Hunters set record for muzzleloader portion of deer season

[Skunk]

Hunters set record for muzzleloader portion of deer season

by Joe Jerek, MDC News

December 30, 2009

2009 muzzleloader harvest is largest in season’s 21–year history.

JEFFERSON CITY—Hunters set a new record with 15,907 deer killed during the muzzleloader portion of Missouri’s 2009 firearms deer season, Dec. 19-29. This year’s record topped the previous one set in 2007 by 2,535. It topped the 2008 harvest by 5,653.

Top counties for this year’s muzzleloader portion were Osage with 403 deer checked, Oregon with 386 and Howell with 336. Howell also made the top-county list in 2008 with 217 and Oregon in 2008 and 2007 with 198 and 405 respectively.

Good weather during the muzzleloader portion helped increase the harvest, and made up for bad weather during the November firearms portion, explained Missouri Department of Conservation Resource Scientist Lonnie Hansen.

“We generally had great deer-hunting weather for the muzzleloader portion, with snow, but not too much to keep hunters from the field, and temperatures that weren’t too cold,” Hansen said. “Lower harvests during the November portion of the firearms season may have also drawn more hunters back out for the muzzleloader portion.”

Hansen, who is in charge of the MDC's deer-management program, explained that heavy rain during four of the first five days of the 11-day November portion of the firearms season was a major factor in those lower harvest numbers.

“Adding to that were weeks of wet weather before the firearms portion, which forced farmers to leave a considerable amount of corn standing.” he said. “This provided a refuge for deer and made them more difficult to find.”

The muzzleloader harvest accounts for about 5 percent of Missouri’s overall annual deer harvest.

Harvest opportunities continue for archery hunters, who have until the season closes Jan. 15, and for youths during a youth hunt Jan. 2-3.

http://mdc.mo.gov/cgi-bin/news/news_search.cgi?item=1262213276,32476

[Spirithawk]

That is what they are saying but I know several, myself included, that highly doubt their stats! Due to the much later season, and the weather being very cold and blustery, deer ( at least in Southern Missouri ) were almost 100% nocturnal. I know many people that muzzleloader hunt, and am always meeting more, and every single one said the same thing. Deer were practicly nonexistant! More tag soup was on the menue this year than any I can remember and I've been hunting a mighty long time. Many a meat processor backed up what I'd been hearing. Simply no deer! Yet a record was set? Really? Makes me wonder if they're not just saying that because of all the grumbling over their having changed it and the lack of real harvests? Everyone I talked with was pretty upset and highly disapointed.

[troy5775]

I think they should open an early season for muzzle loaders in october. It would help with the doe harvest.