Conservation agents: Mind purple paint marking boundaries when hunting deer

The Missouri Department of Conservation has some advice for hunters looking to stay on good terms with the area's land owners -- keep your eyes peeled for purple paint.

The paint, used on trees or fencing to mark the boundaries of a person's property during deer hunting season, is like a "no trespassing" sign in a court of law. The November portion of deer season begins Saturday and ends Nov. 24 -- 11 days when hunters can take their kill using a firearm.

Candice Davis, media specialist for the Department of Conservation's southeast region, said hunters should always get permission to hunt on a person's land before starting their season.

"We encourage hunters to know where they're hunting and to stay safe," Davis said. "If they're harvesting a deer and it crosses over into another person's land, they need to contact that land owner instead of just following it over."

Regulations distributed to hunters when they buy their season permit, though, may deter trespassing, according to Davis, as conservation agents throughout the state issued just 157 citations from Nov. 1, 2009, to Nov. 1 of this year. Cape Girardeau County Sheriff Lt. David James said his office hears complaints during deer hunting season, but they're scarce and usually the issue is worked out between the hunter and the landowner.

"Typically, it's just some hunter that's crossed a boundary," James said.

"I wouldn't say that's a real common thing around here," Davis said. "Most of our hunters are pretty ethical hunters."

The use of artificial lighting to spot and harvest deer is more of a problem in Missouri than hunters walking onto property without an owner's permission. The Department of Conservation gave 319 citations to hunters "spotlighting" on the state's lesser traveled roads for the year ending Nov. 1.

In New Madrid County last week, conservation agents from Mississippi, Scott, Dunklin and Pemiscot counties set up an operation to stop illegal hunting activities, observing two spotlighting cases.

The first case was on a county road near the Donaldson Point Conservation Area, where agents stopped the vehicle and seized a loaded rifle and a compound bow in the front. Two people were issued tickets. Agents responded to the Swift Ditch Conservation Area the same evening after hearing gunshots coming from a spotlighted area. At the scene, two recently killed deer were in the back of a vehicle. Three people were arrested and taken to the New Madrid County Jail.

While some people may just be out trying to spot deer, with no intentions to kill, protection district supervisor Russell Duckworth said spotlighting is still illegal.

"There are a lot of people that do it," he said. "The majority of the time, if there is no weapon inside the vehicle, usually folks are not cited. But they can be."

James said law enforcement's main concerns are the hazards the popular hunting season causes to motorists. With hundreds of hunters combing the fields and deer mating season underway, the odds of a buck or a doe crossing a busy four-lane road increase.

"Our conservation agents know and say if you don't swerve and you hit that deer, you're much more likely vehicle home," Davis said. "If you swerve into oncoming traffic or roll in the ditch, that'll be a lot worse."

The department encourages Missourians who spot a possible hunting violation in progress to call their local conservation agent or Operation Game Thief's toll-free number at 800-392-1111.

More hunting regulations can be found at www.mdc.mo.gov/hunting-trapping/regulations/deer-regulations/2010-general-deer-regulations.

ehevern@semissourian.com

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