HOUSTON HERALD n Thursday, Nov. 5, 2020 M1

MESSENGER Standard Carrier PresortU.S. Postage Paid

Permit No. 22Houston, Mo. 65483Licking, Mo. 65542

INSIDE THIS WEEK’S EDITIONOF THE HOUSTON HERALD: SUBSCRIBE:nArea residents cast their votesnHHS football team topped by Liberty in district playoff gamenYoung hunters harvest deer in early youth season

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Final score: Missouri elk 1, hunters 0 in inaugural archery seasonThe bowhunting por-

tion of Missouri’s first elk season closed Sunday, Oct. 25, with no archer managing to take a bull elk.

There were a few close sightings, but none of the four archers got close enough to take an ethical shot.

Four of the five Mis-souri hunters who drew an elk permit participat-ed in the archery portion of Missouri’s elk season, which ran from Oct. 17-

25. They’ll get another chance during the inau-gural firearms elk sea-son, Dec. 12-20.

“None of the hunters harvested an elk prior to the close of the archery portion,” said Aaron Hil-dreth, a Missouri Con-servation Department elk specialist. “All five plan to participate in the December 12-20 firearms portion. Many of the hunters had close calls, but for their own reasons (or) the specific situation

decided not to take the shot.”

Elk once were native to Missouri but were wiped out in the late 1800s by commercial hunting and shrinking of their habi-tat.

MDC reintroduced elk to south-central Missouri in 2011, drawing from wild herds in Kentucky.

Hildreth estimated a current Missouri elk population of around 207 before the calving season this year.

“From that estimate of 207 elk, roughly 70 of those elk are bulls (both adults and yearlings) that would most likely be legal for harvest,” he said.

Heildreth said MDC will do an  aerial survey later this winter, com-bine it with the cow/calf survey data, survival and reproduction rates, and harvest information, then run the population model again to estimate the 2021 numbers.

“That information will

help inform next year’s permit quota recommen-dation,” he said.

Reintroduced elk now are found in  a portion of Carter, Reynolds and Shannon counties.

“Based on previous col-lar data, we have had very few of the reintroduced elk wander outside of these counties,” Hildreth said. “We do receive re-ports of elk sightings in other counties across the state annually. We sus-pect most of these reports

are from elk that have wandered in from neigh-boring states (Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma) while some could be from elk from captive herds.”

Hildreth said most  of the reports MDC gets about elk outside of Cart-er, Reynolds and Shan-non counties are younger males and many are in September and October, which corresponds to the breeding season in Mis-souri and neighboring states.

• Holistic Health • Organic teas • Gifts • Crafts • Essential Oils • Herbs • Spices

Place Your Holiday Orders! Pies,Cakes, Breads, Coffee, etc. • Cafe´

210 S. Grand Ave., Houston • 417-260-2286

Back to BasicsNov. 3 -14 • 9a.m. - 5p.m.

B U S I N E S S H O L I DAYB U S I N E S S H O L I DAY

Sugarfoot Bakery

D & L Florist30th Annual Christmas

Open HouseNov. 5th, 6th & 7th

Located at:1468 S. Sam Houston Blvd.,Houston, Mo. • 417-967-7126

Shari Sillyman-McCallister,Owner/Designer

Joining us for your pleasure:Custard by C-Sue • Louise Gayer Quilting

Penny vote for your favorite tree to benefitTexas County Hospice of Care

Extraordinarily DesignedChristmas Trees, Wreaths,

Swags, TabletopArrangements andother Home Decor.

6792 U.S. 63, Houston • 417-967-0331

Millstone MarketInvites you to:

Christmas Open House9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 7

There will be Drawings, Hot Chocolate,Apple Cider and More Treats!

Come and bring all your friends!

OPEN HOUSE

Buy 2get one free

Nov. 2 - 14

All Fragrances in Candles, Diffusers, Potpourri, Room Spray

• The Smell of the Tree• Bourbon & Bergamot

• The Smell of Christmas• Cinnamon Cider

• Hope of the Season• Joy of the Season

• Winter Frost

OPEN HOUSEThur.

- Sat.

Nov.5-7

6810 U.S. 63 • Houston • 417-260-4741

Register for a gift basket of store merchandise

The annual Shopkeepers

Christmas Open House

is Nov. 2-14.