By PAUL DAVIS
Outdoors Editor
Missouri's Middle Zone duck season closed Sunday, leaving only the South Zone remaining open (through Jan. 28).
At the Otter Slough Conservation Area, hunters had one of their best seasons ever, despite mostly dismal numbers and a lot of unhunted units the last week because of near-total ice coverage.
More than 5,800 hunters hit the water at Otter Slough during the 60-day season, killing 17,935 ducks and 345 geese. That totals up to a very respectable 3.1 bird-per-hunter average.
The numbers, according to biologist Kevin Brunke, include the youth season and are the "second highest harvest on record for Otter Slough," he said.
At the Duck Creek Conservation Area, limited water meant limited hunting spots, and while the season totals weren't available because there's basically a bare-bones staff there, it would be safe to assume the harvest was low.
Last week's frigid weather put the brakes on what had been a pretty good duck season locally, with widespread ice pushing a lot of birds out of the region and on down the flyway. In fact, MDC's three primary South Zone managed waterfowl areas in this part of the state, the Coon Island, Ten Mile Pond and Little River conservation areas, were surveyed earlier this week and duck numbers have fallen dramatically.
At the Ten Mile Pond CA outside East Prairie, there were just more than 22,000 ducks.
The numbers are even lower at Little River CA, where 3,000 birds, mostly shovelers, were counted. Nowhere, however, is it worse than at the Coon Island CA, where a whopping 11 ducks, all gadwalls, were counted.
Fortunately, this week's warm-up should bring at least some ducks back into the region, and a lot of the ice should be gone, or at least breakable, by now. Then again, snow and colder weather is expected to hit the region starting tonight, so who knows what will happen.
Remember, if you want to hunt at the Little River Conservation Area, it's open only on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays.
The season for Canada, white-fronted and snow geese remains open through Feb. 6. On Feb. 7, the Light Goose Conservation Order, with its relaxed regulations, will kick in.
Winding Down
Things are winding down for bowhunters in Missouri, with little time to get out to pursue deer and turkeys.
Archers have only a few more days to fill any tags they may have left because the season closes at dusk on Monday. It's been a good season overall, and the state's archery harvest will end up being one of its best ever.
I wish I could say my archery season was a good one, but it just never turned out that way. There was always too much to do, and I never really had the opportunity to hunt the early season much at all. I did pass on a late October 8-pointer, which I'm now regretting because it was one of the very few deer I've had within range all season.
I spent last Saturday afternoon freezing in a ground blind overlooking a green field where deer had been feeding consistently, except that day they weren't. Go figure.
There's a good chance of freezing rain and snow tonight and tomorrow, but I'll still make an effort to get at least one more bowhunt in before the season runs out. If I'm going to eat tag soup, at least I can take solace in knowing I didn't give up.
Quail Closure
Missouri's quail season closes Monday, though I doubt anyone is still chasing them. Quail numbers have dwindled over the last few decades, and biologists say its mostly because of major changes in farming practices. You certainly don't see the brushy fencerows and patches of cover like you used to, and crops now are planted right up to the roadside. It's discouraging, but as I like to say, it is what it is.
On a bright note, I did hear a couple birds whistling back in September in Carter County, so there are a few still clinging on in the region.
Still Open
Those who hunt rabbits and squirrels still have a little more than a month before those seasons close, and I suspect a few guys may want to go take some revenge on the noisy tree rats which pestered them during the archery season.
I haven't seen many rabbits at all this fall, but I intend to make at least one trip out to kick the brush and maybe bring a few home. And hopefully, I won't become a major blood donor in the process, like I did last year. If you don't have brush pants or chaps, you know what I'm talking about.
Fur Buyer
Fur Buyer Marc Romine will be at Poplar Bluff's sale barn on Jan. 19, so if you have anything to sell, there's your chance.
As always, he should arrive around 8 a.m. and leave by 10.
If you have any bobcats or river otters still needing tagged, a conservation agent should be there to do so for you.
Romine will make two more visits to Poplar Bluff this winter, on Feb. 16 and again on March 16.
Still Frozen
It's been warmer the last few days, but much of Wappapello Lake still remains covered with ice, creating problems for anglers.
The ice, according to Park Ranger Doug Nichols, is thicker on the upper lake, where everyone likes to fish for winter crappies, while small pockets of open water are starting to appear in the lower lake.
Randy Hastings said he and a buddy had to break through at least a half mile of ice to get to their fishing spot Tuesday and ended up catching only a dozen crappies all day.
Unfortunately, the temperature is predicted to fall into the teens during the overnight hours starting tonight and continuing through at least late next week, so there may still be some ice hanging on in places on the lake.
If you go, be careful on the boat ramps. Once somebody pulls a trailer out and gets the ramp wet, it will become dangerously slick.