Additional firearms hunting days and more bonus antlerless-only permits are among the suggestions the state Department of Conservation is considering for increasing deer harvest, beginning in counties like Jefferson where chronic wasting disease has been detected.
The suggested changes include increasing the number of antlerless deer permits available during the firearms seasons from two to four in the counties where CWD has been detected. Another idea is an additional five days of hunting at the end of the November portion in CWD management zones, and a special three-day antlerless-only season in early or mid-October beginning in 2023.
The time period for submitting public comments is short. The online survey opened July 25 and is scheduled to end on Aug. 8. The link to the survey can be found at a new department web page, mdc.mo.gov/cwdplan.
I completed the online survey and a second request for my input that I received via email. The questionnaire on the website is an open-ended opportunity for anyone to comment on the objectives of the conservation department’s surveillance and action plans for chronic wasting disease. The survey that I received via email was specifically addressed to me as a deer hunter and sought data collection with one opportunity for commentary.
My first reaction to the emailed request was that I must be special for the department to reach out to me for my input. The email was even “signed” by Jason Isabelle, the newly appointed cervid program supervisor for the state. I have known him and his work in the trenches for years.
I thought maybe I was asked to participate because I am an outdoor writer in Missouri who has covered hunting for a couple of decades, and the department valued my insight. There are not many people in the state in that subset. I am in a statewide outdoor media members group, and we have fewer than 100 members. It’s a diverse group, but hardly an unbiased audience.
Perhaps I was picked because I can speak first-hand about harvesting a deer with CWD. That would provide credibility for my opinion, but again, that pool for data collection would be miniscule, since the total number of free-ranging deer testing positive for the disease is less than 300.
Most likely the survey was sent to every deer hunter who purchased a permit last year or in the recent past. That could provide a few hundred thousand potential data respondents, and thus the best statistical results. I could contact Isabelle to ask about who received the survey, but then I couldn’t cling to the remote possibility that the department thinks I’m special.
The first survey question asked if I hunted in 2021. It would be humorous if they sent the email to people who hadn’t purchased permits for the past couple of years, yet answered in the affirmative.
As is the case with many online surveys, this one is interactive, with questions that can change based on the answers provided. I only know what I was asked, which began with whether I hunted with archery, firearms or both. I also provided information about which county I hunted in the most.
The next questions sought opinions about deer populations where I hunt. Were there too many or too few deer, and should areas where CWD has been detected be managed to have the same, slightly fewer or many fewer deer than areas where the disease has not yet been found?
The survey asked for my level of support for the proposed changes I noted earlier. Did I strongly support or strongly oppose any of the plans? I like the extra antlerless permits for firearms hunters and the extended November portion in CWD zones. I am concerned that the new early antlerless season could lead to antlered deer being harvested illegally and not reported.
I believe the department’s efforts to find and manage the deadly disease have been commendable so far. If others have a differing opinion, their opportunity to be heard lasts until Aug. 8, online or by checking their email if they provided the address in purchasing their hunting permits.
John Winkelman has been writing about outdoors news and issues in Jefferson County for more than 30 years and is the Associate Editor for Outdoor Guide Magazine. If you have story ideas for the Leader outdoor news page, e-mail ogmjohnw@aol.com, and you can find more outdoor news and updates at johnjwink.com.