Missouri’s deer hunters finished out the alternative methods season Tuesday by topping last year’s harvest by a pretty large margin.
During the 11-day season, hunters took home 14,555 deer.
That’s well above the 12,024 taken last year and is the second-highest harvest for that season since it began in 2012. In that inaugural year, 14,921 deer were taken.
Locally, every county’s harvest was up over last year, some dramatically.
In Butler County, hunters took 95 alternative methods season deer, compared to 85 a year ago.
In Carter County, the tally this season was 119, where it was 75 last year.
Dunklin County hunters bagged 33 deer, topping last year’s 22.
Reynolds County hunters fared especially well, taking 155 deer this year compared to 81 last year.
Ripley County hunters tagged 177 deer, up front 111 taken there last season.
Stoddard County hunters saw a little bit slimmer gain, with 136 deer taken this year compared to 125 last year.
In Wayne County, hunters took 213 alternative season deer, easily besting last year’s 115.
With all firearms deer seasons now over in Missouri for this fall/winter, the total harvest for gun hunters amounted to around 226,534. That number is preliminary until the Department of Conservation does its audit to ensure there aren’t any duplicates or problems, but you get the idea.
Duck numbers across the region remain similar to where they have been for quite a while, and hunting hasn’t really improved.
There were scattered reports of better hunting just after last week’s rains, but that was to be expected as the birds, at least temporarily, got off the refuges and began to look for newly-flooded food sources.
The latest survey from MDC shows just over 27,000 ducks at the Otter Slough Conservation Area, which is low for this time of year.
At the Duck Creek Conservation Area, about 26,500 ducks were counted, also low for the period.
Next door at the Mingo National Wildlife Refuge, biologist Brad Pendley counted 43,000 ducks.
In the South Zone, the Coon Island Conservation Area was holding 13,500 ducks at last report, and the Ten Mile Pond Conservation Area had almost 49,000 ducks.
Mallards make up the largest percentage of the birds at all areas except Duck Creek, where gadwalls outnumber them.
Hunters in the Middle Zone have until Sunday to get a hunt in. After that date, only the South Zone will remain open in Missouri.
Crappie fishing, from every report I’ve heard, has been a bit hit or miss lately.
One day, somebody will catch several dozen fish, with a few nice ones in the bunch, and the next, they struggle to boat much of anything.
Wappapello Lake still has a bit of a current in its upper reaches, which can make fishing a jig deep somewhat difficult, and the lower end is a bit more stained, with less visibility. I guess you have to pick your poison.
Still, fishing deep along the river channel should be the best bet.
For those with pelts to sell, fur buyer Marc Romine will make his first trip of the season to Poplar Bluff’s Sale Barn Friday morning.
Romine plans to arrive around 9 a.m. and leave at 11.
Those with river otters or bobcats will need to have them tagged by a conservation agent prior to their sale, and Butler County Agent Mark Skelton likely will be there to do so.