Bowhunters posted increases in both deer and turkey harvests during Missouri’s 2011-12 archery deer and turkey hunting seasons, topping the previous year’s figures by more than one-third.

Hunters checked 52,671 deer during the four-month archery season. That is an increase of 10,299 (24 percent) from the previous year. Archers checked 2,923 turkeys, an increase of 739 (33.8 percent) from the 2010-2011 season.

Jason Isabelle, a resource scientist for the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC), said two factors probably contributed to the increased archery turkey harvest.

“I attribute the increase in harvest to the good hatch that we had last year in most of the state and to increased archery permit sales,” said Isabelle. “There were both more turkeys and more archers in the woods in 2011 than in 2010.”

MDC sold 110,647 archery hunting permits and issued another 82,486 no-cost landowner archer’s permits last year. The total of 190,133 archery permits is a record and continues a long-term trend of increasing interest in archery hunting.

“More people discover the enjoyment of archery season every year,” said Isabelle. “The challenge of bowhunting appeals to many hunters who start with firearms. For others, the attraction is a huge increase in hunting opportunity. For quite a few hunters, opening day of deer season can’t come soon enough and closing day comes too soon. Taking up the bow and arrow allows them to pursue their outdoor passion all fall and into winter.”

MDC Resource Scientist Jason Sumners said the reason for this year’s increased archery deer harvest is harder to nail down.

“Over the past decade we have seen a steady increase in the number of archery hunters and a resulting increase in archery harvest,” said Sumners. “However, that doesn’t explain the fluctuations we see in archery harvest from year to year. There are likely other factors at work that create annual variation in hunter effort or success. We had very mild weather last fall, and that might have caused hunters to spend more time pursuing deer. But there is still a lot we don’t know about the relationship between weather and hunter behavior and other factors that affect archery harvest.”

Sumners said he hopes to explore those factors in the future to gain a better understanding of what causes sizeable archery harvest fluctuations like those that have occurred over the last four years. For example, the deer archery harvest increased from 44,434 in 2008 to a record 51,972 in 2009 and went back down to 43,281 in 2010.

Missouri’s 2011-2012 archery and firearms deer harvests total 291,592. That is up 6 percent from the previous year. The 2011-2012 firearms and archery turkey harvests total 52,226, down 3.8 percent from the previous year.

The top archery deer-harvest counties were Jefferson with 1,092 deer checked, Franklin with 1,088 and Jackson with 1,040.  Top archery turkey-harvest counties were Callaway with 76 turkeys checked, Franklin with 67 and Jefferson with 58.

All of the top counties for archery deer and turkey harvest were in or near metropolitan areas. Isabelle and Sumners agree this probably is largely because all four counties are within easy driving distance of large numbers of hunters. Also, Callaway and Franklin counties are larger than average, and both have excellent deer and turkey habitat.

“Those four counties are natural choices for folks who live in nearby cities,” said Isabelle. “Franklin and Callaway counties are between the St. Louis and Columbia-Jefferson City areas and have some of the best turkey habitat in the state. Jefferson and Jackson counties are right at the edge of the state’s two largest metropolitan areas, so it’s not surprising that lots of archers would spend time hunting there.”

MDC recorded eight firearms-related deer-hunting incidents during the 2011-2012 hunting season. One was fatal.

Outdoor Hub, The Outdoor Information Engine - Missouri Archery Deer, Turkey Harvests Up from Last Year

Pheasants Forever is proud to announce Bird Dog Whiskey and Whitetail Whiskey as its newest national sponsor. All Pheasants Forever chapters nationwide will receive Bird Dog Whiskey and Whitetail Whiskey conservation gift boxes this year to help their local fundraising banquets increase the impact of upland habitat conservation.

Pheasants Forever is the only national conservation organization structured so that its local chapters control all the funds they raise at their local fundraising banquets. The conservation gift boxes provided by Bird Dog Whiskey and Whitetail Whiskey to each local Pheasants Forever chapter will help chapters raise additional funds at their events, funds that will be best spent on local conservation efforts as the chapters see fit.

“Bird Dog Whiskey and Whitetail Whiskey have a history of supporting conservation, and we’re proud they’re lending that support to Pheasants Forever’s upland conservation work, both on the national and local level,” said Brad Heidel, Pheasants Forever’s Director of Corporate and Special Event Sales, “Enjoying bird dogs in the field, and now after, has a ring that our members will enjoy.”

“Bird Dog Whiskey and Whitetail Whiskey are proud to become a partner in conservation with Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever,” says Bill Murphree, Vice President of Development at Western Spirits Beverage Company, maker of Bird Dog Whiskey and Whitetail Whiskey, “Assisting Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever is an ideal opportunity for us to participate in true conservation efforts that will greatly enhance the quality of our shared future.”

The distinctive taste of Bird Dog BlackBerry-Flavored Whiskey and Whitetail Whiskey, both of which were nationally recognized with Gold Medals during the 2010 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, will be featured during a taste-testing at Pheasants Forever’s upcoming National Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic 2012. The nation’s biggest event for pheasant and quail hunters and bird dog enthusiasts, National Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic will be held February 17, 18 & 19, 2012, at the Kansas City Convention Center in downtown Kansas City, Missouri. The taste-testing will be at National Pheasant Fest banquet on Saturday night.

Outdoor Hub, The Outdoor Information Engine - Bird Dog Whiskey and Whitetail Whiskey Become New Pheasants Forever National Sponsor

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) received two positive test results for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) from 1,077 tissue samples taken from free-ranging deer harvested by hunters in north-central Missouri during the 2011 fall firearms deer season. Both positive test results were from adult bucks harvested by Missouri hunters in Macon County, and are the first CWD-positive results for free-ranging deer in Missouri.

MDC plans to obtain more tissue samples for CWD testing by harvesting additional deer in the immediate area where the two infected deer were harvested.

“Teamwork among landowners, hunters and MDC staff allowed us to detect this infection early,” said MDC Deer Biologist Jason Sumners. “We will be working with local landowners to harvest additional deer for tissue sampling. This is a first step and one of our best hopes for containing, and perhaps even eliminating, what we believe to be a recent localized event.”

MDC staff have contacted the two Missouri hunters who harvested the CWD-positive bucks to inform them of the situation and answer questions.

CWD is a neurological disease that is limited to deer, elk, moose and other members of the deer family, known as “cervids.” CWD is spread by animal-to-animal contact or by animal contact with soil that contains prions from urine, feces or the decomposition of an infected animal. Deer and other cervids with signs of CWD show changes in natural behavior and can exhibit extreme weight loss, excessive salivation, stumbling and tremors. CWD can spread through natural movements of infected animals, transportation of infected live captive animals, or the transportation of infected carcasses.

The Missouri Department of Agriculture (MDA) says there is no evidence from existing research that CWD can spread to domestic livestock, such as sheep or cattle. The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (MDHSS) says there is no scientific evidence that CWD is transmissible to humans through contact with or the consumption of deer meat.

MDC conducted its tissue-sampling effort during the fall firearms season in November in response to two cases of CWD found in captive white-tailed deer at two private, captive-hunting preserves in Linn and Macon counties. A third captive deer at one of the preserves tested positive for CWD in December. The two earlier cases of CWD found at the private hunting preserves were detected in February 2010 and October 2011. The two free-ranging bucks that tested positive were harvested within two miles of the Macon County preserve.

CWD in deer can only be confirmed by laboratory testing of the brain stem or lymph tissue.  Tissue samples collected by MDC were tested by the Southeast Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study Laboratory of the University of Georgia, Athens, with confirmation by the National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Ames, Iowa.

The disease was first recognized in 1967 in captive mule deer in Colorado. CWD has also been documented in both captive and free-ranging deer in neighboring Kansas and Nebraska. It has been documented in free-ranging deer in neighboring Illinois.  CWD has also been documented in both captive and free-ranging members of the deer-family in Colorado, Minnesota, New York, South Dakota, Wisconsin and the Canadian provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan. Maryland, New Mexico, North Dakota, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia and Wyoming also have documented cases of CWD in free-ranging members of the deer family. Michigan and Montana have documented cases of CWD in captive members of the deer family.

CWD is transmitted through prions, which are abnormal proteins that attack the nervous systems of these species. These prions accumulate in the brain, spinal cord, eyes, spleen, and lymph nodes of infected animals. While there is no scientific evidence that CWD is transmissible to humans or animals other than deer and other cervids, health officials caution that consumption of these parts is not recommended. They also advise people to not eat meat from animals known to be infected with CWD or that exhibit signs of any disease.

While CWD is new to free-ranging deer in Missouri, MDC has been testing for it for years.  With the help of hunters, MDC has tested more than 34,000 free-ranging deer for CWD from all parts of the state since 2002.

Missouri also has a Cervid Health Committee to address the threat of CWD to Missouri’s free-ranging and captive cervids. The Committee is composed of wildlife biologists, veterinarians and other animal-health experts from MDC, MDA, MDHSS and the USDA.

Outdoor Hub, The Outdoor Information Engine - Two Positive Results for Chronic Wasting Disease are First for Free-Ranging Deer in Missouri

Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever’s largest event, National Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic 2012, is almost here. The 3-day upland hunting and conservation extravaganza will be held February 17, 18 and 19at the Kansas City Convention Center in downtown Kansas City, Missouri.

See the Entire Weekend

By registering for the full 3-day weekend, you’ll receive admission each day to the show (includes all seminars), and the Friday night “Bird Dog Banquet,” a Saturday luncheon (with keynote speaker Larry Potterfield from MidwayUSA) and the big National Pheasant Fest Banquet on Saturday night! The banquets will include raffles, games, and live and silent auctions for firearms, exotic hunting and fishing trips and more. Act fast, as the full weekend registration deadline is Wednesday, January 25.

Special Quail Classic QF Membership

Join Quail Forever – or renew your Quail Forever membership – through this special link – and you’ll receive a pass to all three days of the show, a year’s subscription to the Quail Forever magazine and a Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic hat.

Find Hotels

We have a list of hotels in and around the Kansas City Convention Center, site of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever’s National Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic 2012.

National Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic is the country’s largest event for upland hunters, sport dog owners and wildlife habitat conservationists, combining a national outdoor tradeshow, wildlife habitat seminar series, and family event complete with puppies, tractors, shotguns, and art.

Outdoor Hub, The Outdoor Information Engine - Make Your Quail Classic Reservations

Turkey hunters have until Feb. 29 to apply for managed hunts during Missouri’s 2012 spring turkey season. All 19 managed turkey hunts are listed in the “2012 Spring Turkey Hunting Regulations and Information” booklet. The booklet, along with other information on spring turkey hunting, is available online at www.mdc.mo.gov by searching “Spring Turkey Hunting.” The booklet and website have application instructions, outlook information on Missouri’s turkey population, conservation areas where turkey hunting is allowed, related regulations and more. The print version of the booklet will be available from hunting permit vendors and at MDC offices in mid-February.

In addition to 11 hunts open to all firearms turkey hunters, this year’s offerings include a managed hunt for archers, five hunts for youths age 11 through 15 and two hunts for people with disabilities. Managed hunts will take place during the youth turkey season, March 31 to April 1, or regular turkey season, April 16 through May 6.

Hunters may apply individually or in groups of up to three for most hunts. Youth hunts accept applications only for single hunters or pairs. An individual applying as a member of a party has the same chance of being drawn as someone who applies alone. Successful applicants will receive notice of their hunt dates and other information by mail. Drawing results will be posted March 14 through May 6 at www.mdc.mo.gov/hunt/turkey.

For the youth hunt and hunt for people with disabilities at Smithville Lake, applications should be made by phone by calling 816-858-5718. To apply for the hunt for people with disabilities at Bois D’Arc CA, call 417-742-4361. Applications for other hunts should be made online at www.mdc.mo.gov/hunt/turkey.

The number of hunters allowed to take part in each managed hunt ranges from 10 to 40. Participants in some hunts must complete a pre-hunt orientation. Hunters should not to apply for these hunts if they cannot attend the orientation.

The bag limit for managed hunts is one male turkey or turkey with visible beard. Turkeys taken during a managed hunt count toward the season limit of two. Hunters who shoot a turkey during a managed hunt before April 23 may not take another turkey during the first week of the regular turkey season. All-terrain vehicles are prohibited on areas with managed turkey hunts.

Outdoor Hub, The Outdoor Information Engine - Missouri Managed Turkey Hunt Application Deadline is Feb. 29

Jefferson City, MO– Hunters age 6 through 15 checked 2,193 deer during the late youth hunt Jan. 7 and 8, bringing the total harvest for the 2011-2012 firearms deer season to 238,921 compared to last year’s total of 231,513.

The harvest total for last year’s late youth weekend was 1,292. This year’s combined early and late youth season harvests total 18,585 compared to 14,555 last year. Top counties during the late youth hunt were Macon with 52 deer checked, Franklin with 51 and Lincoln with 45.

Of the 238,921 firearms season total, hunters checked 570 deer during the urban portion, 16,392 during the early youth portion, 190,089 during the November portion, 14,439 during the antlerless portion and 15,238 during the muzzleloader portion.

Missouri had a record firearms deer harvest of 280,856 in 2006. The 10-year average firearms deer harvest is 252,029.

According to Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) Resource Science Deer Biologist Jason Sumners, the reduction in firearms harvest is indicative of reduced deer numbers in many parts of rural central and northern Missouri that have resulted from increased harvest pressure on does through the liberalization of hunting regulations and implementation of antler-point restrictions.

“There are simply fewer does in the population today than there were six or eight years ago,” Sumners said. “This means that the doe harvest doesn’t need to be as high to manage population numbers as it was several years ago when deer populations in many parts of Missouri where growing rapidly.”

He added that MDC has been trying for the better part of a decade to stabilize deer numbers in many parts of Missouri.

“We have been working to bring down deer populations to reduce crop damage, deer-vehicle accidents, and other deer nuisance problems, and we’ve made good progress in those areas,” Sumners said. “Now our challenge is finding ways to fine-tune deer numbers and hunting pressure at the local level, which means that future reductions in the availability of firearms antlerless permits may be necessary.”

In contrast to central and northern Missouri, deer numbers in southern Missouri continue to slowly increase and opportunities to harvest antlerless deer are likely to increase over time.

“Regardless of your location in the state, the combination of hunter numbers, hunter access, and regulations drives the size of the local deer population,” said Sumners.  “Landowners and hunters throughout the state have a tremendous effect on the deer population and ultimately determine local deer numbers. Additionally, the availability of antlerless permits for a specific county doesn’t mean that MDC feels there are too many deer.  They are a simply a tool available to hunters and landowners to manage deer numbers if they need to harvest additional antlerless deer.”

He added that 93 percent of Missouri’s land is in private ownership so private landowners and cooperative efforts by neighboring landowners to manage for deer and other wildlife can be very beneficial.

MDC staff work with tens-of-thousands of private landowners around the state to help them improve wildlife habitat on their property. MDC encourages landowners to contact local MDC staff to learn more. To find local MDC staff, visit www.mdc.mo.gov and search under “Who’s My Local Contact.”

More than 500,000 hunters spend more than $690 million directly related to deer hunting in Missouri each year. Deer hunting in Missouri annually generates more than $1 billion of overall business activity and supports more than 11,000 jobs.

Outdoor Hub, The Outdoor Information Engine - Total Firearms Harvest Nearly 239,000 Deer in Missouri

For the first time, the nation’s biggest event for pheasant and quail hunters and bird dog enthusiasts is coming to Kansas City. Pheasants Forever’s National Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic will be held February 17, 18 & 19, 2012, at the Kansas City Convention Center in downtown Kansas City, Missouri. Last year’s event in Omaha, Nebraska drew more than 20,000 attendees.

The annual convention, outdoor trade show and dog showcase hosted by the country’s leading upland conservation organizations, Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever, National Pheasant Fest and Quail Classic will feature more than 300 exhibitors. The Quail Classic portion of the 2012 event will be a first as well, representing the strong tradition of bobwhite quail hunting and conservation found in Kansas, Missouri and across the Great Plains and southeast United States. Both the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, and the Missouri Department of Conservation will be participating in the event, which is presented by Cabela’s.

All things bird dog-related have been the biggest attractions at previous National Pheasant Fest events, and that’s expected to be the case at the inaugural appearance in Kansas City. Upwards of 40 different sporting dog breeds will be represented. Dog training seminars will occur throughout the 3-day weekend, and attendees will have the opportunity to meet face-to-face with breeders, dog kennel and club representatives, and the top dog trainers in the country, including Bob West, Tom Dokken, Jim Morehouse, Delmar Smith, Rick Smith and Ronnie Smith.

Additional attractions include:

• Bird Dog Parade: To kick off the event, all attendees are invited to see and visit with some of the rarest and most unique sporting dog breeds in the world as they parade through the show floor.
• Wild Game Cooking Stage: Everyone can learn enjoyable and delicious ways to prepare wild game from accomplished, nationally recognized chefs. In addition, renowned outdoor chef Hank Shaw will be giving cooking seminars during all three days.
• Landowner Habitat Help Room: Landowners (PF & QF members or non-members) can leave the show with a detailed wildlife conservation management plan, thanks to Pheasants Forever’s Farm Bill Wildlife Biologists and technological support from Best Buy.
• Conservation Career Day: Area high school students will have the opportunity to learn about growing career opportunities in conservation.
• A History of Making National News: U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has attended the past two National Pheasant Fest events to make federal conservation announcements (Conservation Reserve Program, or CRP, signups). Find out what conservation news will be made this year.

Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever’s National Pheasant Fest and Quail Classic 2012 has something for everyone, and you can preregister to get your tickets today! For additional inquiries regarding National Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic 2012, including exhibitor information, contact Brad Heidel, Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever’s Director of Corporate and Special Event Sales, at (651) 209-4956 / Email Brad.

Outdoor Hub, The Outdoor Information Engine - Kansas City Preps for Pheasants Forever’s National Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic

Hunters shot 15,238 deer during the muzzleloader portion of Missouri’s firearms deer season, the second-largest muzzleloader harvest on record.

Top harvest counties were Oregon with 314, Franklin with 285 and Callaway with 281.

This year’s muzzleloader harvest was up 18 percent from last year and fell just short of the record 15,907 deer checked during the 2009 muzzleloader hunt.

Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) Resource Scientist Jason Sumners said this year’s increased muzzleloader harvest continues a long-term trend.

Missouri held its first muzzleloader season in 1988. Back then, hunters had to declare if they intended to use a muzzleloader or a center-fire rifle. If they chose a muzzleloader, they had to use a muzzleloader during the firearms season in November but also could hunt during the muzzleloader season. That first year, the muzzleloader season was three days long.

Since then, many of the original restrictions on muzzleloader hunting have been relaxed. In 1999, MDC eliminated the separate muzzleloader deer permit, allowing hunters to buy one permit and hunt with muzzleloaders during the muzzleloader season and with center-fire rifles during the November and antlerless portions of deer season. By then, muzzleloader season was nine days long. Now it runs for 11 days.

“Those increases in opportunity to fill firearms deer permits led to increased participation in the muzzleloader portion,” said Sumners. “The muzzleloader harvest more than doubled between 1999 and 2002.”

In 2009, MDC reversed the order of the muzzleloader and antlerless seasons, putting the muzzleloader hunt in the last half of December to provide a better quality hunt for muzzleloader hunters. The muzzleloader harvest increased by 55 percent that year, surpassing 15,000 for the first time.

“Topping the 15,000 mark this year isn’t a surprise at all if you consider the changes in permit use, timing and participation,” said Sumners.

Changes in muzzleloader technology also have contributed to the sport’s increased popularity. When Missouri had its first muzzleloader hunt 23 years ago, most commercially available muzzleloaders were traditional caplock and flintlock types, and muzzleloader season was a practical exercise in hunting history. Today, most hunters use in-line muzzleloaders, often with telescopic sights. Modern propellants and bullets have changed dramatically from black powder and round lead balls, leading to improvements in ballistic performance. The loading process remains essentially the same as in pioneer days, but the accuracy of modern, in-line muzzleloaders is similar to those of single-shot, center-fire rifles.

Outdoor Hub, The Outdoor Information Engine - Missouri Muzzleloader Harvest Tops 15,000

Jefferson City, MO – Hunters can start planning for next year’s turkey and deer seasons, thanks to recent actions by the Missouri Conservation Commission.

At its Dec. 15 meeting in Jefferson City, the Commission approved 2012 turkey-hunting regulations similar to 2011. The regular spring turkey season will run from April 16 through May 6. The fall firearms turkey season will run from Oct. 1 through 31.

The 2012 youth spring turkey season will take place the weekend of March 31 and April 1. In most years, the youth season opens nine days before the opening day of the regular spring turkey season. However, the season framework shifts the youth season one week earlier in years when the usual timing would cause the youth season to overlap Easter.

Limits, shooting hours and other turkey-hunting regulations remain unchanged from 2011 and will be published in guide books before hunting seasons.

The Commission also set Nov. 10 as opening day for the November portion of firearms deer season. The Commission will set opening dates for the urban, youth, antlerless and muzzleloader portions and other regulations for the 2012 deer season at its May meeting. These will be available in the 2012 Fall Deer and Turkey Hunting Regulations and Information booklet in July.

Outdoor Hub, The Outdoor Information Engine - Missouri Conservation Commission sets 2012 Deer and Turkey Regulations

For the first time, the nation’s biggest event for pheasant and quail hunters and bird dog enthusiasts is coming to Kansas City. Pheasants Forever’s National Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic will be held February 17, 18 & 19, 2012, at the Kansas City Convention Center in downtown Kansas City, Missouri. The event will be presented by Cabela’s.

The 3-day weekend is Quail Forever’s largest annual event and includes:

Pheasant AND Quail. The Quail Classic portion of the 2012 event will be a first, representing the strong tradition of bobwhite quail hunting and conservation found across the Great Plains and southeast U.S.

Bird Dogs. Upwards of 40 different sporting dog breeds will be represented, dog training seminars will occur throughout the weekend, and attendees will have the opportunity to meet face-to-face with breeders, trainers, and dog kennel and club representatives.

Hunting & Habitat. Hundreds of outdoor exhibitors, hunting how-to seminars all weekend long and a Landowner Habitat Help Room where you can obtain a free wildlife habitat plan for your land.

For more information and to register for the event, visit the National Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic website.

Outdoor Hub, The Outdoor Information Engine - National Pheasant Fest and Quail Classic in Kansas City this February