Missouri Conservationist August 2021

2021·10.7 MB·English

by  Missouri Department of Conservation

MISSOURI
VOLUME 82, ISSUE 8, AUGUST 2021
SERVING NATURE & YOU
CONSERVATIONIST
BBEECCOOMMEE
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OONNLLIINNEE
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Missouri adults 16 and older can complete
hunter education training all online.
_ Flexibility to learn _ Access _ No in-person skills
at your own pace 24/7 session required
The all-online course includes engaging video
and animation on hunter safety, firearm safety,
ethics, regulations, and wildlife management.
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MISSOURI
CONSERVATIONIST
Contents
AUGUST 2021
VOLUME 82, ISSUE 8
10
ON THE COVER
Woodland crayfish
: JIM RATHERT
GOVERNOR
Michael L. Parson
THE CONSERVATION COMMISSION
CHAIR Don C. Bedell
VICE CHAIR Wm. L. (Barry) Orscheln
SECRETARY Mark L. McHenry
MEMBER Steven D. Harrison
DIRECTOR
Sara Parker Pauley
16
DEPUTY DIRECTORS
Mike Hubbard, Aaron Jeffries,
Jennifer Battson Warren
MAGAZINE STAFF
MAGAZINE MANAGER
Stephanie Thurber
EDITOR
Angie Daly Morfeld
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Larry Archer
PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR
Cliff White
STAFF WRITERS
Bonnie Chasteen, Kristie Hilgedick,
Joe Jerek
FEATURES
DESIGNERS
Shawn Carey, Marci Porter
10
PHOTOGRAPHERS
The Art of Missouri’s 22 Noppadol Paothong, David Stonner
CIRCULATION MANAGER
Conservation Laura Scheuler
Past, present, and future. mdc.mo.gov/conmag
by Brian Flowers
16
Beneath the DEPARTMENTS
Water’s Surface 2 Inbox
Snorkeling offers unique 3 Up Front With Sara Parker Pauley
view of stream life.
4 Nature Lab
by Doug Novinger
5 In Brief
22
28 Get Outside Download this
Youth Shooting Sports issue to your
30 Places To Go phone or tablet at
A gateway to firearms safety, mdc.mo.gov/mocon.
32 Wild Guide
outdoor skills, and self-confidence.
by Francis Skalicky 33 Outdoor Calendar Prairie lizard ADownndloardo foird
Inbox
Letters to the Editor SNAKE TREK
Submissions reflect I thoroughly enjoyed your article on copperheads.
readers’ opinions and When I was a young Girl Scout camp counselor at
may be edited for length Camp Cedarledge in Pevely, the nature specialist
and clarity. Email
had a live copperhead to show all the campers. She
[email protected]
released it into the woods once camp came to an
or write to us:
end for the summer. Such a great experience!
MISSOURI
Sue DiPiano New Melle
CONSERVATIONIST
PO BOX 180
JEFFERSON CITY, MO 65102 I have read your magazine for almost six years, ALWAYS LEAVE NATURE BETTER
since our move from Iowa to Missouri. Snake Trek I’ve been watching this great blue heron that
made me look at snakes in an entirely new way. As hangs around Drake Harbor in Warsaw. Obviously,
a Trekker since age 16, I have loved each and every an angler failed to clean up his or her mess.
SSnnaakkee rendition of Star Trek, as well as all the movies. It It makes me sick to watch this poor thing try
touched my soul as you intertwined Trek vernacular to swallow fish it catches. They bounce off the
Trek
and also used the Trek font for each section. “Live fishing line and fall back into the water. I have
long and prosper.” seen it swallow things it gets through the end
Marcy Wenberg Kirksville of its beak, but they are very small morsels
EstoXrPy LanOd RpIhNotGog rTapHhEs bSyT DRanA ZNarGlenEg aWORLD OF COPPERHEADS
from fish remains left behind by anglers.
INSECTS IN NEED Maureen McNeil via email
I am in my late 60s and have my own unscientific
way of determining that the insect population has Please leave nature better than how you find it.
drastically declined [Insects in Need, May, Page 22]. Leave all areas you visit with anything you bring
From the time I was a child until somewhere around in, including discarded fishing line. This is just one
22 Missouri Conservationist | June 2021
my early 30s, whenever we gassed up our cars, we example of the dangers that await wildlife at the
SNAKE TREK also had to clean insects off our car windshields to see hands of careless humans. —the editors
Fabulous and the road. That no longer happens, even on long
informative Snake road trips. So, either the MAKING CONNECTIONS
Trek article and insects have gotten I teach English online to students in China. Every
photography by smart enough to so often, I send one of my students a batch of
Dan Zarlenga avoid cars or we Conservationist and Xplor magazines. I recently
[June, Page have a lot less bugs. started an insect unit with my student. We were NEIL
MC
2yo2u].r I weonnjodye rful Mary AnKni rBk.w Fooordd bSheeg ivnenriyn ge xtcoi tteadlkly a wbhouiptp tehde oliufet chyecrl eJ uolfy b2u0t2te0r fleideist.i on MAUREEN
mmaognathz.i nIte ise ach oPfa gthee 1 C0o].n Ssehrev awtaiosn siost e[Fxrcoitmed B tiog -bEeye adb lteo tBoe mauatkifeu la, N: COURTESY
always superlative connection with me. Thank you for the wonderful HERO
rJeudayd Kinoghm. articles and pictures. Miranda Kurbin Kansas City GREAT BLUE
via email
Conservation Headquarters Have a
Connect With Us!
573-751-4115 | PO Box 180, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0180 Question for a
Commissioner?
/moconservation Regional Offices
Send a note using
@moconservation Southeast/Cape Girardeau: 573-290-5730 Southwest/Springfield: 417-895-6880 our online
Central/Columbia: 573-815-7900 Northwest/St. Joseph: 816-271-3100 contact form at
@MDC_online Kansas City: 816-622-0900 St. Louis: 636-441-4554 mdc.mo.gov/
Northeast/Kirksville: 660-785-2420 Ozark/West Plains: 417-256-7161 commissioners.
2 Missouri Conservationist | August 2021
Up
Want to see your photos
in the Missouri Conservationist? Front
Share your photos on Flickr at
flickr.com/groups/mdcreaderphotos-2021,
email [email protected],
or include the hashtag #mdcDiscoverNature
on your Instagram photos.
with Sara Parker Pauley
_ Sitting around a firepit on a cool summer evening
recently, one of our friends jumped to his feet and pointed
to the western sky. We all jumped up, uttering words of
amazement, as we witnessed a long linear string of SpaceX’s
Starlink satellites orbiting the earth. They disappeared almost
as quickly as they appeared.
I admire the determination of visionaries like Elon Musk —
for his space-age satellites and his next quest to develop rockets
bound for Mars. But like Dorothy, I tend to think there’s no
1 place like home … as in planet Earth. We have plenty of work
to do here to ensure we have a livable planet for those of us
2 who decide to remain.
1 | Raccoon by This question about our future came to mind when I read
Mark Duchesne,
this month’s article on the magnificent murals of Charles W.
via Flickr
Schwartz depicting the last two centuries of the conservation
2 | Parker fishing
story in Missouri — its challenges and successes (see The Art
on the Gasconade
by Justin Landon, of Missouri’s Conservation on Page 10). I wondered what future
via email murals might reveal about how we faced the conservation
3 | Midland water challenges of today and tomorrow, such as species decline,
snake by Kathy habitat loss, relevancy of nature to a changing society, and a
Bildner, via Flickr changing climate.
Yes, we have a lot to tackle, but the future depends on
our continued commitment to action today. And looking to
3
Schwartz’s murals and the long history of public commitment
to conservation in Missouri, my optimism endures. As Dietrich
Bonhoeffer noted, “The ultimate test of a moral society is the
kind of world it leaves its children.”
SARA PARKER PAULEY, DIRECTOR
[email protected]
The Missouri Conservationist (ISSN 0026-6515) is the official monthly publication of the Missouri
Department of Conservation, 2901 West Truman Boulevard, Jefferson City, MO (Mailing address: PO
Box 180, Jefferson City, MO 65102.) SUBSCRIPTIONS: Visit mdc.mo.gov/conmag, or call 573-522-
MISSOURI CONSERVATION COMMISSIONERS 4115, ext. 3856 or 3249. Free to adult Missouri residents (one per household); out of state $7 per year;
out of country $10 per year. Notification of address change must include both old and new address
(send mailing label with the subscriber number on it) with 60-day notice. Preferred periodical postage
paid at Jefferson City, Missouri, and at additional entry offices. POSTMASTER: Send correspondence
to Circulation, PO Box 180, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0180. Phone: [phone], ext. 3856 or 3249.
Copyright © 2021 by the Conservation Commission of the State of Missouri.
HY
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mdc.mo.gov 3
Nature
L A B
by Bonnie
Chasteen
Each month, we highlight research
MDC uses to improve fish, forest,
and wildlife management.
PROTECTING AQUATIC LIFE
Fish Kill and
Pollution Program
MDC Fisheries staff count and sort dead fish to collect evidence
_ You’ll know a fish kill when you see or smell it — after a fish kill at Truman Dam in 2013. Their efforts helped the
the sudden appearance of dead fish in a lake or stream. program assess damages to the Truman Reservoir fishery.
“Half of reported fish kills are caused by natural
events like temperature extremes, lack of oxygen in
the water, and disease,” said MDC Scientist Rebecca many natural fish kills in ponds and lakes by
O’Hearn. She heads up Missouri’s Fish Kill and Pol- maintaining oxygen levels through algae control,
lution Investigation Program. “The rest are caused by including reducing nutrient inputs or applying
pollution — human and livestock waste, chlorinated algaecides or aeration.
drinking water, or chemical spills,” she said. 82-year When fish kills are caused by a pollutant, more
Every year, MDC handles around 100 fish kill and effort has solutions are required to remedy the problem.
other water-quality events that pose a threat to fish, helped “When a violator can be identified, they are
wildlife, and recreation. reduce charged the cleanup costs and monetary damages,
The program celebrated its 80th anniversary in which compensate the state for losses of fish and
fish kill
2019. “MDC initiated it in 1939 to tackle the state’s wildlife,” O’Hearn said. Depending on the circum-
and water
significant pollution problems at the time,” said stances leading to the fish kill, DNR may also assess
pollution
O’Hearn. The program works in collaboration with the a penalty for violations of the MCWL.
incidents
Missouri Department of Natural Resources (DNR), “MDC uses compensated damages for fish and
the state’s pollution control agency, to investigate, wildlife recovery and improvement of aquatic habi-
mitigate, and enforce Missouri’s Clean Water Law tats,” O’Hearn said.
(MCWL) for pollution incidents. To report fish kills and pollution, see Be the
She noted that managers can prevent or solve Solution below.
Fish Kill Program
Goals Long-Term
at a Glance
• Protect aquatic resources
Pollution Trends
• Maintain high quality
Dropped from a high of 60
fishing and recreation
Natural pollution kills in 1991 to a low
Conservation Both
s Resources of 4 pollution kills in 2018
e
ol Pollution Sources
Determines Notifies Remediates
R cause authorities pollution • Municipal

er Assesses Responds Collects penalties • Agricultural Be the Solution —
fish & wildlife on-scene
n damage Assesses water • Industrial Report Pollution
t Collects quality damage
r Recommends evidence • Transportation To report fish kills and pollution
Pa restoration Sernedlesa psreesss C&ol ilencvtecsso dtsitagmataivgee s • Lreasnidd ednistitaulr rbuannocfef and coar lDl yNoRu ra lto 5c7a3l -M6D34C- 2o4ffi3c6e. MDC FILE PHOTO
4 Missouri Conservationist | August 2021 Learn more at short.mdc.mo.gov/Zr6
In Brief
News and updates from MDC
MISSOURI The four counties were added because
CWD was found in or near them. With the
CONSERVATION
additional counties, the CWD Management
COMMISSION Zone consists of 34 counties.
MDC confirmed 44 new cases of CWD The 2021 CWD
APPROVES from more than 15,300 deer tested during Management Zone
the past year. Of the 44 new cases, one includes 34 counties.
CHANGES TO CWD
was found in Pulaski County, which had no
SURVEILLANCE, previously known cases of CWD. Due to the detection of CWD in Pulaski
County, MDC recommended that Pulaski County and adjacent Camden
MANAGEMENT
and Laclede counties be placed in the CWD Management Zone. Due to
EFFORTS the CWD-positive deer in northern Benton County in Arkansas within
10 miles of McDonald County in Missouri, MDC recommended that
THE CHANGES REINSTATE McDonald County be added to the CWD Management Zone.
MANDATORY SAMPLING, The commission also gave its approval to reinstate mandatory
ADD FOUR COUNTIES TO CWD sampling for the coming deer season. Counties designated for
THE MANAGEMENT ZONE mandatory CWD sampling must be approved by the commission each
year. As a result of COVID-19, MDC waived the mandatory sampling
 During its May 21 open requirement for last year’s opening weekend.
NG meeting, the commission added Hunters who harvest deer in any counties of the CWD Management
O
H
OT Camden, Laclede, McDonald, Zone during opening weekend of the November portion of firearms deer
OL PA and Pulaski counties to the season (Nov. 13–14) are required to take their harvested deer (or the head)
NOPPAD CWD Management Zone. continued on Page 6 »
mdc.mo.gov 5
In Brief
CWD REGULATION CHANGES
Ask MDC
(continued from Page 5)
on the day of harvest to one of MDC’s mandatory CWD
sampling stations throughout the zone. Got a Question for Ask MDC?
Hunters must follow carcass-movement restrictions
Send it to [email protected]
when traveling to a mandatory CWD sampling station. or call 573-522-4115, ext. 3848.
Hunters must present their deer (or the head) to a man-
datory CWD sampling station within the county of har-
vest, with a few exceptions. Deer that will be delivered
to a permitted meat processor or taxidermist within Q: I’ve spotted this red
48 hours, or deer heads that will be left at an MDC fox on several occasions.
mandatory CWD sampling station for disposal after It appears to have longer
sampling, may be transported to a sampling station legs than a typical fox.
in any county. Can you explain why?
CWD regulations prohibit the placement of feed or  Like juveniles of many
minerals for deer in counties in the CWD Management species, this lanky fox (Vulpes
Zone. For the four counties newly added to the CWD vulpes) has not yet grown into
Management Zone, the deer feeding ban became effec- its ears and legs. It also appears
tive July 1. Additionally, deer transportation regulations to be healthy but slightly
effective within all CWD Management Zone counties underweight, which contributes
limit the transportation of some deer parts outside of to the illusion its legs are
the county of harvest. unusually lengthy.
Also related to CWD management, MDC has removed Rabbits, mice, and rats are
the antler-point restriction (APR) for the upcoming deer staples of a red fox’s diet. When
season in Camden and Pulaski counties. Younger bucks, food is plentiful, a fox typically
which are protected under the APR, are more likely to dis- kills more than it eats. This
perse and potentially spread CWD. Therefore, removing surplus is usually buried in the Red fox
the APR within the CWD Management Zone minimizes ground or covered with grass
the risk of disease spread to other areas. or leaves and sprinkled with
Also beginning this fall, hunters may fill two Firearms urine. Red foxes can eat about sheltered spots. During the
Antlerless Deer Hunting Permits in Camden, Laclede, a pound of meat at a feeding. breeding season, though,
and Pulaski counties. Foxes often capture and store they provide a den for their
Additional information shrews and moles, but they young. In urban and suburban
on these and other regu- rarely eat them. Sometimes the areas, many people enjoy their
lations will be included in cached food is discovered and encounters with foxes. To learn
MDC’s 2021 Fall Deer & Tur- eaten by skunks, crows, owls, more about these canines, visit
key Hunting Regulations hawks, or other foxes. short.mdc.mo.gov/ZHz.
and Information booklet, When stalking prey, a fox
available where permits either takes high, deliberate Q: I found this frog in my
are sold and online at steps or crouches low and pool. What species is it?
short.mdc.mo.gov/ZVo. approaches surreptitiously. It  This is a wood frog,
CWD is a deadly dis- then rushes or pounces on the Lithobates sylvaticus. These ONES;
eanasde o itnh ewrh miteem-tabielerds odfe tehre deer family. The purpose ua nbwitaer yfr ovimct iimts, pwohwicehr fiusl kjailwlesd. by forro bgrso awren taannd, pspinokrits ha tan, MARY CAYE J
ocaf sMesD aCs’s e CarWlyD a ss apmopssliinbgle asnod t htees dtienpga ertfmfoertnst icsa tno lfiimndit borRdeedr sf ooxf efso rpersetfeedr tahreea s and dthaer ke yberos wannd m eaasrks .through OOD FROG:
W
mtheen stp arcetaidon osf. tThhee dtoisteaal sneu mbyb iemr polfe kmneonwtnin CgW mDa ncaagsees- addejnascee natn dop eexnte lnansidves, faovroeisdtisn. g liveIsn iMn icsosooul, rfio, rtheisst eradr era svpineecsie s M STRUTZ;
O
in the state is 206. MDC has tested more than 152,300 During most of the year, red where small, fishless ponds OX: T
deer since the first cases of CWD were found in free- foxes sleep on the ground in or pools are available for late RED F
ranging deer in Missouri in 2012. For more information
on CWD and MDC efforts to limit the spread of the
disease, visit mdc.mo.gov/cwd.
6 Missouri Conservationist | August 2021
Sean Ernst
SULLIVAN COUNTY
CONSERVATION AGENT
offers this month’s
AGENT
ADVICE
Wood frog Conservation areas provide
opportunities to enjoy
winter to early spring breeding. throughout parts of Missouri. They the last remaining days
They live mainly in mature forests have quite a large range from New of summer and get out
on the eastern side of the state England to Alaska with numerous
in nature — all while
and are known to overwinter isolated populations as far south as
staying close to home.
on land beneath deep layers of Arkansas and Alabama.
leaves or under moist logs. Wood frogs feed on a variety of Many conservation areas
Wood frogs are a species of insects and other invertebrates. Their allow camping if you’re
conservation concern in Missouri; voice is a quick series of waaaduck
looking for a quick get-away.
however, they are expanding their sounds. To learn more about these
Missouri is a great place
range and becoming more common frogs, visit short.mdc.mo.gov/ZHD.
to fish, and conservation
areas are a great place to
start. Be sure to have the
proper permits and you’re
set to try and catch the
latest state record fish! Two
small-game seasons are still
What
in full swing — squirrel
and bullfrog/green frog
IS it?
seasons. Both seasons are
excellent ways to introduce
Can you
guess this hunting and angling to
month’s youth. For information
natural
on both seasons, visit
wonder?
mdc.mo.gov/seasons. To
The answer is on
find a conservation area near
Page 9.
you, visit mdc.mo.gov/atlas.
Get out and enjoy August!
mdc.mo.gov 7
In Brief
DISCOVER NATURE AT THE MISSOURI STATE FAIR
Discover nature with MDC at the Missouri State Fair in Sedalia Aug. 12–22. Visit the
Conservation Building on the fairgrounds from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. to see live fish and other
native animals, including snakes, turtles, and amphibians. Enjoy educational displays
about native plants that help butterflies and other important pollinators. Ask MDC
staff conservation-related questions, get educational materials, and have fun.
Aug. 13 is Missouri Department of Conservation Day — a full day of fun and
excitement sponsored by MDC. For a complete list of events happening on
Aug. 13, check out mostatefair.com/schedules/friday-aug-13. Zebra
swallowtail
BLACKBERRY
GELATO
Nothing tastes better on a hot summer day than
a cool, icy treat. This recipe delivers the coolness
you crave during the dog days of summer
with the sweet, juicy kick of Missouri’s own
blackberries. This Italian ice cream will have you
screaming for more!
Courtesy of Cooking Wild in Missouri
by Bernadette Dryden
Serves 6
INGREDIENTS:
1 pound blackberries (about 2 cups)
¾ to 1 cup sugar
½ cup water
½ cup heavy cream or plain yogurt
(I use low-fat, but whole milk works also)
MIX blackberries and sugar in food processor until
thoroughly blended. Then add water and blend well
again. Taste for sweetness. Press mixture through a fine-
mesh strainer into a metal bowl, leaving solids in strainer.
Set aside.
If using cream, WHIP it in another bowl until it thickens
slightly (to the consistency of buttermilk). Whisk cream or
yogurt gently into the fruit mixture, combining thoroughly.
Taste — the fruit flavor should shine through. Add more
sugar if you find it not sweet enough (however, it’s best to
add sugar while mixture is still in the food processor and can
be spun around again). If you like it now, you’ll love it after
it’s frozen. Cover bowl and chill for at least 1 hour. I often
leave it overnight in the refrigerator.
POUR into container of your ice-cream maker and
freeze, following the manufacturer’s instructions. This Cooking Wild in Missouri is available for
makes about 3 cups of gorgeously purple-red gelato. $16 at most MDC nature centers. To order,
Dip it up into your prettiest dessert dishes and top with call toll-free 877-521-8632 (shipping and
pieces of fruit. handling charges will apply).
8 Missouri Conservationist | August 2021