deep woods goat hunter
PMA Member
Going to copy an paste here rather than screen shot for readability sake.
To Director Jason Sumners
Mr. Sumners,
Congratulations on your recent appointment to Director of MDC.
I will lead by stating MDC does so many great things for conservation and outdoor opportunities throughout the state, though there are many, many conservationists and hunters are extremely troubled by MDC’s mis-management of the CWD and regulations. I am part of the mostly silent majority that believe it is time to formally voice our concerns over CWD mis-management & regulations.
As a conservationist and landowner in Randolph County, the addition of my farm to a “CWD Management Zone” has further prompted my address to you.
Whitetail Regulations
I am in the beginning stages of assembling a coalition of like-minded whitetail hunters and conservationists that are interested in promoting common sense regulation changes to deer seasons in MO.
There are two main objectives:
His Reply:
Mr. Cater:
Thank you for reaching out to me to share your thoughts about deer hunting regulations and CWD management. I understand that you were able to visit with Jason Isabelle, the Department’s Cervid Program Supervisor, Wednesday evening. Below, please find my response to your e-mail; however, if you would like to continue that discussion with Jason, I would encourage you to reach out to him at Jason.Isabelle@mdc.mo.gov or 573-815-7901, ext. 2902. If after visiting with Jason more, you would like to further the conversation, please let me know.
The Department has always valued hunter input when making decisions about management of the state’s deer population. Through our management efforts, we must ensure the sustainability of the deer population and make decisions based on science; however, input from hunters has always played a large role in establishing hunting seasons and regulations. Missouri has nearly half a million deer hunters and hunter opinions can differ considerably depending on the topic. To help the Department better understand deer hunter opinions, we send surveys to a random sample of hunters each year. Because those that receive these surveys are selected at random, we can be assured that the responses we receive are as representative as possible. Last year, for example, the Department sent surveys to over 130,000 deer hunters to understand their opinions about the deer population and deer hunting seasons and regulations.
As you alluded to in your message, deer hunting seasons and regulations often differ considerably among states. These differences have typically been shaped by several factors such as the status of the deer population when hunting seasons were established, the professional opinions of deer biologists that established and shaped the seasons through time, and the opinions of deer hunters. Although there are some biological advantages to structuring a deer hunting season so that most hunting pressure occurs outside of peak rut, this is not necessary to achieve a sustainable population and there are numerous examples across the country, including in Missouri, where sustainable populations exist despite the primary firearms season occurring during the peak of the rut. In Missouri, despite having a primary firearms season that starts around the peak of the rut, data from research projects conducted here indicate that the vast majority of adult and yearling does breed annually and that fawning dates are fairly synchronous, both of which are indicators that harvest pressure during the rut is not adversely affecting growth potential of the population. As such, from a biological standpoint, we do not believe that the current timing of the primary firearms season is having detrimental effects on the health of Missouri’s whitetail population.
Outside of biological considerations, the Department structures the deer hunting season based in large part on the desires of hunters. As I mentioned previously, each year we survey thousands of deer hunters to obtain their input about the deer population, deer management, and our hunting regulations. On hunter surveys, we often ask about season timing preferences. We periodically ask deer hunters if they would be supportive of moving the November portion of firearms deer season later in the fall, of which most are currently opposed. More specifically, results of the last survey indicated that there were nearly three times as many hunters opposed to moving the November portion later in the fall than those that supported the timing change. We recognize that this portion timing does not satisfy the desires of all hunters, particularly those that would prefer an older buck age structure. However, our approach to developing deer hunting regulations is to make them biologically appropriate while being supported by most hunters.
There is no doubt that nonresident deer hunter numbers are increasing in Missouri. The Department values all Missouri deer hunters and strives to find the appropriate balance between the desires of resident and nonresident hunters for permit prices and allocation of hunting opportunities. Given the abundance of deer throughout Missouri, we have not felt that there has been a need to restrict the hunting opportunity of nonresident hunters by using a draw system. Despite the popularity and quality of deer hunting in Missouri, the vast majority of permits are acquired by residents each year. During most years, more than 90% of deer hunting permits are purchased by residents. We also recognize, however, that nonresident hunters are not evenly distributed in the state and that northern Missouri is among the most popular regions for nonresident hunters. Even though Missouri residents still comprise the vast majority of deer hunters in the state, we have been hearing from more Missouri residents that are concerned about the impacts of nonresident hunters on the quality of hunting and the effect on land access and hunting pressure. Although we value nonresident hunters and the contributions that they make to local economies when they travel here to hunt, we have always strived to balance those benefits with providing satisfactory opportunities for our resident hunters. Our 10-year Deer Management Plan is under revision this year and as part of the revision process, our staff will be evaluating the changes we’re seeing in nonresident deer hunter numbers to ensure that we maintain that balance.
Regarding CWD, it is not an understatement to say that the disease is one of the most significant wildlife challenges of our time. We are fortunate that relatively few deer in Missouri are affected by the disease at this time. However, we know from observing trends in other states that if efforts are not made to manage the disease, the number of deer that become infected with CWD can increase significantly. We do not want that to happen in Missouri, and we are committed to working with hunters and landowners to slow the spread of CWD to protect the deer population. If you are interested in additional information about CWD, I would encourage you to visit the Department’s website (mdc.mo.gov/CWD), the CWD Alliance (cwd-info.org), and the Mississippi State University Deer Ecology and Management Lab (msudeer.msstate.edu/chronic-wasting-disease.php).
Mr. Cater, I thank you again for taking the time to contact me and hope that the information we provided demonstrates the importance of hunter input in the deer regulation decision-making process and explains the serious threat that CWD poses to the deer population. As I mentioned previously, if you would like to continue the discussion with Jason Isabelle, I would encourage you to reach out to him. If after visiting with Jason more, you would like to further the conversation, please let me know.
Have a great weekend and good luck in the deer woods this fall,
Jason Sumners
To Director Jason Sumners
Mr. Sumners,
Congratulations on your recent appointment to Director of MDC.
I will lead by stating MDC does so many great things for conservation and outdoor opportunities throughout the state, though there are many, many conservationists and hunters are extremely troubled by MDC’s mis-management of the CWD and regulations. I am part of the mostly silent majority that believe it is time to formally voice our concerns over CWD mis-management & regulations.
As a conservationist and landowner in Randolph County, the addition of my farm to a “CWD Management Zone” has further prompted my address to you.
Whitetail Regulations
I am in the beginning stages of assembling a coalition of like-minded whitetail hunters and conservationists that are interested in promoting common sense regulation changes to deer seasons in MO.
There are two main objectives:
- Achieve a balanced age structure within the Missouri Whitetail Deer Herd
- How?
- Moving the November Firearms Any Deer Season out of the peak of the whitetail rut, (4th weekend of November or 1st weekend of December).
- Why?
- Biologically balance the age structure of bucks within the herd, while still providing ample opportunities for firearms any deer hunting
- How?
- Return the resource of the Whitetail Deer to the People of Missouri
- How?
- Limit Non-Resident hunters to a combined 1 buck harvest (archery and/or firearm).
- Increase Non-Resident permit prices to align with other midwestern states.
- Institute limited quantity non-resident permit sales via draw with a reasonable amount of permits granted within each region of MO.
- Common-Sense permit access for NR Landowners
- Why?
- Decrease hunter numbers on overcrowded public hunting areas statewide
- Increase quality hunting opportunities on public and private hunting areas statewide
- Increase new hunter recruitment and retention
- Increasing NR permit prices and quality opportunity would replace lost revenue from selling fewer NR permits.
- How?
- A whitetail herd with a balanced age structure and access to high quality land is the #1 issue facing Missouri’s deer hunters.
- Balanced age structure is biologically healthier for the herd.
- Harvest numbers to maintain healthy population are equally attainable with a later firearms any deer season.
- Later firearms season achieves equally acceptable harvest numbers.
- Excellent buck harvesting opportunity with firearms and taking as many does as needed.
- Midwestern states such as IA, KS, IL & OH are regarded as better managed states that are HIGHLY sought after by hunters for more a balanced age structures & quality access.
- Later Firearms Season
- Limited quantities and Higher prices for Non-Resident Permits
- Hunters not targeting mature age class deer will always have the opportunity to do so, even more so because less people will be harvesting the youngest deer in the herd during a later firearms season.
- Revenue will increase with a higher quality deer herd. Limiting the QUANTITY of NR tags will increase the QUALITY of hunting by reducing pressure on private and public lands.
- We are lobbying for these initiatives with no $ to be gained, those fighting back against these improvements for MISSOURIANS are special interest “Deer Pimps” out for their own special interests
His Reply:
Mr. Cater:
Thank you for reaching out to me to share your thoughts about deer hunting regulations and CWD management. I understand that you were able to visit with Jason Isabelle, the Department’s Cervid Program Supervisor, Wednesday evening. Below, please find my response to your e-mail; however, if you would like to continue that discussion with Jason, I would encourage you to reach out to him at Jason.Isabelle@mdc.mo.gov or 573-815-7901, ext. 2902. If after visiting with Jason more, you would like to further the conversation, please let me know.
The Department has always valued hunter input when making decisions about management of the state’s deer population. Through our management efforts, we must ensure the sustainability of the deer population and make decisions based on science; however, input from hunters has always played a large role in establishing hunting seasons and regulations. Missouri has nearly half a million deer hunters and hunter opinions can differ considerably depending on the topic. To help the Department better understand deer hunter opinions, we send surveys to a random sample of hunters each year. Because those that receive these surveys are selected at random, we can be assured that the responses we receive are as representative as possible. Last year, for example, the Department sent surveys to over 130,000 deer hunters to understand their opinions about the deer population and deer hunting seasons and regulations.
As you alluded to in your message, deer hunting seasons and regulations often differ considerably among states. These differences have typically been shaped by several factors such as the status of the deer population when hunting seasons were established, the professional opinions of deer biologists that established and shaped the seasons through time, and the opinions of deer hunters. Although there are some biological advantages to structuring a deer hunting season so that most hunting pressure occurs outside of peak rut, this is not necessary to achieve a sustainable population and there are numerous examples across the country, including in Missouri, where sustainable populations exist despite the primary firearms season occurring during the peak of the rut. In Missouri, despite having a primary firearms season that starts around the peak of the rut, data from research projects conducted here indicate that the vast majority of adult and yearling does breed annually and that fawning dates are fairly synchronous, both of which are indicators that harvest pressure during the rut is not adversely affecting growth potential of the population. As such, from a biological standpoint, we do not believe that the current timing of the primary firearms season is having detrimental effects on the health of Missouri’s whitetail population.
Outside of biological considerations, the Department structures the deer hunting season based in large part on the desires of hunters. As I mentioned previously, each year we survey thousands of deer hunters to obtain their input about the deer population, deer management, and our hunting regulations. On hunter surveys, we often ask about season timing preferences. We periodically ask deer hunters if they would be supportive of moving the November portion of firearms deer season later in the fall, of which most are currently opposed. More specifically, results of the last survey indicated that there were nearly three times as many hunters opposed to moving the November portion later in the fall than those that supported the timing change. We recognize that this portion timing does not satisfy the desires of all hunters, particularly those that would prefer an older buck age structure. However, our approach to developing deer hunting regulations is to make them biologically appropriate while being supported by most hunters.
There is no doubt that nonresident deer hunter numbers are increasing in Missouri. The Department values all Missouri deer hunters and strives to find the appropriate balance between the desires of resident and nonresident hunters for permit prices and allocation of hunting opportunities. Given the abundance of deer throughout Missouri, we have not felt that there has been a need to restrict the hunting opportunity of nonresident hunters by using a draw system. Despite the popularity and quality of deer hunting in Missouri, the vast majority of permits are acquired by residents each year. During most years, more than 90% of deer hunting permits are purchased by residents. We also recognize, however, that nonresident hunters are not evenly distributed in the state and that northern Missouri is among the most popular regions for nonresident hunters. Even though Missouri residents still comprise the vast majority of deer hunters in the state, we have been hearing from more Missouri residents that are concerned about the impacts of nonresident hunters on the quality of hunting and the effect on land access and hunting pressure. Although we value nonresident hunters and the contributions that they make to local economies when they travel here to hunt, we have always strived to balance those benefits with providing satisfactory opportunities for our resident hunters. Our 10-year Deer Management Plan is under revision this year and as part of the revision process, our staff will be evaluating the changes we’re seeing in nonresident deer hunter numbers to ensure that we maintain that balance.
Regarding CWD, it is not an understatement to say that the disease is one of the most significant wildlife challenges of our time. We are fortunate that relatively few deer in Missouri are affected by the disease at this time. However, we know from observing trends in other states that if efforts are not made to manage the disease, the number of deer that become infected with CWD can increase significantly. We do not want that to happen in Missouri, and we are committed to working with hunters and landowners to slow the spread of CWD to protect the deer population. If you are interested in additional information about CWD, I would encourage you to visit the Department’s website (mdc.mo.gov/CWD), the CWD Alliance (cwd-info.org), and the Mississippi State University Deer Ecology and Management Lab (msudeer.msstate.edu/chronic-wasting-disease.php).
Mr. Cater, I thank you again for taking the time to contact me and hope that the information we provided demonstrates the importance of hunter input in the deer regulation decision-making process and explains the serious threat that CWD poses to the deer population. As I mentioned previously, if you would like to continue the discussion with Jason Isabelle, I would encourage you to reach out to him. If after visiting with Jason more, you would like to further the conversation, please let me know.
Have a great weekend and good luck in the deer woods this fall,
Jason Sumners
