2 weeks, 5 days ago by Scott Hardy
Department of Conservation wants hunters to donate meat, and to watch out in CWD areas
The deer-hunting season starts Friday in Missouri, and the state's Department of Conservation is urging deer hunters to share their harvest to help feed hungry Missourians, and to keep in mind regulations to avoid spreading a disease deadly to deer.
Missouri’s deer season opens Friday with archery hunting, and continues through the close of the second archery portion on January 15th. Firearms deer season will run November 11th through the 21st. The MDC says it encourages deer hunters to share their harvests by donating surplus venison to the Share the Harvest program to help feed hungry Missourians. The donated deer meat goes to local food banks and food pantries to help feed hungry Missourians all around the state. To donate, just take harvested deer to an approved meat processor and let them know much you want to donate. The program's donated nearly 5 million pounds since it started in 1992.
The Department of Conservation also reminds hunters to be aware if they're hunting in one of the counties included in the state's Chronic Wasting Disease Management Zone. That zone consists of counties were CWD has been found, and includes Clark, Knox, Macon, Adair and Schuyler Counties. Hunters in those counties must take the deer to a CWD sampling station during the first two days of the November firearm season. The Department of Conservation says it's offering free voluntary sampling and testing of harvested deer during the entire season.
Chronic Wasting Disease has no vaccine and no cure, and is fatal to deer.
