Malden, Missouri - The Missouri Department of Conservation announces a grant that will help bring a new archery range to the City of Malden.
The City of Malden will receive the Conservation Department’s Community Archery Grant. According to AJ Hendershott, the Outreach and Education Regional Supervisor for the MDC’s Southeast Region, the $5,000 reimbursement grant is designed to broaden the availability of conservation opportunities to the citizens of Missouri by helping to increase archery opportunities. He said the grant falls right in line with the Department’s goal to help people discover nature.
“Archery is a safe and family-oriented activity,” he said. “It’s not just that it’s a fun activity, studies have shown how youth that participate in archery show improved academic scores and reduced behavior difficulty, which make this addition a healthy one for any community.”
The City of Malden doesn’t currently have any type of archery facility. Ashley Smith, the office assistant for the city administrator, said the city’s goal is to construct the archery range where the community can engage in outdoor activities while enjoying nature at the Hank Watson Memorial Park. The area is approximately 90 acres of beautiful rolling land covered with pine trees and a winding walking path. A nature area abundant with native wildflowers is in bloom which covers approximately 19 acres of the land.
“We’re hopeful that the development of Hank Watson Memorial Park and the construction of the archery range will attract people of all ages throughout the city and from surrounding communities,” Smith said. “It’s our wish that people will travel from miles around to enjoy and utilize our facilities.”
Smith said the city’s plan is to construct the archery range with eight stations, each with a hanging target on a wooden frame. Two targets will be positioned at 10 yards, 20 yards, 30 yards and 40 yards. A roof will be constructed atop each frame to protect the targets from weather and to increase longevity.
“From the conservation perspective, we’re pleased this grant will help a community move along with their plans to provide more nature experiences to their community,” Hendershott said, adding that he hopes more communities, or even schools and universities, will consider applying for the grant in the future.
“Archery is a simple and rewarding sport to pick up, plus it allows you spend more time outdoors which is good for all of us,” he said. “It’s an incredibly safe sport with related injury numbers so low it’s the second safest sport behind table tennis.”
Smith said the Park and Recreation Board is in the process of ordering equipment for the range, which is projected to open to the public in the spring of 2015.
For more information about the new archery range in the City of Malden, contact City Hall at (573) 276-4502. For more information about opportunities to discover nature through archery, go online to mdc.mo.gov.
Applications for hunting on the Conservation Department’s managed wetland areas are handled exclusively online. Hunters have from Sept. 1 through 19 to apply for reservations at 12 Conservation Department managed wetland areas identified in the 2014-2015 Waterfowl Hunting Digest. The digest is available from permit vendors statewide, at Conservation Department offices and nature centers, or at mdc.mo.gov. To apply, visit mdc.mo.gov/node/3806. Drawing results for reservations during the entire season at these 12 areas will be available at the same website on Oct. 1.
Hunting opportunities at Otter Slough, Eagle Bluffs, and Grand Pass conservation areas will be handled through the Quick Draw system again this year, with one in four hunting spots allocated through daily “poor-line” drawings. Quick Draw applications are made available a few days before the hunting period. Quick Draw applications will open at midnight Oct. 17 for Grand Pass CA and midnight Oct. 24 for Eagle Bluffs and Otter Slough CAs.
Whether applying through the traditional reservation system or Quick Draw, hunters need their nine-digit identification number, found at the top of hunting permits, or next to the bar code on Conservation Heritage Cards. To apply for reservations under Quick Draw, hunters over age 15 and under age 65 need a small-game hunting and a migratory bird permit. Hunters under age 16 only need a Conservation Identification Number.
Disabled hunters may apply for disabled-accessible blinds through Quick Draw. For non-Quick Draw areas, hunters may apply by calling the area office on or after Oct. 1. To qualify for a disabled-accessible blind, you must submit a hunting-method exemption form. These forms and area phone numbers are available at mdc.mo.gov/node/9631 or by calling any MDC Regional Office.
Neither Quick Draw nor the traditional system allows nonresidents to apply for reservations. However, resident hunters who draw reservations can include nonresidents in their hunting parties. Nonresidents also can take part in the daily, on-site “poor-line” drawings under both systems.
Unclaimed reservations under both the Quick Draw and traditional reservation system are added to those available in the “poor line,” where hunters without reservations can draw for a chance to hunt.
Duck stamps are required for waterfowl hunters. Many wildlife enthusiasts and stamp collectors also buy the stamps, which sell for $15. Proceeds from the sale of duck stamps support waterfowl research and conservation programs.
Missouri is one of five states chosen by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for a test run of selling federal duck stamps online. Eight states already participate in the E-Stamp program. In the past, the stamps have been available at U.S. Post Offices, Conservation Department offices, and some retail permit vendors, but not online. This year, paper stamps will still be offered at some post offices and Conservation Department regional offices, nature centers, and visitor’s centers, but not at retail permit vendors or waterfowl hunting conservation areas. Instead, hunters and retail vendors will have the option of selling waterfowl E-Stamps through www.mo.wildlifelicense.com.
E-Stamps also may be purchased from your home computer for $17.50, which includes a $2.50 handling fee. A $1 Internet convenience fee will be added to your total online order. E-Stamps also may be purchased from some retail permit vendors, where the $1 Internet convenience fee will not apply.
Hunters will receive an E-Stamp at the time of purchase, and a paper duck stamp will be sent to them through the mail. Hunters can use their E-Stamps immediately and for 45 days following purchase. After 45 days, hunters must carry the paper duck stamp.
The decision not to sell paper duck stamps through retail vendors came from federal officials after printing of the 2014 Early Migratory Bird Hunting Digest was complete. As a result, the digest says hunters can buy duck stamps from some retail vendors - without mentioning details of purchasing E-Stamps.
Throughout most of the year, Missouri’s black bear population is nearly invisible. Naturally fearful of humans, they prefer to mind their own business, foraging for natural foods in fields and forests. But summer can be a lean time for bears. They lose most of their fat reserves during the winter and have to subsist on vegetation, insects, and other less substantial fare until blackberries ripen in midsummer. Even then, they are constantly looking for food. If they find an unsecured garbage can, a bowl of pet food left outdoors, or even a hummingbird feeder full of sugar water, their stomachs sometimes overcome their shyness. That can get them into trouble.
“Bears are wonderful animals,” says Resource Scientist Jeff Beringer, “and they generally are harmless. But things can end badly for bears that get in the habit of foraging for food near people. Harassment and other aversive conditioning often convinces a bear to stay away from people. But sometimes they keep going back where they don’t belong and have to be destroyed.”
The great majority of Missouri’s black bears live south of I-44. Most are found between Poplar Bluff and Springfield. People who live in this area should consider not feeding birds and other wildlife from April through September, especially in rural areas. Later in the fall, bears are busy feeding on their dietary mainstay, acorns. Bears are much less active from December through March, when supplemental feeding is more important for birds.
Beringer also recommends keeping pet food and livestock feed inside secure outbuildings. The same is true for barbecue grills and other items that smell like food. Trash should be put out as close to pickup time as possible to minimize exposure to hungry bears, and feeders that dispense corn or other feed for wildlife should not be used during the summer.
Beringer said campers and floaters in south-central Missouri also need to be bear aware. It is a good idea to keep food locked inside vehicles with the windows closed when it is not being used. Floaters should keep food in bear-proof containers or hang it from ropes between trees at night or when it is left unattended.
To learn more about black bears, including preventing and dealing with black bears around potential food sources, visit mdc.mo.gov/node/973. If you have problems with a nuisance bear, contact the nearest MDC office or conservation agent.
News Release
Missouri - Missourians are preparing to celebrate the last holiday of summer, Labor Day. Typically, this weekend sees heavy volumes on Missouri's roads as many people will be taking one last summer trip.
It's important to remember the end of summer doesn't mean the end of construction season. The Missouri Department of Transportation continues to have work zones around the state making improvements and repairs to the transportation system. The majority of construction work zones will not be in place from noon Friday, August 29 until mid-morning Tuesday, September 2. However, some work zones have lanes closed all the time that are unable to be reopened for the holiday weekend.
Driver behavior is the key to safe driving in work zones and on busy highways.
• Wear your seatbelt. During the Labor Day holiday in 2013, there were eight fatalities in crashes on Missouri roadways and two of those killed were not wearing a seatbelt.
• Don't Text and Drive. Distracted driving is a top cause of crashes. Put down your phone and focus on your driving.
• Don't tailgate. Keep a safe distance. Remember to leave at least two seconds of braking distance between you and the vehicle in front of you.
• Slow Down for Work Zones. Lanes may be reduced or shifted. By slowing down you will be more prepared to adjust to the changing conditions and potential delays from reduced lanes.
Before you head out this holiday weekend, visit MoDOT's traveler information map at http://www.modot.org/ to get the latest information on current projects that may affect your travel plans. The map also provides real-time information regarding incidents on major roads that include lane closures. The MoDOT traveler information map can also be downloaded as an app to your phone. MoDOT's 24/7 customer service is also available to provide information on road conditions at 1-888-ASK-MODOT (275-6636).
NEWS RELEASE
08/29/2014
REFERENCE: PROBABLE PHONE SCAM
Earlier on today's date, Dexter Police received a call from a complainant who received a call from a male subject who represented themselves as an employee (technician) from DirectTV. The caller advised that there was trouble with the complainants DirectTV connection.
The "technician" advised the complainant that he needed to access the internet at the residence in order to "test the signal" of her DirectTV and began giving instructions on how to use her computer to give the "technician" access. The complainant did not allow this access and terminated the phone call.
After this call, the complainant contacted DirectTV and was advised that no service calls had been made to the residence by a legitimate representative of DirectTV.
These types of scam phone calls sometimes even show a legitimate name of the business on your Caller ID. This scam usually continues by the "technician" running a "scan" or a "line test" and claim that "the line is bad" and that it will cost you a small fee to repair the line. After taking your credit or debit card information, the fee turns out to be a large amount of money, if not the entire balance of your account.
The Dexter Police Department would like to remind everyone to be cautious in giving out personal information and any financial information if you receive these types of calls.
