Cape Girardeau to expand urban deer hunt this year

Hunters participating in the Cape Girardeau's effort to safely cull the deer population next season will have more hunting areas available.

Cape Girardeau City Council members voted unanimously Monday, April 17, to approve the first reading of an ordinance to expand the municipality's urban deer hunt to five new properties and grant more hunting space in one of the city's parks.

The ordinance will be voted on again at the Monday, May 1, meeting.

The hunt previously encompassed five areas in Cape Girardeau: Delaware, Fountain and two portions of Twin Trees parks and Cape Rock Lower Circle. If formally approved, hunters during the 2023 iteration will be able to tag deer in those areas, as well as Casquin Park, parts of Shawnee Park, an area near Veterans Drive, 2936 Highway 177 and an additional 8 acres in Twin Trees.

Tye Metzger, manager for the hunt, said the expansion parks will allow for hunters to tag deer in areas other than the northeast portion of the city. The expansion was made in consult with the hunt committee.

The managed hunt began in 2021 and is run in conjunction with the Missouri Department of Conservation. Around 100 similar hunts are hosted across the state, according to the city's website.

Hunters harvested just four deer from the hunt in 2022 compared to 13 the previous year. Metzger said in previous comments that poor weather conditions affected 2022 numbers. At Monday's meeting, he categorized the hunt as a "successful regardless of the deer count."

During last year's hunt, 40 hunters were picked via a lottery system to participate in the program. Each were confined to a certain region of the hunting area and given three tags but had to take an antler-less deer first.

Council member Shannon Truxel asked whether the antler-less rule would be changed for future hunts, a reported point of frustration for some hunters. Metzger said the MDC recommended keeping the regulation in place to prevent a trophy hunter from getting into the hunt just to take one deer rather than working on the focus of the hunt, which is to cull the population.

There have been discussions before council members and among the committee about further expanding the hunt to private property. Metzger said Monday that a proposal has been drafted for that possibility and it could be presented before council members soon.