Early optimism for City of Cape Girardeau 2023 deer hunt

City of Cape Girardeau's scheduled Saturday, Oct. 21, to Friday, Dec. 22, managed deer hunt is off to a promising start with seven deer taken in the hunt's first four days.

In 2022, the second year for the hunt done in cooperation with the state Department of Conservation, only four whitetails were harvested,

Thirteen were taken in year one for the initiative in 2021.

Ty Metzger, supervisor of the nuisance division for Cape Girardeau Police Department, told the Southeast Missourian on Tuesday, Oct. 24, the number of harvest areas doubled this year compared to the hunt's 2021 inception.

In addition to the original sites of Delaware Park, Fountain Park, two sections of Twin Trees Park and Cape Rock Lower Circle, the following areas were added for 2023: Casquin Park on North Sprigg Street; two sections along Shawnee Parkway; an area along Highway 177 near the Kenco site; and an additional area along Veterans Memorial Drive at Hopper Road.

"Ultimately, the vast majority of the deer are in the heart of the city. Realistically, the areas we had been hunting (previously) are not in the heart of the city. We needed to be able to start expanding the hunt to show things can still be done safely and closer to residences just as is the case in every other municipality with managed deer hunts in Missouri," said Metzger, who has been on the force in Cape Girardeau for 23 years.

According to the City of Cape Girardeau's website, approximately 100 managed hunts are held across the state annually.

Metzger also said the weather last year played a major role in the disappointing harvest of 2022.

"Remember, in the last hunt, we were in a really severe drought, making it tough for anybody hunting. Deer look for vegetation, for food and for water, and it was extremely dry (last year)," he said.

Numbers

Metzger said 41 hunters attended the mandatory 2023 pre-hunt safety meeting at Osage Centre and were authorized to be assigned a hunting area to take deer.

Three tags were issued to each hunter allowing a trio of whitetails to be taken.

The first deer harvested by an authorized hunter must be antlerless, he said.

In any case, no hunter may take more than one antlered deer.

Metzger told Cape Girardeau City Council in April the purpose of the antlerless rule is to try to prevent a trophy hunter from joining the initiative in order to take a single buck rather than supporting the basis of the overall project, which is to cull the herd.

Of note

Metzger said anyone with questions about this year's managed hunt is invited to call him at the police department's non-emergency number, (573) 335-6621.

Former Cape Girardeau city finance director and original hunt manager Dustin Ziebold predicted in early 2022 that the hunt would eliminate close to 60 deer by 2026.