SEPTEMBER WELCOMES 1ST FLOCKS OF MIGRATORY BIRDS

This week brings the beginning of September, which is considered the first fall month. Fall is a pretty important time of the year, in my book, anyway.

Fall is a time for the first flocks of migratory birds to show up in the area. Fall is the traditional beginning of some of our favorite hunting pastimes. Put these things together and September must mark the opening of some excellent migratory bird hunting opportunity.

Dove season is the first of these opportunities, opening September 1 and running until October 30. The limit is 15 doves again this year and the shooting hours are from one half hour before sunrise until sunset.

This year's dove hunts offer to be very promising. We have been seeing a lot of doves in the area, and local farmers have been very active harvesting crops. Concentrations of doves should not be hard to find, but be sure to ask permission before hunting on private property. Local conservation areas also offer an abundance of hunting opportunities. Be sure to check with Department of Conservation personnel about special regulations and the areas where you can hunt.

Teal are another migratory bird which will be arriving in the area soon. The season for teal will be seven days longer than usual this year. It will begin September 5 and end September 20. The shooting hours are sunrise to sunset and the limit will be four teal.

The local conservation areas like Duck Creek, Ten Mile Pond, Otter Slough, and Coon Island will be open for teal hunting, but special regulations and draw times will apply. Be sure to check with the area managers before beginning your hunt. Many other private land areas offer excellent teal hunting. Shallow mud flats and river bottom sloughs offer some of the best opportunities.

We have not left the youth of the area out of the list of special activities for hunters and hunters-to-be. The Missouri Conservation Department will again host a Youth Waterfowl Hunting Clinic and special hunt. The Clinic will be held at Duck Creek Conservation Area near Puxico on October 10 from 8:30 a.m. until 4:00 p.m.. Interested youths between the ages of 11 and 15 are invited to attend.

The clinic is designed to teach the basics of the sport of waterfowl hunting. The course of instruction includes wetland management, waterfowl identification and habitats, and basic shotgun shooting techniques. Participants must register by calling the MDC headquarters in Cape Girardeau at 573 290-5730 at their earliest convenience.

Participants in the clinic will be eligible for a drawing for special youth hunts to be held at Duck Creek C.A. and Otter Slough C.A. during the regular waterfowl season.

By the way, the regular waterfowl season will be from October 29 until December 27 in the middle zone and from November 12 until January 10 in the south zone. The special youth-only waterfowl hunt days will be allowed again this year, and will be October 24 and November 7, in the middle and south zones, respectively. These special hunting days allow hunters under the age of 16 to enjoy the sport of waterfowl hunting without competing with adult hunters. Youth hunters must be accompanied by an adult, but the adult is not allowed to hunt.

An article about fall hunting opportunities would not be complete without mentioning Hunter Education. This certification is mandatory for anyone born on or after January 1, 1967. Hunters born after this date must complete a course before they can purchase their deer, turkey, or small game hunting permits.

Courses are being offered in many towns around the area. Please call the Missouri Conservation Department at 573 2905730 for a complete listing of Hunter Education course dates and times. Happy hunting and I hope everyone has an enjoyable Fall.

Michael Lancaster is a programs supervisor in the southeast region for the Missouri Department of Conservation.