3 CSR 10- 7.600: Deer Management Assistance Program

Purpose

This rule establishes general provisions for enrollment in the department’s deer management assistance program and for hunting in the program.

Summary:

This amendment would reduce the minimum acreage requirement needed for landowners to enroll in the Deer Management Assistance Program and would allow Deer Management Assistance Program Permits to also be used during the archery deer and turkey hunting season using archery methods. This amendment updates the list of permits that serve as prerequisites for purchase of Nonresident Deer Management Assistance Program Permits and removes the requirement for hunters to submit information to the Department to be eligible to purchase Deer Management Assistance Program Permits.

Title 3 – Department of Conservation
Division 10 – Conservation Commission

Chapter 7—Wildlife Code: Hunting: Seasons, Methods, Limits

Proposed Amendment

(1) Landowners with property located in any county may enroll property in the department-sponsored deer management assistance program in accordance with the following:

  (A) An enrolled property shall be at least [five hundred (500)]two-hundred and fifty (250) acres, except inside the boundaries of cities or towns, an enrolled property shall be at least [forty (40)]twenty-five (25) acres. Individual parcels of land, regardless of ownership, may be combined to satisfy the acreage requirement for an enrolled property; provided, each parcel of land is no more than one half (0.5) air miles from the boundary of another parcel being combined to form an enrolled property. An enrolled property, or parcels being combined to create an enrolled property, may be dissected by public roads. 

  (B) Landowners shall submit an application and have a deer management plan approved by the department to enroll property in the program. Application and deer management plan approval shall be on an annual basis. 

  [(C) Landowners shall submit the following information to the department for any person who is authorized to obtain firearms deer management assistance program permit(s) for use on an enrolled property, or the portion of an enrolled property under their control: Name, domicile address, e-mail, phone number, conservation identification number, Social Security number, and property identification number assigned to the enrolled property by the department.]

(2) In addition to the take of deer in accordance with statewide deer hunting regulations, additional antlerless deer may be taken during the archery deer hunting season and the firearms deer hunting season on properties enrolled in the department-sponsored deer management assistance program in accordance with the following:

  (A) Persons hunting or pursuing additional antlerless deer on enrolled properties must possess the prescribed [firearms ]deer management assistance program permit. [A firearms d]Deer management assistance program permits may only be obtained [by a person whose name, domicile address, e-mail, phone number, conservation identification number, Social Security number, and the enrolled property identification number has been submitted to the department by a]by the persons and in quantities authorized by the participating landowner with property enrolled in the program. A Nonresident Firearms Any-Deer Hunting Permit, Nonresident Landowner Firearms Any-Deer Hunting Permit, [or a Nonresident Managed Deer Hunting Permit]Nonresident Archer’s Hunting Permit, or a Nonresident Landowner Archer’s Hunting Permit is required of nonresidents as a prerequisite to this permit[;]. Nonresidents hunting or pursuing deer on a Nonresident Deer Management Assistance Program Permit shall be properly licensed for the season they are hunting. Properly licensed during the archery deer hunting season shall mean possession of one (1) of the archery permits (either filled or unfilled) required by this rule as a prerequisite for obtaining a Nonresident Deer Management Assistance Program Permit. Properly licensed during the firearms deer hunting season shall mean possession of one (1) of the firearms deer hunting permits (either filled or unfilled) required by this rule as a prerequisite for obtaining a Nonresident Deer Management Assistance Program Permit;  

  (B) All [firearms ]deer management assistance program permits are valid only on the enrolled property they were issued for, or in the case of multiple landowners of enrolled property, only on the portion of the enrolled property where the permit holder has obtained landowner permission to pursue and take deer; and

  (C) Additional antlerless deer may be taken on enrolled properties only in accordance with the statewide deer hunting regulations in this chapter. All applicable statewide season, method, permit, limit, tagging, and checking requirements apply, except [firearms ]deer management assistance program permits filled while hunting on an enrolled property are not included in the antlerless permit limits established by 3 CSR 10-7.437.

AUTHORITY: sections 40 and 45 of Art. IV, Mo. Const. and section 252.040, RSMo 2016.* Original rule filed Aug. 28, 2018, effective March 1, 2019. For intervening history, please consult the Code of State Regulations. Amended: Filed December 8, 2023.

PUBLIC ENTITY COST: This proposed amendment will not cost state agencies or political subdivisions more than five hundred dollars ($500) in the aggregate. 

PRIVATE ENTITY COST: This proposed amendment will not cost private entities more than five hundred dollars ($500) in the aggregate.

NOTICE TO SUBMIT COMMENTS: Anyone may file a statement in support of or in opposition to this proposed amendment with Regulations Committee Chairman, Department of Conservation, P.O. Box 180, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0180, or via the department’s website at https://short.mdc.mo.gov/Z49. To be considered, comments must be received within thirty (30) days after publication of this notice in the Missouri Register. No public hearing is scheduled.

 

Official public comment period: January 16, 2024 to February 14, 2024