THE MISSOURI CONSERVATIONIST 
 
 
         The M- .souri 
CONSE VAT ONIST 
 
 
Official bulletin of the Missouri Conservation 
              Commission. 
              COPYRIGHT 
   Editors are welcome to reprint articles ap- 
pearing in The Missouri Conservationist. Pho- 
tographs or mats of illustrated material are 
available upon request. 
 
           STATE OF MISSOURI 
     CONSERVATION COMMISSION 
           I. T. BODE, Director 
           Jefferson City, Missouri 
 
E. SYDNEY STEPHENS, Columbia ...... Chairman 
A. P. GREENSFELDER, St. Louis.. Vice-Chairman 
WILBUR C. BUFORD, St. Louis ........ Secretary 
JOHN F. CASE, Wright City ........... Member 
 
ASBURY ROBERTS ................. Enforcement 
A. L. CLARK, Fish, Game and Forests Production 
GEORGE 0. WHITE ............... State Forester 
TOWNSEND GODSEY ............... Information 
 
 
           Any Old Reports? 
  In an effort to complete its files of reports and 
documents pertaining to early efforts in game 
and fish matters in Missouri, the Conservation 
Commission needs copies of old official reports, 
newspaper clippings and pamphlets which furnish 
data on game, fish and forestry in Missouri. 
Persons having these reports can do a good 
service to historical research if they will either 
give or loan them to the Conservation Commis- 
sion at Jefferson City. 
 
   New Booklet is Guide to Trees. 
   The question, "What kind of a tree is 
that?" can easily be answered if it is 
asked in a Missouri woodland, by refer- 
ence to the new "Forest Trees of Mis- 
souri" just published by the Missouri 
Conservation Commission. 
  More than 100 illustrations are used in 
"Forest Trees of Missouri." These are 
all well drawn and show characteristics 
of the many trees found in the state. 
Most space in the booklet is required by 
the oaks. There are 59 recognized tree- 
forms of oak found in North America 
and twenty of this number are found 
growing naturally in Missouri. 
  A  tree is defined as a woody plant 
which at maturity is 20 feet or more in 
height with a single trunk unbranched 
for at least several feet above the ground 
and having a more or less definite crown. 
  The booklet is intended to be one of a 
series of informative guides on Mis- 
souri's natural resources. 
   There is a charge of 10c per single 
copy of the 68 page booklet or 5c per 
copy when 20 or more copies are pur- 
chased for organized groups. 
 
 
Research Reports 
 
    Are Made Quarterly 
 
Interesting Data on Wildlife 
  Contained in Research Notes to 
  Appear in Forthcoming Issues 
       of the Conservationist. 
 
  With nearly a score of special subjects 
pertaining to Missouri wildlife under 
study, the quarterly reports of the Mis- 
souri Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit 
at the University of Missouri reveal 
much hitherto unpublished interesting 
information about ecology and manage- 
ment of wildlife. The Conservationist 
has set its own quarterly publication date 
so that information contained in the 
quarterly research reports may be di- 
gested and made available to the public. 
  A summary of some parts of the report 
just made by the Administrative Com- 
mittee of the research unit follows: 
  Deer-Special plots have been estab- 
lished in the Skaggs Ranch deer refuge in 
Taney County and a study of the re- 
covery of browse vegetation started. 
The high concentration of deer in this 
area has affected the food supply and 
the browse study is being made to de- 
termine browse management methods 
suitable to the Ozarks. 
  Rabbits-A study of rabbits on the 
Ashland   Wildlife Area  (started last 
December) is being made to learn, among 
other things, the breeding cycle and cruis- 
ing radius of the cottontail. A total of 
229 rabbits collected at monthly inter- 
vals have already yielded much informa- 
tion concerning the development and 
the breeding season. 
   Quail-With a mild winter behind 
them, the quail went into the spring 
nesting season with an excellent breed- 
ing reserve. Heavy June rains, how- 
ever, especially in northern Missouri, 
probably destroyed a large number of 
nests and young. 
   Chukar Partridge-The earliest hatch- 
 ing date this year was May 11 (Iron 
 County). Very few nests have been 
 visited, however, since there is strong 
 evidence that visits by man to the nests 
 of ground-nesting birds open the way for 
 the visits of predators later. 
   In Atchison, Gentry, Audrain, and 
 Henry counties, enough birds remain on 
 the experimental areas to tell us by fall 
 whether or not chukars will increase as 
 rapidly as quail, given a good start and 
 a favorable season. These areas are all 
 mixed prairie-woodland of the type also 
 most suitable for quail. 
   Automobiles killed 9 of the 17 birds 
 found dead during the past quarter. A 
 running cock was clocked at a speed of 
 18 miles per hour. 
   Turkey-Fourteen flocks of turkeys, 
 ranging from 5 to 14 birds per flock, have 
 been under observation. Hens started 
 
 
laying about the middle of April and the 
first young were observed May 15. 
Within a week after hatching the young 
turkeys were able to fly to a roost but 
slept under the lien's outstretched wings 
for another week or more on the roost- 
ing limb. Hens without young were seen 
often by June. It was observed that 
winter and nesting range are separate 
and distinct. During the nesting season 
turkeys like to be near permanent water 
supplies. 
  Prairie chicken-One of the brightest 
spots in the wildlife picture appears to be 
the return of the prairie chicken due 
principally to changing land use (in- 
crease in grass lands). 
  Missouri hawks-A popular bulletin 
on the economic importance and identi- 
fication of Missouri hawks has been 
prepared. 
  Free range-A reduction of 4.4% in 
the amount of free range lands during the 
last four years was revealed in a checkup 
by the County Extension Agents. The 
only increase during that period was 
in Howell County with decreases as 
follows:  Mississippi County, 100% ; 
Ripley  County, 5.7%0; St. Francois 
County, 57.2%; Taney County, 30.1%. 
  General ecology-A study is being 
made of the possibility of the use of 
abandoned strip mine lands as game, 
fish and forestry management areas. 
  Den tree survey-A check of raccoon 
and squirrel den trees found in a mixed 
hardwood   and   shortleaf pine forest 
under management was started at Deer 
Run State Forest. It was shown that 
the ratio of den trees to non-den trees is 
approximately I to 6.6. 
   Field borders-On two different areas 
in Callaway County, principally differ- 
ing in the amount of edge growth suit- 
able for wildlife, there are more species 
and individual birds in the bird popula- 
tion on the "rough" area in both winter 
and summer; conversely, there are more 
insects in the "clean" area. Results to 
date indicate there appears to be a clear, 
direct correlation between edge growth 
and birds and an equally clear inverse 
correlation between birds and harniful 
insects. The study of field borders has 
been extended to include rodent popula- 
tions. 
   Forestry experiments-10,000 forest 
tree seedlings have been planted on the 
Ashland Area for observation and re- 
search and wildlife food and cover. 
   A system of cover-mapping applicable 
 to use anywhere in Missouri has been 
 almost completed and will be made 
 available to all cooperators in the state 
 within a few months. This system of 
 mapping will be most useful in outlining 
 county and local projects. 
   Special inquiries on wildlife subjects 
 may be sent to the Missouri Cooperative 
 Wildlife Research Unit, Columbia. Here 
 are specialists in all biological and land- 
 use subjects; what one cannot answer, 
 another usually can. 
 
 
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