Dove Season 2020
T hirty minutes before sunrise on Saturday Sept. 5, the sounds of shooting will start the 2020-21 hunting season for Arkansas. For many hunters opening day may be the best hunting day of the season. It is often a great social event with friends joining together to harvest a few birds, eat some good foods, and most important, be with friends. Be sure you have current hunting license, the gun plugged, HIP license, and plenty of cold drinks and bug spray. Opening day is always “chigger day.” If you are lucky, you will have to borrow some shells. Next week we will talk about how good the hunt was. Please send in some stories and pictures.
Fishing continues to be slow due to the heat and time of year. It will get much better as the weather moderates into the fall pattern. Bass fishing is the best of our local fishing except for the catfish. Midway is probably the best lake but the numbers and size have gone down. Crappie at Horseshoe can be found deep under the piers. Old friend Ronnie Tice, the crappie guide, is selling his house and moving to the Mountain Home area where he will open his guiding service. Until he moves, he is still taking fishermen out and catching fish. Low water and moss has really hurt Wapanocca and there have not been any good reports. Tilden Rodgers and Marion Rec still have their faithful fishermen but it is slow. Still no word about a restock.
It is time to talk hunting and guns are a requirement. Papa Duck is a conservative and die hard 2nd Amendment believer. During the recent RNC it was clear that Republicans are supporters of the right to keep and bear arms along with the protection of unborn babies, plus we are proud to proclaim God. We need our weapons to protect our families, home, ourselves, and Our Country. The need for this protection is evident in the riots, looting, and destruction of our cities. No time during the DNC is the destruction of these cities addressed. They ignored it. How about taking God out of the Pledge of Allegiance? That is a disgrace! VP candidate Harris has been strong for killing unborn babies and one of her pet projects is to take our guns away. Bet she is well guarded with well armed security. Trump told what accomplishments he has passed and what is planned for the future. Biden had nothing good to say about his 40 plus years in government, much less his positive plans for the future. We must get out and vote. We all get mad at the cop when we get a speeding or parking ticket, but this same policeman is the first we call when we need help. We need to support them any way we can.
Labor Day this year is on Monday Sept. 7. Dove season and the Labor Day weekend start on Saturday the 5th. There is a lot of BBQ and good time starting. If doing your own BBQ is not in your plans, stop by Bonds Store at Horseshoe for some of the best old fashion slow smoked BBQ you will ever eat. Give Natalie at call at 870-339-2464 to reserve ribs, butts, chicken, beans and cole slaw. Pick up time will be around noon on Saturday Sept. 5. There are limited orders available so make your reservation quickly.
We finally got a good rain and that should help the fishing and hold the temperatures down. Gather up the crew and get out and enjoy Mother Nature. Take plenty of pictures and send them along with a little information to Papa Duck. Lakeside Taxidermy is looking to mount your trophies quickly, at reasonable pricing, and making your trophy beautiful.
Papa Duck Lakeside Taxidermy 901-482-3430 jhcriner@hotmail.com
John Criner
Outdoors Columnist
Chris Hawkins and Vernon Max spent some time on the water this weekend out at Horseshoe Lake.
