Why It Matters: Opportunities for public engagement with state fish and wildlife agencies and commissions is an often-underappreciated part of wildlife management. During public comment periods, professionally trained biologists balance on-the-ground information on wildlife habitat and populations with the desires of the public that such agencies serve. Together, this system allows state agencies to communicate …
Why It Matters: After opening opportunities for nighttime hunting for coyotes in 2020, the Missouri Conservation Commission and Missouri Department of Conservation are weighing an expanded season to take advantage of the predator population control benefits associated with hunting, while also providing increased opportunities for coyote hunters. These opportunities highlight the mutual benefits that state …
Missouri Seeks to Expand Nighttime Coyote Hunting Opportunities Read More »
Why It Matters: Given the composition of Missouri’s Constitution, opportunities for legislator involvement in hunting and fishing policy are few and far between. However, this has not prevented the Missouri Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus from being an active member of the National Assembly of Sportsmen’s Caucuses (NASC), working closely with the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation and partners …
Why It Matters: Established in 2009, the bipartisan Governors Sportsmen’s Caucus (GSC) is designed to improve communication between participating governors in an effort to support and enhance policies and regulations related to our time-honored outdoor traditions. Joining the GSC last week, Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe brings a strong background as an outdoorsman and continues the …
Missouri Governor Kehoe Joins the Governors Sportsmen’s Caucus Read More »
Why It Matters: State firearm preemption legislation ensures continuity in gun laws across a state and protect law-abiding gun owners from unreasonable restrictions adopted by local governments. These protections played an oversized role in keeping many firearm retailers open during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic and, once again, are being cited in an …
Missouri County Passes Gun Ordinance, Creating a Challenge for Existing Preemption Laws Read More »
Why It Matters: Throughout much of the modern history of white-tailed deer hunting, deer harvest has been a primary driver in the size, growth, and health of deer populations. From the buck-only days during mid-20th century through today’s emphasis on doe harvest through most quality deer management plans, it is clear that the females of …
Missouri Holds Early Antlerless Firearm Deer Season Read More »
Why It Matters: Throughout many Midwestern states, much of the low-hanging fruit has already been enacted for the benefit of sportsmen and women. However, these successes do not mean that the sporting-conservation community should rest on our laurels, and we must remain vigilant to emergent threats to our time-honored outdoor traditions. The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation …
Incredibly Quiet Legislative Session Adjourns in the Show-Me State Read More »
Why It Matters: When game populations are at a point where limited, regulated hunting opportunities are necessary for their management, state fish and wildlife agencies often develop a lottery system in which sportsmen and women apply for a limited number of tags or permits. In utilizing a lottery, states are able to manage the demand …
Why it Matters: Generational differences in approaches to deer hunting, and deer herd management, often reflect the dominant management strategy in place when a certain generation began hunting. For many hunters who remember the “buck-only” days that dominated much of the 20th century, the idea of harvesting a doe can seem sacrilegious. However, given the …
Oh Deer! The Role of Hunters in Managing White-Tailed Deer Populations Read More »
Why it Matters: The opinions of hunters often play an important role in adjusting hunting regulations to achieve hunter satisfaction and, most importantly, meeting the conservation needs of culturally and economically important game species. Recent efforts to understand hunter perspectives in Missouri represent this notion in action, likely to result in positive changes for the …
Missouri Hunters Asked to Talk Turkey on Potential Regulatory Changes Read More »
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