Conservation department seeking feedback on deer management
By Jenna Wilson
The Missouri Department of Conservation is revising its white-tailed deer management plan and seeking feedback on the plan’s goals and objectives.
Some of the goals include being proactive in managing the population while dealing with ongoing chronic wasting disease, a deadly illness affecting deer. One main objective includes creating deer hunting seasons and regulations within each county to meet population goals in those areas.
MDC supervisors say that much has changed for deer managers since the previous version of the plan was completed a decade ago, including the distribution of chronic wasting disease, the number of deer hunters and changing hunter preferences.
“Generationally, we just have fewer and fewer people participating in actually hunting, fishing or trapping,” said Parker Rice, Buchanan County conservation agent. “MDC is perpetually concerned with how we get people involved in the outdoors and also balancing that with one of the agency priorities which is disease management in our wildlife populations, chronic wasting being one of the main priorities right now.”
The continued spread of the wasting disease and declines in deer hunter numbers are two significant challenges to the management of the animals in Missouri. The chronic wasting disease affects deer, elk, reindeer, sika deer and moose.
While there is no strong evidence that chronic wasting disease can infect humans or domestic animals, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that people discard venison harvested from CWD-infected animals rather than eat it.
“The counties that they’re testing for it in within the northwest region are Ray, Carroll, Livingston and Grundy,” Rice said. “If you’re not in those counties, you’re not required to have a test performed on a deer you harvested on the opening weekend, but you can still have it tested regardless of if you’re in a mandatory testing county or not and I would encourage people to do so.”
Hunters in Buchanan can have their deer tested at the Northwest Regional Conservation Office, 701 James McCarthy Drive in St. Joseph.
In addition to minimizing the effects of the wasting disease, the new plan will provide long-term strategic goals that direct deer management for the next decade, including:
Creating regulatory systems that allow for fair and equitable allocation of opportunities on private and public lands.
Providing citizens with information about deer management and satisfactory opportunities to enjoy deer hunting.
Researching to help inform the management of the deer herd.
To read and comment on the Missouri Department of Conservation’s draft deer management plan goals and objectives, visit the MDC white-tailed management plan at mdc.mo.gov through Aug. 4.
