Youth-season deer harvest way up

Perfect weather conditions last weekend kept young deer hunters in the woods and strong rutting activity kept deer on the move, resulting in a stellar first segment of Missouri’s youth deer season.

The state’s youngest deer hunters killed 18,158 deer during the two-day season, up significantly from the 13,645 taken a year ago.

This year’s early portion harvest also is the third largest since the youth season began in 2001 (it was split beginning in 2008), following only the 2012 and 2013 harvests in number.

Mack Spradling, 6, took his first deer on his family’s Scott County farm.Photo provided

Locally, every county’s harvest was up over last year, some significantly and one only marginally.

In Ripley County, youngsters killed 257 deer during the youth season, up a fraction over last year’s 249.

In Carter County, hunters tagged 158 deer, up from 120 a year ago.

In Butler County, the weekend tally was 159 deer, a good jump from last year’s 108.

In Stoddard County, hunters took 199 deer, nearly doubling last year’s 108.

In Dunklin County, young hunters killed 48 deer compared to 33 last year.

Wayne County led our area with 304 deer taken by youth hunters, up from 232 during the 2018 first season segment.

The next firearms deer season in Missouri is the regular November portion, which opens Nov. 16 (a week later this year) and continues through Nov. 26. It will be followed by the second portion of the youth season Nov. 29-Dec. 1.

“Great Hunt”

“We had a great hunt with the kids,” said Mingo National Wildlife Refuge biologist Brad Pendley when speaking about last weekend’s youth hunt on the refuge. “There were lots of smiles and lots of first deer.”

Eighteen deer were taken by 35 hunters, Pendley said, including 15 bucks and three does.

Several of the bucks, he said, were 8- and 10-pointers.

Everyone saw deer, Pendley noted, while some just chose not to shoot.

“It was a fun weekend,” he said, “and we’re happy with the success rate.”

Gaining Momentum

All the rutting activity has benefitted bowhunters as well, and the archery harvest is gaining momentum daily.

As of Wednesday afternoon, the statewide archery harvest was up to 37,565 deer, with 39% being antlered bucks. The antlered buck percentage has risen 10% in the last two weeks, a sure sign they’re on their feet looking for does.

In Carter County, the harvest so far is 426 deer, and in Ripley County, it’s 436.

In Butler County, hunters have arrowed 405 deer, and in Dunklin County, the total is 78.

In Stoddard County, 453 deer have been tagged, and in Wayne County, hunters have taken 693 deer home.

Another Record Low

When you have several consecutive years of mediocre hatches, plus growing numbers of nest predators, wild turkey numbers decline, and that’s what hunters across the midwest have seen lately, so it was no surprise Missouri’s fall firearms season was a dud.

Hunters took only 1,951 turkeys during the month-long season, falling short of last year’s 2,169 and easily setting the undistinguished record for the lowest harvest in the season’s history.

Locally, every county was down, and some were way off even last year’s mediocre numbers.

In Butler County, five birds were taken compared to 10 last year.

In Carter County, hunters killed three turkeys, down one from 2018’s season.

Hunters in Stoddard County managed to take 31 turkeys, down from 38 the year before.

In Wayne County, 13 turkeys were tagged, down from 19 a year ago.

The biggest drop came in Ripley County, where a single bird was taken. Last year, an even dozen were killed there.

If you’re a spring turkey hunter, you can probably read between the lines and realize the next few years, at least, are going to be mighty tough.

Riverways Hunt

If you’re heading to the Big Spring area of the Ozark National Scenic Riverways this weekend, you’ll want to be aware of a managed deer hunt going on, which will cause some areas to be closed to the public.

On Saturday and Sunday, 10 participants will take part in the park’s annual Exceptional Warrior mobility-impaired hunt.

As with all hunts in the area, the closures will include the Peavine pavilion area, Big Spring campground, and all hiking trails.

Peavine Road, the spring and the boat ramp will remain open.

Clearwater Hunt

Clearwater Lake also will host a managed deer hunt for military members with mobility impairments this weekend.

On Saturday and Sunday, the watchable wildlife area below the dam and a small section of land behind the project office near the overflow spillway will be closed to public entry while the hunt takes place.

If you have questions, give the lake’s project office a call at 573-223-7777.

Middle Zone Opener

Saturday is opening day for the first segment of Missouri’s Middle Zone duck season, and it looks like Mother Nature has cooperated in a big way, bringing colder weather and plenty of ducks from the north.

The Department of Conservation’s two managed wetlands in the area, the Otter Slough and Duck Creek conservation areas, will have a daily drawing at 3:45 a.m.

At Otter Slough, area manager Luke Wehmhoff said, 28 hunting positions will be available during the early portion of the season.

At Duck Creek, 17 positions will be available for the first segment of the season.

The daily limit is six ducks, of which no more than four can be mallards, and only two of those can be females. Other species limits include three scaup, three wood ducks, two black ducks, two canvasbacks, two hooded mergansers, two redheads, one mottled duck and one pintail.

Other species, such as teal, gadwalls, wigeon and shovelers, can make up your entire daily limit.

Shooting hours are one-half hour before sunrise until sunset, except at some public areas, where shooting ends at 1 p.m.

As always, the use of nontoxic shot is required, and shotguns must be plugged so they can’t hold more than one round in the chamber of two in the magazine.

A state small-game hunting license, state migratory bird permit and a signed federal duck stamp all are required to hunt waterfowl, unless the hunter is age 15 or younger.

The first segment of the Middle Zone season will run through Nov. 15. The second portion will open Nov. 21 and continue through Jan. 12.

Goose Opener

Starting Monday, if you’re hunting ducks and have an opportunity to take passing geese, you’ll be able to do so.

Missouri’s statewide season on all goose species, including Canada, Snow, Ross’s, white-fronted and Brant opens Nov. 11 and runs through Feb. 6.

The daily limit is three Canada geese, two white-fronted geese and 20 snow or Ross’s geese combined.

Area Closures

If you fish Wappapello over the next couple months, there are a couple areas which will be closed to public entry.

Starting Saturday and running through Jan. 12, portions of the Lost Creek and Asher Creek waterfowl refuge areas will be closed to all entry.

The boundaries for the closures vary, so it’s probably a good idea to contact the lake’s project office at 573-222-8562 to get the best information.