One of the most highly-anticipated hunting seasons of the year opens next week in Missouri.
Dove hunting is so popular, at least for the first couple days, that hunters flock to the area from other regions of the state.
The Bootheel region gets the bulk of the hunting pressure for doves, but even the northern reaches of Butler and Stoddard counties can produce good numbers of birds.
The season opens Wednesday and will continue through Nov. 29, with shooting hours one-half hour before sunrise until sunset.
The daily limit, as it has been for several years, is 15 doves, which can be made up of any combination of mourning, Eurasian-collared or white-winged variants. The possession limit remains at 45 birds.
Hunters tend to focus their dove hunting efforts in cut corn fields, if they are available, and to a lesser extent in the popcorn and watermelon fields of the Bootheel.
Hunting near water sources also can be a good spot to catch birds trading back and forth.
Stoddard County Conservation Agent Michael Collins noted he’s already seeing some corn being harvested in his area, but farther south, Dunklin County Conservation Agent Eric Heuring hasn’t. He did note a lot of corn is ready for harvesting, and he believes it will be done over the next week.
“Our dove numbers at this point appear to be lower than the average year,” Heuring said. “With this hot week ahead, hopefully we’ll pick up a few more birds and several fields will get harvested.”
You’ll need a small-game hunting permit ($10) or combination hunting and fishing permit ($19), unless you are a landowner hunting on your own land or you are age 15 or younger, and you’ll need a state migratory bird hunting permit ($6).
As with all migratory bird hunting, your shotgun must be plugged so it holds no more than three shells total. A lot of people forget this, intentionally or not, and get ticketed each year.
Another thing you’ll need to keep in mind, if you hunt with others, is to keep your birds separate and identifiable from those of your hunting partners. This and an unplugged shotgun are the biggest reasons for tickets every year.
I only bring this up because the Department of Conservation, in the past, has saturated its Southeast Region with agents from across the state for the fist few days of the season. Therefore, it’s just smart to get your ducks in a row and not worry about it.
Locally, both the Duck Creek and Otter Slough conservation areas will be open to hunters on a first-come, first-served basis.
Hunters must check into those areas daily, but not before 4 a.m. Steel shot also must be used at both locations, and unlike during waterfowl seasons, dove hunters can hunt all day.
Wednesday also marks the first day waterfowl hunters in Missouri can apply for a reservation to hunt ducks at several managed wetlands throughout the state, including locally at the Duck Creek, Otter Slough and Ten Mile Pond conservation areas.
As of right now, 50% of all hunting positions at designated hunting areas will be dolled out to reservation holders. Half of those will go to pre-season reservation holders, and the other half to in-season reservation holders. The remaining 50% of positions will be allocated to poor-line hunters each day.
The procedures are subject to change, based on COVID-19 protocols in place in each county, so it would be wise, if you’re a public-land duck hunter, to keep an eye out for any updates.
The application period for pre-season reservations at mdc.mo.gov runs from Sept. 1-18, and the results will be posted to the same website on Oct. 1.
The Southeast Missouri Sportsman’s Association will host its annual banquet and chicken dinner Saturday, Aug. 28, at the Brown-Mabry American Legion Post 153 off Kanell Boulevard.
The event will kick off at 5 p.m., and everyone is welcome to attend.
The cost will be $7 per person.
Numerous door prizes will be given away, and a silent auction and raffles will be held as well.
This banquet is the primary funding source for the organization’s annual Fish and Fun Day, held in May each year.
For information, contact Randy Daves at 573-718-1790.
Sixty-nine teams fished last weekend’s Wappapello Bass Circuit tournament, and unlike some events, the results were especially close this time.
Leading the field was the team of Fowler and Magnall with 15.51 pounds, good for a $1,500 payday.
Myers and Hardin earned a second-place finish with a stringer weight of 15.08 pounds, good for prize winnings of $860. They also had the day’s second-largest bass, weighing 5.68 pounds, good for another $207.
Third place went to Isbell and Scott with 15.06 pounds, earning them $600.
Fourth place was taken by Jennings and Williamson with 15.05 pounds, good for $350. The pair also caught the day’s biggest bass, which weighed 6.55 pounds and earned them an additional $350.
The top five was rounded out by Henderson and Henderson with 13.53 pounds, earning them a $300 payday.
The Wappapello Bass Circuit’s next event is its season-ending Classic on Sept. 25-26.
For smallmouth bass anglers, the Current River Smallmouth Association will host a tournament Saturday, based out of the T.L. Wright ramp at Doniphan.
Fishing is slated to begin at 7 a.m., followed by a weigh-in at 5 p.m.
For information, contact Randy Sullivan at 417-252-4400.
The SEMO Friends of NRA’s 29th annual banquet went well Saturday night, with about 250 people turning out.
The event raised around $31,000 for the Friends of NRA’s activities, which includes funding youth shooting programs, range development and more.
“The people seemed happy,” said committee chairman Andrew Heuiser. “The games did well, and most sold out.”
Heuiser noted the diner “was fantastic,” and the live auction also was well received.
Approximately 50 guns were given away during the event, including the Gun of the Year, a Henry lever-action rifle in .45-70 caliber.
Next year’s 30th anniversary event, Heuiser said, tentatively will take place Aug. 20, and planning already is in the works.