<strong><span class="subhead">The week ahead</span></strong></p><p>Finally, there&rsquo;s some good news for Missouri quail hunters.</p><p>Things might not be as bleak as surveys first indicated.</p><p>An August roadside count by the Missouri Department of Conservation indicated that quail numbers were down 7 percent from last year and 26 percent from the long-term average (the last 10 years).</p><p>But there are signs that late nesting may have made up for at least a portion of that deficit.</p><p>&ldquo;I have been hearing lots of reports from people seeing more birds this year over last,&rdquo; said Beth Emmerich, the Department of Conservation&rsquo;s quail biologist. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m assuming we may have had a late hatch not captured by the survey.&rdquo;</p><p>Just the same, Missouri hunters shouldn&rsquo;t get too excited. </p><p>Quail numbers are still just a fraction of what they once were. Blame loss of habitat and short-term weather during nesting season.</p><p>The cool, wet weather this spring didn&rsquo;t help matters. Some parts of the state, especially western Missouri, saw sharp declines in quail numbers.</p><p>The northwest region appears the place to go, with quail populations there holding their own.</p><p><strong><span class="subhead">Quail myths</span></strong></p><p>Many hunters blame the quail&rsquo;s demise on the turkeys. Others point to predators. And still others say the Missouri Department of Conservation should be stocking pen-raised quail to compensate for the low bird numbers.</p><p>To which wildlife biologists reply: Wrong, on all three counts.</p><p>The theory that wild turkeys eat quail chicks is a myth, according to Beth Emmerich of the Department of Conservation. She cites numerous studies of turkeys&rsquo; feeding habits that indicate they don&rsquo;t prey on young quail.</p><p>Predators do feed on quail, but not to the point that they are causing the rapid decline of quail numbers, Emmerich said. They preyed on quail during the bobwhite&rsquo;s heyday, and the bird still thrived.</p><p>Stocking pen-raised birds isn&rsquo;t the answer, Emmerich said. Studies in many states show that few of the stocked birds survive more than a week or two.</p><p>The problem? Long-term habitat loss.</p><p>&ldquo;There are no shortcuts to quail restoration,&rdquo; Emmerich said. &ldquo;You need habitat first, and then you need a few years of favorable nesting conditions.&rdquo;</p><p><strong><span class="subhead">Duck opener, Part II</span></strong></p><p>The duck season opened Saturday in Missouri&rsquo;s North Zone.</p><p>Now, it&rsquo;s the Middle Zone&rsquo;s turn.</p><p>Hunters at managed wetlands such as Four Rivers and Schell-Osage will get their first shot at ducks on Saturday.</p><p>So how do things look? Well, the recent heavy rains and flooding are creating an uncertain situation. The ducks have moved in &mdash; Four Rivers is holding 59,000 ducks and Schell-Osage has 10,000.</p><p>But both areas are fighting flooding. Wildlife officials are hoping the water will recede enough this week to allow for normal hunting.</p><p><strong><span class="subhead">Mark your calendar</span></strong></p><p>&bull;<strong>Today: </strong> Last day of first segment of Missouri youth deer season.</p><p>&bull;<strong>Saturday-Sunday: </strong> Youth upland gamebird season in Kansas.</p><p>&bull;<strong>Now open: </strong> Duck seasons in Missouri North Zone and Kansas Early and Late Zones.</p><p>&bull;<strong>Now open: </strong> Kansas goose seasons.</p><p>&bull;<strong>Now open: </strong> Archery deer season in Missouri and Kansas.</p><p>&bull;<strong>Now open: </strong> Kansas turkey season.</p><p>&bull;<strong>Now open: </strong> Rabbit season in Missouri and Kansas.</p><p>&bull;<strong>Now open: </strong> Squirrel season in Missouri and Kansas.</p><p>&bull;<strong>Now open: </strong> Missouri dove season.</p><p><strong><span class="subhead">Weird stuff</span></strong></p><p>Fall is the time to catch big muskies.</p><p>The giant gamefish, which can be tough to lure in the summer, go on the prowl as the water temperatures drop and feed up for winter. They suddenly become vulnerable.</p><p>No one knows that better than Kyle Anderson of Rapid City, Mich. Fishing on Torch Lake in Michigan this fall, he caught a 50-pound, 8-ounce muskie — 2 pounds, 8 ounces over the previous record for a Great Lakes muskie.</p><p>Anderson, who works at a marina, said he catches as many as 30 muskies a year.</p><p>“Half will be little guys, less than 36 inches,” he told the Detroit Free Press. “The other half are the ones that keep me going.”</p><p></div>