Hunting season on the horizon

As fall gets closer and closer, most outdoor-type minds go in two directions. A few will think about how the fish will be, giving their all to add some fat to their bodies so they can make it through the winter. Most outdoor types will be thinking about hunting season. I know for the past several weeks I've been getting Facebook posts about dove season.

Dove season is set to begin Sept. 1 in Missouri and will run through Nov. 29. There are a few regulations, so check to make sure you are legal, as well as your shotgun. The daily limit is 15 doves, with a possession limit of 45. I haven't hunted doves, but I'd assume the smaller shot, like sixes or so, would be about right. I couldn't find out whether you have to have a plug in your shotgun or not, so check before you go hunting. It might not be a bad idea to just have the plug in to limit your gun to the three shells. Some areas might limit you to steel shot or nontoxic shot.

Teal season gets underway Sept. 10 and runs through Sept. 25. You may hunt blue-winged, green-winged and cinnamon teal. There are other birds that are similar, but hunting them isn't allowed at this time. The daily bag limit is six, with possession being 18 birds. You must use nontoxic shot during teal season, and your shotgun can hold no more than three shells. Check and make sure.

Archery deer season begins in Missouri Sept. 15 and runs through Nov. 11. It begins again Nov. 23 and runs through Jan. 15. There are all kinds of regulations and such, so get the information pamphlet and read it. One new regulation is you are allowed to kill only two antlered deer during both archery and rifle deer season. You can only kill one antlered deer during the Sept. 15 through Nov. 11 season. Restrictions on using a crossbow have been lifted, so anyone may use a crossbow during archery season. Check out the regulations.

Fall turkey season begins Oct. 1 and runs through Oct. 31. You may take two turkeys of either sex and, if you are lucky, you can take both on the same day. You can use any shotgun, including the .410 shotgun. You can't use shot larger than No. 4, so you are pretty much limited to head shots. Several counties are closed to turkey hunting, including Scott County. Read the information pamphlet. It might be wise to do some shooting beforehand on paper targets to know where your shotgun is shooting and from how far you can safely kill a bird.

Probably the favorite season for many is rabbit season. Rabbit season runs from Oct. 1 through Feb. 15. The daily bag limit is six rabbits, with only two of these being swamp rabbits. Possession limit is 12, but only four of these can be swamp rabbits. You can hunt and take rabbits with about any method if you have enough skill. Traps can be used as well. Get an information pamphlet and do some reading.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention quail season. My friend and medical doctor thoroughly loves to hunt quail, but he is as much into seeing them flourish as hunting them. He's a true conservationist. Quail season begins Nov. 1 and runs through Jan. 15. Daily bag limit is eight, with a possession limit of 16 birds. Back when I was in junior college, I went hunting with some friends of mine. At that time I called them "shell burners." A box a bird was about what it ended up being. Today I just love to hear them talk or sing out. Pretty little birds.

Firearms deer season begins Nov. 12 and runs through Nov. 22. You may only take one antlered deer during this season. There is an antlered point restriction in some counties, so check the information pamphlet. Any center-fired gun can be used, so any caliber is legal. No gun can be used that holds more than 11 cartridges. Check the information pamphlet.

Probably my favorite season is the alternative deer hunting season that runs from Dec. 24 through Jan. 3. Traditionally this has been muzzle loader season. All guns that are at least .40 caliber and load only from the muzzle are legal, but now you also can use the long bow or crossbow and even an atlatl, or spear-thrower. Check the information pamphlet for more details. Remember, you can take only one antlered deer during the entire firearms deer season.

Duck season is another season that has different zones and regulations and limits and such. It would be best to check the information pamphlet for where you will be hunting. Check the dates and such.

I used to love to hunt. I don't hunt that much anymore. I enjoy putting my deer blind up in December and spending some time in the woods. I used to drive over by Bolivar, Missouri, and hunt with my muzzle loader. I sure enjoyed it. I spent an entire week batching, walking, looking, hunting, cooking and eating. Marge and the boys went quite a bit. I enjoyed having them there. Many times it was cold. I went out one morning and it was about 4 degrees below zero with about 8 inches of snow. It was cold enough that the snow squeaked.

Enjoy yourself this hunting season. Put safety first. Don't trust the safety on your gun. Assume the gun is loaded even though you are 99.9 percent sure it's unloaded. Before you shoot, be sure of what you are shooting at! Do you know what is down range from where you are shooting?

Until next time.