Deer season tidbits

Rifle deer season begins Nov. 15 and runs through Tuesday, Nov, 25. There are a number of specific regulation in regard to harvesting a deer. These regulations are spelled out in a specific book you can either download from the Missouri Department of Conservation website, mdc.mo.gov, or pick up where licenses are sold. It is the Hunting Regulations and Information booklet. Be sure to check the regulations in regard to where you are going to hunt.

Some parts of the state have had cases of chronic wasting disease. There is a six-county containment zone where the Missouri Department of Conservation is trying to contain the spread of the disease. There are some specific recommendations regarding the processing of deer specific to this region, and probably should be followed by all hunters.

If you are going to hunt on private land be sure you have permission before hunting. Land owners can mark the boundaries of their land in Missouri using purple paint sprayed on trees or posts. These purple paint marks need to be three feet off the ground and at least 8 inches long and located in 100-foot intervals or less. With the new GPS technology, there is no excuse for accidentally trespassing.

Be sure to read the regulations in the regulations booklet. There was an excellent article in the last Show Me Farm Bureau magazine that stated, "Current Missouri law states that all violations of the Conservation Code are level A misdemeanors." These violations are punishable with the same severity as marijuana possession or a driving while intoxicated. The punishment can run up to a $1,000 fine or a year in jail. Read the regulations booklet.

When you are walking in to where you are going to hunt, especially if it is dark, be sure to use a flashlight so that no one mistakes you for game. There are countless incidents of hunters' being mistaken for deer and being shot while it's too dark to identify them. You also have to wear a blaze orange vest and cap that are clearly visible in all directions. There are a few occasions where you don't have to wear the blaze orange so you need to read the regulations booklet's page 48.

If you are using a tree stand use, common sense. Leave your gun unloaded until you are in your tree stand. Don't pull a loaded gun up to your tree stand from the ground or climb a ladder with a loaded gun. Also, remember, the only safe gun is one without a shell in the chamber. A gun with a shell in the chamber and with the safety on is an accident waiting to happen if you don't treat the gun right. If you are hunting with one or more hunting buddies and one or more of them is handling their guns irresponsibly, don't just overlook it. Do something or say something or go home. Don't let some idiot accidentally shoot you because they were careless and you didn't want to hurt their feelings. Personally I don't care if their feelings are hurt.

If you don't want the meat from the deer you have harvested, give it to someone who does want it or needs it. A list of deer processors who participate in the Share the Harvest can be found in the regulations booklet and at the conservation department website.

Have a fun and safe hunt this year.