Love is in the air, as the opening day of modern gun deer season was 11/13/21. Big day for some people in our area and throughout the state. This picture is of Kayla Denton from South Arkansas with the nicest deer I have seen this week.
Kayla is a family friend from down south, she and her young son, Kade, had a couple of big bucks already this year.
I only hunt modern gun season. The reason hunting season dates vary is to control the wildlife population. You’ve more than likely heard of “The Rut” or mating season. This is when the hunting season for those prized bucks is on. Calling these guys, or rattling horns becomes much easier to increase your chances of getting them to walk in.
Overpopulation causes a great deal of stress for all animals due to a lack of available food, and disease. If overpopulation goes on too long, entire species could have a sudden and rapid decline.
I like to look at it as, like fishing, we have some people that like to harvest for a family dinner or to give to neighbors, then some that are strictly catch-and-release. I`m fine with both. It seems to be a good balance. It’s just like being in our sweet little areas here, some like to feed deer, some think they are a nuisance, and some like to eat them.
People who say there’s no need to kill animals for meat when it can be bought in a grocery store don’t understand that if we don`t thin the herd, results can be infection, starvation, increase in ticks that carry Lyme disease, destroying residential gardens and farmlands, and more automobile accidents.
The skills of hunting were passed down from fathers to sons, daughters, and in my case, the granddaughter, over generations. It was a bond, a tradition. Just like our fishing… whatever season it was we were sporting, learning skills, and eating. I always taught my children to never kill anything they were not going to eat.
Fishing is good everywhere. They are trying to get their last bites in before cold. If you would like to go out on the boat and see some sights or pull some trout in, give us a call at (479) 363-9632. Wear your bright clothes when outdoors and take a kid fishing or hunting.