MDC reminds deer hunters of regulations this fall

Kansas City, Mo. – The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) is reminding deer hunters to please properly tag and Telecheck harvests this season. Good advance preparation will help hunters avoid violations, said Kansas City Region Protection Captain Joni Bledsoe.

“They should buy all their permits early,” Bledsoe said, “and they should read over the regulations and if they have any questions, call their local conservation agent.”

A violation that agents regularly encounter is when hunters purchase an any deer permit, they harvest a doe, then purchase an antlerless permit for the doe to continue hunting for an antlered buck. It is a violation to not have purchased the correct permit for the deer that is submitted to Telecheck prior to harvesting the deer. Another violation is when hunters fail to notch their paper permit and to Telecheck a deer by 10 p.m. on the day of the harvest.

Firearms deer seasons

The two firearms youth portions occur on Oct. 29-30 and Nov. 25-27. The regular firearms November portion runs Nov. 12-22. The antlerless portion runs Dec. 3-11. The alternative-methods portion runs Dec. 24 through Jan. 3, 2023.

Deer hunters are advised that MDC offices will be closed on Friday, Nov. 11, for the Veteran’s Day Holiday. That’s the day before the regular firearms deer season opens on Nov. 12. Hunters wanting to contact an MDC office for permits or regulation questions should do so prior to the holiday.

Key points to remember:

•  Have your deer hunting permit prior to hunting. Purchasing your permit after harvest is a violation.
• Once you have harvested a deer, and before transporting the animal, make sure you have “notched” your permit. By doing this you are invalidating your permit. Hunters using paper permits need to notch the date and month of the harvest. For those using the MO Hunting mobile app, simply click on the permit valid for the animal and then click on the “notch” icon.
• The final step is to Telecheck your deer by 10 p.m. on the day taken. Remember, “notching” your permit is not Telechecking. Also, before you process (skin or quartering) a deer the animal must be Telechecked, either by phone, computer, or through the mobile application.
• Hunting deer over bait is illegal.

Archery deer season

Deer hunting archery portion runs through Nov. 11 and then again from Nov. 23 through Jan. 15, 2023. Archery deer permits are not valid during the Nov. 12-22 firearms deer season. If a deer is harvested with archery methods during that time, the hunter still must have a valid firearms deer permit and Telecheck it with that firearms permit.

New this year

Hunters who are 15 years old or younger are now exempt from the antler-point restriction during the archery season and all portions of the firearms deer season. The antler-point restriction has been removed for Barton and Vernon counties. Hunters may now fill additional firearms antlerless permits in a number of counties.

Mandatory CWD testing

Any deer harvested Nov. 12-13 in a Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) Management Zone must be taken on the day of the harvest to an CWD sampling station for testing. Special regulations are also in place for transport of carcasses from a CWD Management Zone.

For a complete overview of deer season regulations, CWD management zones, and CWD sampling stations, visit https://short.mdc.mo.gov/ZVo.  MDC’s 2022 Fall Deer and Turkey Regulations and Information booklet is also available at MDC offices.