FUR, FINS AND FEATHERS

The Missouri Department of Conservation will ask Missourians for their thoughts on Missouri conservation priorities as the MDC works on its five-year strategic plan, during meetings to be held across the state.

MDC's current strategic plan runs out in June 1994, so officials are laying groundwork to complete a new plan by then.

Meetings already scheduled include:

Feb. 17: St. Louis Area, 7 p.m., at the Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center, 11715 Cragwold Road, Kirkwood.

Feb. 22: Springfield, 7 p.m. at the Springfield Conservation Nature Center, 4600 S. Chrisman, Springfield.

Feb. 24: Kansas City, 7 p.m., at the Adam's Mark Hotel, 9103 E. 39th St.

March 1: Columbia, 7 p.m. at the Rock Bridge High School Performing Arts Center, 4303 S. Providence Road.

Other meetings will be scheduled.

More than a half-million geese are still concentrated in the Southern Illinois/Western Kentucky area.

The count passed the 500,000 mark two weeks ago, at 553,000. The latest count Monday showed 574,400 geese with almost 500,000 in Southern Illinois.

The Monday census revealed 185,000 in the Horseshoe Lake area of Alexander County, 190,000 in the Crab Orchard Wildlife Refuge area in Williamson and Jackson counties and 95,000 at the Union County Wildlife Refuge. 76,000 geese were counted at Ballard Refuge in Western Kentucky.

The harvest total for the Southern Illinois Quota Zone topped the 35,000 mark with only a few "kill sheets" still out.

The harvest figures show 23,727 at Crab Orchard, 6,621 in Alexander County and 5,273 in Union County.

The Missouri Conservation Commission has established the fall 1994 firearms turkey bag limit at one bird of either sex per week. The season will run from Oct. 17 through 30.

Fall firearms turkey hunting will be allowed in all counties except Buchanan, Clay, Clinton, Dunklin, Greene, Lafayette, Lawrence, McDonald, Mississippi, New Madrid, Newton, Nodaway, Pemiscot, Platte and Scott.

The February meeting of the Missouri Conservation Commission will be held at the Sikeston/Ramada Inn at the junction of I-55 and U.S. Highway 62, starting at 10:15 a.m. Feb. 10.

Commission members are Jerry P. Combs, Kennett, Chairman; Andy Dalton, Springfield, Vice Chairman; John Powell, Rolla, Secretary; and Anita B. Gorman, Kansas City.

The Ozark Mountain Gobblers Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation will holds its annual turkey-calling contest Feb. 5, at the Ironton Elementary School.

Calling will be in four divisions -- Amateur, Friction, Open and Owl Hooting.

Additional information is available by calling (314)-546-6103.