Vol70 no6 2009

MISSOURI

Wildlife NOVEMBER 2009 VOL. 70, NO. 6

CFM FALL CONFERENCE Info and more photos inside!

Inside This Issue:

MISSOURI

Wildlife

FEATURED ARTICLES Stegner Receives Missourian Award ................................................10 CFM Fall Conference Highlights Outdoors ......................................15 Chronic Wasting Disease: Where Are We In 2009? ........................16 Work Continues At State’s Oldest Wetlands ................................23 Recreational Fishing And Hunting Act Introduced ........................27 Better Turkey Nest Success Means Better Hunting ........................29

NEWS, UPDATES AND COLUMNS View From The Stone House ..............................................................................2 President’s Message ............................................................................................3 Development News Welcome New Business Alliance Members........................................................5 Five Steps Taken For Others..............................................................................6 Teaming With Wildlife Join The Teaming With Wildlife Coalition Today! ..........................................8 Agency News Watching The Water ........................................................................................9 Conservation Department Considers Budget ................................................12 Feral Hog Toll Mounts In Battle For Wildlands ............................................24 Southern Wings Continues ............................................................................25 Calendar................................................................................................................14 News & Issues ......................................................................................................18 Reduce Reuse Recycle Waste Reduction Is An Easy Step To Living Green ........................................19 Operation Clean Stream Bags, Bottles and 13,000 Tires...Oh My! ........................................................22 Member Information New Members ................................................................................................19 Affiliate News/Listing......................................................................................30 Honorariums And Memorials ........................................................................31 Conservationists For Life ..................................................Inside Back Cover

PHOTOS Honoring River Heroes......................................................................................11 On The Hunt..........................................................................................................28

November 2009 Vol. 70, No. 6 OFFICERS Glenn Chambers President Mike Schallon 1st Vice President Duane Addleman 2nd Vice President Dan Zerr Secretary Randy Washburn Treasurer

STAFF Dave Murphy Executive Director/ Editor Matt Gaunt Director of Development Amy Buechler Teaming With Wildlife Coordinator Micaela Office Manager Haymaker Laurie Coleman Membership Associate/ Managing Editor Lynne J. Lampe Design & Production

Missouri Wildlife is the official publication of the Conservation Federation of Missouri, Affiliate of the National Wildlife Federation. ISSN 1082-8591

728 W. Main Jefferson City, MO 65101-1559 Phone • 573-634-2322 Fax • 573-634-8205 Email • dmurphy@confedmo.org Online • http://www.confedmo.org MISSOURI WILDLIFE (USPS 012868) is published bimonthly in January, March, May, July, September and November for subscribers and members of the Conservation Federation of Missouri, 728 W. Main, Jefferson City, MO 65101-1559. Of each member’s dues ($25 minimum) $10.00 shall be for a year’s subscription to Missouri Wildlife.

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

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to MISSOURI WILDLIFE, 728 W. Main, Jefferson City, MO 65101-1559

COVER: WINTER COVEY © Glenn D. Chambers.

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VIEW FROM THE STONE HOUSE

Buck The Trend he economy is rotten. Our world is in crisis. Politics, finger-pointing, grandstanding, overaffluence, lack of responsibility, you pick the cause! Ask any pundit “Why?” and you are likely to get a different explanation. It is always easier to blame something or someone else than it is to produce solutions.

My very first success as a volunteer conservationist came under exactly such a desperate set of circumstances, though I did not recognize it at the time. A dear friend invited me to a meeting of folks who passionately enjoyed an outdoor activity I already loved. At that first meeting there were leaders of our community reflecting on world trips they had made in pursuit of their passions.

Every person in attendance had grand ideas of great projects to conduct, and spoke about them at length.

Afterward my friend asked me if I would join their group.

“Sure,” I said, though I couldn’t imagine anything I had to offer the group myself.

The next meeting was the very first time I can remember hearing anyone say “the same old folks are doing everything, and we are getting burned out” or words to that effect. This meeting was also the first time the treasurer was on hand to offer the sad news that there

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Serious commitment, consistent effort, and significant but achievable goals are proven over and over again to be the formula for success. was less than $100 in the coffer.

There were lots of good ideas, but not enough people or money to implement them. Sound familiar? That very night I realized something, and took immediate action. Whatever may be your own spiritual inclinations, I will always believe this was Divine intervention.

I made the commitment to bring at least $100 of someone else’s money and another person willing to help with me to every meeting I attended. I did it. I never missed a meeting. I was elected President the next year. The club continues to grow and prosper and produce to this very day. Serious commitment, consistent effort, and significant but achievable goals are proven over and over again to be the formula for success.

The tackling of what once were known to be insurmountable obstacles now seems imaginable. Reality

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now is light years beyond the reality we were facing back at the start.

How are all these elements relevant to the Conservation Federation of Missouri right now? Even to survive, we need resources.

Certainly we are well beyond survival. We have been effective and in the game for over 74 years now. Where we go now in fulfillment of the goals of the Summit on the Future of the Missouri Outdoors is entirely up to us.

Real progress and improvement will not likely seem so grandiose at the time, but in the long run, our world will continue to change.

So far we have not run out of good ideas. Thank the Board of Directors, our supporting partners and members for the fact that we are not out of money yet, either!

And with a combined membership of over 83,000 as of this writing, we aren’t entirely out of members. In fact, this represents a net gain of

nearly 3,000 new folks to CFM in one of the toughest economic years in American history.

Our performance as an organization depends much more on what we do than on our environment. Oh sure, these are tough times. Oh sure, there are many demands vying for the attention and resources of our members (current and prospective). Oh sure, maintaining consistent production requires more effort and crisper focus now than in better times. But reflect for a moment back on all the extraordinary things that have been achieved by us ordinary folks working together through CFM. The only real limits, the only real barriers are the ones we allow to intimidate us into giving up.

Not a single white-tailed buck among those thousands upon thousands experiencing their first rut at this very moment give a second’s consideration to the economy in which they operate. As humans, perhaps we should give a little consideration to it, but we ought to pay even more attention to the bucks and take care of business.

There won’t be a better time to perform and deliver than right now.

Get out and recruit a new member to CFM. Do it today.

Dave Murphy Executive Director, CFM

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Moving Right Along...And Staying The Course!!! n the July, 2009 issue of Missouri Wildlife, in the President’s Message, I presented a summation of CFM’s very successful “A Summit on the Future of Missouri Outdoors.”

As a result of the conference, attendees identified the 10 top goals toward which the outdoor community needed to work. Ranked in number of their priority, these goals are: 1) Teaching Missourians about the outdoors.

2) Clean and healthy water (includes ground water) — Quantity and Quality.

3) Connecting families and communities to nature and natural resources.

4) Supporting and funding the outdoors.

5) Conserving plants, animals and habitats.

6) Acquiring public lands for outdoor uses.

7) Helping private landowners.

8) Clean and healthy air.

9) Develop leadership organizational structure that reflects collaborative need.

10) Promote stakeholder input.

Boiled down, the top 3 ACTIONS that we need to address as a Missouri Outdoor Community are: ACTION 1: Get the message out that a quality, healthy Outdoors is essential for human life.

ACTION 2: Conserve plants, animals, and natural communities so that they are diverse, healthy, and resilient.

ACTION 3: Maintain and

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Part of my marching orders as your President is to appoint a committee to move the goals of our “Missouri Outdoors Summit” forward. This is...the most important committee that I will appoint during my tenure as your President. pursue stable long-term and short-term funding for operations, capital improvements, and special projects.

I finalized that message as follows: “Be watching and listening for the next round of MARCHING ORDERS — and remember, we are all in this together!!!”

Part of my MARCHING ORDERS as your President is to appoint a committee to move the goals of our “Missouri Outdoors Summit” forward. This is, no doubt, the MOST IMPORTANT COMMITTEE that I will appoint during my tenure as your President.

In early October, David and I sat down and penned an invitation inviting prospective committee members to consider the following: “Our President, Glenn Chambers and I ask you to consider a special favor of service to the future of the Missouri Outdoors. At the October meeting of the Board of Directors of CFM, Glenn intends to appoint an Outdoor Action Committee (henceforth to be known as the OAKs) to begin to chart

and direct follow-up to the May Summit on the Future of Missouri Outdoors. We ask you to please consider serving on the OAKs. We ask you to serve a two-year term, beginning this fall and ending fall 2011. We intend that the OAKs membership will be visited and renewed to coincide within Presidential terms within CFM. That works for us and for our hierarchy of administration.”

We sought to invite a VERY SPECIAL and talented group to move our mission forward.

Several of the prospects were members of the “SUMMIT” Steering Committee and have a good working knowledge of how we arrived at this point.

Several have advanced some brilliant ideas about how to implement these goals for the future. Their charge will be to advance the ACTION items as defined by the “SUMMIT” participants.

The OAKs has a HUGE TASK ahead of it!! We appreciate the willingness of each participant to serve in this ENORMOUS undertaking; their efforts will be of HALLMARK importance. We

contacted a prioritized list of very qualified persons. Some were eager to serve, but due to present circumstances and commitments, felt they could not do justice to the task that lies ahead at this time. This is quite acceptable, because that leaves us with a very talented and committed pool of qualified persons from whom to select the next round of OAKs appointments in 2011.

I am extremely happy to announce that the following persons have been appointed to the OAKs. They are: • John Burk, National Wild Turkey Federation • Jason Brown, Missouri Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus • Glenn Chambers, Conservation Federation of Missouri • Mark Corio, Conservation Leadership Corps, member CFM Board of Directors • Floyd Gilzow, Missouri Association of Municipal Utilities • Susan Heisel, The Nature Conservancy, Missouri • Mickey Heitmeyer, Wetlands Consultant, member See President on page 4

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President from page 3 CFM Board of Directors • Martin MacDonald, Bass Pro Shops • Steve Mahfood, Mahfood and Associates • Davis Minton, Missouri Department of Natural Resources • Lowell Mohler, Missouri Departments of Conservation and Agriculture, State Fair Board • Steve Mowry, Missouri Prairie Foundation, Missouri Conservation Heritage Foundation • Sara Parker Pauley, D.J. Case & Associates, member CFM Board of Directors • Tim Ripperger, Missouri Department of Conservation • Nikki Thole, Missouri Parks and Recreation Association • Susan Trautman,

Missouri Parks and Recreation Association • Wallis Warren, Ozark Fly Fishers • Jan Weaver, Missouri Environmental Educators Association • Nicole Wood, NWF Region 5 Director, Wood Land and Cattle There is no question about the quality of this BLUE RIBBON COMMITTEE. Please ENCOURAGE and SUPPORT the OAKs any way you can. They have pledged their valuable TIME and SERVICE for THE CAUSE and we THANK them wholeheartedly for their dedication!!!

Like I said last July, “We are all in this together!!!”

Glenn D. Chambers President, CFM

Wild animals should not be thought “ of as either man’s intentional enemies or helpers. What they do in these respects is neither morally good nor morally bad. Human morality, after all, is man’s and he should concern himself with trying to live up to his own moral standards instead of imposing them upon wild creatures.

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—Advice to young trappers from Paul L. Errington, Muskrats and Marsh Management

Applications Now Being Accepted For The Charles P. Bell Conservation Scholarship The Conservation Foundation of Missouri Charitable Trust and the Conservation Federation of Missouri are pleased to announce that applications are now being accepted for the 2010 Charles Bell Conservation Scholarships.

In the 2010 Bell Scholarship Program, eight scholarships will be awarded: one graduate ($600), one undergraduate ($500) and six for elementary, high school or youth groups ($250 each). In this latter category , CFM members who work with Boy Scouts, 4-H, environmental clubs or youth chapters of their affiliate are eligible and encouraged to apply.

Graduate applicants must be enrolled in a field of study related to conservation, natural science or earth resources at an accredited college or university. Undergraduate applicants must have 60 credit hours or more and should have enrolled in an area related to conservation. Preference in all cases will be given to applicants enrolled in Missouri schools. The deadline for applications is January 15, 2010.

These scholarships are named in memory of CFM past president Charles P. Bell, whose family provided major funding for this program. For an application form, write to Conservation Federation of Missouri, Bell Scholarships, 728 West Main Street, Jefferson City, MO 65101 or call (573) 634-2322 or (800) 575-2322.

Conserve Life: SLOW DOWN More than 1,100 people die on Missouri highways each year. become a statistic. Conserve life by slowing down and by always making sure your seatbelt is buckled.

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Don’t

BUCKLE UP

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Welcome, New Business Alliance Members! ach issue, we’ll introduce new members of the CFM Business Alliance. Thanks to all of you for your continued support of and involvement in conservation! To join, please call the CFM office at 1-800575-2322 or use the form on page 26 of this issue of Missouri Wildlife.

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Gray Manufacturing Company Years before Joe Gray and his dad formally launched Gray Manufacturing his dad began laying the seeds for the business’s success. In 1918, as a Goodyear Tire dealer for Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas and Missouri, Joe’s father began to design and manufacture equipment to lift heavy trucks.

In 1952, Joe and his father incorporated as Gray Manufacturing, hired one employee and began growing the business. Today Gray Manufacturing has 150 employees involved in the production of lift equipment for service

trucks and buses. Joe, now 87, has turned the business over to his son Pete, who serves as CEO. Joe’s son Paul works for Audubon of Florida, were he serves as Lake Okeechobee Watershed Science Coordinator. Joe’s daughter, Laura Dunn, is a past Director of the Martha Lafite Thompson Nature Sanctuary. Joe has always loved the outdoors and his favorite activities include hunting quail, pheasants, ducks, geese and dove. He also enjoys his annual fishing trip to the unspoiled wilderness of Canada, a trip that he’s been making for more than 30 years.

Basic Bolin Auto and Truck Parts Rob Bolin is the third generation of his family to own and operate Bolin Auto and Truck Parts. The business was founded in St. Joseph, Mo., in 1951 and focuses on drive trains, hydraulics, breaks and suspensions. Another tradition handed down from one generation of Bolin to the next

CLEARWATER FOREST CONSULTANTS, LLC Certified Forest Management Email cfc@semo.net Toll Free 866-420-9971 www.clearwaterforestconsultants.com Timber Sales & Harvest Supervision One Stop Shopping Forest, Wildlife & Land Management

is the love of the outdoors.

Rob remembers his grandfather being involved with CFM many years ago, and he credits his dad and his uncles for introducing him to hunting.

Rob has been active in Ducks Unlimited and National Wild Turkey Federation. His favorite outdoor activities include duck hunting and spring turkey season.

C. J. Thomas Company Pat Leach is a partner in C. J. Thomas Company, a full service regional insurance company established in St. Louis, in 1975. When not focused on commercial property and casualty insurance, Pat is gone fishing. He grew up fishing small farm ponds and enjoys fishing Missouri’s lakes and streams, but he can be found fishing for just about anything, anywhere, from bonefish in Florida to salmon in Alaska. Pat told CFM, “If it’s fishing, I’m interested!”

McRoberts Farm, Inc. Don’t let Jim McRoberts’ office in downtown Columbia, Mo., fool you. He’s not an attorney or accountant. Jim is a fifth generation farmer, who along with his wife Mimi operates farms in several counties across Missouri, including Lewis, New Madrid, Stoddard, Jasper and Chariton. Jim’s outdoor interests include hunting ducks, pheasant and quail. He also enjoys trout fishing in Colorado and Missouri. Jim and Mimi’s son Jon is a member of CFM and served on a panel for

CFM’s Summit for the Future of Missouri Outdoors. Jon completed his master’s degree at Texas Tech, where he studied the Lesser Prairie Chicken.

We’ll keep our eyes on Jon as he turns his attention to a PhD and the Ocellated Turkeys of the Yucatan Peninsula.

The list of business alliance members is growing!

Platinum Bass Pro Shops Shelter Insurance Silver Drury Hotels Gray Manufacturing Company James T. Blair IV Pyramid Home Health Services Basic Aaron’s Boats & Motors Bolin Auto and Truck Parts C. J. Thomas Company Cequel III Citizens Telephone Company Culligan Water of Columbia Evans Equipment Les Bourgeois Vineyards McRoberts Farm, Inc. Michaelanne, Inc. Mid-America Mortgage Paradigm Financial Advisors Quality Forest Management Sierra Bullets Suddenlink Communications Tabor Plastic Company The Bank of Missouri

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DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Five Steps Taken For Others ecently I had the opportunity to attend the University of Missouri’s College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources scholarship luncheon. With well over 100 donors and students present, it was my honor to represent CFM and meet the recipient of the G. Andy Runge School of Natural Resources Scholarship.

This scholarship, created by the Federation in memory of Mr. Runge, is certainly an appropriate legacy for a man that cared deeply about both conservation and education. Traci Fehnel was very appreciative of the financial assistance, and I felt certain that she would put her education to good use. The membership of CFM should be proud of the fact that this endowed scholarship has been established, and that students will benefit in perpetuity from our generosity.

People are at their very best when they are thinking of others. I suppose that fact, more than any other, is the reason I’ve enjoyed my career in development. While reconnecting with donors that I’d had the pleasure to work with as a development officer at MU, I was struck by how fortunate I was to have met these talented, thoughtful and generous people. It was good to see their smiling faces again, and get caught up on things such as family and health.

Working in development has given me the chance to witness extraordinary gifts of time and money, and I have

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been moved by each donor’s commitment to improving society for the sake of others.

The spirit of philanthropy is part of our national identity. In 2008 Americans gave an estimated $307 billion according to the Giving USA Foundation. That impressive total which represents about 2.2% of our GDP, does not quantify the value of volunteer time.

Together, gifts of time and money transform our society for the better and enrich the lives of those who have chosen to give. A significant portion of the $307 billion given came through planned gifts, and as the term might imply, these gifts require careful thought and consideration.

Folks far wiser than me have written volumes on planned giving. As tax laws change and different planning tools are developed, new strategies evolve, many of which are extremely sophisticated and require a great deal of professional assistance to implement.

It is not my intent today to lead you through the pros and cons of a variety of planning tools.

My message is much simpler.

Don’t be intimidated by the process and don’t assume estate planning is only for the wealthy! The fact is, everyone can plan for family and leave a legacy for others. If done properly, the process will be extremely fulfilling and add to your quality of life today. Please keep in mind as you read on, that despite the many potentially complicated ways to structure a planned gift, there

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include your will, living trust, durable power of attorney, living will and health care proxy.

Once you are comfortable with your plans for family, you can begin to consider what sort of legacy you might leave for others.

Step 2: Prioritize Philanthropic Interests

are just as many approaches, such as simple bequests, that require very little time and effort. Don’t let too much information or too many options stop you from creating your legacy. Here’s my five-step suggestion for organizing the process of planning your estate.

Step 1: Take Care of Loved Ones Planning your estate is a deeply personal process. For many the first and only thought is “will my family be okay?” Charity starts at home.

Consider the needs of your children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews, perhaps even your parents or aunts and uncles. This is a process that involves much more than considering what sort of financial assets will be inherited. If you undertake a complete estate plan through a competent attorney, you will identify your assets, debts and obligations, identify your beneficiaries and name an executor. You will think through health issues and make plans for worst case scenarios. Important documents in this process will

I suggest entering this process with an open mind.

Start by writing down areas in which you’d like to have an impact. Perhaps your list will include faith, hunger, education, health, conservation, community, leadership, politics, youth development and more. Next, write down beside each of these areas of interest an organization or organizations that you have confidence in to impact each issue. Choose organizations that you are familiar with. If you’ve taken a “brain storm” approach, your list may be long. At this point narrow the organizations down to a few that you think have potential and begin contacting them to schedule a visit.

Participation by the charity is not the most important aspect of estate planning, but it is helpful. Visiting with them can help you understand how your gift can create the legacy you desire. Charities can also be helpful by creating draft endowment documents or suggesting specific language for consideration by your attorney. You need to be clear about what you want to accomplish and the organization has to be clear about how

DEVELOPMENT NEWS your gift will be used. If you plan to place restrictions on the use of a gift, make sure those restrictions are in writing and signed by both parties.

After you’ve visited with each organization, consider your assets and create a list of charities in priority order. You may choose to place all your eggs in one basket, or spread them around. Place a percentage by each organization on your list as a rough road map for your planned giving.

It’s no secret—we hope you’ll call CFM! We believe CFM has a great role to play in conservation, and even hunger, education, health, community, leadership, youth development and more. We promise to keep the process yours and to work to achieve your goals, whether they are fulfilled through CFM or through another organization.

Step 3: Identify Appropriate Planning Tools and Assets for Giving During the visits with your chosen charitable organizations you will likely discuss various planning tools, such as bequests, charitable remain-

der trusts, lead trusts, gift annuities or endowments. You may also have discussed which assets are best to give. There are different tax implications for giving cash, appreciated stock, retirement funds, etc.

Discussing these options in the context of how they will benefit you and the charity is useful, but remember, a development officer is no substitute for an accountant! Even the best informed development professionals may not know your full financial situation, and more important, they are not licensed to provide that sort of advice!

To understand how each approach will impact your current financial situation as well as your estate, you need to finalize the amount of your intended gift and visit with your accountant. Once you have come to a decision about the type and size of your planned gift, take the time to visit again with the charities involved and begin the process of drafting any required documents.

Step 4: Execute Plans After you have carefully

considered the draft documents and are comfortable with them you should finalize the language and sign.

Depending on the type of planned gift you are making, this may be the point when you transfer assets to make a direct gift, fund a charitable trust or endowment, or pay off a life insurance policy. This can also be the beginning of direct benefits to you such as a tax deduction or life income stream.

Step 5: Notify Charities I remember the University of Missouri receiving $8 million several years ago from the Waters family of Vandalia, Missouri. It was totally unexpected, as Mrs. Waters had never let MU know of her intentions. In this case, her privacy did not create any problems with the gift, but everyone at MU was sorry they did not have the chance to thank her. Charities do want the opportunity to express their thanks, and for that reason alone you should consider notifying them.

However, the most important reason to notify a charity of your estate intentions is to

ensure that the gift will actually benefit the organization as you intended. There are countless examples of donors using ambiguous language that makes their gift difficult to utilize or perhaps leads to it being used for something of which the donor would have never approved. If you wish to avoid the attention generated by your gift, you can always request that the gift remain anonymous, but don’t fail to take this last step. Who knows?

You might even find that being recognized for your giving is rewarding and fun.

Finally, I want each person who has read this far to know that it is a great honor for CFM to be the recipient of a planned gift of any size. The thought that goes into making this type of gift speaks volumes regarding your feelings for the Conservation Federation of Missouri. Please let us know how we can be of assistance in your estate planning process and thank you very much for considering us on your list of philanthropic priorities.

Matt Gaunt CFM Development Director

Evening comes as a benediction in our camp. Replete as the days are “ with adventure and excitement, it closes the scene of each diurnal phenomenon with a profound and satisfying experience.

The chill of the upland plains is just suggested in the vagrant breeze, and the camp fire before our thatched grass hut is a welcome addition to the setting.

Supper is yet to come and we rest in our canvas camp chairs, in silence and blissful contemplation of the sunset.

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—Saxton Pope, The Adventurous Bowmen

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TEAMING WITH WILDLIFE

Join The Teaming With Wildlife Coalition Today! issouri’s Teaming With Wildlife Coalition grew to 250 members this year. Now, help us reach 300! Any organization or business can join the coalition by returning the form on this page. It’s free—your group is simply adding their voice to the 5,500 nationwide who support additional state and fed-

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eral funding for fish, forest and wildlife conservation, outdoor recreation and conservation education. View the complete Missouri coalition list at: http://statewildlife.nwf.org/M O/MissouriCoalition.htm.

Coalition Member Spotlight: National Youth Hunting Association The National Youth Hunt-

ing Association joined the Missouri Teaming With Wildlife Coalition in May 2009. Based in Farley, MO (just outside Kansas City), this organization works to preserve our hunting and outdoor heritage through public youth education and involvement in hunting, shooting, conservation and educational activities nationwide. NYHA

coordinates and presents state-by-state youth activities, increases private land access opportunities to youth, and offer donated youth hunts from outfitters and hunting celebrities all over the United States. Thanks for being a part of Missouri’s Teaming With Wildlife Coalition! To learn more, visit www.ntnlyouthhunting.org.

STATEMENT OF ENDORSEMENT On behalf of _______________________________ , I her eby endorse Teaming with Wildlife. Our gr oup is delighted to join the National Coalition and suppor t funding dedicated to f ish and wildlif e conservation, outdoor recreation and conservation education in every state. Teaming with Wildlife is our natural investment in a future teeming with wildlife!

Signed:______________________________________Date: _____/_____/_______ Please Print: Organization or

Business

Signer’s Name: ____________________________________________________________________________ Address: __________________________________________________________________________________ City ________________________________________ State: ____________Zip: ______________________ Phone: ______________________________________ Fax: _______________________________________ Email: ______________________________________ Website: ____________ _______________________ How many members and/or employees does your organization/business represent? ____________________ My/my organization’s outdoor interests include: Hunting Fishing Hiking Bird watching Education Habitat Restoration Volunteering Camping Forestry Canoeing Nature photography Other______________________________ Please mail to the Conser vation Federation of Missouri, 728 W. Main, Jefferson City, MO 65101-1559.

For information on the Teaming with Wildlife Coalition and how you can help, please visit http://www.teaming.com/ 8

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AGENCY NEWS

Watching The Water id you know that you can check the water condition on many of your favorite creeks, streams and rivers from your computer, before heading out on that fishing or float trip? In fact, there are more than 250 instruments called stream gauges located on various streams across Missouri. Stream gauges are often installed on bridges so you may notice a solar panel, small antenna, control box and

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UNITED BOWHUNTERS of MISSOURI Preserving the Tradition of Bowhunting We support Bowhunting through conservation, education, fostering a spirit of sportsmanship and promoting responsible and ethical hunting.

For Information: United Bowhunters of Missouri P.O. Box 235 • Jackson, MO 63755

Ryan Mueller

rain gauge on rivers you frequently cross.

Stream gauges are used to measure rising and falling water levels, also known as river stage. Scientists who study water, known as hydrologists, will periodically measure the water speed (velocity) and survey the stream channel near stream gauge locations to determine flow at various river stages. Stream gauge measurements are transmitted to the U.S. Geological Survey by satellite and are then made available on the Internet.

Real-time river stage and stream flow information can be viewed by visiting www.dnr.mo.gov/env/wrc/cur rentriverobservations.htm.

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources provides funding to operate more than 40 stream gauges statewide.

Three of these gauges are located at Bennett Spring, Montauk and Roaring River State Parks. These gauges provide thousands of anglers, campers, floaters and other

visitors with current stream information to help plan for the most desirable and safe outdoors experience. In addition, the three state park gauges collect flow measurements from the large springs that feed these recreational streams. This information provides hydrologists with a better understanding of how spring flow responds during precipitation events.

Agencies such as the National Weather Service rely heavily on stream gauge information to issue flood watches, warnings and forecasts on major rivers and streams.

River forecasters combine river stage information with the amount of anticipated rain to model how quickly and when rivers will rise and fall.

Stream gauges are then used to verify the actual river stages so future flood forecasts can be prepared and issued.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers relies on stream gauge information to operate and manage large reservoirs such as Table Rock Lake. During flooding, water is either held back or released from the reservoirs based on stream flow targets at specific downstream locations. During the past two years water has been stored within Table Rock Lake to prevent additional flooding in areas of Arkansas that were already experiencing high water conditions.

Stream flow information is equally important during periods of drought. During extremely low flow conditions,

aquatic life in streams becomes stressed and may eventually perish. It can also be an indication that a less-than-normal amount of water is flowing in nearby streams that do not contain stream gauges. Experiencing less-than-normal flow can create problems in managing water supply reservoirs as water is withdrawn for use faster than it is being naturally replenished. Under these conditions the lake will eventually become depleted of accessible water. With stream flow and other information, water supply reservoirs can be analyzed to estimate how long a reservoir can supply water during low flow conditions.

Stream gauges collect information that is useful for many purposes, including the enhancement of your recreational experience. Be sure to view the available stream flow information online before the next visit to your favorite stream. While you are on the stream make note of conditions such as water color and clarity, ease of wading or frequency of canoe portage.

Over time you can build a record of how the various river stages and flow conditions affect your recreational use and experience. You can also watch how river stage and flows change during each season and as a result of rainfall events. Before long you may even consider yourself to be a recreational hydrologist.

Ryan Mueller Water Resources Center, DNR

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Stegner Receives Missourian Award ormer Conservation Federation of Missouri Executive Director Ed Stegner was one of this year’s recipients of the highly prestigious Missourian Award, sponsored by the American Heart Association. The award honors men and women who have made an outstanding contribution to their state or nation in their field. The ceremony was held September 26, 2009, at the Capitol Plaza Hotel in Jefferson City.

Ed was born on a farm in Cooper County, Mo., on September 24, 1925. He graduated from Boonville High School and later, following service during WWII in the Army Air Corps, he attended the University of Missouri on the GI bill, obtaining a Bachelor of Science degree in animal science in 1950. He then taught agriculture and farming principles to veterans for nearly three years.

On February 23, 1953, he was hired as the executive director of the Conservation Federation of Missouri, the large and influential statewide organization representing hunting and fishing clubs and other outdoor enthusiasts.

For many years thereafter, Ed Stegner was the only fulltime conservation/environmental lobbyist in the state.

He helped write and guide to passage most of the early laws that related to the environment – clean water, strip mine regulation, forest stewardship, local park and recreation

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Ed Stegner, former executive director of the Conservation Federation of Missouri, receives the prestigious American Heart Association Missourian Award.

funding and much more. He was the man Missouri sportsmen relied on to call attention to any legislative threats to Missouri’s independent and much admired Department of Conservation. He served in this capacity for over 40 years, growing the Conservation Federation of Missouri into one of the largest and most respected state conservation organizations in the nation.

With Ed Stegner at the helm, conservationists won far more legislative battles than they lost. In addition to Missouri legislative battles, Stegner championed other projects such as the cross-state Katy Trail and Missouri scenic rivers and wilderness areas.

When he retired in November of 1993, Ed Stegner had achieved an amazing legacy.

Of all his accomplishments though, none stand

NOVEMBER 2009

out more than his leadership during the campaigns to increase funding for fish, forest and wildlife conservation and for state parks and soil conservation – the 1/8 % general sales tax for fish, forests and wildlife and the 1/10 % sales tax for programs have generated well over three billion dollars in revenue since implementation. Together they allow Missourians to enjoy the best fish, forest, wildlife, parks and recreation and soil conservation programs anywhere.

Stegner’s leadership during the initiative petition for the conservation sales tax was that of overall campaign coordinator and manager of both the petition drive and the election campaign. He directed a small staff and hundreds of volunteers in securing voter signatures on petitions, making sure everything was official and correct. He helped raise campaign funds, spoke in support of the amendments at meetings throughout the state and directed the publicity campaign. For the first parks and soils sales tax, he led the legislative effort to put the amendment to a vote of the people and, in subsequent renewal campaigns, organized and directed petition gathering in several Congressional districts.

For his leadership, he has been recognized as the Conservationist of the Year by the Conservation Federation of Missouri and as Master Conservationist by the Missouri

Conservation Commission.

Stegner has also received the Missouri Wildlife Society’s E. Sydney Stephens Award, a Missouri Parks and Recreation Association Fellow Award, a Missouri Department of Natural Resources Steward Award, the U.S. Forest Service Excellence in Conservation Leadership Award, the Missouri Soil and Water Society Conservationist of the Year Award and many others.

To this day, Ed Stegner continues to work for conservation. He serves as a director on the Conservation Federation of Missouri Board and as a Trustee for the Conservation Foundation of Missouri Charitable Trust. He has been given a Life Membership on the Natural Resource Advisory Council, University of Missouri, a singular honor. For 15 years he served on the State Park Board and he served for three years on the National Wildlife Federation Board of Directors. Recently, he was part of the initial class of inductees in the Missouri Parks and Recreation Association Hall of Fame.

He is always working to improve wildlife habitat on his farm and he takes special pride in these accomplishments. Since retiring, one of his greatest pleasures has come from establishing a scholarship fund of five $1,000 scholarships for Missouri students. It delights him to be present each year at the awarding of these scholarships.

Honorariums and Memorials Mark special days or show tribute to someone you care about with a donation to CFM. Y ou could honor loved ones for birthdays, anniversaries or other special events. This could be a r espectful r emembrance of friends and r elatives who have passed away. We will list honorariums and memorials her e or on another page if this space is insufficient.

Your gift would help in so many ways: to benefit our Shar e the Har vest Program, the Conser vation Leadership Corps, our publications or website, our building fund or help fund our day-to-day operations. We gladly accept cash, check or credit card—just return the form below to CFM. $25 $50 $100 $250 $500 Other _______

In memory of __________________________________ In honor of ____________________________________ Please notify (name, street, city, state, and ZIP) ____ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ DONOR INFO: I would like more information about including the Conservation Federation of Missouri in my will or tr ust.

O P E N S PA C E C O U N C I L / K AT H E R I N E D O C K E R Y

Honoring River Heroes

These Operation Clean Stream volunteers each have 30 years or more of association with helping restore the Meramec River. Pictured left to right: Charlie Ponciroli, Marvin Behnke, Ben Knox, Joe Schulte (seated) John Harlan, Marilyn Harlan.

OutdooR magazine

Guide

HUNTING • FISHING • CAMPING • BOATING

Name ________________________________________ Address ______________________________________ Street

______________________________________________ City

State

ZIP

Phone ________________________________________ Email ________________________________________ Credit card number

____________________________

Expiration date ________________________________ Mail this form and payment to: Conservation Federation of Missouri 728 West Main Street • Jefferson City , MO 65101

For a FREE Copy of the Magazine Call 1-800-706-2444 or Visit our website at www.outdoorguidemagazine.com MISSOURI WILDLIFE

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AGENCY NEWS

Conservation Department Considers Budget MDC Adjusts Staff, Office Spending To Maintain Strong Finances he Conservation Department will reduce its staff by 173 full-time workers and close or end lease agreements on 13 offices. The changes will occur over the next 20 months, keeping the agency’s finances strong through a period of declining revenues.

The Commission announced at its September meeting plans to reduce personnel costs. Besides helping the agency live within its budget, the staff reduction is consistent with the long-term goal of limiting personnel expenses around 54 percent of annual expenditures. Conservation Department Director John Hoskins said the plan will help keep the agency on a sound financial footing.

“Like most other agencies and organizations, we are feeling the impacts from this ongoing economic downturn,” said Hoskins. “This plan will help ensure our sound financial position during this continuing period of lagging revenues and well into the future.”

MDC’s two largest revenue sources, the conservation sales tax and permit revenues, have not kept pace with inflation.

From 2000 through mid-2009, both permit revenues and conservation sales tax revenue increased less than inflation by double digits.

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Conservation Sales Tax vs Consumer Price Index FY00 to FY09 30.0% 26.9% 25.1%

Cumulative tive Percent Change

25.0%

20.9%

20.0%

18.9%

17.7%

15.0%

18.5%

14.0%

12.8% 11.1%

11.1%

10.0%

10.0% 7.6%

6.6%

5.0%

4.4%

4.2%

3.2%

3.4%

1.4%

0.0% 0.0%

0.0%

FY01

FY02

FY03

FY04

FY05

FY06

FY07

FY08

FY09

FISCAL YEARS MDC

Conservation Sales Tax

Revenue from the Department’s one-eighth of 1-percent conservation sales tax was $6.4 million lower in Fiscal Year 2009 than the previous year.

The decline came on the heels of a $400,000 shrinkage of sales-tax revenues in FY 2008.

The new staffing plan is expected to produce annual savings of approximately $7.5 million.

“The fiscal year 2009 decrease was the largest oneyear decline in conservationsales-tax history,” Hoskins said. “It also is the first time that conservation-sales-tax revenues have decreased two years in a row.”

While revenue reductions have hurt the Conservation

NOVEMBER 2009

Consumer Price Index

Department’s recent bottom line, Hoskins said the new staffing plan is not solely a reaction to the economic downturn. It is consistent with the long-term goal of better balancing staffing costs with spending on facilities and services.

“Employee salaries and benefits are most organizations’ biggest expenses,” said Hoskins. “The staffing plan approved by the Conservation Commission ensures adequate funds allowing continued service to the people of Missouri through delivery of solid conservation services.”

The majority of expense reductions will be achieved by keeping vacant positions

unfilled. MDC has been holding 39 full-time positions vacant since early this year. It anticipates another 134 vacancies in full-time positions, largely through retirements, over the next 20 months. The total of 173 vacant positions represents 10.7 percent of the Department’s staff.

Another facet of Conservation Department cost cutting is a plan to close or end its lease agreements for 13 office facilities throughout the state

by July 2011. The Department will also reduce hours of operation at some other facilities over the next year.

Office facilities slated for closure by July 1, 2011 are:

AGENCY NEWS • Liberty Field Office in Clay County • Brookfield Maintenance Shop in Linn County • Sullivan Public Contact Office in Franklin County • Ironton Field Office in Iron County • Van Buren Field Office in Carter County • Marble Hill Field Office in Bollinger County • Fredericktown Field Office in Madison County • Farmington Field Office in St. Francois County • Branson Field Office in Taney County • Little Dixie Conservation Area Field Office in Callaway County

• MDC Field Office in the University of Missouri Horticulture and Agroforestry Research Center in Howard County • Long Branch Field Office in Macon County • Hartell Conservation Area Field Office in Clinton County “The majority of these locations have six or fewer employees, and most of the staff spend the majority of their time out in the field,” explained Department Director John Hoskins. “It just makes sense to have them work from other MDC facilities in the region or even from home. In other locations, it

simply will save in the long run to house staff elsewhere.”

In addition to reducing facilities, the Department will reduce hours of operation at six of its seven nature and education centers from as many as seven days per week to five days per week.

“By reducing the number of days of operation, we can achieve considerable savings in utility and staffing costs,” explained Hoskins.

He added that specific changes will be determined over the next year. “We will continue to work with staff to carefully determine how we can best balance our need to reduce expenses with our

commitment to provide quality conservation services to the people of Missouri.”

“We have to live within our means just like our fellow Missourians and will continue to deliver our core conservation services,” said Hoskins. “That is what we are doing. Thanks to Missouri voters’ foresight in providing the conservation sales tax, we still have enough resources to do our job.”

The Conservation Department’s budget represents less than 1 percent of the State of Missouri’s total annual budget.

Jim Low News Services Coordinator, MDC

Gift memberships are a great way to support conservation and CFM! Your gift will include 6 issues of Missouri Wildlife, a logo decal and a membership card, as well as a note identifying you as the sender. Please check the membership level you would like to give as a gift: $25—Individual $15—Student $30—Family $100—Sustaining $1000—Lifetime Gift of conservation from Name ________________________________________________Phone: ______________

Address: __________________________________________________________________

MDC

Given to Name ____________________________________________________________________

City: __________________________________________________ State: ________________ ZIP code:________________ Phone: ______________________________E-mail address: ____________________________________________________ Pay via check (payable to Conservation Federation of Missouri) or charge (MasterCard, Visa or Discover) Credit card number: ______________________________________________________________ Expiration date: __________ Signature of cardholder: __________________________________________________________________________________ Please mail to Conservation Federation of Missouri • 728 W est Main • Jefferson City, MO 65101-1559 If you have questions, call us at 1-800-575-2322 or visit us at www .confedmo.org CFM is an IRS-approved tax-exempt not-for-profit, so your donations are tax deductible.

MISSOURI WILDLIFE

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CALENDAR MISSOURI FESTIVALS AND AFFILIATE EVENTS AFFILIATE EVENTS

It Hike, Clydesdale County Park, Saint Louis (9:00am – 11:00am) NOV 8: Caving Trip for Beginners, Meramec State Park (10:00am – 2:00pm); (314) 615-8472 NOV 14: Feast of the Hunters Full Moon, General Daniel Bissell House, Saint Louis (6:00pm – 9:30pm); (314) 615-8840 NOV 14: Military Timeline, Fort Belle Fontaine Park, Saint Louis (3:00pm – 4:00pm) NOV 15: Military Timeline, Fort Belle Fontaine Park, Saint Louis (4:15pm – 5:15pm) NOV 18: Steering Committee Meeting, The Green Center, Saint Louis (6:30pm – 8:00pm); (314) 725-8314 NOV 21: Creve Coeur Park Wetland Restoration (9:00am – 1:00pm); Mitch Leachman (314) 599-7390 DEC 5: Grand Glaize Creek Watershed Monitoring (8:00am – 1:00pm) DEC 7: Monthly Board Meeting, Saint Charles Community College – College Center Building Room 202, Saint Charles (7:00pm – 9:00pm) DEC 11: Candlelight Tour, General Daniel Bissell House, Saint Louis (7:00pm – 9:00pm); (314) 544-6224 DEC 12: Winter Adventure Hike, Dresser Island Conservation Area, West Alton (1:00pm – 4:00pm); (314) 877-6014 DEC 12: Boutique in the Barn, General Daniel Bissell House, Saint Louis (12:00pm – 9:00pm); (314) 544-6224 DEC 31: New Year’s Eve Night Hike, Columbia Bottom Conservation Area, Saint Louis (6:30pm – 8:30pm); (314) 877-6014

CAPITAL CITY FLY FISHERS NOV 5: Teach a Vet to Tie, Veterans Hospital – Conference Room C202, Columbia (3:00pm) NOV 10: Club Meeting, Runge Nature Center, Jefferson City (7:00pm – 9:00pm) NOV 15: Hooked on Fly Fishing Not Drugs, South Callaway RII School, Mokane (3:00pm) NOV 19: Teach a Vet to Tie, Veterans Hospital – Conference Room C202, Columbia (3:00pm) DEC 3: Teach a Vet to Tie, Veterans Hospital – Conference Room C202, Columbia (3:00pm) DEC 8: Club Meeting, Runge Nature Center, Jefferson City (7:00pm – 9:00pm) DEC 17: Teach a Vet to Tie, Veterans Hospital – Conference Room C202, Columbia (3:00pm) GREENWAY NETWORK NOV 2: Annual Member’s Meeting, Culpeppers, Saint Charles (7:00pm – 9:00pm) NOV 7: Gather ‘Round the Fire and Hayrides, Fort Belle Fontaine Park, Saint Louis (3:00pm – 5:15pm); (314) 544-6224 NOV 7: Honeysuckle Pull, Forest Park (11:00am – 3:00pm) NOV 7: Missouri Votes Conservation 8th Annual Statewide Environmental Summit, William Woods University, Fulton (8:30am – 3:30pm); (314) 725-9494 NOV 7: Brush Creek Litter Pickup (9:00am – 12:00pm) NOV 7: 10th Annual River Des Peres Fall Cleanup (1:00pm – 4:00pm) NOV 7: Gravois Creek Area Hoof

MISSISSIPPI VALLEY DUCK HUNTERS ASSOCIATION NOV 11: Speaker & Election of Officers DEC 9: Christmas Party & Installation of Officers

12:00pm)

MISSOURI DUCKS UNLIMITED NOV 5: Grand Prairie Membership Banquet, Elks Lodge, Blue Springs (6:00pm); Gene Cole (816) 797-9905 NOV 5: Davis Creek Membership Banquet, Sweet Springs (6:00pm); Tonya Winfrey (660) 238-2708 NOV 7: Golden Valley Membership Banquet, Benson Convention & Exposition Center (6:00pm); Parker Mills (660) 885-3368 NOV 7: Squaw Creek Membership Banquet, The Klub, Mound City (6:00pm); Bud Reilly (660) 442-5547 NOV 14: Two Rivers Suzies Holiday Extravaganza; Beth Thomas (314) 570-4672 NOV 28: Annual Dinner and Auction, Knights of Columbus Hall, Salisbury (5:30pm); Wes Morrison (660) 777-3405

MISSOURI TROUT FISHERMEN’S ASSOCIATION DEC 1: Meeting & Christmas Party

MISSOURI NATIONAL WILD TURKEY FEDERATION FUNDRAISING BANQUETS NOV 7: Cedar Creek Gobblers, Orleans Trail Resort, Stockton; Walter Meeker (417) 276-3241 WOMEN IN THE OUTDOORS NOV 27-29: Ladies Doe Hunt, Northwest Missouri Outfitters, Denver; Karla Ledom (816) 858-2570 MISSOURI PARKS & RECREATION ASSOCIATION NOV 4-6: Leadership Development Institute NOV 17-19: National Playground Safety Institute, Community Center, North Kansas City NOV 20: Legislative Committee Meeting, Musco Lighting Building, Jefferson City (10:00am – 12:00pm) DEC 4: Board of Directors Meeting, Musco Lighting Building, Jefferson City (10:00am –

REDUCE • REUSE • RECYCLE 1 4

NOVEMBER 2009

MISSOURI PARKS ASSOCIATION NOV 6: Informational Meeting, Katy Trail Trailhead, Saint Charles (12:00pm – 1:30pm); (636) 899-1135

MISSOURI WHITETAILS UNLIMITED NOV 21: Milan Area Chapter, Community Center, Milan DEC 5: Jamestown Disabled Freedom Hunt Chapter, Community Center, Jamestown DEC 11: Davis Creek Chapter, Community Center, Higginsville DEC 31: Missouri State Raffle, Missouri District Office, Centralia (12:00pm) OZARK FLY FISHERS NOV 3: Membership Class, Powder Valley Nature Center, Saint Louis (6:30pm) NOV 13-15: Bennett Springs CNR, Bennett Springs NOV 26: Monthly Meeting DEC 1: Membership Class, Powder Valley Nature Center, Saint Louis (6:30pm) DEC 17: General Membership Meeting, Queeny Park Recreation Room (7:00pm) DEC 17: Knots and Fly Tying, Queeny Park Recreation Room POMME DE TERRE CHAPTER MUSKIES, INC. NOV 7: White Bass Outing DEC 5: Planning Meeting SOUTHWEST MISSOURI FLY FISHERS NOV 12: Business Meeting, Springfield Nature Center, Springfield (7:00pm) DEC 10: Business Meeting, Springfield Nature Center, Springfield (7:00pm)

CFM EVENTS

JAN 15-17: Board Meeting, Big Cedar Lodge, Branson FEB 26-28: Annual Convention, Lodge of Four Seasons, Lake Ozark

CFM Fall Conference Highlights The Outdoors

Thanks to the 2009 Planning Committee:

PHOTOS: JACOB SWAFFORD/CLC

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hat a great time of year to gather with fellow CFM members and enjoy a weekend away from the hustle of our daily lives. Camp Clover Point provided the perfect setting for programs focused on Missouri Outdoors.

Attendees enjoyed presentations and activities that included archaeology, archery, spear throwing with an atlatl, feral hogs, our American flag, bats and bat house construction, happy hour with white elephant sale, square dancing, fly tying, bingo, and of course, lots of time at the campfire.

Mark Corio provides entertainment by the fire, even singing and playing harmonica for the late-night campfire crowd.

Barbara van Benschoten Charley Ponciroli Sy and Sara Seidler Doug, Teresa and Jake Bohne

Don’t miss Fall Conference 2010!!

Fall Conference is a wonderful celebration of conservation, with lots of family fun and informative activities.

With so much to celebrate in 2010, we hope you’ll join us and make next year’s Fall Conference the best yet!

Thanks to all those who led Fall Conference activities, sharing their expertise:

Archaeology Judith Deal and Kerry Nichols, Archaeologists, State Historic Preservation Office, DNR

Kevin Lohraff keeps everyone on target with the Mathews Genesis Bows.

Gene Wilson’s square dancing is a hit with both young and old—no dance experience required!

Grant Day, Senior Archaeologist, AMEC

Feral Hogs

American Legion Post 229

Rex Martenson, MDC, Feral Hog Eradication Program Coordinator

Fly Tying

Kevin Lohraff, MDC, National Archery in the Schools Coordinator

Bat Program

Square Dance

Dr. Sybill Amelon, USFS

Gene Wilson

Bat House Construction

Flags

White Elephant Sale

Doug and Teresa Bohne

Byron Grimes,

Sy Seidler

Archery

Capitol City Fishers

MISSOURI WILDLIFE

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Chronic Wasting Disease: Where Are We In 2009? nderstanding chronic wasting disease (CWD), a degenerative neurological disease found in deer, elk, and moose, has proven to be a challenge for both scientist and managers.

Chronic wasting disease is in a family of infectious neurological diseases known as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) that attack the brain of animals resulting in emaciation, abnormal behavior, loss of body function and eventually death in infected animals.

CWD was first recognized in 1967 in captive mule deer in the Colorado Division of Wildlife captive wildlife research facility in Fort Collins, Colorado. In 1981, CWD was first discovered in a free-ranging deer in Colorado. Subsequently, CWD has been found in free-ranging deer, elk, and moose in Illinois, Kansas, New Mexico, New York, South Dakota, Utah, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, Alberta and Saskatchewan. CWD has been discovered in captive deer and/or elk in Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New York, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Alberta, and Saskatchewan.

Other TSEs include bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in cattle, scrapies in domestic sheep and goats, feline spongiform encephalopathy (FSE) in cats in Europe, 1 6

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These deer, shown in an evening photo taken with a Cuddeback Trail Camera, are emaciated, which could be a result of chronic wasting disease.

Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) and a new variant (vCJD) in humans. CJD occurs naturally in the human population at approximately one in every million persons while vCJD in humans has been linked to eating BSE-infected cows.

There is evidence to suggest that a species barrier exists that prevents the transmission from deer to humans.

The management and control of CWD outbreaks has been a struggle for many wildlife managers. Attempt to depopulate and eradicate CWD have largely been unsuccessful. In some situations where CWD outbreaks are limited in geographic spread intensive sharp

NOVEMBER 2009

shooting has been effective in reducing prevalence but not in eliminating the disease from the landscape.

Areas of Colorado and Wyoming where CWD has been present for several decades report prevalence rates of 20%–40%. When Wisconsin began battling CWD 7 years ago, the goal was to eliminate the disease from the state. From 2002 to 2007, prevalence rates remained pretty consistent at 2%–3% in male and female yearlings (1.5 years old), 5% in adult females (≤2.5 years old), and 10% in adult males. Despite efforts to depopulate or at least greatly reduce deer densities prevalence increased in 2008 to

6% in yearling males and 15.5% in adult males. As a result of the failed attempt to eradicate CWD, Wisconsin is in the process of reevaluating their CWD management plan. The focus is likely to shift from one of eradicating CWD from the landscape to minimizing the number of infected deer and limiting the spread of CWD. nswering the questions of how CWD is transmitted and how it persists in an area have proven to be challenging. Animal to animal contact was believed to be the primary mode of CWD transmission, however recent research points

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toward environmental contamination as an important factor leading to the persistence and spread of CWD. Prions are released into the environment through feces, blood, saliva, and other tissues left behind by infected carcasses. A recent study published in the journal Nature revealed that asymptomatic CWD-infected deer excreted CWD prions in their feces 7–11 months before exhibiting clinical signs of the disease. It has been shown experimentally that deer can contract CWD from decomposed carcasses of infected deer. Additionally, a recent scientific report published in the Canadian Veterinarian Journal suggests that the decomposed carcasses of elk may have served as environmental sources of infection in farm raised elk.

It’s not known how long prions are viable in the environment but we do know that it is at least 7 years. There also appears to be a positive interaction that makes prions more infectious after they bind to certain soil particles, particularly clay.

When deer graze in infected areas they ingest dirt bound with prions. With no way to inactivate prions bound to soil there is no chance of eradicating CWD. Because of environmental contamination it is the current belief that there is no way to eradicate CWD from infected areas. Our best course of action is to take the steps necessary to keep CWD out of Missouri. The Conservation Commission recently approved a regula-

The Missouri Department of Conservation monitors the state’s deer population, checking the wild deer population through the use of deercams and testing samples from hunter-harvested deer.

Our best course of action is to take the steps necessary to keep CWD out of Missouri. tion, effective in 2010, that will restrict the transport of carcasses and carcass parts into Missouri. Currently 35 states have similar regulations on the importation and transportation of cervid carcasses and carcass parts. The intent of the new regulation is to restrict the import of the carcass parts (brain, spinal column, lymph nodes, etc.) that contain the highest concentrations of infectious prions. Hunters will be prohibited from importing deer, elk and moose carcasses with the exception of quarters (without spinal column or head), boned meat, antlers, antlers attached to the skull cap, skulls cleaned of all tissue, canine teeth, and

finished taxidermy mounts.

In the event that a hunter is unable to process an animal prior to entering the state they will be required to take the animal to a meat processor or taxidermist , then the carcass will be disposed of in a landfill. urveillance of wild deer continues to be a priority. Prompted by concerns over the impact of CWD on whitetailed deer populations in 2001, MDC began targeted CWD testing of wild deer in poor body condition. Following the first confirmed outbreak of CWD in freeranging white-tailed deer in Wisconsin, MDC conducted

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a statewide surveillance of hunter-harvested deer to assess the status of CWD in the free-ranging deer herd.

From 2002–2004, nearly 22,000 samples were collected, testing for CWD in every county of the state. Targeted testing of sick deer occurred in 2005 and 2006. In 2007, MDC began a three-year program of CWD testing in which one-third of the state was sampled annually. Taxidermists were recruited to collect samples from adult males. Incidence of CWD is highest in adult males in other states, so this procedure targeted the most likely sex-age class to be infected.

In 2007 and 2008 more than 1,200 samples were collected in the northern and central thirds of the state, respectively. In 2009, we expect to collect a similar number of samples in the southern third of the state. Through the completion of CWD testing in 2008, no deer have been CWD-positive. In addition to surveillance of hunter-harvested deer, MDC is also testing any animals that are observed by the public or staff as showing symptoms typical of CWD. It’s important that if CWD does enter Missouri that we know about it early enough to implement measures to control its spread.

To report the harvest or sighting of a sick deer, contact an MDC regional office.

More information about CWD can be found at http://www.cwd-info.org.

Jason Sumners Resource Staff Scientist, MDC

MISSOURI WILDLIFE

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NEWS & ISSUES A COLLECTION OF STORIES FROM AROUND THE STATE

NWF, Hollywood Team Up For Kids And Nature National Wildlife Federation is partnering with the studio producing the movieWhere The Wild Things Are to launch the national Be Out There campaign to connect kids and families with nature at home, at schools, and in their communities. For more information, including a parent/teacher guide and a poster, visit the NWF website, http://www.nwf.org/BeOutThere/

Missouri Hunting Heritage Federation to Expand Operations Statewide Missouri Hunting Heritage Federation, a two-year-old nonprofit organization based in Pleasant Hill, Mo., is poised to expand operations throughout Missouri, according to its president, Lee Vogel. MHHF conducts free weekend hunter education clinics designed to introduce youth, ages nine years and older, and their families to hunting and the outdoor way of life.

MHHF was founded to help recruit and retain young hunters. To date, MHHF has organized 13 hunting/trapping events in seven counties around the Kansas City metropolitan area. Ninetynine youth and their families have attended these events, and MHHF now envisions a program that would provide clinics in all of Missouri’s 114 counties.

A recent $10,000 grant from JB Reynolds Foundation also has boosted MHHF’s ability to expand statewide, Vogel said, allowing the group to purchase equipment that will be used to recruit new members throughout the state and provide training in how to conduct free hunter education clinics using MHHF’s proven techniques. The 1 8

NOVEMBER 2009

organization also is working to secure funding for a full-time executive director position.

Also at its annual meeting, MHHF announced the recipients of its highest award, named in honor of Keith McCanse, the conservationist who, in the 1920s, laid the groundwork for modern-day conservation in Missouri.

Dan Hertzog, owner of Hedge Hollow Ranch in Bates County, Mo., and Ty Green, assistant manager of the ranch, received the award. Both men were instrumental in securing early funding for MHHF’s hunter education clinics and in providing land for youth hunts.

Scholastic Shooting Trust To Match $1 Million Competitive school shooting teams received a huge boost of support today when Larry and Brenda Potterfield announced they would match the first $1 million in donations to school teams through the Scholastic Shooting Trust. Any school receiving a donation in the Scholastic Shooting Trust Fund, an endowment of MidwayUSA Foundation, will have it matched dollar for dollar by the Potterfield family until the $1 million goal is reached. The Scholastic Shooting Trust has already provided grants to 26 teams this year and the number of teams receiving grants has the potential to increase substantially with this announcement.

The Scholastic Shooting Trust was formed to provide funding for shooting sports education in traditional public and private high schools, colleges and universities, so that participating students can improve their confidence, discipline and leadership skills. Alumni, families, the community, and other interested individuals and organiza-

tions, fund the grants through donations to the Scholastic Shooting Trust so that youths have a better opportunity to compete in the shooting sports.

Quail And Grassland Birds A Priority For MDC MDC continues to find solutions to declining populations of northern bobwhite, greater prairie chickens and other grassland birds. The status of quail and grassland bird populations and efforts to reduce their decline remain top MDC priorities. In FY09 the Department completed approximately 103,000 acres of quail and grassland bird friendly habitat work on conservation areas throughout the state. Biologists are using prescribed burning, light disking, food plots, natural community restoration, woody cover enhancement, and invasive plant control to improve habitat conditions on public lands. On conservation areas designated as Quail Emphasis Areas, more than 19,000 acres of quail and grassland bird-friendly habitat was completed, and biologists are closely monitoring quail and songbird responses to our management efforts. MDC continues to assist private landowners by providing technical and financial assistance on a variety of natural resource projects, including quail and grassland bird habitat management. In addition, the Department has established 34 private land quail focus areas throughout the state in places where landowners are actively managing their property for quail.

Two Missouri counties are also the first in the nation to be recognized as achieving habitat goals identified in the Northern Bobwhite Conservation Initiative. Landowners and conservation partners have been working together in Scott and Cass County to restore thousands of acres of quail and grassland bird friendly habitat by using cost share funds through USDA conservation programs, MDC cost share and NGO grants.

REDUCE REUSE RECYCLE

ne of the easiest ways to make your home or office greener is through the practice of waste reduction, which is actually waste prevention. Reduce is the first R in the trio of Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle, and is one of the easiest to implement in your home or business.

The first step to reducing waste is not to create it.

While shopping for household items, look for things that do not have a lot of packaging. Instead of purchasing individual sized snacks, buy in bulk and make your own individual portions in reusable containers. Do not purchase one- time use products such as paper napkins, paper plates, and paper towels. Rather, purchase durable tableware and cloth napkins, and use washrags or towels cleaning rather than paper.

At the office, don’t print out e-mails or other docu-

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WELCOME CFM NEW MEMBERS Dennis Baker, De Soto David Baldridge, Willow Springs Elizabeth Barttlebort, Festus Joe Bindbeutel, Columbia Ryan Blair, Columbia Sarah Cope, Cape Girardeau

©ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/STEPHANIE CONNELL

Waste Reduction Is An Easy Step To Living Green

Using durable tableware and cloth napkins is an easy way to reduce waste during the holiday season and at other times, too.

ments unless you absolutely need them, and be sure to print on both sides of the page. Use pens and pencils that can be refilled, and purchase office supplies that have a high content of recycled material.

To reduce the amount of plastic waste your household produces, avoid purchasing bottled water. Fill a reusable aluminum or plastic water bottle with tap water, which is economically and environ-

Frank Donath, Sedalia Tim Doyle, Saint Louis John Forderhase, Fayette Troy Garner, Advance Larry Hahn, Demotte, IN Ron Hahn, Union Jackie Harding, House Springs Scott Haymaker, Jefferson City Amy Inman, Ballwin Julianna Inman, Ballwin Shelby Jones, Jefferson City

mentally friendly. Don’t purchase single-use items like disposable razors and nonrechargeable batteries. Look for durable, high quality items that will last a long time and will be more cost effective in the long run. Take your name off of mailing lists for magazines or catalogs that you do not want, and use unwanted catalogs for craft projects or as wrapping paper.

Consider renting items

George Kroeger, Saint Louis Jason Markovich, Wentzville Don Martin, Columbia Jeanne McNeal, Saint Louis Hugh McPheeters, Saint Louis Don Neese, Kansas City Jim Neese, Olathe, KS David & Carol Percifull, Saint Louis Casey Prough, Drexel Scott Rice, Hallsville Mike Riley, Jefferson City

that you use infrequently, such as costumes, yard equipment, or even DVDs that you are not sure you want to purchase.

With the holidays coming up, try to give gifts that minimize waste, such as concert or sports tickets, homemade treats, and gift certificates.

While shopping, be sure to carpool or use mass transportation and take your own bags to carry items home, eliminating the need to reuse or recycle a paper or plastic bag. When it comes to wrapping gifts, get creative and wrap them in things like blankets, towels, canvas bags and quilts which can also be part of the gift, rather than generating waste with wrapping paper.

For more tips and information about reusing, reducing and recycling, visit the Missouri Department of Natural Resources’ Web site at www.dnr.mo.gov/env/swmp or call 800-361-4827 or 573751-5401.

William Rule, Kansas City Larry Russell, Rogers, AR Henry Schafermeyer, Saint Louis Katie Schallon, Ballwin Hollis Smith, Independence Carol Squires, Columbia Beth Stucky, Jefferson City James Wammack, Ozark Christopher Wilson, Jefferson City David Witter, Columbia Alan Zerr, Lake Saint Louis

MISSOURI WILDLIFE

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The Conservation Federation of Missouri Holiday Wreath

Basic—$24.95

Mailbox—$24.95

Deluxe—$34.95

Order Form Ordered by: Name ____________________________________ Street/RFD (no PO boxes) ________________ City ________________________________State ZIP Code ________________________________ Phone No. ________________________________ Number of wreaths to this address __________ Gift wreaths to: Name ____________________________________ Street/RFD (no PO boxes) ________________ City ________________________________State ZIP Code ________________________________ Phone No. ________________________________ Gift Message (example: “Happy Holidays” - Limited to 35 characters) ____________________________ ________________________________________

Fax to: 573-634-8205 Mail to: CFM 728 West Main Street Jefferson City, MO 65101-1559

Please X when you would like your wreath(s) delivered.

X

For delivery the week of: Nov. 16, 2009 Nov. 23, 2009 Nov. 30, 2009 Dec. 7, 2009 Dec. 14, 2009

Total No. of Wreaths

Your order must be received by: Nov. 11, 2009 Nov. 18, 2009 Nov. 25, 2009 Dec. 2, 2009 Dec. 9, 2009

Price Each

Total Price

Basic Deluxe Mailbox

$ 24.95 * $ 34.95 * $ 24.95 *

*Shipping cost within Missouri is $6.70/wreath and outside Missouri is $11.50/wreath.

S/H Total

Please indicate Basic Wreath Bow Preference ~

Plaid Red Velvet Circle Payment Method: Check

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Card No. __________________________________________ Exp. Date __________________________________________

2009 conservationist award winners pictured with CFM President Glenn Chambers .

Send In Nominations Now For Conservation Achievement Awards The Conservation Federation of Missouri is pleased to announce that nominations are being accepted for the prestigious Missouri Conservation Achievement Awards. Each year the CFM recognizes individuals and organizations in Missouri for their outstanding achievements in conservation. We wish to acknowledge personal efforts and award each recipient for actions that have lead to a significant conservation success during the calendar year. CFM Conservation Awards are presented in the following categories: • Conservationist of the Year • Conservation Communicator of the Year • Forest Conservationist of the Year • Air Conservationist of the Year • Professional Conservationist of the Year • Conservation Educator of the Year • Water Conservationist of the Year • Youth Conservationist of the Year • Hunter Education Instructor of the Year • Wildlife Conservationist of the Year • Soil Conservationist of the Year • Conservation Organization of the Year

Any resident of Missouri may be nominated for a Conservation Award. All clubs, including but not limited to CFM affiliates, are eligible for consideration. Anyone may submit an application.

To nominate someone for an award simply write their name, address and occupation on a nomination form along with your name, address and the specific category in which you are nominating the individual or club. You must include a statement, no longer than three pages typewritten, detailing the nominee’s contributions to conservation during the calendar year.

The deadline is December 31, 2009. Send the application to: CFM 728 West Main Street Jefferson City, MO 65101 For detailed information on the CFM award categories, check out our website at www.confedmo.org.

Winners will be the special guests of the CFM at the Annual Meeting of Delegates, February 26, 2010, at the Lodge of Four Seasons.

MISSOURI WILDLIFE

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OPERATION CLEAN STREAM

Bags, Bottles And 13,000 Tires...Oh My!!! ach year, Operation Clean Stream Stream Team #5 coordinates America’s longest and largest on-going River Restoration project. Individuals from all walks of life, including boy scouts, alumni groups, and river rats united in the common cause of cleaning up the river on Saturday and Sunday, August 22 and 23, 2009. This date marked the 42nd Operation Clean Stream, an annual river restoration project that attracts more than 2,000 volunteers to the Meramec River and its tributaries.

Some individuals chose to walk along the riverbanks, parks and access areas where they discovered cans and plastic bags, while others canoed along the river tossing water bottles and debris into their boats. Some folks hoisted tires into Johnboats and others used backhoes to remove rusting cars. All of the trash was deposited into temporary trash and recycling centers located along the river and then transferred to facilities where proper disposal of the garbage is possible. After the work was done, the volunteers met up with one-another to interact and share stories of the “big catch” while enjoying refreshments and a free T-shirt.

The event provided an opportunity for different generations to interact, and many individuals who began volunteering 40 years ago are now bringing their children and grandchildren. Families and

other groups teamed up for healthy competitions of trash accumulations. The event provided an opportunity for individuals to give back to their community and assist in the renaissance of the Meramec River.

The annual event began in 1967 and has grown in the number of volunteers every year. It was created and is managed by the Open Space Council for the St. Louis Region, a not-for-profit organization that works to preserve and restore open space throughout the region.

Many businesses and corporations aid the event by providing funding and manpower.

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Over the past decade alone, an estimated 18,000 volunteers have removed almost 4,000 cubic yards of trash and 13,000 tires from the Meramec River Basin as a part of Operation Clean Stream.

The Open Space Council wishes to thank all of the supporters and volunteers for another successful year and invites everyone to come out for the 43rd Operation Clean Stream, scheduled for Saturday, August 29, 2010. More information can be found at http://www.openspacestl.org.

A local youth poses for a photo while cleaning up Simpson County Park in St. Louis County.

P H O T O S : O P E N S PA C E C O U N C I L / K AT H E R I N E D O C K E R Y

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A portion of the tires from this year’s clean-up wait to be properly disposed of at George Winter Park in Fenton, Mo. Over the past 10 years, thousands of tires have been removed from the Meramec River Basin.

NOVEMBER 2009

COME VISIT US AT OUR GRAND REOPENING Veteran’s Day ~ November 11 Now Located Across The Street

New Solar Lights for 2009 2 Models to Choose From

Flags & Flagpoles Make Excellent Gifts For Young & Old • SHOP EARLY •

HONORING OUR VETERANS AND THEIR SERVICE Leo Cardetti’s Distributing Company 210 N. Jefferson Saint James, MO 65559

800-532-3524

MDC

• Grand Opening Specials • Veteran Discounts • Food and Door Prizes

Wetlands restoration includes recreating natural water flow.

Work Continues At State’s Oldest Wetlands The Golden Anniversary Wetlands Initiative (GAWI) continues to restore Missouri’s five oldest state-owned wetlands.

Ted Shanks Conservation Area (CA) restoration is nearing completion, and Fountain Grove CA is a third of the way through the second of two phases. The construction bid has been awarded at Montrose CA and is awaiting permits in order to begin work.

Perhaps the biggest news is that a $1 million North American Wetlands Conservation

Act grant has been awarded to the Missouri Department of Conservation in September for the phase 1 renovation at Duck Creek. New technology is being utilized there, called LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), which is a remote sensing system used to collect topographic data. This will aid in locating historical wetland features, recreating natural water flow and placement of water control structures. Schell Osage CA will be the last area renovated and work is expected to begin in FY2014.

MISSOURI WILDLIFE

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AGENCY NEWS

Feral Hog Toll Mounts In Battle For Wildlands State And Federal Agencies Say 400 Removed, Work Has Just Begun he outcome of Missouri’s war against feral hogs remains uncertain, but conservation officials are gathering intelligence behind enemy lines and marshalling forces for a pitched battle.

Missouri currently is in the early stages of a feral-hog population boom. Swine ranging from domestic porkers to hogwild descendents of razorbacks and Russian boars exist as established populations in 20 counties, mostly in southern Missouri. Another 19 areas scattered all over Missouri have isolated feral-hog populations.

In almost every case, these populations grew from animals released deliberately to create hunting opportunities.

Unfortunately, those opportunities come with serious liabilities.

Rex Martensen, who is in charge of the Missouri Department of Conservation’s feralhog control effort, says hogs running loose create ecological havoc, taking acorns and other natural foods away from wildlife They root up large expanses of forest and field in search of roots, bulbs, small mammals and the eggs of ground-nesting birds, including quail and turkeys. They also invade crop fields and pastures. Crops planted as food plots on conservation areas are favorite targets of wild hogs.

As if that were not enough, feral hogs seek out springs, 2 4

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Corral traps like this one help the Missouri Department of Conservation remove feral hogs from conservation areas.

seeps and fens where they wallow, creating erosion and fouling streams with their feces.

Most feral hogs weigh less than 200 pounds, but they can grow to more than 500 pounds. Regardless of size, sharp tusks and an aggressive disposition make feral hogs dangerous.

Feral hogs also pose an economic threat to Missouri. In 1992, the Missouri Department of Agriculture (MDA) imposed quarantine on several

NOVEMBER 2009

thousand acres in Carter, Shannon, Oregon and Ripley counties after feral hogs in the area were found to have pseudorabies. Wild hogs can carry the pseudorabies virus without serious symptoms, but the disease is fatal to many other wild and domestic animals.

Missouri’s domestic swine are considered disease free and a good source for safe, healthy pork products. However an outbreak of swine brucellosis

or pseudorabies from feral hogs into domestic swine could severely cripple Missouri’s pork industry, creating a negative economic impact that would affect the entire state.

Besides pseudorabies, feral hogs can carry leptospirosis, swine brucellosis, swine fever, foot-and-mouth disease, African swine fever and several other potentially devastating diseases. A federal quarantine to prevent the spread of such diseases would be enormously damaging to Missouri agribusiness.

Swine brucellosis can infect humans, causing a malady known as undulant fever. This can cause arthritis, urinary inflammation, meningitis, heart inflammation and depression.

The Conservation Department has opened two fronts in its war on feral hogs. One is in Iron, Reynolds and Wayne counties – the epicenter of a large infestation in the Ozarks.

This area encompasses thousands of acres of state and federal land and some of the state’s most fragile ecosystems – glades and fens. The other area is public land in west-central Missouri.

Since Jan. 1, Conservation Department workers have removed more than 200 hogs from conservation areas or surrounding private property where landowners have asked for help. Efforts by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and

AGENCY NEWS the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) bring Missouri’s 2009 hog-removal total to nearly 400.

While this is better than nothing, Martensen says much more effective measures are needed. Feral hogs are so prolific they can maintain a stable population with 70-percent annual losses.

“We aren’t anywhere near that,” said Martensen.“At present, we are only slowing the growth of the feral hog problem, not stopping it. Our goal is to eradicate hogs from state land. However, we would still consider it a success if we eliminated them from some areas and contained their spread in others.”

So far this year, the two most effective hog-removal methods have been aerial gunning from a helicopter and catching hogs in corral-type traps with one-way doors.

Other methods, including snaring and sharpshooting with night-vision equipment, are less effective, but still valuable for removing remnant hog populations following trapping and aerial shooting work.

The Conservation Department continues to develop new techniques and strategies for hog removal. One technique that has not panned out as well as hoped is the use of Judas pigs. This is intended to take advantage of hogs’ social nature. A trapped hog is fitted with a radio-tracking collar and released. In theory, hog eradication crews should be able to follow the collared pig back to its herd. However, the success of this method has

been limited at best.

Spying plays a role in every war, and the Conservation Department’s hog hostilities are no exception. Trail cameras are a valuable tool in antiswine espionage. These cameras have become popular with deer hunters in recent years.

Triggered by motion or infrared sensors, they take digital photos or videos of passing wildlife 24 hours a day.

“Let’s say you know from your trail camera that you have 15 pigs in a group,” said Martensen.“If you find five adults in a trap, you know you’ve got more work to do.”

An even more sophisticated way of gathering intelligence behind enemy lines involves unwitting informants. The Conservation Department fits captured hogs with GPS (global positioning system) collars that record the animal’s position every 2.5 hours. The resulting data reveal where hogs go at different times of day, night and year. They also provide insights about how hog behavior changes when they are pursued by trappers or hunters. This information could facilitate posttrapping/hunting mop-up operations.

“When that study is done it will have national impacts,” Martensen said.“It is going to be pretty significant in the feral-hog world.”

Martensen calls the current strategy of each agency pursuing feral hog eradication on its own land a “shotgun approach.” He said the multiagency Feral Hog Task Force created by Gov. Blunt in 2007 is discussing a concerted effort in a selected area to see what

they can accomplish by focusing all their resources in a limited area. This is a good fit for the current stage of Missouri’s feral-hog problem, which still consists of isolated populations that could be eradicated one by one.

“If it works, then we apply those methods to other areas of the state,” said Martensen.“If it doesn’t work, then we identify why it doesn’t work and see if we can fix it and take another run at it.”

The Conservation Department has budgeted $45,000 this fiscal year for the feral-hog fight. This covers traps, bait, all-terrain vehicles, firearms, ammunition, remote cameras and other equipment and supplies, but not staff time. Personnel from several of the agency’s divisions take part in the work, but none devotes full time to the effort.

Prosecuting a war takes money, and the current economic situation affects feralhog eradication work. Like other state agencies, the Conservation Department faces shrinking revenues and staff reductions.

“At some point, we need to have more serious funding for hog eradication,” said Martensen,“but with the economic downturn that probably won’t happen any time soon.

In the meantime, we are working on making the public aware of why feral hogs are bad and why we need to get rid of them. We don’t want to be a hog hunting state like Texas or Arkansas.”

Jim Low News Services Coordinator, MDC

Southern Wings Continues he Missouri Department of Conservation and the Wildlife Division continue to be involved with Southern Wings, which was developed by a task force of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies’ Bird Conservation Committee in 2008. Southern Wings is a partnership of state fish and wildlife agencies that provide a funding mechanism for bird conservation projects in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC).

Many of Missouri’s migrant birds spend up to 8 months each year in this region, about 450 species songbirds alone.

State funds are matched then used for projects such as monitoring of birds populations, protection and restoration of habitat, public education and help LAC partners acquire lands in critical core habitats.

Southern Wings is a flexible process for states to conserve their species of greatest conservation need during winter.

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MISSOURI WILDLIFE

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River Hills

Traveler Examine Traveler in your home.

We’ll send the outdoor magazine of the Ozarks to your home free for three months then we’ll send a bill ($18). If you want to keep getting Traveler, pay the bill. If you don’t, you won’t. It’s that simple.

Go to www.riverhillstraveler.com/ traveler-subscription.php.

Click on FREE TRIAL Or call 1-800-874-8423 and ask f or a free sample subscription.

Join the CFM Business Alliance today!

Check the annual member category you prefer: $250—Basic $1,000—Silver $5,000—Gold $10,000—Platinum CFM Business Alliance members will receive a one-year subscription to Missouri Wildlife, recognition in each issue of Missouri Wildlife and a CFM Business Alliance sticker.

Please mail this form with your gift supporting CFM to:

Conservation Federation of Missouri 728 West Main Jefferson City, MO 65101-1559 The Conservation Federation of Missouri is a 501(c)(3) organization. If you have questions, call us at 1-800-575-2322 or visit us at www.confedmo.org to sign up online

Business Name: __________________________ Contact Name: __________________________ Address: ________________________________ City: ____________________________________

• Sporting Clays • Skeet • Trap • 5-Stand Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday • Ammo Pro Shop • Loaner Guns • Corporate Functions • Fund Raisers

22701 Rocheport Rd, Boonville MO 65233 (660) 882-9130 • (573) 445-2363 www.Riverhillssportingclays.com 2 6

NOVEMBER 2009

State: __________________________________ ZIP code:________________________________ Work phone: ____________________________ Home phone: ____________________________ Fax number: ____________________________ E-mail address: __________________________ Please make checks payable to the Conservation Federation of Missouri.

We also accept MasterCard, Visa, or Discover below or online at www.confedmo.org

Credit card number: ______________________ Expiration date: __________________________ Signature of cardholder: __________________

Recreational Fishing And Hunting Act Introduced Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus Hopes To Increase Land Access ongressional Sportsmen’s Caucus House CoChair Rep. Dan Boren introduced H.R. 3749, the Recreational Fishing and Hunting Heritage and Opportunities Act, on October 7, 2009, in conjunction with the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation 20th Anniversary Banquet.

H.R. 3749 would direct the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management to utilize the “multi-use” mandates in their agencies’ respective land management plans to promote sportsmen’s access to forest and public lands, enhancing the ability of Federal land managers to provide, promote, and plan for recreational uses that balance the needs and interests of all outdoor enthusiasts.

“I introduced this legislation to preserve the heritage of hunting, fishing and shooting on our federal public lands. Numerous reports in recent years have demonstrated what sportsmen already know: access to public lands is being closed or constrained due to increased development along bound-

C

ary lines,” said Rep. Boren.

CSC House Co-Chair Rep. Paul Ryan and ViceChairs Rep. Mike Ross and Rep. Jeff Miller signed on as original co-sponsors of H.R. 3749. The bill currently has 39 co-sponsors, all members of the Caucus. CSC Senate Member, Sen. Lisa Murkowski, along with co-sponsors CSC Co-Chairs, Sen. Mike Crapo and Sen. Ben Nelson, introduced companion legislation in the United States Senate.

“The entire leadership of the CSC worked alongside the Foundation and many of our partners in crafting and introducing this legislation to coincide with the celebration of the CSC/CSF 20th Anniversary celebration,”

said CSF President Jeff Crane. “This bill is confirmation of the effectiveness of the Caucus and Foundation in producing legislation advantageous to the nation’s hunters and anglers.”

The legislation maintains that an “open until closed” approach is best. This would require that lands which are currently open to hunting, fishing, and recreational shooting remain open unless reasonable closures are determined to be necessary after proper notification to the public and to Congress has been made. Specifically, the bill requires that all Federal public land planners evaluate the effects that management initiatives have on outdoors activities and provide a clear analysis of how proposed actions would affect these traditional users of federal public lands. The bill would provide federal land managers with the authority to designate specific areas for recreational shooting.

“Nearly 50 million men, women, and youth hunt and fish. Almost half of all hunters use federal lands, and in certain states the fed-

eral government owns the only open land available.

Millions more engage in target shooting at ranges and informal sites on our public lands. We must protect and enhance sportsmen’s access to federal lands and opportunities to participate in these activities,” said Boren.

Nothing in the bill will open lands to hunting, fishing, or recreational shooting that by law or regulation are presently closed or require that a federal agency give preference to hunting, fishing, or shooting over other uses of federal public land or water management priorities.

The legislation maintains states’ authority to manage fish and wildlife on federal public lands and preserves the exclusive authority of states to require licenses or permits for sportsmen and sportswomen.The Act authorizes for 10 years the Sport Fishing and Boating Partnership Council and the Sporting Conservation Council as policy advisors to the Administration on issues relevant to wildlife conservation and sportsmen’s communities.

best be described as lively, and is characterized “Fall turkey huntingbycannoiseperhaps and motion and lots of excitement. ”

—Tom Kelly, The Tenth Legion

MISSOURI WILDLIFE

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Sora rails in a vest.

Hunter and retriever in a pretty wetland.

On The Hunt A young hunter with a green-winged teal.

Photos Courtesy Of Jim Low

Photo above: Golden retriever and woodcock. Photo at right: Norb Giessman with a pair of pintails at Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area.

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NOVEMBER 2009

Better Turkey Nest Success Means Better Hunting Survey Results Show More Young Turkeys This Year Than In Past Two hings are looking up for Missouri’s wild turkey flock and for those who hunt the wily birds.

That is the latest word from Resource Scientist Tom Dailey. He bases his optimistic outlook on results from a statewide survey. Each summer, volunteers send in reports of the number of wild turkey hens they see and how many poults (little turkeys) each hen has with her. In 2007, the statewide poult-to-hen ratio was 1.1 to 1. Last year it fell to one poult per hen.

“There is good news for turkey hunters in much of the state this fall,” said Dailey, who oversees turkey management for the Missouri Department of Conservation. “Poult production improved over last year’s near-record low. Statewide, the ratio of poults to hens was 1.2, this year up 8 percent from 2008.”

This year’s poult-to-hen ratio was highest in the Bootheel and eastern Ozarks regions, where observers reported 1.6 poults for every hen. That represents a 48-

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Observers report the best nesting success for Missouri’s wild turkey flock since 2006, in spite of heavier than normal rainfall. That means hunters will find more juvenile turkeys to hunt this fall and more jakes, as yearold gobblers are known, next spring.

percent improvement for the Bootheel and a 26-percent increase in the eastern Ozarks compared to 2008.

Detailed survey results are

available at http://www. mdc.mo.gov/20607.

This year’s poult-to-hen ratios were below last year’s in northern and western Mis-

souri. However, Dailey noted that many of these counties still have some of the state’s largest turkey populations and some of the best hunting.

“The northern part of the state started out with more turkeys,” said Dailey, “so they still have plenty, in spite of this year’s disappointing nesting success.”

Dailey said weather has been the main brake on turkey numbers in recent years. A bizarre Easter freeze in 2007 destroyed many eggs before they hatched and sent hens and gobblers back to pre-mating season behavior.

Last year’s all-time record rainfall took a heavy toll on young turkeys, which are extremely susceptible to death by hypothermia. Wetter-than-average weather this spring and summer also cut into poult survival.

In spite of setbacks in recent years, Missouri’s annual wild turkey harvest of approximately 50,000 remains one of the largest in the nation.

Jim Low News Services Coordinator, MDC

I have spent too many days alone in the depths of the forest primeval and “ on the mountain’s shaggy breast not to know full well that printed precepts are poor substitutes for Nature’s wild school of object-teaching. ”

—Theodore S. Van Dyke, The Still Hunter

MISSOURI WILDLIFE

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AFFILIATE NEWS

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embers of the Perry County Sportsman Club, along with their families and friends, recently celebrated the club’s 50th anniversary. The Club also invited organization affiliated with wildlife and wildlife management to set up display booths for the crowd. Those affiliated organizations included representatives from the Missouri Department of Conservation, the Conservation Federation of Missouri, Wild Turkey Federation, Quality Deer Management Association, Bass Casters, Missouri Trappers Association, ASCS, Ducks Unlimited, Quail Unlimited, 4-H youth groups, and Blevins Archery.

The Perry County Sportsman Club is a not-for-profit organization that was founded by a group of twelve men in 1959. The Club’s main purposes have been: • To improve hunting and fishing in Perry County • Purchase of land and stocking said land for hunting and fishing • Any other means to improve these activities within Perry County • Proceeds derived from any activities of the Club shall be donated exclusively to the furtherance of wildlife activities • The Club shall practice conservation and protection of all natural resources The Perry County Sportsman Club owns approximately

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Perry County Club Celebrates 50th Anniversary

Young and not-so-young are having a ball at the Perry County Sportsman Club.

900 acres specifically for members to use for hunting and fishing. The grounds have a guest cabin, campground with a shower house, a pavilion and

a small lake. Several small ponds can also be found throughout the property. The members also maintain seventeen wildlife food plots.

CONSERVATION FEDERATION OF MISSOURI AFFILIATES Anglers of Missouri Beaver Lake Beagle Club Big Game Hunters, Inc. Bridlespur Hunt Club Capitol City Fly Fishers Central Missouri Chapter Safari Club Coldwater Outing & Game Preserve Festus-Crystal City Conservation Club Greenway Network, Inc. Heaven’s Anglers Jefferson County Coonhunters, Inc. Lambert Field Rod & Gun Club Meramec Area Sportsman Association Midwest Diving Council Mississippi Valley Duck Hunters Mississippi Valley Gun Club Missouri Association of Meat Processors Missouri Bass Federation Missouri Bird Conservation Initiative Missouri Bow Hunters MIssouri Chapter of the American Fisheries Missouri Chapter of the Wildlife Society Missouri Chapter Soil and Water Conservation 3 0

NOVEMBER 2009

Society Missouri Conservation Agents Association Missouri Consulting Foresters Association Missouri Department of Agriculture Missouri Ducks Unlimited State Council Missouri Forest Products Association Missouri Hunter Education Instructors Association Missouri Hunting Heritage Federation Missouri Hunting Spaniel Club Missouri National Wild Turkey Federation Missouri Native Seed Association Missouri Parks & Recreation Association Missouri Parks Association Missouri Prairie Foundation Missouri Ruffed Grouse Society Missouri Smallmouth Alliance Missouri Society of American Foresters Missouri Sport Shooting Association Missouri State Campers Association Missouri State Council Quail Unlimited Missouri Taxidermist Association Missouri Trappers Association Missouri Trout Fisherman’s Association

Missouri Waterfowl Association Missouri Whitetails Unlimited Monett Sportsman League MU Student Chapter Wildlife Society Northeast Missouri Coonhunters Association Northside Conservation Federation Open Space Council Ozark Fly Fishers Ozark Wilderness Waterways Club Perry County Sportsman Club Pomme de Terre Chapter Muskies, Inc. River Relief, Inc. Saint James Civic Club South Side Division Conservation Federation Southwest Missouri Fly Fishers Tipton Farmers & Sportsman Club United Bow Hunters of Missouri Walnut Council & Other Fine Hardwoods Wecomo Sportsman Club Wild Elk Institute of Missouri Wildlife Society of Missouri State University Windsor Lake Rod & Gun Club

Please join CFM today to conserve our natural resources for tomorrow!

Check the member category you prefer: $25—Individual $15—Student $30—Family $100—Sustaining $1000—Lifetime Your dues include a 1-year subscription to Missouri Wildlife, a logo sticker and a membership card.

Please mail this application with your membership dues to: Conservation Federation of Missouri 728 West Main • Jefferson City, MO 65101-1559 If you have questions, call us at 1-800-575-2322 or visit us at www.confedmo.org Name:____________________________________________________________________________ Address: __________________________________________________________________________ City: ______________________________________________ State:____________________________ ZIP code: ______ Work phone: ____________________________________________ Home phone: ______________________________ Fax number: ____________________________________ E-mail address: ______________________________________ Please make checks payable to the Conservation Federation of Missouri.* If you prefer, you may charge your membership dues to your MasterCard, Visa, or Discover card.

Credit card number:________________________________________________________ Expiration date: __________ Signature of cardholder: ______________________________________________________________________________ *Note: CFM is an IRS-approved tax-exempt not-for -profit, so your donations are tax deductible.

HONORARIUMS

AND

MEMORIALS

In honor of the 60th Birthday of Al Hoog Chris & Joyce Burgoyne ~ Saint Charles, MO

In memory of Charles Shrum Mike & Mossie Schallon ~ Wentzville, MO

In honor of the 60th Birthday of Al Hoog James Riordan ~ Fenton, MO

In memory of Anthony Rother Art & Katy Markus ~ Saint Louis, MO

In memory of Nancy Addleman Arnold & Helen Meysenburg ~ Lees Summit, MO

In memory of Etha Belle Johnson Wendy Knudsen & George Farrell ~ Defiance, MO

In memory of Nancy Addleman Howard & Joyce Wood ~ Boone Terre, MO MISSOURI WILDLIFE

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Experience Experien ce the journey

or

DOCUMENTARY FILM

“River Voices and Songs”

CD OF SONGS INSPIRED BY THE FILM

CD and DVD’s

All proceeds go to The Open Space Council -ERAMEC 2IVER for the St. Louis Region.

-IRACLES AND -ILESTONES To order contact 636.451.6090 or log onto www.openspacecouncilstl.org

$100 each e + $2.95 S&H

Missouri Wildlife Advertising Rates And Specifications Missouri Wildlife is the official publication of the Conservation Federation of Missouri. Publication began in 1938, and it has been published continuously since. All CFM members are eligible to receive the bimonthly 36-page magazine in January, March, May, July, September, and November. Printed by Tribune Publishing of Columbia, Missouri Wildlife has a stitch-and-trim format and is printed using soy ink on 27.5” web, 50# uncoated recyclable stock. The final trim size is 8.25 x 10.25 in. The “live image area” (LIA) is 7.25 x 9.25 in. (back cover LIA = 7.25 x 6 in.). Full color is available throughout.

The usual deadline for camera-ready ads is the 10th of the month preceding publication. We prefer to receive ads on disk or via email.

Mac or PC platform is acceptable. Ads may be created in Quark, Word, Illustrator, or Photoshop (note: text will not print as crisply from Photoshop as from the others). Please ensure that color ads are CMYK (all spot colors must be converted) with text as 1-color black (100% K). Include all fonts and image files, unless ad is a pdf or jpeg. Resolution for ads on inside pages: 200 ppi. Resolution for ads on cover pages (front, back, inside front, inside back): 300 ppi.

Size 1/16 page 1/8 page 1/4 page

Black & White $45 $90 $175

Color $65 $125 $250

Size Black & White 1/2 page $350 full page (inside front, back covers) $695 full page (inside pages) $695

Color $495 $990 $990

Rates A discount of 2% is allowed for ads paid in advance or for billing paid within 10 days. A 15% discount is allowed for ads running in six issues or more, paid in advance. All accounts are net 30 days.

To Order an Ad Write CFM, Missouri Wildlife Advertising, 728 West Main, Jefferson City, MO 65101. Submit your ad electronically to lcoleman@confedmo.org. For more information, call (800) 575-2322.

Mechanical Dimensions 1/16-page ad = 1.687 x 2.125 in.

1/8-page ad (horizontal) = 3.535 x 2.125 in.

1/8-page ad (vertical) = 1.687 x 4.147 in.

1/4-page ad = 3.535 x 4.417 in.

1/2-page ad (horizontal) = 7.25 x 4.417 in.

1/2-page ad (vertical) = 3.535 x 9 in. full page ad (inside pages) = 7.25 x 9 in.

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NOVEMBER 2009

full page ad (inside front, back covers) = 7.25 x 9.25 in. with bleeds = 8.25 x 10.25 in. (add extra 0.25 inch top, bottom, outside edge for bleed) back cover ad = 7.25 x 6 in. with bleeds = 8.25 x 6.5 in. (add extra 0.25 inch top, left edge for bleed)

© I S T O C K P H O T O . C O M / TA M M Y B R Y N G E L S O N

Thank You, Conservationists For Life!

Charles Abele, Saint Louis R. Philip Acuff, Saint Joseph Duane Addleman, Springfield Nancy Addleman† James Agnew, Arnold Richard Ash, Saint Charles Carolyn Auckley, Jefferson City Michael Baker, DeSoto Dane Balsman, Perryville Jim Tom Blair, Saint Louis Marilynn Bradford, Cape Girardeau Stephen Bradford, Cape Girardeau Glenn Chambers, Columbia Ron Coleman, Saint Albans Mark Corio, Columbia John Enderle, Kelso Mr. & Mrs. Andrew Fleming, Columbia Howard & Sara Fleming, Moberly Mr. & Mrs. Matt Fleming, Moberly Matt Gaunt, Columbia Timothy Gordon, Maryland Heights Dave Kolb Grading, Saint Charles Gray Manufacturing Company, Saint Joseph Debbie Gremmelsbacher, Saint Louis Gery Gremmelsbacher, Saint Louis Herman Hanley, Grain Valley Mickey Heitmeyer, Advance Randy Herzog, Saint Joseph

James Hill, Mexico Allan Hoover, Pleasant Hill Larry & Joan Hummel, Glencoe Don Johnson, Festus Roger & Debbie Johnson, Humansville Tom Karl, Farmington Duane & Cosette Kelly, Independence Marty King, University City Judd Kirkham, Climax Springs Sara Knight, Charlotte, NC Carl Kurz, Leawood, KS Ann Kutscher, Jefferson City Larry Lackamp, Bates City Jay Law† Gerald Lee, Kansas City Joel LeMaster, Fulton Norman Leppo, Saint Louis John Lewis, Columbia Leroy Logan, Arnold Chip and Teresa McGeehan, Marshfield Cynthia Metcalfe, Saint Louis Davis Minton, Dexter David Murphy, Columbia Dean Murphy, Jefferson City Sara Parker Pauley, Hartsburg Abe Phillips, Saint Louis Jan Phillips, Saint Louis Nick Prough, Harrisonville Gerald Ross, Jefferson City

Mike Schallon, Ballwin Mossie Schallon, Wentzville Timothy Schwent, Jackson George Seek, Meadville E. “Sy” Seidler, Saint Louis Sara Seidler, Saint Louis M.W. Sorenson, Columbia Charles & Winnie Stribling, Mexico Mary Stuppy, Joplin Mark Sullivan† Jim Talbert, Jefferson City Tim Thompson, Saint Charles Jeff (J. T.) Tillman, Lake Ozark Gary Van De Velde, Jefferson City Barbara VanBenschoten, Kansas City Lee Vogel, Kansas City Al Vogt, Columbia Julius Wall, Clinton Randy Washburn, Jefferson City Robert Werges, Arnold Mark Williams, Lawson Stephen Wilson, Hartsburg Daniel Witter, Holts Summit Dick Wood, Saint Louis Howard Wood, Bonne Terre Dan Zerr, O’Fallon Robert Ziehmer, California † Deceased

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