OutdoorMissouri.com

That's what I'm thinking 2B. Hired sharp shooters do it with special equipment (.22lr, .223 etc)but openning guns for public hunting in city limits would end up bad.

I just don't want hired sharp shooters to do any work in MO. Hunters would pay for additional tags, safety classes, liscenses etc to have an opportunity to solve the problem. I just hope that our gov't leaders can find a way to use hunters to solve the overpopulation issues.

Don't get me wrong...I ain't necessarily making the jump to opening up firearms hunting in city limits. Boone Countians with firearms is a scary proposition. But what about putting out the word a little more and maybe draw in more bowhunters? Or opening certain areas with larger open acreage to a special shot-gun season? (I would say muzzleloaders, but the modern muzzleloaders vary little from regular firearms.)

I hunt in St. Louis County with a 50 cal. Muzzleloader. Never had a problem or issue. Most lots are 3-5 acre. I get in a stand about 25 feet up, and restrict myself to "bow shots". The land owners came out to see my smith buck about a half hour later. They were joking about almost falling off of the couch when the gun fired. The land owners take who they let hunt their properties very seriously. If you hunt with a firearm, you have passed their test of trust. You had also better bring a dead critter out of the woods after they hear the report.

Up here in Minneapolis, MN, we have a group called the Metro Bowhunter's Resource Base (MBRB) which works with the many county parks departments on deer removal efforts, as an alternative to sharp shooters which cost about $200/deer removed. check us out at www.strictlybowhunting.com for more info.
Every member is required to pass an Advanced Bowhunter Education course prior to being allowed to join up and must shoot a proficiency test every year. I have been hunting with this group for about 6 years and it is very well organized and self-regulated. There is no charge to the councils for our services, it is free to them. As far as the ease of hunting urban deer, it's interesting that you can be walking around the park on the established walking trails and get pretty close to those deer; then when your up in a tree hunting them, they get wise very quickly. IMO, they are used to smelling stinky humans every day walking or running on the trails but when they smell them in brushy areas (security zones), they don't ignore that scent and act like the same deer out by the trails.
To summarize, the MBRB has proven to be a safe, cost-effective means of deer population control here in MPLS. Maybe you can get a group of your own organized down there. Best of Luck.

We do have one Tom.


http://www.suburbanbowhunters.com/index.htm

They have this bunch of dumbasses here in Columbia that have gone as far as putting out a coupon every so often saying that they would rid you of deer for $20/deer. I'm like, these guys are charging me to let them hunt on my property? I thought about calling them and having them over just so I could get a good laugh out of it.

I talk with a fellow from Maryland, who charges up to $200 per deer removed from the suburbs. He charges the property owners, and hunts on about 2-5 acre properties/yards. He takes over 20 deer per year, all during the season, and on their unlimited tags.

That is the craziest darn thing I have ever heard.

"Walt , Hatrack , S.C. Dave and myself are for hire.$200.00 buck a head for the 1st seven days of hunting, bucks over 130" are free. 2nd week the price drops to $100.00 per deer. We are currently hired out right now but can be hired after the rut. We are right in the heart of Potomac and it is sick full of deer. "

http://www.huntamerica.com/wwwthreads/sh...p;page=2#601797

From another forum I waste time on. Davehawk is the original poster.

Bucks over 130" are free. That is classic. I would have to lower my standards a bit, but I guess I would shoot 120" deer for free if a fellow would let me.

Capitolism at work PS, you could out-bid those eastern boys!

I think it is time to up your standards and upgrade to a biggie rack. All deer with a rack outside the spread of your ears would be free. That would bump to what ? A spread of 22inces and a height of 10 inches or more ?

That chit ain't very funny.

IF them other fellers is gettin $20 a head, you reckon I could get $10???

Hobie, if you went door to door, they'd probably give you cash, just to not come back.