A few hunting days left

A few hunting days left

Times Outdoor Columnist Last Saturday was the last day of the 2018-19 duck season with the Special Youth Waterfowl Hunt that was designed for hunters less than 16 years old.

This was a good chance for the kids to be the star of the hunt, being the only hunters that could shoot.

The last cold snap brought fresh birds and many of the kids had outstanding hunts. Papa Duck feels sure we will get many pictures and stories.

I have kept a log book of my hunting and fishing trips since 1968 and several friends have started their own logs. It requires very little effort to write who was there, where the fishing or hunting took place, the weather, and what game was taken. It’s fun to go back a few years and read about a trip, especially if a kid was present and caught his first fish or shot the first duck, squirrel, or deer. Do it, and a few years from now you will thank me.

Light goose or snow goose season started on Feb. 1, 2019 and will continue to April 24, 2019 with hunting like the “good old days”. There are no limits, unplugged guns are legal, hunting hours from 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset and with the use of electronic calls. Steel shot and a permit is required. Call the AGFC for the permit.

800-364-4263 Generally booking a commercial guide is the best way due to the massive number of decoys and labor required.

Recent conversation with local guides, tell that there is a shortage of juvenile birds that are easiest to decoy. The old birds are very cautious of the big spreads. This sounds like the last duck season. The Arkansas Game & Fish and Ducks Unlimited reported that the duck harvest was only 60% of normal and these organizations tend to over state the results. Many duck hunters would guess that is a very generous number.

Don’t put up the hunting clothes yet. Archery deer season continues until Feb.

28, giving Arkansas the longest deer season in the USA. The deer harvest for the state is about 188,000, not counting poaching and road kills. This is down from the 200,000 taken the last few years. Papa Duck remembers the old season of seven days that started on Monday and closed on Sunday with a one buck limit. These are the good ole days of deer hunting! Squirrel and rabbits continue through February with a squirrel limit of 12 and an eight daily limit for rabbits. This is the time of year to turn the beagles and squirrel dogs loose. Squirrel hunting over a treeing dog is a great way to get that young hunter out in the woods on a pretty winter afternoon and it’s hard to not get excited listening to a pack of beagle dogs after a rabbit. There appears to be more rabbits this year than the past few years.

Speaking of dogs, raccoon season continues until March 31, for the folks that enjoy night hunting.

“Coon” suppers used to be very popular. Fred Jolly, when he had Jolly’s Linoleum store always had a big open house around Christmas time with coons cooked in a variety of ways. BBQ was always my favorite. It takes knowhow to prepare and cook the coons. It is either very good or awful. Look in the AGF regulation book for several other animals like bobcats and coyote still in season. Feral hogs have no limits and very few rules dealing with hunting them.

These pigs are very good eating with a great nuts and berries flavor and have very little fat. Just right for a BBQ pit over hickory or pecan smoke. Years ago, farmers in rural areas, use to turn their hogs loose in the summer to eat in the woods and then catch them up in the fall. They did not have to feed them and the flavor was great. That was probably the start of all the feral hogs that are causing problems.

Angels Way Baptist Church has scheduled their annual wild game supper for Thursday Feb. 21, 2019 at West Memphis Christian School. This is a large event with guest speakers and several hundred men and boys. This is a male only event. If you like wild game and Christian fellowship, don’t miss it because the menu is duck, deer, fish, rabbit, squirrel, and always a surprise, like bear or buffalo.

The weather has been tough on fishermen with low temps and high winds, but good fishing is just ahead. The Horseshoe Lake trollers are catching fish when the weather allows.

Remember the limit on crappie remains at 30 per person with no size limit. About two weeks ago Tilden Rodgers Lake was stocked with trout and the fly rod fishermen are having good luck. If the trout are kept, a state trout permit is required. Don’t forget to send me the pictures and stories of that kid you are teaching to hunt and fish. Lakeside Taxidermy is glad to quickly mount your trophies at a fair price, giving you a trophy you can be proud of. If you have any questions, Ask The Game Warden needs some questions.

Papa Duck Lakeside Taxidermy 870-732-0455 or 901-4823430 jhcriner@hotmail.com

From left-to-right: Jake Osment, Jake Stuckey, Holt Marshall, dog, Pager and dog, Nelly, took home 16 ducks and one goose between the three. They had a good morning at Hatchie Coon Hunting and Fishing Club.

Youth Hunt

Submitted photo

By John Criner