Gone Fishin’

By Jeff Berti
Although you might not be thinking about fishing or hunting, I just thought that I would remind you that last year’s hunting and fishing licenses have expired. Beginning Tuesday, March 1, licenses were needed in order to hunt or fish legally.
This may be confusing to many people that may have thought licenses expire one year from the date of purchase. Still others believe that licenses expire on December 31st of each year, like they used to. However, if you look on your 2015 license, it should say “Expires February 2016″ at the top of the paper.
To confuse you even more, 2016 licenses went on sale Dec. 1, 2015. If you purchased a late season hunting license or received a hunting or fishing license for Christmas, double check the expiration date at the top, you may already have a 2016 license. If it says “Expires February 2017,” then you are good for another year.
The reason that the permit system works like this is to try and cover as many seasons as possible with one license. If you think about it, hunting seasons last well past the first of the year, with rabbit and squirrel season closing in mid-February. With the old permit system, you needed to purchase two licenses to complete one hunting season. Now, with the current system, a hunter is able to hunt most hunting seasons with only one license.
Although this probably is not as important to local anglers, there is a reason for the dates on the fishing license as well. Missouri trout parks open on March 1 of every year. Also, paddlefish snagging season begins March 15. With the March 1 to Feb. 28 license year, anglers can take part in these activities, the summer fishing season and the winter catch and release trout season, all on one license.
Now that the ice has melted from the ponds and lakes, many people have started thinking about fishing. If the temperatures stay warm, you will probably want to wet a line at your favorite “Honey Hole” soon. Just remember, you have been given fair warning, buy your new fishing license, please!
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I would like to remind everyone that there will be a Hunter Education Skills Session in Trenton on Sunday, March 20 at the NCMC Barton Campus south of town. The course will run from 1 to 5 p.m. Students must be 11 years old and have completed one of the three options for the “Knowledge” portion of the course (complete the $15 online course, study and complete questions in the free Hunter Education Manual or attend a four hour knowledge portion class) in order to be certified. Students will need to be registered for the course in order to attend. Registrations can be done online at www.mdc.mo.gov. Students can pick up a free manual at the Trenton Shopko Hometown (at the customer service desk).