Department of Conservation doesn’t want Missouri to be hog heaven

The Missouri Department of Conservation wants to eradicate feral hogs from public lands.

But hunters, don’t line up with your rifles to volunteer to help. The Department of Conservation doesn’t want it.

In a meeting last week, the Conservation Commission gave initial approval to a regulation that would prohibit the hunting of feral hogs on land owned, leased or managed by the Department of Conservation.

Why? Staff biologists believe hunters are doing more harm than good when it comes to eliminating the wild hogs.

Wildlife workers set large, corral-type traps and bait the area with corn for several days to weeks to attract the groups of hogs (known as sounders) to the area before triggering the trap. The goal is to take entire populations of feral hogs in one area.

But hunters have increasingly fouled those plans.

“After weeks of work, we then get an individual hunter who finds out about the site and shows up at some point and shoots a hog or two,” said Jason Sumners, chief of the wildlife division for the Department of Conservation. “The rest of the group then scatters and moves to a new location. As a result, weeks of work have been wasted and new areas now have feral hogs.”

About 30 of the 1,000 conservation areas the Department of Conservation owns or manages have feral hogs. Most of those are in southern Missouri.

Though hunting those hogs isn’t prohibited on private lands, it is highly discouraged by the Department of Conservation. State wildlife officials don’t want Missouri to become a Texas or Oklahoma, where wild-hog hunting is popular.

That can lead to hunting operations or individuals releasing hogs into the wild to bolster hunting. That practice is illegal in Missouri.

So, why the big concern over the population growth of wild hogs? Biologists point out that the wild hogs are highly destructive to natural habitat and agricultural lands, pollute ponds and streams, prey upon native wildlife such as quail and turkeys, and can spread disease to domestic livestock and people.

The regulation isn’t final yet. It has to go through a 30-day public comment period, scheduled for April 2 through May 1. If the regulation is adopted, the proposed effective date of the regulation changes would be Sept. 30.

To comment, people can email Regulations@mdc.mo.gov or go online to mdc.mo.gov/node/24141. Comments also may be sent by mail to Missouri Department of Conservation, Regulations Committee, P.O. Box 180, Jefferson City, Mo. 65102-0180.

Big-city trout

Kansas City-area fishermen don’t have to travel far to cast for winter trout.

The Missouri Department of Conservation stocked rainbows in several suburban lakes on Wednesday. Two ponds at the Fountain Bluff Sports Complex in Liberty received a total of 1,000 trout, and Chaumiere Lake in Kansas City received 875.

Those two lakes are stocked with trout in November, January, February and March. Coot and Plover lakes in the James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife Area receive a double stocking in November and single stockings in February and March.

Trout fishing in Kansas

Kansas also has plenty of trout water, thanks to a special program established by the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism.

The state agency stocks rainbows in 33 public fishing spots for a season that is now open and will continue through April 15.

For a list of waters that are stocked, go to the website ksoutdoors.com and click on Fishing/Special Fishing Programs for You/Trout Fishing Program.

A state-record ... shad?

When you catch a baitfish bigger than some of the gamefish you’re pursuing, you know you have something.

Such was the case when Shane Doherty of Ft. Scott, Kan., caught a 2-pound, 2-ounce gizzard shad Jan. 8 on a private strip pit in Vernon County, Mo.

He landed the 19  13/16 -inch shad on rod and reel and earned a Missouri state record in the process. The former mark was 1 pound, 15 ounces, set in 2015.

Comment period opens for Kansas plan

The Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism is seeking public input on its new Kansas State Wildlife Action Plan.

The plan, which replaces the existing Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy, covers the top priority species and habitats that need conservation attention in Kansas. To view the plan online, go toksoutdoors.com/Services/Kansas-SWAP. Comments can be submitted by email through March 11 using the link provided on the webpage.

This story was originally published January 28, 2016 at 2:01 PM with the headline "Department of Conservation doesn’t want Missouri to be hog heaven."