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More Dead Deer This Year

JEFFERSON CITY - If you're thinking about a going for a walk in the woods this weekend, make sure you're wearing hunter orange. Thousands of gun-wielding hunters will be traversing the forests and fields in search of deer.

"Deer kill is up this year," said Bob Staton, protection division program supervisor in Missouri's Conservation Department.

Firearm deer season began November 11. And in that opening weekend, Missouri hunters harvested 110,191 deer. Those numbers are up from last year's opening weekend, when hunters killed 91,015 deer.

"It was probably the weather and also the deer were real active and visible," Staton said.

There were only been three accidents during first four days of deer season this year, Staton said. "We average somewhere between ten and twelve accidents a season," he said.

Staton cited five important safety rules for hunters to remember during deer season:

• Wear hunter orange so other hunters can readily identify you as a person rather than potential target. State law mandates that hunters wear the bright orange.
• Keep the muzzle of your gun pointed in a safe direction. "Wherever that's pointed that's where the bullet's going to go," Staton said.
• Unload firearms when not in use.
• Check that your tree stand is in good condition before you use it for hunting.
• Make sure that what you're shooting at is a deer. Also look beyond the deer to see if the background is safe and free of people.

One of these rules is important for both hunters and non-hunters. "Even to people who want to hike local trails, I would say wear hunter orange so they're readily visible," Staton said.

"Hunter orange on a vest or hat is a small price to pay if it can prevent an injury or death," he added.

The numbers are low for hunting accidents, and according to Staton, are dropping. "Only one in every thirty to forty thousand deer hunters is involved in an accident," he said. "As a rule, Missouri deer hunters tend to be safe."