I was reminded of that on two occasions recently on a weekend hunt on some property I frequent. Our camp hunted ducks for opening morning of the Illinois Central Zone, the we sat in tree stands in the afternoons, when our duck movement is at a minimum.

Our opening morning was decent — by no means outstanding — with 9 birds bagged: 5 scaup, 3 shovelers and one drake mallard. We had one wounded bird get away from us.

One wounded bird, unrecovered is too many, but, considering the others we quickly killed, is less than the average. During a recent wing shooting clinic I attended through the Missouri Department of Conservation, I learned that American duckhunters average about a 25% wounded-bird loss rate, well above the 10% loss rate researchers have found to be tolerable by the non-hunters.

The clinic help my skills considerably by teaching me the realities of steel shot ballistics and my effective range. I approached the hunt differently than I had in the past and that confidence meant better marksmanship on my part.

My hunting partners often joke that they end up shooting my birds for me, but I think that is changing. The workshop, developed by the Cooperative North American Shotgun Education Program (CONSEP), covered shot patterning, choke selection, effective range and proper swing-through shooting. It was developed through years of research through hunting, observation, tens of thousands of rounds of ammunition, possibly every choke tube available and necropsy of killed fowl to count pellets that actually did the killing.

At the start of the workshop, I struggled to break 2 clays in left-to-right passing shots. By the end of the clinic, I was confidently breaking birds at 35 yards — and some attendees were breaking birds at 40 yards, about the maximum effective distance for most waterfowlers.

I wish I could say the same about archery.

Late Sunday evening, just 10 minutes before the day’s hunt was to end, I had a doe present herself broadside at 21 yards in front of my stand. I was confident that it was a simple shot, one I have practiced countless times in my back yard and on 3-d ranges.

I released the arrow and watched it sail flat and true, hitting the doe in what I was sure was the sweet spot. I heard it hit her hard just before she jumped and ran northeast.

This was my first arrow to strike a deer. Although I was calm at full draw, by the time I realized I had shot her I had those shakes many hunters get. Buck fever, they sometimes call it. Even does can cause it.

A half-hour later I descended from the stand and approached the area where she had been standing. No arrow, no blood. I was struck by that sinking feeling and those second-guesses: Was my aim good? Did the arrow really hit a vital organ? Was I imagining the ordeal? An hour-and-half later, after searching the area with a buddy and a dog, we had nothing.

The next morning we returned to the area, determined t find her. Jim finally found a good blood trail 80 yards from the stand. There was plenty of blood and lung tissue on the leaves and the trail ran about 60 yards south to north along the bank of the island, but she was no where in the area. Out best guess was that, in her fear, she jumped in the river and tried to swim. We even ran the boat up and down the banks but saw nothing.

It’s never a good feeling to mortally wound an animal we can’t recover. It’s the opposite of everything we strive for. But it happens, even to the best marksmen. It’s a good reminder of how important it is to practice our marksmanship vigorously and be selective with out shots.

I hope this never happens to me again. I will keep practicing that 21-yard shot, ready for the next deer. She deserves that kind of respect.

Here is my rough attempt at one of those hunting videos. Feel free to poke fun at me:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znxmPl_Bp7E

Hunting and fishing are no exception.

My iPhone 4 (no plug intended) has incredible applications that actually might come in handier than the phone service itself. Although I like the idea of being able to call somebody in the event of an emergency while in the woods, I have greater appreciation for the following:

FishHead: Real-time data from the rivers and streams I fish frequently. Included are river flow and depth levels, weather summary and moon phases. I have no idea how moon phases affect fishing but once I learn I will have it at my finger tips. Fishers of the salt can see tide data.

FlyBench: Fly Fisherman’s collection of common fly patterns. I have the light version, which thus has a limited selection of patterns. I tie a dozen or so regularly but it’s nice to have some others in the list to cure boredom or serve as inspiration for that new killer fly that catches only huge fish in the worst conditions.

Bento: I synchronize this with the Bento files on my Macintosh. I created a fishing log that allows me to record data like fish I caught, the fly and tippet used, weather and water conditions and photos from the trip. Someday I might actually analyze this pointless information and write a best-selling book on how not to fish Ozark streams.

What the Duck: A handy waterfowl identification guide for guys like me who still struggle with knowing how to clearly identify the ducks working my decoys. I only shoot those I can identify properly, but this app will help refresh my memory on those days when the ducks are more interested in corn than my calling.

LetFly: I’m not a technical rifle shooter, but I love playing with this app to see how bullets in certain cartridges will perform under a variety of conditions. While not useful for me in the field, it sure helps me sound like I know what I’m yapping about.

iBooks: The best of the apps I use, I have .pdf files of the hunting and fishing regulations in my phone. Before I hunt or fish, I double check the regulations to be sure I am stay in compliance. I never limit out on anything, so it’s more for dreaming than safety.

GoogleEarth: It’s just fun to see the satellite view of the same stuff I’m looking at. But sometimes it thinks I’m in someplace not even close to where I am. I do not have a tree stand in Indonesia. AT&T needs to work on its cellular network.

ArmySurvival: The entire U.S. Army Survival guide in my phone. I’m not in the Army and I hope I’m never in a survival situation, but at least I’ll know how to make some field expedient weapons in the event I don’t know north from east.

YouTube: I can watch videos of people actually catching fish when I’m not. It’s almost the same thing. I can also shoot a video with the iPhone and upload it to my YouTube channel. Expect more videos soon.

What apps do you use?

But at least one prominent rural Missourian has voiced his disapproval: Charles Kruse, the president of the Missouri Farm Bureau.

In a letter to Gov. Nixon, Kruse wrote that the “… commission made an incomprehensible decision to reverse direction and resumed plans to reintroduce elk in Missouri. Elk obstruct roads, trample fences, and decimate crops and forage. Disease transmission between elk and livestock is a major concern. Landowners suffer the brunt of the unintended consequences of elk restoration.”

Wouldn't it be nice to see a bunch of these guys roaming the Missouri Ozarks?

As a farmer in Stoddard County, Kruse understands the valid concerns about potential damage. As the president of the farm bureau, it’s his job to speak on behalf of Missouri’s hardworking farmers. These concerns must be addressed by the Missouri Department of Conservation, which is holding three public hearing sessions this week.

Mr. Kruse continued: “If imposing these risks associated with elk is deemed acceptable today, then will ‘native’ wildlife species that pose greater risks be next?”

That could be cool.

If we choose to manage wildlife based on potential impact on agriculture, it would be best to eliminate all wildlife and just farm the entire earth. Of course, European settlers to America tried that up until the late 19th century but discovered that the animals had all but disappeared and our landscape was left scarred and, in some cases, barren.

We’ve learned our lessons. It has taken a hundred years to fix what we broke, and we still have a long way to go. Modern

The proposed elk restoration area is 365 square miles, 60% of which is publicly owned.

agricultural practices encourage sustainability through wise land management and livestock rearing. Current wildlife management practices, including regulated hunting, allow us to effectively management wild animals while respecting the need for logical human development. Conservationists — many of them farmers —  have provided amazing financial support and muscle-numbing labor for habitat and population improvement programs.

We owe it to the Ozarks to replace what we selfishly eliminated.

And I’m sure if the elk get out of control and start to damage crops, Missouri farmers will be able to find plenty of hunters willing to help manage the herd.

The Missouri Department of Conservation is taking public comments through Oct. 1. Click here to access the online comment form.

Here’s a video of MDC ungulate specialist Lonnie Hanson explaining the history of elk and elk restoration in Missouri.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eudly_ihrwY

So, waterfowlers, start repairing your decoys and organizing your gear. We get another 60-day season.

Ducks

• North Zone: Oct. 30 through Dec. 28
• Middle Zone: Nov. 6 through Jan. 4
• South Zone: Nov. 25 through Jan. 23

Bag Limit: Six ducks daily, with species restrictions of:

• 4 mallards (no more than 2 females)
• 3 wood ducks
• 2 scaup
• 2 redheads
• 2 hooded mergansers
• 2 pintails
• 1 canvasback
• 1 black duck
• 1 mottled duck

Possession Limit: Twice the daily bag (12 total; varies by species).

Coot season runs concurrent with duck seasons in the respective zones, with a daily bag limit of 15 and a possession limit of 30.

Geese:

• Blue, snow, and Ross’s geese: Oct. 30 through Jan. 31 statewide.
• White-fronted geese: Nov. 25 through Jan. 31 statewide.
• Canada geese and brant: Oct. 2 through 10 and Nov. 25 through Jan. 31 statewide.

Bag/possession limits:

• 3 Canada geese daily (6 in possession)
• 1 brant daily (2 in possession)
• 2 white-fronted geese daily (4 in possession)
• 20 blue, snow, or Ross’s geese daily (no possession limit)

Youth season:

The special youth season is open to any hunter 15 years or younger. They may hunt without a permit as long as they are with an adult (18 or older).  If the youth hunter does not have valid a hunter education certificate, the adult must be properly licensed and have a valid hunter education certificate unless exempt. The adult may not hunt the ducks. This is a great chance to get some youngsters away from the video games and out in the field.

• North Zone: Oct. 23 – 24
• Middle Zone: Oct. 23 – 24
• South Zone: Nov. 20 – 21

The special light goose conservation order season will run from Feb. 1 through April 30. A Conservation Order permit is required, but hunters may use unplugged guns and electronic calls for blue, snow and Ross’s geese

As reported in the Doniphan Prospect News and the Southeast Missourian, Circuit Judge Robert Smith directed the department “to no longer enforce the above described regulations as written.”

Judge Smith said that the regulations are too vaguely written, and “that people of ordinary intelligence must necessarily guess at their meaning.”

Seriously?

The Missouri Code of State Regulations, Title 3, chapter 10-7.410(1)(A) says : “No person shall pursue, take, attempt to take, drive, or molest wildlife from or with a motor-driven air, land, or water conveyance at any time.” (an exception is made for bots not under motor power.)

3 CSR 10- 10-7.431(6) says: Deer may not be hunted, pursued, taken or killed: C) With the aid of a motor-driven land conveyance or aircraft, or (D) With the aid of dogs, in use or possession.

I am not a lawyer, (we do have one who blogs for RHT, perhaps he’ll chime in) but I am of ordinary intelligence (some may argue that point). Please allow me to interpret: You can’t use your truck or your dog to hunt deer.

The story describes several Missouri Department of Conservation agents each testifying with different understandings of the law, which is likely what led the judge to rule that the wording is vague.

The department has 30 days to file an appeal of the ruling.

The story said that “the suit, filed in February by Neil Turner and Bobby ‘Shannon’ Jones both of Ripley County, is a big win for hunters across the state, according to Jones’s attorney Devin Kirby.”

A big win? I don’t think so.

The constitutionality of the regulation aside, I just can’t come to terms with deer dogging. It seems unsporting to me. It eliminates the need for the hunter to be a patient woodsman and student of his game, to spend unnerving hours waiting, watching, listening. The barking dogs break the silence of the hunt:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RlQFmkPcOIQ&feature=related

Perhaps I am missing something. I have no problem with using dogs for rabbits, raccoons, pheasants and quail. In some states hunters use dogs to hunt bears and cougars. Deer dogging is legal in some states, mostly in the south.

While hunting small game with dogs, the chase is generally contained to a small area and the dogs are within control, either by leash, electronic collar or audible commands. It’s pretty easy to avoid trespassing issues.

But deer run fast and far when being pursued. Deer can pass property lines legally, but hunters cannot. So what about the dogs? They are an extension of the hunter, part of a team of domesticated mammals pursuing wild game. Doesn’t allowing dogs to chase deer through private property constitute trespassing?

I welcome your thoughts.

But for some, hunting isn’t such a luxury. Among our neighbors are those who can hardly afford the basic essentials of daily life, let alone fancy hunting gear and trips to clubs, lodges or even public ground. Many struggle to keep healthy food in their freezers and pantries.

Missouri hunters are a generous lot. During the 2009-2010 deer hunting season, they donated more than 250,000 pounds of venison to the Share the Harvest program, a non-profit partnership between the Missouri Department of Conservation and the Conservation Federation of Missouri. It distributes the meat to food banks around the state. Now in its 18th year, Share the Harvest has donated over 2 million pounds of meat.

The state is calling on us to do more. In a news release, Share the Harvest program coordinator David Murphy said that the grass-roots effort still has many people to reach.

Since 1992, Missouri hunters have donated more than 2 million pounds of venison to the needy through local Share the Harvest programs. Many areas still do not have donation programs, however. For information about how to get started, visit mdc.mo.gov/hunt/deer/share/, call 573-634-2322, or e-mail mofed@socket.net. Photo courtesy of the Missouri Department of Conservation

“We still have more than 30 counties without local Share the Harvest programs,” Murphy said. “And a lot of the counties that already have programs could easily support additional ones. There is plenty of room to grow.”

Last year at hunt camp, the guys were talking about how fortunate we are to have our blessings, our material needs and wants and our health. And freezers full of food.

So a challenge was raised: our first deer would be donated to Share the Harvest. We could keep additional deer.

It’s a tough challenge. Having a shot at a deer isn’t a sure thing — getting a second chance takes serious commitment.

Even if we donate half of every deer we take, the shared benefit would be huge. In the 2009-2010 season, Missouri hunters killed 299,461 deer.. Imagine how many families would benefit if even 1/4 of that meat went to Share the Harvest.

Are you ready for the challenge? I’m sure there are plenty of people in need who would appreciate it.

For more information, click this link or call 573-634-2322. A list of participating processors is found in the current deer and turkey hunting regulations book.

“Dad, this is why I fish,” I said.

He’s relatively new to Missouri and very new to the creek fishing many of us enjoy in the Ozarks. It has taken me quite some time to convince him that, in the Ozarks, creek fishing is a blessing.

The Ozark streams are gems of peace and beauty. The rugged terrain, bold bluffs, clear water and abundant wildlife are blessings. And the smallmouth bass — the underdog with attitude — are a special gift for sport fishermen.

Much attention has been given lately to the quality of smallmouth fishing in the Ozarks. The Missouri Smallmouth Alliance, a club of bronzeback devotees, created a “blue-ribbon” panel to propose a plan for the Missouri Department of Conservation to create a “world-class” smallmouth fishery. Debate has been passionate among those who have differing ideas of how the state should manage Ozark waterways for the fierce fighter.

Beautiful smallmouth bass like this one, caught in Huzzah Creek, are what makes fishing in the Ozarks world class.

MDCs fisheries biologists are charged with the difficult task of managing the states fisheries for a variety of interests. While our methods and motivations vary, we are all anglers and we all have a reason to want quality fishing. As far as I can tell, the folks at the MDC are doing a fine job.

Since I moved to Missouri 12 years ago, I have always been impressed by the simplicity of fishing here. The regulations, free of influence from elected politicians looking to cozy up to lobbyists and special-interest groups, are easy to understand. A resident annual fishing permit, a mere $12, is among the lowest of any state within a day’s drive. Access to quality streams is generally easy, unlike some states that continue to experience legal battles for stream access.

Ultimately, the MDCs responsibility is not to cater to the fleeting desire of humans to practice the type of fishing they prefer. It’s role is to manage the fisheries for the fish — to ensure that they have adequate structure, food and water to sustain healthy populations for our generation and those that will follow.

In 10 years of pursuing smallmouth bass in Missouri waters — on the basin rivers and the little creeks that meander through private land — I can’t recall any trip when I was disappointed. The greatness of fishing for smallmouth bass in the Ozarks lies not in the size of the fish but in the beauty of the places in which they live.

We already have a world-class smallmouth fishery.

You can read the MDCs  2009 smallmouth bass white paper summary here.

The Missouri Smallmouth Alliance’s Power Point presentation with smallmouth bass management proposals can be downloaded here.

Instructor Jan Morris explains how to properly use a climbing stand.

So when I noticed that the Missouri Department of Conservation was offering a class at Jay Henges Education Center near St. Louis, figured I had to make the time.

It was worth every minute of the 8 hours.

Three instructors, Jan and Gwen Morris and Jake Hindman, covered topics including the history of archery, shot placement, archery safety, conservation and wilderness preparedness. Some of the material was basic review for any archer with a few years of experience and some was new material for even the most experienced bow hunters. The curriculum is based on the International Bowhunter Education Program, created by the National Bowhunter Education Foundation. The IBEPs standards are have been adopted by most states that offer bowhunter education.

What really impressed me was the amount of time spent on conservation and ethics, important topics that are being taught more but went unattended for far too long. “It’s what will save hunting,” explained Jan Morris, who has hunted all over the country for almost every game animal one can think of. Safety and gear are great, but if we can’t convince people that hunting is good as for the environment as it is for the soul, we’ll lose the battle against the anti-hunting zealots.

Students in the bowhunter education class follow a blood trail in a tracking exercise.

Bowhunter education is not required in Missouri, but 12 states and 3 Canadian provinces have some requirement for a bowhunter education certification to obtain a bowhunting permit. Popular big-game destinations Alaska, Idaho, Maine and Montana are among those areas.

There were about a dozen of us in the class, including two women. We learned things such as:

• Evidence suggests that archery was used by hunters 50,000 years ago.
• Archery was first an Olympic event in 1904 at the World’s Fair in St. Louis.
• The compound bow was invented by Holless Wilbur Allen of Billings, Mo.
• A grunt-bleat-grunt sequence, mimicking the “classic high-school fight,” as Jake Hindman described it, can be an effective call during the rut.
• The peak of the rut in Missouri is usually November 12.
• The best archers consider where the broadhead will exit, not where it will enter.
• The average kill shot with archery in Missouri is 18 yards.

Considering the increase of popularity of archery in Missouri — the state has seen a 45 percent increase in archery permit sales in the last 30 years — I’m surprised that the bowhunter education class isn’t more popular. Of course, if more bowhunters expressed interest in the class, the state would probably provide more.

There are two more classes offered this year in the eastern part of the state: Aug. 8 at the August A. Busch Memorial Conservation Area in St. Charles and another Aug. 21 at Missouri Gun and Quail Club in Wright City. For information, click this link or contact the Missouri Department of Conservation St. Louis Region office at (636) 441-4554.

If you’re interested in a website with similar curriculum, visit www.bowhunter-ed.com.

We welcome your thoughts. Please leave a comment.

News of a probable state and world record catfish being pulled from the Missouri River near Columbia Bottom Conservation Area spread quickly Tuesday and prompted local media outlets converge around Greg Bernal and his 130-lb. Blue Cat.

“I am still numb,” Bernal told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “I’m still in shock that he’s actually that big. That’s the biggest fish I’ve ever seen.”

It’s the biggest fish most of us have seen.

Greg Bernal (right) and Janet Momphard pose for a photo with the record-breaking 130 lb. Blue Catfish Bernal caught on the Missouri River near the Columbia Bottom Conservation Area. (Photo by Stephanie S. Cordle, Post-Dispatch)

A fish like this deserves great respect. At 54 inches long and 45 inches around the fish could probably have eaten the state 34-lb, 10-oz. Missouri record Channel Catfish.

Kevin Sullivan. a Missouri Department of Conservation resource scientist who specializes in catfish, estimated that a blue cat the size of Bernal’s would be at least 20 years old.

For most anglers, a world record fish would be the fish of a lifetime. But within the adrenaline rush and atta-boys lies a deeply personal challenge: Do you release the fish or do you keep it? It has survived floods, drought, predators, polluting runoff and possibly a few stink baits since about the time Vanilla Ice was stinking up the Billboard charts.

Ethical sportsmen confront this decision almost every outing. Some of us have no problem taking a trophy buck or long-sprigged bull pintail to hang on the wall but figure a fish like this deserves to be caught again.

With no right or wrong answers, we are left to our own sense of ethics to guide us.

What would you do?