Changes coming for deer, turkey hunters
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — The Missouri Conservation Commission recently approved recommendations submitted by the Missouri Department of Conservation for the 2016-2017 deer season and 2016 turkey season.
The new regulations include season dates, changes in allowed methods for harvesting turkeys and deer, and changes to the deer season structure.
New provisions include:
• Expanding the late youth deer season to three days beginning the first Friday after Thanksgiving.
• Reducing the length of the antlerless portion of deer season from 12 to three days beginning on the first Friday in December.
• Eliminating the urban-zones portion of firearms deer season.
• Allowing crossbows as a legal method during archery deer and turkey seasons.
• Allowing the use of crossbows during the fall firearms turkey season.
• Removing the hunting method exemption requirement related to crossbows.
• Reducing the limit on antlered deer from three to two during the combined archery and firearms deer season with no more than one antlered deer to be taken during the firearms season.
• Holding the spring 2016 turkey season from April 18 through May 8 with a limit of two bearded turkeys, and providing that only one turkey may be taken during the first seven days of the season.
• Holding the spring 2016 youth turkey season April 9-10.
• Holding the fall 2016 turkey season Oct. 1-31 with a limit of two turkeys of either sex.
Changes to deer season structure and hunting methods followed an 18-month effort by MDC to gather input through hunter and landowner surveys, public meetings, and discussions with conservation organizations.
The new regulations were also based on deer population simulations, biological data, and harvest information.
According to an MDC release, that effort will continue into early 2016 on a variety of deer hunting topics, including nonresident permits and prices.
A complete list of 2016-2017 season dates is given below:
• Spring turkey season: spring youth portion, April 9-10, 2016; spring turkey season, April 18-May 8, 2016.
• Fall deer and turkey seasons: archery deer and turkey, Sept. 15-Nov. 11, 2016, and Nov. 23, 2016, through Jan. 15, 2017; firearms turkey, Oct. 1-31, 2016; firearms deer early youth portion, Oct. 29-30, 2016; firearms deer November portion, Nov. 12-22, 2016; firearms deer antlerless portion, Dec. 2-4, 2016; firearms deer alternative methods portion, Dec. 24, 2016, through Jan. 3, 2017; firearms deer late youth portion, Nov. 25-27, 2016.
