Will the Missouri Department of Conservation just-finished four-year pilot program of antler restrictions in 29 counties be junked or expanded to more areas of the state? Will timing of the firearms seasons be changed to move the antlerless portion into October, open the November portion the weekend before Thanksgiving and move the muzzleloader portion to late December?

MDC says hunter input online, in writing and at 16 meetings across the state will be weighed in determining changes in management of the state’s deer herd.

The pilot antler restriction program launched in 2004 in 29 counties required a buck to have a minimum of four points on one side to be legal. The intent was to shift harvest pressure from bucks to does, helping balance the male-female ratio and put more bucks in older age classes.

The department says the male-female balance makes managing the herd easier because fewer does need to be taken to affect the population size. Surveys have indicated many hunters want to see more bucks in the older age classes.

How did the program work? In the central Missouri counties involved, the doe harvest increased an average of 13 percent, but not in the 22 northern counties with high deer populations. Adult buck harvest increased by 20 percent.

The department says that based on hunter response and biological results from the pilot study, it will decide whether to expand antler restriction regulations to other counties or abandon it for the 2008 deer seasons.

The department believes it could help balance buck-doe ratios and produce more adult bucks by changing the season timing as outlined above beginning in 2009.

In 2007, the seasons were:
• Archery — Sept. 15-Jan. 15, excluding the November portion
• Urban counties — Oct. 5-8
• Youth — Oct. 27-28
• November — Nov. 10-20
• Antlerless — Dec. 8-16.

Remaining meetings are as follows:
• Feb. 4, Marshall High School Little Theater, 805 S. Miami Ave., Marshall
• Feb. 5 — Burr Oak Woods Nature Center, 14-1401 N.W. Park Road, Blue Springs
• Feb. 6 — State Fair Community College, 2503 W. 16th St., Sedalia
• Feb. 7 — St. George Catholic Church Basement, 611 E. Main, Linn
• Feb. 11 — West Plains Civic Center, 110 St. Louis St., West Plains

Comments can be registered online at www.mdc.mo.gov/16184 or sent in writing to Missouri Department of Conservation, Deer Management Considerations, 1110 S. College Ave., Columbia, MO 65201. The department asks you to state in which county you hunt most. whether you want the 4-point antler restriction in that county and whether you support the proposed season timing changes.

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WINONA — Southeast Missouri residents have a new educational and
recreational resource in their back yard. Visitors to the heart of the
Ozarks also might want to visit the newly opened Twin Pines Conservation Education Center (CEC) for a glimpse into the region’s natural and cultural history.

This 456-acre area on Highway 60, 1.3 miles east of the junction with
Highway 19 North in Winona, is the home of an interpretive center that
emphasizes Missouri’s forest heritage.

Grand opening will be 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 19.

Many programs, special events and classes are available by
appointment. For event information and registration, call (573)
325-1381.

Regular hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through
Saturday, noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, closed Monday and Tuesday.

Besides organized activities, Twin Pines offers opportunities for
hiking, birdwatching, nature photography and other nature-related
activities. A trail through the area provides access to pine-oak
woodland and several other forest types.

Twin Pines CEC places a special emphasis on the history of the
Ozarks’ timber industry. Displays at Twin Pines include vintage
logging equipment, a log cabin and an early 20th century schoolhouse.

Youth fishing clinics for largemouth bass, hybrid sunfish and channel
catfish is allowed in 2-acre Mule Camp Pond by special permit only.
Hunting is not permitted at Twin Pines CEC.