OUTDOOR CORNER: NEW CONSERVATION AREAS CONTAIN DIVERSE LANDSCAPE

Looking for a place were you can spend the morning hunting mushrooms, squirrel hunting or spending some time outdoors enjoying nature? A place where you can then spend the afternoon bank fishing on the Mississippi River for a variety of species? Seventysix Conservation Area or Red Rock Landing Conservation Area may be your place. These unique areas are located in the Mississippi River hills of eastern Perry County.

The Conservation Department purchased Seventysix Conservation Area in 1990 and Red Rock Landing in 1995. Seventysix, an 818-acre tract, and Red Rock, a 554-acre tract, are characterized by steep forested hills with narrow ridge fields and deep hollows, steep rock bluffs facing some sections of the Mississippi River and approximately 3 miles of river frontage.

The areas support a mixed hardwood forest of oaks, tulip poplars and other species, ranging in size from saplings to majestic old growth. Forests and wildlife management techniques are routinely practiced on the area. Timber harvests and timber stand improvement practices are an important part of wildlife habitat management as they produce forage and cover for many species of wildlife.

Open field management consists of crop fields being farmed with corn, soybeans, milo, sunflowers and wheat left in the fields to provide food and cover during the cold winter months. Old fields are being managed with discing, or prescribe fire to promote native grasses and forbes. Some of these fields are being converted to native grasses, clover or alfalfa. The Conservation Department has also created watering ponds to benefit wildlife. These management practices will benefit both game and non-game wildlife species.

Some of the activities to do on these areas include hunting, bankfishing, camping in designated areas (no facilities available), hiking, nature study, birdwatching, outdoor photography and frogging. We hope you take the time to visit and enjoy these areas. Please be safe and observe posted regulations. For more information about these areas, or other areas in Southeast Missouri, please contact our Cape Girardeau Regional Office at 2302 County Park Drive, Cape Girardeau, MO 63701, 573-290-5730.

Tony Jaco is a resource forester for the Missouri Department of Conservation.