I hear that a lot but I think it is more than just rifle season in the rut. I know of a handful of tightly held properties of 800 to 1500 acres in MO that are managed for trophy deer yet struggle to have anything above 160. These properties are bow only. This is why I am anxious to see how your area turns out DWGH.
deep woods goat hunter
PMA Member
The rifle season starting the second weekend of November is asinine. Prior to that the weekend right around Halloween is youth weekend. Then you have 10 day "alternative methods" Muzzy and centerfire pistols for 10-12 days...
$225 (I think) for 2 nonresident archery any deer tags and the November Anydeer Tag (also $225) has NR's swarming to MO. Public ground during gun season is a war zone. One thing that MDC does very well is that they have lots of quality public hunting access. Though when the population of Macon, MO goes from 4000 to 10K during November Rifle Season that pretty well explains why quality age structure is so hard to get.
Tags are over the counter-no draw, no limits to how many NRs tags are sold ever.
To top it all off in all of the CWD surveillance zones they have removed the 4 point restrictions!
Fabulous!
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Agreed, I just wonder why the larger well managed tracts struggle to have trophy antlers when age class is there on those tracts in MO.
deep woods goat hunter
PMA Member
I think they struggle to have "trophy antlers" because they never get to 5.5+. There are junker 5.5 year olds that will never break 140 though even in IA. Even on the larger tracts 3.5 year olds are going to roam over a wide range during the 11 day peak rut right where MO rifle season lies and get smoked by someone dressed as a pumpkin.
It does happen where a deer reaches 5.5+, but the frequency is much much lower in MO because of the regs IMHO, even on the larger managed tracts.
Hardwood11
It is going to be a good fall!
Pumpkins in November hurts many states.