This year’s antlerless harvest is 789 fewer than last year. Top harvest counties for the 12-day antlerless season were Benton with 394 deer checked, Pike with 390 and Macon with 378. So far this year, firearms deer hunters have killed 221,490 deer. That is up 4,209 from the same time last year.

Jo Schaper photo

Two portions of Missouri’s firearms deer season remain. The muzzleloader portion runs from Dec. 17 through 27, and the late youth portion is Jan. 7 and 8.

Besides increasing hunting opportunities, the antlerless season gives landowners a way of regulating local deer numbers by allowing hunters to remove female deer from the population.

Missouri’s estimated population of 1.4 million whitetails enables hunters to shoot more than 250,000 deer each year. That yields approximately 10 million pounds of venison. Hunters consume most of this meat. However, hunters donate more than 250,000 pounds of venison annually to local food banks and other charities through the Share the Harvest program.

Wild venison has less fat than organic, free range beef, which sells for anywhere from $7 a pound for ground meat, to $30 for steaks. That puts the food value of Missouri’s white-tailed deer resource in the neighborhood of $200 million per year. Missouri’s deer resource also supports 11,000-plus jobs and generates more than $1 billion in business activity annually.

Economic value aside, deer hunting is a cherished tradition that draws thousands of Missouri natives back home to share healthful outdoor pursuits.
(MDC news release.)

Jim Donley with an 8-point buck killed in Warren County

In the first, Gary Hart got a spike buck Nov. 15. Gary, who is also a trapper, hunts for meat. He told his story on Nov. 16 at the cave club meeting– while in his deer stand, he noticed a crow behaving oddly. After he located his kill, he walked to where the crow kept flying down, and found a 10-point buck killed a day or so earlier, with no blood trail. One thing he found odd about the older dead deer was that the antlers were covered with ticks, but they weren’t noticeable on the body.

In the second, Jim Donley, also a caver, got a nice 8-point buck– his first in several years of hunting. Donley claims not to like deer meat so after checking it, he gave it to some people he knows in the area who he knows eat wild game year round.

Congrats to both men.

Nov. 28: When Jo posted the above story, she got a response from Don Allen, one of our Facebook friends. His nephew, Ethan Tinsley of Fredericktown, shot this 16-pt buck on his older brother’s property near Ellington. Nice deer!

Ethan Tinsley of Fredericktown, with his 16-pt buck.

Yep, my kid brother had managed to kill an eleven-point buck Friday afternoon and he kindly volunteered me to help him process the deer. Fortunate for me most of the immediate work was done, but we were going to have to do the “tough” work.

I have always known there was work behind processing meat, but I had never had firsthand experience. Lucky me I can now say I have! I sat at the kitchen table and my brother proudly carried in the back ham of his deer, sat it in front of me, and told me start cutting. I have cut up pork chops, made meatloaf, and baked roast, but I have NEVER cut the meat from the animal’s carcass. This was quite the experience, and honestly I think I will leave this job to butcher shop!

Hunters, hunters’ wives, butchers, and anyone else that has had firsthand experience at butchering a deer I give you high-five for your hard work…..I will stick to enjoying the cooked meat.

I hope all you “real” hunters had a good deer season; I will leave you with a quote that a fellow hunter shared with me at the local gas station on Saturday.
“Deer season is like Christmas for boys, you can do everything you Momma told you not to. You get to climb trees, shoot things, and your Momma won’t say anything about it.”

Happy Hunting my Friends!

Yesterday, Gibson the Guide and I met around 10 am for a mid-morning hunt, I know early morning is best, but my kid’s school just does not think that missing school for hunting is appropriate and they refuse to let me drop them off at 5 am.

I truly thought I was had dressed appropriate, my thought was bright colors, so no deer hunter would mistake me for a deer…I was WRONG. Carrying my hot pink backpack (for my camera & snacks), I was dressed very conservative jeans, hiking boots, and a white thermal (apparently another big no no). Gibson, I am sure never thought he would have to redress me, but he had thought a head and brought a camouflage coat just for me…sheewww….he is a smart man. He repacked my bag, and forced me to leave my hot pink backpack at the truck and off we went!

Now I promise I did not wear any sort of perfume, and I carefully washed with only my bar soap prior to leaving for the hunt. Unfortunately, I still smelled like a GIRL, so I received my first ever dousing with Scent Away….I personally believe that stuff is a combination of leaves and dirt in liquid form.

After redressing me, repacking my backpack, dousing me with Scent Away, and telling me hush a million times, Gibson and I did not have much luck on our deer hunt. I am pretty positive his “tagalong” (me) is to blame; as Gibson did have luck on Saturday morning when his “tagalong” was not along.

Once again I owe Gibson the Guide a HUGE thank you for teaching me everything I am learning….yes I am learning, I am just a slow learner.

Few Things I have learned from Gibson the Guide:
- Full Moon affects hunting, apparently when the moon is full deer like to eat at night.
- Downwind, yes I have heard that term before, but you have to becareful where you stand, because a deer may be downwind from you….and you might smell like a GIRL.
- Unwrap you snacks and put them in a ziploc bag, so the deer do not hear you rip the wrapper….another big no no I did.

Good Luck to you hunters and please keep Gibson the Guide in your thoughts as he tries to correct this sad situation I am!

Hunters checked 89,728 deer during the opening weekend of Missouri’s November firearms deer hunt, a decrease of 8.3 percent from 2010, according to the Missouri Dept. of Conservation.

River Hills Traveler file photo

Top harvest counties during the opening weekend were Howell with 1,702 deer checked, Macon with 1,617 and Texas with 1,588.

MDC Resource Scientist Jason Sumners, said weather played a role in this year’s decrease, but attributed a longer declining trend to shrinking deer numbers in some parts of the state.

“There’s no question that the opening-weekend harvest was affected by warm temperatures and high winds,” said Sumners. “However, this isn’t just a one-year decrease. The opening-weekend harvest averaged 118,000 from 2001 through 2005. From 2006 through 2010, the average was 95,401. Those figures reflect a change in regional deer populations.”

Sumners said areas where deer numbers are down include parts of the Kansas City, Northwest, Southwest and Central regions. The opening-weekend harvest in those areas was down between 11 and 18 percent.

The opening-weekend harvest in southeastern Missouri and in the Ozark region was similar to last year’s. Sumners said deer numbers are increasing slowly in those areas.

Sumners said the declining trends in deer population and harvest numbers are not cause for concern.
“We have been trying for the better part of a decade to stabilize deer numbers in some areas,” said Sumners. “In others we have been working to bring down deer populations to reduce crop damage and deer-vehicle accidents. Now our challenge is finding ways to fine-tune harvest at the local level to balance hunting opportunity with nuisance problems.”

Sumners said this could mean future reductions in the availability of antlerless permits in some areas.
According to Sumners, a decrease of 8,000 in the opening-weekend harvest is not likely to have a significant effect on the overall deer harvest but may reflect a general trend of lower deer numbers in many parts of rural Missouri. With 12 days of the November hunting season ahead, followed by a nine-day antlerless deer season, 11 days of muzzleloader hunting and a two-day late youth season, hunters have plenty of time to catch up. Archers have through Jan. 15 to hunt. Sumners said he expects the 2011-2012 deer harvest to be in the neighborhood of 250,000 to 275,000.

MDC recorded one non-fatal, firearms-related hunting incident during the opening weekend.

I spent a few hours in the woods with another hunter (not my guide) walking my beloved fathers farm in rural Bollinger County. I will give him the benefit that he has never stepped foot on my father’s farm prior to today, and I apparently have not discovered my “inner compass.” Yep boys, we got LOST, but we managed to find our way out….what can I say it adds to the story. Thank you Hunter Trent for not leaving me in the woods…I know I am quite a pain!

Had we not gotten lost we would not have walked right up on a very pretty doe, not sure, if he thought she was pretty or more just a good target. As we walked up she darted through the woods and we watched her white tail fade off over the hill. Gentlemen I now know why hunting is so exciting…I think my heart landed in my throat as she hoped up. Unfortunately I also now know that I may never be quick enough to shoot a deer….I FROZE stiff and couldn’t even shoot a picture!

I do hope my reflects become quicker and I do not let you, my dedicated readers down, and am able to shoot a deer or at least shoot at one.

Have a SAFE first weekend of rifle season; I will see you in the woods soon!

Still preparing for my Missouri Hunting Excursion…the days are growing slim, and I am probably far behind you more educated hunters. Hats off to you all and please have a good laugh at my expense!

Today, I had success I bought a HAT. I know I am silly, but I am not a “hat person”, so finding a hat that was comfortable was an issue. I have my blaze orange hunting hat and my blaze orange vest, the vest came with a few laughs of its own. I was wondering around the hunting section today when the kind worker asked me if she could help me, I asked where I could find a hunting vest. I must have thrown her off, she looked at me said “Honey, we are all out of youth vest” SCORE, I always wanted to return to my youth, but really I do not look 13.

Poor Gibson the Guide, since I am so new to this hunting thing I have to ask him almost everything…he is so patient with me. Today we discussed what supplies are needed for deer hunting. He has assured me that he bought plenty of Scent Away, so my smelly perfume will not scare away the deer….glad he was thinking ahead, but really, I promise to leave my smelly perfume at home.

Snacks, I was informed today we are not going on a picnic….I have been greatly fooled over the past 20 some years (I am not telling you all my age) I thought the grand supply of snicker bars, chips, and beef jerky that the hunters bought was for their hunting trip. Guess not, we will be eating light, walking a lot, and carrying our bags of supplies. I had better rest up now, or fire my fitness trainer and hire Gibson the Guide for my new fitness program.

Now to GREATLY disappoint all of you soon to be fellow hunters, I will NOT be hunting opening weekend of deer season. I know, I know I am sad disappointment, but as you, all will be hunting for that big kill I will be cheering on the CUTEST cheerleader in Missouri. GO ROCKETS! So, please do not kill all the deer in Missouri, because I do really want to have my chance to have a GOOD hunt!

In the mean time, I am reading up on my safety tips with this great article on the River Hills Traveler’s website.

Have a Great Hunt; I will see you in the woods soon!

Photo by Eugene Vale

Approximately 500,000 hunters will take part in Missouri’s main firearms deer season Nov. 12 through 22. Last year, MDC recorded nine firearms-related hunting incidents during the 11-day hunt. Although none of those incidents was fatal, last year was far from the best for deer-hunting safety. That distinction belongs to 2004, when MDC recorded only four firearms-related deer hunting incidents, all nonfatal.

MDC Hunter Education Coordinator Tony Legg says one astonishing fact stands out about last year’s deer-hunting incidents. Eighty-seven percent of them were self-inflicted.

“Self-inflicted incidents are common every year,” said Legg, “but 2010 was a new high…or low point for deer hunters hurting themselves. The best advice last year would have been, ‘Look out for the guy in the mirror.’”

Following are brief descriptions of last year’s bumper crop of self-inflicted gunshot wounds and the violation of hunting-safety rules that caused them.

· A 55-year-old hunter chambered a cartridge in his semiautomatic pistol and was moving the safety into the “safe” position when the pistol discharged, striking the palm of his left hand. Safety Violation: Failed to keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction.

· A 13-year-old leaned his rifle against the tree in his tree stand to get something out of his backpack. He bumped the gun, causing it to fall. The rifle’s external hammer struck one of the tree stand’s steps, and it fired, striking him in the finger. Safety violation: Firearm leaned against an insecure rest.

· A 42-year-old hunter loaded his muzzle-loading rifle and walked to his tree stand. He tied the rifle to a haul rope with the muzzle facing up. After climbing into his stand, the hunter was pulling the rifle up when it bumped an object and discharged, striking him in the upper chest and shoulder. Safety violations: Failed to unload firearm before hauling into tree stand and attached rifle to haul line improperly.

· A 40-year-old hunter climbed out of his tree stand with his rifle slung over his shoulder. The rifle slipped off his shoulder and discharged when it struck the ground, striking him in the left foot and hand and forehead. Safety violations: Failure to unload rifle before climbing down and failure to use a haul rope to keep hands free for climbing.

· A 53-year-old hunter placed a loaded rifle in a case on the front of his ATV. When he unstrapped the rifle and lifted it from the rack, it fell from the unzipped case. The hunter grabbed for the rifle and it discharged, striking him in the upper arm. Safety violations: Carrying a loaded firearm in a motor vehicle and failure to secure the firearm in a case.

· A 45-year-old hunter carried a loaded muzzleloader into his tree stand, using a single strand of bailing twine for a sling. The twine broke, and the rifle discharged when it struck the ground, striking the hunter’s left knee before penetrating his abdomen just above the navel. Safety violations: Improper sling, climbing a tree stand with a loaded rifle, failure to use a haul line and failure to engage the firearm safety.

· A 74-year-old hunter was trying to reach a grunt call when he touched the “hair trigger” of his rifle, causing to discharge, injuring his left foot. Safety violations: Muzzle pointed in an unsafe direction, firearm safety not engaged, finger inside trigger guard before he was ready to shoot and improper maintenance or adjustment of firearm.

· A 15-year-old hunter was trying to clear an obstruction from the muzzle of his rifle while his finger was on the trigger. The rifle discharged, striking his left index finger. Safety violations: Failure to unload firearm before clearing muzzle, safety not engaged, finger inside trigger guard.

Legg said tree-stand safety should be another major concern for deer hunters. MDC only records injuries caused by firearms, so no one knows exactly how many hunters are injured, paralyzed or even killed in Missouri each year as a result of falls. However, Legg said the number is substantial and has grown with the increased availability and use of tree stands.

“Evidence suggests that injuries from tree-stand falls far outnumber those from firearms,” said Legg. “One study showed that one out of every three tree-stand users will fall at some point in their hunting career.”

He said tree stands don’t have to be dangerous. In fact, hunters have access to safer stands and better protective gear today than ever before. Furthermore, decades of experience have revealed the causes of tree-stand falls and enabled safety advocates to address them. Hunters who follow safety recommendations and use equipment approved by the Treestand Manufacturer’s Association (TMA) have little to worry about. He offered the following advice.

· Always wear a Fall-Arrest System (FAS) with a full body harness, even during ascent and descent.
· Read and follow manufacturer’s instructions before using a tree stand.
· Inspect the tree stand and the FAS before each use and dispose of worn or damaged equipment.
· Practice in your FAS at ground level before using it in an elevated position.
· Be aware of dangers that exist even with a FAS. Prolonged suspension in a harness can be fatal. Have in place a plan for rescue, including the use of cell phones or signal devices that may be easily reached and used while suspended.
· Hunt with a plan and if possible with a buddy. Before leaving home, let others know your exact hunting location and when you plan to return.
· Keep emergency signal devices, such as a cell phone, walkie-talkie, whistle, signal flare or flashlight, so they are within reach even if you are suspended in your FAS.
· Never hurry while climbing with a tree stand. Make slow movements of no more than ten to twelve inches at a time. Maintain three points of contact with each step on ladder stands.

Finally, MDC cautions deer hunters about two dangers associated with campfires. One is wildfire.

Much of Missouri is in a serious drought, heightening normal fire danger. Do not light a campfire unless the surrounding area has been cleared of leaves and other flammable materials. Don’t light a fire if windy conditions create the potential for embers to blow into surrounding woods or fields, and never leave a fire unattended.

MDC also cautions hunters against moving firewood. The presence of the emerald ash borer and the potential for bringing other destructive forest pests.
(MDC news release.)