Trout Talk October 2015

TTROUTTTALKTALK

Published by

OCTOBEROCTOBER20152015

The Lebanon

Anglers, fl oaters Anglers, fl oaters make up for wet make up for wet start to seasonstart to season

page 3page 3

DDAILY AILY RRECORDECORD

As this year’s fi shing sea-son winds down, visitors to the Bennett Spring area have made up for the lost

time of the spring and early summer when rain kept a

lot of people away.“I think the rain stopped a lot

of people from coming,” said Sand Spring Resort owner Jack D. Glen-denning. “Maybe these guys are trying to make up now — for all the lost time. It’s hard to say, but it kind of feels like it’s a little busier than normal on the weekdays that we’re having right now. It’s been really gor-geous, and a lot of guys like to take advantage of that.”

When the year start-ed, nobody thought the summer would be as wet as it turned out. From farmers to fisher-men, their summer activities were put on hold.

“If you look at the first part of the season, everything was looking really good. It looked like a banner year until we got to about a week

after Memorial Day and we started to get all of the rain. … Even the week after the fourth of July, we had a situation where the river was flooded. We lost several days, Father ’s Day, several days after the fourth of July.

“But after that, I’m telling you, things picked up really nicely. We just didn’t have enough time. With school starting and Labor Day, you could definitely tell when that hit. But all in all, by far the season was great,” Glendenning said.

Sand Spring Resort is still pretty busy. Floaters come in on the week-end, and fishermen are good for most days of the week. Glendenning noted that the crowd that prefers to fish has really picked back up.

THE LEBANON DAILY RECORD TROUT TALK OCTOBER 2015 PAGE 3

Making up for lost timeAnglers, fl oaters come

in droves after the heavy rains let up

Story by Aaron

Jennings◆

The Daily Record

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PAGE 4 THE LEBANON DAILY RECORD TROUT TALK OCTOBER 2015

“During the summer, it’s mainly people who want to float, but right now people are trying to fish as much as they can. We have like two (unofficial) seasons and we see two different types of crowds. From the first of March to Memorial Day, it’s mainly fisherman. They take ad-vantage of there not being as many people around. I’m sure they are glad that the waters are not muddy with all the boats.

“From Memorial Day to about mid August, our crowd completely switches. They are mostly floaters, or here for family reunions. We see a lot of families come down that neither float or fish,” Glendenning said.

Sand Spring Resort is open all year, but the biggest part of its busi-ness will end by the end of October. Catch-and-keep trout fishing in the state park will end then, but the Niangua River is open all year.

Glendenning noted that he gets some clear time fishermen, and people that take advantage of catch -and-release season from the state park.

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“It kind of depends on the weather. As the fall progresses, we’ll have a bet-ter idea about that and how things are going,” Glendenning said.

For Rick Kirchberg and Lucy Oberle — owners of Weaver’s Tackle Store — 2015 was a very good year. In general, the number of people that fi shed this year is down. The fl ood that happened in July was something that slowed fi sh-ing down quite a bit.

“It seemed to pick up right after that … And about two to three weeks ago, the waters started clearing out and looking really good, and it’s back at the levels that are common for this time of year,” Oberle said.

The amount of time that Bennett was in fl ood stage lasted only a matter of hours where it went above the of-fi cial fl ood stage, but the effects lasted for a while.

“When someone walks down the street and sees a fi sh in the street, that’s fl ooded, right? But it’s not necessarily what would be considered an offi cial fl ood,” Oberle said.

Weaver’s Tackle Store stayed very busy this year, but being able to help fi shermen adapt to the water condi-tions, is something that makes Oberle most proud.

“Our goal is to help people pull fi sh out of the stream, regardless of the

conditions. The waters can change in a moment’s notice, and like the waters, the fi sh react in a completely different way than they did before,” Oberle said.

As a tackle shop, fi shermen from all over the country often come to Weav-er’s to see what the fi sh are bitting on. Because Kirchberg and Oberle haven’t lived around Bennett Spring their en-tire life, learning is always important.

“We go out of our way to help peo-ple fi nd what they need and take pride in not being out of stock on items. Every day we have people that come in and marvel at our selection, and how well the store is kept,” Kirchberg said.

“When people come in and ask us a question, we usually know exactly what the answer is, because we too had to learn it. It wasn’t something that we always knew. Every year isn’t going to be perfect. Every year is going to be different, with new challenges and new opportunities. The fun of it, is not knowing,” Oberle said.

Weaver’s Tackle listens to both suc-cessful anglers and those who struggle. Instead of a guide, Oberle thinks her job is more of a messenger.

“We listen, and pass the information on to those who need the help. The advice isn’t necessarily our own. The advice comes from people who know a lot more than we do,” Oberle said. ■

Trout Talk photos by Aaron Jennings

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OUTDOORS

One of the most significant an-nual events for Ozarks wildlife is something humans hardly notice.

We all know what acorns are, but it’s of little concern to us when these seeds of oak trees ripen and fall to the earth in autumn. For those with oak trees in their yards, it means those final lawn-mow-ing jobs of the year are going to be noisier and a little harder on mower blades as they cut through the fallen acorns. Walking bare-foot across your yard is going to be a little more painful because you’re apt to step on sharp corners of acorns that squirrels have partially munched. And, if you have small children, acorns are going to be yet another thing they gather up and scatter throughout your house.

All in all, it’s pretty minor stuff.If you’re a member of the area’s

animal kingdom, though, you have

a completely different perspective of acorns. Acorns are the primary food source for local animal species in the fall. Fallen and stored acorns are also the food that gets them through the winter. If animals find

acorns, they survive; if they don’t find them, they die. For many animals in this part of the state, it’s that cut-and-dried. Needless to say, the importance of acorns to wildlife cannot be over-stated.

Squirrels eat a variety of nuts and

fruits, which are known as mast. Since oak trees are common through this area, acorns make up the bulk of the mast production here. That means acorns are a staple for local

squirrel populations. Fluctuations in squirrel numbers in an area are directly linked to that area’s mast production.

Deer are also huge consumers of acorns at this time of year. In the fall, they need the nutrition to provide strength for courtship and mating activities and also to fatten up for the lean months ahead. In winter, acorns are the primary fac-tor in this part of the state that will determine whether or not whitetails will survive the winter.

Acorns are also at the top of the food list for turkeys. Insects, ber-ries, grass seeds and a variety of other items are all parts of a wild turkey’s diet at different times of the year, but studies have shown acorns are the No. 1 food for tur-keys throughout the year. Acorns are also a valuable food source for quail in fall and winter.

Popular game animals aren’t the only creatures that need acorns. Many types of birds and small mammals also depend on acorns at this time of year. One particularly heavy consumer of acorns – one that may surprise many area resi-dents with its acorn consumption – is the blue jay. Blue jays not eat acorns; they also store them in the ground for future meals. One study documented that 50 blue jays trans-ported and cached 150,000 acorns in 28 days – an average of about 110 acorns per day for each bird.

Blue jays scatter their acorn stor-age sites over a large area. Soft, damp soils provide numerous loca-tions and a quick means of covering up the nuts. These storage sites are also locations where oak trees are most likely to sprout from these buried acorns. And they do.

Acorns a staple for wildlife

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Blue jays provide a valuable service by dispersing and planting acorns, which become oak trees.

By now it should be obvious that, if you want to see wildlife on your land, oak trees are good things to have. The Missouri De-partment of Conservation publi-cation “Wildlife Management for Missouri Landowners” provides information about how landown-ers can manage their land for various types of wildlife. This free publication is available at the De-partment of Conservation’s South-west Regional Office in Spring-

field. Another free publication, “Missouri’s Oaks and Hickories,” provides information about the state’s 21 species of oak trees and about the various species of hick-ory trees found here. More infor-mation about oak trees and their role in wildlife management can be found on the Missouri Department of Conservation’s website, www.missouriconservation.org

Francis Skalicky is the media spe-cialist for the Missouri Department of Conservation’s Southwest Region. For more information about conservation issues, call (417) 895-6880. ■

From MDCLe Hunter education training is a

form of life insurance; only rarely is anyone who has had such training involved in any kind of fi rearms or hunting incident.

The Missouri Department of Conser-vation will sponsor two Hunter Educa-tion Skills Courses at the Laclede Elec-tric Cooperative, located off Route 66, (1400 East Route 66) in Lebanon on Oct. 10, 2015. Included in the training will be fi rearm safety, information about fi rearms and ammunition, tree stand safety, hands on experience in safely loading and unloading different types of fi rearms, carrying fi rearms safely in the fi eld, and safely crossing obstacles in the fi eld with a fi rearm.

Hunter Education now consists of two separate and mandatory portions, a knowledge course and a skills course. You may complete the knowledge course to qualify you for the upcom-ing skills courses in either one of two ways: 1) Take the course online (go to mdc.mo.gov for more information). However, there is a $15.00 fee required to take the online course and receive verifi cation of completion; 2) Or, obtain a hunter education student manual from a conservation offi ce, complete all chapter reviews, and then bring the completed manual with you to the

skills course. Once you have success-fully completed the knowledge course, by one of the methods mentioned above, you must attend a four hour skills course to become Hunter Educa-tion certifi ed. There are two separate skills courses scheduled here in Leba-non at Laclede Electric on October 10, 2015, one from 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM and another from 1 to 5 p.m.

Pre-registration is required to attend one of the skills courses on October 10. Registration can be done by going online at http://www.register-ed.com/programs/missouri or by calling (417) 532-7612.

Those successfully completing the course will receive a Hunter Education Certifi cation Card from the Missouri Department of Conservation. Such cer-tifi cation is mandatory before a hunter can purchase a hunting permit in many states and Canadian Provinces. Any-one born after Jan. 1, 1967 is required to be certifi ed before purchasing a fi rearms permit in the state of Missouri. Certifi cation is limited to students 11 years of age or older.

Students under the age of 14 should bring proof of age. If applicable, stu-dents should bring their Heritage Card or a recent hunting or fi shing permit.

For more information, contact Julie Caffey at 417-532-7612 ext. 239.

Hunter Education Classes offered

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1 Barclay Public Access

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3 Ft. Niangua River Resort84 Cat Hollow Trail • 417-532-4377www.fortniangua.com

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5 Family Crossing Mobile Home VillageThe Bennett Room - A Place to Gather17698 Hwy. 64, Lebanon • 417-532-4550

6 Adventures Float Trips & Campground LLC1667 State Highway 643 1/2 miles West of Bennett Spring15 miles East of Highway 65417-588-RAFT (7238)www.mo-adventures.org

7 Weavers Tackle Store11388 Hwy 64417-532-4618

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9 MacCreed’s Art GalleryFine Arts & GiftsHwy 64 East of Bennett417-588-7993Thurs.-Sat. • Sun. by Appt.www.maccreedsgallery.com

10 Wild Oaks Campground1818 Hwy 64417-588-1631wildoakscampground.com

11 Bennett Spring Grill-Bennett Spring Taxidermy25970 Hwy 64A • 417-588-9001

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From MDCJEFFERSON CITY — As the heat of

summer fades into the cool weather of fall, trees and shrubs around the Show-Me State transform from leaves of green to a fall-foliage color palette of golds, reds, oranges, and purples. The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) encourages people to discover nature through fall-color excursions.

“People can travel anywhere in Mis-souri and fi nd a variety of trees that show off a fantastic array of color in the fall,” said MDC Resource Forester Cory Gregg.

Gregg explained that leaves turn col-ors when two things happen.

“First, sugars produced by photo-synthesis are trapped inside leaves by chilly - but not freezing - autumn nights,” he said. “Those sugars are the building blocks for red, yellow, orange, and purple pigments. Cool nights simultaneously cause the breakdown of green pigments, allowing these other colors to show through.”

The variety of trees means Mis-sourians enjoy a fall color season that

can last four to six weeks. Sassafras, sumac, and the Virginia creeper are some of the earliest foliage to change, beginning in mid-September. By late September, black gum, bittersweet, and dogwoods are turning.

The color change starts earliest in northern Missouri and moves south-ward across the state. The peak of fall color in Missouri is usually around mid-October. This is when maples, ashes, oaks, and hickories are at the height of their fall display. Normally by late October, the colors are fading and the leaves start to drop from the trees.

“As of mid-September, it’s still early in the season and we haven’t seen much of a change,” said MDC Com-munity Forester Mark Grueber. “As we move into fall, we’ll hope for warm sunny days and cool nights to provide us with the best color display.”

Viewing Fall ColorFor spectacular vistas, Grueber

recommends routes along rivers with views of forested bluffs, and along ridges with sweeping scenes of for-ested landscapes. On a smaller scale,

drive on back roads, hike, or take a fl oat trip under a colorful forest canopy on a clear, blue-sky day. Conservation areas and state parks are great places to visit for fall color.

“Even treeless areas, such as prairies and roadsides, display beautiful shades of gold, purple, olive, and auburn with autumn wildfl owers, shrubs, and grasses,” Grueber said. “In cities and towns, enjoy places with mature trees, such as older neighborhoods, parks, and even cemeteries.”

Weekly Fall Color UpdatesMDC offers weekly fall color up-

dates provided by foresters from all over the state through November. The updates include what species of trees are turning and recommendations for where to see them. The easiest way to get those updates is with MDC’s free mobile app, MO Fall Colors. It pro-vides fall-color scenes from around the state, complete with GPS navigation information. Users can even add their own fall-color photos and share them with Facebook friends and others. The app is active during fall-color changes

beginning now through November. Download MO Fall Colors for Android and Apple devices at http://mdc.mo.gov/node/19321%20.

Fall color updates are also available on the MDC website at mdc.mo.gov/node/4548.

Shorter days, cooler nights, beautiful trees on tap for fall

Find and share more Mis-souri fall colors! Browse up-to-minute fall-color

scenes from places nearby and around the state. Use

the GPS info to navigate to them. Want to add your fall-

color fi nds? This app lets you share them with Face-book friends and others.

Find the app at mdc.mo.gov/mobile/mobile-apps/mo-fall-

colors

From MDCJEFFERSON CITY – The Missouri

Department of Conservation (MDC) will hold a public auction of various used Department vehicles and equip-ment on Oct. 17 starting at 10 a.m. at its Salem Maintenance Center located at the junction of Missouri 72 and Mo. 32 in Salem.

The auction will feature vehicles, trailers, tractors, ATVs, UTVs, farm equipment, boats, outboard motors, shop equipment, offi ce equipment, and

other items.Those interested can view auction

items on Oct. 16, at the Salem Main-tenance Center from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Preregistration on Oct. 16 is from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Registration the day of the sale begins at 7:30 a.m.

For a list of auction items and procedures, go online to mdc.mo.gov/node/5585. A complete lot listing and terms of sales will be available at the registration desk the day of the auction.

MDC schedules vehicle, equipment auction

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From MDCSpecies: Sora Scientifi c name: Porzana carolinaNicknames: American rail, Sora rail,

Carolina crakeClaim to fame: Mourning doves

may get all the hunting hype when Missouri’s dove season opened Sept. 1, but they’re not the only bird that has a Sept. 1 hunting season opener in the state. The sora, whose Missouri season runs from Sept. 1 through Nov. 9, is defi nitely one of the lesser-known gamebirds in the state. Though the sora receives very little attention from Mis-souri hunters, this wetland migratory bird has a hunting season tied to its fall migrations through this region. The daily limit is 25. The sora’s erratic fl ight makes it a challenging target. In addi-tion to providing sport and table fare for hunters, soras also provide viewing interest for birders.

Species status: Though still con-sidered abundant across most of their

North American range, biologists agree sora numbers have probably declined in recent decades. It’s suspected the main culprit in this drop in numbers is not hunting pressure but rather wet-land habitat elimination and degrada-tion.

First discovered: The fi rst scientifi c description of the sora was written by the famed naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1758.

Family matters: Soras belong to the bird family Rallidae. Approximately 130 species comprise this family, but only nine reside in North America.

Length: between eight and nine inches (wingspan of 14 inches)

Diet: Seeds, insects and snails com-prise the bulk of a sora’s diet.

Weight: between two and three ounces

Distinguishing characteristics: In breeding plumage, a sora’s throat and face are black and it has a short, yellowish bill. The breast and nape of the neck are gray, the back is mottled brown and the belly has black and white barring. Soras are monomorphic – which means males and females look alike. They have something of a “whin-nying” call. They have a secretive nature and are much more frequently heard than seen.

Life span: Information unavailableHabitat: Throughout their range,

soras occupy freshwater wetland areas. Preferred habitat contains considerable vegetative cover for nesting and brood-rearing purposes.

Life cycle: Soras may be more widespread and numerous in Missouri than surveys indicate, but population assessment is diffi cult because of their shy nature. They may be an occasional nester in Missouri, but most nesting activity occurs in northern and western states and southern Canada. Courtship and nesting occur in spring and early summer. Nests consist of a shallow, basket-type structure woven from dead wetland vegetation. Nests are often built adjacent to or over water and are attached to live plant stalks in areas of dense vegetative growth. The average clutch consists of 10-12 eggs. Incuba-tion is performed by both parents for a period of 18-20 days. The young fl edge in 21-25 days. In fall, soras migrate through Missouri en route to wintering sites in the southern U.S. and Mexico.


OUTDOORS

Sora is a lesser known gamebird in Mo.

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Trout Talk October 2015