Alternative methods deer season sees slow start

Missouri’s alternative methods deer season has gotten off to a pretty slow start, and when I checked the numbers Tuesday morning, hunters had only taken 3,000 deer statewide.

Some of the blame probably can be placed on the weather over the weekend, but the low harvest likely is more attributable to a lack of daytime deer movement.

For a pretty good while now, deer movement has been fairly low during daylight hours, and they seem to be moving mostly at night. Plus, it just doesn’t appear as if hunters are putting in the effort this season like they did in the past.

Anyway, locally, hunters in Butler County have taken 19 deer so far in the alternative methods season, while those in Stoddard County have killed 17.

In Dunklin County, six deer have been tagged, and in Wayne County, the harvest is up to 22.

Hunters in Ripley County have taken home 27 deer, and those in Carter County have tagged 11.

Not surprisingly, does make up about 61% of the harvest, while antlered bucks account for 25%. The rest of the total is button bucks.

The alternative methods season continues through Jan. 7, so you still have some time to get out.

The weekend forecast looks like a mixed bag: Saturday will be colder than it has been lately, but very windy, which isn’t good for deer movement. Sunday, will be a bit warmer, with less wind, so take your pick.

Harvest Growing

The record archery deer harvest in Missouri continues to grow slowly, with around 150 to 200 deer taken most days, depending on weather.

At the latest check, the archery harvest was up to 59,012 deer, which includes 558 in Butler County, 571 in Carter County, 571 in Ripley County, 125 in Dunklin County, 700 in Stoddard County and 984 in Wayne County.

The archery season continues through Jan. 15.

More Ducks?

Duck numbers on the region’s managed wetlands have fluctuated a little bit lately, most likely with birds bouncing back and forth between the properties.

At the Duck Creek Conservation Area, there are about 16,500 ducks on the area this week, and the daily bird-per-hunter average has ranged from around 0.93 to 1.72 lately.

At the Otter Slough Conservation Area, there reportedly are 41,600 ducks on the area, which is a slight bump up from last week. The daily bird-per-hunter average has ranged lately from 1.3 to 2.68.

The Coon Island Conservation Area in Butler County saw a pretty big decrease in the number of ducks on the area, going from 20,000-plus the last couple weeks to 12,000 this week. Even worse, area manager Luke Wehmhoff said, is the mallards haven’t really started using the flooded timber in Pool 9, which has held water for a month now.

The biggest change in duck numbers over the last week was at the Ten Mile Pond Conservation Area in Mississippi County.

The area was holding about 66,200 ducks early last week, but that number has shot up to about 105,400.

That’s a ton of birds for that property, given its size. However, bird-per-hunter averages remain low, ranging between 0.7 and 1.84.

Missouri’s Middle Zone remains open through Jan. 12, while the South Zone continues through Jan. 31.

The Bite is On

Apparently, it’s time to get on the water at Wappapello Lake because several people have told me the crappie bite really has turned on.

And here’s the best part: not only are the crappie biting, but lots of big fish have been taken lately.

As you would expect, the best fishing is around structure in deep water along the river channel.

Fur Buyer

With the furbearer hunting and trapping seasons in Missouri in full swing, you may need to sell any furs you’ve already got. With that in mind, fur buyer Marc Romine will be at Poplar Bluff’s Sale Barn Friday morning.

He plans to arrive around 9 a.m., Romine said, and he’ll probably pack up to leave about 11 a.m., so you won’t have much time.

If you’ve got any bobcats or river otters, which need tagged before selling them, Butler County Conservation Agent Mark Skelton will be there to help you.

Romine will return to Poplar Bluff on Jan. 31, Feb. 21 and March 13.