By PAUL DAVIS
Outdoors Editor
Even with pretty decent weather for the opening weekend of Missouri's alternative methods deer season, hunters across the state managed to take only 2,900 deer, and that is a three-day total through Monday.
That's really no better than last year's opening weekend, which was wet and messy, so I guess maybe folks are just doing other things.
Now the total is 3,819.
Locally, hunters in Carter County have killed 28 alternative methods season deer so far (Wednesday afternoon numbers), and in Ripley County, they've taken 57.
In Butler County, the tally so far is 32, and in Stoddard County, 34 have been killed.
Wayne County hunters have taken 42 deer, and those in Dunklin County have tagged 11.
Last year, Missouri hunters killed 10,602 deer during the season, so they'll have to get busy if they're going to match that number.
Unfortunately, the weather forecast isn't looking too hot - literally. It's supposed to be bitter cold the next several days, and while that can get deer on their feet to feed, it tends to keep hunters off theirs and on the couch.
The alternative methods season continues through Tuesday.
Winding Down
Missouri's North and Middle Zone duck seasons are winding down quickly, with the former closing Jan. 2 and the latter on Jan. 7.
A big problem duck hunters may have to deal with over the coming days is bitter cold temperatures freezing up the water. Without any wind to keep it open, the water will freeze pretty quickly. On the other hand, if you can open up a hole, you might have one of the best hunts of your life.
While the cold may push in a few new birds, it certainly moved a bunch out of the region. The Tuesday survey numbers at Otter Slough Conservation Area showed a drop from about 51,000 ducks last week to 38,000 this week.
Even worse, the Coon Island Conservation Area had around 10,000 ducks during the last survey, but only 600 Tuesday.
As most Southeast Missouri ducks hunters know (and a lot grumbled about), what little rain we got over the course of the duck season was too little and too late to allow for the flooding of Pools 7 and 8 at the Mingo National Wildlife Refuge.
Obviously, with so little time left in the duck season, the timber units won't be flooded before it ends. Even so, in an effort to send the ducks to their breeding grounds as healthy as possible, staff at Mingo still will try to capture what rainwater they can to flood the pools for the north-bound spring migration.
By the way, if you want to apply for a Quick Draw at Otter Slough before the season goes out, Monday will be your last chance to do so.
Arkansas Ducks
Arkansas' duck hunters finally got the rain they badly needed, and now there's actually some water to hunt where before it was mostly dry.
The state's third duck season split opened Tuesday and will continue through Jan. 28.
The season for Canada, white-fronted and snow geese will remain open in Arkansas through Jan. 28 as well, and will be followed by the light goose conservation order season Jan. 29-Feb. 2 and Feb. 4-April 25.
Cold Fishing
Until it got cold, Wappapello Lake had been pretty busy with fishermen, but I'd imagine if you went this week, you'd have the lake mostly to yourself. That could be good because then nobody would hear you cussing at the ice in your rod's guides.
I've heard varying reports on success. Some say they're catching a few decent crappies, while others aren't catching much of anything.
With the water temperature falling, the crappies should be heading toward structure in deeper water.
Fur Buyer
Fur buyer Marc Romine will be making his first stop of the season at Poplar Bluff's Sale Barn tomorrow.
He's scheduled to arrive around 8 a.m. and will leave at 10, or earlier if he runs out of cash.
Romine reports that fur markets are very low, so trappers shouldn't expect much.
Most animals, he said, will be worth more if they're left unskinned and frozen whole.
Also, if you have any bobcats or river otters which need to be tagged, a conservation agent should be on hand.
Bird Count
Poplar Bluff's annual Christmas Bird Count, held Dec. 20, turned out to be a success, according to count compiler Bruce Beck.
In all, a dozen volunteers canvassed a 177-square-mile circle around the city and counted 67 species of birds, just slightly higher than the long-term average.
Some interesting finds during the count were 71 ruddy ducks in the southeast quadrant, a rarity in this region, and 232 mourning doves, which normally have migrated to warmer climates by now. One bald eagle was sighted, while participants counted 30 Carolina chickadees and 33 tufted titmice, common winter species.
Another interesting species many people don't get to see is the American goldfinch, and volunteers counted 41 of them locally.
There were 3,777 invasive European starlings counted, easily the most numerous of any species, while 551 red-winged blackbirds were sighted.
Overall, there were 7,025 total birds counted during the event.