By Ryan Miloshewski
Change is coming to Missouri Deer Season!
This week the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) unveiled a list of changes to deer season next fall, confirming what we all knew would happen. These changes have been a hot button issue since February when they were first introduced. Open houses were held in each region of the state (I attended the one in St. Louis) to gather public input on the proposed changes. Residents could submit their comments online or via phone as well. After several months, the Conservation Commission recently approved the proposed changes, and this is what it means to Missouri hunters.
FALL DEER HUNTING DATES
- Archery Deer and Turkey: Sept. 15 through Nov. 11, 2016, and Nov. 23, 2016, through Jan. 15, 2017
- Firearms Turkey: Oct. 1 through 31, 2016
- Firearms Deer Early Youth Portion: Oct. 29 through 30, 2016
- Firearms Deer November Portion: Nov. 12 through 22, 2016
- Firearms Deer Antlerless Portion: Dec. 2 through 4, 2016
- Firearms Deer Alternative Methods Portion: Dec. 24, 2016, through Jan. 3, 2017
- Firearms Deer Late Youth Portion: Nov. 25 through 27,
*Items in bold denote changes to the current format*
DEER HUNTING REGULATION CHANGES
- Expand the deer-hunting late youth portion to three (3) days beginning the first Friday after Thanksgiving.
- Reduce the length of the deer-hunting antlerless portion from 12 to three (3) days and begin it on the first Friday in December.
- Eliminate the urban-zones portion of the firearms deer season.
- Allow crossbows as a legal method during archery deer and turkey seasons.
- Remove the hunting method exemption requirement related to crossbows.
- Reduce the limit of antlered deer from three (3) to two (2) during the combined archery and firearms deer hunting season, with no more than one (1) antlered deer taken during the firearms deer hunting season
(Source: http://mdc.mo.gov/sites/default/files/resources/2015/12/deerregulationchanges.pdf)
One thing that was not implemented was changing the 11-day firearms season to nine days, but I suspect it will happen in the near future. The issues people are most concerned about are the allowing of crossbows during archery season and limiting the amount of antlered deer (any deer) tags you are allowed during archery season from two to one. I have a hunch these two changes are highly connected.
In a great effort of transparenecy, the MDC published a 578 page document with every comment they received from the public, as well as their plan and reasoning behind the changes. You can view it here mdc.mo.gov/about-us/department-details/management-plans/resource/public-input-summary-deer-regulation-changes-2.
As a scientist, I understand the MDC’s mindset. We cannot continue on the same path if we want deer numbers to increase. As a hunter, I disagree with a couple aspects. But that’s neither here nor there. Whether you agree with the changes or not, they are here and probably will be for a while. Complain, stand up for them–whatever floats your boat. But know this: the health of Missouri’s deer herd ultimately rests in the hands of each and every hunter and their decisions on the properties they hunt. If you aren’t seeing many does on your hunting land, don’t shoot does. Not seeing any mature bucks? Don’t shoot the young ones. I personally passed on a lot of younger bucks for FOUR years on the property I used to hunt. And wouldn’t you know it there were several mature deer showing up this summer before I lost access.
After attending the Conservation Federation of Missouri’s annual conference this past March, I can tell you these changes are statistically backed, with data from other states serving as a baseline. This isn’t a blind stab in the dark, as some believe. I have faith the MDC is acting in the best interests of Missouri’s deer herd and hunters alike.
So here we are. The changes have been made, we must adapt, and now we must wait and see if they work.