FINS, FEATHERS AND FUR

The "Friends of NRA (National Rifle Association)" banquet and auction will be held in Cape Girardeau April 23.

Additional information aboaut the event is available by contacting Ron Phegely, 335-1007.

Additional searches for the Illinois Wood Rat are under way in the Shawnee National Forest.

Until recently the state's only native pack rate was found only in the Pine Hills region of Union County. Recent searches, sponsored by the Shawnee National Forest, discovered a second population in Jackson County.

JEFFERSON CITY -- Hundreds of pounds of lean red meat are gracing the tables of needy Missourians, thanks to the efforts of deer hunters.

Seven hunters' organizations statewide are participating in the Volunteer Deer Meat Donation Program coordinated by the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC). Twenty to 30 meat lockers distribute the meat to Missourians in need through charitable organizations.

Donations received a substantial boost when MDC channeled 2,000 pounds of venison taken from poachers into the program.

JEFFERSON CITY -- The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) will ask Missourians for their thoughts on the state's conservation priorities for the rest of this decade?

Meetings to discuss conservation will be held at number of sites -- Cape Girardeau, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. March 26 at the MDC Regional Service Center, Cape County Park North; Columbia, 7 to 9 p.m. March 1 at the Rock Bridge High School; Kirksville, 7 to 9 p.m. March 22 at the Days Inn and West Plains, 7 to 9 p.m. March 28 at the West Plains Civic Center.

CASSVILLE -- Unexpectedly high numbers of eagles reported in southwestern Missouri have pushed the Missouri Department of Conservation's (MDC) 1994 eagle count higher than originally announced, according to MDC Ornithologist Jim D. Wilson.

Wilson said totals released Jan. 28 were based on reports from areas that normally account for the majority of eagle sightings. Those showed 1,724 bald and golden eagles in the state during the annual count Jan. 3 through 7. However, the final tally showed 2,071 eagles.

One late report that boosted the total was the sighting of 111 eagles in southwestern Barry County. These birds were concentrated at disposal sites for dead birds from poultry farms.

The revised count still is lower than the record 2,414 eagles seen last year. Wilson said the decrease probably resulted from weather. Last year's count was boosted by a cold spell that chased hundreds of eagles into Missouri from more northerly states. A similar phenomenon occurred this year, but it came a week after the 1994 count ended.

CARTERVILLE, Ill. -- The Illinois Big Buck & Turkey Expo will be held March 12-13 at John A. Logan College in Carterville,

Show hours will start at 9 a.m. both days.

Deer mounts for the Big Buck contest will be measured from 2 to 8 p.m. Saturday and form 9 a.m. to noon Sunday, with awards at 4:30 p.m. Mar. 13.

Appearing at the show will be Gary Sefton, Franklin, Tenn., the 1994 world deer calling champion, and Bill Seibel of Ballwin, Mo., who will discuss turkey-hunting techniques.

Admission cost is $6 for adults and $2.50 for children, 6-12.

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- An amendment protecting hunters from persons who intentionally interfere with lawful hunts on federal land is part of an anti-crime bill recently approved by the U.S. Senate and headed to a conference committee.

The amendment to S. 1607 was offered by Sen. Conrad Burns (R-Mont.), chairman of the Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus. Rick Story, executive director of the Wildlife Legislative Fund of America, said the amendment is a great step forward in the protection of hunting rights.

Story said 47 states have laws against harassing hunters. Those laws are enforced on federal lands and prosecuted in state courts. The proposed federal law offers the added option of prosecution in federal courts. The federal government owns more than a third of the public hunting land in the United States.