Hunters check 15,000 deer during antlerless season

Two segments of Missouri’s firearms deer season remain.
JEFFERSON CITY–Hunters checked 15,136 deer during Missouri’s antlerless deer season Nov. 21 through Dec. 2.
This year’s antlerless harvest increased by 697 deer, a gain of approximately 5 percent over last year. Top harvest counties for the 12-day antlerless season were Camden with 553 deer checked, Benton with 518, and Callaway with 491.
Two portions of Missouri’s firearms deer season remain. The alternative-methods portion runs from Dec. 15 through 25, and the late youth portion is Dec. 29 and 30.
Besides increasing hunting opportunities, the antlerless season gives hunters and landowners a way of regulating local deer numbers. Those who want more deer can choose not to participate in the antlerless season, while those who want fewer deer can use the season to remove female deer from the population.
Missouri’s annual harvest of approximately 300,000 deer by firearms and archery hunters yields more than 10 million pounds of venison. Hunters consume most of this meat. However, hunters donate more than 300,000 pounds of venison annually to local food banks and other charities through the Share the Harvest program. Information about Share the Harvest is available at mdc.mo.gov/node/2544.
Missouri’s deer resource also supports 11,000-plus jobs and generates more than $1 billion in business activity annually.
Economic value aside, deer hunting is a cherished tradition that draws thousands of Missouri natives back home to share healthful outdoor recreation with family and friends.

Managed deer hunt applications open July 1, close Aug. 15

Find hunt dates, locations and other details at mdc.mo.gov/node/8712 starting July 1.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Missouri deer hunters can apply online for managed deer hunts beginning July 1. More than 6,000 hunters will have a chance to participate in 99 managed hunts from mid-September through January.

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) holds an electronic drawing to determine who gets to participate in special managed deer hunts at conservation areas, state parks, national wildlife refuges and urban parks. The hunts are open to Missouri residents and nonresidents and help achieve MDC’s deer-management goals for the state while also providing additional hunting opportunities. Types of hunts include archery, crossbow, muzzleloader, historic methods and modern firearms – plus youth hunts and hunts for persons with disabilities.

Hunt dates, locations and other details will be listed on the managed hunt application page on the MDC website starting July 1 at mdc.mo.gov/node/8712. Details about managed hunts also are available in the 2012 Fall Deer and Turkey Hunting Regulations & Information booklet, available at MDC offices, on the MDC website and from permit vendors around the state.

Hunters may apply individually or as groups of up to six, except for youth hunts. Youths 11 years of age or older may apply singly or with one other youth and must be accompanied on the hunt by a qualified adult. Applicants need a nine-digit Conservation ID number for each hunter to complete the application process. To get a Conservation ID number, call 573-751-4115.

MDC will post drawing results at the same website address from Sept. 14 to Dec. 31. Successful applicants will receive area maps and other information regarding their hunts in the mail.

Resident or nonresident managed deer hunting permits are required to participate in managed hunts. These permits will be available to successful applicants after Sept. 14 from any permit vendor statewide.

MDC implemented a weighted preference point system in 2007 to give unsuccessful applicants for managed deer hunts an advantage in future drawings. Hunters who apply for the first time or who were drawn for hunts the previous year are statistically less likely to be drawn than those who entered but were not drawn in previous years.