ASSOCIATION NOV 9: Election of Officers NOV 9: Monthly Meeting, American Legion Hall, Brentwood (7:30pm) DEC 14: Installation of Officers DEC 14: Annual Christmas Party DEC 14: Monthly Meeting, American Legion Hall, Brentwood (7:30pm) MISSOURI BOW HUNTERS ASSOC. NOV 5: Youth Jamboree, Raytown DEC 9-11: Midwest Open Pro/Am, Bloomington, IL MISSOURI DUCKS UNLIMITED NOV 3: Davis Creek Annual Banquet and Fundraiser, American Legion, Sweet Springs (6 - 10pm); Doug Haesemeyer (660) 202-3440 NOV 5: Two River Suzies Ladies Dinner, Spazio's Westport, St. Louis (6:30 - 10pm); Jane Bell (314) 570-1040 NOV 5: Golden Valley Membership Banquet, Benson Convention and Expo Center, Clinton (5:30 - 10pm); Trevor Hickman (660) 221-0417 NOV 19: Dinner, Elks Lodge, Louisiana (5:30 - 9pm); Debbie Adams (573) 795-7500 MISSOURI FOREST PRODUCTS ASSOC. NOV 10: Missouri Forest Foundation, Jefferson City NOV 10: Missouri Forest Services Corp, Jefferson City NOV 10: Executive Committee Meeting, Jefferson City DEC 9: Board of Directors Meeting, Jefferson City

MISSOURI HUNTING HERITAGE FEDERATION NOV 10: Gentlemen's Wild Game Dinner, Affare Restaurant, Kansas City (6:30pm) DEC 9-11: Youth Hunter Education Clinic - Waterfowl Hunt MISSOURI NATIONAL WILD TURKEY FEDERATION DEC 3: Wheelin' Sportsman's Event, Lairmore Farms, Owensville; Kyle Lairmore (573) 437-8899 DEC 30: Yeti Tumbler Raffle; Larry Neal (314) 334-4942 MISSOURI PARKS AND RECREATION ASSOCIATION NOV 3: Northeast Region Maintenance Conference, Activity and Recreation Center, Columbia NOV 8-10: Certified Playground Safety Inspectors Course, Community Center, Liberty NOV 14: Southeast Region Mini Conference, The Lodge Des Peres, St. Louis DEC 7: Southwest Region Meeting DEC 9: Board of Directors Meeting, MPRA Office, Jefferson City (10am) MISSOURI PARKS ASSOCIATION NOV 3: Northeast Region Maintenance Conference, Activity and Recreation Center, Columbia NOV 8-10: Certified Playground Safety Inspectors Course, Community Center, Liberty NOV 14: Southeast Region Mini Conference, The Lodge Des Peres, Saint Louis DEC 7: Southwest Region Meeting DEC 9: Board of Directors Meeting, MPRA Office, Jefferson City (10am)

Member News MISSOURI PRAIRIE FOUNDATION NOV 2: Grow Native! Professional Member Conference, University of Missouri - General Services Building, Columbia (9am - 4pm) NOV 5: Dining Wild Event, Lincoln University - Scruggs University Center, Jefferson City (2 - 9pm) NOV 11: John Cleaveland Missouri Prairie Painting Exhibit, Missouri Botanical Garden - Monsanto Hall, St. Louis DEC 1: Youth Quail Hunt DEC 10: Birds of Prey Workshop, Prairie State Park, Mindenmines (1 - 3pm) MISSOURI RIVER BIRD OBSERVATORY OCT 24-NOV 4: Northern Saw-whet Owl Banding Demonstrations, Arrow Rock State Historic Site NOV 11: Images of Hope: Birds of Missouri - Fundraising Dinner and Photography Contest, Feasts of Fancy at the Hobbs Building, Kansas City (6:30 -11pm)

DEC 10: Club Fishing Excursion, Eleven Point River KANSAS CITY NOV 25: Meeting/Christmas Party SAINT LOUIS DEC 3: Christmas Party/Fish for Fun, Montauk State Park MISSOURI WHITETAILS UNLIMITED NOV 19: Chapter Banquet, Community Center, Milan DEC 3: Moniteau County Sportsman's Banquet, Community Center, Jamestown OPEN SPACE COUNCIL NOV 5: Woodland Restoration, Sunset Hills (9am - 12pm) NOV 12: Woodland Restoration, Sunset Hills (9am - 12pm)

MISSOURI SMALLMOUTH ASSOC. NOV 15: Monthly Meeting, American Legion, Brentwood (7 - 9pm) DEC 20: Monthly Meeting, American Legion, Brentwood (7 - 9pm)

OZARK FLY FISHERS NOV 7: Board Meeting, Saint Basil the Great Orthodox, Des Peres (7 - 9pm) NOV 10-13: Catch and Release Outing, Bennett Spring State Park, Lebanon DEC 8: Fly Swap and Tying Meeting, Edgar M. Queeny County Park, Ballwin (7 - 9pm)

MISSOURI TROUT FISHERMEN'S ASSOCIATION (SPRINGFIELD) SPRINGFIELD NOV 3: Monthly Meeting, Conservation Nature Center, Springfield (6 - 9pm) NOV 5: Fishing Adventure, Jolly Mill/ Capp Creek Conservation Area NOV 12: Club Fishing Excursion, North Fork of the White River NOV 18: Fishing Adventure, Roaring River State Park DEC 1: Monthly Meeting/Christmas Party, Springfield (5:30 - 8pm) DEC 3: State Council Meeting, Montauk State Park, Salem (6 - 8pm)

OZARK WILDERNESS WATERWAYS CLUB NOV 12: Potluck Dinner, Swope Park, Kansas City (6:30 - 7:30pm) NOV 12: Business Meeting, Swope Park, Kansas City (7:30 - 9pm) DEC 3: Lawrence Horse Drawn Christmas Parade, Lawrence, KS (11am - 12pm) DEC 10: Decorate the Dining Hall/ Breakfast, Swope Park, Kansas City (9 - 11am) DEC 10: Potluck Dinner, Swope Park, Kansas City (6:30 - 7:30pm) DEC 10: Business Meeting, Swope Park, Kansas City (7:30 - 9pm)

PHEASANTS FOREVER/QUAIL FOREVER DEC 16: Mid-MO Young Guns, County Park, Macon (5pm); Keith Carter (660) 651- 3811 POMME DE TERRE CHAPTER MUSKIES, INC NOV 7: Dinner and Nominations Meeting, Pomme de Terre Lake; George Donner (816) 678-1623 NOV 12: Region 4 Annual Meeting, Springfield, IL; Earle Hammond (417) 993-0035 DEC 3: Annual Planning Meeting, Masonic Hall, Pomme de Terre Lake (10am); George Donner (816) 678-1623 ST. LOUIS AUDUBON SOCIETY NOV 3: Birding Basics: Warbler Preview, Forest Park, St. Louis (5 - 6:30pm) NOV 4: Community Stewardship Project, Creve Coeur Lakehouse, St. Louis (9am - 12pm) NOV 5: Riverlands Bird Sanctuary (8am - 12pm) NOV 5: Beginner Bird Walk, Forest Park, Saint Louis (8:15 - 10:30am) NOV 19: Riverlands Bird Sanctuary (8am - 12pm) NOV 19: Beginner Bird Walk, Creve Coeur Lakehouse, St. Louis (8 - 10am) NOV 20: Fall Gaggle, Creve Coeur Lakehouse, St. Louis (2 - 5pm) DEC 3: Beginner Bird Walk, Forest Park, St. Louis (8:15 - 10:30am) DEC 10: Riverlands Bird Sanctuary (8am - 12pm) DEC 17: Beginner Bird Walk, Creve Coeur Lakehouse, St. Louis (8 - 10am) CFM EVENTS DEC 3: Board Meeting, Runge Nature Center, Jefferson City MAR 10-12: Annual Convention, Capitol Plaza Hotel, Jefferson City

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As the first Cabela’s in Missouri, we pulled out all the stops to bring a serious outdoor experience to the Show-Me-State.

The Hazelwood Cabela’s store was built to not only surround customers with quality outdoor products, but to engage them with lifelike taxidermy, local fish swimming in the aquarium and an indoor archery test area.

5555 St. Louis Mills Blvd. Ste. #167 Hazelwood, MO 63042

(314) 225-0100

Located just off I-270, north of I-70 (Exit 22B, Hwy. 370), the impressive 130,000-sq.-ft. retail showroom is packed with outdoor equipment. Whether you’re visiting the St. Louis Arch, exploring the wilds of the Ozarks or just stocking up on gear, our experienced Outfitters are ready and waiting to help you get the most out of your next adventure.

STAY UP TO DATE ON ALL UPCOMING STORE EVENTS AT CABELAS.COM/HAZELWOOD 16

CONSERVATION FEDERATION

Wildgame Recipe

Weston Recipe: Wild Turkey Meatloaf There are two things you should never settle for: dry meatloaf and dry turkey. Turkey season always finds us looking for ways to make a moist, tender dish from our harvest. This little slow cooker trick of ours makes just about any meatloaf exceptional, even wild turkey meatloaf. The butter also helps...Makes 6-8 sandwiches.

Meatloaf Ingredients: 2 lbs wild turkey (any cut) 3 garlic cloves, minced 1/2 white onion (minced) handful fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped Bourbon Molasses BBQ Sauce: 1/2 cup molasses 2 oz tomato paste 1/8 cup Worcestershire sauce

1 egg 2 tablespoon Weston Mesquite Seasoning 1 tablespoon butter (softened) 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1/8 cup apple cider vinegar 1 tablespoon bourbon (We like Maker's Mark) 1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce

Directions: 1. Use a Meat Grinder to grind the turkey through a coarse (7mm or so) plate. Mix in the remaining meatloaf ingredients.

Chop the parsley and mince the onions and garlic.

2. Butter the bottom and sides of the Slow Cooker crock.

Pack the ground meat mixture into the crock tightly.

3. Cook on low for 3 hours. The turkey is ready when a thermometer inserted into the center of the meatloaf reads 165ยบF. 4. Preheat your Smoker to 200ยบF. While the meatloaf cooks, prepare the sauce by whisking together the ingredients.

5. Slather the sauce onto a sheet of foil, then smoke the sauce at 200ยบF for 1 hour.

6. Slice and brown meatloaf.

7. Assemble the sandwiches by placing the meatloaf into a hoagie roll with a couple of slices of bacon.

Don't forget your Weston tools: Weston Meat Grinder, Weston Slow Cooker, Weston Smoker

NOVEMBER - 2016

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Member News

Harry Bozoian named Director of the Department of Natural Resources

G

ov. Jay Nixon appointed longtime state environment and agriculture attorney Harry Bozoian as the Director of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources effective October 7.

Bozoian was a senior policy advisor to the Governor and previously the deputy chief of staff for the Governor’s Office. He also has served as the lead official for the State of Missouri on issues concerning the Mississippi and Missouri rivers.

Prior to his positions with the Governor’s Office, he was Deputy Director for the Missouri Department of Agriculture and served as Acting Director of the department in 2013.

In 2012, the Governor appointed Bozoian to lead the Drought Assistance Program through the Soil and Water Conservation Program, which provided vital relief to Missouri's livestock and crop production industry.

During the historic 2011 flood, Gov. Nixon appointed Bozoian to assist farmers and levee districts in the rehabilitation of their farms and levees. For his work, Bozoian received the Outstanding Service and Assistance Award from the Missouri Levee and Drainage District Association. From 1993 to 2008, he was an assistant attorney general in the Agriculture and Environment Division for then-Attorney General Nixon.

Bozoian operates and manages a 536-acre row crop and hay farm in Monroe County, as well as an 80-acre farm in Chariton County.

State of Ownership for Magazines

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CONSERVATION FEDERATION

CFM'S HISTORY OF SUCCESS ϭϵϯϱ

Member News

ŽŶƐĞƌǀĂƟŽŶ &ĞĚĞƌĂƟŽŶ ŽĨ DŝƐƐŽƵƌŝ formed at the Tiger Hotel.

Join CFM41936 for Three Years and Amendment created DŝƐƐŽƵƌŝΖƐ ŶŽŶͲƉŽůŝƟĐĂů we’ll give you a FREE CFM Yeti Rambler ŽŶƐĞƌǀĂƟŽŶ ŽŵŵŝƐƐŝŽŶ͘

F

or a limited time, the Conservation Federation 1960 of Missouri (CFM) is offering a three-year &ŝƌƐƚ ƚƵƌŬĞLJ ƐĞĂƐŽŶ ŝŶ Ϯϯ LJĞĂƌƐ͘ membership for $100 that includes a stainless steel 20 oz.

CFM Yeti Rambler.

&ŝƌƐƚ ĚĞĞƌ ƐĞĂƐŽŶ ŝŶ ϳ LJĞĂƌƐ͘

Our members are hunters, fishermen, foresters, campers, trappers, hikers, paddlers, birdwatchers, gardeners and general outdoor enthusiasts. Anyone who 1976 appreciates Missouri's natural ĞƐŝŐŶ ĨŽƌ ŽŶƐĞƌǀĂƟŽŶ ^ĂůĞƐ dĂdž ƉĂƐƐĞĚ͘ resources and sporting heritage benefits from the actions of CFM. We are “The Voice for Missouri's Outdoors” for1984 citizens across WĂƌŬƐ ĂŶĚ ^ŽŝůƐ the state and at the Capitol. ^ĂůĞƐ dĂdž ƉĂƐƐĞĚ͘ Become a member and know you are supporting the outdoors you cherish.

1982 The many historic achievements of KƉĞƌĂƟŽŶ 'ĂŵĞ dŚŝĞĨ ĨŽƌŵĞĚ͘ CFM have all been made possible thanks to individuals like you working together to accomplish 1990 extraordinary feats. If our future is &ŝƌƐƚ ƐĞŐŵĞŶƚ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ <ĂƚLJ dƌĂŝů to be as successful as our past, then ŽƉĞŶĞĚ ŝŶ ZŽĐŚĞƉŽƌƚ͘ we will need your help.

Please join us CFM today.

2002 Your membership includes a three ŽŶƐĞƌǀĂƟŽŶ >ĞĂĚĞƌƐŚŝƉ year subscription to our magazine ŽƌƉƐ ĨŽƌŵĞĚ͘ Conservation Federation, special member-only discounts to select businesses and invitations to CFM events throughout the year.

1940

1992

To join^ŚĂƌĞ ƚŚĞ ,ĂƌǀĞƐƚ ĨŽƌŵĞĚ͘ CFM, visit our website for easy online registration at www.confedmo.org/join, mail the 2006 below application to 728 W. Main DŝƐƐŽƵƌŝ ǀŽƚĞƌƐ ƌĞŶĞǁĞĚ ƚŚĞ WĂƌŬƐ ĂŶĚ Street, Jefferson City, MO 65101 or ^ŽŝůƐ dĂdž ďLJ ƚŚĞ ŚŝŐŚĞƐƚ ƉĞƌĐĞŶƚĂŐĞ ƚŽ ĚĂƚĞ͘ contact Laurie Coleman at 573-634-2322 ext. 107.

Today

&D ĐĞůĞďƌĂƚĞƐ ϴϬ LJĞĂƌƐ ŽĨ ƉƌŽƚĞĐƟŶŐ Missouri's natural resources.

I want to support CFM’s mission to protect Missouri’s natural resources and outdoor heritage.

EĂŵĞ͗ ____________________________________ ĚĚƌĞƐƐ͗ __________________________________

__________________________________ dĞůĞƉŚŽŶĞ͗ ________________________________ ŵĂŝů͗ ____________________________________

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ƚŚƌĞĞͲLJĞĂƌ ŵĞŵďĞƌƐŚŝƉ͗ ΨϭϬϱ Discount price: ,QFOXGHV D )5(( <HWL 5DPEOHU

ůŝĨĞ ŵĞŵďĞƌƐŚŝƉ͗ ΨϭϬϬϬ ŽŶĞ ƟŵĞ ĚŽŶĂƟŽŶ ŽĨ͗ ΨϭϬϬ $________

ŝƐĐŽǀĞƌ

MasterCard

Visa

Thank you.

zŽƵƌ ƐƵƉƉŽƌƚ ĂůůŽǁƐ ƵƐ ƚŽ ĐŽŶƟŶƵĞ ƉƌŽƚĞĐƟŶŐ DŝƐƐŽƵƌŝ͛Ɛ ŐƌĞĂƚ ŽƵƚĚŽŽƌƐ ĨŽƌ ŵĂŶLJ ŐĞŶĞƌĂƟŽŶƐ ƚŽ ĐŽŵĞ͘

&D ŝƐ Ă ϱϬϭ;ĐͿϯ ŽƌŐĂŶŝnjĂƟŽŶ ĂŶĚ ĐŽŶƚƌŝďƵƟŽŶƐ ŵĂĚĞ ƚŽ &D ĂƌĞ ĚĞĚƵĐƟďůĞ ďLJ ƚŚĞ ĚŽŶŽƌ ĂƐ ĐŚĂƌŝƚĂďůĞ ĐŽŶƚƌŝďƵƟŽŶƐ ĨŽƌ ĨĞĚĞƌĂů ƚĂdž ƉƵƌƉŽƐĞƐ͘

NOVEMBER - 2016

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Member News

Changes to CFM Resolutions Process and Timeline

C

FM has new procedures and a new timeline regarding resolutions for the annual convention.

CFM wants your ideas now for any issues or topics which you believe should be addressed at the next convention.

Because of changes, Resource Advisory Committees (RAC), formerly known as Resource Committees, will begin researching and discussing topics in advance of each convention from now on.

Members may bring important issues or topics to the attention of the Executive Director or any RAC Chair at any time during the year, but the next couple of months are an important time for you to act if you want thorough consideration at the next convention.

This new way of working on resolutions in advance will lead to most convention resolutions being “pre-filed” in the months leading up to the annual meeting. All of these pre-filed resolutions will be in draft form, until finally discussed and voted on in the usual manner at the convention. However, there will have been considerable work, background research and time devoted to each pre-filed resolution – especially by the RAC members of each committee involved in development.

New processes and timelines are as follows: • October – RACs begin advance work on the most important and timely topics • December 31 - Deadline for topics submitted to RAC Chairs to be considered for any pre-filed resolutions at annual convention.

• January - Individual RACs hold workshops with their official committee members to develop draft resolutions and the convention agenda • February 1 – Deadline for RAC pre-filed draft resolutions to be submitted to the Resolutions Committee.

• February 15 – Resolutions Committee informs RAC Chairs of the status of pre-filed draft resolutions.

• March 1 – All pre-filed draft resolutions are announced on the CFM website & compiled for convention attendees.

• Convention Saturday A.M. – RAC meetings with presentations, pre-filed resolutions discussion and voting and discussion on emergency resolutions.

• Convention Saturday P.M. – Resolutions Committee considers any emergency resolutions, and the final docket of all pre-filed resolutions that were voted to move forward out of each RAC. • Convention Sunday A.M. – Resolutions Committee presents resolutions docket for General Assembly vote by all CFM members.

Dick Wood discusses a resolutions at the Annual Convention.

(Photo: Emma Kessinger)

RESOURCE ADVISORY COMMITTEES Approved by the Executive Committee (August 16, 2016)

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Archery and Shooting Sports Committee

Grassland and Prairies Committee

Big Game, Turkey, and Furbearers Committee

Public/Private Lands Committee

Education and Outdoor Recreation Committee

Rivers, Streams, and Fisheries Committee

Environment and Ecology Committee

Upland Wildlife Committee

Forest Resources and Management Committee

Wetlands and Waterfowl Committee

CONSERVATION FEDERATION

Member News

Deer Hunters "Share the Harvest" To Help Feed Missourians in Need and Maintain Missouri's Herd

M

issouri households experiencing food insecurity and hunger has continued to increase, according to the 2016 Missouri Hunger Atlas by the University of Missouriâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Interdisciplinary Center for Food Security. Their research indicates that almost one in six individuals had inadequate access to food.

For over twenty years, Missouriâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Share the Harvest Program has helped in providing venison, a healthy protein source for families. The program is also beneficial to healthy deer herd management. Share the Harvest works with deer hunters who donate harvested deer to a certified meat processor.

The processed venison is distributed to Missourians through food pantries. The Conservation Federation of Missouri, the Missouri Department of Conservation, Federation partners, and Missouri deer hunters are committed to Missouriâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Share the Harvest Program.

Thanks to Missouri Food Banks, Missouri Department of Conservation, Bass Pro, Shelter Insurance, Walmart, MidwayUSA, Conservation Federation Affiliates, and continued generous financial support by many other partners, our program is looking forward to a great year.

Share the Harvest Program pays seventy dollars to certified meat processors toward processing of a whole deer donation. Along with local financial contributions, this often results in little or no expense to hunters for their deer donation. The hunter pays for hunting permits, equipment and fuel.

Most importantly, hunters need to legally harvest and tele-check their deer before bringing them to an authorized processor for donation. Meat processors are an essential component in the success of Share the Harvest. A list of authorized meat processors is available online through the Missouri Department of Conservation website www.mdc.mo.gov and in the current brochure of deer hunting regulations, available wherever permits are sold.

Gary Van De Velde and Earl Cannon transport donated venison to the Salvation Army in Jefferson City. (Photo: Emma Kessinger)

Make plans and preparations now to donate a deer to Share the Harvest. If not an entire deer, donation of a portion or packages is appreciated. There is a great need out there.

Usually the tons of venison our program produces lasts but a few weeks in the food pantries. Deer hunters have donated over three million pounds of venison since the program started.

Do your part to help maintain a healthy Missouri deer herd and provide venison to Missourians in need. Together we can make a difference.

Learn more by visiting the CFM website at www.confedmo.org/share-the-harvest/.

NOVEMBER - 2016

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Committed to Community & Conservation Owned by the members they serve, Missouriâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;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. Missouriâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;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.

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CONSERVATION FEDERATION

Affiliate Spotlight

Missouri Smallmouth Alliance

I

f you love chasing wild and wily smallmouth bass in our free-flowing Missouri Ozark rivers, you should consider joining the Missouri Smallmouth Alliance. Fishermen and citizen conservationists just like you started the MSA in 1992 and it is the only statewide angling organization dedicated to smallmouth bass fishing and actively working to improve the quality of Ozark stream fisheries.

MSA focuses on recreation, education, and conservation to work towards improving smallmouth bass fishing right here in the Missouri Ozarks. Did you know that it can take four to five years on average for one of our river smallies to reach Missouri’s statewide legal harvest requirement of 12 inches in length? In fact, an 18-inch bronzeback can be anywhere from eight to 10 years old and is truly a trophy worthy of being released to fight another day.

MSA volunteers post our World Class Smallmouth Bass Fishing informational signs at nearly 200 public stream access points across the Ozarks. These signs, developed with MDC, depict the slow growth rates while encouraging anglers to practice catch & release of legalsized smallies to promote better fishing in the future.

MSA Stream Team #509 works hard to clean a stream on a sunny morning.

(Photo: Courtesy of MSA)

The art on these signs was provided courtesy of renowned wildlife artist and long-time MSA member contributor Al Agnew.

MSA is an affiliate member of the Conservation Federation of Missouri and works closely with the MDC Stream Team program (we’re Stream Team #509), and other angling and conservation stakeholders on conservation and educational initiatives.

To learn more about MSA visit their website at www.missourismallmouthalliance.org.

Affiliate Organizations Anglers of Missouri, Inc. Association of Missouri Electric Cooperatives Audubon Society of Missouri Bass Slammer Tackle Big Game Hunters, Inc. Burroughs Audubon Society of Greater Kansas City Capital City Fly Fishers Chesterfield Citizens Committee for the Environment Deer Creek Sportsman's Club, Inc. Festus-Crystal City Conservation Club Forest and Woodland Association 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. Jefferson County Coon Hunters, Inc. 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 BASS Federation Nation

Missouri Bird Conservation Initiative Missouri Bow Hunters Association Missouri Chapter of the American Fisheries Society Missouri Chapter of the Wildlife Society Missouri Chapter Soil & Water Conservation Society 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 Instructors Association Missouri Hunting Heritage Federation, Inc. Missouri National Wild Turkey Federation Missouri Native Seed Association Missouri Parks & Recreation Association Missouri Parks Association Missouri Prairie Foundation Missouri River Bird Observatory Missouri Smallmouth Alliance Missouri Society of American Foresters Missouri Sport Shooting Association Missouri State Campers Association Missouri State Chapter of the Quality Deer Management Association Missouri State University Bull Shoals Field Station

Missouri Taxidermist Association Missouri Trappers Association Missouri Trout Fishermen’s Association Missouri Whitetails Unlimited Mule Deer Foundation North Side Division Conservation Federation Open Space Council of the Saint Louis Region Ozark Fly Fishers, Inc. Ozark Wilderness Waterways Club Ozarks Water Watchers Perry County Sportsman Club Pomme de Terre Chapter Muskies, Inc. Quail & Upland Wildlife Federation, Inc. Quail Forever & Pheasants Forever River Bluffs Audubon Society Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation South Side Division Conservation Federation Southwest Missouri Fly Fishers St. Louis Audubon Society Tipton Farmers & Sportsman's Club Troutbusters of Missouri United Bow Hunters of Missouri Walnut Council & Other Fine Hardwoods Wecomo Sportsman's Club Wild Elk Institute of Missouri Windsor Lake Rod & Gun Club

NOVEMBER - 2016

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The importance of your motor running well, especially in tournament fishing, is to get you there quicker. Spend more time fishing instead of more time traveling. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s why Crappie Masters supports gasoline blended with 10 percent ethanol - a fuel made from corn grown in America.

Mike Vallentine, Crappie Masters President

Get the truth about ethanol. www.mocorn.org 2014 Crappie Mag_Half Page.indd 1

Road trip. We didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;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.

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CONSERVATION FEDERATION

11/5/2014 1:00:44 PM

NOVEMBER - 2016

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CONSERVATION FEDERATION

Explore

KANSAS CITY ZOO

Over 200 acres of adventure filled with more than 1,700 animals to explore.

Travel all over the world with a trip to the Kansas City Zoo. Meet Milo!

Every visit you make to the Kansas City Zoo is a donation to conservation locally and globally.

Meet Masika!

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.

MISSOURI-BORN. MISSOURI-BASED. DIAMOND PET FOODS PROUDLY SUPPORTS ALL THOSE WHO HELP KEEP OUR STATE BEAUTIFUL.

©2016 SCHELL & KAMPETER, INC. DIAMOND, DIAMOND & DESIGN, DIAMOND NATURALS, TASTE OF THE WILD AND APPALACHIAN VALLEY ARE REGISTERED TRADEMARKS AND DIAMOND CARE AND THE TASTE OF THE WILD SEAL ARE TRADEMARKS OF SCHELL & KAMPETER, INC.

NOVEMBER - 2016

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Member News

CLC Alumni Share Experiences

T

he Conservation Leadership Corps (CLC) is a resume builder. We say this to students all of the time. It allows opportunities for them to network with state agencies and conservation organizations across the state. Internships and job prospects increase through participation in the program. Lifetime friendships are developed. These benefits, in addition to knowing that you are making a difference in conserving our natural resources and being a voice for Missouri Outdoors, are what make the CLC rewarding.

You hear it from me all the time. I think it’s time you hear it from our amazing CLC alumni. When our CLC alumni were asked to respond with their current job title and share a quote about CLC, maybe what it meant to them, or how it helped them get where they are, or the benefits from being a member of the CLC, this is what I heard:

Katherine Stockdale Brookshire is an environmental Field Engineer with Arcadis living in El Paso, Texas working on an ASARCO Smelter Remediation project. She says, “Having CLC on my resume showed employers and scholarship donors that I was serious about conservation. I wouldn’t be where I am today without having been a part of CLC.” Theresa Hyland, a CLC alumni, works on a resolution when she was a CLC member. (Photo: Emma Kessinger)

Zach Morris is a Graduate Research Assistant in Fisheries and Wildlife Science at the University of Missouri. His research is focused on improving electrofishing techniques for the collection of Flathead Catfish, Blue Catfish, and Smallmouth Bass. He is also currently serving on the Board of Directors for CFM. “I can say without a doubt that being involved in CLC helped me along my career path. Making connections and learning how to talk to and interact with professionals in the conservation field is a valuable experience that I would not have gotten otherwise. I believe that being a part of CFM is important for any student or young professional who wants to stay up to date with the issues facing natural resources in our state, and for anyone who wants to join the conversation and make a difference.”

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CONSERVATION FEDERATION

Theresa Hyland is now a Special Programs Coordinator for MDC stating “I would not be where I am now without the Conservation Leadership Corps. The years I spent as a student member helped me gain valuable networking skills, experience working with conservation professionals, and the courage to stand up for Missouri’s natural resources. Without this program I may have never learned how to network with professionals and figure out what direction I wanted to take in my career within natural resources.”

Member News Kendall Loyd said, “CLC changed my perspective of conservation. It transformed me from thinking of myself as a bystander to the political battle to knowing that I have a voice too. It supplied an avenue for me to help make our state a better place and the power to make a difference.” Loyd is now a graduate student focusing on freshwater mussels and is a Teaching Assistant and Biology Advising Counselor at Missouri State.

CLC Alumni, Jake Swafford, receives his Student Conservation Achievement Award at the annual convention in 2011.

(Photo: Jim Low)

Emily Wilbers a Laboratory and Pretreatment Supervisor at the Jefferson City wastewater treatment plant, shared this. “Being involved in CLC has taught me leadership and professional skills. I’ve made lifelong friends and connected with many professionals in the industry along the way.”

Jake Swafford 2011 CLC graduate, is currently a Farm Bill Wildlife Biologist with Pheasants Forever Inc. and Quail Forever in Missouri. In his final year of CLC he became a life member of CFM. “CLC did a lot of terrific things for me. It taught me the importance of networking and allowed me to build relationships that helped begin a career in conservation. CLC also grew my communication, public speaking, and leadership skills; all have been extremely valuable in both my work and personal life. But the best part of CLC for me was the friends I made.”

Colton Zirkle is now a graduate student at the University of Arkansas finishing his MS degree in Entomology. “Through CLC, I learned how to network and engage current issues in conservation. I used these skills most recently at the International Congress of Entomology in Florida where 7,000 scientists from 101 countries assembled and discussed global insect-related issues. Thank you CFM for cultivating these qualities in students.”

Mark Sharp is a Graduate Fellow Educator for Walking Mountains Science Center. “CLC connected me with numerous other young adults passionate about the outdoors. I made lifelong friends who are eager to learn about the vastness of the environment and seek to give back to what has granted us so much pleasure and excitement.”

Tyler Ruoff graduated from CLC in 2013 and is now a Resource Science Assistant with MDC working with the endangered pallid sturgeon. “CLC played an important role in allowing me to network with so many people from across the state that I’m still in contact with years later. CLC also gave me the opportunity to have a voice in conservation to protect the natural resources we all enjoy.”

I feel blessed to have a job that allows me to work with the current and past CLC students. My goal is to continue giving them the skills and opportunities they need to make a difference and have their voice heard. These students are dedicated, hard working and passionate about conservation. They have great futures in conservation, whether it be a job in the field or a hobby on the side. They are the future of Missouri outdoors.

Encourage youth to apply at www.confedmo.org/clc.

Jennifer Sampsell Education and Outreach Coordinator, CFM NOVEMBER - 2016

29

Federation Destinations

Louisiana Charter Boat Association Opens the Door to A Fishing Paradise

E

ven a blind squirrel finds a nut once in awhile. So it was with my first offshore fishing experience.

I had no expectations of catching an exceptional tuna fish, but when I hauled a 211-pound yellowfin over the side of Captain William Wall’s boat, I accomplished something many saltwater fishermen dream of all their lives yet never realize.

Venice, Louisiana is a fishing destination every serious angler has to add to his or her bucket list. It’s truly amazing. I have heard tales of the exceptional fishing for years, so when I finally committed to a trip there, part of me was prepared to be let down. How could a destination live up to such sensational hype? But what I ended encountering over the course of three days was hands down the greatest fishing I have ever experienced.

One day we ran 40 miles out into the Gulf of Mexico.

Our first order of business was to catch bait. We pulled up next to an enormous tanker and used little spinning rods with 10 or so tiny jigs tied on a single line. There were millions of bait fish around the tanker, so there would quickly be a half-dozen or more three to five inch fish on your line. It took no time to load the bait box.

We started chumming the water and it wasn’t long until we saw a giant shadow lurking below the swarm of fish feeding on our chum. Capt. Will quickly baited a hook and threw a live baitfish into the water.

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CONSERVATION FEDERATION

When the tuna took it, line burned off the reel so fast and the fish ran so far, I thought we’d never land it, but 45 minutes later I did. It was the hardest fight of my life.

To put in perspective how special a 211-pound yellowfin is, this fish was the second largest an accompanying captain on our boat had brought in in over 20 years of offshore fishing. The largest was only one pound bigger at 212. Catching a 200-pound plus yellowfin is like killing a free-ranging 200-inch whitetail. It’s just not going to happen for most folks, no matter how hard and how long they try. And I did it on my first trip. Everyone tells me I am ruined for life.

Aside from the best fishing I have ever experienced, I was up close and personal with dolphins swimming circles around our boat and had sharks munching our chum feet from the boat when offshore. I ate fresh seafood for dinner every night and surely gained a couple of pounds alone from the all of fried oysters.

If you want to experience some of the most incredible fishing North America offers, visit Venice, Louisiana.

To experience some of the best fishing our country has to offer, contact the Louisiana Charter Boat Association at 225-421-9130 or on the web at www.lasaltwater.com.

Brandon Butler On Behalf of Louisiana Charter Boat Association

Federation Destinations

Make Plans to Visit These Incredible Outdoor Destinations Looking for your next family vacation, quiet fishing trip, thrilling hunting experience or outdoor adventure? We encourage you to consider one of the following destinations.

Take the short drive

TO AWESOME.

Greers Ferry Lake

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Head SOUTH for the fishing adventure of a lifetime!

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Traverse City has the best smallmouth bass fishing on the planet!â&#x20AC;?

- Kevin and Jonathan VanDam Professional Bass Fishermen

ff Capt. Chris No

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rman

she sional Guide-Fi singer, Profes

150+ inland lakes | rivers & streams Lake Michigan charters microbreweries | wineries | distilleries great restaurants | casinos | golf variety of lodging

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Interested in promoting your business or destination? Contact the CFM office at 573-634-2322 to learn more about our Federation Destinations.

NOVEMBER - 2016

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Mackenzie Mountain Signature Extreme PARKA & BIBS

We wanted to create and offer our Customers some of the best hunting garments on the market today at an affordable price. The Mackenzie Mountain Signature lineup includes everything you could want in hunting clothing and then some, including features like: • Waterproof • Windproof • Breathable • YKK Zippers • Primaloft Gold Insulation

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CONSERVATION FEDERATION

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NOVEMBER - 2016

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Feature Story

T

here are many factors involved in shooting a shotgun accurately, but one of the most important and least understood is gun fit.

LENGTH OF PULL

Most manufacturers offer a standard stock dimension, something that fits the average shooter.

Since shooters don’t have an opportunity to choose between different stock sizes and configurations, they just accept the gun as it was built and learn to shoot what they have.

In a perfect world that wouldn’t be the case – every hardcore target shooter would be able to walk into a gun store, just like walking into a shoe store, and pick a gun stock as perfect as the right pair of shoes.

It may seem daunting, but getting the right fit isn’t nearly as complicated as we make it out to be. The measurements are easily understood and it would behoove every shotgun shooter to be on speaking terms with them. The most important thing to keep in mind is that almost all stock measurements start at the rib line and go down.

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Here’s a run-down of some of the measurements in a rough order of importance:

CONSERVATION FEDERATION

One of the most important measurements in fitting a shotgun to a shooter is length of pull (LOP). Shown as measurement ‘A,’ it is measured from the center of the butt to the center of the trigger and is seen as a fairly direct measurement of the length of the butt stock of any firearm.

Too long a distance here will force the shooter away from the gun, moving his or her cheek back from the point of the comb where it belongs. The butt will also tend to catch in his or her clothes as the gun is quickly mounted.

Too short a distance is uncomfortable to get lined up, forcing the shooter to ease their face back, away from the breech, in order to line their eye up correctly. A too-short length of pull will also result in having the thumb smack the shooter in the nose or safety glasses under recoil.

Feature Story

Understanding Shotgun Stocks Part One of a Two Part Series

Length of pull is dependent on many factors: length of arms, length of neck, shoulder width and stance.

Similarly-sized people they can have completely different LOPs based on stance alone. A good middle ground is 14 ½” for field guns and 14 ¾” for target models. For shorter/smaller shooters we make a number of shotguns, including the 712 ALS, 720 ALS, Redhead Reduced Length and the new Lady Sterling.

DROP AT COMB To find drop at comb, a perpendicular line is drawn down from the rib line to the point of the comb and a measurement is taken (‘B’). This drop is one of the most critical of all the factors involving fit, allowing the cheek to rest at the right height, which in turn allows the eye to fall naturally in line with the rib.

The proper drop allows the gun to be thrown up for a quick shot and not have to be adjusted before firing.

If the comb is too high, the eye is forced high and we will tend to shoot high. To counteract this, shooters mash their cheek too hard against the stock, trying to lower the eye. This isn’t a comfortable, natural way to aim and will lead to more felt recoil from the gun.

If the comb is too low, the eye will be too low and we will tend to shoot too low. To avoid this, shooters place their cheek too lightly on the comb or raise off the stock a bit and neither is good for accuracy.

DROP AT HEEL Drop a perpendicular line from the rib line to the heel, as at ‘C,’ and the measurement is called the ‘drop at heel.’ Where a small change in drop at comb can make a big difference, a fairly wide range of measurements of drop at heel can be easily accommodated by an average shooter. Changing with this measurement is the amount of felt recoil.

A gun with a little drop at heel is said to have a straight stock. Since the force is directed straight back into the shoulder, there will be less perceived recoil. Stocks with large drop at heel can have a bit more felt recoil as the gun rotates up into the shooter’s cheek, but typically feel much more comfortable during the mount and swing.

Read the complete article at www.confedmo.org/blog/.

Dave Miller Shotgun Product Manager, CZ-USA NOVEMBER - 2016

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Agency News

MISSOURI DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION Conservation Commission Names Sara Parker Pauley as Director of the Missouri Department of Conservation The Missouri Conservation Commission has selected Sara Parker Pauley as the ninth director of the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC), effective Nov. 1, 2016.

“As a lifelong conservationist, hunter, and outdoorswoman, Sara Parker Pauley appreciates and understands the value of Missouri’s fish, forest, and wildlife resources,” said Conservation Commission Chair Dave Murphy. “Sara has a breadth of experience and a proven track record of success to lead the Department.”

“I look forward to this opportunity the Commission has entrusted me with,” Pauley said. “I began my career working for the Department and I look forward to working with the staff, dedicated volunteers, and committed partners to lead this agency into the future.”

MDC protects and manages the fish, forest, and wildlife resources of the state, and provides opportunities for citizens to use, enjoy, and learn about these resources.

Pauley replaces Robert Ziehmer, who resigned in July to work in the private sector. She is the first female director in the Conservation Department’s 79-year history.

"Sara Parker Pauley is an excellent and well-qualified choice as Conservation Director," said Gov. Jay Nixon.

"I've had the great pleasure to hunt and fish with Sara several times, and I've seen first-hand her respect and love of the outdoors. With her significant management experience, she is poised and prepared to take the best state conservation department in the U.S. to even greater heights, especially in getting even more young people involved in the outdoors."

Since December 2010, Pauley has served as the Director of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. Pauley previously worked as a project manager for D.J. Case & Associates, a natural resources communications firm.

She worked with federal and state agencies on policy development, marketing, and environmental compliance.

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CONSERVATION FEDERATION

Sara Parker Pauley was selected as the new Director of MDC. (Photo: Courtesy of MDC)

From 2001 to 2005, Pauley served as the deputy director of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. She also served as chief of staff to former Missouri House Speaker Steve Gaw. Pauley has been an executive committee and board member of the Conservation Federation of Missouri. She was a member of the board of the American National Fish & Wildlife Museum, where she served as director of conservation programs. She has published a number of articles on wildlife and natural resources management.

A native of Columbia, Pauley received both her law degree and her bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Missouri - Columbia, and did postgraduate studies in Australia as a Rotary Fellow. She was an instructor at the University of Missouri's School of Natural Resources, where she taught a course in natural resource policy and administration.

Agency News

MDC Adds 10 New Conservation Agents Congratulations to the conservation agent class of 2016!

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) recently added 10 new agents. The conservation agent class of 2016 graduated during a special ceremony at the Department’s Runge Conservation Nature Center in Jefferson City on Wednesday, Oct. 5. During the graduation, the new agents were pinned with a badge by their families and also took the oath to become conservation agents.

“Conservation agents are a very important piece of conservation in this state,” MDC Interim Director Tom Draper said. “These new agents will be some of the finest this agency has. They will be recognized as the face of conservation. We thank you for that and we thank all of your families for sharing you with us.”

These 10 new agents will be joining the 180 existing MDC agents in serving and protecting Missouri’s fish, forest, and wildlife.

(Photo: Courtesy of MDC)

Pictured is the conservation agent class of 2016. The class and their county assignments are as follows: (from left to right) Interim MDC Director Tom Draper, MDC Commissioner Marilynn Bradford, Christopher Horn (Cole), Clayton Lewis (Madison), Caleb Sevy (Washington), Parker Rice (Buchanan), Zachary White (Clinton), Zachary Swindle (Shannon), Nicholas Bommarito (New Madrid), Derick Childers (St. Clair), Sarah Ettinger-Dietzel (Iron), Matt Wheaton (Putnam), and MDC Commission Chair Dave Murphy.

Buy Permits and More Through MDC Free Fishing App: MO Fishing MDC announces a name change and new features to its free fishing app. With the updated app, previously named Find MO Fish and now called MO Fishing, users can: • • • • • • •

Buy, save, and show permits right from their mobile devices.

Access a database of more than 950 public places to fish.

See what selected bodies of water offer, such as boat ramps, docks, parking lots, fish-attractor structures, restrooms, and other amenities.

View detailed maps of more than 4,000 fishattractor locations for selected bodies of water.

Read annual fishing prospects and weekly fishing reports for many bodies of water.

Use the app’s Fish Guide to help identify the catch of the day.

Get information on fishing regulations, seasons, catch limits, and more.

App updates include name change and permit purchasing.

Download MO Fishing through Google Play for Android devices or the App Store for Apple devices. Get more info on MO Fishing online at mdc.mo.gov/contactengage/mobile-apps/ mo-fishing.

MDC’s free, improved fishing app -- now called MO Fishing – lets anglers buy, save, and show permits right from their mobile devices. (Photo: Courtesy of MDC)

NOVEMBER - 2016

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Agency News

DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES Good Tidings Bid Fond Farewells This time of year represents both transition of seasons and the ultimate splendor of exploring Missouri’s rich natural landscapes. The holiday seasons provide the opportunity to look back on the year, reflect and give thanks to those who have blessed our lives in so many ways.

This year’s good tidings will also bid a fond farewell for me as I transition into my new role with the Missouri Department of Conservation. While becoming the director of Missouri’s fish, forest and wildlife agency is a dream come true, it is also a bittersweet time, as I end my service with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.

My time spent at the Department of Natural Resources was challenging at times. However, I believe those tough times and the passion and commitment of staff have made me a better leader. “The goal isn’t to live forever, the goal is to create something that will,” said one unknown author. During this window of time, we worked diligently to create and improve numerous initiatives and programs that make sense and provide better service and support to all Missourians. I’d like to highlight just a few of these accomplishments.

Drought Assistance program. Created in 2012 to help livestock producers and farmers drill or deepen wells or expand irrigation systems. The emergency cost-share program helped alleviate the immediate water shortages facing Missouri agriculture.

Stakeholder engagement. It is my belief that listening is the most important key to good communication. We initiated or re-initiated several stakeholder forums in the department and they have proven to be very successful in finding common ground, among sometimes diverse interest, among stakeholders. I feel great satisfaction in bringing people together, listening to their concerns, helping solve problems, accomplishing set goals and motivating others in their efforts.

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CONSERVATION FEDERATION

Our Missouri Waters. Engaging with and empowering local watershed citizens to ensure clean and abundant water within their watershed for generations to come.

OMW efforts present the opportunity for local citizens and local leaders to hear and be heard on water resource issues; to be recognized as important and critical voices in the process; and influence the ultimate decisionmaking process on setting planning priorities and goals for their watershed.

Community Services. While the department must address compliance through traditional compliance and enforcement methods when appropriate, we began a Community Services Initiative in 2015 to be more proactive in assisting communities in recognition of the special challenges they face. The Community Services program is designed to provide small local governments with information, tools and coaching intended to improve regulatory compliance and proactively plan for their community’s drinking water and wastewater infrastructure needs.

Expanding Missouri State Parks. It was my honor to dedicate Battle of Island Mound State Historic Site and Echo Bluff State Park and Missouri acquired Don Robinson and Rock Island Trail state parks bringing the total to 88 state parks and historic sites. Missouri State Parks has a 100-year old tradition of preserving and interpreting the state’s most outstanding natural landscapes and cultural features while providing recreational opportunities to the public.

Director Sara Parker Pauley and EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy tour a Columbia site and discuss efforts to enhance the nation’s and Missouri’s water quality. (Photo credit: EPA)

Agency News National Environmental Committees. Through national involvement with the Environmental Council of the States, the Environmental Research Institute of the States, and E-Enterprise for the Environment, staff and I have tried to serve as champions for the protection of human health and the environment not only for Missouri, but all states to find innovative solutions that address a variety of environmental challenges.

E3 Lean in Government effort. The department began implementing Lean, a way of thinking, based on principles, as well as using tools to make processes more effective and efficient while increasing customer service.

Succession Planning. A training program designed to build on the departmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wealth of talented staff.

Department of Natural Resources staff continually demonstrate their dedication and true passion for protecting public health and our natural resources for all Missourians, and my time with them was certainly no exception. I am so very grateful to have had the opportunity to work alongside such amazing, committed and passionate public servants.

I look forward to continuing these partnerships in this next chapter with the Missouri Department of Conservation where I began my career more than 22 years ago. Serving our state in this grand calling of protecting and conserving our precious natural resources. It is the worthiest of missions.

Sara Parker Pauley

Spotlight on Missouri State Parks - Washington State Park Washington State Park is perhaps best known as containing the largest group of petroglyphs yet discovered in Missouri. The petroglyphs are not Washington State Park's only claim to masterful craftsmanship in stone.

After a portion of land was donated to the state for a park in 1932, Company 1743, an African-American company of the Civilian Conservation Corps, built a stone dining lodge, carving an American Indian thunderbird symbol into its stone chimney and creating handmade iron door hinges. The building, known as Thunderbird Lodge, now serves as an on-site restaurant and convenience store.

Because of the number and exceptional quality of the carvings and the craftsmanship in stone, the park earned high praise in the National Register of Historic Places.

Representing both characteristic and unique features of the eastern Ozarks, Washington State Park contains a rich mixture of native forests. Under the canopy of tall Kentucky coffee, sugar maple and slippery elm trees, the ferns and wildflowers mingle with understory pawpaw and bladdernut trees.

In early spring, the natural area hosts one of the park system's most spectacular wildflower shows as blue-eyed Marys, celandine poppies, bluebells, trilliums and violets burst into bloom.

Open forests and sparse grasslands are scattered throughout the park's uplands and along most trails. The trees are often quite small, even though they may be more than 200 years old.

Petroglyphs, or rock carvings, give clues

Another notable feature to understanding the American Indian culture that inhabited the area around of the park are the A.D. 1,000. (Photo: DNR) towering dolomite bluffs overlooking the Big River, a popular floating and canoeing waterway. Below the bluffs, anglers enjoy catching bass, catfish, bluegill and carp.

There are three, diverse marked hiking trails. Hikers can help celebrate the Thanksgiving season on November 26 from 1 to 3 p.m. with a 1.5-mile hike.

The park offers camping, lodging, swimming, picnicking and organized group camping facilities. Year-round, naturalist staff lead programs to explain the significance of the park features. Learn more about Washington State Park, visit mostateparks.com.

Harry Bozoian Director, Department of Natural Resources NOVEMBER - 2016

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CONSERVATION FEDERATION

Outdoor News

Help MDC Find and Limit CWD by Having Deer Tested

C

hronic wasting disease (CWD) is a deadly disease that infects only deer and other members of the deer family, called “cervids.” The disease has no vaccine or cure and is 100 percent fatal to all cervids it infects. CWD is spread from deer to deer through direct contact and through contact with soil, food, and water that has been contaminated with feces, urine, saliva, or carcasses of infected deer.

Hunters who harvest deer during the opening weekend of the fall firearms deer season (Nov. 12-13) in any of the Department’s CWD Management Zones are now required to present their deer for CWD tissue-sample collection on the day of harvest. Hunters must take their harvested deer to one of 75 MDC CWD sampling locations throughout the 29 counties.

A deer in Kansas with symptoms of chronic wasting disease.

(Photo: Mike Hopper, Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism)

This map shows the 29 counties of MDC’s CWD Management Zone. (Photo: MDC)

Deer must be presented by the hunter who harvested the animal. Sampling locations will be open from 7:30 a.m. until at least 8 p.m.

Hunters can help reduce their wait times at a CWD sampling location by: • Telechecking their deer before going to a sampling location • Having their completed permit information ready, • Being prepared to locate their harvest location on a map • Positioning their deer in the vehicle so the head and neck are easily accessible for staff to take tissue samples • Having the detached head with about 6 inches of neck attached bagged and ready More than 100 cases of CWD found in deer and elk in northwest Arkansas has prompted MDC to continue its increased CWD surveillance efforts in seven southwest Missouri counties this fall and winter. No deer from southern Missouri have been found to be positive for CWD.

Hunters can take their harvested deer for CWD testing through Jan. 15 to either the MDC Ozark Regional Office in West Plains or the MDC Southwest Regional Office in Springfield.

The Department reminds hunters who harvest deer, elk, or moose outside of the state and bring the animal back to Missouri that they must report the animal’s entry into the state within 24 hours by calling 877-853-5665 or reporting it online at mdc.mo.gov/carcass. Reporting is required by law.

MDC has restricted feeding deer and placing minerals for deer in CWD-Management-Zone counties. Feeding deer unnaturally concentrates the animal in a small area, which can help spread the disease.

MDC strongly discourages the removal of deer carcasses from CWD-Management-Zone counties.

Moving carcasses of potentially infected deer out of the immediate areas where harvested and improperly disposing of them can also spread the disease.

MDC encourages people to report sick deer to local conservation agents or regional offices.

For more information on CWD in Missouri, visit mdc.mo.gov/CWD. Release Courtesy of MDC

NOVEMBER - 2016

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Feature Story

Deer Hunting the Simple Way

D

eer season is upon us. The major hunting and fishing stores are advertising new rifles, scopes, range finders, trail cameras, food supplements and all types of gadgets they assure you are needed for your hunt.

I have become concerned in the last few years we may be turning off some potential hunters who think all these gadgets and technology are needed to hunt deer successfully.

Deer hunting is a great way to spend time in the outdoors with family, friends or alone, but you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t need every gadget being sold. Fortunately, we can keep things simple and still be successful.

While most deer hunters use private lands there are many public hunting areas available in Missouri.

The Design for Conservation Sales Tax has made a huge impact on access. Most of the public lands purchased with those tax dollars offer great hunting.

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CONSERVATION FEDERATION

To maximize chances of success, scout the lands you will hunt prior to the season. Look for trails, rubs and scrapes. The size of rubs and scrapes often give a clue as to the size of the buck making them.

Be aware of food sources and water locations. Think about access to and from the area in the dark. Mark a trail to your stand with orange tape or another bright color. Think about how much work it will be to drag a deer out to your vehicle. And be sure to check the regulations of the area you are hunting.

Next, think about your deer stand. Treestands are nice but can be heavy, expensive, hard to set up and dangerous. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s important to remember millions of deer have been taken without using tree stands.

Rather than hunting from a treestand, I prefer to find a spot on a ridge or hill where I am above the deer trail I am watching and build a ground blind out of nearby branches and brush. I am above the deer, but in no danger of falling from a tree.

(Photo: Courtesy of Alps OutdoorZ)

Feature Story Make your blind comfortable. Clear noisy leaves and limbs, then sit back and look around for branches limiting your shooting. Trim them back.

Watching the sunrise or sunset in a deer blind is one of life's great pleasures but be aware of how the sun will affect your vision early and late in the day.

A list of items you want to take with you and carry in a small pack to your stand should include a flashlight, knife, camera, ammunition, field dressing kit, pair of gloves and a bottle of water.

A lot has been written about the best new rifles and cartridges for deer hunting, but it’s mostly just hype. Older rifles and calibers work as well as they used to. You do not need one of the new superduper rifles unless you just want to buy one. Avoid the varmint calibers and heavy magnums. Common deer calibers, like the .30-.30, .243, .270 and 30.06 will kill a deer instantly with a well placed shot. The type of rife you use is not as important as accurate shot placement. Remember, deer were nearly wiped out of Missouri 100 years ago with single shot muzzleloaders of rather poor quality.

One thing about optics to always remember is you don't need a lot of features, you need quality. A fixed four-power scope is generally fine. Range finders, variable scopes, bullet drop compensators are not necessarily needed, but can be beneficial.

Don't fall in to the trap of thinking only giant bucks should be considered trophies. If you need a tape measure to determine whether you had a good hunt, something is wrong with your perception of hunting. A reasonable goal for the average hunter is a buck of two years or older, with 8 to 10 points and a well developed body that looks “heavy” when walking. A buck like this is a fine trophy and should create memories that last a lifetime. So will a doe.

Always remember safety is key. Not just firearms safety, but think about stumbling around in the dark, using sharp knives and the physical requirements of dragging a deer. All of these activities can turn a fun outing into a nightmare.

Prioritize safety at all times. Deer hunting isn’t rocket science. Keep it simple and remember you don't need a lot of expensive gadgets to hunt deer.

MISSOURI PUBLIC LANDS

PECK RANCH CONSERVATION AREA Peck Ranch Conservation Area is in northwest Carter County and eastern Shannon County, north of Fremont.

The area consists of 23,763 acres of rugged, forested hills and hollows. Limestone and rhyolite glades provide natural openings among the oak-pine forest that dominates the region.

MARK TWAIN NATIONAL FOREST Encompassing 1.5 million acres of beautiful public land in 29 counties in Missouri, Mark Twain National Forest maintains a healthy, working forest. A total of 1.4 million acres are open for hunting.

GRAND TRACE CONSERVATION AREA Grand trace is in the northwest region of Missouri and located in Harrison county. This area is a mixture of forest, old field, savanna, and grassland habitat. It was once an extensive sea of prairie. The good population of deer makes it an ideal place to hunt.

FOURCHE CREEK CONSERVATION AREA Fourche Creek CA has five tracts in Ripley County approximately 15 miles southwest of Doniphan. The West Fork of Fourche Creek runs through this area. A good population of deer resides in the area. Fourche Creek CA is predominantly forest land, only 4% of the area is open in old fields and small glades.

For more information and to learn about any of Missouri's other numerous public hunting lands, visit www.mdc.mo.gov.

Bill McCully NOVEMBER - 2016

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Feature Story

Now's The Time For Missouri Mallards

The December sky showed little promise of a decent hunt. High, thin clouds highlighted an occasional flock of black birds skirting past on their way to food or roost. Faces peered out of the ground-level blinds openings in search of a flock who decided to stretch their wings and blunder in our direction.

E

arlier that morning several thousand mallards jumped out of our pit of flooded corn before legal shooting time. We could only watch as ducks jumped out of an irrigation ditch 20 yards away like coveys of quail out of a hedgerow. Now they comfortably rested on nearby Squaw Creek Federal Refuge two or three miles away and the sky remained clear of fowl.

A lone greenhead made the mistake of flying into listening distance of Danny Guyer, Paul Knick and Bud Burrow’s calling. I made a few quacks, but needed to do little more. The trio had over 100 years of combined duck hunting experience and their superb calling showed it. Soon the dead duck lay belly up on the water’s smooth surface, an easy retrieve for Mam-J, Guyer’s lab.

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CONSERVATION FEDERATION

We continued to watch the sky--nothing. Ducks finally started flying off their safe resting spots about 10:30 a.m. Huge clouds of ducks flew down a distant tree line and turned north from our position. We could only watch each wave disappear over the horizon. We soon decided to break for lunch in nearby Mound City.

Dusty Banner, competitive caller joined us for the afternoon hunt. The temperature was rapidly dropping and the wind burnt our bare faces. Snow flurries mixed in the wind, quickly changing to a blowing, heavy snow. Knick looked up to see 30 mallards flash over about 40 yard in the air.

Light from a December dawn illuminated this decoy set on Smithville Lake. (Photo: Kenneth Kieser)

Feature Story Guyer started a series of calls and clucking. The expert lowered his volume when the ducks were close and increased volume when they were farther away. The ducks made four wide swings before setting their wings to drop in the pool. Guyer said, “Take em,” and we jumped up to find mass confusion in the sky not 20 yards away. The mallards had followed their lead hen into a dangerous spot where hunters patiently waited.

Mam-J dove into the ice-cold water to retrieve greenheads that laid belly up about 35 yards out in the pool. She soon hand-delivered the first duck and returned for the second. After retrieving the second duck she jumped into her designated spot. The beautiful dog slipped her head out of the hole to watch and wait for another chance.

A second group made one pass and then dropped in our decoys, one shot dropped another drake and then the skies emptied of everything but blackbirds. By now the sky had turned darker and snow covered the decoys. Heavier snow was coming and so were the ducks.

Soon a tornado of ducks spiraled down in layers. The sounds of calling barely covered hundreds of whistling wings just overhead. I peeked out of our blind and saw a sight generally found on calendars and shotgun shell advertisements, low ducks shadowed by higher flocks, all dropping with their wings set.

The tornado of ducks continued swirling through the wind and snow before landing in our decoys and farther out in the flooded cornfield. Eventually we stood up, picked out four fat greenheads flying over the blind and squeezed our triggers as Mam-J splashed in the pool to do what she loved best.

Missouri hunters are getting spoiled by these fabulous hunts once enjoyed by the famed Arkansas waterfowl hot spots. Mild winters and open water have provided ducks and geese little reason to move farther south.

Smaller ducks, however, move out the first sign of cold weather. But big flocks of mallards stack up in Missouri row crop fields and keep coming in droves, making December hunts probable.

CALLING LATE SEASON DUCKS The expert callers in my blind started with a loud single reed duck call for the higher ducks or ducks swinging wide with fast come back calls. Louder calling is especially important when distant ducks are flying in heavy winds making it harder for them to hear.

The author placed his December mallards on his father's last stack of firewood. (Photo: Kenneth Kieser)

Beginners make the mistake of over calling. Calm conditions or flooded timber echoes calling sounds back to the ducks that move to a different location.

Knowing when to call loud or softly is an important aspect of duck hunting.

“The secret to calling ducks is reacting to their movements,” Guyer said. “We didn’t call as much when they were coming towards us. We pick up volume with a hen come-back call, much louder and direct. Greet the ducks with a good tone, match your volume with their locations and reactions and set them on the water.”

The day ended with four hunters taking their limit of mallards in extreme conditions of zero temperatures with a 30 mile per hour wind. Mam-J’s fur held slivers of ice and everyone was ready for the comfort of warmth. A combination of great calling and perfect location made this mallard hunt something special.

I turned for a last look before leaving and was rewarded by the sight of several hundred mallards dropping back into the flooded cornfield. They circled in the evening light, set their wings and dropped. I said a quick prayer that someday my grandchildren would see this same sight long after my footprints on earth are washed away by December rain and snow.

Kenneth L. Kieser

NOVEMBER - 2016

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Outdoor News

Deer and Cars Don't Mix

M

ention the word "deer" and you will get varied responses. Some appreciate their beauty and grace, some get angry because they ruin their gardens and landscaping, and others can't wait until deer season. Whether you appreciate deer or see them as fair game, you don't want to meet one in your car. Here's how to avoid hitting one.

WATCH THE TIME Have you ever noticed that you see more deer from late October through December? That's because it's their breeding season, and they are most active at dawn and dusk. Be on the lookout for them at these times, particularly if you're driving. It's also a good idea to use the bright setting on your headlights if there's no oncoming traffic.

WATCH WHERE YOU ARE Ever see deer crossing signs? They are usually placed along roads in heavily wooded areas where deer sightings—and deer-car collisions—are common.

You'll see them most in states with a large deer population. And remember—deer rarely travel alone.

If you see one, don't be surprised if another one is close behind.

WHAT IF YOU SEE ONE? If you see a deer on the side of the road, slow down.

Remember—they are unpredictable. According to caranddriver.com, one long blast of your horn can frighten them away. They also recommend that you do not swerve to avoid hitting the deer. It can confuse them and they won't know where to run.

Slow down or stop and let the deer run away.

WHAT IF YOU HIT ONE? Despite your best efforts, a deer can still run out in front of you before you have time to react.

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CONSERVATION FEDERATION

A deer crosses a road on a fall day. (Photo: Courtesy of MDC)

If you do hit a deer, take these steps: • Pull over to a safe spot on the side of the road and turn your hazard lights on.

• Notify the authorities. You may need a police report for your insurance claim.

• Take pictures of your car and the deer, but only if it is safe to do so.

• If the deer is in the middle of the road, don't try to move it yourself. It may not be dead and it could hurt you. In addition, you would put yourself in harm's way if there's more traffic.

• Make sure your car is drivable before leaving the scene.

Remember, driving smart and keeping an eye out is the best way to help you avoid a collision between your car and a deer. Here's to safe travels—for you and any deer you encounter!

If you have questions about car insurance, find an agent at ShelterInsurance.com.

Release Courtesy of Shelter Insurance

Outdoor News

Kansas City Zoo Helps Restore Cygnet Population

F

our trumpeter swan cygnets successfully hatched this summer near the entrance of the Kansas City Zoo in the North American Waterfowl exhibit.

The first-time parents, non-releasable birds, did a wonderful job raising their fledglings.

Captive trumpeter swans are part of a national conservation program and the Kansas City Zoo partners with state and federal agencies to breed these iconic waterfowl in captivity and release their young in native waterways. The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), which accredits the Kansas City Zoo, manages the population of captive animals through the Species Survival Plan®.

As the largest and most impressive native waterfowl in North America, weighing between 20 and 30 pounds and with a 7 foot wingspan, trumpeter swans presence in a waterway indicates a healthy ecosystem.

During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, trumpeter swans were highly coveted for their feathers and were hunted nearly to extinction.

A continent-wide effort to restore trumpeter swans to their historic ranges began in the 1960s and has restored a stable population of nearly 46,000 birds.

Threats continue however, as trumpeter swans and other native waterfowl are affected by lead poisoning and habitat destruction. Many wetlands and waterways that traditionally have held healthy populations of trumpeter swans still currently have none.

The Kansas City Zoo’s cygnets are a part of this population restoration effort. This September the four fully grown cygnets were relocated to Northern Iowa where they joined other cygnets from AZA accredited Zoos.

In the spring of 2017, the adult swans will join wild swans in designated swan breeding areas and help to repopulate this enigmatic species in wetlands throughout the Midwest.

Every visit to the Kansas City Zoo supports conservation efforts at home and around the globe, we hope you’ll join us in celebrating wildlife and conserving wild places.

Release Courtesy of the Kansas City Zoo (Photo: Mary Nemecek)

NOVEMBER - 2016

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Feature Story

Invasive Honeysuckle, Wildlife and You

M

issouri is world renowned for deer and turkey hunting, and this year the Show Me State celebrates its inaugural season for adding crossbows as an option for taking game. There will be more hunters of all ages in the field enjoying nature in the fresh, fall air. This time outside can also allow hunters time to survey the state of invasive amur or bush honeysuckle (Lonicera maackii) in their areas.

Bush honeysuckle, like so many other invasives, was added to landscapes as an ornamental shrub. It was also encouraged decades ago by many forestry and wildlife agencies for its wildlife cover, as a wildlife food source, and for control of erosion. Unfortunately, the plant did not stay put where planted. Being a native of eastern Asia, bush honeysuckle has no natural herbivores, parasites, or diseases to keep it in check here.

Bush honeysuckle is one of the earliest plants to turn green in the spring and stays green past the time when other herbaceous plants, shrubs, and trees go dormant. It will form dense thickets that will shade out any undergrowth including new tree growth.

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CONSERVATION FEDERATION

This invasiveness can greatly impact succession of native trees and create a monoculture. Birds will consume the berries and spread them into new landscapes where they will again push out native plants, expanding their hold on our natural areas.

The impact of bush honeysuckle extends to both wildlife and people that enjoy spending time in the woods. A 2010 study by biologists at Washington Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Tyson Research Center looked at nine natural areas in the St. Louis, MO region to assess the impact of bush honeysuckle on deer and people.

The study found that deer were five times more likely to use an area with bush honeysuckle in comparison to areas that did not have the invasive shrub. The reasons may be that they provide deer with additional foraging opportunities.

Forest understory vegetation can be 18 times more dense in honeysuckle invaded stands. This density of vegetation is attractive to deer for shelter and security while bedding.

Late fall is the best time to attack it because it remains green after native vegetation has grown dormant. (Photo: Courtesy of MDC)

Feature Story The study also found that, along with the more frequent presence of deer, came higher concentrations of lone star ticks. Deer are the primary host for the lone star tick and the diseases it can spread to humans. The density of tick nymphs infected with Ehrlichia chaffeensis was examined.

Ehrlichia chaffeensis is a pathogen known to cause ehrlichiosis, which is a tick-borne bacterial disease that can be passed to humans by the bite of an infected lone star tick. What the research concluded was in bush honeysuckle areas the presence of nymphs infected with E. chaffeensis was ten-fold over areas without bush honeysuckle.

Deer are more likely to use areas with invasive honeysuckle. This greater deer density increases the concentration of ticks and the risk of spreading tickborne diseases. As expected, when the honeysuckle was removed, deer frequented the area less and the tick population and disease risk decreased.

The impact of invasive, non-native honeysuckles on wildlife extends beyond deer. Birds that eat the bush honeysuckle berries and help spread the seeds to other areas. The news for them is not much better.

Despite their appetite for bush honeysuckle berries, they get very little back from the berries to help make it through rigorous migration or the pressures of winter. Invasive honeysuckle berries have only 0.70% fat content and 16.22 kJ/g. In contrast, the distinctive white berries of native grey dogwood offer 34.9% fat and 27.16 kJ/g in nutritional content.

Wildlife and people clearly benefit from the removal of invasive bush honeysuckle. Fall is a great time to survey for the still green honeysuckle in wooded areas. The Missouri Department of Conservation has many resources on their website (www.mdc.mo.gov) about invasive honeysuckle and how to remove it.

Fall is a great time to eliminate it from your landscape, because at this time the plantâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s energy is directed to the roots making herbicide application on cut stems more effective. Removing invasive honeysuckle from your property will allow you to enjoy the deer more and worry about the ticks less.

Mary Nemececk Conservation Chair, Burroughs Audubon

BUSH HONEYSUCKLE DESCRIPTION Large, upright, spreading shrubs reaching up to 15 or 20 feet in height, with flowers that change from white to yellow, juicy red berries, and opposite, simple leaves that green up much earlier than surrounding native vegetation.

Leaves are deciduous, opposite, simple, 1 to 2 1/2 inches long, narrowly oval with the tip abruptly pointed, the margin entire (not toothed or lobed); upper surface green, lower surface pale green and fuzzy.

FLOWERING Flowers Mayâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;June, fragrant, in clusters from the leaf axils, tubular, 1-inch long, slender, distinctly two-lipped, with upper lip having 4 lobes, lower lip with 1 lobe.

Petals change from white or pink to yellowish as they age

FRUIT Fruits mature in September to October; typically red berries about 1/4 inch across, 2-6 seeded, in pairs in the axils of the leaves.

DISTRIBUTION Statewide. Primarily near urban areas, where it has escaped from cultivation, but it quickly spreads to natural habitats.

Birds and small animals eat the berries and deposit the seeds elsewhere, spreading this noxious weed.

STATUS Invasive. Probably the most aggressive exotic plant that has escaped and naturalized in urban areas, where the woodland understory is often a solid layer of green from this shrub. It tolerates many habitats and can become established nearly anywhere that birds can go.

Because they leaf out so early, they steal light from native plants that need a sunny forest floor in spring in order to flower, fruit, and gather energy for the next year.

Visit www.mdc.mo.gov for more information.

NOVEMBER - 2016

55

Outdoor News

DU Leads $3.87 Million Effort to Conserve Wetlands

W

aterfowl, wildlife and people will benefit from more than 2,300 acres of Ducks Unlimited (DU) conservation projects across Missouri, Illinois and Kentucky.

DU and 20 partners were awarded a $1 million North American Wetlands Conservation Act Grant to conserve 2,300 acres of wetlands in the confluence of the Mississippi River and its tributaries. Work will be concentrated in southeast Missouri, southern Illinois and western Kentucky.

With $2.87 million in matching funds from DU and its partners, the total investment will be $3.87 million.

The effort will begin this spring and last for three years. Projects will protect, restore or enhance wetlands on public and private land in a 32-county focus area. The project area offers crucial protection for waterfowl in the confluence of the largest river corridors in the Midwest.

“It’s the next step in our long-range conservation vision for this region,” said Mike Sertle, Ducks Unlimited regional biologist. “These habitats are increasingly important for migration and wintering waterfowl and we need to provide the kind of landscape they need.”

The wetland projects are in areas highly impacted by humans. During the late 1800s and through the 1900s, the area was ditched, drained, timbered, cleared, burned, farmed and grazed. An estimated 90 percent of historic wetlands have been lost and losses continue annually.

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CONSERVATION FEDERATION

More than 60 percent of the land will be open to public access. Residents and outdoors enthusiasts can use the land for hiking, birding, camping, fishing and hunting. Primary locations include the Shawnee National Forest and Cypress Creek National Wildlife Refuge in Illinois, Mingo National Wildlife Refuge in Missouri, and Doug Travis Wildlife Management Area in Kentucky.

In Missouri there will be numerous projects. DU will enhance 134 acres at Mingo National Wildlife Refuge, restore 80 acres of former farmland through the Missouri Agriculture Wetland Initiative and permanently protect the 394-acre Over and Under Duck Club through conservation easement.

There will be a variety of other projects being done in both Illinois and Kentucky to enhance land and provide habitat for waterfowl and migratory birds.

Ducks Unlimited Inc. is the world's largest nonprofit organization dedicated to conserving North America's continually disappearing waterfowl habitats.

Established in 1937, Ducks Unlimited has conserved more than 13.8 million acres thanks to contributions from more than a million supporters across the continent. Guided by science and dedicated to program efficiency, DU works toward the vision of wetlands sufficient to fill the skies with waterfowl today, tomorrow and forever. For more information on our work, visit www.ducks.org.

Release Courtesy of Ducks Unlimited

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Feature Story

Wild Horses Still Roam Free Along Scenic Riverways

L

ocal legend says that the wild horse herds along the Current and Jacks Forks Rivers in Shannon County have been roaming free since the days of the Spanish Conquistadors. “Not likely,” says Jack Peters, a retired National Park Service Ranger and now owner of Running River Canoe Rental near Timber, Missouri. “The horses are most like remnants of farm stock abandoned by the last of the people who hung on in the area after the timber companies left in the 1930’s.”

Regardless of how long the horses have been around, they provide a gasp of inspiration to all who see them along the Riverways.

According to Peters, who has been watching the horses since he first came to the area as a Park Ranger in 1967, the herd is usually made up of three separate family groups, totaling about 35 horses.

They roam freely over much of the territory between Round Spring and Two Rivers. Canoers sometimes see the horses along this stretch.

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CONSERVATION FEDERATION

Finding enough grass to graze can become difficult in the winter months. “The horses have adapted to eating watercress,” said Peters. “They hang out at the springs, especially Round Spring, over the winter months, where they can be seen knee deep in the spring branch feeding on watercress. I have actually seen horses with their heads under water like a moose feeding.”

I personally saw a herd of wild horses while floating and camping on the Jacks Fork almost 35 years ago.

Early one morning, the river lay enshrouded by fog. The eerie sound of splashing water and hooves clashing on rocks and gravel caused a chill to tingle my spine. We caught glimpses of their shapes and colors as the horses broke in and out of the fog. The experience rivaled a vivid dream, which I have never forgotten.

The wild horse herds of Shannon County can often be seen feeding on watercress at Round Spring during the winter. (Photo: Bill Cooper)

Feature Story I vowed to see the horses again and photograph them. On a week-long trip to camp and fish in the area, I spotted several horses feeding on the peninsula between Current River and the spring branch at Round Spring. I quickly drove to the upper parking lot and parked my truck. What I experienced over the course of the next hour rivals any outdoor adventure of my lifetime.

I crept slowly through the woods, following a wellworn trail with obvious signs of horse usage. I planned my approach carefully, making sure I stayed down wind of the herd. Less than 50 yards down the trail, movement caught my eye. I readied my camera as a beautiful white horse ambled towards me. It paused to stare directly at me offering a great photo opportunity. The white horse disappeared like a ghost after a few seconds star down with me.

I eased further up the trail and soon spotted several horses of different colors and sizes moving through the underbrush. The scene stunned my senses.

The wild beauty of these magnificent creates inspired a deep awe and respect from within me. I have never been much of a horse fan, having been kicked, bitten, thrown off and generally mistreated by horses. But, these creatures were astoundingly different. Beautiful. Powerful. Free. And they carried themselves with a sense of confidence, if that is possible for wild animals.

My heart rate slowed when the two stallions began nipping at one another again. They lost interest in me and wandering off kicking and biting one another. I managed to photograph for over an hour, moving slowly and approaching small groups of horses until they tired of my presence and moved on. I became intrigued with the color phases, black, grey and white.

Peters later explained to me that the horses go through the color phases as they age “The colts are born mostly black,” he said. “As they age, the horses turn grey and then white as they mature. When I first started seeing the herds 40 years ago there were a lot of bays in the groups. A white stallion showed up in the early 70’s. I have watched the dominant color of the herds change several times over four decades.”

The wild horses of Shannon County have survived both bureaucracy and mistreatment in 1994, the national Park Service rejected a proposal from the Missouri Wild Horse League to take over management of the wild horse herds.

The NPS further stated that no other proposals would be accepted in the future to allow the horses to remain free inside NPS boundaries.

Colts are born black, turn mottled and, at maturity, white. (Photo: Bill Cooper)

The NPS greatly underestimated the tenacity of local citizens and members of the Missouri Wild Horse League.

“Local citizens look upon the horses as a symbol of the hardiness and wonderfully independent spirit of the Ozarks and the people who live and work here,” Peters noted. “Too, the wild horses are very much a part of this region’s culture and history.”

President Bill Clinton signed a bill into law to make the wild horses a permanent part of the Ozark National Scenic Riverways in 1996. The MWHL now keeps a close eye on the herd. They keep the herd to 50 horses. Excess studs are cut out of the herd, castrated, vaccinated, given a Coggins test and then adopted out.

MWHL members also brush hog designated fields along the rivers to keep pasture lands open for grazing. Too, they scatter mineral blocks and salt for the horses.

The story of the wild horses of Shannon County is one with a happy ending. I am a better person for having had the experience of getting close to them.

I can’t wait to see them again – running free.

Bill Cooper NOVEMBER - 2016

59

Outdoor News

Growing Up with the River

B

efore there were roads and highways there were creeks and rivers. In frontier America, they were often the easiest way to get from one place to another. St. Louis prospered because in Missouri, we were at the end of the river that was the best highway of them all - one that led to a place where no settlers had ever been, the Pacific Ocean.

The exploration that Lewis and Clark completed on the Missouri River more than two centuries ago was so monumental that it deserved something that was literally a monument - The Gateway Arch.

What most visitors to the Arch don't realize is that this gleaming symbol on the banks of the Mississippi River is actually a monument to a different River, the Missouri. The Arch proudly declares St. Louis as the "Gateway to the West." The Missouri River was the way to get there.

"Growing Up with the River" features stories about the last 100 miles of the Missouri River and the people who lived there - you will see why the Missouri deserves a tribute as grand as the Arch.

If the Gateway Arch is the front porch of St. Louis, the Missouri River valley is our backyard. What a uniquely historic and scenic backyard it is!

The characters, including the centuries-old bur oak trees and river towns, invite every reader to catch a bit of the spirit shown by the Corps of Discovery.

With a car, a bicycle for the Katy Trail, or tickets on Amtrak's River Runner, you can experience St. Louis' backyard. Every chapter describes living history that you can see, just an hour from St. Louis.

"

Every story could have happened in the places and times described, and some of them actually did. As they have for more than 200 years, our river towns, farms and woodlands and wildlife in Missouri River Country welcome you to learn more and to explore!

60

Purchase your copy of "Growing Up with the River" by visiting the Katy Land Trust website for a list of retailers or order online at KatyLandTrust.org.

The cost is $19.95 and does not include shipping.

About the Authors: Dan and Connie Burkhardt live in St. Louis and have a farm near Marthasville, close to the Missouri River. Dan grew up on a farm, and both truly love the agricultural heritage and natural scenic beauty of the Missouri countryside.

Dan and Connie founded the Katy Land Trust in 2010 to educate Missourians about the importance of conserving the landscape along the Missouri River and the Katy Trail.

I like to make movies that both entertain and inspire, and that's the feeling I get from this book. We should share these stories with our children and open their eyes to the natural wonders of our world. Maybe it will inspire some of them to be a part of protecting these resources for future generations. (Jon Landau, Producer of Avatar and Titanic)

CONSERVATION FEDERATION

Outdoor News

Project Healing Waters Help Veterans One Cast At A Time

H

ow do you help someone? Take them fishing.

Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing (PHWFF) is a veterans support group with a unique and simple mission: take veterans fishing.

The program began in 2005 serving wounded military service members at Walter Reed Army Medical Center returning from combat in Iraq and Afghanistan. Since then, PHWFF has expanded nationwide, establishing its highly successful program in Department of Defense hospitals, Warrior Transition Units, and Veterans Affairs Medical Centers and clinics.

“Fishing is the ultimate living example of hope. Every cast brings hope, and there is calmness in regaining your confidence and seeing measurable success,” said Amy Milne, Event Lead for Healing Saturday through Heartland Chapter of PHWFF. “For veterans, it is important to able to believe in their abilities. The river or lake is never the same, not even two days in a row, so it is always a new experience. You may get more familiar with it, but it always reveals something new if you let it in. The beauty of fish, the amazement with holding one in your hands; the colors, the gift, letting it go to watch it swim away, it is a renewal with each outing.”

The PHWFF program provides basic fly fishing, fly casting, fly tying and rod building classes, along with clinics participants ranging from beginners who have never fished before, to those with prior fly fishing and tying experience who are adapting their skills to their new abilities. All fly fishing and tying equipment is provided to the participants at no cost. Fishing trips, both one day and multi-day, are also provided free of charge to participants.

To support operational needs for equipment and resources, PHWFF hosts “Healing Saturday,” where volunteers across the country host local fundraising events on one day. The events are expected to raise more than $100,000 for veterans this year.

Project Healing Waters helps veterans by teaching them to fly fish.

(Photo: Doug Buerlein)

On November 12, CFM’s business alliance partner, Feather Craft Fly Fishing, is hosting “Healing Saturday” in partnership with the Heartland Chapter of PHWFF to raise awareness and funding for our veterans in need. There will be reps there, casting demos, fly tying demos, auctions, raffles and other fundraising opportunities all to support veterans.

Ninety percent of the money raised on Healing Saturday at Feather Craft will stay in St. Louis to further the needs of veterans. Ten percent of the proceeds go to the national organization to continue with support on a larger scale. Feather Craft will also donate ten percent of sales that day to the program.

"All of us here at Feather Craft are proud and honored to have been the flagship fly shop for this wonderful event benefiting our veterans, now the model for shops across the country who participate. We hope to see you in November for a guaranteed good time, including great food, drinks, fantastic auction and raffle prizes, free fly casting lessons and much more," said Bob Story of Feather Craft.

Support PHWFF on November 12 by visiting Feather Craft Fly Fishing in St. Louis. For questions, email Amy Milne at eyefish365@gmail.com or visit www.projecthealingwaters.org.

Rehan Nana Director of Corporate Relations, CFM NOVEMBER - 2016

61

Outdoor News

Deer Breeder Lawsuit Continues

T

he ability of the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) to fulfill its constitutional mandate to protect wild deer from the threat of disease was recently dealt a significant blow by a Missouri Judge.

A final ruling on a lawsuit filed by deer breeders who supply the confined big game shooting industry was made September 15th by Judge Robert Schollmeyer of the Osage County Associate Circuit Court.

The industry had sued to block MDC regulations created to reduce the risk of further outbreaks of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in wild Missouri deer.

Judge Schollmeyer sided with the confined hunting industry to leave wild deer at risk.

CWD is a contagious and always fatal neurological disease of cervids (deer, elk, moose, etc.). No deer is immune from the disease.

Originally appearing in Missouri inside confined deer pens, CWD was later found in wild deer near one of those pens, and has now been found in wild deer in four Missouri counties.

MDC will very likely appeal this ruling. Regardless of the outcome of that appeal, the matter will likely be appealed by the losing party to the Missouri Supreme Court, who will have the final say on the matter.

While that slow process creeps towards final resolution, Missouri deer remain at elevated risk to be exposed to further outbreaks of CWD. Given the lack of an effective live test, and the long delay from infection to the first appearance of symptomsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; typically 18 monthsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;it is simply impossible for even the best operators with the best intentions to conduct commerce in live deer without risking another outbreak. Which would be a terrible blow for desperate efforts to control and contain the disease, already a difficult and expensive effort. Missouri taxpayers eventually foot the bill.

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CONSERVATION FEDERATION

A deer with symptoms of chronic wasting disease. (Photo: Mike Hopper, Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism)

Judge Schollmeyer's action, making final a temporary injunction he imposed last year, leaves deer breeders free to import live deer from out of state.

There are approximately 300 breeding facilities and 45 confined big game shooting facilities in operation across the state. Most offer "no kill no pay" opportunities to shoot a confined deer. Often they are "frankendeer", genetically manipulated via selective breeding and intensive feeding programs to produce antlers much larger than normally found in nature.

Some offer photo catalogs of deer for the shooter to select, as if from a menu.

With Missouri's CWD zone now covering a quarter of the state, and the northern reaches of a significant outbreak in Arkansas within a few miles of the Missouri border, the urgency to protect our wild deer population has never been greater.

Steve Jones

Outdoor News

Missouri Group Hires Monarch & Pollinator Coordinator

P

heasants Forever and Quail Forever recently named Jason Jenkins as the organization’s new monarch & pollinator coordinator in the state of Missouri.

Collaborating with a statewide coalition of public and private interests, Jenkins will work to increase and sustain habitat for monarch butterflies and other pollinators through citizen involvement and seek ways for partners, communities and agencies to coordinate similar efforts.

“We’re excited to join together with more than 30 partners in the Missourians for Monarchs Collaborative to make this position a reality and develop new opportunities for increasing overall pollinator habitat in the state,” said Elsa Gallagher, Pheasant Forever and Quail Forever’s Missouri statewide quail coordinator. “This position is the first of its kind in the nation created to directly address the issue of pollinator conservation. Jason’s extensive communications experience and diverse skill set, combined with his enthusiasm for conservation and love of the outdoors, make him the ideal person to lead and implement our statewide monarch and pollinator conservation plan.”

During the past two decades, monarch butterfly populations have declined by an estimated 90 percent due to factors including habitat loss and a lack of milkweed plants, the sole host plant used by the monarch during its egg and larval stages. Missourians for Monarchs formed in 2015 as a statewide initiative to address monarch and pollinator conservation in the state. In August 2016, Collaborative partners signed a Memorandum of Understanding committed to creating and maintaining 19,000 acres of pollinator habitat annually for the next 20 years.

The Collaborative includes conservation and agricultural organizations, state and federal agencies as well as utilities, agribusinesses and cooperatives.

Funding partners for the Coordinator include the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program, Missouri Department of Conservation, MFA Incorporated, Monsanto and Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever.

"For conservationists, few issues are of as great a concern as that of declining pollinator populations,” said Jason Jenkins, monarch and pollinator coordinator for the Missourians for Monarchs Collaborative. “These insects serve a vital role in our food production systems and sustain our native plant communities. The consequences of losing these species are disastrous. I’m looking forward to becoming an ambassador and advocate for the monarch while we increase and sustain habitat for all pollinators in Missouri."

An award-winning writer, photographer and videographer, Jenkins brings more than 15 years of communications experience to this new position. He earned a bachelor’s degree in agricultural journalism from the University of Missouri, focusing on fisheries and wildlife management. He previously worked for both University of Missouri Extension and the Association of Missouri Electric Cooperatives, where he served as managing editor for Rural Missouri magazine. Jenkins is an avid hunter, angler and outdoorsman who relishes sharing his passion for the natural world with his three children.

For more information about Missourians for Monarchs, contact Jason Jenkins at 573-301-4187 or jjenkins@quailforever.org.

Release Courtesy of Missourians for Monarchs

NOVEMBER - 2016

63

Feature Story

Four Seasons To Success

O

n September 17th, decades of hard work and waiting paid off when I arrowed my largest deer to date with a bow. The bruiser old buck gross scored 166 inches and the experience is one I will cherish forever.

Since I began bowhunting 28 years ago at just 11-yearsold, I have had quality land to hunt thanks to my father.

He taught me how to hunt and shoot when I was very young. I have been fortunate to take several big bucks from our lands with a rifle. Yet, in all of those years I had only taken one buck with my bow.

Back in 2012, I shot a seven-year-old 10-pointer past his peak for antler growth. It was a perfect ambush ruined by an imperfect shot. A two-day search resulted in a second place finish to coyotes. I am glad we recovered the buck, but it wasn’t the way I envisioned my first bow kill. That shot still haunts me.

The buck I harvested on this September’s harvest moon experienced a much more graceful end. A perfect shot put him down very quickly. It was the moment I've dreamed of for so long. I had cleanly taken a giant buck with my bow. In the moment, I did my best to praise God for the reward while saying a strong prayer for my buck.

The buck lived almost exclusively on one of our restored savannas. I had a lot of history with this buck. He first showed up on my trail cameras when he was a two-yearold in 2013, but I don’t pay much attention to bucks that age, because many won’t make it through rifle season.

At three he inflated to a 150-inch class 10-pointer and captured my full attention. I had no intention of shooting him, because I knew he had the potential to be a giant. In March of 2015 I was fortunate to find his 2014 sheds. My daughter spent her spring break with me later that month and found one of his 2013 sheds.

Derrick Roeslein poses with the buck he watched mature over four years.

It’s his largest buck by bow to date. (Photo: Courtesy of Derrick Roeslein)

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CONSERVATION FEDERATION

Feature Story In September of 2015, pictures revealed he’d grown to exceed 160-inches at four-years-old. At that age and size, he was a true mature buck and I was after him.

I hunted hard all archery season, spooking him twice from the same ridge. I didn’t want to bump him off our land during rifle season, so I avoided the area while gun hunters were about.

My last hunt of the season was on January 14, 2016. Lots of bucks were up and feeding. One large bodied buck had already dropped his antlers. I’d normally head back to the house, but instead I drove back to the field. The baldheaded buck had my curiosity. And wouldn’t you know it, laying in the middle of my path at the field edge was his left antler. Another 150 yards into the field, I found his right antler. It was unbelievable but I was holding both sides of his rack minutes after watching him feed his way through the final hours of deer season!

Despite shaking uncontrollably for over 10 minutes, I was able to draw my bow undetected when he was in a stare down with a younger 10-pointer.

I consciously avoided rushing the shot by holding the pin on his chest for a few seconds before putting my finger on my release trigger. I estimated the range to be 25 yards, so I held the 20 yard pin 2/3 up his side, just above the soybeans covering half his chest. I squeezed.

Anna holds the 2013 shed from the buck. (Photo: Derrick Roeslein)

Through the winter of 2016, we spent almost two months on timber stand improvement (TSI) work on the savanna. The arrow hit right where I was aiming. He ran into I carefully marked the trees to remove in the buck’s core the woods, down a small hill, turned right toward the area. I also marked trees to hinge cut to help me sneak creek and fell to the ground. It was 6:15 p.m. Thank you, into my stand later in the year. In the spring, I changed Lord. The moment I have dreamt of for decades had just the plan from planting clover/alfalfa to sticking with transpired. soybeans in this field. I knew he liked soybeans and if we planted anything As a conservationist at heart, The giant buck weighed 198 pounds else in that field he might relocate.

I am driven to conserve and field dressed. My family will dine Rotation could wait another year. on protein rich venison for many protect wildlife through meals because of this great deer. habitat restoration and quality Yet, I'm actually feeling a little more I was late setting my trail cameras in 2016. I didn’t have them hung until management. My efforts have sadness than I usually do. Not only August. I never got a good photo of the pursuit come to an end, but been rewarded in many ways has the buck, but in one photo there is a I also feel a sense of loss because I but none more satisfying than love these animals as much as I love buck standing at the far end of the field that appeared to be him. He's hunting them. As a conservationist harvesting this buck. far away and zooming doesn't help at heart, I am driven to conserve and much, but I'm certain it's him. He’s still alive and well, protect wildlife through habitat restoration and quality and the season is about to start. management. My efforts have been rewarded in many ways but none more satisfying than harvesting this buck.

On the third day of the 2016 season, the temperature is just cool enough to avoid a heat stroke. I take over an When I was growing up, I was constantly reading hunting hour sneaking in to avoid being drenched in sweat or stories. The way the writer could convey the story was spooking deer. When I'm completely settled in I check powerful for me. So I wanted to write this for my son, the time, it’s 5:15 p.m. Just 45 minutes later four bucks who likes to hear hunting stories at night. Hopefully are less than 30 yards away and the now five-year-old through these words, he’ll share in my excitement. But giant is one of them.

I also wrote this for me, because many years from now, I’ll read these words again, to conjure memories and to relive the seasons I spent chasing this magnificent buck.

Derrick Roeslein NOVEMBER - 2016

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