Where's The Crawfish?

[Mitch f]

I noticed over the last 20 or so years the decrease in crawfish in the Ozark rivers. I know we catch bass once in a while with part of a crawfish sticking out the gullet, but I don't see the numbers like I used to. I remember wading in creeks and finding a few in a 10-15 ft area almost everytime I went out. Now I'm lucky to see one or two for the entire day when I go out. In Wisconsin, as I back my trailer in the water there are 5-10 scurrying out of the way. This also holds true for muscles (Mussels), there is only one river in Missouri that I fish that I can find living muscles everytime I go fishing. Kind of depressing

[Idylwilde]

One word Otter's!

[tjulianc]

I wonder if its more of a raccoon problem. They don't get hunted/trapped like they use to since their hides aren't worth as much. Their tough and smart, so I don't think they get killed by coyotes very much either. I know they love to eat crawdads. Too bad coon tails didn't come into style like the hackle did.

[Gavin]

Its probably a habitat issue...More silt & fine gravel as opposed to cobble & rocks to grow crawfish.

[Wayne SW/MO]

I'm with Gavin and I might add that the silt probably contains things in many areas that are unfriendly to all creatures that live in the shallows.

Coons, haven't they been around awhile??

[Mitch f]

I'm with Gavin and I might add that the silt probably contains things in many areas that are unfriendly to all creatures that live in the shallows.

Coons, haven't they been around awhile??

Actually the silt, and possible contaminates in the silt worry me much more than otters or coons!

[tjulianc]

Coons, haven't they been around awhile??

Yes, but what if their population has increased? I'd say there would be a decrease the number of shellfish in streams.

But, according to this research article the main concern is poor gravel mining practices and poor land use practices, such as removal of streamside trees. So, these other factors probably greatly outweigh any raccoon boom, I first hypothesised.

[Wayne SW/MO]

I can't speak for the whole state, but in this area distemper does a better job of limiting the coon population than man ever did.

A pollution or habitat problem doesn't have to affect the crawfish population directly, but its food source.

[Tim Smith]

I'm with Gavin and I might add that the silt probably contains things in many areas that are unfriendly to all creatures that live in the shallows.

The main problem with silt is that it fills in the spaces between rocks where crayfish could hide. In fishable streams, crayfish density is typically connected directly to the amount of space they have to hide from fish. Fill in the hiding spaces...the predators take them out and crayfish populations decline. That one's well established by the science.

Crayfish populations are volatile anyway. You're going to have a hard time pointing to one cause for a decline or even if there is really a general decline at all.

[junkman]

I remember when I was a kid (30 plus years ago) that a local river was just full of huge mussels. I mean like about the 10 or 12 inches wide, but no more. I have seen over the years a steady decline to were there aren't any there anymore. my theory is that chemicals in the water has decimated them on that stretch of river for there is more agriculture in my neck of the woods.