Return to
the All Outdoors PageReturn to
the MDC News PageReturn
to MDC Home Page1. Archery deer hunters need safety awareness
2. Show-Me archer wins acclaim, offers shooting tips
3. Missouri's '97 fall turkey hunting forecast
4. MDC has a line on fee-fishing opportunities
5. Outdoor Calendar
What I want to speak for is not so much the wilderness uses, valuable as those are, but the wilderness idea, which is a resource in itself. Being an intangible and spiritual resource, it will seem mystical to the practical-minded -- but then anything that cannot be moved by a bulldozer is likely to seem mystical to them. -- Rick Bass, A Hunter's Heart
For archers, hunting safety means tree-stand safety.
JEFFERSON CITY -- Want to hear a positive hunting accident statistic? Last year the Missouri Department of Conservation did not record a single hunting accident involving a bow and arrow. This includes small-game hunting as well as Missouri's three-month archery deer season.
That statistic is a little deceiving, because Missouri hunting accident records include only injuries that result from the discharge of firearms -- including bows. Archers do get hurt in other ways. Nevertheless, the low incidence of accidents among bowhunters says a lot about the nature of the sport and those who pursue it. Bowhunting requires practitioners to get close to their game. It also forces archers to pass up shots where weeds and other obstructions would deflect their arrows. This assures that archers get a good look at their targets. Finally, arrows don't travel far when they miss their mark, decreasing the potential for "line of fire" accidents.
Archery isn't without danger, however. Deer hunters use razor sharp broadheads
that can cause serious injury or even death if mishandled. Safety-conscious
archers keep the business end of their arrows inside rigid quivers and leave
them there until it's time to shoot. In 1994 a bowhunter died after falling
on his own broadhead, apparently as he walked through the woods with bow
and arrow at the ready.
The biggest hazard to archers is one that never turns up in accident statistics.
Falls from tree stands don't meet Missouri's definition of a hunting accident,
but they are common and potentially life-threatening. Take the following
precautions to protect yourself from tree-stand injuries: --
Always wear a safety harness while climbing up to or down from a stand and while on the stand. Choose a harness that distributes your weight around your torso. Single strap belts can cause internal injury when the wearer's weight suddenly jerks tight. Furthermore, the pressure from a single strap on the abdomen or chest can cause rapid loss of consciousness.--
Keep yourself on a short leash. A foot or two of slack in your teather is plenty. The wrenching stop that occurs when a hunter reaches the end of a long safety strap can break bones or cause internal injury. Some harnesses have devices that slow the wearer's fall gradually, reducing the chance of injury.--
Inspect your stand before each use. On portable stands, look for loose bolts or nuts, slick gripping surfaces, cracked or bent metal and worn chains, cables or straps. Check permanent stands for loose steps, rotten wood and exposed nails or screws. --
Place steps leading up to your stand so that you can step down onto the platform. This reduces the chance of you or the stand slipping.--
Practice with your stand at ground level until you are skilled at using it.--
Choose the location for your stand carefully. Avoid trees with hollow trunks or rotten branches that could fall on you.--
Remove twigs and branches that make it difficult to get in and out of your stand.--
Check the sturdiness of your stand each time you climb into it. Leave your safety belt on, and hold onto the tree trunk while slowly transferring your weight to the stand. Then bounce lightly up and down to check for secure mounting.--
Always use a safety chain with portable stands.--
Climb down from your stand before you grow sleepy or the weather turns bad. Drowsiness, high wind, rain, sleet or snow can make tree stands treacherous.--
Never carry a bow, arrows or other gear while climbing. Use a rope to
haul these items into the stand after you are securely positioned.--
Don't leave equipment on the ground directly under you while climbing. You
could fall on an arrow or other item, worsening your injuries.--
Never hunt without giving a reliable person detailed information about where you will hunt and when you will return.--
Carry survival gear, including food, water, a whistle or air horn to signal for help, a space blanket and matches. Some hunters even carry walkie-talkies or emergency strobe lights to summon help.-
jim low-
Judging by these bowhunters' accomplishments, they might have something to teach others.
JEFFERSON CITY -- Four Missourians ranked among the winners at a nationwide archery contest this summer.
The Cabela's/Chevy Suburban-Tahoe Championship at Illinois' Eagle Creek State Park culminated five qualifying shoots at sites around the United States. Don Carver of Springfield took first in men's bare bow division, Tony Whitehead of Portageville took second in men's traditional bow, Travis Knorr of Jefferson City was second in men's hunter open and Dana Phillips of Camdenton was third in men's hunter unlimited.
Missouri's archery deer season began Oct. 1, and Knorr, who runs AIM Archery shop in Jefferson City, has tips for hunters. He suggests practicing with broadheads instead of field points prior to hunting."They may not shoot the same," he says. He also suggests practicing shooting from an elevated stand -- if not your tree stand, then some other elevated position that simulates a tree stand.
Archers should be keenly aware of wind direction while hunting. "The deer's nose will get you every time," Knorr adds. In the same vein, he suggests remaining as scent-free as possible, because archers must be close to a deer for a good shot. Other tips include wearing a safety belt in a tree stand and tuning your bow before hunting.
jim auckley
Acorns are more plentiful this year, and where you find acorns, you'll find turkeys.
JEFFERSON CITY -- There is good news and more good news for fall turkey hunters in Missouri. Turkeys are available in good numbers, the acorn crop is better and officials with the Missouri Department of Conservation are hoping for another perfect safety record this year.
Missouri's fall firearms turkey hunting season runs for two weeks, Oct. 13 through Oct. 26. The limit is no more than one turkey of either sex from Oct. 13 through Oct. 19 and not more than one turkey of either sex from Oct. 20 through Oct. 26. The season is open in all counties except Dunklin, Greene, Lawrence, McDonald, Mississippi, New Madrid, Newton, Pemiscot and Scott.
Larry Vangilder, the Missouri Department of Conservation's wild turkey biologist, says weather conditions last spring contributed to a fair hatch of young turkeys. The number of young birds this year is about the same as in 1996 and larger than in 1995. Vangilder says the size of Missouri's wild turkey flock has stabilized in recent years, following a growth phase that began when the MDC started wild turkey restoration in 1954. Turkey numbers are strong throughout most of Missouri, and especially so in the northern and western parts of the state. He says he expects a fall turkey kill somewhere near last year's figure of 13,207.
Fall turkey hunting is a different game than spring. You can take either hens or gobblers, and male birds don't respond to hen courtship calls. Instead, the strategy is to find a flock of turkeys and run into the midst of them so they scatter in every direction. Then the hunter hides and calls like a lost turkey trying to find the rest of the flock.
Turkeys' staple food throughout the fall and winter is acorns, and this year's acorn crop promises to be better than last year. You can bank on turkeys knowing where oaks are dropping acorns. Be there, and you're likely to find the birds.
Vangilder says turkeys are easier to hunt in northern and western Missouri. That's because their preference for acorns keeps them concentrated in the wooded areas, and most of the land in northern and western Missouri is open fields. Most of southern Missouri is wooded, making the birds more difficult to locate there. Rainy weather reverses this regional advantage. Turkeys tend to stay in open areas when it rains, reducing the ground that hunters in southern Missouri must cover to locate birds.
Shooting hours during the fall turkey season run from 30 minutes before sunrise until sunset. Times for sunrise and sunset can be found in the "1997 Summary of Missouri Hunting and Trapping Regulations" or the "1997 Fall Deer and Turkey Hunting Information" leaflet, available wherever hunting permits are sold. This summary also outlines new, simplified tagging procedures in effect for deer and turkey hunting this year.-
jim low-
Want to wet a line in a spot with amenities and stocked fish? Try one of these pay-to fish areas.
JEFFERSON CITY -- Looking for new adventures in fishing? The Missouri Department of Conservation can help. The MDC has compiled the Missouri Fee-fishing Areas list to guide you to private, pay-to-fish waters in the state.
The fishing guide is intended to give anglers alternatives to public fishing areas. The fishing sites are listed by county, along with information on whether the location is a lake or stream, species of fish available and lodging availability. The publication also has contact names and numbers to call for more information. Fishing regulations for the fee operations vary. Anglers are advised to call for details on permit requirements and limits before heading to fee-fishing sites.
To get a copy of the Missouri Fee Fishing List, call 573/751-4115. If you own a fee fishing area and want your operation included in future listings write to: Missouri Department of Conservation, Fee Fishing List, P.O. Box 180, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0180.-
arleasha mays-
News Services Coordinator
(314) 751-4115, ext. 243
Return to
the All Outdoors PageReturn to
the MDC News PageReturn
to MDC Home Page