November portion of firearm deer season kicks off today

Photo courtesy of the Missouri Department of Conservation/ Antlerless deer permits numbers have changed this season, in most counties only one antlerless permit during firearm deer seasons combined will be available. Hunters should check the 2014 Fall Deer Guide for more information on deer hunting regulations before heading afield.

Nevada Daily Mail

Missouri deer hunters are getting ready for opening day of the November portion of the statewide firearm season.

Today, more than 400,000 orange clad deer hunters will kick off the 2014 November portion of the firearm deer season ---- looking for a trophy buck or a nice size doe. Many of the first weekend hunters will be rewarded as opening day and weekend usually results in a sizable harvest of up to 80 percent of the 11-day season.

Photo courtesy of the Missouri Department of Conservation/ A sight deer hunters would like to see on opening day of the November portion of the firearm season this Saturday.

Cold weather forecast for opening day should find the deer moving and give hunters plenty of targets. The state's deer herd numbers are between 800,00 and 1.4 million.

The annual Youth Hunt saw 18,091 deer taken by the young hunters while the earlier Urban Hunt had 594 antlerless deer harvested.

Greene County was the top county, with 122 deer taken. Only antlerless deer were legal during the Urban Hunt. The lower number this year was due in part to the warm, rainy and windy weather.

Charles Davis, of Springfield said, "I am very careful while driving early in the morning and around sunset. I have had several close run-ins with deer crossing the road ahead of me. I counted three deer that had been hit by vehicles along a stretch of highway 13 the past week. I had a neighbor who had his truck nearly totaled when a buck came out of nowhere and hit it. Even in the city, you can't be too careful during the deer rut this month."

Emily Flinn, Resource Scientist for the Conservation Department, said, "Several years of conservative harvest regulations in southern Missouri have allowed the deer populations to slowly increase. However, deer population levels are still below desired levels in much of southern Missouri."

Deer population size affects deer harvest, but other factors are important also. one of the most important factors is food availability. In southern Missouri, acorns dominate deer diets in fall and winter. When acorns are plentiful, deer can find all the food they need without moving around much.

This tends to spread deer across the forested landscape making them difficult to find. In years when acorns are scarce, deer move around more and tend to concentrate around food sources, making them easier to find. This year, reports show that there is an average crop of acorns from both white and red oaks, neither helping nor hindering hunters in the Ozarks.

For successful hunters who would like to share their success this season, the effective program appropriately called "Share the Harvest," allows hunters to donate deer meat to families in need. The charitable program started in 1992, allows hunters to legally donate venison to people who need food.

In past seasons, hunters have donated 3.1 million pounds of venison to the needy through the program. Last year hunters donated more than 227,000 pounds of venison. Hunters who donate deer to the program are making a positive impact on the lives of fellow Missourians.

To learn more about "Share the Harvest" program, and how to go about donating deer meat, check the Fall Deer Hunting Guide, availiable at ant vendors that handle permits or by contacting the Missouri Department of Conservation.

After the November portion of the firearm deer season, Nov. 25, the firearm deer antlerless portion opens on Nov. 26 and goes through Dec. 7. Followed by the Alternative Methods Portion Dec. 20-30. The final firearm season is the late Youth Weekend Hunt, Jan. 3-4.

After the November firearm season, archery deer hunters have from Nov. 26 to Jan. 15 to hunt deer.

To learn what is new for the upcoming season, check the Fall Deer Hunting Guide.

Happy Hunting