CWD and OGT are acronyms familiar to hunters preparing for the November portion of firearms deer hunting season.
Chronic wasting disease is a statewide concern with concentrated efforts in the areas where the disease has been detected. Operation Game Thief welcomes input from all Missourians to help stop game law violations.
The OGT crime tip hotline celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2023. A non-profit organization established in 1983 through private donations and public sources, it pays rewards to encourage reporting by the public.
“Operation Game Thief is an awesome resource that allows the public to anonymously call and give tips for potential poaching situations and other wildlife violations,” said Ben Bardot, state conservation agent serving in Jefferson County.
Anyone can call 800-392-1111 to report suspicious activity or details about illegal hunting, fishing or trapping. Those who provide information that leads to an arrest or citations are eligible to request a financial reward.
According to a press release from the state Department of Conservation, since 1990 more than 6,000 tips have resulted in nearly 8,000 citations. None of those callers requested a reward, but an additional 1,900 citations were issued from tippers who did. Those 525 reports paid out about $97,000.
Standard reward amounts range from $100 to $1,000, depending on the scope of the violation and the species affected. Poaching of elk or bear draws higher fines than deer, turkey and native game fish. Any infraction of the state Wildlife Code can result in a reward payment.
A dispatch center answers the toll-free calls 24 hours every day and alerts the agents in the counties where the potential violation took place. The agent can immediately begin an investigation, relying on the accuracy and thoroughness of the report.
“In my opinion, OGT is an excellent tool for conservation agents and for the public,” Bardot said.
Mandatory CWD sampling returns for opening weekend
Hunters who harvest deer on Nov. 12 and 13 from 34 counties in a chronic wasting disease management zone are required to take their deer or its head to a mandatory CWD sampling station. Three locations will be available in Jefferson County for the opening weekend, in Cedar Hill, De Soto and Herculaneum.
The stations will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Deer should be field-dressed and reported through the Telecheck system before visiting the sampling station. The hunter who harvested the deer must be present and should be able to identify the harvest location on a map. Other nearby counties with mandatory sampling requirements include Franklin, Perry, St. Francois, Ste Genevieve and Washington counties.
Voluntary CWD sampling is available through all deer hunting seasons at approved taxidermists and deer processing facilities. In Jefferson County those locations are Belmar’s Taxidermy in Arnold, Bilbrey Studio in Barnhart, and Larry’s Lifelike Taxidermy and John’s Butcher Shoppe in Festus.
Ripley County, on the Arkansas border in southeast Missouri, and Barton, Greene and Vernon counties in the southwest corner of the state are new additions to the CWD management zones this year.
Another new regulation this year allows young hunters to disregard the antler-point restriction regulations during archery deer season and all portions of the firearms hunting season. About half of the counties in the state require that antlered deer have a minimum of four points on one side. Counties inside the CWD management zones do not have antler-point restrictions, and youth-only hunting seasons have not been subject to the regulation in the past.
The November portion of the firearms season is 11 days again this year, Nov. 12-22. Legal shooting hours extend from 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset. The late youth season is Nov. 25-27 and the antlerless-only portion is Dec. 3-11.
With all the opportunities for hunters to take deer, they also may donate through the state’s Share the Harvest program. Whole deer or portions can be donated through authorized meat processors. Oberle in Ste. Genevieve, John’s Butcher Shoppe in Festus and Dittmer Deer Processing participate in the program, which provides meat to local food pantries.
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.