2018 firearms deer season reminders

As firearms deer season approaches, hunters should remember a few important things.

First, your safety and every other hunter’s safety is priority number one. Always point your muzzle in a safe direction, always 100% identify your target and what is beyond before firing, always keep your safety on until ready to shoot and always keep your finger outside the trigger guard until ready to shoot. Remember to bring and wear a hunter orange vest and hat while out in the field.

Second, to monitor Chronic Wasting Disease, all deer taken in Cedar, Polk, Hickory and St. Clair Counties on November 10-11, 2018, must be taken to a CWD check station. In Cedar County, the check stations will be located at Crabtree Cove Park at Stockton Lake and at the El Dorado Springs Chamber of Commerce. To streamline the checking process hunters are asked to field dress and Telecheck the deer before arrival, bring the entire carcass or the head with at least six inches of the neck attached, be prepared to provide your Conservation Number and point to the area where the deer was shot on a map and have your permit and Telecheck information readily accessible. It is required that the person who harvested the deer be present. By keeping these things in mind, your trip to the CWD check station should be quick and beneficial to the monitoring effort. For all other check station locations and information about CWD Management Zones consult the 2018 Fall Deer and Turkey information book.

Finally, hunters must carry either a paper permit or have their permit on their phone using the MO Hunting app while hunting. Once a deer is harvested the hunter needs to notch their permit before moving the deer and Telecheck the deer before 10pm.

Remember to be safe, have fun and enjoy the great outdoors.

For any questions or to report violations contact Conservation Agents Tyler Green at 417-327-5378 or Derek Farwell at 417-830-6162.