Local News – Monday, December 9th, 2019

Forest Service regulation. This will ensure consistency of feral hog regulations on Forest Service and Department of Conservation managed lands by allowing for the opportunistic take of feral hogs during all deer and turkey hunting seasons. While the Forest Service announcement is effective immediately on the Mark Twain National Forest and will apply to the rest of the of the 2019-2020 deer season, the change will not be in place for the 2019-2020 alternative methods and archery hunting season on Department of Conservation lands. The MDC proposal will need to make its way through the State’s regulatory process, which includes a formal public comment period on the rulemakings. The prohibition of hunting on public lands does NOT apply to private lands where landowners may hunt or shoot feral hogs on their lands. Opportunistic take refers to takings that result from, but are not the purpose of, carrying out an otherwise lawful activity. In this case, it allows for a person possessing an unfilled deer or turkey hunting permit to opportunistically take feral hogs while in pursuit of deer or turkey during the hunting season. Feral hogs became established in southern Missouri when some individuals released them for hunting. Between natural reproduction and continued illegal releases, the feral hog population exploded in southern Missouri. They now occur in more than 30 Missouri counties. Recreational hunting of feral hogs complicates efforts to trap and eliminate them. Hunting activities, particularly hunting with dogs, scatters the sounder and makes trapping efforts aimed at catching the entire group very difficult, because hogs become trap-shy and wary of baited sites. This pattern has been repeated in several states where the combination of recreational hunting and trapping programs has resulted in a larger feral hog population. Examples from other states and from large areas of private land in Missouri show that allowing state and federal wildlife managers to eliminate feral hogs yields the best results. With the Forest Service announcement, the Missouri Feral Hog Elimination Partnership has developed an operational plan that will provide additional staff and resources on private and public land around the Mark Twain National Forest. Currently, the Conservation Commission is providing $1.8 million annually for trapping services with staff providing more than 25,000 hours annually towards elimination efforts on private and public land. Other agencies who are contributing staff and resources will be stepping up their effort to fight the battle against feral hogs. The new plan will reassign staff from across the state to help with feral hog removal efforts in southern Missouri. For more information about MDC efforts to eliminate feral hogs go to www.mdc.mo.gov/feralhog.

The Salem Police Department released the following accident report. On Tuesday afternoon, November 26th at approximately 4:24, a 2007 Nissan Sentra, operated by Stephanie Webber of Salem, was northbound on MacArthur Avenue approaching the intersection with Highway 32. At that time, a 2012 Ford F-150, operated by Rachelle Atkinson of Salem, was southbound on MacArthur Avenue approaching Highway 32. The report stated that the Nissan started to turn left into the path of the Ford and the vehicles collided. Webber was transported by EMS to thehospital, while a passenger in the Nissan was transported to the hospital by private vehicle. The Nissan sustained extensive damage, while the Ford sustained moderate damage.

Chad Strain of Dixon, who originally grew up in Shannon County near the Bunker area, will speak at the Dent County Historical Society meeting Tuesday night at 6:00 at the Salem Pizza Inn on what it means to be Cherokee and also what it means to be a Cherokee Citizen, the differences and struggles that can come with each. If your family did not remove to Indian Territory, even though your ancestor was part of the Indian Removal, most likely they will not be found on the Dawes Rolls where the names of those that where accepted to become a Cherokee Citizens. Just because a family member applied for Citizenship, it does not mean that the person was accepted. It was a long process to be accepted. It helped in the process if another family member applied and was granted Citizenship. Some of these files can contain 40 pages. For more information about the meeting and the Dawes Rolls, contact Deloris Gray Wood at 729-2545.