http://ozarkspub.vo.llnwd.net/o37/KSMU/audio/mp3/mdc-says-hunters-need-start-preparing-now-upcoming-deer-season_22603.mp3
With the annual firearm season for deer hunting a little more than a month away, hunters may not be too concerned yet with preparations. But as KSMU’s Samuel Crowe reports, those preparations need to begin now.
The 10 day long firearm season for deer hunting sees more hunters in the woods of Missouri than the rest of the year combined. Francis Skalicky is a spokesperson for the Missouri Department of Conservation. He says that many hunters often overlook one of the most important aspects of deer hunting: getting permission to hunt on private land.
“That’s a big thing, and it seems like an obvious thing, but I think sometimes people get so caught up in their equipment and their permits and everything like that, that they leave that part of it until the end, instead of making it the first, and by leaving it until the end, it gets to be a harder thing to find,” Skalicky said.
Skalicky says hunters choose to hunt on private land because there’s more of it in Missouri than public land, where they would have to compete with other hunters. He says a common mistake is that some hunters assume that because they previously hunted on someone’s land, they automatically have permission to hunt there in the future. In fact, that’s not the case, and you could be guilty of trespassing.
“There are some people who think because their relatives hunted there or they may have hunted there in the past, this gives them an automatic pass for this year, but that’s not the case. Each year, the agreement between the landowner and the hunter is a thing that needs to be renewed.
Once you have permission to hunt on private land, Skalicky says it’s important to survey the property and note the boundary lines and hot spots for deer, quail, or any other animal being hunted. And when a hunter returns with a fresh kill, Skalicky says it’s a common courtesy to offer the landowner a portion of the meat.
“Beyond the words ‘thank you’, that’s a good way of showing your thanks, showing your appreciation, and that as much as anything will probably get you a hunt there in the future years as well as this year,” Skalicky said.
Though the MDC offers hunter education classes to teach the importance of the ethics of hunting, Skalicky says problems remain every year with people who hunt illegally.
“It’s those bad apples, whether it’s the person who just takes the antlers and leaves the deer, the person who road hunts, the person who trespasses, those are the kind of bad apples that give the broad spectrum of bad apples a bad name, and that’s what we’re trying to eliminate,” Skalicky said.
Skalicky says hunting is a great way for people to get outside and explore the natural resources in Missouri, while adding fresh meat to the dinner table that isn’t available in most supermarkets. As long as the proper steps are taken to ensure a safe and legal hunt, Skalicky says the sport will continue to thrive in the Ozarks. For KSMU News, I’m Samuel Crowe.