KSMU recently told you about plans to make changes to Missouri’s deer hunting regulations. Michele Skalicky talked with a Missouri Department of Conservation deer biologist and has more.
According to MDC deer biologist Jason Sumners, the deer population is down from what it was ten years ago. He says that’s because deer management practices at that time were geared toward reducing numbers and because of a hemorrhagic disease outbreak in 2012. Now, new deer management practices are needed, he says.
The Department of Conservation has proposed deer hunting regulation changes for the 2016-2017 deer hunting season. According to Sumners, MDC biologists were asked to critically consider the state’s deer regulations over a two-year period and see if any changes needed to made.
"And so we've done that. We know that long-term hunters are really important to maintaining our ability to manage the deer population, so we've taken some steps to hopefully increase opportunities, recruit and retain some hunters, but as well as manage the population given the challenges that we face today," he said.
The proposed changes for the fall firearms deer season include:
- Maintaining the current timing of the November portion but reducing the length from 11 days to nine days
- Expanding the late youth firearms weekend from two days to three days and having it begin the Friday after Thanksgiving instead of early January
- Reducing the length of the antlerless firearms portion from 12 days to three days and beginning it on the first Friday in December
- Eliminating the urban zones portion
For the fall archery deer and turkey season MDC proposes:
- Allowing crossbows as a legal method
- Reducing the limit of antlered deer during the archery season from two to one
MDC also proposes simplifying conservation area regulations and also wants public comment on permit fees for nonresidents regarding a possible increase, decrease or no change in price.
Sumners says the last significant change to deer hunting regulations in Missouri was in 2008. He says major changes are made based on the deer population and changes in deer hunters’ attitudes and behaviors, and they don’t occur very often.
MDC held meetings around the state last summer to get public input on what changes might be needed. Now that changes have been drafted, more public meetings are planned.
"Now we're throwing those back out to the public to find out what their opinions are. We'll also be collecting scientific survey data," he said.
Click here for a link to dates and times for the public meetings on the proposed changes.
