Tag Archives: mdc
Bear population is growing, what to do if you hit a bear?
TEXAS COUNTY, Mo. — With the Missouri bear population continuing to grow more are crossing roadways.
Troop G of the Missouri State Highway Patrol state, “this cub was struck on State Route PP, north of Cabool. As Missouri bear populations grow, drivers must remain vigilant for bear crossings.”
As with deer experts say to never swerve to miss an animal. You could be hurt worse by overturning or crashing head-on with an oncoming vehicle.
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If you do swerve and crash your vehicle? Most insurance won’t cover your damages since it would appear as a single vehicle crash.
What to do if you hit a bear?
Lauren Copple, Naturalist, tells us, “Stop and call the conservation department. Do not try to poke or move the animal it could be wounded and confused/scared if it comes to.”
If your car is disabled wait for police to arrive and they can handle the situation.
“Missouri Dept of Conservation will want to measure, evaluate and take samples and try to learn everything they can from the bear,” Copple says finally, “Do not try to load it up and take it home.”
Just as deer there are certain parameters to taking home animals struck by a vehicle.
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If you strike an animal and your car is not disabled. Call 911 and they will contact conservation agents on your behalf where you are located.
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Wildlife crossing the roadway and being struck unfortunately happens far too often, but rarely the victim is a black bear cub. This cub was struck on State Route PP, north of Cabool, Texas county. As Missouri bear populations grow, drivers must remain vigilant for bear crossings. pic.twitter.com/1nQq3YV7fC
— MSHP Troop G (@MSHPTrooperG) July 25, 2022
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Missouri conservation agents bust illegal paddlefish operation
MORGAN COUNTY, Mo. – Missouri Department of Conservation investigators find an illegal paddlefish operation.
According to MDC, agents conducted 13 hours of surveillance before apprehending three out-of-state individuals. The suspects had five whole paddlefish and about 75 pounds of paddlefisheggs, or roe.
It happened in Morgan County (central Missouri) near the Lake of the Ozarks.
People seek roe for wildlife trafficking and illegal caviar markets, according to the MDC.
Officials are seeking charges in the case.
COPYRIGHT 2021 BY KOAM NEWS NOW. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS MATERIAL MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, REWRITTEN OR REDISTRIBUTED.
MDC class teaches basics of canoeing/kayaking
CARTHAGE, Mo. – As the weather heats up and COVID restrictions lift, more people are flocking to lakes and rivers. Canoes and Kayaks are popular ways to enjoy the water.
To help people learn more about the water-craft, the Missouri Department of Conservation Tuesday hosted clinics at Kellogg Lake in Carthage. The “Introduction to Canoe and Kayak” clinics taught people about basic equipment and techniques for safely using Missouri streams and lakes.
“Right now, we’ve had so much rain lots of water and there is lots of swift current,” said Conservation Educator Andy Rhoads. “It’s really not safe for a lot of beginners to be out on some of these waters, so being able to find a nice still section of water to practice really is key right now.”
The clinics were open to anyone ages 7 and up.
COPYRIGHT 2021 BY KOAM NEWS NOW. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS MATERIAL MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, REWRITTEN OR REDISTRIBUTED.
Thousands apply for Missouri bear hunting permit
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Missouri’s first-ever bear hunt is drawing plenty of interest.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported Thursday that 6,335 people applied for one of the 400 permits the Missouri Department of Conservation will issue for a harvest of 40 bears. Winners of a random drawing of eligible applicants will be determined by July 1. The black bear hunting will be allowed Oct. 18-27. It was approved earlier this year by the Missouri Conservation Commission.
The bear population in Missouri has been growing. Officials now estimate there are 600 to 1,000 black bears in the state. Hunters can apply for permits at mdc-web.s3licensing.com
MDC highlights return of the cicada to Missouri
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – It wouldn’t be a Missouri summer without the pulsating hum of its annual cicadas. The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) is encouraging people to learn more about the bug-eyed insects and the important role they play in the ecosystem.
Periodical cicadas are making headlines this year as numerous states will be visited by Brood X after spending 17 years underground. However, MDC’s Forest Entomologist Robbie Doerhoff says Missouri won’t experience periodical cicadas for another few years.
“Periodical cicadas won’t emerge in Missouri until 2024,” explained Doerhoff. “But the dog days, or annual cicadas, we see each summer will be present, and are super cool in their own way!”
Doerhoff said that several species of cicadas occur in Missouri, and they start to emerge in mid-to-late June.
“Annual cicadas look like larger and greener versions of the famous periodical cicadas,” she explained. “They spend two-to-five years living underground as nymphs and sucking juices from plant roots with their straw-like mouth parts. During the dog days of summer, nymphs will tunnel to the surface, climb a tree or other object, and molt to become a winged adult.”
After molting, which takes just a few hours, cicadas leave behind their famous shed skin. They will then sing, mate, and produce the next generation – all within just a few weeks of living above ground before dying. Notable species of annual cicadas include Robinson’s cicada, scissor grinder, buzz saw, and Northern dusk singing cicada.
“The thing that’s so neat about Missouri’s annual cicadas is how unique they are,” said Doerhoff. “You can identify species by their song and the time of day they sing.”
For example, the call of a Robinson’s annual cicada is a repetitive, rhythmic “pZEE-ape, pZEE-ape” and mostly occurs in midday. Buzz saw cicadas call from high trees with a distinctive “WHEE-oo, WHEE-oo” during the evening and at dusk.
Though their unique calls can be bothersome to some, the annual singing of males is imperative to finding a mate.
“The adult males have sound-producing membranes called tymbals that emit that loud, raspy call used to attract females,” said Doerhoff. “Studies have shown cicada calls can reach 92 decibels – which is louder than a lawn mower!”
Annual cicadas can be found statewide and are most common in wooded areas, parks, and forest borders. Females lay their eggs in the woody twigs of trees and shrubs, occasionally causing the tips of twigs to turn brown. After hatching, nymphs fall from the twigs and burrow underground to feed off tree, shrub, and perennial plant roots.
“Cicadas really thrive in areas where the land is relatively undisturbed for the years it takes the nymphs to develop underground,” explained Doerhoff.
Like many wildlife members, cicadas play an important role in Missouri’s ecosystem. They provide a food source for many species of birds, insects, spiders, and other animals that feed on large bugs. The small nymphs help aerate the soil while they burrow underground. Once they die, cicada bodies serve as an important source of nitrogen for trees.
Doerhoff stressed the importance of celebrating cicadas, as broods may be getting smaller.
“The lifecycle of a cicada is so incredible because they spend so much time underground preparing to emerge, especially the periodical cicadas, and it’s unfortunate their numbers are potentially declining,” she noted. “There are several factors that could be to blame, including urban development and pesticide use. Because they only spend a few weeks aboveground, we still have much to learn about this species.”
To help support cicadas, Doerhoff suggested steering clear of chemical use on lawns.
“Using pesticides above ground can ultimately harm cicadas,” she said. “Don’t use weed-and-feed products as they can kill tree roots that cicadas feed on. Avoid unnecessary insecticide applications to your trees and grass as these types of pesticides can kill soil-dwelling organisms that help make your backyard a healthy ecosystem.”
MDC encourages people to help Missouri bumble bees
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) is giving people the chance to help Missouri’s bumble bees through the Missouri Bumble Bee Atlas community science project.
Bumble bees are one of the more well-known pollinators due to their large size and loud buzz. These fuzzy fliers are critical pollinators, but their populations are rapidly declining. It’s difficult to pinpoint the exact cause of declines, but scientists suspect habitat loss, pesticide use, and climate change are contributors. MDC), as well as the Xerces Society, Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever, and the University of Missouri are encouraging you to participate in community science by joining the Missouri Bumble Bee Atlas.
The Missouri Bumble Bee Atlas is a statewide community science project aimed at tracking and conserving Missouri’s native bumble bees. Participants across the state are asked to conduct bumble bee surveys and report back their findings. Survey methods are catch-and-release, so no bees are harmed, and data collection can be completed on cell phones.
By working together, the Atlas team of researchers will be able to use information submitted to assess species distribution, bumble bee population shifts, habitat associations, and more. This effort will help to better protect, restore, and manage effective habitat that can support healthy bumble bee populations.
No experience is necessary to help, and all are welcome. Participants are only asked to complete two in-depth online training sessions:
- Session I – Tuesday, May 11 from 6-8 p.m.
- Value of Bumble Bees
- Bumble Bee Biology & Ecology
- Bumble Bee Conservation
- Introduction to the Missouri Bumble Bee Atlas
- Session II – Thursday, May 13 from 6-8 p.m.
- Identifying Missouri’s Bumble Bees
- How to Participate in the Atlas
- How to Net and Photograph Bumble Bees
- How to Submit Findings
Registration is required to attend both workshops. Register at https://www.mobumblebeeatlas.org/events.html.
Cassville man reels in paddlefish stocked at Table Rock in 1970s
CASSVILLE, Mo. – Joe Richter had a hunch Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) biologists would be interested in the small metal ring attached to the jaw of the paddlefish he had snagged, but he didn’t know the interesting story Tag S-777 revealed about successful paddlefish management at Table Rock Lake.
When Richter landed his 57-pound paddlefish on Table Rock’s James River arm in March and saw the tag, the Cassville resident recalled hearing about a paddlefish tagging program MDC conducted several years ago. His efforts to report his tag connected him with MDC paddlefish biologist Trish Yasger and that’s when things got interesting.
“She was excited about me catching a tagged fish and thanked me for calling,” Richter said. “She took all my information. Then a couple of days later, she called back.”
The reason for the call-back was that Yasger and MDC Fisheries Biologist Sara Tripp had a list of the 8,970 tags that were put on paddlefish in MDC’s 2015-2019 tagging project. And Richter’s tag number wasn’t on that list.
“Sara told me our tag numbers are five digits long. I assumed that I had made a mistake in recording his information, so I called him to get the correct number,” Yasger said. “He told me, no, the number was 777 and there was an S in front of the number. I knew that wasn’t a tag from our current project.”
The still-legible words “Cons. Dept.” on the tag’s pitted surface showed this was an MDC tag and indicated this tag could have been the work of former MDC Fisheries Biologist Kim Graham, who tagged many paddlefish in the 1980s and early ’90s.
“I had very little tag information from Table Rock, so I reached out to (MDC Table Rock Fisheries Biologist) Shane Bush in the hopes that he had some old records,” Yasger said. “Luckily, he found what we needed.”
Bush’s search through old records revealed Graham had placed Tag S-777 on a paddlefish at Table Rock in March, 1990. The size Graham recorded for that fish – 49 pounds, 40 inches in length – made Richter’s catch even more interesting. Those dimensions indicated this fish had been part of MDC’s initial stockings of 84,159 paddlefish fingerlings into Table Rock in the 1970s.
MDC’s paddlefish stocking at Table Rock that took place from 1972-77 was part of the agency’s strategy to maintain this unique fishing opportunity in Missouri. MDC biologists knew the construction of Harry S. Truman Dam in the early 1970s would block the paddlefish spawning migrations that occurred annually out of Lake of the Ozarks and would flood the paddlefish’s spawning grounds on the Osage River near Osceola. It was speculated that, if a paddlefish population could be established at Table Rock through stocking, that would provide clear evidence that MDC could maintain paddlefish numbers at Lake of the Ozarks and Truman through annual stockings. These efforts would also create a “spoonbill” snagging opportunity at Table Rock.
“Shane and I talked and, after looking at the stocking records and based on the size of this fish when it was tagged in March of 1990, we determined it had to be from the original stocking of 1972-77,” Yasger said. “That makes the fish 44-49 years old when Joe Richter harvested it.” In addition to being a unique find, Yasger said this is a good indicator that MDC’s paddlefish management methods are working.
“Paddlefish at Table Rock – actually at all three reservoirs (Table Rock, Lake of the Ozarks, Truman) – are thriving,” she said. “They have good growth rates, are healthy, and are in good condition.” Today, Table Rock receives paddlefish stockings in most years.
Richter’s tag reporting had meaning to Yasger that went beyond growth rates and stocking numbers. She worked with Graham in her early years with MDC and has great respect for the now-deceased biologist.
“Kim Graham and the other biologists before us laid the groundwork for paddlefish management in Missouri,” she said. “Thanks to all of their work, we have a thriving paddlefish population in our reservoirs for snaggers to enjoy today. I was fortunate to work with Kim on paddlefish before he retired. It is special to me to know that fish he tagged are still out there and occasionally, we get tags from his work that allow us to learn more about these amazing fish.”
She said Missouri’s paddlefish snaggers also deserve credit for the state’s spoonbill success.
“Thanks to all the snaggers for reporting their tagged fish,” she said. “We owe a lot to the snaggers for working with us and reporting their tagged fish. We work together to learn and to keep snagging great in Missouri.”
Free webinar will teach about Missouri’s endangered prairie-chicken
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) will host an educational webinar about greater prairie-chickens in Missouri. The birds are still endangered in the state but officials say they “dance and boom” on Harrison County hilltops thanks to conservation partnership.
The free webinar will take people virtually to the prairie from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. on Friday, April 9, with live video from the Nature Conservancy (TNC) focused on a lek at Dunn Ranch Prairie. Featured speakers for the webinar will be Steve Buback, MDC natural history biologist, and Kent Wamsley, TNC grasslands and sustainable agriculture strategy manager in Missouri. They will discuss the history of prairie-chickens on Missouri’s native grasslands and the challenges the relatively small flocks of endangered birds face today.
“Prairie-chickens are natural and iconic representatives of the tallgrass prairie,” Buback said. “Their leks are an ancient, hardwired part of these birds, demonstrated by the fact that even birds trapped elsewhere and reintroduced to a grassland will use the same ancestral lek sites. Having never seen a landscape prior to release, they choose the same sites for courtship as prior prairie-chickens did for thousands of years.”
In-person viewing of the lek will not be offered this year due to COVID-19 precautions and to reduce disturbance on the lek. But the lek camera will remain available to the public for virtual viewing online through May. The camera will switch to bison calves when prairie-chickens are done booming.
To register for the webinar visit short.mdc.mo.gov/ZDQ.