MISSOURI HISTORY Did you know that the Missouri whitetail deer population is estimated at over 1 million? Every resident of Missouri should be proud of this accomplishment and all the other great management success stories in Missouri like the wild turkey restoration.
I hear this statement all the time. “I can remember when I never saw a deer”. The Missouri Department of Conservation has helped the landowners of Missouri bring the deer population of back from the 15,000 all time low in 1944.
When management and conservation are great success in any state and when progress and growth of Missouri cities and towns come together bring new responsibilities, which city leaders should not ignore or it may cost you and me.
LEARN FROM MISTAKES What makes Missouri so special is our motto. SHOW-ME, in this case it can’t be any clearer.
If you have not been to Town & Country, Missouri just south of St. Louis let me save you a trip. They have a huge deer problem; I mean a HUGE deer problem.
When great habitat is available the deer population runs around 20 to 25 deer per square mile and population controls are intact like hunting there are very few problems.
In Town & Country the deer population runs around 65 deer per square mile and no hunting is allowed. But, they did talk the Missouri Department of Conservation into allowing trapping.
They trapped deer for the 3 years. The Missouri Department of Conservation told the city officials for trapping to be affective that 120 whitetail does per year would have to be taken for a total of 360. This is at the expense of the city.
The Missouri Department of Conservation also told the city, and just for you information removing bucks has little to no effect on future deer population, just on the current population.
Well this is how it went. Show Me
The first year 59 does and 21 bucks were trapped.
Second year 44 does and 13 bucks.
Third year 48 does and 48 bucks.
So they removed a total of 151 does, less than half needed in three years. They also removed total of 82 bucks.
So they removed 233 whitetail deer and relocated them. The cost was more than 350 dollars per deer. Around $82,000 in tax dollars is what it cost the city
Almost forgot. 7 out of 10 of the deer died later of stress of being trapped. A common effect when wild deer are trapped. So around 161 deer died a slow and painful death and remember the city residents and city council are against hunting. I guess the statement, out of sight out of mind comes into play.
The Missouri Department of Conservation has not and will never again issue permit for trapping deer. This has also ceased in Town and Country also.
You may be thinking this does not affect you, since you live in a small town.
Well the another method that the Human Society of the United States the most Anti Hunting Group in the Country, also continues to encourage state wildlife agencies, communities, and parks to use a type of birth control to manage free ranging wildlife species, including whitetails deer.
The leading wildlife biologist considers this to be a complete waste of time not counting it cost more money per animal than trapping. Wildlife biologist will tell you that hunting is the only solution, when it comes to managing deer population that is out of control.
They are still fighting this issue today in Town and Country, they just spent $300,000 plus to sterilize 100 deer only to turn around and finally hire someone to kill the deer now.
I hear this statement all the time. “I can remember when I never saw a deer”. The Missouri Department of Conservation has helped the landowners of Missouri bring the deer population of back from the 15,000 all time low in 1944.
When management and conservation are great success in any state and when progress and growth of Missouri cities and towns come together bring new responsibilities, which city leaders should not ignore or it may cost you and me.
LEARN FROM MISTAKES What makes Missouri so special is our motto. SHOW-ME, in this case it can’t be any clearer.
If you have not been to Town & Country, Missouri just south of St. Louis let me save you a trip. They have a huge deer problem; I mean a HUGE deer problem.
When great habitat is available the deer population runs around 20 to 25 deer per square mile and population controls are intact like hunting there are very few problems.
In Town & Country the deer population runs around 65 deer per square mile and no hunting is allowed. But, they did talk the Missouri Department of Conservation into allowing trapping.
They trapped deer for the 3 years. The Missouri Department of Conservation told the city officials for trapping to be affective that 120 whitetail does per year would have to be taken for a total of 360. This is at the expense of the city.
The Missouri Department of Conservation also told the city, and just for you information removing bucks has little to no effect on future deer population, just on the current population.
Well this is how it went. Show Me
The first year 59 does and 21 bucks were trapped.
Second year 44 does and 13 bucks.
Third year 48 does and 48 bucks.
So they removed a total of 151 does, less than half needed in three years. They also removed total of 82 bucks.
So they removed 233 whitetail deer and relocated them. The cost was more than 350 dollars per deer. Around $82,000 in tax dollars is what it cost the city
Almost forgot. 7 out of 10 of the deer died later of stress of being trapped. A common effect when wild deer are trapped. So around 161 deer died a slow and painful death and remember the city residents and city council are against hunting. I guess the statement, out of sight out of mind comes into play.
The Missouri Department of Conservation has not and will never again issue permit for trapping deer. This has also ceased in Town and Country also.
You may be thinking this does not affect you, since you live in a small town.
Well the another method that the Human Society of the United States the most Anti Hunting Group in the Country, also continues to encourage state wildlife agencies, communities, and parks to use a type of birth control to manage free ranging wildlife species, including whitetails deer.
The leading wildlife biologist considers this to be a complete waste of time not counting it cost more money per animal than trapping. Wildlife biologist will tell you that hunting is the only solution, when it comes to managing deer population that is out of control.
They are still fighting this issue today in Town and Country, they just spent $300,000 plus to sterilize 100 deer only to turn around and finally hire someone to kill the deer now.
This is just one example of one of the many 35 mm photos I took of deer at the corner of Sprigg and Bertling in the early 1990’s.
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