Firearms deer season off to slow start

A cold, frosty morning greeted deer hunters Saturday, making for good hunting conditions, but with the firearms season opening later this year, deer movement seemed to be a little slower than normal, at least where I was. With the biggest part of the rut already past, that was somewhat expected.

The opening weekend harvest of almost 89,000 deer reflects what I was seeing and is well short of the 99,470 taken last year during the first two days. It’s also the lowest opening weekend total since the 2013 season, when hunters took 61,446 deer.

I certainly heard plenty of shots in Wayne County and eventually took a deer at 2 p.m., but things just seemed to be off a little.

Jaxon Howdeshell took his youth season buck in Carter County. Photo provided

“This year’s season was shifted out of the peak of the rut,” said Department of Conservation Resource Scientist Kevyn Wiskirchen, “so deer movement was lower. That’s the main contributor to the lower harvest.”

Season dates, he said, are set by a formula to close on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, and with the holiday being later this year, the season opened later.

Next year’s season should open Nov. 14 and run through Nov. 24.

A strong acorn crop in some areas, Wiskirchen said, also may have contributed to the decline as deer didn’t have to move as much to find food.

At last check, hunters in Butler County had taken 535 deer, and those in Stoddard County had tagged 732.

In Dunklin County, 161 deer have been taken, and in Wayne County, which leads the region, the harvest is 1,479 deer.

In the Ozarks Region, Carter County hunters have killed 681 deer, and in Ripley County, they taken 1,264.

Unfortunately, five hunting incidents have been recorded during this season, including one fatality.

On Saturday in Knox County, a 75-year-old grandfather mistook his 17-year-old grandson for a deer and fatally shot him.

Saturday evening in Boone County, a hunter mistook his partner, who was walking toward him across a bean field at dusk, for a deer and shot him in the hip.

On Saturday in Howell County, a hunter suffered a self-inflicted wound requiring medical attention.

Also on Saturday, in Jasper County, a hunter’s handgun discharged, striking him in the lower leg.

Finally, on Sunday in Randolph County, a hunter suffered a self-inflicted wound requiring medical attention.

Such incidents underscore the importance of keeping safety first when hunting, including properly identifying your target.

The season continues through Nov. 26 and will be followed by the second portion of the youth deer season Nov. 29-Dec. 1, the antlerless season in some counties Dec. 6-8 and the statewide alternative methods season Dec. 28-Jan. 7.

Open Again

After a brief hiatus, the second portion of the Middle Zone duck season opens today (Thursday) and will run through Jan. 12.

All daily limits and regulations remain the same as before, and the in-season drawings for Duck Creek and Otter Slough also have started up again.

Missouri’s South Zone youth duck season is coming up Saturday and Sunday. Locally, the Coon Island Conservation Area is the only public wetland in the South Zone, and it’s a walk-in area with no draw. If you travel to hunt the Ten Mile Pond Conservation Area near East Prairie, you’ll probably have to draw for a spot.

This week’s aerial waterfowl survey by MDC staff showed approximately 33,600 ducks, 9,000 snow geese and 4,200 white-fronted geese at Otter Slough and about 11,100 ducks and 500 white-fronted geese at Duck Creek.

At the Mingo National Wildlife Refuge, the latest count showed about 8,500 ducks, 316 Canada geese and 62 white-fronted geese.

At the Ten Mile Pond Conservation Area, there were 15,700 ducks on the property this week, along with 700 specklebellies.

Arkansas Ducks

For those who hunt ducks in Arkansas, that state’s first duck season segment will open Saturday and continue through Dec. 2.

Arkansas has the same six-duck daily limit as Missouri (and probably every state in the flyway).

The second segment of the Arkansas season will run Dec. 11-23 and the third segment will take place Dec. 26-Jan. 31.

Fall Crappies

If you’ve tagged out on deer and don’t hunt ducks, crappie fishing should be a good option right now.

Of course you’ll want to avoid the areas where duck blinds are set up, so the upper portion of Wappapello Lake would be your best best.

And, don’t forget the two refuge areas on Wappapello are closed to all entry during the duck season.

With the cooling water, fishing around deep structure should produce some fish, and ion warm, sunny afternoons, when the shallow areas warms up a bit, fishing the skinnier water also could prove fruitful.