“Frog gigging, or frogging, is a great way to enjoy Missouri’s fish, forests and wildlife while putting good food on the table,” said Conservation Agent Andrew Mothershead.
The clinic will start with a classroom session on the basics of frog gigging safety, equipment, identification and regulations. Participants will go frogging with the help of MDC personnel and learn how to clean and cook their catch.
“Catching frogs can be a fun and exciting activity for the whole family,” said Mothershead. “If all goes right, frog legs are the reward after a successful night of gigging.”
Frogs can be legally harvested with either fishing or hunting permits, as long as the method matches the permit. With a fishing permit, frogs may be harvested by hand, hand net, atlatl, gig, bow, trotline, throw line, limb line, bank line, jug line, snagging, snaring, grabbing or pole and line during frog season. With a hunting permit, frogs may be harvested using .22-caliber or smaller rimfire rifle or pistol, pellet gun, bow, crossbow, atlatl or by hand or hand net.
This year’s frog season begins at sunset June 30 and continues through Oct. 31. The daily limit is eight bullfrogs or green frogs and 16 in possession. Children under the age of 16 and adults over 65 are not required to have a permit.
To register for the frog gigging clinic, or for more information, contact the Southeast Regional Office at 573-290-5730.
Mark Reed, Stoddard County Conservation Agent
Missouri Department of Conservation
Bloomfield, Missouri - If you are looking for a great way to get the kids’ summer started, look no further. Local volunteers along with support from businesses, the National Wild Turkey Federation and the Missouri Department of Conservation will be holding the Stoddard County JAKES Event on Saturday, June 13. This annual event has been a hit with kids and parents alike so if you haven’t attended one yet, here is your chance. The day begins at 8:00 am sharp so arrive early. We will wrap up activities around 1:00 pm just after lunch and the ever popular candy cannon presented by the Crowley’s Ridge Blackpowder Club.
The JAKES Event is open to all kids age 6 thru 16 and lunch is provided. The day is free thanks to financial support from the community and local businesses. As in past years, the event will be held at the Holly Ridge Conservation Area archery range and pavilion on Stoddard County Road 517. The easiest way to find the area is to travel east from Bloomfield on HWY E then turn south on CR 517. Stay on 517 and you will find us.
Popular activities include archery, trapping, target shooting, nature hike, primitive skills, and more. The kids are divided into small groups based on age and move around the area on a schedule, allowing everyone to participate in all activities. Friends and family will be able to stay together throughout the day. The NWTF and MDC are strong supporters of family and introducing others to the great outdoors. The NWTF’s philosophy of “Share the Hunt” encourages avid sportsmen and women to take others along not only on hunting trips but also a variety of other outdoor experiences.
All equipment will be provided by the NWTF and the MDC so you don’t need to bring anything except an appetite for adventure and maybe some bug spray. Most of the day will take place in mowed areas but closed toe shoes are recommended for walks in the woods. Each activity will be supervised by experienced personnel to ensure a safe and enjoyable day.
There’s no better way to get the kids off their electronic devices and in touch with Mother Nature for a few hours than with this free and enjoyable day. As a bonus, we provide lunch and you don’t have to do the dishes. For more information, contact John Pyles at 568-3774, Mark Reed at 421-3240, or American Outdoors at 624-5421.
Fisheries biologists will teach safety and basics of
trotlining on the Might Mississippi!
Cape Girardeau, Missouri - The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) announces a catfishing clinic, Trotlining for Catfish on the Mississippi River, scheduled for Aug. 13-15. This free course, part of the MDC’s Angler Recruitment Initiative, is designed to provide local anglers with information and skills needed to safely navigate and fish the mighty Mississippi.
“The Mississippi River is probably one of the best, yet overlooked, opportunities for catfishing in Missouri,” said Dave Knuth, MDC Fisheries Management Biologist.
Knuth said the mighty Mississippi has earned a reputation for being difficult to navigate and fish. During the course of this hands-on workshop, anglers will learn how to safely traverse navigational hazards including floating debris, wing dikes, fluctuating river stages, and swift currents. They will also learn about necessary gear, species specific fishing information, and trot line safety and setting techniques.
The course will begin at the MDC’s Southeast Regional Office in Cape Girardeau, Aug. 13. The next two days will feature hands-on activities at Red Star Fishing Access Ramp in Cape Girardeau. Thursday night will feature a catfish dinner. Participants will bait and set a 10-hook trotline Friday evening. Lines will be retrieved Saturday morning. All equipment will be provided. Participants must be at least 18 years old. Space is limited, so preregistration is required by July 2 by calling the Southeast Regional Office at (573)290-5730.
For information on fishing opportunities in Missouri, go online to mdc.mo.gov/fishing. Anglers can also get weekly fishing reports, annual prospects, permit information and more through MDC’s “Find MO fish” free mobile app, available for download at mdc.mo.gov/node/15421.
Shown in the photo: Missouri Dept of Conservation staff hold a 45-inch, 50 lb., blue catfish collected while electrofishing on the Mississippi River. From left to right are MDC Resource Assistant Forest Copeland, Fisheries Management Biologist Dave Knuth and Conservation Agent Brian Shelton.
The annual Free Fishing Days give everyone the chance to fish in state waters without a permit, trout permit or prescribed area daily tag during those days.
The Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature Center has additional fishing opportunities in June. Ages 16 and up are invited to attend a fly fishing program Saturday, June 13.
The program is offered once in the morning and once in the afternoon. Participants will learn the basics of fly fishing and pick up new technical skills such as equipment selection and use, reading the water, matching the hatch, fly casting, fishing techniques and essential knots. A fishing permit is required for this course and registration begins June 2. Equipment will be available for loan during the program.
Fishing programs in June wrap up with the Father’s Day Fish Fry at the Nature Center, Saturday, June 20, from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Guests will learn the basics of fishing such as casting, tying a knot, baiting hooks and cleaning fish before sampling fish recipes. Adult supervision is required for ages 5 to 17. Attendees 16 and up must have a valid fishing permit.
Jefferson City, Missouri – The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) reported that turkey hunters checked 43,991 birds during Missouri’s 2015 regular spring turkey season April 20 through May 10. Top harvest counties were Franklin with 897 birds checked, Texas with 858, and Saint Clair with 771. Young turkey hunters ages 6 – 15 years harvested 4,441 birds during the 2015 spring youth season, April 11 and 12, bringing the overall spring 2015 turkey harvest to 48,432.
The 2014 overall spring turkey harvest was 47,605 birds. The 2015 overall spring harvest is the fourth consecutive increase since 2011, when the combined youth and regular season harvest was 42,226. Spring turkey harvest totals by county are available at http://mdc.mo.gov/node/30565.
MDC recorded four firearms-related spring turkey hunting incidents during the 2015 regular season and none during the youth weekend. One of the incidents was fatal. Two involved shooters who mistook other hunters for turkeys.
Missouri’s turkey harvest continues to be among the highest in the nation. MDC restoration efforts from past decades have taken this popular game bird from the brink of extirpation in the state by the 1950s to an estimated sustainable population of more than 300,000 birds today.
In addition to permit sales revenue, economic estimates show that Missouri turkey hunters spend more than $125 million each year on travel, food, lodging and hunting equipment, which in turn generates millions in local and state sales tax revenue.
Turkey hunters can commemorate their first harvest by creating an MDC First Turkey certificate suitable for framing at http://mdc.mo.gov/node/10469.
Shown in the photo is Tonya Chapman with her first wild turkey kill.
