OzarkFishman

This will likely be my last post ever on this site. Wrench, you and a few other people on this site really ruin the whole experience for everyone. You know your stuff when it comes to fishing and working on motors, but your hateful dialogue makes wanting to post unappetizing. This site is supposed to be a brother/sisterhood of like-minded people ... I will step away. I'm not a regular, but I have been a member for many years and have tried my best to help people when I can. It really seems that there is a small group of longtime members that don't believe in treating others with respect. That being said, GOOD BYE EVERYONE. Hope you all have a great year/decade! PS - dog pile all you want, I won't be checking.

Yet, you work and have time to fish ... come on, man! Priorities are what leads us in life ... and we are all on a fishing site (during deer season) ... so most of our priorities are similar. Family, work, fun ... in that order for most all of us.

I COMPLETELY agree with you on that one. We have 3 deer in the freezer and the biggest one was a 7-point killed by one of my little guys. BUT, to each their own. No matter what your opinion, one thing is true (at least in my world) .... Judgement leads to hate ... observations are fine, learning is good, but judgement is a tricky subject for me ...

No response, but have a great day. For those going to the woods this weekend, hope you see a bunch. For those hitting the water, rip some lips. If you're not doing either ... why not?!?!

http://wrvhs.org/articles/white-tailed-deer/ They must be wrong, because you believe they are ... And by the way, I like reading your posts and hope to meet you along with plenty of other members at some point in the future. I might even bring my beauty by your shop at some point ... 1977 trihaul with a 77 johnson (70 hp) ... she is a beauty!

It was actually due to market hunting guys, I am not going to get into a pissing match. Data is data. You can disagree, but this is fact. I guess we don't know how many deer are in the state because we can't count all of them and we don't know anything for that matter because you don't believe it. I don't have the energy to fight this. It's like watching news, everyone is either right/wrong ... there are no facts left ... sad state of society ...

Wrench ... I gotta call you out on this one ... Unregulated hunting led to the deer population in the entire state of Missouri to dwindle to 400 in 1925. 400 deer in the entire state of Missouri. It is because of REGULATED hunting that our numbers are so good. Now, in your area around Laurie ... I don't know how much hunting pressure there is. I know that a lot of deer probably go unhunted around LOZ. I have a place that we go to on the 34 mile marker (Laurie side of the lake). I see a ton of deer every time and doubt many people hunt those lake deer, but I could be wrong. I know Truman gets a lot of pressure. Unregulated hunting would have horrible consequences.

Opening weekend was down by 10K compared to last year. Here is a map of the harvest numbers ... https://huntfish.mdc.mo.gov/hunting-trapping/species/deer/deer-harvest-reports/deer-harvest-map

Guys, the deer population in Missouri is as healthy as ever (except for pre-1800s). Maybe some places are a little lower, but the statewide numbers are consistent and MDC does a good job of adjusting regulations as necessary. Our deer herd is consistently between 1.3 and 1.4 million and we harvest around 300,000 a year in this great state. No need to worry. On a personal note, I have seen more deer within 40 yards this year than I ever have. It's been fun!

That sucks brother! I’m sure with a good tripod rest you could shoulder a crossbow ... just trying to help you out! Hope you can get back in the woods next season! Now go get some catfish and fry them up.

Looks like some great tasting meat! Great job!

My youngest boy and I skipped school November 1st and took a little trip. We started by getting him a few extra shots on Friday morning (we shoot a 6mm rifle ... otherwise known as a .244). I do have a Ruger American Predator .308 picked out for my Christmas gift! We then headed to set-up our blind and fish for the day. It was an absolute fabulous day, with plenty of big fish and plenty of eaters as well. The best bass went 4.25 lbs and the best bluegill was 1.25 lbs. We set-up a little hobo grill (hole in the ground) and pan fried some fresh fish and potatoes. Hit the sack after that and got up early the next morning for a great day. We got in the blind at 6:00 (it was the day before daylight savings change). It was windy and it just had the feeling of being a slow day (at least until the wind laid down ... which was forecasted for around 4pm). My boy was excited, even at noon. I told him we were going to go eat, his response was "we are getting back as quick as possible" ... he was 8 at the time (just turned 9). I was really excited to see his determination and commitment. We took a 45 minute lunch break and then got back in the blind. He told me we were staying until we got a deer ... and we still hadn't seen a deer. This is a place that I have hunted countless times and always see multiple deer each day. Around 3:30 the wind started lying down and shifted a little. Three does made their way through around 4:00 ... the field is an overgrown and hard to spot deer, which makes for great hunting and difficult spotting. He found the second one, but she wasn't stopping (they were at 140 yards, which is a bit out of his range ... he took a buck last year at 109 yards ... dropped him). Didn't see another deer until 6:15, he took the shot after I grunted at the buck and dropped this one as well. Shot was about 85 yards. The buck had made its way into the field following a little creek. We didn't see him until he hopped out of the creek bed. It was a crazy fun day, full of naps, nature watching and bonding with my youngest. I was so proud of him for sticking it out for a FULL DAY. This week, we had a "snow day". I headed to my local bow spot to harvest some dinner. I was looking for a young deer, didn't mind which gender ... just wanted tender meat. Got to the blind at 2:00 and had deer all around me. I had dragged hot doe urine and let's just say the bucks were wanting some. I had 2 pass right behind my blind (the wind was in my face). One passed at 2:30, he must have followed me from my truck! At 4:00 this little buck made his way right in front of me at 28 yards and I took the shot. Short blood trail and the deer was dead within 10-15 seconds. Did a gutless field process and had the meat home by 5:45. Cleaned up half a backstrap and broiled it in the oven ... what a day! Now that our freezer is full, it is time to trophy hunt and population control hunt (does). It's been a great few weeks!

I would assume he didn't follow what he was taught in hunter education ... always approach from above and behind a downed animal. Things happen quick. Sad story none the less.

That may be right SIO3, but my kid is special and he/she has a shot ... Let's go pro kids ... together, because I will be with every second of the way ... SAID ... the helicopter parents of today!!!

X2 ... let's keep it local and specific!

Looks like a blast.

I found an hour this afternoon to fish between watching a sick kid and grilling a tasty dinner. I simply waded through knee deep water and tossed a 1/16 oz jighead with a small plastic on. I’m really starting to like nanofil for casting distance. It is slick, so tying a good double uni is a must and I fail sometimes. Caught the best fish on my second cast. Ended with 2 smallmouth and 1 goggleye in about 45 minutes of fishing.

Wrench, you made me truly laugh out loud with that one.

I've caught a few birds ... man does that suck (especially in a well populated area with lots of eyes watching). There just isn't an easy way to get out of the situation other that cutting the line, which I didn't do. I also caught a muskrat, but mine was on a setline on a river. That being said, I've been told my ID skills suck these days ... so it could have been a cat, dog or whale ... all I know is it was a mammal. The rock thing is interesting ... must have been a light rock. I caught a sheet this past weekend at LOZ ... it broke me off, but I got it to the surface (a bed sheet .... looked to be queen size). It gave quite a fight with that light action rod. I also caught a piece of a tire with a bolt attached this weekend, at least that makes sense around docks (think redneck bumper pads).

The dock sits in about 12-15 feet of water and the bait was probably sitting in 18-20 feet. We have caught a lot of fish off the dock this year. 10 pound flathead and another blue pushing 20 earlier this summer. Of course, lots of smaller fish. I would recommend fishing 30-40 foot mudflats with your bait down around 10 feet for jug lines. That is where you will find the big ones (30+) ... at least in my experience.

You are right. They call them losing, but disappearing is another term used. It’s gotta be right, it’s wikipedia! We watch a video in my class called ”Karst in the Ozark” ... check it out on YouTube. Cool stuff!

tjm - you are correct ... they are called disappearing streams. Some reappear and others flow into underwater aquifers and then come out later in a spring. Gravel creeks are cool for sure!

It kinda makes me think of this situation .... if you see a nice fish in a shallow, drying pool that is seperated from the main river in the middle of the summer ... what do you do? Usually nice fish don't get caught in this situation, but what if ... I would get it out and put it in the deeper, flowing water and give the guy a chance. Might have to go home to get my cast net, but if it is a nice fish in a special piece of river I say do what you got to do. Sure there will still be fish if that nice fish doesn't survive, but we all know how long smallmouth take to grow.