December 2004

Cook smart to keep venison moist and tasty

Venison can be tender and delicious with the right recipes. The Swiss steak shown here combines slow, moist cooking with robust-flavored, tenderizing ingredients to transform meat from old bucks into gourmet fare. Missouri Dept. of Conservation photo)

Try these recipes to ensure your venison dishes are delights, not disappointments.

JEFFERSON CITY--Ask someone who doesn't like venison why, and they are almost certain to say it is tough or that it has a "gamey" taste. It doesn't have to be that way.

Firearms deer hunters checked a record 273,905 deer this year. By the time Missouri's archery season closes Jan. 15, the total harvest will exceed 300,000, setting the table for millions of venison meals in the coming months.

Much of that meat will end up as sausage, jerky or ground venison for chili, spaghetti and stroganoff. The remainder will turn up on tables as steaks, roasts, loins and cutlets. With the right preparation, these cuts can be as mild as veal and as tender as a beef pot roast.

Know Your Venison

The first key to venison cookery is understanding that deer meat has no internal fat. Deer deposit fat under their skin and inside their abdomens. Their muscle tissue is free of the fat "marbling" that sets prime beef apart from lower grades.

This is good, since deer fat has a strong flavor and an unpleasant, waxy consistency. It also is good for people who have to limit their fat consumption.

However this also means that venison doesn't benefit from internal basting while cooking. To keep venison juicy, you have to preserve its natural moisture or supply extra water and fat. When someone tells you that the venison they have eaten was tough, it usually means it was fried or roasted too long without added moisture.

The other thing you need to know about venison before you begin cooking is the age and sex of the deer it came from. The older the deer, the tougher the meat. Venison from yearling deer (about 18 months old) is tender and has a mild flavor. Venison from fawns (about six months old) is similar to veal.

The sex of deer is important to cooks because mature bucks undergo a remarkable transformation each autumn in preparation for mating. Steroid-like male hormones cause bucks' neck muscles to swell, making them look a little like defensive linemen. They develop a musky smell, too, and their meat takes on a stronger flavor.

The older and bigger the buck and the more active it is in mating, the more pronounced the "gamey" flavor. However, such meat can still produce excellent meals in the right recipes.

The quality of venison also varies widely depending on the care it receives. A deer that is field dressed carefully and promptly after being shot and then kept clean and cool until it goes in the freezer will yield good meat. Shoddy care can compromise the quality of even the best deer carcass.

Handle with Care

One way to ensure against toughness is to cook tender cuts fast and serve them rare. An example is cooking tenderloins--the best of all cuts--in an oven preheated to 450 degrees. The intense heat sears the outside of the meat, locking in juices and flavor. Cooking time depends on the thickness of the loin. For best results it should be pink in the middle. Loins from young deer cooked this way are five-star fare.

You can get similar results by sautéing half-inch slices of loin in a little butter or olive oil. Cook them just until they are lightly browned on each side. The key is not cooking them any longer than absolutely necessary.

The other way to prevent tough, dry venison is to cook with moist heat. In the case of old deer, pressure cooking or canning may be the best option. For average cuts, nothing beats slow cooking in a cast-iron Dutch oven.

These throwbacks to pioneer times have tight-fitting lids that seal in moisture. Put a layer of vegetables, such as carrots, in the bottom with your choice of seasoning and a little water and arrange 3/4-inch thick venison steaks on top. Cooking at low heat for several hours produces fork-tender meat with pan drippings for gravy.

Dutch oven cooking can be done in a kitchen stove or over coals in the fireplace. If you don't have a Dutch oven, a crock pot will serve the same purpose.

Venison from gamey bucks is best used in highly seasoned recipes. A classic is Swiss steak. Tomato sauce and cooking sherry tenderize the meat, and these and other robust aromas blend to make the flavor of the meat less noticeable.

Smoking or barbecuing also can enhance the flavor of venison from older bucks. Bass Pro Shops--a Missouri Company--sells a sausage seasoning mix that turns ground venison from older bucks into a savory treat.

When working with tougher, stronger-tasting venison, consider using one of several commercial rubs and seasoned salts made in Missouri. These include Andy's Seasoned Salt (Andy's Seasoning, Inc. St. Louis, (www.andysseasoning.com), My House Salt (My House Seasonings, http://www.myhousesalt.com) and Old World Steak Dry Rub and Marinade (Old World Seasonings, Kansas City, (www.oldworldspices.com).

You can reduce gamey flavor by soaking cuts from big, old bucks overnight in salt water to draw out as much blood as possible. This works best when the meat is in thin cuts, such as steaks. To reduce gaminess even more, soak venison in white vinegar for an hour before cooking.

Here are some recipes to get you started. You can find more in the classic "Cy Littlebee's Guide to Cooking Fish and Game," available at Conservation Nature Centers statewide or from The Nature Shop online, http://www.mdcnatureshop.com.

Dutch Oven Doe

2 pounds venison steaks
8 oz beef stock
1 pound peeled carrots
4 tsp. Andy's Seasoned Salt
6 celery stalks
2 cups bread crumbs
2 medium onions, chopped
4 oz bacon
4 oz. can mushrooms
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
3 Tbsp. olive oil or butter

Combine bread crumbs and seasoned salt. Dredge steaks in salt/crumb mixture and set aside. Fry bacon in a 12-inch Dutch oven. Add onion and sauté until soft. Remove onions and set aside. Add olive oil to pot and fry steaks until brown on both sides. Remove meat and set aside. Put celery and carrots in bottom of oven. Add beef stock and liquid from mushrooms. Arrange steaks on top of vegetables, top with mushrooms and sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 300 degrees until tender, 2-4 hours.

Hat-rack Buck Swiss Steak

4 pounds venison round steak cut into serving-sized pieces
4 Tbsp shortening
1 tsp. MSG
salt & pepper
1 cup flour
4 Tsp catsup
2 tsp. paprika
2 cans tomato soup
2 cloves chopped garlic
16 oz. canned mushrooms with liquid
2 oz. cooking sherry

Combine flour, salt, pepper, MSG and paprika. Press steaks into flour, then put on a cutting board and work flour mixture into meat with a tenderizing mallet or the edge of a heavy plate. Melt shortening in a skillet and brown steaks. Put meat in a shallow, covered casserole pan. Combine remaining ingredients and pour over meat. Cover and cook 1 hour at 325 degrees.

Button Buck Scallopini

2 pounds young venison loin
4 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
4 chopped green onions
1 tsp. dry rosemary
8 ounces canned mushrooms
1/2 tsp. dry thyme
8 oz. tomato sauce
1/2 tsp. fennel seed
4 oz. dry white wine
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. red pepper flakes (optional)
1 cup flour
salt & pepper
2 Tbsp. butter

Saute onions and parsley in olive oil until tender. Add tomato sauce, mushrooms (with liquid), rosemary, thyme, fennel seed, garlic powder and (if desired) pepper flakes. Simmer for 20 minutes. Slice loin into 1/2-inch cutlets. Mix flour, salt and pepper. Roll loin in flour and brown slices in a skillet with butter. Add sauce and simmer for 10 minutes. Add wine and simmer another 10 minutes. Serve with warm garlic bread or focaccia bread.

- Jim Low -

Christmas trees have many post-holiday uses

With a little creative thinking, you can turn your Christmas tree from a problem into an asset.

JEFFERSON CITY -- The best thing about a natural Christmas tree is the smell. The worst thing is disposing of it when the holidays are over. It doesn't have to be a problem, though. The Missouri Department of Conservation has several ideas for turning old Christmas trees into fish and wildlife assets.

One easy option is to turn old Christmas trees into bird feeders. Birds like to have protection from predators and weather while eating. Hanging food items in an old Christmas tree gives birds a sense of security while they eat.

Place the tree near a window so you can watch. You can leave it in the stand you used inside, a bucket of sand or bury the trunk a few inches in the soil. Then "decorate" it with strings of popped popcorn or cranberries.

Cutting beef suet into half-inch cubes and stringing them between the cranberries creates a bright contrast while providing a food item that nuthatches and woodpeckers will adore.

Fruit-eating birds appreciate hand-me-downs from your refrigerator. Apples or oranges that are past their prime make a feast for waxwings, bluebirds, robins and mockingbirds.

You can also cut apples into wedges and string them with needle and thread, alternating with raisins or Cheerios. When you're finished scooping sections out of a grapefruit, fill it with corn or sunflower seeds and hang it from a limb. Carrots and other vegetables add color and nutritional variety.

Don't throw out stale bread. Use a cookie cutter to make festive shapes and hang them on the tree with thread. Old doughnuts or bagels can be hung on the tree just as they are. Edible "ornaments" can be made by smearing peanut butter on pine cones and rolling them in sunflower seeds.

Another idea is combining equal parts of melted suet with corn syrup. Cool the mixture and form into balls before rolling in a commercial bird seed mix.

Your tree still has value, even when the food is gone. You can build a rabbit condo in your back yard by collecting neighbors' trees and piling them two-deep.

A brush pile built with Christmas trees should be placed on large rocks, logs or other bulky material to leave open space for small animals to move around underneath. Augment the Christmas tree with branches pruned from trees throughout the year.

If brushpiles don't fit your landscape plan, let the tree dry in the back yard for a week or two, then shake off the needles and remove the branches with pruning shears. These make excellent kindling for your fireplace. The left-over trunk will make a good tomato stake for your garden next spring.

You can also use your Christmas tree underwater. Brush piles that are built properly and placed in favorable locations provide excellent fish habitat. Fish will linger there, making them easier to find with rod and reel.

Don't sink your tree too deep. To do the most good, underwater brush piles should be placed in 5 to 10 feet of water, and the top of the pile should be only 2 to 4 feet underwater.

Some areas are naturally attractive to fish. Your underwater brush pile will be most effective if you build it in a sheltered cove or where a point of land juts into the water. Another natural fish gathering point is where a gently sloping bottom takes a sudden drop-off into an old creek channel. In small ponds, the corners near dams are fish magnets, too.

Anchor fish attractors with concrete blocks or coffee cans filled with rocks. Polypropylene rope, plastic banding or aluminum wire are the best materials for tying trees to weights. Where possible, place groups of three fish attractors in a triangle.

You'll be glad you recycled your tree when you catch a nice crappie over your fish attractor or watch a flock of cedar waxwings feeding at your outdoor Christmas tree.

-Jim Low-

Strong antlerless harvest pushes 2004 firearms deer season over the top

Hunters killed 934 fewer deer during the Antlerless Portion of the 2004 Firearms Deer Season. However record harvests in the Urban, Youth, November and Muzzleloader portions pushed the 2004 season total to a record of 273,905.(Missouri Dept. of Conservation photo)

Hunters checked 24,217 deer in the nine-day Antlerless Portion of Firearms Deer Season, pushing the total 2004 firearms deer harvest to a record.

JEFFERSON CITY--Plentiful deer, plentiful permits and more days of hunting than ever before combined to produce a record harvest of 273,905 in Missouri's 2004 firearms deer hunting season.

The figure is 19,538 more than the previous record, set last year. Hunters also had one of the safest deer seasons on record, with seven non-fatal firearms-related hunting accidents and one fatality reported. The lone fatality resulted from an accidentally self-inflicted gunshot wound.

This year's firearms deer season consisted of five portions totaling 36 days. Last year's firearms season ran 34 days in five segments. Hunters killed 934 fewer deer during the Antlerless Portion of Firearms Deer Season this year than in 2003. However, record harvests in the other four portions of Firearms Deer Season propelled the 2004 harvest to a record.

The earliest part of this year's season was the Urban Portion, which took place in 11 counties around St. Louis, Kansas City, Springfield and the Columbia/Jefferson City area. The Urban Portion was four days, two days longer than last year. Hunters checked 1,955 deer during the Urban Portion Oct. 8 through 11, up from 1,864 in 2003. No hunting accidents were reported.

Next came the Youth Portion Nov. 6 and 7. Hunters age 6 through 15 checked 13,466 deer without a reported hunting accident. That was up from 9,054 last year.

The bulk of the deer harvest came during the November Portion of Firearms Deer Season Nov. 13 through 23. Hunters checked 222,329 deer during the 11-day hunt. The previous record of 217,435 was set in 2002. The Conservation Department recorded seven nonfatal hunting accidents during the November Portion of the 2004 Firearms Deer Season.

The Muzzleloader Portion Nov. 26 through Dec. 5 saw another 11,938 deer checked. That was up slightly from 2003, when muzzleloader hunters checked 11,131 deer. This year, the muzzleloader season saw one fatal hunting accident.

The Antlerless Portion Dec. 11-19 closed out the season with 24,217 deer killed, compared to 25,151 last year. No hunting accidents were reported during the antlerless hunt this year.

This year's total of seven nonfatal and one fatality for all five portions of Firearms Deer Season are below the 25-year averages of 11.6 and 1.6, respectively.

Hunter Education Program Coordinator Rick Flint noted that with more than 480,000 permit holders, the state's deer hunting accident rate is .0017 percent, or one accident per 60,000 hunters.

"Deer hunting today has an excellent safety record compared to the past," said Flint. "You can't feel good about any season when someone is hurt or killed, but the long-term trend is very encouraging. Our goal is a season with no accidents."

The fewest firearms hunting accidents ever recorded during Missouri's firearms deer season was in 2000, when two people were injured and two killed. The most ever recorded--25 nonfatal and one fatal--was in 1986.

Flint attributed the improvement in deer hunting safety to hunter education. Every hunter born on or after Jan. 1, 1967, unless hunting on a Youth Deer and Turkey Hunting Permit, must have completed an approved hunter education program in Missouri or another state and show their hunter education certificate card to buy any firearms hunting permit. Hunter education classes place a strong emphasis on safety, and the decline in deer and other types of hunting accidents parallels the implementation of mandatory hunter education.

Pike County led antlerless season harvest totals with 827 deer checked. Second was Boone County with 816 followed by Macon with 730.
Regional harvest totals for the antlerless hunt were: Northeast, 5,064; Northwest, 4,258; Central, 3,726; Kansas City, 2,608; Southwest, 2,225; St. Louis, 1,240; and Ozark, 174. No counties in the Southeast Region were open to hunting during the antlerless portion of the firearms deer season.

Hunters checked 4,922 deer by telephone during the antlerless hunt, using the new Telecheck system. These are included in statewide harvest numbers but not regional totals.

Conservation Commission expands fall turkey season, leaves spring season unchanged

Missouri's spring turkey season remains unchanged, but hunters will get an extra two weeks to hunt in the fall.

JEFFERSON CITY-The Missouri Conservation Commission has approved 2005 spring turkey hunting regulations identical to this year's, but it more than doubled the length of the fall turkey hunting season and liberalized fall bag limit regulations slightly.

At its December meeting in Jefferson City, the Commission set the 2005 spring turkey hunting season for April 18 through May 8, with a youth hunt the preceding weekend, April 9 and 10. This season, along with bag limits and other regulations, are the same as in recent years.

The Commission approved a month-long 2005 Fall Firearms Turkey Hunting Season from Oct. 1 through Oct. 31. Previous years' fall turkey seasons ran 14 days, starting on the second Monday in October.

The Commission left the total bag limit for the fall season at two birds of either sex. However, it voted to allow hunters to take both birds on the same day. Previously, hunters could take only one bird per day.

The Conservation Department's Regulations Committee recommended the longer fall season. According to the committee's report, the fall harvest in recent years has been much less than 5 percent of the state's wild turkey population. The committee said hunters could take twice as many turkeys in the fall without affecting future turkey numbers or the quality of spring turkey hunting.

The Commission approved the changes with the understanding that the Conservation Department's staff will carefully track hunter participation in the expanded fall hunt and the fall turkey harvest through surveys and harvest reports. They will re-evaluate the changes if the fall harvest reaches 50 percent of the previous spring gobbler harvest or if a majority of turkey hunters are unsatisfied with their fall turkey hunting experience.

Sixty-four percent of spring and fall turkey hunters surveyed by the Conservation Department favored a longer fall season. Seventy-four percent said they favored changing the bag limit.

Resource Scientist Jeff Beringer said the Conservation Department is taking a cautious approach to liberalizing fall turkey hunting regulations.

"Missouri has always had a very conservative turkey management approach," said Beringer. "The idea has been to offer the most hunting opportunity possible while ensuring that liberalizations don't hurt overall turkey numbers. That is one of the reasons Missouri leads the nation in turkey harvest today. These changes in the fall season are consistent with that conservative approach."

-Jim Low-

Agencies survey recreational users on White River lakes

Selected visitors to Bull Shoals, Table Rock and Norfork lakes will be asked to take part in a recreational survey between now and next fall. Information from the anonymous survey will help state and federal agencies manage the lakes and public access facilities.(Missouri Dept. of Conservation photo)

State and federal partners need anglers', pleasure boaters' and other recreational users' help in planning for better management.

THEODOSIA, Mo.--Anglers, boaters and other recreationists at three lakes on the Missouri-Arkansas border are being asked a few questions as they end their days on the water. The information they provide will help state and federal agencies manage the lakes and public access facilities better.

Since mid-October, workers with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have been conducting random exit surveys at Bull Shoals, Table Rock and Norfork lakes. The surveys will continue until next October.

The Missouri Department of Conservation is conducting the survey in cooperation with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and the Corps of Engineers. The purpose is to learn when, where and how people use the lakes. The information will help all three agencies plan management activities, such as fish stocking and construction of new public recreation areas.

Survey clerks are clearly identified with orange jackets or vests. The survey takes approximately three minutes to complete. Participation is voluntary, and all information is anonymous.

Since 1989, the Conservation Department has conducted more than 95 surveys to learn Missourians' recreational preferences. The current survey gives visitors a voice in shaping future lake management policies and programs.

To learn more about this project, visit www.ozarklakes.info. Questions about the survey can be sent to Sammy.F.Franco@erdc.usace.army.mil.

- Jim Low -

Lifetime permit winners span the generations

One of the Conservation Partner Permits went to an 11-year-old first-time permit buyer, the other to a retiree.

JEFFERSON CITY-Two hunters, one at the very beginning of his permit-buying years and the other at the other end of a long and rewarding hunting career, recently learned they will never have to buy a Missouri fishing or small-game hunting permit again.

Matthew Self, 11, and Charles Hulsey, 72, were the two lucky deer hunters in the Missouri Conservation Heritage Foundation's (MCHF) drawing for two Lifetime Conservation Partner Permits. MCHF is an independent, nonprofit organization created to promote awareness and public support of Conservation Department programs. Only Missouri residents who obtained 2004 deer hunting permits by midnight Nov. 5 had a shot at the permits.

The cost of Resident Lifetime Conservation Partner Permits depends on the buyer's age. The price is highest ($800) for those age 16 through 29. As an incentive to buy lifetime permits for younger hunters, the Conservation Department offers the conservation partner permit to hunters and anglers age 15 and younger for $550.

Self, who lives in Newton County, registered for the drawing when buying his first deer hunting permit. He was understandably delighted when told that he will never have to buy a permit to fish in Missouri or to hunt birds and other game except deer and turkeys.

It will be a few years before Self needs his lifetime permit. The Wildlife Code of Missouri allows hunters and anglers under age 16 to fish and hunt (but not trap) wildlife except deer and turkey without a permit if they have a valid hunter education certificate card or are accompanied by a licensed adult hunter.

In contrast, Hulsey, who lives on six acres near Troy, already is past the need for most permits. Missouri residents 65 and older may fish and hunt (but not trap) wildlife except deer and turkeys without permits.

People 60 years and older can buy Resident Lifetime Conservation Partner Permits for $70. Hulsey's lifetime permit exempts him from buying an annual migratory bird hunting permit ($6) to hunt doves, ducks and geese or a trout permit ($7) to catch and keep trout.

Conservation Department Business and Support Services Supervisor Greg Jones said for some older Missourians, the main reason for buying lifetime permits is prestige.

"When we first began offering lifetime permits, the conservation partner permit sold for $800 regardless of age," said Jones. "Even then, some people over age 65 bought them."

Hulsey, a retired mechanical engineer, has hunted deer for 38 years and still has not shot his first deer. He said he would love to tag a deer, but he is not in any hurry.

"I have had several chances, but each time there has been a safety concern," said Hulsey. "This year, if you can believe it, I was hunting in my woods on opening morning and around 8:30 or 8:45 a 10-point buck walked out on my left from around the side of my barn. I looked at him through my rifle scope, and right behind him I could see my neighbor's bedroom window, so I let him go. As much as I would love to have a deer, I won't endanger people's lives over it."

Hulsey has had several similar experiences over the years. However, he said he has never won anything before, so he has his hopes up this year.

"I have another chance during the antlerless season. Maybe this will be my lucky year."

MCHF held the lifetime permit drawing as an incentive for hunters to buy deer permits early. The idea was to head off potential computer problems from a last-minute permit buying rush before the firearms deer season opener. The agency also gave away framed wildlife art prints to five runners up in the drawing.

To learn more about the conservation partner permit and the Resident Lifetime Small Game Hunting Permit, check the 2004 Summary of Missouri Hunting and Trapping Regulations, available wherever hunting permits are sold, or visit www.wildlifelicense.com/mo/.

-Jim Low-

Muzzleloader hunters keep up deer harvest pace

Hunters checked 11,938 deer during Missouri's muzzleloader deer hunt Nov. 26 through Dec. 5. That tops last year's record by 807 and keeps the 2004 firearms deer season on pace for a record. (Missouri Dept. of Conservation photo)

Plentiful deer, plentiful permits and increasing popularity of black-powder hunting contributed to a new muzzleloader deer harvest record.

JEFFERSON CITY--Missouri's muzzleloader deer hunters kept up the pace set by those carrying modern firearms, shooting a record 11,938 deer during the muzzleloader deer season Nov. 26 through Dec. 5.

The 2004 muzzleloader deer harvest topped last year's record by 807. Howell County led the state with 256 deer checked, followed by Oregon County with 212 and Franklin County with 211. However, these figures could change when deer checked using the new Telecheck system are added.

Regional totals, also without Telecheck numbers, are: Ozark, 1,516; Central, 1,440; Northeast, 1,224; Southwest, 1,160; Southeast, 978; St. Louis, 938; Northwest, 923; and Kansas City, 795.

The Missouri Department of Conservation recorded one firearms-related hunting accident during the muzzleloader season. That accident was fatal.

The 10-day Muzzleloader Portion is the second-longest segment of Missouri's 36-day firearms deer season. However, only about 3 percent of Missouri hunters take part in the muzzleloader hunt. They kill less than one-tenth the numbers taken during the 11-day November portion, when hunters have their choice of modern guns, muzzleloaders or bows. This year's November deer harvest topped 220,000.

Hunters have taken more than 249,000 deer in the Urban, Youth, November and Muzzleloader portions of this year's Firearms Deer Season. That is approximately 12,000 more than last year.

Conservation Department Resource Scientist Lonnie Hansen said several factors have contributed to the harvest increase.

"The harvest was down in areas where the new antler restriction went into effect this year," said Hansen. "But the availability of unlimited antlerless permits in much of the state apparently more than made up the difference. More and more people are taking advantage of the muzzleloader season every year, and that contributes to the increased harvest, too."

Missouri's fast-growing Share the Harvest program, which encourages hunters to donate venison to food banks, also may be a factor in the continued growth of Missouri's deer harvest. The effort is cosponsored by the Conservation Federation of Missouri, the Conservation Department, Bass Pro Shops and Shelter Insurance. However, the real work is done by local programs around the state. Each involves a local sponsor and a meat processor. In many cases, local donors put up cash to pay all or part of the cost of meat processing for hunters who donate whole deer. This makes donating meat easier for hunters.

"There are quite a few people who love to hunt deer but don't need more than one deer for their own use," said Hansen. "Share the Harvest gives them a reason to keep hunting, and it's a very good reason."
Missouri's nine-day Antlerless Portion of Firearms Deer Season runs from Dec. 11 through 19. Last year, hunters killed 25,151 deer during this hunt. Hansen said he would not be surprised if the harvest during this last segment tops 30,000. With the addition of the archery deer kill, which is expected to top 30,000, the total 2004 deer harvest could exceed 300,000 for the first time.

The basic characteristics of muzzleloaders haven't changed in 200 years. Modern gun hunters use factory-made cartridges that combine bullet, powder and primer in one compact, convenient package. Muzzleloader hunters must pour powder down the barrels of their weapons, ram a bullet down on top of the powder and then put a percussion cap on the firing mechanism or place a small charge of fine black powder into the flash pan in the case of flintlocks.

These days, fans of traditional muzzleloaders like those used by explorers and pioneers are a minority. Most hunters opt for guns that look and handle like modern firearms. Advances in bullets, propellants and primers make newfangled muzzleloaders perform more like modern rifles. However, all muzzleloader hunters, whether they wield traditional flintlocks with iron sights or modern versions with chrome barrels and telescopic sights, get only one shot before they have to reload.

Surprisingly, technological disadvantages don't limit muzzleloader hunters' success. The success rate for muzzleloader hunters is about the same as that of modern firearms hunters. This is partly because they get more hunting days than modern firearms hunters. Also, many of those who hunt with muzzle-loading rifles are seasoned hunters who switched to front-loaders to renew the hunting challenge or to experience hunting as Daniel Boone did.

- Jim Low -

Gift shopping easy, fast at The Nature Shop

You will find everything from books to jewelry at the Conservation Department's online gift shop.

JEFFERSON CITY-Missourians with last-minute holiday shopping challenges might want to think natural. The Missouri Department of Conservation's Nature Shop has a wide variety of reasonably priced gift possibilities.

The 2005 Natural Events Calendar ($5) will keep lucky recipients in touch with seasonal happenings from bird nesting to meteor showers.

For children, The Nature Shop has a special deal on the recently released book, "Fox in the Forest." The colorful book for ages 2 and up introduces young readers to a variety of animals through the adventures of a curious young fox. Through Dec. 31 the book is available at a 20 percent discount for $6.40.

Does someone on your shopping list have a fondness for wildlife and jewelry? They might like a colorful hummingbird pin ($12) or a pewter likeness of a butterfly, wood duck, bobwhite quail, bald eagle or a dozen other plant and animal designs ($5). There are earrings, too, ranging from gold frogs to dragonflies that seem to hover in midair ($3.50).

For the history buff, you might pick a Lewis and Clark bicentennial commemorative medallion ($4).

The Nature Shop has a wide selection of nature-related books, including field guides to plants and animals, how-to guides to growing wildflowers, natural journals, cookbooks, hiking and paddling guides and Missouri Conservationist nature photographer Jim Rathert's plush new "In Focus" photography collection.

For the child in everyone, there is a selection of computer games, audio and video tapes and CDs covering everything from Ozark history to bird, frog and insect calls.

Sweatshirts, polo shirts and children's t-shirts with conservation themes round out the gift selection. Shipping and handling charges, along with sales tax where applicable, are added to all orders.

To browse The Nature Shop's many offerings, visit www.mdcnatureshop.com/mdc.cgi. You can order online or call toll-free 877/521-8632. To request a catalog, write to MDC Nature Shop, P.O. Box 180, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0180, or publications.staff@mdc.mo.gov.

-Jim Low-

November firearms deer harvest tops 220,000

2004 Firearms Deer Harvest Total

Antler-based harvest restrictions in 29 counties didn't stop Missouri from setting a new record for the November firearms deer harvest.

JEFFERSON CITY--Hunters shot a record 222,329 deer during the November Segment of Missouri's 2004 Firearms Deer Season Nov. 13 through 23. The new record topped the previous high mark by 4,894.

Favorable weather both weekends during the November hunt probably was a key factor in the record-setting deer harvest.

"The season got off to a record-setting pace," said Missouri Department of Conservation Resource Scientist Lonnie Hansen. "The weather was cool but not cold, and there was no rain. The next weekend was a little warmer, but still excellent hunting weather. Hunters responded by staying in the woods and harvesting lots of deer."

Hunters set a blistering pace on the opening weekend, bringing 133,136 deer to check stations in just two days. That was 5,885 more than the previous opening-weekend record, set in 2002. The pace slowed to normal after that.

Last year's November firearms deer harvest was 207,516. The previous record, set in 2002, was 217,435.

The Conservation Department recorded seven firearms-related deer hunting accidents during the November hunt. None was fatal. That is an improvement from last year, when 10 people were injured and two killed in deer-hunting accidents. At least five of this year's firearms deer hunting injuries were self-inflicted.

All three of the state's top deer harvest counties topped the 4,000 mark for the first time this year. Those counties are Howell, with 4,401 deer checked during the November hunt, Callaway with 4,107 and Texas with 4,072.

This year's November deer harvest was down in some of the 29 counties where antler restrictions are being tested. In those counties, antlered deer must have at least four points on one side to be legal.

In northwest Missouri, where 13 of 18 counties had the antler restriction this year, the harvest was 31,507. Last year, hunters there checked 34,884.

The antler restriction did not cause harvest decreases in every county, however. Franklin County, which led the St. Louis region last year with 3,552 deer taken, posted an increase this year and came in first in regional totals again with 3,693.

Hansen said a slight decrease in the total number of deer taken in some counties is not necessarily a setback for the goal of controlling deer numbers.

"You can harvest fewer deer and still get better population control if antlerless deer make up a larger share of the harvest," said Hansen. "Does are the key to controlling deer numbers."

Hansen said that with the harvest from the ongoing muzzleloader and antlerless segments of firearms deer season still to be tallied, the harvest in the 29 test counties could finally measure up to 2002, with a substantial increase in does taken.

The number of firearms deer permits issued so far this year is 133,385 more than last year's total firearms deer permit sales. Permits will continue to be sold through the Muzzleloader Segment of Firearms Deer season Nov. 26 through Dec. 5 and the Antlerless Segment of Firearms Deer Season Dec. 11 through 19.

So far, firearms deer permit sales total $8.9 million. Nonresident permits account for 3 percent of the permits and 25 percent of the revenue from permit sales.

- Jim Low -

Commission to meet Dec. 17 in Jefferson City

ST. LOUIS, Mo– The Missouri Conservation Commission will meet Dec. 16 and 17 at Conservation Department Headquarters, 2901 W. Truman Blvd., Jefferson City.

The Commission will meet in executive session on Dec. 16 and in open session at 8:30 a.m. Dec. 17.

Commission meetings are open to the public. Items to be placed on the agenda for presentations or other business should be sent in writing to Director, Missouri Department of Conservation, P.O. Box 180, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0180; fax 573/751-4467, at least 10 working days before the meeting date.

People requiring special services or accommodations to attend the meeting can make arrangements by writing to the same address, or by phone at 573/751-4115.

Commissioners are: Cynthia Metcalfe, St. Louis, chairman; Anita B. Gorman, Kansas City, vice-chairman; Lowell Mohler, Jefferson City, secretary; and Stephen C. Bradford, Cape Girardeau, member.

- Jim Low -