Be Thankful For What We Have

[Al Agnew]

I guess I see it from a couple different angles.

Missouri is blessed with its aquatic resources. Within a little more than an hour's drive I can be fishing for smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, spotted bass, white crappie, black crappie, rainbow trout, brown trout, rock bass, bluegill, white bass, common carp, silver carp, freshwater drum, walleye, sauger, and a handful of other game species. And be doing it on some of the prettiest water you'll find anywhere.

For the most part I believe our waters are well managed. Sure there's room for improvement at the margins, but for the most part MDC makes opportunities available for meat anglers, gear guys, fly guys, bowfishing guys, atlatl guys- they're overall pretty accommodating. You have wild trout areas, moderately stocked trophy trout areas, and the heavily stocked trout parks. The different regulation regimes may be a hassle to some, but to me it's a way of maximizing opportunity to the greatest number of anglers.

But although I love the Ozarks' game fishing opportunities, to me it's not what makes the region unique. Let's face it- you can find better fishing for smallmouth or walleye or muskies or trout elsewhere. But the ecosystem in our own backyard doesn't exist anywhere else on the planet.

This is the only place on the planet you can find the Freckled Crayfish, the Missouri saddled darter, the Ozark hellbender, and a number of other species. The wooded uplands of the Missouri Ozarks produce a substantial number of the songbirds we see in our backyards- not just within the state, but within the entire midwest. That little old lady watching birds in Chicago or Memphis is likely looking at animals hatched near Salem and West Plains. The reality is that this is one of the most biologically diverse regions west of the Mississippi River.

I guess my point is that while we should celebrate what we have, we shouldn't rest on our laurels. Our streams and other aquatic resources still have a lot of threats- sand and gravel mining, lead and natural gas exploitation, poor land use practices, losses in stream access, sewage/septic issues, etc. That we're happy where we are simply means we need to be vigilant to keep what we have.

Excellent observations! And especially if you look at the lands surrounding the Ozarks, the beauty and uniqueness of this region stand out even more. It's surrounded by relatively flat agricultural lands, extensively altered by human activities, with almost zero intact wild ecosystems. Not only is this region an oasis for woodland flora and fauna, but it has enough diversity that it's a refuge for some of the prairie species that have just about disappeared elsewhere, and even some wetland species in the fens and sinks. And since it was not covered by ice during any of the recent ice ages, it is a refuge for more northern species, as well as southern species, as well as, as you pointed out, species that have evolved in this region alone.

[ozark trout fisher]

Done shot my deer already

Well that's good.

I dang near did this weekend, had an eight pointer within about 50 yards of my stand (which would have been far and away the biggest buck I've tagged in that part of the state), but when I raised my rifle the movement spooked him and I was busted. Oh well, just an excuse to head back down next weekend.

[Phil Lilley]

Just got back from the deer woods.... sorry I wasn't around to nix this discussion.

I'll go ahead and close it, although it's ending on a good note- deer hunting. But you should start another thread on that subject and I'll add my 2-doe story.