- Joined
- Mar 11, 2001
- Messages
- 70,011
- Reaction score
- 1,007
Nov. 23, 2002
Some Jackson County deer hunters stay close to home
By BRENT FRAZEE, The Kansas City Star
Clinton Sapp remembers the days when he followed the crowd to the Ozarks during the Missouri deer season.
Each November, he would leave his farm in Jackson County and head for the rugged wilderness that was renowned as a hunting paradise.
And each November, he would return home disappointed.
"I hunted there for a quite a few years," he said, "and I never shot a deer."
Sapp stays home now once the deer season arrives -- and he does far better than when he traveled hundreds of miles to Missouri's big-timber country.
To many, Jackson County might look like nothing more than a mosaic of interstates, concrete, tall buildings and subdivisions.
But to Sapp, it looks like a great place to hunt deer.
"I've lived here for 40 years and there are more deer now than any time I can remember," said Sapp, who lives on a farm north of Lone Jack. "I don't have to go very far out my back door to find 'em.
"I don't bother driving a long way anymore to go deer hunting. I can take my deer right here at home."
The opening day of Missouri's firearms deer season was proof. Hunting just a quarter-mile from his home, he hid behind a big hedge tree and watched as a 10-point buck suddenly appeared, following a doe through a draw.
He leveled his rifle, squeezed the trigger and accomplished something far greater than he ever had in the Ozarks.
"For the last few years, I've taken deer off my place," he said. "There are so many of them around, it isn't that hard to find them anymore."
Jackson County? Deer country?
However unlikely that might seems to the many residents who see only the developed side of the urban county, it's true.
Drive to the far north, south and east of the county, and you'll travel into a different world.
Old farms, patches of timber, gravel back roads and rugged land that have withstood the onslaught of development give you the feeling that you're far from the city.
You'll also see plenty of deer. More deer than hunters, in fact.
"In Jackson County, you won't see a lot of vehicles parked along the side of the road during deer season," said Ryan Wood, a conservation agent for the Missouri Department of Conservation. "This county doesn't get a lot of hunting pressure.
"There's no public land for rifle hunting. And it's hard to get permission to hunt a lot of these old farms. Either the landowners have it posted because they don't want to get overrun with hunters from the city or else it's just hard to find out who owns the land.
"But if people do have permission, they can find some good hunting. It's gotten to the point where there are a lot of deer in Jackson County."
And not only in the rural areas. In the cities, which are off-limits to hunters, deer also are thriving.
But there are problems that come along with that increase. Jackson County led the state in deer-vehicle accidents, with 327, in 2001. And Kansas City, which includes parts of three counties, was the state's biggest trouble spot, with 334 accidents reported.
That growth in deer numbers also can be seen in rural Jackson County, where deer hunting is allowed.
In 1988, hunters took only 299 deer in Jackson County during the firearms season. By 1998, that total had more than doubled to 744. It climbed even higher to a record 899 last year, and wildlife officials expect that mark to be broken this year.
Hunters shot 523 deer in Jackson County on opening weekend alone -- a once unheard of total for an urban county.
"There are a lot more deer here than most people would expect," Wood said. "We have so many parks that just have ideal habitat.
"It's unreal the amount of deer you'll see in places like the land around Lake Jacomo."
Special archery and muzzleloader hunts are held each fall at Jackson County locations such as Lake Jacomo, Burr Oak Woods in Blue Springs and the James A. Reed Conservation Area near Lee's Summit to reduce deer numbers.
But spots in those hunts are limited and awarded through a drawing. Because of the proximity to the city, those areas are not open to rifle hunting during the statewide firearms season.
That means that the vast majority of the deer taken in Jackson County come from private land.
Those who own land there or gain permission to hunt from a friend or relative know how lucky they are.
Phillip Burgess of Independence certainly feels that way. He hunts his brother-in-law's farm near Lone Jack, a 20-acre patch that is half timber and half fields.
On opening weekend, he got down from his tree stand after he got cold and starting walking along a fence line. That's when he spotted a big buck walking in his direction.
Burgess fired a shot and hit the 8-point deer -- the third buck he has taken off the property in recent years.
"I took an 11-pointer with a big rack out of the same field last year," he said. "I used to go down to the Osceola area to hunt deer, but I don't have to anymore.
"For me, the hunting's better right here close to the city."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To reach Brent Frazee, outdoors editor for The Star, call (816) 234-4319, or send e-mail to bfrazee@kcstar.com
Some Jackson County deer hunters stay close to home
By BRENT FRAZEE, The Kansas City Star
Clinton Sapp remembers the days when he followed the crowd to the Ozarks during the Missouri deer season.
Each November, he would leave his farm in Jackson County and head for the rugged wilderness that was renowned as a hunting paradise.
And each November, he would return home disappointed.
"I hunted there for a quite a few years," he said, "and I never shot a deer."
Sapp stays home now once the deer season arrives -- and he does far better than when he traveled hundreds of miles to Missouri's big-timber country.
To many, Jackson County might look like nothing more than a mosaic of interstates, concrete, tall buildings and subdivisions.
But to Sapp, it looks like a great place to hunt deer.
"I've lived here for 40 years and there are more deer now than any time I can remember," said Sapp, who lives on a farm north of Lone Jack. "I don't have to go very far out my back door to find 'em.
"I don't bother driving a long way anymore to go deer hunting. I can take my deer right here at home."
The opening day of Missouri's firearms deer season was proof. Hunting just a quarter-mile from his home, he hid behind a big hedge tree and watched as a 10-point buck suddenly appeared, following a doe through a draw.
He leveled his rifle, squeezed the trigger and accomplished something far greater than he ever had in the Ozarks.
"For the last few years, I've taken deer off my place," he said. "There are so many of them around, it isn't that hard to find them anymore."
Jackson County? Deer country?
However unlikely that might seems to the many residents who see only the developed side of the urban county, it's true.
Drive to the far north, south and east of the county, and you'll travel into a different world.
Old farms, patches of timber, gravel back roads and rugged land that have withstood the onslaught of development give you the feeling that you're far from the city.
You'll also see plenty of deer. More deer than hunters, in fact.
"In Jackson County, you won't see a lot of vehicles parked along the side of the road during deer season," said Ryan Wood, a conservation agent for the Missouri Department of Conservation. "This county doesn't get a lot of hunting pressure.
"There's no public land for rifle hunting. And it's hard to get permission to hunt a lot of these old farms. Either the landowners have it posted because they don't want to get overrun with hunters from the city or else it's just hard to find out who owns the land.
"But if people do have permission, they can find some good hunting. It's gotten to the point where there are a lot of deer in Jackson County."
And not only in the rural areas. In the cities, which are off-limits to hunters, deer also are thriving.
But there are problems that come along with that increase. Jackson County led the state in deer-vehicle accidents, with 327, in 2001. And Kansas City, which includes parts of three counties, was the state's biggest trouble spot, with 334 accidents reported.
That growth in deer numbers also can be seen in rural Jackson County, where deer hunting is allowed.
In 1988, hunters took only 299 deer in Jackson County during the firearms season. By 1998, that total had more than doubled to 744. It climbed even higher to a record 899 last year, and wildlife officials expect that mark to be broken this year.
Hunters shot 523 deer in Jackson County on opening weekend alone -- a once unheard of total for an urban county.
"There are a lot more deer here than most people would expect," Wood said. "We have so many parks that just have ideal habitat.
"It's unreal the amount of deer you'll see in places like the land around Lake Jacomo."
Special archery and muzzleloader hunts are held each fall at Jackson County locations such as Lake Jacomo, Burr Oak Woods in Blue Springs and the James A. Reed Conservation Area near Lee's Summit to reduce deer numbers.
But spots in those hunts are limited and awarded through a drawing. Because of the proximity to the city, those areas are not open to rifle hunting during the statewide firearms season.
That means that the vast majority of the deer taken in Jackson County come from private land.
Those who own land there or gain permission to hunt from a friend or relative know how lucky they are.
Phillip Burgess of Independence certainly feels that way. He hunts his brother-in-law's farm near Lone Jack, a 20-acre patch that is half timber and half fields.
On opening weekend, he got down from his tree stand after he got cold and starting walking along a fence line. That's when he spotted a big buck walking in his direction.
Burgess fired a shot and hit the 8-point deer -- the third buck he has taken off the property in recent years.
"I took an 11-pointer with a big rack out of the same field last year," he said. "I used to go down to the Osceola area to hunt deer, but I don't have to anymore.
"For me, the hunting's better right here close to the city."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To reach Brent Frazee, outdoors editor for The Star, call (816) 234-4319, or send e-mail to bfrazee@kcstar.com
