04-07-2006, 12:04 AM
By Bob Sheldon
The Missouri Department of Conservation holds managed deer hunts to control the deer population on areas such as State Parks, Conservation Areas and other places where uncontrolled hunting wouldn't be practical. This year there are 115 managed deer hunts listed in the 2006 Fall Deer & Turkey information book. These hunts are for various methods: archery, archery or crossbow, center fire rifle, muzzle loading firearm, historic methods, shotgun with slugs and some hunts are for youth only. The hunts are limited as to the number of hunters that can attend so areas will not be over crowded. Application for the hunts must be made between until Aug. 15. Those lucky hunters that get to attend the hunt are chosen by drawing. Application can be made by telephone or online, directions are in the 2006 Fall Deer and Turkey Regulations book; available any place permits are sold. A hunter must choose the hunt he wants because, if you apply for more than one hunt, you will be disqualified. A resident or nonresident Managed Deer Hunting Permit is required at any managed hunt. No other deer permits are valid at managed hunts. Be sure to check the rules for the hunt you pick because some hunts are antlerless only and many hunts require an antlerless deer be checked in before an antlered deer can be killed. Some hunts have a mandatory pre-hunt orientation you must attend. The firearms hunts are weekend hunts, but many archery hunts are up to a month long.
These hunts are needed to control the deer population in protected areas that become overpopulated with deer and other areas that they don't want over harvested. I have hunted on a state park where all the twigs, weeds, and other forage less than six feet above ground was gone. It made nice clear hunting, but it was only December and all the deer food was gone. Deer are a browsing animal, not a grazing animal. They prefer twigs, leaves and weeds to grass for food. Over browsing also damages the shrubs and young trees on an area.
The managed hunts are an interesting experience every time you go on one. Some hunts have almost a 100 percent success rate, while others have a low success rate. I have been on a managed deer hunt where eighty or so hunters killed two deer and I have been on a hunt where the number of deer killed equaled or exceeded the number of hunters.
On one memorable hunt, three of us harvested seven deer. I have also been to hunts where six or more of us never fired a shot except to unload our muzzle loaders. Unloading our rifles could get interesting, one time we unloaded at a dead tree then spent the next two hours putting out the fire we started in the tree.
The first muzzle loading hunts I knew of were at Caney Mountain Conservation Area in the early 1960s. Things went pretty well for the first few years. Then, one year, 1,000 hunters showed up for the hunt. The next year, the hunt was by drawing and everyone from this area except one guy (me) was drawn for the hunt. This was the beginning of the drawings for managed hunts in Missouri. I have been to several hunts since the drawings started but I never was very lucky in drawings.
The hunts I have gone to were muzzle loading or center fire rifle hunts and I have taken deer at both. My first deer at a managed hunt was a small five-point buck at a center fire rifle hunt at Peck Ranch Conservation Area. My first deer with a muzzle loading rifle was a button buck at Caney Mountain C. A. I made a less-than-perfect shot about 3:30 p.m. and followed the deer down hill and around the hill for an hour or so. I found the small buck, but it was getting toward dark and I was wondering how far I was going to have to drag the deer when I heard a car motor start. Soon, a pickup came into sight and it was part of our group of hunters. All my worrying and my deer was about 50 yards from the road and 100 yards from the parking lot.
To end any drought, all I need to do is get drawn for a managed hunt. I have been to several hunts where it rained all day. We went to one hunt at Drury-Mincy C.A. where we bought a new tent for the hunt and it rained the first night. The tent leaked and we got soaked that night. After we returned home, I called the store and complained and was told by the lady on the other end of the phone line that no place in their catalog did it say their tents were waterproof. On the last managed hunt I was drawn for, it was about 5 degree with a 30 mile per hour wind on Saturday with four or five inches of snow on the ground. That was cold. Sunday morning it was -5 degrees and clear with no wind and that was nice hunting. I did get a large doe on that day. We ate a lunch of sandwiches with the bread, lunch meat and cheese all frozen solid and the sandwiches just crumbled like crackers when we ate them. Mountain Dew looked good in the bottle but it was super cooled and when the pressure was released it made instant ice.
Some of our hunts were great hunts and some were just great camping trips and all were learning experiences. If you are tired of seeing the same old scenery and sitting at the base of the same old tree season after season, apply for a managed deer hunt, see some new territory and meet some new hunters.
.....nu OGSÅ ejer af en 243win :-)
Favourite Quote: Vi løser ikke vore problemer ved at tænke på samme måde, som da vi skabte dem.....(Albert Einstein)
The Missouri Department of Conservation holds managed deer hunts to control the deer population on areas such as State Parks, Conservation Areas and other places where uncontrolled hunting wouldn't be practical. This year there are 115 managed deer hunts listed in the 2006 Fall Deer & Turkey information book. These hunts are for various methods: archery, archery or crossbow, center fire rifle, muzzle loading firearm, historic methods, shotgun with slugs and some hunts are for youth only. The hunts are limited as to the number of hunters that can attend so areas will not be over crowded. Application for the hunts must be made between until Aug. 15. Those lucky hunters that get to attend the hunt are chosen by drawing. Application can be made by telephone or online, directions are in the 2006 Fall Deer and Turkey Regulations book; available any place permits are sold. A hunter must choose the hunt he wants because, if you apply for more than one hunt, you will be disqualified. A resident or nonresident Managed Deer Hunting Permit is required at any managed hunt. No other deer permits are valid at managed hunts. Be sure to check the rules for the hunt you pick because some hunts are antlerless only and many hunts require an antlerless deer be checked in before an antlered deer can be killed. Some hunts have a mandatory pre-hunt orientation you must attend. The firearms hunts are weekend hunts, but many archery hunts are up to a month long.
These hunts are needed to control the deer population in protected areas that become overpopulated with deer and other areas that they don't want over harvested. I have hunted on a state park where all the twigs, weeds, and other forage less than six feet above ground was gone. It made nice clear hunting, but it was only December and all the deer food was gone. Deer are a browsing animal, not a grazing animal. They prefer twigs, leaves and weeds to grass for food. Over browsing also damages the shrubs and young trees on an area.
The managed hunts are an interesting experience every time you go on one. Some hunts have almost a 100 percent success rate, while others have a low success rate. I have been on a managed deer hunt where eighty or so hunters killed two deer and I have been on a hunt where the number of deer killed equaled or exceeded the number of hunters.
On one memorable hunt, three of us harvested seven deer. I have also been to hunts where six or more of us never fired a shot except to unload our muzzle loaders. Unloading our rifles could get interesting, one time we unloaded at a dead tree then spent the next two hours putting out the fire we started in the tree.
The first muzzle loading hunts I knew of were at Caney Mountain Conservation Area in the early 1960s. Things went pretty well for the first few years. Then, one year, 1,000 hunters showed up for the hunt. The next year, the hunt was by drawing and everyone from this area except one guy (me) was drawn for the hunt. This was the beginning of the drawings for managed hunts in Missouri. I have been to several hunts since the drawings started but I never was very lucky in drawings.
The hunts I have gone to were muzzle loading or center fire rifle hunts and I have taken deer at both. My first deer at a managed hunt was a small five-point buck at a center fire rifle hunt at Peck Ranch Conservation Area. My first deer with a muzzle loading rifle was a button buck at Caney Mountain C. A. I made a less-than-perfect shot about 3:30 p.m. and followed the deer down hill and around the hill for an hour or so. I found the small buck, but it was getting toward dark and I was wondering how far I was going to have to drag the deer when I heard a car motor start. Soon, a pickup came into sight and it was part of our group of hunters. All my worrying and my deer was about 50 yards from the road and 100 yards from the parking lot.
To end any drought, all I need to do is get drawn for a managed hunt. I have been to several hunts where it rained all day. We went to one hunt at Drury-Mincy C.A. where we bought a new tent for the hunt and it rained the first night. The tent leaked and we got soaked that night. After we returned home, I called the store and complained and was told by the lady on the other end of the phone line that no place in their catalog did it say their tents were waterproof. On the last managed hunt I was drawn for, it was about 5 degree with a 30 mile per hour wind on Saturday with four or five inches of snow on the ground. That was cold. Sunday morning it was -5 degrees and clear with no wind and that was nice hunting. I did get a large doe on that day. We ate a lunch of sandwiches with the bread, lunch meat and cheese all frozen solid and the sandwiches just crumbled like crackers when we ate them. Mountain Dew looked good in the bottle but it was super cooled and when the pressure was released it made instant ice.
Some of our hunts were great hunts and some were just great camping trips and all were learning experiences. If you are tired of seeing the same old scenery and sitting at the base of the same old tree season after season, apply for a managed deer hunt, see some new territory and meet some new hunters.
.....nu OGSÅ ejer af en 243win :-)
Favourite Quote: Vi løser ikke vore problemer ved at tænke på samme måde, som da vi skabte dem.....(Albert Einstein)
.....ualmindelig velinformeret i forhold til min alder ... :-)
Favourite Quote: En humlebi ved ikke, at den ikke kan flyve......Gå ud på terrassen og vift med armene...hvis du letter må du være uvidende ;-)
Favourite Quote: En humlebi ved ikke, at den ikke kan flyve......Gå ud på terrassen og vift med armene...hvis du letter må du være uvidende ;-)