MDC reminds hunters of fall, winter safety measures

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) reminds hunters to take note of updated safety measures throughout the rest of this year and into 2021.

General safety tips:

• Identify your target as a legal deer before putting your finger on the trigger or drawing back your bow.
• Be aware of what is behind your target.
• Never shoot at sounds in the brush.
• Wear a safety belt or harness while in a tree stand.
• Let others know your exact hunting location and when you plan to return.

“Most of the hunting incidents that we have in our state are victims being mistaken for game,” according to Protection Captain Russell Duckworth. “Hunters see movement in a thick area or hear something moving and make the assumption the sound is the animal they are hunting.”

But sometimes that movement is another person, he said, adding, “hunting is an extremely safe sport, but any accident is one too many.”

Duckworth said wearing hunter orange “goes a long way” in helping hunters remain visible to others.

Hunters must wear hunter orange if:

• They are hunting any species of game during firearms deer season.
• They are hunting elk or accompanying an elk hunter during the firearms portion of elk season.
• They are hunting on an area that is having a managed firearms deer hunt.
• They are serving as a mentor to another hunter during firearms deer season or while on an area that is having a managed firearms deer hunt.

Hunters are not required to wear hunter orange if:

• They are hunting migratory game birds.
• They are archery hunting within municipal boundaries where the discharge of firearms is prohibited.
• They are hunting on federal or state land where deer hunting is restricted to archery methods.
• They are using an archery permit during the alternative methods portion.
• They are archery or small game hunting in a closed county during the antlerless portion.
• They are hunting small game or furbearers during the alternative methods portion.
• They are hunting small game or furbearers during the firearms portion of elk season.

It's also very important to check your equipment if you’re hunting from an elevated stand.

“Many hunters leave their stands in place permanently,” he said. “Over time, nails and screws can become loose, and straps can become frayed or rotten. Be sure your equipment will support you and wear a safety harness to ensure you don’t fall.”

And be sure you have permission to hunt in the area you wish to go, Duckworth said, and to also check the area’s regulations.

“We receive many calls from landowners regarding people being on property without permission” says Duckworth. “There are a large number of public areas in southeast Missouri that are available for hunters to legally access, and we are glad to direct people to those sites.”

Duckworth added the rules for one county are not necessarily the same in an adjoining county, “so be sure to take the time to familiarize yourself with the regulations in advance.”

Hunters can find more information about hunting seasons at https://huntfish.mdc.mo.gov/ or by reading MDC’s 2020 Fall Deer & Turkey Hunting Regulations & Information booklet at https://short.mdc.mo.gov/ZXv.

The late youth firearms deer season portion is Nov. 27-29, followed by the antlerless portion Dec. 4-6. The elk firearms portion is Dec. 12-20. The alternative methods portion for deer runs Dec. 26 through Jan. 5, 2021. Archery season runs Nov. 25 - Jan. 15, 2021.