Mingo Youth Hunt
At the Mingo National Wildlife Refuge over the weekend of Nov. 3-4, 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
Nov. 3's fog and Nov. 4'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 Nov. 3 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 Nov. 4, 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 Nov. 3, 48 hunters killed 166 ducks for a 3.5 bird-per-hunter average. On Nov. 4, 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 Nov. 3, 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. Who doesn't need another duck call, right?
The first split of the duck season will close Nov. 9, 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 Nov. 11ss.
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.