If you can't tell by all the campers leaving area towns this week, trucks towing trailers full of ATVs and tree stands and long lines in local sporting goods departments, this weekend is the firearms deer season opener in Missouri.
The 11-day deer season, the state's most popular, opens Saturday with the usual regulations in place. That means hunting hours are from one-half hour before sunrise until one-half hour after sunset.
Hunter orange clothing is required (seriously, why wouldn't you wear it?), and unlike most other hunting in Missouri, you're not limited to three shells in your firearm. You are, however, limited to 11 rounds total in your gun, so if you're using an AR-style rifle, do yourself a favor and just use a smaller, lighter 10-round magazine. It might be hard explaining to Mr. or Ms. Game Warden why you have a 30-round magazine while hunting deer.
If you do kill a deer, remember you must notch your permit before you can move it or field dress it, and you also must Telecheck it before 10 p.m. on the day taken.
Also be sure to refer to the Department of Conservation's free "Fall Deer & Turkey Hunting Regulations and Information" pamphlet for the complete rules before you hunt.
Obviously, safety is paramount when hunting, especially during this season. Be sure of your target and what is behind it, and don't be so intent on killing something that you make a stupid mistake. Wear a safety harness if you climb a tree, and don't be one of those folks who buys a new, unfired rifle the night before the season, thinking you'll actually hit where you aim. Seriously, I see people do this every year.
Last year, hunters took 191,368 deer during the firearms season, and if the weather holds out this season, this year's total should be similar.
The weather forecast for the opening weekend looks to be a little cold, but at least it won't be rainy, foggy and windy. If you can stay warm and stick it out, conditions will be good for success.
Arkansas Opener
Saturday also happens to be the opening day of firearms deer season in Zones 3 and 4 in Northeast Arkansas.
Each zone has its own season dates and limits, so if you plan on hunting there, it would be wise to check the regulations closely, either in the free Arkansas Game and Fish Commission booklet or at www.agfc.com.
Rolling Along
Saturday morning's fog and noisy, dripping trees certainly didn't help things for hunters, at least from my perspective 20 feet up a tree.
I saw a few deer, including a small buck doggedly chasing a doe, but otherwise movement seemed slow. I did spook what looked like a nice 8-point buck when my throat started tickling and I had to cough. Talk about perfect timing, but stupid things like that have happened to me so much I wasn't even upset about it.
I eventually took deer No. 2 with my bow that afternoon, pretty much so I can focus on duck hunting once the firearms deer season has passed.
As of yesterday evening, the statewide archery harvest was up to 38,990 deer, and as you'd expect, the percentage of antlered bucks in that total has grown lately to better than 38 percent. It likely would be even better if the weekend weather would have cooperated.
In our local counties, the harvest remains strong. In Butler County, 412 deer have been arrowed thus far, and in Stoddard County, the tally is 388.
In Carter County, bowhunters have tagged 509 deer, and in Ripley County, 496 kills are on the books.
Dunklin County hunters have killed 73 deer, and Wayne County, ranked No. 4 in the state, has seen 721 deer taken.
The archery season will close for the firearms season beginning Friday evening, but will reopen on Nov. 21 and continue through Jan. 15.
Ironically, you still can bowhunt for deer in locations closed to gun hunting, like Mingo National Wildlife Refuge, during the firearms season, but you must use a firearms deer permit to do so.
Mingo Youth Hunt
At the Mingo NWR over the weekend, 35 youths tagged 20 deer during the annual managed hunt set aside just for young hunters.
"That's almost double what the same number of hunters took last year," said refuge biologist Brad Pendley.
Thirteen of the deer were taken Saturday, while the remaining seven came during Sunday's rain.
Interestingly, Pendley noted, no feral hogs were killed during this year's hunt.
"It's the first managed hunt in recent years I can remember where no pigs were shot," Pendley said.
While the hunt, he said, is part of the refuge's deer management program, it's really a way to get children in the outdoors.
"It's always about getting kids outdoors, and we like when they're successful," he said. "When they roll in and we see the smiles on their faces ... we hook them for life."
Riverways Hunt
According to National Park Service Natural Resources Program Manager Kim Houf, 10 hunters in last weekend's Big Spring Area Exceptional Warriors mobility-impaired hunt at the Ozark National Scenic Riverways harvested 12 deer, making for a very successful hunt.
The harvest, she said was evenly split between bucks and does.
"It was definitely a success," Houf said. "Everyone had a good time, and this veterans' hunt is pretty unique and special."
Clearwater Hunt
Clearwater Lake's managed deer hunt for mobility-impaired and Wounded Warrior hunters last weekend resulted in six hunters taking four deer.
"Considering the fog and rain, that was very good," said Deputy Operations Manager Rob Daniel.
Overall, Daniel said, 36 deer were seen, making the hunt a success.
All-Time Low
Heading into October, the signs were all pointing to it, and as expected, Missouri's fall firearms turkey season was a flat-out dud.
The season harvest of only 2,169 turkeys was by far the lowest on record, a full 25 percent below last year's 2,899, the previous low total.
In its heyday in the mid- to late-1980s, the fall turkey season saw hunters take upwards of 28,000 birds, but interest has shifted dramatically toward bowhunting deer, and lower turkey numbers only make the problem worse. Only 10,262 fall permits were sold this year, compared to more than 53,000 in 1987, the record harvest year.
Locally, two counties, Butler and Ripley, saw higher harvests this fall, while every other county was down.
In Butler County, hunters killed 10 birds compared to four a year ago, and in Ripley County, they took 12, better than last year's four.
In Carter County, four birds were killed compared to nine last year, and in Wayne County, 19 were tagged. That's down quite a bit from the 41 taken in 2017.
Stoddard County, while down slightly from last year's count of 42, was the region's best turkey spot with 38 birds killed.
For those still wishing to pursue turkeys this fall, the archery season will remain open (except Nov. 10-20) through Jan. 15.
Decent Opener
Saturday's fog and Sunday's rain made for less-than-ideal conditions for Missouri's Middle Zone duck season opener, but hunters still made the best of what they were dealt.
At the Otter Slough Conservation Area, there were a whopping 113 parties on Saturday vying for 30 spots. Those hunters drawn killed 458 ducks for a 4.1 bird-per-hunter average.
"It was not bad, but definitely not as good as some (opening days) have been," said biologist Kevin Brunke.
On Sunday, there were 68 parties trying to get drawn, and successful hunters took 254 ducks, lower the daily average to 2.3 BPH.
At the Duck Creek Conservation Area, water currently is limited, and so are hunting positions.
On Saturday, 48 hunters killed 166 ducks for a 3.5 bird-per-hunter average. On Sunday, 44 hunters took 99 ducks for a 2.3 BPH average.
Afternoon hunting on Wappapello Lake, especially Saturday, also was reported as good.
While I didn't get to hunt the opening weekend because I was bowhunting, at least Saturday, I did manage to lighten my wallet a little at the Echo Calls and Elite Calls shops in Beebe and Searcy, Ark., while on my way home from Little Rock Friday. Who doesn't need another duck call, right?
The first split of the duck season will close Friday, and the second segment will kick off on Nov. 15.
Goose Opener
I've been seeing and hearing lots of white-fronted geese pushing through the area for the last few weeks, just in time for the goose season opener on Sunday.
White-fronts (specklebelly), Canada, Brant and light geese (snows, Ross's and blues) all open then, and the season will continue through Feb. 6.
Hunting hours are from one-half hour before sunrise until sunset, and the daily limit is three Canadas and/or Brant combined, two white-fronts and 20 light geese in any combination.
Just like ducks, nontoxic shot is required, as is a plugged shotgun to limit its capacity to three shells total.
A separate Light Goose Conservation Order will be in effect Feb. 7-April 30.