The elk auto tours at the Peck Ranch Conservation Area and nearby Current River Conservation Area have reopened, and now is a good time to get out and see the animals, which were brought back to the Show-Me State beginning in 2011. If you're lucky, you may even spot a young calf of the year.
The Department of Conservation has established about 14 miles on Peck Ranch as an auto tour, and another 11 on the Current River CA, and each is open seven days a week during daylight hours, except during periods where managed hunts are scheduled.
Given the heat of summer, your best bet to see the elk is getting there right at dawn. Once the sun rises above the ridges and it gets hot, which can be within 30 minutes of sunrise, the elk retreat to the shade of the timber and you'll have a hard time seeing them.
Currently, most of the elk are located on the Peck Ranch area, though many of the larger bulls spend their summers at the Current River CA and some animals are living near the Logyard Landing area along the river currently.
If you go to Peck Ranch, be sure to drive through the main valley on Road No. 1 first because that's where the majority of the elk hang out. The ridge roads to the north (10, 11 and 13) and south (3, 5, 6 and 7) generally are heavily timbered with few opportunities to see elk (except the end of Road No. 6).
At the Current River CA, open tour roads include 1, 9 and 10.
If you run across any elk, be careful not to disturb them. While they are used to vehicular traffic and sometimes will let you get reasonably close, within 30 yards, any significant disturbance (like walking toward them or making a lot of noise) will put them straight into the timber for the day.
While you're touring around, also be on the lookout for deer, turkeys and other wildlife, plus the myriad of wildflowers blooming this time of year.
River Winners
Nineteen teams fished Saturday's Current River Smallmouth Association tournament at Doniphan, and after 10 hours on the water, the top three finishing weights were remarkably close.
The team of Dougherty and Sisco led the way with a weight of 10.45 pounds. Their total got a boost from Dougherty's big bass, which weighed 2.87 pounds.
Second place went to Kram and Williams with 10.38 pounds, and third, just a couple hundredths of a pound off, was earned by Henderson and Henderson with 10.36 pounds.
McAfee and Rutledge grabbed the fourth spot with 9.87 pounds, and Neal and Neal completed the top five with a stringer weight of 8.97 pounds.
The Current River Smallmouth Association will fish again on July 14, when it hosts the annual King of the River tournament at Van Buren.
Big Turnout
A whopping 80 teams fished the Wappapello Bass Circuit's tournament Saturday, continuing the strong support the series has enjoyed.
At the top of the leaderboard was the team of Isbell and Scott with 19.82 pounds. They also had the day's big fish, weighing 5.97 pounds.
Second place went to Rhodes and White with 17.08 pounds, and third was earned by Akers and McIntosh with 16.51 pounds.
The fourth-place team was Walker and Walker with 15.72 pounds, and fifth place was taken by Batton and Kearby with 14.58 pounds.
Interestingly, almost half the field didn't weigh any fish at all.
The Wappapello Bass Circuit's next event will be held July 28.
Frogging Season
For those with a flair for something a little different in the outdoors, Missouri's frog season will open at sunset Saturday.
Bullfrogs and green frogs are the only legal species, and you're allowed eight daily in any combination.
Frogs can be harvested using either a hunting or fishing permit, depending on your method of take.
On a fishing permit, they can be taken by hand, hand net, atlatl (good luck with that!), gig, bow, trotline, throwline, limb line, bank line, jug line, snagging, snaring, grabbing or with pole and line.
With a hunting permit, you can take frogs with a rimfire rifle or pistol, air gun, bow, crossbow, atlatl, by hand or hand net.
Regardless of your method, use of an artificial light is legal (the small hunting regulations summary booklet does not mention lights as legal like the fishing one does, but the Wildlife Code book does, and it is the legal document).
Another thing to keep in mind is if you're hunting frogs with another person, you need to keep each person's catch separate and identifiable, whether that's by using a separate cooler, a stringer or whatever. Just like fishing, this is one of the top violations people get ticketed for.
Favored spots to find frogs include area drainage ditches, ponds and river banks, but really any wetland are can be good.
The frog season will continue through October, though most folks move on to other things after the first month or so.
Trap Championships
Poplar Bluff High School's trap team will be making the trip to Linn Creek, Mo., this weekend for the state's AIM (Academics, Integrity, Marksmanship) Championships.
It will be a big stage with a lot of shooters, but the team has been performing well lately.
The event also marks the final shoot for Coach Josh Wesemann, who has led the team for a few years.
Application Reminder
Don't forget, beginning Sunday, you'll be able to start applying for one of the managed deer hunts the Department of Conservation puts on each fall.
There are a lot of them to choose from, though locally, the muzzleloader hunts at Peck Ranch and Mingo get the most attention.
Duck Stamps
If you have a 2017 Federal Duck Stamp, it will expire Saturday.
You may recall the duck stamp program was started to help fund the conservation of wetlands and to fund the purchase of lands for the national wildlife refuge program, so they're not just simply another thing you have to buy to hunt ducks.
For instance, a valid duck stamp serves as your entrance fee at all national wildlife refuges, like Mingo. If you spend much time at Mingo, buying a duck stamp is the way to go.
The stamp is good from July 1 through June 30 and costs $25. Its available at the Mingo visitor center, online at www.fws.gov/birds/get-involved/duck-stamp/buy-duck-stamp.php and sometimes at local post offices, though that option seems to be getting more scarce each year.
Blackberry Time
Finally, it's almost time to start picking wild blackberries. Usually, the first week of July is pretty good, though I've only seen a few early, red berries lately.
Blackberry patches which get a lot of sunlight will produce the season's first berries, but they also may not last long if the sun scorches them, so timing is everything. Berries also develop at different rates, so hitting a patch a couple times over a week or two might produce more for you.
One word of caution: spray permethrin on your clothes the day before you go out berry picking. Those patches are a haven for ticks and chiggers, and you don't want to deal with that.