Conservation Department announces deer meetings

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News from the region
Statewide
Published Date
05/09/2014
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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Hunters and other Missouri residents with an interest in white-tailed deer can express their opinions on management of the state’s deer herd at regional meetings in June and July.

The Missouri Department of Conservation will hold open houses at 14 locations around the state to discuss white-tailed deer management with citizens. The meetings will not have formal presentations. Instead, they will use an open-house format where people can come and go any time between 3 and 8 p.m. They will be able to visit booths focusing on the history of deer management in Missouri, the state’s new deer management plan, possible regulation changes, hunter retention and recruitment, public comments received so far, and other issues related to deer management.

The open-house format lets attendees concentrate on their particular interests, asking questions and discussing their ideas one-on-one with biologists and other key staff. Conservation Department Deputy Director Tom Draper says the goal of the open houses is to provide information and get feedback.

“We need people to tell us what they want Missouri’s deer population to look like and what combination of hunting seasons, bag limits, and hunting methods they want the Conservation Department to use to achieve their goals,” says Draper. “We will use what we hear this summer to help shape future deer regulation changes.” He noted that Missouri’s free-ranging white-tailed deer population supports 12,000 jobs and generates more than $1 billion in economic activity annually in the Show-Me State.

The meetings will be held at the following locations.

  • Rolla – June 16 – Rolla Junior High School Cafeteria, 1360 Soest Road.
  • Springfield – June 17 – Missouri State University, Christopher Bond Learning Center, 2401 S. Kansas Expressway.
  • Joplin – June 18 – Missouri Southern State University, Cornell Auditorium in Plaster Hall, 3950 Newman Road.
  • Warsaw – June 19 – Warsaw Community Building Gymnasium, 181 Harrison St.
  • St. Louis – June 23 – Crestwood Community Center Lounge, 9245 Whitecliff Park Lane, Crestwood.
  • Jackson – June 24 – Knights of Columbus Hall, 3305 North High St.
  • Van Buren – June 25 – Van Buren Youth and Community Center, 1204 D Highway.
  • West Plains – June 26 – West Plains Civic Center Exhibit Hall, 110 St. Louis St.
  • Kirksville – June 30 – Kirksville High School Gymnasium, 1300 S. Cottage Grove.
  • Chillicothe – July 1 – Litton Agriculture Campus MW Jenkins Building, 10780 Liv 235.
  • Kansas City – July 2 – Lakeland Community Church, Large Lobby, 913 NE Colbern Road, Lee’s Summit.
  • Hannibal – July 7 – Quality Inn, Atlantis Ballroom, 120 Lindsey Drive.
  • St. Joseph – July 8 – Missouri Western University, 218/219 Blum Union, 4525 Downs Drive.
  • Columbia – July 9 – Hilton Garden Inn, Magnolia Room, 3300 Vandiver Drive.