MDC reminder: Don’t feed bears

MDC reminds people to “Be Bear Aware” by not feeding bears and providing potential sources of food.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – As summer turns to fall, Missouri's estimated 350 native black bears enter a phase called hyperphagiain which they eat heavily, accumulating a layer of fat that results in a 30 percent weight gain preparing them for hibernation. In preparation for hibernation, bears eat a wide variety of food including grasses and forbs, berries, ants, bees and wasps, beetles, crickets, fish, frogs, small rodents and other small animals.  The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) reminds people to "Be Bear Aware" by not feeding bears and providing potential sources of food.

 “A fed bear is a dead bear,” said MDC Wildlife Management Coordinator Alan Leary. “Feeding bears makes them comfortable around people and the places they associate with food from people, such as campsites, yards, and trash containers. When bears lose their fear of people by being fed, they may defend these food sources or territory. This can make them dangerous. When this happens, the bear has to be destroyed.”

Leary added a fed bear that becomes a problem in one place cannot be relocated to another.

"Once a bear associates people with food, its life is ruined,” Leary said. “Even if it is relocated, it will go in search of other places to get food from people, such as homes, residential areas, farms, and campsites. Common temptations include pet food or trash left outdoors, dirty grills or smokers, birdseed or other food at wildlife feeders, food at campsites, and gardens and orchards."

Avoid Attracting Black Bears

MDC offers these tips to avoid attracting black bears to possible food sources:

• Don't leave pet food sitting outside. Feed pets a portion they'll eat at each meal and remove the empty containers.
• Store garbage, recyclables, and compost inside a secure building or in a bear-proof container until the day of trash pick-up.
• Keep grills and smokers clean and store them inside.
• When camping be sure to keep cooking and cleaning areas separate from sleeping areas.
• Only use birdfeeders in bear country (which is primarily south of the Missouri River) when bears are typically hibernating -- from early December through early March -- or hang them at least 10 feet high and four feet away from any structure.
• Use electric fencing to keep bears away from beehives, chicken coops, vegetable gardens, orchards, and other potential food sources.
• Keep campsites clean and store all food, toiletries and trash in a secure vehicle or strung high between two trees. Do not burn or bury garbage or food waste.
• Report bear sightings by calling MDC at 573-522-4115, ext. 3080 or online at http://bit.ly/2ya2lhe.

Avoid Encounters and React Right

While close encounters with bears are uncommon in Missouri, MDC offers this advice when outdoors in black-bear country:

• Make noise while walking or hiking to prevent surprising a bear. Clap, sing, or talk loudly.
• Travel in a group if possible.
• Pay attention to the surroundings and watch for bear sign, such as tracks or claw or bite marks on trees.
• Keep dogs leashed.
• Leave a bear alone! Do not approach it. Make sure it has an escape route.
• If encountering a bear up close, back away slowly with arms raised to look larger. Speak in a calm, loud voice. Do not turn away from the bear. Back away slowly. Do not run.
• Report bear sightings by calling MDC at 573-522-4115, ext. 3080 or online at http://bit.ly/2ya2lhe.

When Hunting and Fishing

MDC offers this advice when hunting or fishing in bear country:

• Process or remove fish and game as quickly as possible, and alert others that there is game residue in the area.
• Keep a clean camp and store attractants where bears can’t access them.
• Stay alert and aware of your surroundings while hunting or fishing.
• Report bear sightings by calling MDC at 573-522-4115, ext. 3080 or online at http://bit.ly/2ya2lhe.

A native of Missouri, black bears were abundant throughout the state until the late 1800s when they were nearly wiped out from unregulated killing and from habitat loss when Ozark forests were logged. MDC research shows that a small number of native black bears survived and others from Arkansas moved north into Missouri. Over time, their numbers increased and continue to do so. Results of ongoing black-bear research by MDC staff and others show that the animals have been sighted in about half the counties in Missouri, primarily south of the Missouri River, with most bears located in the southern third of the state in the Missouri Ozarks.

The invasive Bradford pear tree can cause problems for Missouri native plants and animals.

Missouri - The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) encourages homeowners and landscapers to avoid planting Callery pear trees this spring.

Better known as Bradford pears, the Callery pear tree is an invasive species known to multiply quickly and crowd out Missouri native plants. While it’s been a popular landscaping tree for decades, cultivated forms have spread aggressively throughout the state.

“Different varieties of Bradford pear trees were planted close to each other, which allowed them to cross pollinate and take over natural areas,” said Forestry Field Program Supervisor Russell Hinnah. “But they’re also a poor landscaping choice because they don’t do well in storms, often losing limbs or splitting apart.”

Stopping the spread means selecting alternate trees for yards and forested property.

“The best plan is to select a native species to Missouri, and there are several great options,” said Hinnah. “Serviceberry trees produce similar showy white blooms in the spring and have small red fruits that attract wildlife.”

Eastern redbuds and Missouri’s state tree, the flowering dogwood, are also good alternatives. The redbud tree grows quickly with eye-catching lavender flowers in the spring. Dogwoods do best in shady areas but can be somewhat difficult to grow.

During Free Fishing Days, anyone may fish in Missouri without needing a permit.

Missouri - Want some free fun that gets family and friends outside in nature? Get hooked on fishing with the Missouri Department of Conservation's (MDC) Free Fishing Days June 10 and 11. During Free Fishing Days, anyone may fish in the Show-Me State without having to buy a fishing permit, trout permit, or trout park daily tag.

Aside from not needing permits, other fishing regulations remain in effect, such as limits on size and number of fish an angler may keep. Special permits may still be required at some county, city, or private fishing areas. Trespass laws remain in effect on private property.

Conservation makes Missouri a great place to fish, and Free Fishing Days encourages people to sample the state's abundant fishing opportunities. Missouri has more than a million acres of surface water, and most of it provides great fishing. More than 200 different fish species are found in Missouri, with more than 20 of them being game fish for the state's more than 1.1 million anglers.

Trapping, aerial gunning methods prove effective in the first few months of the year.

Jefferson City, Missouri - Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) wildlife biologists on the feral hog strike team have tallied up feral hog numbers for the first three months of 2017. The first quarter yielded a total of 2,332 feral hogs removed by MDC, partner agencies, and private landowners, which is nearly half of the total number of feral hogs removed in all of 2016.

Southeast Missouri removed a total of 1,124 feral hogs in the first quarter, which is where the highest density of feral hogs occurs. The Ozark region removed 706 while the Southwest region removed 359 feral hogs. St. Louis, Central and Kansas City regions all trapped fewer than 100 feral hogs each. Additionally, in one week, more than 250 feral hogs were removed from the southeast Missouri landscape, all through aerial gunning.

“We’ve built significantly on our progress from 2016,” said Alan Leary, MDC’s Wildlife Management Coordinator and leader of MDC’s feral hog elimination efforts. “We continue to engage private landowners and partners in efforts to report hog sightings, continue trapping and deter hog hunting and the illegal release of hogs, and that’s why we’re seeing growing success.”

In 2016, MDC partnered with other conservation groups, agriculture organizations, and the Missouri Conservation Heritage Foundation to provide the state's feral hog strike team with more trapping equipment for use on both private and public land, and to fund public education efforts on the dangers of feral hogs.

“Because most land in Missouri is privately owned, it’s crucial to engage the public and educate them on the dangers of feral hogs and trapping efforts,” Leary said. “Through ongoing communication efforts, both by MDC and partners, more landowners are learning about feral hogs, asking for help and ridding their property of this invasive species. Examples, such as the one in Taney County where 62 feral hogs were captured in one trap, show landowners that it’s much easier to get rid of feral hogs if you trap the whole sounder, rather than allow hunting and only shooting one or two.”

Feral hogs are not wildlife and are a serious threat to fish, forests and wildlife as well as agricultural resources. Economic losses resulting from feral hogs damage in the U.S. is estimated at greater than $1.5 billion per year. Feral hogs damage property, agriculture, and natural resources by their aggressive rooting of soil in addition to their trampling and consumption of crops as part of their daily search for food.

Feral hogs have expanded their range in the U.S. from 17 to 38 states over the past 30 years. Their populations grow rapidly because feral hogs can breed any time of year and produce two litters of one to seven piglets every 12 to 15 months. Feral hogs are also known to carry diseases such as swine brucellosis, pseudorabies, trichinosis and leptospirosis, which are a threat to Missouri agriculture and human health.

To report feral hog sightings or damage, go online to mdc.mo.gov/feralhog.