8 minute read
Conservation in Missouri
The building looked ominous, illuminated by a pole light. An unknown adventure was waiting inside, or at least that was how it seemed to a 12-year-old boy the morning dad took me to Trimble Wildlife Area for my first duck hunt on a Missouri Conservation Area.
Dad had applied for a blind reservation by requesting an open date. Applications were only accepted between August 20 and September 15, so I made sure he did not miss the deadline. There was a considerable demand for hunting on the 1,200-acre Trimble Wildlife Area that only included ten blinds and pools surrounding a small lake. The card finally came in the mail, listing us as hunting on November 17, 1965.
We were early that morning and walked inside the somewhat musty smelling building that had been visited by dozens of wet, muddy boots since the season opened around November 1. The floors were reasonably clean after invasion by scores of hunters.
A sign stated that drawn blinds cost $3.00 per day with an additional dollar per hunter. A dozen duck decoys could be included for $1.00 per day. Sacks of decoys were stacked neatly on their east wall, some of the bags still damp from the previous day's hunt.
I was studying mounted ducks on the wall and charts of success ratios in blinds around the area when a deep voice broke the silence. I turned to look up at a big man dressed in his conservation uniform and a green ball cap.
"This your first time here son," the man asked. "Yes sir," I answered, somewhat nervous, hoping I hadn't broken some rule of wildlife area etiquette. "Then let me show you around," he said. "I sometimes give a tour to special hunters like you."
He gave me the tour and answered many questions, my first interaction with the Missouri Department of Conservation. The agent explained why we have limits on ducks or geese and gave a brief explanation on how conservation works through the research of wildlife biologists. Later that morning, the place filled with hunters waiting to draw their blind assignments. Many without pre-arranged reservations were there because cancellations sometimes occurred, and blinds become open. Only four hunters were allowed in a blind, so more hunters than blind space might mean a secondary drawing. Winners hunted and unfortunates went home.
I studied the crowd's various styles of hunting garb, mostly tanned colored jackets and the oncepopular Jon-E-Style hunting hats while others wore dark-colored caps. Drab colors were preferred years before commercial camouflage patterns like Realtree or Mossy Oak were marketed except for military versions. The brief words from that agent on wildlife management made me understand the importance of hunters. I walked away with a new mindset on conservation, hunting and fishing.
Dad and I each shot a pair of greenhead mallards that morning from an adequate blind that is now somewhere on the bottom of Smithville Lake, as is the Trimble Wildlife Area building's concrete foundation.
But the spark was lit, and later my poor grandfather listened to chattering about this enlightening experience while we took a long drive. He recognized my new passion and soon arranged for me to receive the Missouri Conservationist by mail.
I excitedly checked our mailbox about the same time each month until the next issue arrived and poured over stories written by the great Joel Vance and many others. Young eyes combed over stories about hunting, fishing and descriptions of how conservation worked. The writing was excellent, unknowingly adding to my education as a future outdoor communicator.
My early passion for duck and goose hunting made favorites of the November and December Missouri Conservationist issues. I was especially impressed sometime in the middle 1960's when accomplished MDC photographer, Don Wooldridge, posted a photo of his daughter, Ann, who was about my age and holding a brace of Canada geese outside their blind. I remember thinking she must be the perfect girl, beautiful, and a hunter.
I was fortunate to witness conservation efforts coming to life in my teenage years, about 1967. Deer had been absent from my family's farms in Northwest Missouri. My uncles looked over a crop of soybeans one afternoon to be shocked by the sight of a whitetail buck running full blast towards a nearby timber. That was the first recorded sighting of a deer in that section of Buchanan County in decades. Later my cousins and I saw likely the same buck in that field, comically running the opposite direction. Now deer are plentiful in Buchanan County and statewide.
My second conservation success story happened in the middle 1970's when outdoor specialist Andy Gerrard and I found a turkey track in one of our hollows. I had no idea what it was, thinking maybe a vulture while Gerrard insisted it was a turkey. I walked away, still doubtful until we started seeing flocks. Now we have good turkey hunts on the farm, Gerrard was right and another MDC success story was written.
Hopefully, another Missouri conservation success story will come alive with the introduction of field buffering to bring back our quail populations, already a successful program in some areas. We once had three coveys of quail on our 160-acre farm and barely one covey now.
Writing outdoor prose in newspapers and magazines has been my passion for over 40 years. Hopefully, my stories succeeded in placing readers in the duck blind or boat because some folks are no longer physically able to hunt or fish. Maybe some of my stories helped them relive fond memories—at least that is my goal. I have tried to include conservation tips in all stories—perhaps unconsciously as a tribute to that agent that talked to me about conservation those many years ago. Hopefully, I have paid him back through my conservation efforts.
During the 1980's I wrote newspaper releases for the Missouri Department of Conservation in Metro Coordinator, Jim Pyland's Kansas City office. That experience lasted a couple of years, significantly adding to my knowledge of conservation with the help of Pyland and the great Regional Outreach and Education Supervisor, Jeannie Marolf.
To this day, I am thankful for their patience and understanding through my no-doubt occasional dumb questions.
The Missouri Department of Conservation is the envy of most wildlife biologists I have spoken with across the country on press trips because of our Design for Conservation, 1/8th of a cent sales tax, or in other words, one penny going for conservation efforts out of every eight dollars of taxable goods going directly to support fish, forest and wildlife conservation efforts. I believe the MDC has used this money efficiently as evidenced by our excellent wildlife populations and quality public hunting area.
Many politicians would love to detour this funding for their own agenda, but thankfully groups like the Conservation Federation of Missouri help protect our interests in the outdoors. I hope and pray everyone will always protect this Conservation tax.
Maybe another young boy or girl will be enlightened to this thing called conservation. I can't imagine anything more important!
Kenneth L. Kieser
(Top) The young author with his dad. (Photo: LaDonne Kieser)
(Cover) Trimble Wildlife Area in 1965. (Photo: Courtesy of MDC)
Visit a Prairie Marsh at Swan Lake
Consider visiting Swan Lake National Wildlife Refuge in Sumner, Missouri. This National Wildlife Refuge is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and is recognized as an Important Bird Area by the Audubon Society. There is something for everyone to do at Swan Lake.
You can see a variety of wildlife in the grassland and marsh habitats, including a newly restored prairie marsh recently completed in 2019 in partnership with Ducks Unlimited, Inc. and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.
Grasslands: Since European settlement in North America, only about 1% of tallgrass prairie remains in Missouri. Prairies are a complex mix of native grasses, wildflowers, and other plants that provide seeds, insects, cover and shelter for various birds, including quail, bitterns, northern harriers, and short-eared owls, and many songbirds. Most grasslands on the refuge are located on the east side, where there is less flooding.
Wetlands: When summer drawdowns of water expose mud flats, moist soil plants grow. These plants grow in wetter conditions and have the potential to produce high seed yields, which serve as an essential food source for waterfowl and other wildlife. Waterfowl need a diversity of invertebrates and plant foods from all different wetland types to provide them with a complete diet during fall and spring migration. The refuge has numerous wetland units; the largest are Swan Lake and South Pool.
Wildlife viewing is great as fall migration begins in late August and September. Waterfowl that can be seen include mallards, gadwalls, and teal, which usually can are visible from the entrance road. By using the viewing scopes located at the overlooks on the way to Swan Lake and the nature trail, visitors can see other water birds like American white pelicans, Canada and greater whitefronted geese and trumpeter swans. The auto tour leads to Silver Lake, where snow geese and various diving duck species such as common mergansers, buffleheads, ringnecked ducks and lesser scaup feed and rest.
Bald eagle. (Photo: USFWS)
Bald eagles can be seen year-round, the refuge also provides habitat for several other migratory birds including eastern phoebes, Baltimore orioles, and summer tanagers. Several species of native sparrows are present during migration, including swamp sparrows in wetland shrubs and fox and white-throated sparrows in drier, brushy habitat. Both grasshopper and field sparrows nest on the refuge. Smith’s and Lapland longspurs are seen in fall and spring.
White-tailed deer are a common sight at the refuge best viewed in the early evening. During mid-summer, keep an eye out for fawns with their mothers grazing and frolicking in the refuge fields. Also, keep an eye out for other commonly seen resident wildlife species such as fox squirrels, raccoons, coyotes, beaver, muskrats, opossums, and cottontail rabbits.
When visiting, bring bug spray, binoculars, a camera, field guides, and good waterproof hiking shoes for wildlife viewing. Hunting opportunities include deer, squirrel, dove, waterfowl, geese. Contact the refuge directly and visit the website for more information: https://www.fws.gov/refuge/Swan_Lake/
