and Regulation Changes
Jefferson City, Missouri - At its meeting on Dec. 11, the Missouri Conservation Commission approved recommendations by the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) for the 2016-2017 deer-hunting season and the 2016 turkey-hunting seasons. The recommendations include turkey-hunting and deer-hunting season dates, changes to turkey-hunting allowed methods, and changes to the deer-hunting season structure and allowed methods.
SPRING TURKEY HUNTING DATES
Spring Youth Portion: April 9 and 10, 2016
Spring Turkey Season: April 18 through May 8, 2016
FALL DEER AND TURKEY 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, 2016
DEER AND TURKEY HUNTING REGULATION CHANGES
The Commission approved the following regulations regarding deer and turkey hunting:
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.
Allow the use of crossbows during the fall firearms turkey season.
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.
Set the 2016 spring turkey season from April 18 through May 8 with a limit of two (2) bearded turkeys during the season; provided only one (1) turkey may be taken during the first seven (7) days of the season.
Set the 2016 youth spring season April 9 and 10.
Set the 2016 fall turkey hunting season from Oct. 1 through 31 with a limit of two (2) turkeys of either sex during the season.
The regulation changes will become effective March 2016.
The Commission initially approved the deer-hunting recommendations at its August 2015 public meeting followed by a public-comment period.
Changes to the deer-hunting season structure and methods come after Department efforts over the past 18 months to gather public input. That public input included hunter and landowner surveys, numerous public open houses around the state, community presentations, media communications, information in various MDC publications, discussions with conservation partner organizations, and other efforts.
The Department will also continue to gather public input through surveys and the MDC website in early 2016 on a variety of deer-hunting-related topics, including nonresident permits and prices.
The approved recommendations were also based on the Department’s use of deer population simulations, biological data, and harvest information.
"The goal of the Conservation Department's deer management program is to use research-based wildlife management combined with public input to maintain deer population levels throughout the state that provide quality recreational opportunities while minimizing human-deer conflicts," said MDC Deer Biologist Jason Sumners. "As deer populations in Missouri have changed over the last 75 years, so have our management strategies. In modifying the hunting-season structure, our aim is to achieve a deer population that is biologically and socially acceptable while also promoting hunter participation, recruitment, and retention."
DEER HUNTING IN MISSOURI
Missouri offers some of the best deer hunting in the country, and deer hunting is an important part of many Missourians' lives and family traditions. Deer hunting is also an important economic driver in Missouri and gives a $1 billion annual boost to the state and local economies.
According to MDC, more than 90 percent of land in Missouri is PRIVATELY owned so landowners are essential to creating and maintaining wildlife habitat on private land. The Department works with more than 25,000 landowners in Missouri to help them manage their land for wildlife, such as deer and turkey.
For more information on deer and turkey hunting, visit mdc.mo.gov and click on Hunting/Trapping on the MDC homepage.
The State Nursery provides mainly one-year-old bare-root seedlings with sizes varying by species. Seedlings varieties include pine, pecan, oak, dogwood, tulip poplar, cottonwood, sweetgum, cypress, birch, hickory, willow, persimmon, pawpaw, deciduous holly, redbud, wild plum, ninebark, witch hazel, serviceberry, mulberry, elderberry, and many others.
Seedlings are available in quantities of 10, 25, or 100 per species. Prices for seedling quantities range from $6-32 per bundle. Receive a 15-percent discount up to $20 off seedling orders with a Heritage Card. Orders can be placed until April 15, 2016. Orders will be shipped or can be picked up at the State Nursery from February through May. Quantities are limited so order early.
Find images and information on available items, and ordering information, in the Department’s 2015-2016 Seedling Order Form catalog. The catalog is available in the November issue of the Missouri Conservationist, at MDC regional offices and nature centers by calling the State Nursery at 573-674-3229.
In 1992, a group of bowhunters in Missouri began the program to share the deer they harvested with those less fortunate. Since then, Missouri hunters have donated more than 3.3 million pounds of venison to the needy through Share the Harvest. Last year nearly 4,000 hunters donated more than 212,000 pounds of venison.
The program is administered by the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC), the Conservation Federation of Missouri (CFM), and supported by numerous sponsors.
To participate, hunters simply take their harvested deer to one of more than 130 participating meat processors around the state and let the processor know how much venison they wish to donate to the program. Hunters can donate a few pounds to a whole deer. The processor will package the ground meat, which will be given to local charitable agencies for distribution to hungry Missourians.
The cost of processing is the hunter's responsibility, but funds are available to help with processing costs when a whole deer is donated. CFM reimburses processors a predetermined amount for each whole deer donated. This allows processors to reduce the processing fees to hunters. In addition, many processors have local funds available that allow deer to be processed for free or at reduced cost. Contact individual processors to determine if local funds are available.
To find participating processors pick up MDC's 2015 Fall Deer & Turkey Hunting Regulations and Information booklet at MDC offices and nature center, where hunting permits are sold, and online at mdc.mo.gov.
Puxico, Missouri - The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) has installed a new accessible hunting blind at Duck Creek Conservation Area (CA) for waterfowl hunters with disabilities. The blind, which is ready for use in the upcoming waterfowl seasons, is a final piece of renovations to the area.
“We want to help all people discover nature and this accessible duck blind is part of making that happen,” said Keith Cordell, manager of Duck Creek CA.
The ADA blind is in the south central corner of position 16 in Unit A. A paved walkway starts at a parking pad and descends toward the blind, which reaches out into the pool. The structure took an MDC construction crew about six weeks to build.
To make a reservation to use the blind, hunters may call the Southeast Regional Office at (573)290-5730 on or after Oct. 1. Once the season starts, the Duck Creek Office will manage availability of the blind and can be reached at (573)222-3337.
During the waterfowl season, if the blind isn't reserved by a hunter with disabilities, the position/blind will go into the morning draw and may be used by other hunters.
More information on accessible conservation and hunting areas can be found online at mdc.mo.gov or by calling the MDC’s Southeast Regional Office at (573)290-5730.
Advance, Missouri - On September 2, 2015 Dr. Brett Ward of Helping Hands Veterinary Clinic received a letter from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.
The letter states that an 8-week-old puppy from Bollinger County tested positive for RABIES on August 26, 2015. Because rabies in a domestic animal represents a serious and imminent public health threat, the Missouri Dept. of Health and Senior Services placed Bollinger County under a RABIES ALERT!
The puppy belonged to a resident of Bollinger County and was one of a litter of four. Around July 20th of this year a skunk was observed under the front porch of the owner’s home where the puppies and their mother were located.
Skunks are known carrier of Rabies in Missouri and it is presumed that’s how the puppy was infected. The puppies were adopted to three families and on August 21st the puppy in question became sick, was subsequently euthanized and submitted to the Missouri State Public Health laboratory for rabies testing.
A positive rabies test resulted on August 26th whereby 12 people who had contact with the puppy were notified and are receiving anti-rabies series of shots.
The remaining puppies were euthanized and tested negative. As you know, these results do not mean that the puppies were not infected with the rabies virus. Instead, the results indicate that since there was no rabies virus in the brain, there was also no rabies virus in the saliva. Therefore, these puppies could not have infected anyone who came in contact with them.
With that being said, the three puppies where not infectious when tests were performed, however they could have gone on to develop rabies over the next several months and become infectious at that time.
No one wants to have puppies euthanized, but this option must be employed at times to protect the health of the public according to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.
According to the MDHSS, RABIES occurs naturally in Missouri wild animals and occasionally in domestic animals. In 2014, a total of 27 rabid animals were detected. They included 9 skunks, 16 bats, and 2 cats. Missouri has averaged about 50 rabid animals per year over the past ten years. The main animals were bats and skunks. Statewide to date in 2015, a total of 21 rabid animals have been detected, including 13 bats, 6 skunks, and 2 dogs.
Please be responsible and vaccinate your dogs and cats against rabies. It serves as a buffer between the wildlife reservoir and the human population. Two individuals have died in recent years from rabies in Missouri.
See your local Veterinarian for RABIES vaccinations immediately. Most cities and counties have ordinances that require the vaccination annually.
If you need to get your pet vaccinated please contact your local Veterinarian. Dr. Brett Ward with Helping Hands Veterinary Clinic will be glad to schedule you an appointment as soon as possible. To contact them call (573) 321-2021.
