DEER, TURKEY REGULATIONS OUTLINED FOR '98-99 SEASON

JEFFERSON CITY -- Deer seasons and limits for the 1998-99 hunting season will look familiar to experienced hunters. And procedures for getting Bonus Deer and Any Deer Permits will look more familiar than they have in a couple of years.

Most deer regulations approved at the Missouri Conservation Commission's April meeting are the same as they have been in recent years.

Archery deer and turkey season will run from Oct. 1 through Nov. 13 and from Nov. 25 through Jan. 15. The bag limit will remain two turkeys and two deer of either sex, with only one antlered deer allowed before firearms deer season.

The fall firearms deer season will run from Nov. 14 through 24. The January Extension of firearms deer season will continue this year, but it will be twice as long as last year-four days, Jan. 2-5. This season will be for antlerless deer only in specified deer management units in northern Missouri.

Besides increasing hunting opportunities, the January Extension addresses citizen concerns about agricultural losses, deer/vehicle accidents and other problems associated with northern Missouri's growing deer herd.

Muzzleloader hunters will be able to pursue deer from Nov. 14 through 24 and Dec. 5 through 13. Muzzleloader hunters also will be eligible for the January season.

Hunters will have a separate permit for each deer and turkey they are eligible to take this year. They will be pleased to learn that they do not have to carry pens or pencils with them to mark permits in the field. They will still have to bring string or wire to attach transportation tags to deer, however. Shooting hours for all methods of deer hunting remain one-half hour before sunrise until one-half hour after sunset.

Like last year, the January Extension of firearms deer season will take place in Units 1-17, 20, 22, 23, 58 and 59. Unlike last year, anyone with an unfilled Any-Deer or Bonus Deer permit will be able to hunt in these units during the January season, regardless of the unit for which the permit was issued.

Another difference in the 1998-99 deer season is in the way Any-Deer and Bonus Deer permits will be issued. Missouri is returning to a lottery to allocate these permits in units where availability is limited.

Sales of all deer hunting permits will begin July 1. On that date, permit vendors statewide will sell archery deer and turkey hunting permits and firearms or muzzleloader permits over the counter for antlered deer for any unit in the state.

You will also be able to purchase Any-Deer and Bonus Deer permits over the counter starting July 1 for units with open quotas.