Jefferson City, Missouri - Some parts of Missouri will have more deer this year, and a bumper crop of corn will affect hunting strategies. The Missouri Department of Conservation says decisions that hunters make in harvesting deer are among the most significant factors affecting deer numbers this year and in the future.

Conservation Department Resource Scientist Emily Flinn says this year’s mild summer will send deer into autumn in good physical condition. Hot, dry summers, like those of 2012 and 2013, cause physical stress on deer, increasing their nutritional needs while simultaneously reducing food supplies. Deer got a break from the weather this year, with cooler than average temperatures and plenty of food.

 The Conservation Department tracks deer populations at the county level by analyzing the number and sex of deer checked during deer season and through surveys of hunters and landowners. It also factors in other influences, such as disease.

Deer populations in central, northern, and western Missouri have decreased steadily over the past decade partially as a result of regulations that allowed hunters to shoot more does.

“It’s important to remember that deer numbers were significantly above target levels in the early 2000s,” says Flinn. “The liberal regulations were intended to gain control of the deer population, and they did. Then the hemorrhagic disease outbreaks in 2012 and 2013 pushed populations even farther below desired levels in some areas. The Conservation Department reduced the number of firearm antlerless permits that hunters can fill in some counties this year to allow the population to increase back to desired levels.”

Flinn says the effects of previous hemorrhagic disease outbreaks will continue to be felt this year. That is particularly true in the northern half of the state. However, losses to blue tongue and epizootic hemorrhagic disease were not spread evenly across any region of the state.

“Localized deer populations that experienced moderate to high hemorrhagic mortality from the 2012 outbreak and last year in northeast Missouri have likely not recovered to levels prior to the outbreak,” says Flinn. “Due to the localized manner in which hemorrhagic disease operates, it is important that hunters and landowners continue to reduce doe harvest if deer numbers in their areas are below desired levels. On the other hand, if numbers in a localized area are at or above desired levels, then the continuing doe harvest is necessary to reduce or maintain populations.”

In contrast, she says, several years of conservative harvest regulations in southern Missouri have allowed deer populations to slowly increase. However, deer population levels are still largely below desired levels in much of southern Missouri.

Deer population size affects deer harvest, but other factors are important, too. One of the most important factors is food availability.

In southern Missouri, acorns dominate deer diets in the fall and winter. When acorns are plentiful, deer can find all the food they need without moving around much. This tends to spread deer across the forested landscape, making them difficult to find. Conversely, in years when acorns are scarce, deer move around more and tend to concentrate around available food sources, making them easier to find. Early reports indicate that Missouri will have an average crop of acorns from both white and red oaks this year, neither helping nor hindering hunters in the Ozarks.

“Scouting can help hunters figure out deer travel routes and where they might be visible,” says Flinn.

She also advised hunters to consider how agricultural activity on neighboring land might affect deer behavior.

Flinn emphasizes the important role hunters play in determining local deer population size and structure. Shooting one or two does on your property might not seem very significant, but in combination with deer harvest on adjacent land, it can add up.

“Most people think the Conservation Department manages deer, but in reality it is a collaborative effort between the Department and hunters and landowners,” says Flinn. “On private land, our management is on a large scale. We can regulate how many antlerless tags a hunter can fill in a particular county, but hunters and landowners ultimately make the decision about how many deer to harvest within constraints of regulations. So hunters and landowners have a great deal of influence on local deer numbers.”

Flinn says the patchy nature of losses to hemorrhagic diseases across the landscape makes hunter involvement in managing deer more important than ever. Hunters who see that deer numbers are down where they hunt should consider the future when deciding whether to harvest does.

The first step in managing local deer populations is coordinating your hunting activities with neighbors. Forming a deer cooperative can be as simple as sitting down over coffee to discuss what you want to achieve. Once you agree on goals for the local deer herd, the next step is tailoring your deer harvest to achieve those goals. More information on the status of Missouri’s deer population and regional trends in deer populations is available in the 2013-2014 Missouri Deer Season Summary and Population Status Report  mdc.mo.gov/node/28399.

This year’s deer-hunting regulations include changes to availability of firearms antlerless permits in some counties. Details about this and other regulations, including season dates, are available in the 2014 Fall Deer & Turkey Hunting Regulation and Information booklet. It is available wherever hunting permits are sold or at mdc.mo.gov/node/3656.

Stoddard County, Missouri - Route W in Stoddard County will be reduced to one lane as Missouri Department of Transportation crews perform pavement repairs.

This section of roadway is located from Route Z to Route D.

Weather permitting, work will take place Monday, Oct. 20 through Friday, Oct. 24 from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.

The work zone will be marked with signs.  Motorists are urged to use extreme caution while traveling near the area.

For additional information, contact MoDOT's Customer Service Center toll-free at 1-888-ASK-MODOT (1-888-275-6636) or visit www.modot.org/southeast.


Route Z in Stoddard County will be reduced to one lane as Missouri Department of Transportation crews perform pavement repairs.

This section of roadway is located from Route 153 to Route W.

Weather permitting, work will take place Monday, Oct. 20 through Friday, Oct. 24 from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.

The work zone will be marked with signs.  Motorists are urged to use extreme caution while traveling near the area.

For additional information, contact MoDOT's Customer Service Center toll-free at 1-888-ASK-MODOT (1-888-275-6636) or visit www.modot.org/southeast

Jefferson City, Missouri - Hunters checked 594 deer during the urban portion of Missouri’s firearms deer season. Officials with the Missouri Department of Conservation attribute the lower-than-average harvest in part to warm, rainy, windy weather.

County harvest totals during the urban portion were: Greene, 122; St. Charles, 88; Boone, 84; Franklin, 55; Jefferson, 54; St. Louis, 47; Cole, 40; Clay, 36; Cass, 33; Jackson, 24; Platte, 11.

Hunters are only allowed to shoot antlerless deer during the urban portion. This focus on harvesting female deer is designed to control deer numbers in urban and suburban areas, where hunting pressure is lighter and the potential for deer-vehicle accidents and property damage is greater.

This year’s harvest was below average for the urban portion, which became part of the firearms deer season in 2003.  Over the past 11 years, the urban portion harvest averaged 961 deer. However, the harvest has been between 500 and 700 deer in four of the past six years.

Warm temperatures have been associated with lower urban portion harvests in the past. Temperature does not appear to have been a factor this year, since daytime highs ranged from the mid-50s to high 60s. Conservation Department Resource Scientist Jason Sumners says gusty wind and rain during the four-day hunt likely played a role in holding down this year’s urban harvest.

“No one likes to hunt in the rain, and windy weather makes it harder to detect deer movement,” says Sumners. “Considering the widespread rains we had during the urban hunt, this harvest is pretty good.”

Sumners said expanded archery hunting opportunities in many of Missouri’s urban communities, plus the hemorrhagic disease outbreak in 2012, have helped reduce deer numbers in some urban areas, and likely played a role in keeping the urban-portion harvest down.

Missouri’s firearms deer season consists of six portions, totaling 42 days. The remaining portions of Missouri’s firearms deer season are: early youth (Nov. 1-2), November (Nov. 15-25), antlerless (Nov. 26-Dec. 7), alternative methods (Dec. 20-30), and late youth (Jan. 3-4).

For more information about Missouri’s 2014-15 deer harvest, visit mdc.mo.gov/node/2613.

Poplar Bluff, Missouri - What little girl wouldn't want to be a princess for a day, especially with her Daddy?  No matter her age, dads can bring their daughters to the annual Father Daughter Ball set for Saturday evening in Poplar Bluff.

Hosted by the Poplar Bluff Masonic Lodge 209 AF & AM this year's event will be spectacular. 

"It's an event for fathers to spend more time with their daughters and their daughters are princesses for the day.  Each young lady will receive a tiara and t-shirt along with a special pumpkin carriage ride around the Aad Gratto," state Terry Yarbrough, one of the Youth Advisors for the Masonic Lodge.  A professional photographer will also be on hand taking photos.

"Last year was our first attempt at a Father Daughter Ball and we had an overwhelming response with 110 tickets sold.  This year's event we are practically sold out with 256 tickets available," continued Yarbrough.  "Our hopes are for next year to open it to other communities and fill a larger venue.  It's a fundraiser for our youth, but the real priority and most importantly of all it's for the daughters to have a very special evening with their fathers."

"Mama-razzi" will be posted out front in a special roped off section taking pictures of their handsome men and their lovely daughters as they walk the red carpet under a posted sword archway to an evening of glitz and glamor!   Steak and chicken dinner will be served along with baked potato, salad, drinks and desserts.  Music by Atom Entertainment with David Williams rocking the night away!

"Last year we had several military dads with daughters of all ages," stated Yarbrough.  "We had girls from 2 - 42 dancing with their dads and having a wonderful time.  It makes for  a special moment that they get to spend with their dads."

This year two lucky fathers and their daughters received a Cinderella Pumpkin Carriage ride from the Masonic Lodge to the Aad Gratto building. A drawing was held and the winners were Tate & Bailey Tayler along with their dad Travis and Trinity & Tangent Tuggle along with their dad Trampus.  Congratulations ladies you have the honor of riding with your dads to the Ball in a real Cinderella Pumpkin Carriage.

The 2nd Annual Father Daughter Ball will be Saturday, October 18th from 5 p.m. - 10 p.m. at the Three Rivers Shrine Club, 3102 Kennedy Lane.  All proceeds from the Ball will go to Masonic Youth Organizations of Poplar Bluff, the Shriners Hospital Transportation Fund and UCAN.  Divisions of the Youth Oranizations are the Divine Chapter Order of DeMolay, Poplar Bluff No. 115 International Order of Rainbow Girls ages 11-21, and Squires of the Round Table.

“There is such a need for girls to spend quality time with their fathers, and giving back to the community is so important to these youth groups,” stated Earnie Wilson, Secretary of the Poplar Bluff Masonic Lodge.

The evening of dining and dancing, with dads in tuxedos and daughters in gowns and tiaras, will provide a lifetime of memories to be cherished by all in attendance.

Jefferson City, Missouri - Recent heavy rains are hampering farmers' efforts to harvest a bumper grain crop. As muddy fields dry, Missourians must race to draw grain from the fields and get it to market.

At the request of Richard Fordyce, director of the Missouri Department of Agriculture, the Missouri Department of Transportation announced that Missouri grain haulers will be allowed to haul corn, soybeans and other grain crops at heavier than normal weights.

Private and for-hire motor carriers may carry up to 10 percent more than their licensed weight; however, the heavier loads are not allowed to use interstate highways.

Overweight permits are not required for these slightly overweight loads. All other traffic and motor carrier regulations that normally apply remain in place. This waiver is in effect immediately through midnight, Sunday, Dec. 14, 2014. While the waiver is in effect, participating motor carriers are limited to:

A loaded, gross weight no greater than ten percent (10%) above the gross licensed weight of the commercial motor vehicle

Transportation only within the State of Missouri

Drivers must obey all posted bridge weight limits

When crossing a bridge, the driver must restrict the vehicle speed to no more than thirty miles per hour (30 mph) and must center the truck between two lanes of the bridge.

The truck driver must yield to oncoming traffic, and travel on highways other than Missouri interstate highways.

No overweight travel is allowed on Missouri interstate highways.

All travelers are advised to visit the MoDOT Traveler Information Map at www.modot.org for up-to-date road closure information. For more information, call MoDOT Motor Carrier Services at 1-800-877-8499 between 7:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. Central time.