Deer kill down across the state
Spokesman blames weather, antler restrictions
By CHRIS CLINE
Daily Journal Staff Writer
Daily Journal Staff Writer
Wednesday, November 19, 2008 9:01 AM CST
Bryan Moore surveys a field on his way out to hunt Tuesday evening. Even though Moore spent the weekend at one of the state's deer hunting hot spots in northern Missouri, he has yet to fill a tag this rifle season. The Missouri Department of Conservation estimates the number of deer killed is down two percent from 2007 - Chris Cline / Daily Journal
The MDC reports the number of deer killed during the opening weekend of rifle season is down two percent from 2007. A total of 98,386 deer were killed statewide on Saturday and Sunday. The rifle season opened 30 minutes prior to sunrise Saturday. It ends 30 minutes after sunset Tuesday.
Spokesman Jim Low said he believes there were several factors causing the decrease in the number of deer killed.
“The weather on Saturday was beastly,” Low said. “It was fairly chilly with a strong northwest wind. The wind does two things. It dulls the senses of a deer. It affects both their sight and their hearing which causes them not to move as much. The wind also causes hunters to spend less time in the woods and more time around the campfires with their buddies.”
Low said the MDC added 36 additional counties this year to the antler restriction areas. Previously there were only 29.
“A buck must have four points on one side to be legal in these areas,” he said. “This alone could have accounted for 2,000 fewer deer than last year. Given these factors I think it was a strong opening weekend.”
As of Tuesday morning Macon County had the most number of deer killed in the state with 1,992. Benton County reported 1,967 killed and Calloway County had 1,693. In St. Francois County there were only 514 deer killed. Washington County reported 741 and Ste. Genevieve County had 1,049 tags filled.
Low said hunters this time of year don’t really have to worry about a deer they shoot having Hemorrhagic Disease, the most commonly widespread disease in the deer population.
“It virtually disappears this time of year,” he said. “Midges that live by water transmit it. It’s been two weeks since our first frost so the midges are pretty well gone. When a deer is infected with the disease, it progress very quickly and the deer dies within a short time.”
He said symptoms a deer might display include drooling, head drooping and distress.
“Hemorrhagic Disease cannot be passed on to humans,” Low said. “That’s important to mention.”
The Missouri Department of Conservation is changing the criteria landowners will have to meet in order to qualify for free tags for the 2009 hunting season for turkey and deer.
Previously a landowner could acquire a free tag to hunt on their own ground if he or she owned at least five acres. Next year the minimum will be raised to 80 acres. Low said the change is revenue driven.
“Tags and permits for fishing and small game will be unchanged,” he said. “Over the past 20 to 30 years land ownership patterns in Missouri has shifted dramatically. Now it’s more common for people to own 5 to 10 acres. When landowners can get tags for free they are not buying them from the Missouri Department of Conservation. This has cut into the department’s revenue. We also lose federal matching funds when we lose paid permit holders.”
He estimated the change will affect 70,000 hunters statewide.
“The commission made this decision and they are paying very close attention to comments made on this,” Low said. “They are very interested in what hunters are thinking and saying.”
The Daily Journal has made a special Hunter’s Gallery for those who would like to upload photos of their deer or for those who would just like to look at others’ trophies.
There are two ways to check out the photos. There is a link on the right hand side near the bottom of our Web page at www.dailyjournalonline.com. That will take you directly to the Hunter’s Gallery. There you may view the photos. There is currently a photo of a 25-point non-typical buck shot by Curt Branson of Bonne Terre. Click the User Submission link at the top to submit your own photo.
You may also just go directly to the User Submission page by clicking here.
Chris Cline is a reporter for the Daily Journal. Contact him at 573-431-2010, ext. 114 or at ccline@dailyjournalonline.com.
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Antler point restriction - keep it up.. let's get some bigger deer....
Farm tags - fair is fair - might help eliminate the farm tags being used off the property...