Introduction
Each
year, thousands of hunters go deer hunting for the first time. This guide
is intended to help first-time hunters enjoy the sport and improve their
chances of getting a deer. Successful old-timers have already discovered
and used most of these techniques. They may even disagree with some of
them and probably have worked out other techniques of their own.
Missouri's deer management program has come a long way since the season reopened in 1944 after an extended closure. That year, 7,557 hunters took 583 deer during a two-day, bucks-only season in 20 southern Missouri counties. In recent years, more than 475,000 gun and bow hunters typically harvest around 300,000 deer annually during statewide seasons. Missourians can take pride in the widespread restoration of this major wildlife species.
Successful deer management requires flexibility in response to changing conditions. The white-tailed deer is strongly affected by hunter pressure; populations can be under-harvested or overharvested. The penalties for either are great. With underharvest, extensive crop damage, overuse of range, and increased deer-vehicle accidents may result. Overharvest means several years of slow recovery, especially in Ozark habitat where forage quality is lower. Successful management is maintaining the delicate harvest balance.
Many tools are necessary to accomplish this balancing act. For example, county-level deer management is based on habitat type, deer populations and hunter pressure.
Quota management, a way of rationing deer harvest, is another useful tool. In Missouri, hunter numbers are not limited, but antlerless deer are rationed in most counties. An allowable take of does is calculated and the proper number of antlerless permits that can be used by each hunter is established for each county to accomplish the desired harvest.
Back in the 1950s and early '60s, Missouri had short any-deer seasons. As hunting pressure increased, this type of management became outdated because harvest of does could not be controlled. Today, the firearms deer hunting season is composed of different portions that provide the varied hunting opportunity requested by Missourians. The current season structure accommodates different hunting methods and styles, and also specific user groups. Consequently, it satisfies the great demand for deer hunting without harming the resource, and also provides multiple weekends of hunting opportunity for those who cannot hunt on weekdays.
