COMMISSION SEEKS COMMENTS ON NEW HUNTING REGULATIONS

JEFFERSON CITY -- The Missouri Conservation Commission approved several regulation changes affecting hunters at the Commission's April meeting in Jefferson City. The changes will become effective January 1, 1995, after Missourians have had an opportunity to comment and the proposed regulations have cleared all the procedural hurdles.

Changes approved by the Commission include:

-- requiring approval from the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) before property owners may destroy wild turkeys that are causing damage to crops or other property. By requiring prior approval, the Commission affords wild turkeys the same protection that deer, black bears and migratory and endangered species already receive.

-- Requiring hunters to search for and make reasonable efforts to retrieve any game they shoot, short of trespass. For years, the Wildlife Code of Missouri has required deer and turkey hunters to make reasonable efforts to retrieve killed or wounded game. The change makes the ethical rule a legal requirement for hunters of all game.

-- Prohibiting the use of night-vision equipment by persons who also possess weapons that could be used to take wildlife. The hunter's sense of fair chase has denied the use of spotlights in night hunting for most species. Sophisticated optics are available today that eliminate the tell-tale beam of the spotlight, which conservation agents rely on to detect "jacklighters." This technology made it necessary to prohibit the use of night-vision equipment for hunting.

Comments and questions about the new regulations may be directed to: Regulations Committee, Missouri Department of Conservation, P.O. Box 180, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0180.