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Jan. 29, 2002.
Charlie Farmer, Springfield News Leader
Duck season frustrating; now hopes rest on rabbits
The South Zone duck season ended Jan. 20. There was a scarcity of ducks despite cold weather.
Mallards were hard to find. The word from some South Zone hunters blamed the absence on Missouri Department of Conservation’s Four Rivers Conservation Area.
The Middle Zone duck season ended Jan. 1. A freeze in December locked down the ducks that were using Four Rivers. They flew south over Arkansas and headed to Louisiana. Then there was a thaw after that zone closed. Suddenly Four Rivers was loaded with mallards and pintails. Instead of flying south, ducks had a heyday there with plenty of water and food.
Unlike last year, when ducks were plentiful in the South Zone — both on lakes and rivers in the area — this season saw a drastic reduction of waterfowl, especially mallards.
The preseason forecast from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service last spring and summer had mallard populations down from the past three or four years. It wasn’t supposed to be a drastic change, according to the Fish and Wildlife. Service But with aerial scouting of thousands of ducks from the air, there can be discrepancies one way or another. Mallards could have been down further than realized.
The best bet for hunters now is cottontail rabbit hunting. The season opens Oct. 1 each year and lasts to Feb. 15. Most often, the early part of October and November is warm. Rabbits are in the thickets and without good beagles to bring the rabbits around full circle, the hunting is difficult.
December, January and February are generally good months for hunting rabbits throughout the state.
The ultimate rabbit hunt includes trained beagles with super keen noses that sniff out cottontails in the heaviest of brambles.
I have been on hunts where the dogs are silent for 15 or 20 minutes just out of their kennel boxes. On other hunts and races, their sweet hound music begins immediately. It’s a good sign early in the morning because the scents are in favor of the dogs and hunter.
There are hunts where we are fresh out of our cars or trucks, the dogs unleashed and the first shot of the day is fired. The first rabbit is in the bag. Rather than move on, we stay put.
Four of us stayed in our places. The beagle races were hot and the melodious voices of miniature hounds were heard almost nonstop throughout the morning. Those of us who stood still that morning were rewarded with six rabbits each. A daily limit for each of us.
This does not happen all the time. But if a hunter can stay put, and let the dogs bring rabbits to the hunter, the chances are good of feasting on delicious rabbit meat.
Contact free-lance columnist Charlie Farmer at 1197 East Court, Ozark, MO 65721 or cjoutdoors318365@aol.com
Charlie Farmer, Springfield News Leader
Duck season frustrating; now hopes rest on rabbits
The South Zone duck season ended Jan. 20. There was a scarcity of ducks despite cold weather.
Mallards were hard to find. The word from some South Zone hunters blamed the absence on Missouri Department of Conservation’s Four Rivers Conservation Area.
The Middle Zone duck season ended Jan. 1. A freeze in December locked down the ducks that were using Four Rivers. They flew south over Arkansas and headed to Louisiana. Then there was a thaw after that zone closed. Suddenly Four Rivers was loaded with mallards and pintails. Instead of flying south, ducks had a heyday there with plenty of water and food.
Unlike last year, when ducks were plentiful in the South Zone — both on lakes and rivers in the area — this season saw a drastic reduction of waterfowl, especially mallards.
The preseason forecast from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service last spring and summer had mallard populations down from the past three or four years. It wasn’t supposed to be a drastic change, according to the Fish and Wildlife. Service But with aerial scouting of thousands of ducks from the air, there can be discrepancies one way or another. Mallards could have been down further than realized.
The best bet for hunters now is cottontail rabbit hunting. The season opens Oct. 1 each year and lasts to Feb. 15. Most often, the early part of October and November is warm. Rabbits are in the thickets and without good beagles to bring the rabbits around full circle, the hunting is difficult.
December, January and February are generally good months for hunting rabbits throughout the state.
The ultimate rabbit hunt includes trained beagles with super keen noses that sniff out cottontails in the heaviest of brambles.
I have been on hunts where the dogs are silent for 15 or 20 minutes just out of their kennel boxes. On other hunts and races, their sweet hound music begins immediately. It’s a good sign early in the morning because the scents are in favor of the dogs and hunter.
There are hunts where we are fresh out of our cars or trucks, the dogs unleashed and the first shot of the day is fired. The first rabbit is in the bag. Rather than move on, we stay put.
Four of us stayed in our places. The beagle races were hot and the melodious voices of miniature hounds were heard almost nonstop throughout the morning. Those of us who stood still that morning were rewarded with six rabbits each. A daily limit for each of us.
This does not happen all the time. But if a hunter can stay put, and let the dogs bring rabbits to the hunter, the chances are good of feasting on delicious rabbit meat.
Contact free-lance columnist Charlie Farmer at 1197 East Court, Ozark, MO 65721 or cjoutdoors318365@aol.com
