"The generations of living things pass in swift succession, and like runners in a race, they hand on the torch of life." -- Lucretius
1. Deer Hunters Garner More than Meat
Venison is not the most important thing that modern-day Nimrods get from their hours afield.
JEFFERSON CITY -- Everyone knows what deer hunters get out of their sport. It's venison, right?
Well, that's one thing that some deer hunters derive from their sport. A fairly small minority -- about 30 percent of firearms deer hunters and 10 percent of bowhunters -- bring home venison each year. Clearly, deer hunters do not live for meat alone.
Yet, about 400,000 Missourians continue to buy deer tags each year. They continue to spend hundreds of dollars on equipment, clothing, transportation, lodging and food. They rise hours before dawn and endure November's fickle weather. Why? The answer is less about meat than metaphysics, more about family than about food.
Part of the answer can be found in deer hunters' responses to surveys conducted by the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC). In 1979 MDC asked a random sample of 4,998 deer hunters to rate the importance of various reasons for hunting deer as "very important" (3 points), "somewhat important" (2 points), "not important" (1 point), or "no opinion" (0 points).
Their top choice, with an average of 2.668 points, was "getting out-of-doors." "Killing a deer" came in second with an average score of 2.379 points, followed closely by "feeling close to nature" (2.378) and "testing my hunting skill" (2.358).
Other reasons for deer hunting that rated very important were "learning about nature" (2.351) and "being with friends" (2.324). Among reasons rated as somewhat important were "killing a trophy buck," "getting exercise," "having excitement in my life," "being with family," "obtaining meat," "getting away from city life," "getting away from work," "being alone" and "having stories to tell."
Another survey that MDC conducted in 1994 asked deer hunters to rate the importance of various factors that contribute to the enjoyment of their sport. Among the 6,741 hunters surveyed, 95.7 percent said "seeing deer sign" added to their enjoyment. "Seeing birds and other wildlife" was a factor for 96.4 percent of those surveyed, the same percentage that said "harvesting an adult buck" was important to their enjoyment.
Such numbers alone provide an interesting framework for understanding the reasons why Missourians hunt deer, but personal experiences put flesh on the bare bones of statistics. For that, you need to talk to a serious deer hunter.
Jim Johnson is "serious" about deer hunting by anyone's definition. Some accomplished deer hunters lay down firearms in favor of bows and arrows as a way of increasing the challenge of the sport. Johnson has gone a step farther. His hunts begin with making bows and arrows from scratch.
Asking Johnson what has been the high point of his hunting career doesn't call to mind the hunts where he bagged wallhangers. Instead, he remembers an early November morning when the field in front of his tree stand glittered with frost and a little fork-horn buck appeared.
"He walked by without offering a clear shot," recalls Johnson. "Then a six-pointer came along, and they walked across the hollow together and began some casual sparring 25 yards away. I thought, 'This is great. Here I am watching and these two deer acting like I'm not even here.'
"Then I heard something beside me, and there was a nice eight-pointer coming right on the trail of the other two. When he saw them the hackles on his back went up, and he went into that stiff-legged walk that a big buck uses when he wants to intimidate another deer. The other two saw him, but they just stood there. I could almost feel what was going on. He was saying, 'You're in my territory; get out!' But they made him come over there and chase them off.
"Through it all I was so fascinated I never even thought about shooting. It's the same kind of feeling I get watching a fox or a coyote that is hunting and never suspects I'm there. I don't know any other way to get that feeling."
Johnson says he supposes he could enjoy outdoor experiences as much without a bow. In the past he has gone out with a camera after hunting season to see if a particular buck survived. But without the challenge of bowhunting, he lacks the motivation to get up before dawn day after day, immersing himself in the natural world by playing an active role -- predator.
"Some people like to play cards or watch a football game on TV," says Johnson. "I like those things, too. But I like the awesome feeling I get at dawn watching the woods wake up and the wildlife going about its business."
2. Eagle Days Set for December and January
Hundreds of eagles flock to Missouri each winter. You can see these majestic birds at free programs at four locations.
MOUND CITY, Mo. -- Just as sure as snow flies, the bald eagles return to Missouri. After years of work restoring bald eagle numbers, we can enjoy hundreds of the regal birds of prey at four Eagle Days sponsored by the Missouri Department of Conservation.
Eagle Days provide opportunities to view eagles in the wild and learn more about the national bird's comeback. Each event includes guided eagle watches, a movie, displays and a live appearance by a bald eagle from the Dickerson Park Zoo in Springfield.
This year's Eagle Days will take place: Dec. 2 and 3 at Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge near Mound City; Dec. 30 and 31 at Springfield Conservation Nature Center in Springfield; Jan. 6 and 7 at School of the Osage Elementary in Lake Ozark; Jan. 27 and 28 at Lock & Dam 24 at Clarksville.
Each event runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Registration is not required, and signs along the road will guide you to program and viewing sites. Bring cameras and binoculars, and dress warmly. For more information and a map for each location, write to: Eagle Days, Missouri Department of Conservation, P.O. Box 180, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0180.
3. Fall Turkey Harvest Low As Expected
A relative scarcity of young turkeys discouraged hunters during the fall hunting season.
COLUMBIA -- It's no surprise to Larry Vangilder that the 1995 fall firearms turkey harvest is down from last year. The wildlife research biologist with the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) says a smaller harvest is exactly what he anticipated.
"I expected the numbers to be down because of the poor hatch this spring," says Vangilder. "Turkey brood surveys showed a ratio of 1.4 poults per hen. That's the second-lowest count we've had since starting the brood survey in 1959. When we have a poor hatch, people don't buy permits and the harvest goes down."
Hunters bagged 13,686 turkeys during the fall firearms turkey season October 16-29. That number is down by 6,156 from last year, when the hatch was average.
Adair County recorded the highest harvest with 628 birds taken. Macon County, where hunters bagged 547 turkeys, was second. The 433 birds killed in DeKalb put it in third place. Regional totals were: north-central 3,858, northwest 2,022, northeast 1,929, west-central 1,503, central 1,477, east-central 1,050, Ozarks 911, southeast 532, and southwest 404.
Environmental factors played a role in reducing the turkey population this year. Heavy rains during the poult-rearing period and a late spring in northern Missouri contributed to declines in brood numbers. This year's poor production continues a trend of mostly below average hatches in the past eight years.
A small fall harvest is not a bad thing from the turkey management standpoint. It helps ensure that the turkey population will not be overhunted. "I'm not unhappy about the fall harvest at all," Vangilder says. "It's really a good thing. When we have a poor hatch we really don't want a big harvest in the fall, so the population can continue to stabilize."
Another thing that has stabilized -- fortunately at lower levels -- is the number of accidents occurring during the fall turkey season. The accident rate dropped slightly this year. MDC recorded five accidents during the 1995 fall firearms turkey season, compared to six in 1994. None of either year's fall turkey hunting accidents was fatal. Vangilder says he hopes this trend continues.
4. MDC Has Holiday Gift Ideas for Outdoors People
MDC books, videos or lifetime permits are made to order for hard-to-buy-for outdoors people
JEFFERSON CITY -- This holiday season, how would you like to give those on your gift list the state of Missouri to explore and enjoy? You can do that with gifts from the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC). Lifetime permits, books and videos from MDC make great stocking stuffers for outdoors persons.
What hunter or angler wouldn't appreciate a lifetime permit? Three lifetime permits will be available starting Dec. 1. The lifetime small-game permit will entitle holders to a lifetime of harvesting rabbits, squirrels, quail, pheasants, migratory birds and other small game. The lifetime fishing permit will allow anglers to fish Missouri lakes, streams and rivers each season. Each of these permits will cost $400. The Conservation Partner permit ($800) will include both lifetime fishing and small-game hunting privileges.
For the busy sportsmen and women on the go, Heritage Cards may be just the ticket. These cards are designed to make permit purchases easier by eliminating the need for permit applications. All information needed to buy a permit (age, address and hunter education certification) is included in the cards' magnetic strips.
Heritage Card holders also receive a 5-percent discount on retail purchases of publications, nursery stock and some other items available through MDC. A completed application and $2 processing fee are all that's needed to get a Heritage Card.
MDC offers books with information on the state's wildlife and plants and suggestions of where to go see them. The "Missouri Nature Viewing Guide" ($3.50) details 101 exceptional areas for viewing wildlife. The 264-page "Missouri's Conservation Atlas" ($15) provides complete directions to all MDC areas. Other books available include "Water Plants for Missouri Ponds" ($7.50) and "Missouri Wildflowers" ($7).
Beautiful photography and daily reminders of natural events make the "Natural Events Calendar" ($3) a great gift for those who enjoy tracking the days according to what's occurring outdoors.
MDC videos will let you soar with eagles, glide down a Missouri stream and participate in the last railroad tie drive on the Black River. You can purchase "Where Eagles Soar" for $9. For $10 each you can get "Streams: The Force of Life," "Stamp of Character," a video on the T.J. Moss Tie Company of St. Louis and "Blooming Secrets," which shows how spring wildflowers have developed an amazing array of survival strategies. "Grandin: The Big Mill and Tall Timber" ($11) takes you back to the late 1800s, when the Ozarks was home to the largest sawmills in the nation.
For the kids and those who are kids at heart "Habitactics" is a great way to learn about conservation. The computer game provides information on Missouri plants and animals and the challenges of ecosystem management. Habitactics, available on CD-ROM for $10, works with many Macintosh and MS-DOS systems.
Calendars and books are available at MDC service centers around the state and at
conservation nature centers in Springfield, Kansas City, St. Louis and Jefferson City. Prices do not include state sales tax. Mail-order service is available for an additional charge. For complete information about pricing, shipping costs and quantity discounts when ordering by mail, write to:
Order Form
Missouri Department of Conservation
P.O. Box 180
Jefferson City, MO 65102-0180
Or call toll-free, 1-800-392-4115.
SEASON DATES:
Firearms-Nov. 11-21, resident permits $10/non-residents $100;
Muzzle-loading Firearms -- Nov. 11-21 & Dec. 2-10, $10/$100.
Archery -- Oct. 1-Nov. 10 & Nov. 22-Jan. 15, $12/$75.
(Includes turkey hunting privileges.)
LIMITS
TAGGING & CHECKING
Hunters must carry string or other material with which to tie transportation tags. Tags must be attached immediately upon taking deer.
Deer bagged during the firearms deer season must be brought to an established checking station in the county where taken or in an adjoining county between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. on
the day taken.
During archery season and the December portion of the muzzleloader season, deer must be checked at any established checking station within 24 hours of take.
HUNTER-ORANGE REQUIREMENT
All hunters must wear a solid hunter-orange hat and shirt, vest or coat during the firearms deer season. The same requirement applies to persons who hunt deer with muzzle-loading firearms during the second half of the muzzleloader deer season. It does not apply on federal or state public hunting areas where deer hunting is restricted to archery methods.
LANDOWNER PRIVILEGES
Missourians who own and live on at least 75 continuous acres of land can apply for free landowner deer permits. These permits can be assigned to lessees or farm operators who live on the land and are good only on land for which they are issued.
Even though landowners can receive up to three deer permits free and purchase up to three more to hunt other areas, the maximum number of deer they can take legally is the same
as for other hunters. For more information about landowner privileges, see the 1995 Fall Deer & Turkey Hunting Information pamphlet, available wherever deer permits are sold.
RETURN to the MDC News PageRETURN to MDC Home Page