The future of white-tailed deer in Missouri depends upon the attitudes and decisions of the state's landowners. By making educated decisions about their land management practices, landowners help ensure that the whitetail will remain an integral part of Missouri's landscape.
The future of white-tailed deer in Missouri will be influenced by available habitat and food but, perhaps more important, by the attitudes of Missouri's landowners and citizens. Whitetail populations were high prior to settlement by immigrants. During the 1920s, populations were at all time lows. Today we have as many or more deer than during presettlement times.
The recovery of white-tailed deer in Missouri can be credited, in part, to grassroots movements that helped create a strong, less politically influenced Conservation Department, which tries to maintain deer numbers at levels that serve the best interest of the Missouri public.
Deer today are pursued by more than 400,000 firearm and archery deer hunters each fall. Many other deer enthusiasts shoot their trophy deer with cameras or simply enjoy viewing whitetails in their natural habitat.
Maintaining deer numbers to serve the pursuits of all deer enthusiasts, but not adversely impact agriculture or cause excessive automobile accidents, requires active public participation. Public opinion from surveys is necessary to determine appropriate deer densities for given areas. Annual hunting seasons provide recreation for deer hunters but are equally important to maintain deer densities at or near management goals.
The key to maintaining healthy deer populations compatible with human activities is to set reasonable population goals. Deer numbers must be maintained at levels that do not damage habitats or unnecessarily impact surrounding agricultural areas. These same principles used to manage the state's deer herd should be considered by individual deer managers.
We hope that throughout this publication we have provided information
and management philosophy that will enable landowners of 40 or
4,000 acres to make educated decisions when managing deer populations.
