OUTDOOR CORNER: DEER SEASON OPENS ON SATURDAY

The first portion of the 1999 Firearms Deer Hunting Season in Missouri begins Saturday, and runs through Tuesday, Nov.r 23. What exactly do we mean by "first portion"? More on that later, but first, let's discuss another important date: today, Sunday, Nov. 7.

Midnight, tonight is the deadline for purchasing open quota any-deer and bonus permits if you intend to use them for hunting in November. Bucks only permits can be purchased throughout the season.

The firearms deer hunting season has been restructured and is now composed of three segments or portions: the November portion, the December muzzleloader portion, and the January extension portion.

Regular bucks only firearms deer hunting permits are valid during November and December portions of the season, but not during the January extension portion. Regular bucks only firearms deer hunting permits are valid during November and December portions of the season, but not during the January extension portion. Any-deer and bonus deer permits are valid during all three portions of the season, but some restrictions apply during the January extension.

While on the subject of permits, it should be noted that the muzzleloading firearms deer hunting permit has been eliminated. Firearms deer hunting permits are now valid for muzzleloading methods. The formerly separate muzzleloading deer hunting season is now part of the firearms deer hunting season.

Yet another permit change from last year is the creation of a youth deer and turkey hunting permit. It is available to both resident and nonresident youths under age 12. It allows the youth hunter to take either one antlered deer statewide or one antlerless deer in any deer management unit except Unit 57 during the firearms deer hunting season. In all instances, the youth must be in the immediate presence of a properly licensed adult who has a valid hunter education certificate card (the youth is not required to have a hunter education certificate card). Anyone purchasing a youth deer and turkey hunting permit may not purchase any other firearm deer or turkey hunting permit during that permit year.

All hunters born on or after January 1, 1967 must complete an approved hunter education program and display their card before they can purchase a firearms deer hunting permit. They do not have to show their card if certification can be verified through the vendor's computer terminal.

There are some other changes in regulations for this season that hunters should be aware of. Hunters will have a separate permit for each deer they are eligible to take. If they are successful in taking a deer, they must immediately validate the harvest by notching their permit and attaching a transportation tag to the deer. Transportation tags are separate from the permit; do not attach the permit to the deer. The hunter may use either a yellow "stick on" tag or a homemade tag. Regardless of type of tag, it must contain the full name and address of the hunter.

The transportation tag must remain attached until the animal has been checked by the hunter at an established checking station in the county where taken or an adjoining county.

Checking hours are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Deer must be checked on the day taken.

Regulations that have not changed from last year include shooting hours and hunter orange requirements. Shooting hours remain one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset. All deer hunters are required to wear hunter orange during the firearms deer season, including the January extension. They must wear a hat and a shirt, vest or coat of hunter orange so that the color is plainly visible from all sides while being worn; camouflage orange does not meet this requirement.

Now that we have discussed the upcoming season, let's take a brief look back to 1998.

Last year, firearm and muzzleloader permit sales topped 500,00 (514,337 to be precise). That doesn't include landowners. Added together, they harvested a record 203,968 deer (a 4% increase over 1997) statewide.

The 16 counties that comprise MDC's Southeast region reported a total of 13, 126 deer taken. Wayne County led the region with 2,118 deer checked. Ste. Genevieve (2,022), Bollinger (1,839), and Perry (1,217) counties were next. Madison County was fifth highest with a total of 1,137 deer followed by Butler (851), St. Francois (824), Iron (702), Cape Girardeau (683) and Reynolds (655) counties rounding out the top 10. Stoddard County checked 482 deer and Scott County added another 231 to the regional total. The Bootheel counties of Mississippi (154), New Madrid (105), Dunklin (69) and Pemiscot (37) combined to add another 365 deer to the regional total.

If those numbers don't impress you, then compare them to the numbers from just 55 years ago. In 1944 the firearms deer hunting season in Missouri reopened after an extended closure. That year, 7,557 hunters took a total of 583 deer during a two-day bucks-only season that was open in only 20 southern counties. I think you will agree with me when I say that we have most certainly come a long way. There is no certain way to know what the future holds but deer hunters in Missouri have every reason to be optimistic.

For complete information and regulations consult the 1999 Fall Deer and Turkey Hunting Information brochure available from vendors statewide. Gene Myers is a Missouri Department of Conservation agent in Cape Girardeau County.