NOW HIRING!  Position for 4-H Youth Development Program Associate in Stoddard County. 

Twenty (20) hours per week. 

Required qualifications: An Associates' Degree or an equivalent combination of education and experience and some experience from which comparable knowledge and skills can be acquired is necessary. 

The 4-H Youth Program Associate will assist in the planning, management and support of 4-H Youth Development programs in assigned geographic area, under the guidance and supervision of the 4-H Youth Development Specialist.

Starting salary  $12.04 per hour. Training provided.  Must have transportation.  Mileage paid. 

Application may be obtained online. 

Online job description and application: https://extension.missouri.edu/about/jobs.aspx 

Applications will be accepted until 4 pm Friday, July 13, 2018.

Interviews will be scheduled later.

MU is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer.

Hayti, Missouri- The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) asks for help to solve a wildlife crime. Hayti Fire Department personnel reported illegal poaching activity to Missouri Conservation Agent Brian Shelton last Thursday after discovering a dump site of dead turtles while fighting a wildfire. Agent Shelton determined the large pile of turtles included 161 red-eared sliders and two snapping turtles.

“This dump site is, without a doubt, the most egregious turtle poaching incident that I have seen in my career,” Shelton said. “I’m appalled that anyone would have this kind of disregard for our wildlife here in the Bootheel.”

Shelton said there appeared to be no reason for someone to kill the turtles, which left him with more questions than answers.

A red-eared slider is a common semi-aquatic turtle in Missouri. A distinct red or orange stripe is normally present on each side of the head behind the eye. The name “slider” comes from their habit of sliding quickly into the water from their basking spots. They become active in March and remain active until mid-October. The snapping turtle is a large aquatic turtle with a big pointed head, long thick tail, and small lower shell. Both turtle species help to keep the populations of many aquatic animals and plants in check.

This case comes at a time MDC is actively reminding drivers to watch for turtles in the road, indicating turtles are already at a disadvantage this time of year, when they tend to travel. Spring rains and warmer weather encourage turtles to emerge from their burrows and begin to search for food and mates, which sometimes leads them across roadways. Although there is regulated hunting of some turtle species, Shelton said this is a case of wanton waste.

“It is illegal to intentionally leave or abandon any portion of any wildlife that is commonly used as human food,” Shelton said. “The amount of wasted wildlife here is shocking and I look forward to learning more about this case.”

Information about this incident can be shared anonymously through the Operation Game Thief Hotline at 1-800-392-1111. Agent Shelton may be reached directly at (573)757-8357. Information leading to an arrest may lead to an award of up to $1,000. For more information about Operation Game Thief and The Wildlife Code of Missouri, go online to mdc.mo.gov.

Thousands of turtles are killed each year on roadways, others are taken captive by well-meaning people.

Missouri -  As turtles become active in late March, the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) asks people to watch out for them; don’t hit them on the roadways and certainly leave them where you find them.

Spring rains and warmer weather encourage turtles to emerge from their burrows and begin to search for food and mates, which sometimes leads them across roadways.

“While we don’t advise risking a wreck to avoid hitting a turtle, we do hope motorists will drive cautiously and avoid hitting a turtle if it’s safe to do so,” said Jamie Koehler, assistant manager at MDC’s Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature Center.

Koehler said turtles spend their lives on a very small portion of ground, but sometimes they’ll wander bigger distances, as much as six miles.  While most Missouri turtles live 15 to 30 years, box turtles can live 50 to 80 years, occasionally more than 100 years. They spend their quiet lives eating plants, earthworms and insects. Their shell provides a bony shield to protect them from most natural enemies.

Unfortunately, thousands of turtles are killed each year by cars, which is why MDC urges drivers to watch out for them. MDC also advises people to leave turtles wild. As people encounter turtles while outdoors, sometimes people pick them up and take them home, thinking they have a new pet. However, this usually ends in a slow death for the captive turtle.

“Turtles depend on knowing their surroundings,” Koehler said. “People may think they can keep a wild turtle alive, but a captive life is not best for any kind of wildlife.”

Koehler recommends leaving turtles where you find them when hiking, as well as following the speed limit and keeping a watchful eye on the road.

“Helping turtles is easy, if you follow those simple steps,” she said.

Pictured is Elvis, a blind box turtle owned by Jessica Loflin.

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) encourages people to discover nature this spring by learning about the ruby-throated hummingbird. Missourians will begin seeing these birds this month as the tiny long-distance fliers return to the state as part of their spring migration.

“Hummingbirds will be arriving soon and a few have already been spotted in southern Missouri,” said MDC State Ornithologist Sarah Kendrick. “It’s time to put out feeders! Their numbers will increase throughout the month of April.”

Hummingbird feeder sugar water does not need to be colored red, added Kendrick. The birds will find it and drink it without coloring.

She noted hummingbirds.net/map.html is a fun and useful website to see when and where hummingbirds are migrating. The migration map shows locations where the birds have already been spotted this year as they migrate northward into the U.S. and Canada. The website also allows visitors to help out by submitting dates and exact locations of hummingbird sightings. Other online resources, such as eBird.org, also use birder-submitted information to track bird sightings as they move northward.

Like about 80 other bird species that breed in Missouri, hummingbirds typically migrate south in early fall and migrate back north in the spring.

“Hummingbirds arrive in Missouri in April and May to nest and raise their young. They then make their fall southward migration in mid-August with most leaving by early October,” Kendrick said. “A few birds overwinter in extreme southern coastal states, but most overwinter from southern Mexico to Costa Rica. These tiny birds are so amazing! During migration, they fly nonstop for 600 miles from the Gulf Coast of the U.S. to the Yucatan Peninsula over the Gulf of Mexico and then back on their return trips. They can lose half their body weight during this 24-hour flight.”

Early spring arrivals rely on sap oozing from sapsucker-drilled holes and insects for food. With warmer weather, they soon switch to eating nectar from many different kinds of flowers later in spring. This gives them energy needed to catch insects all day long to feed their young.

Hummingbirds are more than just a delight to watch zipping around at your feeder, they also play very important roles in our ecosystem.

“Hummingbirds are important pollinators for many plants that require a long-billed pollinator,” Kendrick said. “And because of their small size, hummingbirds can end up as food for predators, such as large insects, spiders, other birds, and frogs.”

She added, “Another great way to help hummers and other migratory birds is to grow native plants. Native plants attract native insects, which are a vital food source for breeding birds. Great native plants for hummingbirds include cardinal flower, jewelweed, and trumpet creeper.”

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) encourages hunters to think safety while in the woods turkey hunting. Youth spring turkey hunting season is April 7-8 and regular spring turkey hunting season begins April 16 and runs through May 6. Shooting hours for regular turkey season are from a half hour before sunrise to 1 p.m.

MDC Protection Field Chief Randy Doman stresses that the most common cause of a turkey hunting incident is a hunter being mistaken for game.

“Each year, most turkey hunting incidents involve hunters who shoot at sound, color, or movement,” Doman said. “It’s very important to always identify your target and know what’s beyond it before aiming the gun at it and squeezing the trigger.”

The popular fad of fanning turkeys is catching on and could be dangerous. The fanning technique involves someone hiding behind a turkey fan of tail feathers and moving it around to attract other turkeys.

“The fanning technique is not recommended because you could potentially be mistaken for a gobbler and become a victim of a hunting incident,” MDC Hunter Education and Shooting Coordinator Kyle Lairmore said.

Lairmore encourages turkey hunters to wear hunter orange while moving throughout the woods.

“Wearing hunter orange lets other hunters know that you’re in the area,” he said. “It’s also important to remember to never carry a harvested turkey in the open.  Be sure to cover them with a hunter orange vest or put them in a game bag.”

Lairmore added anyone in the woods during turkey hunting season should also wear hunter orange.

“This time of year we also have mushroom hunters, hikers, birders, and others sharing the woods with turkey hunters,” he said. “It is a good safety measure for these other outdoor enthusiasts to make themselves clearly visible to hunters.”

MDC also offers the following safety tips for spring turkey hunting:

Identify a turkey’s head and beard before aiming.

Never shoot at sound or movement. Assume it is another hunter until you can clearly see a turkey’s head or beard.

Wear hunter orange when walking through the woods.

Use hunter orange to identify your hunting location.

Wrap a bagged turkey or decoy in hunter orange when transporting it.

Dress defensively. Never wear red, white, blue, or black clothing because it resembles a turkey.

Be sure of your target and what lies beyond.

Never follow the sound of a gobbling turkey or attempt to sneak up on turkeys. Always call turkeys to you.

Sit against a large tree or other natural barrier to shield yourself from hunters approaching from the rear.

Shout “STOP” when another hunter approaches. Don’t move, wave, whistle, or make turkey calls to get their attention.