By PAUL DAVIS
Outdoors Editor
The weekend a lot of youngsters across Missouri have been waiting for is almost upon us. Yep, it's time for the annual youth deer season's early portion, which will take place Saturday and Sunday.
Missouri's young hunters, age 15 and younger, can take one deer of any sex statewide during their special season, regardless of how many permits they may have. Also, just like everyone else, they can only take one antlered buck for all firearms seasons combined.
As always, hunting hours will be one-half hour before sunrise until one-half hour after sunset.
An important thing to remember for those adults taking a youth this weekend is the young hunter must be able to hold, aim and fire their rifle themselves.
If you're taking a youth out to hunt, make sure your focus is on them - keep them warm and comfortable, and keep them fed. The weekend weather forecast looks a little chilly, perfect conditions for good deer hunting.
Deer movement definitely has increased lately, especially bucks, and while it still is the pre-rut period, activity will only increase for the next few weeks as they roam widely searching for does. Therefore, it would be a wise idea to stay all day if you can.
Hunting Success
Twenty-three hunters killed 14 deer during last weekend's mobility-impaired managed hunt at Wappapello Lake, marking the second-highest harvest total for the longstanding annual event.
"It was great," said Wappapello Park Ranger Eric Lemons, who helps spearhead the event. "It was really, really good."
The largest buck ever taken during the managed hunt, Lemons said, was an 8-pointer taken last weekend by Campbell, Mo.'s Marty Powers.
The goal of the hunt, Lemons said, is to "try to help people who have no means to get into the woods do so, and it's great to facilitate that need."
Lemons said waterproof blinds are set out in various locations on Corps of Engineers property to accommodate the hunters.
"We adapt to their needs," he said, with spots for different hunters' needs.
Several partners, Lemons noted, help make the event a success, including the National Wild Turkey Federation's Wheelin' Sportsmen program, the Wake Foundation and the Missouri Department of Conservation, which allows Corps officials to hold the event outside of the regular firearms deer season.
Harvest Boost
With deer movement increasing and decent, if not windy, weather, Missouri's archery deer harvest got a big boost over the weekend, and as of late yesterday afternoon, 18,360 had been arrowed statewide.
Locally, hunters in Butler County have taken 201 deer, and in Stoddard County, they've killed 232. Dunklin County hunters have tagged 47 deer, and those in Wayne County have taken 411.
In Ripley County, the tally is 315 deer taken so far, and in Carter County, it's 290.
If you plan on bowhunting this weekend, remember you'll be sharing the woods with youth hunters and you'll be required to wear hunter orange clothing for safety.
Big Buck Contest
For the fourth consecutive year, the Daily American Republic will hold its Big Buck Contest during the regular firearms season in November.
Hunters who take a buck by legal means in Butler, Carter, Ripley, Dunklin, Wayne, Stoddard or Reynolds counties during the Nov. 11-21 firearms season can enter their trophy at the newspaper office at 208 Poplar St. in Poplar Bluff.
All deer must be telechecked, and must be brought in by the taker. Entries will be taken during business hours Nov. 14 through noon on Nov. 22.
Cash prizes will be awarded to the winners of three different categories: widest outside spread, total number of points and the total measurement of the two longest tines on each side combined (excluding the main beam). A hunter can win multiple categories.
The complete rules will be published in upcoming editions of the paper.
Quick Draw
Applications
The first split of Missouri's Middle Zone duck season is fast approaching, and if you plan to apply for a Quick Draw reservation at the Otter Slough Conservation Area, it's time to get with it.
Tomorrow will be the first day to apply for reservations for the season's first three days, and you'll have to go online to mdc.mo.gov to do so.
Drawings are held every Monday and Thursday throughout the season, and you can apply for every drawing period if you want. Monday's drawing's will cover the following Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday, while Thursday's drawings cover the following Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
You'll need to apply before 3 p.m. on drawing days, and the results are usually posted by 8 p.m. on the drawing date.
I wouldn't get too terribly excited about getting drawn, because the chance of doing so is exceedingly slim.
Each year since the Department of Conservation instituted the Quick Draw system at Otter Slough, the success rate for getting drawn has gone down, and it's been well less than 2 percent for the last five years.
Blame it on television for popularizing duck hunting or whatever you want, there's no doubt the poor line drawing at MDC's public areas has gotten significantly more crowded over the last few years.
Season Closure
For all you fall turkey hunters (that was a joke!), the firearms season will close at sunset on Tuesday.
As it stands now, it looks like this will go down as the worst fall firearms turkey season on record in Missouri. There just aren't as many birds out there this fall after a terrible spring hatch, and fewer hunters are buying permits every year (last year saw an all-time sales low).
Even being the full-bore turkey fanatic I can be, I didn't buy fall permits this year, the first time in ages. Maybe I should have because, ironically, I've seen two flocks of turkeys while bowhunting during the very few times I've been able to get out.
Trout Parks Closing
If you're a trout park angler in Missouri, you've only got a few days left to hit the water.
The four parks - Roaring River, Montauk, Maramec Spring and Bennett Spring - will close to daily fishing on Tuesday.
Some of them will have catch-and-release only fly fishing a few days a week during the winter, so check the regulation before you head off on the road.
Two-day Classic
The East Ozarks Bass Club will wrap up its 2017 tournament season this weekend when it hosts its annual Classic event.
The Classic will be a two-day tournament, with fishing on both Clearwater and Wappapello lakes.
On Saturday, the group will fish from 6:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. at Clearwater Lake, and on Sunday, they will fish the same hours at Wappapello Lake.
If you're interested in the organization's events, call John Hickman for more information at 573-631-2341.