Fresh Afield

As we shovel snow and brace for cold north winds this week, it’s hard to feel very encouraged that spring is just around the corner. However, in looking at the Natural Events Calendar for the first half of February, it’s clear that several wildlife species are likely to begin feeling the approach of spring at this time. Here’s a sampling of natural events typically occurring during the first two weeks of February:

• Groundhogs breed through March
• The first birds song of the new year appears – chickadees
• Great horned owls begin nesting
• American goldfinches begin molting into breeding colors
• Male cardinals begin territorial singing
• Mink begin breeding
• Screech owls begin nesting
• Tiger salamander courtship begins

There will be several other signs of spring before February is over. By the end of next week, woodcocks should begin their courtship in southern Missouri counties and turkey vultures and flocks of returning robins will reappear (although some robins have been here all winter). Killdeer will return and the call of boreal chorus frogs will be heard from wetlands and ponds before the month is out.

Even the wildflower, harbinger of spring, may be blooming this month if we get even a few days of mild temperatures. It doesn’t take much warmth to get this small forest wildflower to emerge from the leaf litter and open its tiny white flowers.

Without the benefit of calendars, our plants and wildlife are beginning to take steps to be ready for the upcoming warmer temperatures. Perhaps, if we spent more  of our time outdoors, we would also be able to pick up the subtle cues that winter is about to give way to spring. Maybe these signals of approaching spring  will provide you with some encouragement as you shovel snow this week.

The dead of winter is a trying time for avid hunters. Deer, fall turkey, duck and quail seasons are gone or fading fast, and it’s a long haul until the spring turkey season opens in April. It makes me grateful for cottontails.

This time of year, I also am grateful for Dave Urich, a retired coworker who loves rabbit hunting enough to maintain a pack of hunting dogs just for that purpose. And I do mean a pack. When we met at a mutual friend, Scott Gerlt, for a hunt at Scott’s family farm last Saturday morning, Dave had eight dogs in his pickup. Although I recognize that each of his five beagles has a distinctive voice and personality, I can’t keep their names and faces straight as they weave in and out of brushpiles. They are just a swarm of snuffling, wagging scent unravelers.

Dave’s other three dogs are another matter. One is a basset hound. I can’t explain why the name Porterhouse fits him so perfectly. Maybe it’s his brown-black-white markings, like a grilled steak. Maybe it’s because he looks so prosperous, with spare skin that puddles around his feet. Whatever the reason, Porterhouse’s methodical approach to trailing is a perfect complement to the beagles’ frantic bunnyquest. When rabbit tricks bamboozle the rest of the pack, Porterhouse’s plodding determination to snork up every molecule of rabbit smell eventually results in a deep, soulful yodel that translates to something like “Ohhhh, fellas, I think you missed something over here!” The beagles get back on track and the chase is on again.

Filling out Dave’s rabbit pack is a pair of Labrador retrievers, one black and one yellow, appropriately named Smith and Wesson. Their job is to walk at heel until a hunter dispatches a rabbit, then fetch it before it becomes beagle food. At 15 months of age, the labs still are learning the “heel” part of their job, so hunters must take care not to let fly with a load of No. 6 shot when an over-eager retriever has jumped the gun. In another year, they will understand the game plan and constitute the pièce de résistance of the Urich Method of rabbit hunting.

The action was especially hot along a 250-yard strip of bulldozed locust and hedge-apple trees.
We had lots of rabbits and lots of shooting for an hour or so. By then Scott had bagged his sixth rabbit. Dave and I had only five between us, and we were down to a few shells each. Good sport that he is, Scott walked back to the trucks to unload his hefty game vest fetch more shells for his less adept hunting buddies. With a fresh supply of ammo, Dave and I eventually got our limits, too.

The hunt dovetails nicely with my ambition to try a new recipe for rabbit backstraps in a wine sauce. More on that later. Rabbit season runs through Feb. 15 if you’re looking to squeeze the most out of this hunting season.

Get out! That’s what kids will want to do after they’ve spent some time on the new Xplor website from the Missouri Conservation Department. It’s filled with videos, animations and photos on nature and outdoor fun.

The 7 to 12 year-olds who’ve tested the site reported the following: Love the videos! The yuck facts are fun! Like the deer. Like clicking the birds and seeing them move.

The truth is that I added that last sentence. I LOVE clicking things and watching them move. I’m not sure what age that makes me but it’s strangely enjoyable. Click…and a woodpecker pecks the tree. Click…and the fish (you’ll have to find them and try it yourself).

This new website compliments our new print magazine, also called XPLOR, which is published 6 times a year. The first issue of that will just be landing in homes in a few days (February 2010). Missourians with children ages 7-12 can get one free subscription per household (that can be addressed to the children’s names). If you’re in another state, you can’t get the free subscription, but your children can still enjoy all the free web content.

If you happen to have subscribed to the Missouri Conservationist a few years ago, you would have seen Outside/In, a quarterly insert aimed at children. When we found that the majority of our readers no longer had younger kids at home, we decided to do a better job of reaching the intended audience. And since the web offers the most dynamic content options, we’ve created both a print and a web XPLOR. We know that speedy web connections aren’t available to everyone, though, so that’s where the print magazine will be the best choice for some Missouri families.

In any case, our goal is to inspire children to explore the outdoors and learn more about nature that’s close to home. Understanding rainforests is great, but understanding what it takes to keep our woods and wildlife healthy here is essential, too.

So check it out, then get outside!

As a small child, I was awstruck when intricate frost designs festooned my bedroom windows on cold winter mornings. In those days before double-pane windows, fleeting and unique natural artworks were part of every kid’s winter experience.

The extravagant designs reminded me of the frost fairies in the Disney film, Fantasia. I imagined them skating across the windowpanes as I slept, creating exquisite artworks just for me to discover when I awoke. That was infinitely more fun than the scientific explanation of water vapor crystallizing on super-cold glass. Sometimes knowledge is a beggarly substitute for fantasy.

I suppose nothing good comes without a price. I love the snug, well-insulated home where I live today. I’m glad not to be losing millions of BTUs of expensive energy through single-pane windows. But I miss the indescribable beauty of my childhood.

I was thrilled when my son, David, sent me this photo of frost patterns he discovered on his windows recently. His house is cold and drafty, but the money he spends heating the place is not wasted. It buys him something I no longer have – incontrovertible evidence of frost fairies.

After Missouri experienced some bitter cold temperatures during the first ten days of the new year, I received questions regarding the effects of the low temperatures on this year’s populations of ticks, chiggers, armadillos and insects. I’m sure  many people are hoping to see fewer outdoor pests this year. This winter’s below-zero temperatures occurred when there were several inches of snow on the ground in much of the state. That layer of snow with trapped air acts as an insulating blanket, keeping leaf litter and the soil below protected from  dramatic low temperatures. We may have been more likely to see the effects of below-zero readings if the ground had been snow-free at the time.

Many factors determine insect populations in a given year, making abundance in a particular year difficult to predict. Low temperatures during the previous winter may affect some groups. Most insects, however, are well-adapted to the cold temperatures and have mechanisms for dealing with cold weather. Some overwinter in the living tissues of plants, in leaf litter or underground where they are insulated from extreme temperatures. Others go into a state of hibernation, called diapause, during which they are more tolerant of cold weather. Dramatic fluctuations in winter temperatures may have a greater effect than extreme lows, if insects are “tricked” into becoming active and then cold temperatures return.

On the other hand, there are northern range limits for most North American species and those limits are often determined by extreme winter conditions. The armadillo is a species that seems to be defying our previous thinking on its northern range limit as each year finds them in more northern areas. A cold winter may slow that northward movement as unprotected animals that have reached the most northern zones may be killed by the cold. However, if only a few individuals are able to find warmer places to survive, they will soon be reproducing and rebuilding their population.

Chiggers overwinter in the soil and some species occur as far north as southern Canada, so there are chiggers that are well able to withstand the cold that we experience in the worst Missouri winter. Ticks can be found in various habitats throughout the world, so at least some species are extremely cold tolerant. It would be difficult to predict whether you will see fewer outdoor pests this summer. In my experience, the number of ticks and chiggers you encounter depends on where you go, regardless of the previous winter weather.  In the same summer, one place will be thick with pests and other places may be free of them.  I wouldn’t count on a dramatic reduction due to our recent low temperatures.

Years ago, when I lived in West Plains, I loved to explore little Ozark streams in search of smallmouth bass, morels, wild orchids and other treasures. On one of those jaunts, I laid down my fishing rod to hike up a spring branch. After negotiating a waist-deep bog rife with stinging nettles and mosquitoes, I discovered a pair of narrow canyons with waterfalls and rock walls that dripped water copiously in the middle of a hot, dry summer. Ferns, wildflowers and wild hydrangea bushes fringed waterfall plunge pools.

This postage-stamp paradise remains one of my favorite spots on Earth, not least because the forbidding terrain around it discourages visitors. I have never seen a hint of human presence there, aside from my own footprints.

During an especially vicious cold snap in the 1980s, I lugged my camera gear into the valley, hoping the combination of seeping water and frigid temperatures had prepared spectacular ice sculptures for my exclusive viewing. I was not disappointed. However, the day was overcast and my photos utterly failed to capture the breath-taking beauty. That failure has always bothered me. I am no Ansel Adams, but the scenes were so magical, they fairly begged to be shared with others.

Weather of the sort that produced that icy phantasmagoria doesn’t occur every year. On those few occasions when it has, work and other obstacles have always prevented my repeating that trip … until this week. With an extended cold spell coming to an end and sunny skies predicted, I loaded my camera gear and a couple of nutrition bars into a daypack and headed for “my” valley.

The landscape hasn’t changed appreciably in the past quarter century. Sadly, the same cannot be said of my joints or my stamina. Three miles and several hogback ridges separate the canyons from the nearest road. The hike was complicated by snow that got slick as the temperature climbed into the high 30s. The easy approach – wading six miles gradually upstream – is not an option in January.

By the time I reached the first canyon and photographed a frozen waterfall, I knew it was time to turn back toward the truck. I left the north valley, with its waterfalls and hanging gardens, for another day, another year, perhaps another explorer.

My canyon is out there, waiting for anyone to discover it. It’s special but not unique. A glance at a topographic map of the territory bounded by Taney, Texas and Ripley counties confirms that dozens, if not hundreds of other remote, spectacular spots invite discovery. Adventures await wherever the contour lines on a map crowd too close for easy counting.

This is a great time of year for hunting such hidden treasures. Low temperatures make hiking pleasant, and navigating the Ozarks’ rugged terrain is easier with leaves off the trees. A hand-held GPS unit is an enormous help, but be sure to take along extra batteries, plus a map and magnetic compass for backup.

And don’t forget your camera. No telling what you might find.

The firearms deer season is over now and the archery season will end on the 15^th, but you still may be able to bring home part of a deer for the next few months. From late December through mid-February is prime time for Missouri bucks to shed their antlers. I’ve had several reports from muzzleloader hunters of bucks that had already shed their antlers by the last week of December. If not picked up by someone, the shed antlers or “sheds” will be on the ground until they are gradually consumed for their minerals and protein by rodents or rabbits. Some will still be around in good shape when morel hunting and spring turkey hunting occur in April.

I have found a number of sheds over the years and it’s always a thrill for me. To hold that bony sculpture that for months rode atop a buck is a tangible connection to the wild outdoors. Most of my finds are from late season quail or pheasant hunts but I’ve occasionally found them later in the spring when out for other activities. I have not had much luck when I’ve gone out for the sole purpose of hunting for sheds, probably because I don’t spend enough hours at it.  I know there are more dedicated, and successful, shed hunters than me. Some say that areas where deer will jump a fence or other barrier are good places to find sheds. Folks who put out feed for deer will sometimes place the food near overhead obstacles in hopes of dislodging a loose antler.

A decrease in testosterone following the mating season, or rut, is the trigger that causes a layer of cells at the base of the deer’s antlers to begin reabsorbing calcium. Once that layer of cells deteriorates, the weight of the antlers will cause them to drop off. The deer’s health and nourishment is also a factor, with healthy, well-fed bucks holding their antlers longer. It is typical for the two antlers to drop at different times but occasionally a matching pair is found at a single location.

Antlers have varied uses, from home décor to knife handles to novelty items. Deer hunters may use a pair of sheds to rattle up a buck when hunting. Mine just hang in my garage where I can admire them and try to remember where I found each one.

The possibility of finding shed deer antlers is just one more reason to explore outdoor Missouri this winter. Sheds can be hunted and legally possessed with no permit required.

At this time last year, very few Missourians knew what NASP stood for.  Fewer still knew the state’s first National Archery in the Schools Program tournament was coming up. However, recent developments are strong evidence of Missouri NASP’s burgeoning popularity.

The national program got its start in Kentucky in 2002 and quickly spread to dozens of other states, not to mention countries as far-flung as Australia and South Africa. Missouri climbed aboard the NASP juggernaut in 2007. In less than two years thousands of Show-Me State youngsters were enjoying the physical, emotional and academic benefits of an activity that builds confidence and concentration, not to mention the drive to excel in every way.

Last March, 274 youngsters from 17 schools gathered at Linn Technical College for the first MoNASP State Tournament. When they meet again Feb. 13, their numbers are expected to exceed 500. Many will have experience under their belts, thanks to a growing network of local and regional competitions. Those who place highest in the state tournament will go on to represent Missouri at the national tournament May 7 and 8 in Louisville, Ky.

You can’t fully appreciate this program’s importance until you have watched a frail, bespectacled youngster stand confidently beside kids twice his size, slapping arrow after arrow into the center of a bull’s-eye. This is a sport where you can excel regardless of size or shape. Nerds have the same chance as cool kids at success. Everyone uses the same bows and arrows, so success is based strictly on individual effort. No one has an advantage because of financial means.

Intrigued? Come to Linn Tech Feb. 13 and see what its’ all about. The competition begins around 10:00 a.m. and continues all day. Or visit http://mdc.mo.gov/teacher/masp/ and find out how easy it is to start an archery program in your school with help from the Conservation Federation of Missouri and the Missouri Department of Conservation.

If you’re like me and have ordered plants or seeds from mail-order nurseries in the past, you’ve probably received several plant catalogs in the mail recently. It’s almost therapeutic to see those luscious ripe tomato photos on an icy winter’s day. They are visual encouragement that the earth will warm and your garden will again bear fruit, albeit not as perfect as the ones pictured in the catalogs.

Don’t forget about Missouri’s wildlife when planning your spring plantings. If you manage rural acreage for wildlife or have a back corner of your residential lot available, the 2009-2010 Seedling Order Form from the George O. White State Forest Nursery should have a place among your catalogs. The state nursery, operated by the Conservation Department in Licking,  has provided low-cost shrub and tree seedlings for planting in Missouri for more than 60 years.

The bare-root seedlings are one to three years old, depending on the species. These plants are smaller than what you would typically purchase for home landscaping needs. Most species are sold in lots of 25 seedlings of the same species, but several bundles of mixed species are also available, such as the conservation bundle, wildlife cover bundle, pecan variety bundle and quail cover bundle. Many of the plants are nut or fruit-producers of value to native wildlife. Evergreens have wildlife value and can also be planted to create windbreaks.

Plants can be shipped in February, March, April or May and orders are accepted as late as April 30. The nursery will sell out of popular species, so order early or allow substitution of similar species. Orders may be placed online , mailed to the nursery, or faxed to 573/674-4047.  A discount is available for holders of Conservation Heritage Cards.

Thinking about spring planting now won’t make the winter any shorter but it might help to reassure you that these icy days will not last forever. You can make future winters easier for your local wildlife by planning  now for additional plantings of food and cover on your landscape.

Several Missouri hunters have contacted me recently because they are wishing to plan their vacation time for 2010 around turkey and deer seasons. Some dates are now available to aid in your scheduling.

The spring and fall turkey seasons have been set by the Conservation Commission and are as follows:

2010 Turkey

Spring

Youth      04/10/2010 – 04/11/2010

Regular    04/19/2010 – 05/09/2010

Fall          10/01/2010 – 10/31/2010

The dates for the 2010 deer seasons are only partially determined at this point. Season dates and regulations each year are dependent on review of data from the previous season. Because the 2009 deer harvest is ongoing, the number and composition of harvested deer is not yet known. Other data such as hunter and landowner surveys, number of deer/vehicle accidents, other feedback received from hunters, crop depredation reports and deer population estimates are not yet available. Only the starting dates for each portion of the season are currently available.

2010 Deer (beginning dates)

Archery Season          09/15/2010

Firearms Season

Urban zones                10/08/2010 in select areas

Early youth portion      10/30/2010

November portion        11/13/2010

Antlerless portion         11/24/2010

Muzzleloader portion   12/18/2010

Late youth portion        01/01/2011

The closing dates for each portion of next year’s deer seasons should be available by late April of 2010. Details of the season and regulations will be incorporated into the 2010 Fall Deer and Turkey Hunting Regulations and Information booklet, which should be available around the first of July.