Gun Saftey
Where should the muzzle of a firearm be pointed?
In a safe direction
Wildlife Manager role
Just as a rancher limits the number of animals in a cattle herd to a level that the habitat can tolerate, wildlife managers try to keep the number of animals in balance with their habitat. In addition to looking at the total number of each species in a habitat, wildlife managers also monitor the breeding stock—the correct mix of adult and young animals needed to sustain a population.
Fair Chase
Fair chase rules make sure hunters have no unfair advantage over wild game by balancing the skills and equipment of the hunter with the abilities of the animal to escape. The rules of fair chase are defined by law, regional preferences, and personal choice.
Hunting laws were passed to;
Ensure the availability of game for future generations.
Establish hunting seasons to limit harvesting and avoid hunting during nesting and mating seasons.
Limit hunting methods and equipment.
Set “bag” limits. Establish check stations and game tag requirements.
Define the rules of fair chase.
Edge effect
refers to the consequence of placing two contrasting ecosystems adjacent to one another. Most animals are located where food and cover meet, particularly near water. An example would be a river bottom, which offers many animals all their habitat needs along one corridor.
Why should hunters wear appropriate hunter-orange clothing when required?
To help other hunters see them
Sucession
Natural progression of vegetation and wildlife populations in an area; for example, as trees grow and form a canopy, shrubs and grasses will disappear along with the wildlife that use them as cover
Habitat
Complete environmental requirements of an animal for survival: food, water, cover, space, and arrangement
Missouri Conservation Commission approved what in 1957
voluntary hunter safety course
Ethics
Moral principles or values that distinguish between right and wrong; they are unwritten rules that society expects to be followed.
Predator
Animal that kills other animals for food
Death Rate
The ratio of number of deaths in a species to total population of that species spanning one year
Wildlife Management
Science and practice of maintaining wildlife populations and their habitats
What funds the MO Dept of Conservation
1⁄8 of 1% state sales tax is dedicated exclusively to conservation efforts.
Fees from hunting permits
Sales, rentals, and other miscellaneous funds
Carrying Capacity
The number of animals a given habitat can support all year long without damaging the animals or the habitat
Identifying features
nimal’s shape, size, coloring, and any other distinguishing features
Wildlife sign, such as tracks, scat, and calls
The animal’s habitat and range
What the animal eats (herbivore, carnivore, or omnivore)
Nesting locations for birds
Daily habits,
Define Hunting mentor
Over 18,
If you were born on or after January 1, 1967, you must take and pass a hunter education certification course if the person you are mentoring is not an immediate family member who actually resides with the landowner or lessee.
What is the difference between preservation and conservation?
Conservation: Wise use of natural resources without wasting them
Preservation: Saving natural resources, but with no consumptive use of them
Missouri’s Recreational Use Act
identifying purple paint marks on trees or posts around the area to be posted. Property so posted is to be considered posted for all purposes, and any unauthorized entry upon the property is trespass in the first degree, and a class B misdemeanor.”
Birds of Prey
feed on other birds or mammals. Examples are eagles, falcons, and owls. Birds of prey are found throughout North America. All of these birds are protected.
What is one of the five stages of hunter development?
Shooting Stage
Limiting-Out Stage
Trophy Stage
Method Stage
Sportsman Stage
Game Animal
Be useful, primarily for food.
Be abundant with population levels that can be sustained.
Offer a unique or traditional challenge for hunters.
Biological Surplus
The number of animals in a population beyond the carrying capacity
Who governs the Conservation Commission
4 Commissioners appointed by the governor
Fish and wildlife are public property. The government holds them in trust for the benefit of all people.