FINS FEATHERS, FURS

The Cape Girardeau County Chapter of Ducks Unlimited will holds it annual Ducks Unlimited Sponsor's Dinner and Auction Monday.

The fundraising event will be held at the N'Orleans Restaurant.

Reservation are available by calling 335-3307 or 651-5503.

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ROLLA Many Missouri streams are still "floatable" despite the "Great Flood of '93."

The flood didn't have an immediate effect in the Ozarks and many other parts of the Show-me State.

While the deluge set new records along the Missouri and Mississippi rivers, many other streams were unaffected. Missouri's most famous float streams, the Current, Eleven Point and Jacks Fork rivers, have had good conditions for recreation all summer. These national scenic rivers draw millions of canoeists and anglers annually. But visitation has been down significantly there and at other streams and lakes, despite the fact that they were not affected by floods.

Fishing conditions on most of the state's rivers and reservoirs remain fair to good say officials.

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JEFFERSON CITY The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) is testing telephone sales of permits and publications with Visa or MasterCard as a pilot program.

Orders may be placed by calling (314) 751-4115, extension 558. Persons ordering firearms permits must provide proof of Hunter Education certification for hunters born after January 1, 1967.

"A lot of MDC customers have taken advantage of the mail to order publications and hunting and fishing permits in the past," said Al Brand, assistant chief of MDC's Fiscal Division. "This new credit card service will expedite purchases. That's especially important now. August is the month firearms deer hunters must apply for any-deer and bonus tags. Many of those people are stranded due to flood conditions or have relied on certain permit vendors along the Missouri and Mississippi rivers, who are unable to provide permit service due to flooding."

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HARRISBURG, Ill. The Shawnee National Forest is receiving public comments until Sept. 6 about a proposed 40-mile system of trails for all-terrain vehicles and off-highway motorcycles in two counties Hardin and Gallatin.

Most of the proposed loops and trails would be designated on existing Forest Service roads and user-developed trails.

Comments may be sent to Shawnee National Forest Service, 901 S. Commercial, Harrisburg, Ill., 62946.

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Mike Corson is president of the first Missouri chapter of The Smallmouth Alliance, a national organization dedicated to the enjoyment and enhancement of smallmouth bass and the streams they inhabit.

Although most of the Alliance's Missouri members live in St. Louis, the chapter has members in Jefferson City, Columbia and other areas. The group meets at 7:30 p.m. the third Wednesday of each month at the Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center at 11715 Cragwold in Kirkwood.

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The Sportsman series of World Class Calling Contests will be held Sept. 24-26 at John A. Logan Community College at Carterville, Ill.

The two-day event, featuring turkey, duck, and goose calling championships, is sponsored by Olin-Winchester.

The turkey-calling

Turkey winners of the Southern Illinois contest will qualify for the Grand National Wild Turkey Calling Championships. The duck calling contest is a regional contest, qualifying winners for the World Duck Calling Contest at Stuttgart, Ark.

The goose calling contest is the World Open contest. Tim Grounds, of Southern Illinois, is currently the world Open champion. Also scheduled this year is a novice division goose calling contest.

Additional information is available by calling 1-800-GEESE99.

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KANSAS CITY The Missouri Conservation Commission will hold its monthly meeting in Kansas City today.

The meeting will begin at 8:30 a.m. at the Holiday Inn Crowne Plaza, 4445 Main Street. Commission meetings are open to the public.

Commissioners are: Jerry P. Combs, Kennett, chairman; Andy Dalton, Springfield, vice chairman; John Powell, Rolla, secretary; and Jay Henges, St. Louis, member.