News From Outdoors Forum - Missouri All Outdoors

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1. Archery deer season opens Oct. 1 2. Tips for tree-stand safety 3. Fall colors could be missing this year 4. Drought creates opportunities for goose hunters 5. Conservation Department to auction surplus property http://www.conservation.state.mo.us/news/out "From my Native American mentors I discovered that a hunter^s keenest edge is intimate knowledge of the animals and the surrounding environment; that hunting creates an acute awareness of being sustained by the plants and animals who necessarily die to feed us, whether we take those lives ourselves or delegate the responsibility to someone else."Richard K. Nelson, "Finding Common Ground," from A Hunter^s Heart -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Archery deer season opens Oct. 1 Bowhunters will find that not much has changed from last year, including hunting regulations and a bumper crop of deer. JEFFERSON CITY--Change is in the air, with temperatures and leaves falling and deer hunters beginning to hang tree stands. But bowhunters will find that not much has changed in their sport this year. Archery deer season runs from Oct. 1 through Nov. 12 and from Nov. 24 through Jan. 15, as it has for years. The bag limit is unchanged, too, allowing bowhunters to take two deer and two turkeys of either sex, as long as only one antlered deer is taken during the first portion of the season. This year^s archery deer hunting regulations do include a couple of changes, however. Tagging procedures have returned to those in effect two years ago. Hunters will receive yellow, self-adhesive transportation tags to attach to their deer in the woods. They also will be required to invalidate their deer hunting permits by notching them in the field. They will surrender the permits when they check their deer. Archers also will find two additional deer management units included in the urban deer management areas this year. Bowhunters will be allowed to hunt with Urban Archery Deer Hunting Permits in Units 17 and 24, north and west of St. Louis this year in addition to Units 22, 58 and 59, where the permits have been available previously. Another change in this year^s archery deer hunting regulations concerns the use of hunter-orange clothing. Archers hunting within municipal boundaries where discharge of firearms is not permitted are not required to wear hunter orange. Archers can buy up to five Urban Archery Deer Hunting Permits. The permits cost $5 and entitle the holder to take one antlerless deer in any of the urban deer management units. Deer taken with Urban Archery Deer Hunting Permits do not count against the regular season limit. Missouri Department of Conservation Wildlife Research Biologist Lonnie Hansen says Missouri has an abundance of deer again this year. Given favorable hunting conditions, he expects this year^s deer harvest to be near last year^s archery deer kill of 21,321. "There are a lot of deer out there," says Hansen. "Hunters in some localized areas of north-central and northwest Missouri may see fewer deer due to the outbreak of hemorrhagic disease last year, but overall deer numbers continue to be very strong." Hansen said the crop of acornsdeer^s primary autumn food itemin the Ozarks is better this year than last year, which could make hunters^ job more difficult. "Deer have more of a tendency to concentrate around limited food sources in lean years, and that makes them easier for hunters to find," says Hansen. "This year^s acorn crop isn^t huge, but it^s abundant enough that the deer will be spread out." Archery deer and turkey hunting permits cost $17 for Missouri residents and $100 for nonresidents. Details of archery deer hunting regulations are given in the 1999 Summary of Missouri Hunting and Trapping Regulations, available wherever hunting permits are sold. - Jim Low - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2. Tips for tree stand safety Don^t let carelessness ruin your deer hunt . . . or your life. JEFFERSON CITY--Maneuvering into, on and out of tree stands often is the greatest hazard deer hunters face while afield. A reader survey conducted by "Deer & Deer Hunter" magazine found that approximately one out of every three hunters falls from his stand. The fortunate ones walk away with only bruised bodies and egos. The unfortunate ones can be paralyzed or die. Reasons for tree stand accidents are as varied as the hunters who use stands. Improper installation, faulty equipment, missteps and falling asleep while on the tree stand are among the major causes. The following are precautions that can reduce the risks of falling from a tree stand or being severely injured when accidents occur: --Do a little research before buying a stand. Contact manufactures to find out how their products are constructed and whether those products are safety tested. Try out the equipment before you buy to make sure it has the features you need and that it is comfortable. The more comfortable the equipment the less likely you are to become fidgety and shift your weight while on the stand. Such movements can easily throw you off balance and cause a fall. --Thoroughly read the directions that come with the safety equipment and inspect the equipment for flaws or defects. --Never modify a commercially manufactured stand or safety device. --Practice with your stand and safety gear at ground level. Test the equipment during daylight hours until you are skilled at using it, then practice using it in conditions similar to those you will encounter while afield. --Choose the location for your stand carefully. Avoid trees with hollow trunks or rotten branches that could fall on you. --Remove twigs and branches that make it difficult to get in and out of your stand. Don^t rely on branches for climbing. --Always wear a safety harness while climbing up to or down from a stand and while on the stand. Choose a harness that distributes your weight around your torso. Single-strap belts can cause internal injury when the wearer^s weight suddenly jerks tight. Furthermore, the pressure from a single strap on the abdomen or chest can cause rapid loss of consciousness. --Keep yourself on a short leash. A foot or two of slack in your tether is plenty. The wrenching stop that occurs when a hunter falls as little as three feet before reaching the end of a safety strap can break bones or cause internal injury. Some harnesses have devices that slow the wearer^s fall gradually, reducing the chance of injury. --Inspect your stand before each use. On portable stands, look for loose bolts or nuts, slick gripping surfaces, cracked or bent metal and worn chains, cables or straps. Check permanent stands for loose steps, rotten wood and exposed nails or screws. --Leave your safety belt on when stepping onto a tree stand. Hold on to the tree trunk while slowly transferring your weight to the stand. Then bounce lightly up and down to check for secure mounting. --Always use a safety chain with portable stands. --Do not use tree stands when you are tired or on medications that cause drowsiness. Climb down from your stand before you grow sleepy or the weather turns bad. Drowsiness, high wind, rain, sleet or snow can make tree stands treacherous. --Never carry a bow, arrows or other gear while climbing. Use a rope to haul these items into the stand after you are securely positioned. Putting a piece of tape over the muzzle of your firearm can help prevent dirt or other materials from plugging the barrel. --Don^t leave equipment on the ground directly under you while climbing up or down. You could fall on an arrow or other item, worsening your injuries. --Never hunt without giving a reliable person detailed information about where you will hunt and when you will return. --Carry survival gear, including food, water, a whistle or air horn to signal for help, a space blanket and matches. Some hunters even carry walkie-talkies or emergency strobe lights to summon help. Hunters should review local regulations before installing tree stands on public lands. Use of portable stands is allowed on Conservation lands between Sept. 15 and Jan. 31. The stand must be identified with the full name and address of the owner and must be removed by Feb. 1 following the hunting season. Use of nails or any material that would damage the tree is prohibited. - Arleasha Mays - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3. Fall colors could be missing this year Drought will cause many leaves to fall before they can color up JEFFERSON CITY--Lawns are parched and many trees began dropping their leaves as long as a month ago. Large portions of the state are 5 or more inches behind the normal average for rainfall this time of year, and the situation may make for a drab fall across much of Missouri. In most years, Missouri is a place to see spectacular fall color, but not in 1999. Drought-induced stress to trees will cause colors to be below average, according to Bruce Palmer, a forestry education coordinator with the Missouri Department of Conservation. "Many trees growing on shallow soils in the Ozarks have already turned brown and dropped their leaves," says Palmer. "Cottonwood, walnut, dogwood, tulip-poplar, elm and river birch also are dropping their leaves," Palmer adds. Oaks and hickories appear to be less affected than other kinds of trees. The best opportunities for seeing fall colors will be in forests in the hills along the Missouri and Mississippi rivers. "Colors are changing earlier than normal as trees go dormant to protect themselves from more moisture loss," Palmer says. "Fall colors are already beginning to appear in sumac and poison ivy along the Iowa state line. I expect colors to change a week to 10 days earlier than usual." Missouri^s fall colors usually peak during the second or third weeks in October. Starting Sept. 20, you can dial 800/519-1600 for updates on the progress of color changes across the state. The Conservation Department and the Missouri Division of Tourism cosponsor the hot line. Callers also can order fall travel guides at this number. If fall colors peak a week earlier due to dry conditions, look for the best color in northern Missouri about Oct. 8. In central and southwestern Missouri the best chances of color will fall near Oct. 13. Colors in the Bootheel will be the last to peak, probably during the second to third week of the month. The Conservation Department offers two publications about fall colors. A poster, titled "Missouri^s Season of Splendor," and a leaflet, called "Fall Colors of Missouri" are available free at Conservation Nature Centers and Conservation Department offices statewide. Both publications include maps of driving routes through areas with fall colors. The poster is a large fall-color photo on one side, and information on identifying autumn trees by the color of their leaves and a cross section of a leaf on the opposite side. Both the poster and leaflet explain why leaves change colors. The colors in fall leaves are the result of chemical processes that take place in the tree as it prepares for winter. Yellow colors, already present in some leaves, become visible when the leaves stop making food and chlorophyll breaks down. Warm, sunny days followed by cool nights favor the formation of brilliant red colors. The degree of color varies from tree to tree. - Jim Auckley - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4. Drought means opportunity for October goose hunters Farmers don^t have any control over the weather, but they can improve next year^s crops by letting hunters thin Canada goose numbers now. JEFFERSON CITY--It^s hard to find anything good to say about a drought that devastates farmers^ crops. However, geese are benefitting from the row crop bust, and hunters and farmers at least can turn that to some small advantage. Facing drastically reduced yields from their crops, many farmers are choosing to cut their losses by cutting substandard corn and sorghum for silage. In doing so, they are creating thousands of acres of ideal forage for Canada geese. "Cutting crops for silage scatters a lot of grain in the field, and that draws geese like a magnet," says Tom Hutton, agriculture management supervisor for the Missouri Department of Conservation."Because the silage is harvested as a crop, baiting is not an issue. Hunters who can get permission to hunt those fields or on newly sprouted wheat fields can have excellent shooting during the early Canada goose season." Missouri^s October Canada goose season also represents an opportunity for farmers, who sometimes suffer significant losses when resident geese gorge on sprouting crop fields. "The October season is a golden opportunity for farmers who have shaken their heads over crop damage in the spring," says Hutton. "If I were a farmer who had goose problems, I^d go out of my way to direct hunters to fields where Canada geese are foraging. It^s an excellent way to reduce the number of geese they have to contend with the following year." Resident Canada geese are quick learners, deserting ponds where they are hunted after a day or two. They quickly learn which lakes in a particular neighborhood are closed to hunters and that^s where they roost. This makes the big birds difficult to hunt. But Hutton says smart hunters can scout cropland around these refuges and discover where the birds are foraging. When the birds return to refuge lakes to loaf around midday, hunters can set their decoys on the birds^ preferred fields and be waiting for them when the geese return to feed in the afternoon or the following day. "Knocking on doors is the key," says Hutton. "You need permission to use farmers^ fields, and the landowner often can tell you which fields the birds are using most." Hutton said hunters who are lucky enough to find Canada geese on lakes and ponds where they can hunt have their choice of three strategies. One is to sneak within shooting distance while the birds are on the water and "jump shoot" them. Another is to wait until the birds fly into surrounding fields to feed and set up to decoy or ambush the birds when they return. A third way is to find ponds the big birds are using and make modest decoy sets to attract them. Three or four shell-type decoys on the shore and three or four on the water are plenty. Orient the water decoys to look as if they are swimming to join those on the bank. A blind is essential to this kind of hunting, but it doesn^t have to be elaborate. Hunkering between stacked bales of hay or under a cedar tree often is sufficient. The birds are easy to fool early in the season, requiring only a few honks on a call to draw them in. As the season progresses, more concealment and calling expertise is needed to convince increasingly wary birds to approach a decoy set. And once a group of birds has been shot at a particular location, they are unlikely to use the area again. Public areas where hunting is allowed drop off the birds^ daily itinerary early in the season. So it pays to get to know private pond owners who are ready to have their goose populations thinned. Contrary to popular belief, you don^t have to use oversized shot to bring down Missouri^s giant Canada geese. You shouldn^t need anything larger than BB or BBB steel shot for the kind of shots you are likely to get on ponds or in crop fields. Missouri^s October Canada goose season runs from Oct. 2 through Oct. 18 in the North and Middle waterfowl zones, Oct. 23 through Oct. 31 in the Swan Lake Zone, Oct. 2 through Oct. 11 in the South and Southeast zones. In the Swan Lake Zone, the limits for Canada geese are two daily and four in possession. In the North and Middle zones the limits for Canada geese are three daily and six in possession from Oct. 2 to Oct. 18. In the South and Southeast zones, the limits for Canada geese are three daily (six in possession) from Oct. 2 to Oct. 11. Missouri instituted the October Canada goose season in 1998 as a way of controlling numbers of resident Canada geese without adversely affecting less numerous migratory Canada goose subspecies. - Jim Low - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5. Conservation Department to auction surplus property Bidders get a chance to buy well-maintained equipment. SALEM, Mo.--he Missouri Department of Conservation will auction surplus equipment starting at 10 a.m. Oct. 2 at its maintenance center at the junction of Highways 32 and 72 in Salem. Auction items run the gamut from Jeeps and 4 X 4 pickup trucks to office furniture and a desk-top computer. Outboard motors, a trolling motor, station wagons, vans, a Chevrolet Suburban, boats and trailers, a camper top, riding mower, chainsaw, power washer and farm equipment also will be sold at auction Oct. 2. Items may be added or deleted before the sale. A complete lot listing and terms of sale will be available at the registration desk the day of the sale. The Conservation Department will accept personal checks with proper identification. All property must be paid for on the day of the sale and before removal. For a list of sale items, call the Maintenance Center at 573/729-3182. - Jim Low -

Uploaded: 10/1/1999