Missouri Conservationist January 2006

2006·2.6 MB·English

by  Missouri Department of Conservation

MISSOURI
January
2006
Volume 67
Issue 1
CONSERVATIONIST
Serving Nature & You
Vantage Point
Fish Castles
Turn back the pages of time
and try to imagine what
would be the one thing that
a fish and a medieval king have in
common. The answer? Both would
make sure there was plenty of water
in the castle’s moat!
Actually most fish would want
more than just ample water for their
castle. They would also demand
other elements necessary for their
survival, such as food and protec-
tion from predators. E
T
HI
Many of us have gone through W
F
F
the process of buying or building CLI
our own “castle.” Generally, we
get to choose the community, neighborhood or rural streams. Add too much sediment to a stream and you
property where we want to reside. Missourians have a get smothered riffles, suffocated eggs, clogged gills and
fair amount of control over their home environment. buried fish food items.
Fish do not. When a fish is looking for a home, it When times get tough, some fish are mobile enough
seeks habitat that provides shelter from harsh condi- to search for a better aquatic landscape. And some spe-
tions, a place to rest, a place to spawn and a place cies of fish willingly change their home by season, just
to eat. Unlike us, fish don’t have many choices about like a fair number of Missouri’s retirees. When we block
where they live. Their home is the underwater habitat fish movements with large dams, we keep stream fish
that is available. For some fish, their home territory away from critical shelter and spawning grounds.
may be less than a mile of stream. What can we do to spruce up Missouri’s fish castles?
Many Missourians, particularly anglers, are aware of Fish castle improvement involves upgrading our
the places where larger, adult fish live. However, people water and sewage treatment plants, keeping dirt in its
pay little attention to young fish and where they spend place on our properties and construction sites with
their early lives. Homes for young fish are called nurs- vegetated buffers, retention structures and terraces.
eries, just like the hospital wards where our precious Watersheds should be managed under best manage-
babies receive special treatment. A fish nursery is criti- ment practices, which include leaving or enhancing
cal to the health of young fish and to their contribution tree-lined banks along streams and reestablishing
to the adult population. wetlands that are critical for maintaining adequate
Creation of fish habitat depends on natural forces summer flows.
like willow growth on sand bars, cottonwoods on We are essentially the insurance policy for Missouri’s
stream banks, and the periodic reshaping of the flood- fish castles. Fish are totally dependent on our actions for
plain by floods. the quality of their homes, obligating us to dedicate some
When people interfere with these natural processes, of our time, effort and monies toward habitat improve-
some important building blocks are omitted, and the ment. So, join a Stream Team, monitor water quality in a
castle can take on the appearance of a shanty. If the local creek for a class project, get involved in fish habitat
damage is severe, renovating a fish castle may require issues as an angler group, and conduct business affairs
50 to 100 years or more. in a sound manner. We can play a big part in making a
Many people experienced the heartbreak of water fish’s home its castle.
entering their homes during the 1993 flood. While you Sir Bassalot will appreciate our efforts!
generally can’t get too much water for a fish castle, you
can get too much sediment that’s carried by high water.
Sediment is the number one pollutant of Missouri Steve Eder, Fisheries Division Administrator
Contents
January 2006
Volume 67, Issue 1
4 WHERE ARE THE DUCKS?
—by Andrew Raedeke and
David Graber
Finding the connection between
refuges, wetlands and better
hunting.
10 THE THRESHOLD OF GONENESS
—by David Urich
A survival manual for living
peacefully with a non-hunting
and fishing spouse.
14 CP33 PAYS
—by Bill White and
Michelle Motley
4 10
A Conservation Reserve Program
practice increases quail habitat
and farm profits.
18 NO DOUBTING THOMAS
—by Tom Cwynar
Missouri’s Thomas Hill Reservoir
warms up winter days for anglers.
DEPARTMENTS
Reflections 2
2005 Annual Report 26
News & Almanac 28
COVER
Fishing at Thomas Hill Lake—by Cliff White
Printed on recycled paper with soy ink
14 18
Contact us: Web page: www.missouriconservation.org
Subscriptions: free to adult Missouri residents;
out of state $7 per year; out of country $10 per year.
Send correspondence to: Circulation, P.O. Box 180, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0180.
Phone: [phone], ext. 3856 or 3249
E-mail general questions: [email protected]
E-mail magazine subscriptions: [email protected]
January 2006 1
Reflections
FIRST DEER AWARDS which provides a framable certificate or reintroduction. Provisions in the
Thanks for sponsoring the youth to commemorate a hunter’s first Wildlife Code allow landowners to
hunting program. Your events provide harvest. Applications are available protect their property and destroy
special times for families and friends online at mdc.mo.gov/documents/ a snake, if necessary, unless it is an
to open up the many opportunities hunt/first_deer.pdf, or by calling the endangered species. The western fox
hunting provides. The responsibilities Department’s Wildlife Division at snake, Mississippi green water snake
on the adult companion bring out 573/751-4115. and the massasauga rattlesnake are
the chance to remind ourselves of the endangered species. If one of these is
safety requirements we must constant- SNAKE STORY the species of concern, the property
ly adhere to when hunting, especially We heard a story that we’re hoping is owner should contact a conservation
when we are the teachers. not true. We were told the Conservation agent for assistance.
Please be sure to remind successful Department has released a bunch of
youth hunters’ adult companions of rattlesnakes in Mo. because they are DISCOVERING OUTSIDE IN
the certificate program. The chance to listed on the endangered species [list]. I always welcome the arrival of the
get a deer (or turkey) is quite a thrill for Also, it was said a fine of $1000 would Conservationist. Of special interest in
a youth. A certificate of achievement be placed on anyone killing a rattle- the November 2005 issue were the
adds to a dream come true. snake. The man who told this story had articles for and about young people.
Jennifer (13) & Arthur FitzGibbon (45), killed one that was lying in his yard and As a grandparent, I can say that our
via Internet he narrowly missed stepping on it. youngsters (ages 6 and 9) are inquisitive
Mr. & Mrs. Richard Buterbaugh, Rich Hill about nature and how it works. Seasonal
Editor’s Note: This past October, visits to the woods and fields have
10,577 deer were harvested dur- Editor’s Note: Though untrue, this prompted such questions as “Where do
ing youth firearms season. The rumor has circulated for a number butterflies come from?” while observing
Department of Conservation spon- of years. The Department has done a monarch on a flower, and “What is that
sors the First Deer Award program, studies on snakes, but no stocking hummingbird doing?” as it darts from
one blossom to another. All of us should
cultivate such curiosity [in children],
answer questions and build a growing
awareness of nature and why preserv-
ing it is important. As voting adults,
they would be more knowledgeable
and therefore more supportive of those
candidates running for Congress and
the presidency who take a public stand
to protect what remains of the natural
world and its biotic diversity.
Clair L. Kucera, Columbia
BITTERSWEET MEMORIES
I read with great interest the article
about bittersweet written by Mr.
Johnson in the November 2005 issue of
Missouri Conservationist. I am a retired
English teacher and enjoy the outdoors,
A SHREWD CHOICE WHEN YOU NEED TO FLY travel and everything connected with
This juvenile red-tailed hawk stopped by Greg Lusk’s backyard in Kansas City nature but no longer roam the woods
for a lunch of short-tailed shrew. Red-tailed hawks probably take a greater for bittersweet since turning 80. Since
variety of prey than any other American raptor except the golden eagle. getting my PC, however, I have contin-
Mammals including mice, rats, moles, shrews, squirrels, pocket gophers, rabbits, ued enjoying the benefits of nature by
opossums, muskrats and weasels make up 70 to 85 percent of their diet. writing about it.
In the 1980s, my husband’s family
2 Missouri Conservationist
MISSOURI
CONSERVATIONIST
owned land in Franklin County where such as the bittersweet that grows here
we enjoyed many outings that pre- in rural Barton County. GOVERNOR Matt Blunt
cipitated my enthusiasm in looking for My mom began an annual fall THE CONSERVATION COMMISSION
Stephen C. Bradford
bittersweet. I have been a basket maker tradition in our family. After a great Chip McGeehan
since retiring and like using the bitter- Sunday dinner of her famous fried Cynthia Metcalfe
Lowell Mohler
sweet vine in making rustic baskets. chicken and apple pie, off we would go
DIRECTOR John Hoskins
Please let Mr. Johnson know I am with our snippers in hand in search of ASSISTANT DIRECTOR Denise Garnier
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR John W. Smith
an ardent fan of anyone who writes so bittersweet. Mom always knew where
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR Stephen J. Wilson
in-depth as he has done. The vine is the good stuff grew. We would laugh, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR Robert Ziehmer
INTERNAL AUDITOR Nancy Dubbert
endangered, I believe, but I gathered talk and enjoy the outdoors together, GENERAL COUNSEL Craig Evans
very sparingly. always careful not to take too much of
DIVISIONS
Gail Kommer, via Internet the orange berries and vines, so there ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES Carter Campbell
FISHERIES Steve Eder
would be more next year. FORESTRY vacant
HUMAN RESOURCES Debbie Strobel
Thanks to Willoughby Johnson for the I think the adventure of bittersweet
OUTREACH & EDUCATION Lorna Domke
refreshing article “Bittersweet Morning” gathering is more about the simple PRIVATE LAND SERVICES Lisa G. Allen
PROTECTION Dennis Steward
in the November issue of the Missouri things in life. It is a natural thing to do, RESOURCE SCIENCE Dale D. Humburg
Conservationist. I am not a quail or as if saying goodbye to summer and WILDLIFE Dave Erickson
pheasant hunter, but I eagerly look for- bringing a small piece of it into our REGIONAL OFFICES
Cape Girardeau/Southeast—573/290-5730
ward to fall, with its crisp air, changing homes to enjoy for months to come. Columbia/Central—573/884-6861
Kansas City—816/655-6250
leaves and the special treats of nature, Judy Gastel, Lamar
Kirksville/Northeast—660/785-2420
Springfield/Southwest—417/895-6880
St. Joseph/Northwest—816/271-3100
The letters printed here reflect readers’ opinions about the Conservationist and its St. Louis—636/441-4554
contents. Space limitations prevent us from printing all letters, but we welcome signed West Plains/Ozark—417/256-7161
comments from our readers. Letters may be edited for length and clarity. CONSERVATIONIST STAFF
EDITOR IN CHIEF Ara Clark
MANAGING EDITOR Nichole LeClair
ART DIRECTOR Cliff White
Ask the Ombudsman WRITER/EDITOR Tom Cwynar
ARTIST Dave Besenger
ARTIST Mark Raithel
PHOTOGRAPHER Jim Rathert
Q: I know hunters can use waterfowl decoys, but is STAFF WRITER Jim Low
DESIGNER Susan Fine
it legal to use deer or turkey decoys? CIRCULATION Laura Scheuler
The Missouri Conservationist (ISSN 0026-6515) is the official
A:Yes, hunters may use deer and turkey decoys. monthly publication of the Missouri Department of Conservation,
2901 West Truman Boulevard, Jefferson City, MO (Mailing address:
The issue of decoys isn’t specifically addressed in
P.O. Box 180, Jefferson City, MO 65102.) Subscription free to adult
the Wildlife Code; however, decoy use has a long history as Missouri residents; out of state $7 per year; out of country $10
per year. Notification of address change must include both old
an accepted hunting tactic. Federal regulations prohibit
and new address (send mailing label with the subscriber num-
live decoys. ber on it) with 60-day notice. Preferred periodical postage paid
Hunters should be very careful taking decoys to and from at Jefferson City, Mo., and at additional entry offices. Postmaster:
Send correspondence to Circulation, P.O. Box 180, Jefferson City,
the field. It’s a good idea to wrap them in hunter orange. Also, position yourself MO 65102-0180. Phone: [phone]. Copyright © 2006 by the
carefully once the decoy has been set up. Conservation Commission of the State of Missouri.
The matter of motion-wing decoys for waterfowl hunting is another question
that comes up frequently. The Department of Conservation has done studies
on the use of these items and has found that they increase the take (though by
less than one bird per trip). There are no restrictions against using motion-wing Serving nature and you
decoys, and about 60 percent of Missouri duck hunters use them. A 2002 survey Equal opportunity to participate in and benefit from programs
of the Missouri Department of Conservation is available to all
found that a similar proportion of hunters favor the use of motion-wing decoys as
individuals without regard to their race, color, national origin, sex,
long as season lengths and bag limits are not affected. age or disability. Questions should be directed to the Department
of Conservation, P.O. Box 180, Jefferson City, MO 65102, (573) 751-
4115 (voice) or 800-735-2966 (TTY), or to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Ombudsman Ken Drenon will respond to your questions, suggestions or complaints Service Division of Federal Assistance, 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, Mail
concerning Conservation Department programs. Write him at P.O. Box 180, Jefferson Stop: MBSP-4020, Arlington, VA 22203.
City, MO 65102-0180, call him at 573/522-4115, ext. 3848, or e-mail him at Printed in USA
[email protected].
January 2006 3
Where
ducks
44 MMiissssoouurrii CCoonnsseerrvvaattiioonniisstt
Where
“Where are the
ducks?” hunters
are ask us each fall. “And
what makes for a good
season?” Yet most have
theories of their own. Some
of the competing ideas we’ve
heard include:
the
“If we’d only have a dry year, then
the ducks would be concentrated in
the places that have water,” versus, “If we
would only have a wet year, there would be
ducks more habitat available and more ducks.”
“Hunting would be better if we could
hunt refuges and get the ducks to
spread out,” versus, “We need more
refuges in our hunting area to
attract more ducks.”
Finding the connection And, “We have a hunting lease
and can’t compete with public
between refuges, wetlands
areas and their big refuges,”
and better hunting. versus, “We’re lucky to have a
duck hunting lease close to a
by Andrew Raedeke and David Graber
Department of Conservation
photos by Jim Rathert
refuge—it provides a source of
photo illustration by Susan Fine
ducks.”
So which are correct? The above ideas
JJaannuuaarryy 22000066 55
So which are correct? The above destroyed or drained. Less than 15 modates about 32 million duck-use
ideas stem from two opposing per- percent of the historic wetlands days (a duck-use day equals the
spectives. One is that Missouri has remain in Missouri, Kansas and number of ducks times the number
reached its “carrying capacity” for Illinois, compared to about 50 of days they are here) each fall. The
migrating waterfowl. In other words, percent in the breeding grounds region that produces the ducks
it has enough wetland habitat for and wintering grounds. Wetland that migrate through Missouri has
the ducks that habitat from a breeding population of about 19
migrate through Missouri’s wetlands north to south million ducks. In a normal produc-
each fall. Hunters now resembles tion year, a fall flight of about 38
serve the vital function
in this camp an hourglass. million would be expected. If all of
often blame poor of providing migrating To the north, these ducks stopped in Missouri
duck hunting on the breeding for just 10 days, we would support
waterfowl a place to rest
refuges or the grounds in nearly 400 million duck-use days!
and replenish energy
restoration of the Dakotas, Of course, not all ducks from
wetlands (private reserves lost in flight. Minnesota and this region migrate over Missouri.
or public) that Wisconsin are But it does suggest that Missouri
lure ducks away dotted with has much more potential to accom-
from their favorite hunting spots. nearly 20 million acres of wetlands. modate more than the 32 million
The other perspective is that Mis- Even more wetlands are found on duck-use days it now supports.
souri has not reached its “carrying the prairies in southern Canada.
Effects of Adding
capacity” for migrating waterfowl. The mid-latitude states of
Wetland Habitat
Hunters in this camp believe that if Missouri, Kansas and Illinois
we restore more wetlands or create represent the bottleneck in the Another way to see if Missouri has
more refuges, Missouri will attract hourglass with only 2.3 million acres reached its carrying capacity for
more ducks and have better hunting. of wetlands. This region is bound by migrating waterfowl is to review
After hearing from hunters on the Missouri River and its tributaries how ducks have responded to the
both sides of the issue, we decided to the west and the Mississippi River restoration of wetlands in Missouri.
to take a more in-depth look at and its tributaries to the east. States In the last 15 years, the Department
how restoring wetlands and adding to the south still have 19 million of Conservation has restored more
refuges has affected duck hunting in acres of wetlands. than 25,000 acres of wetlands, and
Missouri. So what does this bottleneck the Natural Resource Conservation
and the loss of habitat mean for Service (NRCS) has restored an
Wetlands: Past,
the millions of ducks that migrate additional 100,000 acres on private
Present and Future
south each fall? Missouri accom- land. The ducks have responded.
Missouri’s wetlands serve the vital
function of providing migrating
waterfowl a place to rest and replen-
ish energy reserves lost in flight.
This recovery takes time. To illus-
trate, a duck flying nonstop from
North Dakota to Missouri requires
about 14 days to recover the fat
reserves expended in flight. If ducks
lose too much weight in migration,
they reach their southern wintering
grounds in poor shape and are less
likely to successfully produce duck-
lings the following spring.
Although wetlands in mid-lati-
tude states are critical for migrating
ducks, most of them have been Missouri wetlands allow green-wing teal and other ducks to restore fat reserves.
6 Missouri Conservationist
Increasing wetlands in Missouri will allow more migrating ducks, like these mallards, to spend time in the state.
The number of duck-use days on land has remained steady over the the floods, and Eagle Bluffs held a
managed state and federal wetland last 10 years, with only 15 percent record number of ducks.
areas in Missouri jumped from an of the annual harvest occurring on A similar set of circumstances
average of 21.2 million in the 1970s Department of Conservation man- occurred around Schell-Osage CA
to 32.1 million from 1994–2004. aged wetland areas. and Truman Reservoir during the
Hunters have reaped the benefits. In most regions where we fall of 2004. Timely rains caused
Before these restorations, the restored wetlands and added ref- Truman Reservoir to rise, creat-
statewide harvest topped 300,000 uges, harvest and duck numbers on ing an abundance of habitat. As
only once from 1961-1996. Since the existing areas remained steady. a result, Schell-Osage held more
1997, the harvest has never been The new areas have attracted more ducks than it had in several years
below 300,000, and it frequently has ducks to these regions. For duck and hunters on nearby Truman
topped 400,000. Missouri’s share hunters, this has translated into Reservoir reported great hunting.
of the flyway harvest has increased more hunting opportunity and These cases suggest that ducks
from about 3 to 4 percent to 6 improved harvest. don’t just spread out from managed
percent. public wetlands when more habitat
Wet vs. Dry Years
But have these restorations been is available. The additional habitat
too much of a good thing? Have we Wet years give us a glimpse of what actually attracts more ducks to the
restored so much habitat that new might occur if we could restore region and improves hunting for
habitat is now pulling ducks away more wetland habitat. In the fall hunters on both public and private
from existing habitat? This does not of 1998, the Missouri River flooded lands in the region.
appear to be the case. in central Missouri and created an
Quality vs. Quantity
Eight of the top 10 counties for abundance of shallow water habitat
of Wetlands
duck harvest in the 1960s were in in the region around Eagle Bluffs
the top 10 in the 1990s. The propor- CA. Hunters reported excellent Hunters who feel we have too much
tion of harvest on public and private hunting on the habitat created by habitat also point to the many
January 2006 7
have too much refuge here
in Missouri.
To answer this question
in Missouri, we examined
the relationships among
refuge size, duck numbers
and harvest. The results
indicated that areas with
large refuges held the
most ducks and supported
the highest harvest.
The importance of
refuges became more
apparent when we fac-
tored in the additional
“refuge” provided on areas
that allowed only half-day
hunting. Furthermore, the
E results suggested that if
T
HI
W ducks don’t have adequate
F
F
CLI refuge, they will leave the
Studies have shown that increasing wetland habitat in Missouri results in higher numbers area.
of ducks visiting the state. This results in more hunting opportunities and better harvest. Our analysis also
revealed that, at some
The Role of Refuges
ponds and reservoirs that have been areas, harvest was not as high as
built in the last 30 years. However, Decades of research have dem- we expected based on refuge size.
these lakes and ponds provide onstrated that refuges provide The harvest at Ted Shanks CA, for
a very limited amount of food. essential undisturbed habitat for example, was much lower than our
Wetlands that have more food tend ducks to rest and replenish energy statistical model predicted. We
to attract more ducks. reserves. When ducks face too much expect that this result was due to
Ducks require a diversity of disturbance they often leave an area the loss of bottomland forest and
food sources to obtain adequate entirely. lack of food. The Department of
amounts of protein, lipids, minerals For example, in states without Conservation is now aggressively
and vitamins. Many native wetland much refuge,
plants supply ducks with these over half of the
resources. Corn also can serve as harvest often
an important source of food. It occurs within
provides a great source of energy, the first 10 days
but lacks other essential nutrients of the season.
necessary for a duck to survive. Hunters in these
Managers strive to provide a states frequently
variety of food resources. During talk about areas
a typical year, the Department of being “burned
Conservation leaves fewer than 500 out” from too
acres of flooded standing corn in much hunting
refuges statewide and around 1,000 pressure. What
acres of flooded corn in wetlands past research
that are hunted. Ducks use lakes, doesn’t tell us
ponds and streams without food is if we have
less frequently and for shorter reached the Research indicates that Missouri’s waterfowl refuges
periods. point where we contribute a great deal to hunter success.
8 Missouri Conservationist