Waterfowl numbers across Southeast Missouri remain similar to where they’ve been holding for a while, but next week’s anticipated warmup could push more birds into the region from the south.
That’s what Arkansas Game and Fish Commission Waterfowl Program Coordinator Luke Naylor is expecting to happen as parts of his state reach the lower 60s by mid-week.
The most recent survey in Arkansas shows slightly higher than normal numbers of ducks, mostly in the eastern delta region, and depending on how much southerly winds come next week, a lot of those birds could head back toward Missouri.
Currently in Missouri, the Coon Island Conservation Area in Butler County is holding “a few birds,” according to area manager Luke Wehmhoff, and hunter check-in cards report some birds still are being taken.
The problem for hunters at Coon Island, Wehmhoff said, may be one of access. The tram road, along the north end of the property, still is covered by water in at least three places, limiting where you can go.
The Ten Mile Pond Conservation Area in Mississippi County, area manager Keith Cordell said, is holding about 42,000 ducks. Most, however, are staying on the area’s designated refuge and only flying out at dark to feed.
This week’s colder temperatures could spur those birds to move more, however.
The Little River Conservation Area outside Kennett is holding a mere 4,000 birds again this week, about 75% of which are shovelers on the main lake.
Missouri’s South Zone season closes Jan. 31.
Missouri’s archery season ended Jan. 15 with a total harvest of 61,209 deer taken. What’s surprising, or maybe not, is how many were taken by crossbow hunters.
During the recently-closed season, a full 46.5% of the deer killed fell at the hands of crossbow hunters.
The percentage of crossbow kills in the yearly harvest has increased every year since they became legal for everyone, starting with 30.1% in 2016 to 38.1% in 2017, 43.2% in 2018 and this year’s high mark of 46.5%.
Whether you like crossbows or not, they are legal in Missouri, and it’s likely the number of bowhunters using them will continue to increase, particularly since the general population of hunters is aging at the same time youth recruitment is lagging.
High water in a lot of places may have hampered the fishing a little bit, but some nice fish still have been caught recently.
Duck Creek’s Pool 1, in particular, has produced some nice catches of pickerel and crappies.
Jack Smith managed two nice catches from the falling Black River last week, catching a flathead catfish, which pegged his 25-pound scales one day and a 10-plus-pound walleye on another. Both, he said, were caught using creek chubs as bait.
At Wappapello Lake, Charlie Brotherton reports the lake still is high and muddy, but it is falling about 9 inches each day.
Very few people, he said, have been fishing the lake since it came up early last week.
The Wappapello Crappie Club will hold a tournament Saturday, with fishing from 7 a.m. until 2 p.m.
The weigh-in will begin at 3 p.m. at the Sundowner pavilion, and you’ll need to be in line by then.
You can pre-register for the tournament at Sundowner Marine, or you can do so the morning of the event.
It’s a bit of a slow time in the outdoors, but if you need something to do between Jan. 30 and Feb. 2, the St. Louis Boat and Sport Show will be held those dates at the America’s Center in downtown St. Louis.
While the event is geared mostly at boaters, it also will feature some activities for children, like trout fishing and an archery range.