Daniel
Wolf and Erik Liebel have got their tickets for the 2008
Missouri duck hunting season. They're hoping for at least
as much luck as they had in their first duck hunting experience.
The boys' fathers were picked in a duck blind lottery for
hunting locations in the upcoming Missouri duck seasons.
They plan to hunt in the "middle zone" season which runs
Nov. 1-Dec. 30.
Daniel
Wolf |
They also might take part in the youth-only "middle zone"
season Oct. 24-26. In the weekend before the open "middle
zone" season, kid hunters get a chance to have the ducks
to themselves.
The "northern zone" duck season is Oct. 25-Dec. 23. The
"southern zone" season is Nov. 27-Jan. 25, 2009.
The Missouri Department of Conservation set the 2008 waterfowl
hunting seasons during its regular meeting in Jefferson
City, Aug. 4-5.
Eric
Liebel |
The wildfowl seasons are set rather late so conservation
officials have time to estimate the migration patterns for
the various waterfowl. In the Midwest, the seasons must
coincide with the seasonal southward migration of the birds.
The U.S. waterfowl seasons are coordinated across the whole
country.
(If you're interested in various wildfowl seasons, you
can visit www.mdc.mo.gov.
Or you can call the MDC regional office at (636) 441-4554.)
Although Daniel lives in St. Charles County and Erik lives
in St. Louis County, the two have hunted together a lot.
Their dads, Tony Wolf and Kenneth Liebel, both belong to
the Mississippi Valley Duck Hunters Assn.
Two years ago, the two boys went duck hunting with their
dads for the first time.
Daniel said, "When a flock of ducks came in, Erik and I
both shot once and four ducks fell. But, we only found one
of the four and that was Erik's." They couldn't find the
other three birds they had hit.
Tony
Wolf |
Ten-year-old Daniel, who'll be a 5th grader this fall,
said he first went along on a hunting trip when he was four.
He went along on his first deer hunting trip when he was
six.
"But, I was unarmed and brought along coloring books to
keep myself occupied," he said.
Erik said he was even younger when he went along on a hunting
trip.
"I was only 1 1/2 years old. But, when I tell friends about
that now, they think I was armed with a shotgun," he said.
Kenneth
Liebel |
Although they've been hunting a lot, the boys haven't brought
home much game.
Besides Erik's one duck, the only other bird was a snow
goose which Daniel bagged on a hunting trip in Arkansas.
However, both boys insist that "this is the year."
Erik plans to hunt ducks with his Remington 20-guage shotgun.
Daniel said, "I'm going to use my Mossberg 20-guage."
One of the first things the boys and their dads need to
check is the condition of their duck blinds. Mr. Liebel
said he hoped a blind that he's used in the past will still
be in good enough condition to use again.
Otherwise, they will have to make sure they have a new
blind in place before the season opens.
Neither boy indicated he was too eager to go into the field
to build a blind.
When asked what they liked about hunting, both kids said
they liked eating the game after it's been cleaned, dressed
and cooked.
Daniel said, "Ducks taste the best." But, he said, "I also
like pheasant dumplings. I'm definitely a 'meat-eterian.'"
Daniel said his ideal breakfast for a duck hunt would
be "a box of Krispy Kreme doughnuts, hot chocolate and coffee."
But, Erik said, besides the earting, "I also like being
away from the city."
Asked about a perfect hunting trip, Erik said, "I'd like
to go to Alaska to go after all the big game."
But, Daniel said, "I'd like to go duck hunting in Nebraska
with Ted Nugent."
Nugent is a rock and roll musician who is also on the board
of the National Rifle Association (NRA).
Both kids said their favorite single experience with hunting
was the two-shots-four-ducks episode during their first
duck hunt.
But, Daniel said, "I also liked the time when I saw five
deer all in a bunch. But, I yelled and they all scattered."
Daniel said he'd like to be a pro-athlete when he grows
up. He said he'd consider the traditional sports but also
would like to be a pro hunter or fisherman.
But, when asked about whether he could make a living that
way, Daniel said, "Maybe I'd rather be a banker and be closer
to the money."
Erik said, "I might be a tool-and-die maker like my dad
or an architect. I like to draw."
But, for now, the boys are most interested in making sure
that "this is the year." They not only want to bag their
limits but also find the birds on the ground or in the water.
