Preparations

Finding a place to hunt

Most deer hunting in Missouri is done on privately owned land. Most landowners still permit free hunting, but there is a growing tendency to charge for hunting privileges, either by the day or the season. Often, farmers lease their entire holdings to a group of hunters for the season. Remember, always obtain permission before entering private land.

The U.S. Forest Service owns about 1.5 million acres in the Missouri Ozarks, and this land is open to public hunting. Maps are available from the U.S. Forest Service, 401 Fairgrounds Rd., Rolla, MO 65401. The Conservation Department manages more than 600,000 acres that also are open to hunting. Maps of conservation areas are available from the Department of Conservation, P.O. Box 180, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0180, and from the MDC Atlas.

Scouting

No matter where you choose to hunt, you should become as familiar with the area as you are with your own backyard. Your chance for success in a familiar area, even though it may have fewer deer, is greater than in an area that is strange to you. Thorough scouting prior to the hunting season will greatly increase your chances of success.

Look for deer tracks, droppings, signs of browsing on plants, buck scrapes along the edge of forest clearings and antler rubs on small trees. Scouting may be done in advance of the season, however, remember that deer may change their location and movements as the acorns begin to drop and the breeding season begins.

A good map is essential to scouting any area. Topographic maps show the location of ridges, hollows, streams, and other landmarks which will help you become familiar with a new area. Not only will they help you plan your hunt, but they also may keep you from getting lost. Experienced hunters who are wise to the habits of deer can pick out likely spots for a stand from a topographic map. Topographic maps may be purchased from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, Division of Geology and Land Survey, ATTN: Maps and Publications, P.O. Box 250, Rolla, MO 65402, (573) 368-2125.

Once you have decided on a place to hunt, stay with it. There must be deer in the area or you wouldn’t have picked it in the first place. The longer you hunt in the same place and the more you learn about the area and the habits of deer, the better your chance of success. As an example of how the wily whitetail can avoid the hunter, six experienced Michigan deer hunters were permitted to hunt inside a mile-square fenced enclosure that contained 39 deer. It took 14 hours of hunting to kill a deer during an any-deer season and 51 hours of hunting to kill one buck during a bucks-only season. During one season, with good tracking snow, it wasn’t until the fourth day that the hunters even saw one of the antlered bucks known to be present. It took 15-½ man-days of hunting to locate and kill this buck inside a fenced area with snow on the ground.

What gun to use

image of deer hunter trying out a gun.
The best deeer rifle is the one you can shoot best.

image of hunter checking paper target for accuracy
Try out your gun thoroughly before deer season.

Conservation Department regulations permit firearms hunters a wide choice of weapons. They may legally use shotguns (slugs only); muzzleloading or cap-and- ball firearms not smaller than .40- caliber; rifles or handguns firing only centerfire ammunition; or longbows, compound bows and crossbows.

Prohibited weapons include full metal case projectiles, ammunition propelling more than one projectile at a single discharge and self-loading rifles having a capacity of more than 11 cartridges in magazine and chamber combined.

A muzzleloader portion of the firearms season provides muzzleloading firearms enthusiasts with additional deer hunting. Persons holding a firearms permit can hunt in December but are restricted to using a muzzleloading firearm; no other firearms, longbow or crossbow may be carried during this portion of the season.

What rifle should the beginner use? The choice of a deer gun is usually influenced by the hunter's desires, finances, advice from experienced hunters, and what is available. However, there are several other factors that should be considered: How good of a shot are you? Can you take the recoil of a large caliber rifle? Are you going to use the gun just for deer hunting? Are you going to hunt deer in Missouri only?

If finances are a problem, the hunter should consider using a shotgun. The one-ounce slug from a 12-gauge shotgun can be very effective at short range. About 5 percent of Missouri's deer harvest is by shotgun. The effective range of a shotgun slug is only about 100 yards, but this range is adequate for Missouri conditions. In our rough terrain and brushy cover, most deer are killed at less than 100 yards.

Most shotguns, however, do not have adequate sights for accurate aiming at even 50 yards. A shotgun is designed to be aimed so that the spread of the pattern will cover the target. The chest area of a deer presents about a 12-inch target; therefore, the single slug must be aimed with considerably better accuracy than the shot pattern. Rifle-type sights for shotguns are available from several "after-market" companies. In addition, many manufacturers offer special rifled slug barrels for their shotguns and most allow for mounting a scope.

When you mention deer hunting, most people immediately think of a deer rifle. What is the best deer rifle for hunting in Missouri? There seem to be as many answers to this question as there are rifles available. Hunters in a 1991 survey used every legal type of weapon. Deer were killed with rifles of various centerfire calibers and with all types of actions-lever, bolt, pump, autoloader and muzzleloader.

The 1991 survey indicated that 68 percent of deer hunters used a .30 caliber rifle (.30-.30, .308, .30-06, etc.). Other popular deer calibers included the .270 (11 percent) and the .243 (9 percent).

The .30-.30 has probably killed more deer in the United States than any other cartridge. Since World War I, however, the .30-06 has become the most popular cartridge nationwide; ammunition is available nearly everywhere in a wide range of bullet weights and loadings. Since white-tailed deer are relatively thin-skinned, light-framed animals, there is little need for the heavier rifles- those in the .358 or .375 class or larger. Recoil from these guns is often so heavy that inexperienced shooters cannot use them with much success.

The best deer rifle is the one that any given hunter can shoot best. There are lots of wild stories and myths about the power of big-game rifles, and most of these big guns are vastly overrated in their supposed killing power. A well-placed bullet of adequate weight and velocity will put a deer down to stay, and a poorly placed bullet, no matter how large, is the first step toward a wounded, lost animal. No high-powered cartridge is a substitute for good, accurate shooting.

In recent years, the majority of serious deer hunters have chosen rifles in the .243, 6mm, .270, .30-.30, .308 and .30-06 class. These cartridges develop relatively light recoil, which makes them fairly easy to shoot accurately.

Whatever rifle you choose, try it out thoroughly before deer season. Sight it in carefully, and fire enough rounds on the shooting range to become accustomed to the recoil, the muzzle blast and the handling characteristics. Open sights are standard equipment on most rifles when they come from the factory and, therefore, are the type used by many hunters. A peep or telescopic sight may be more satisfactory for the beginner. Most authorities agree that the peep sight is faster and more accurate than the open sight and it forces the beginner to get his or her cheek down on the stock of the gun when aiming. However, in the dim light of early morning or in heavy woods, it may be hard to see through the peep if the aperture is less than 1/8-inch in diameter.

Because of its light-gathering qualities, a good scope is a distinct advantage in dim light. For Missouri conditions, a 2- to 4-power scope is an excellent addition to a deer-hunting rifle, especially for the beginner or older hunter whose eyes may have trouble adjusting to open or peep sights. Scopes of over 4-power magnification not only are unnecessary in Missouri but may be a handicap because over-magnification may show only a patch of hair and adversely affect the hunter's ability to place the bullet well. A variable power scope should be considered if the hunter plans to also shoot varmints or hunt big game out West.

Equipment

The choice of other equipment can be as important as the choice of rifle. Proper equipment will make your hunt more enjoyable and directly assist you in bagging your deer. Advance preparation will certainly make the chore of field dressing and handling a deer much easier. The first consideration should be proper clothing. Clothing should be comfortable but not too warm. It is best to dress in layers so that you can be warm in the pre-dawn chill, but be able to remove sweaters or wool shirts in the heat of the midday sun.

Regulations require that during the firearms deer season all hunters must wear a hat and shirt, vest or coat of hunter orange (also known as daylight fluorescent orange or blaze orange) so that the color is plainly visible from all sides while being worn. Camouflage orange does not satisfy this requirement. Do not carry a white handkerchief; a careless hunter might mistake it for the tail of a deer when you pull it out of your pocket.

Good boots are necessary for walking over rough country. For sitting still in cold weather, a pair of insulated rubber boots or felt pacs is recommended. A deer can be field dressed with a sharp pocket knife, but the job is easier with a sharp, stout knife having a straight, relatively thin, 4- to 6-inch blade with a dropped point. A saw or light hand ax and sledgehammer also are handy for splitting the pelvic girdle and chest cavity.

Comfortable clothing, a loaded rifle and a sharp knife, along with the appropriate deer hunting permit, are the only really essential items for a successful deer hunt. That’s all the equipment many Missouri hunters carry because they do not plan to go very far from their vehicle. Some additional items you might want to carry include:

These items can be stuffed into your pockets, but a small backpack or beltpack can also be used. The bag also is a good place to carry your lunch and extra clothing, and it leaves both hands free for handling the rifle.