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A monthly publication about conservation in Missouri. Started in 1938, the printed magazine is free to residents of Missouri.
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Hunters harvested 14,921 deer during the statewide alternative methods portion of the fall 2012 firearms deer season, which ran Dec. 15 through Dec. 25. Top counties were: Oregon with 320, Franklin with 300, and Howell with 298.
Hunters shot 15,238 deer during this portion in 2011. The record harvest under this portion was 15,907 in 2009.
Called “muzzleloader” portion since it was first held in 1988, MDC renamed this portion “alternative methods” in 2012 to reflect additional method options added this past season: archery methods, crossbows, atlatls, handguns and air-powered guns.
Missouri’s two deer-hunting seasons, firearms and archery, provide hunters with many opportunities to take deer while helping to maintain a healthy deer population. The firearms season consists of five portions: urban, youth only, November, alternative methods and antlerless only. The late youth-only portion remains for this firearms deer season and runs Dec. 29-30. The archery season consists of two segments. The second segment remains open through Jan. 15.
According to MDC, Missouri has more than 511,000 deer hunters who spend about $690 million in the state each year on deer hunting and related activities. This has an overall economic impact of $1.1 billion in Missouri each year and supports almost 12,000 jobs.
