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Believe it or not, it is time to begin thinking about whitetail deer hunting. Both the permits and Fall Deer and Turkey Hunting pamphlets are available in your local sporting goods stores.
This timing is directly related to the application dates for deer management hunts across the state: The dates are from July 1st through August 15th.
If you have never applied for a deer management hunt or not familiar with them at all, the state has particular dates set aside to hunt special management areas with certain quotas involved. And, there is a drawing process to get selected to hunt one of these areas. A person can only apply for one area per year for deer, and one application can include up to 4 hunters. Some of these management hunts may be for youth only, archery only, muzzleloaders only, antlerless only or buck only. Some management hunts may even allow you to take more than one deer. Once you are chosen (which you can check after September 11th online or wait for notification through the mail) then you purchase a management deer tag. Your name at that time has already been entered into the our computer data base and allows you to purchase that permit at any vendor. These permits, and harvests on special management areas do not effect any permits, harvest, or limits during the regular archery or firearms seasons. As a matter of fact, depending on the hunt you are chosen for, this would be the only situation you could legally harvest two antlered bucks with a firearm in the state of Missouri. Some of these hunts are before our regular firearms deer season and some are after.
Pick up a Fall Deer and Turkey pamphlet at your local permit vendor and look up the information on these hunts or look them up on our Missouri Department of Conservation website. Then, once you have the code number for the hunt you want to apply for and your nine digit Conservation Number (located on the back of your Heritage Card below the bar code or on a previously purchased permit) handy, you can apply either by telephone or over the internet itself. The telephone number is located in the previously mention pamphlet. After September 11th the result of the draw will be posted on the Conservation Department website. Then a couple of weeks later you should receive a packet of information congratulating you on selection, a map of the area, and other pertinent information.
Make sure you show up for the hunt you are drawn or make sure you notify officials for that particular area well in advance that you can not attend for unanticipated reason. Contact numbers will be included in your packet.
If you are not chosen for a management area hunt this year, or were not chosen last year, you will actually receive a preference point for not being drawn giving you a better chance in the future. The preference point system was not established until last year. Each year you are not chosen you accumulate additional points making your selection definite at some point.
So, you have nothing to lose. Apply for a managed deer hunt of your choice now or any time before August 15th.
Also, if you know anyone who may need a Hunter Education Course before this fall, we have a course date scheduled in Poplar Bluff at the Brown/Mabry American Legion Hall just off PP highway on August 25th and 27th. This is a Monday and Wednesday evening after school is back in session. It runs from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. each night. This is one ten hour course and all students must attend all ten hours. With this course structure, we have had high success passing students. There is no fee or pre-registration required. Students however must be eleven years old or older. Pencils and pens are required to have with you. No food will be allowed to be brought in, but food will be available for purchase . This allows us to continue to get the building for free and pass the savings onto the students. Put these dates on your calendar.
For additional information, visit one of our Missouri Department of Conservation offices or order one of our publications from our web list. http://mdc.mo.gov/
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