Missouri Hunting and Fishing
In
the Arcadia Valley Region and the Black River Recreation Area of MO
For a directory and links to lodging, accommodations and campgrounds
in the Black River Recreation Area and Arcadia Valley Region,
please click
here.
Missouri Hunting & Fishing
Guides: The
opportunities are unlimited for that trophy hunt or that memorable
fishing trip you've always wanted when you engage a local
guide. Robbie Chadbourne was born and bred
in this region and has been an active sportsman since he could
bait a hook or hold up a firearm. To arrange your next hunting
or fishing expedition call Robbie 573-701-6134
For the best in sporting goods, guns, hunting, fishing
and camping equipment stores in our region, please click
here.
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(Please
note: There are numerous designated hunting and fishing areas
to be found on public lands and in designated conservation areas
in our region. Please respect private property. With connections
through friends or acquaintances, willing landowners often give
permission to hunt or fish on private property.)
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The
Arcadia Valley Region and Black River Recreation Area are havens
for the avid sportsman or woman. The diverse terrain
of the St. Francois Mountains and Ozark Valleys are full of
oak and hickory forests, flowing rivers, and numerous lakes
and streams. This habitat diversity provides homes for a multitude
of wildlife.
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If you are looking to escape life in the
suburbs or reconnect with nature, this is the place to scratch
that itch. It will be easy for you to see why the fur and trapping
industries played such an important role in the heritage of
our region. The mountainous forest is a natural habitat for
many native animals such as the bobcat, mink, raccoon and fox.
In addition, the rivers, creeks and streams provide homes for
many aquatic mammals including colonies of beavers, romps of
otter and litters of muskrats. This wide variety of wildlife
ensures that trappers in this area are able to participate in
one of the oldest sports known to man.
For
the firearm or bow hunting enthusiast, the wooded areas and
thickets provide cover for nestled whitetail deer. Once discovered,
the chatter of red and gray squirrels or the scream of a nearby
blue jay or crow may reveal the hunter’s presence. Hunters
rise before dawn and eagerly anticipate the first owl’s
hoot, knowing the next sound will be the gobble of the wild
turkey coming from its roost.
Big
game hunters will have their dreams come true at the sight of
a twelve-point buck or huge, tusked, wild boar. Small game hunters'
hearts will skip a beat when they discover a woodcock, grouse,
dove or covey of quail startled into flight from nesting areas
near the edge of the woods, around old abandoned barns, or in
fields. The young and old alike await the first snow in anticipation
of running the hound and stomping the brush piles for the hidden
cottontail rabbit.
Hunting
is basic to our nature and rewards the alert, patient, and self-restrained
among us. It demands knowledge of wildlife and nature, along
with skill and determination to be successful. This timeless
activity provides many pleasures including life-long bonds with
fellow hunters, the companionship of loyal hard-working dogs,
and the earthy scent of linseed oil and decaying leaves. It’s
also a great way to exercise.
We
must all remember to respect the land. As children, we were
taught to hunt only to put meat on the table and to bring back
a piece of game for every bullet we took with us. We must all
understand how important it is to respect and conserve our wild
game and the habitats that support them. By following the rules
and laws governing hunting in Missouri, we will ensure the survival
of this rewarding activity for generations to come. For information,
online permits, and designated seasons and limits in Missouri,
please click here
for guidelines from the Missouri Department of Conservation.
These
scenic forested lands and the purity of the rivers and streams
make this one of the most popular recreational areas in the
state. Whether you are hunting with a Winchester or a Kodak
you will not be disappointed. Please
visit our recreation pages for the locations of hunting
areas in our region.
by Melody James Gardner, November 2007
For an atlas of public lands the Missouri Department of Conservation
owns, leases or manages for public use in Reynolds County or
Iron County click here.
Search by County. For other Federal lands in our region
please click here.
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Veteran
and novice fishermen may catch more than they planned in the
Arcadia Valley Region and Black River Recreation Area of Missouri.
Mother Nature has been very busy along the many lakes, ponds,
winding rivers, and abundant Ozark streams. This area of rugged,
untamed beauty teems with life including bear, deer and coyote.
Ornithologists have counted over 120 species of birds including
eagles and hawks. There is a wide array of flora and fauna with
over 300 species of wildflowers for the angler to enjoy as he
casts his lure or drowns a bobber.
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The Black River provides scenic shut-ins, deep pools of clear
water, and limestone bluff walls with natural rock out-croppings,
which form beds for the most sought after “sport fish”,
the smallmouth bass. Just east of the Black River the St. Francis
River flows, offering the outdoor enthusiast several interesting
challenges. These rivers are a pleasure for spin-cast anglers
and fly fishermen alike. They provide a natural habitat for
game fish like bass, crappie, walleye or muskie, and for non-game
fish such as sunfish, carp, drum and gar. Mr. Whiskers and his
scavenging cousins - the channel cats, blue cats, bullheads
and flatheads - swim beside other “bottom feeders.”
These strong fighters make the catch an event no angler will
forget. Catfishing methods vary. Some sportsmen prefer floating
the rivers, while others fish from the banks by pole and line,
trout-line, throw-line, limb-line, bank-line, jug-line or noodling
(a new take on fishing using only your hands—also called
hogging).
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