Missouri’s bowhunters seem to be off to a pretty slow start, taking 2,975 deer to this point in the season. On this date last year, the harvest already was at 4,925.
My guess is hunters just haven’t put much effort into hunting yet because of the warm weather, but then again, last year’s first couple of weeks were every bit as hot.
I’ve had zero chance yet to hunt myself, so I can’t say what deer movement has been like. Traditionally, early season hunts have been far more productive in the evenings as hunters intercept deer moving from bedding to feeding areas, but they may be moving mostly at night right now given the weather.
So far, hunters in Butler County have taken 19 deer, while those in neighboring Carter County have arrowed 31.
The tally in Ripley County is 23 deer, and in Stoddard County, it’s 30.
Five deer have been taken in Dunklin County, and Wayne County, to nobody’s surprise, leads our readership area with 57 deer. That currently puts it fifth in the state (which of course means nothing this early in the season).
The forecast looks to remain hot for several more days before the bottom finally falls out of it and cooler temperatures arrive late next week.
Classic Winners
A whopping 84 teams fished last weekend’s two-day Wappapello Bass Circuit “Classic” event, where nearly $30,000 in prize money was on the line.
Isbell and Scott were the event’s top anglers, bringing in a two-day total weight of 29.16 pounds and earning a cool $10,000 cash for their efforts.
Second place went to Strobel and Walker with 27.64 pounds, good for $5,000 in prize winnings.
Taking the third spot was the team of Goodpasture and Fisher with 24.91 pounds. Their take-home winnings amounted to $3,000.
Fourth place was earned by Hutson and Gray with a total weight of 24.54 pounds, good for a prize check in the amount of $2,500.
Rounding out the top five spots was the team of Thurston and Flowers with a combined weight of 22.81 pounds. They earned $2,000 in the process.
The team of Taylor and Greve caught the event’s biggest bass, which weighed in at 6.23 pounds and was worth $1,000 cash.
The Classic wraps up the Wappapello Bass Circuit’s season for 2019, and next’s year’s events should kick off in March.
Chaonia Tournament
One of the oldest bass tournaments on Wappapello Lake is set to take place this weekend when the 49th annual Chaonia Open Buddy bass Tournament hits the water Saturday.
Fishing will kick off at 7 a.m., and weigh-ins will begin at 2:30 p.m.
The cost to enter the tournament is $110 per team, which includes the big bass pot.
You can enter by stopping by Chaonia Landing this week during normal business hours.
Chaonia Landing’s annual chili cookoff will be held during the tournament weigh-in. There’s no entry fee, but the winner will go home with $100.
The winners of Chaonia Landing’s annual summer-long Catfish Challenge also will be named during the event and will include a fish fry free to all.
Chaonia Landing owner Dallas Rich said he’ll have the store open at 5 a.m. that morning for those who need breakfast or anything else, and if you have questions, he can be reached at 573-297-3206.
Smallmouth Tourney
For river anglers, the Current River Smallmouth Association will host a tournament Saturday based out of Van Buren.
The launch time from the Watercress ramp north of town will be at 7 a.m., and the weigh-in will start at 5 p.m. at the same location.
This will be the club’s final tournament before its annual Classic event on Oct. 12.
Paul Henderson has more information at 573-686-5476.
Rabbit Season
Monday is opening day for Missouri’s rabbit season, though few hunters actually pursue them until there’s been a good frost or two to not only knock down some brush, but also to get rid of some bugs.
Given the weather forecast, it might be a good idea to take a cooler and ice along in your vehicle to keep your bunnies from spoiling.
Fall Turkey Opener
Missouri’s fall firearms turkey season also kicks off Monday and runs throughout October.
I wouldn’t expect much in the way of success this season, simply because I haven’t seen many birds around. I’ve been across the southern portion of the state several times lately and have seen exactly three flocks of birds. Quite simply, there just aren’t as many turkeys around as there were several years ago, so hunters will have their work cut out for them.
Hunting hours are one-half hour before sunrise until sunset, and the season limit is two birds. Unlike during the spring season, in the fall you can take both birds on the same day and they can be either sex.
If you plan on giving fall turkey hunting a try, it’s probably a good idea to get after them early when they’re using open fields to feed in. Once the acorns start falling steadily, the birds will stay mostly in the timber and be much harder to find.
Waterfowl Reservations
If you applied for a waterfowl reservation in Missouri earlier this month, the results of that drawing will be published on MDC’s website on Monday.
Remember, the entire reservation system has changed this year, and now, those who are selected in the pre-season drawing will be allotted 25% of each day’s available hunting positions. Weekly drawing winners will take another 25% and the rest will go to poor line hunters.