[Carpenter] Fw: adeer county

[Frank Oberle]

NewsHey,

    How about a round of applause for all the conservation providers assisting landowners in achieving this nomination; like U.S. Fish and Wildlife, Missouri Prairie Foundation, MDC, USDA, NWF and I hope I'm not missing anyone. 
     Frank oberle  





----- Original Message ----- 
From: Frank Oberle 
To: Frank Oberle 
Sent: Monday, March 17, 2008 3:31 PM
Subject: adeer county


      News
      
     Monday, March 17, 2008
     

Kirksville ranked No. 1 spot in U.S. for whitetail deer


Published: Monday, March 17, 2008 1:18 PM CDT
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KIRKSVILLE - Outdoor Life magazine has named Kirksville the top whitetail deer town in the country.

The magazine's April issue, which will be released later this week, lists the top 10 whitetail towns, along with a list of the 200 best places to live. In addition to the top whitetail ranking, Kirksville was listed 53rd of the best places to live.

"We're thrilled that Kirksville is being recognized in this way," Mike Jones, Wildlife Regional Supervisor at the Northeast Regional Office of the Department of Conservation said.

       
     
Kirksville Tourism Director Debi Boughton said she was excited by the distinction and is optimistic about the effect it could have in bringing hunters to the area.

"It's going to help tremendously because Outdoor Life is a national magazine and we're going to be spreading the word even more broadly than we have been," she said.

The cost of advertising has limited the newly created tourism division to regional advertising in its first year of existence. The division does have an online brochure that can be accessed through the Missouri Division of Tourism website in addition to its own website, visitkirksville.com.

       
     
       
     
"I would say hunting and fishing are our major tourism niches," Boughton said. "That brings the most people from the farthest away."

Missouri Department of Conservation Resource Scientist Lonnie Hansen agreed the ranking could have an economic impact for Kirksville. He said hunting generates $1.1 billion annually in Missouri.

"It's not just recreation, it's a pretty significant business," he said.

       
     
       
     
Hansen credits the quality of deer in the area for the ranking.

"Northern Missouri tends to have higher deer density and produces bigger deer on average," he said. "It's some of our best deer habitat in the state."

In compiling the rankings, Outdoor Life included a number of factors, including, overall quality of life, crime rate, housing prices, growth rate of the local economy, and the variety of cultural opportunities. The magazine also included specific sporting related criteria such as area gun laws, hunting and fishing opportunities, and trophy quality.

       
     
       
     
Hansen said the antler restriction, implemented as an experiment four years ago, is one reason trophy quality is good. The restriction protects younger bucks from being harvested, allowing them to grow another season and get bigger. The Conservation Department is currently reviewing the antler restriction and will decide in April whether to extend it.

Jones sites the amount of public land available for hunters and the Conservation Department's management of that land as a contributing factor to the ranking. Within a 45-minute drive of Kirksville, Jones estimates there are 25-30,000 acres of land available for public hunting.

"We do things other states don't," Jones said. "We want public areas that invite public use."

       
     
       
     
Jones said the Conservation Department controls habitat management and makes sure deer have a year-round supply of food. For hunters, the Conservation Department has several ways to access land, and certain areas are designated for specific types so hunting, such as bow hunting and muzzle loading.

This is the first year Outdoor Life has compiled the rankings, but representatives from the magazine said they plan on making it an annual event.

The number one city on the list of 200 best places to live was Mountain Home, Ark. Kirksville was the second highest rated of the five Missouri cities to make the list. Only Booneville, at 22, was ranked higher. Rolla at 74, Springfield at 129, and West Plains at 151, are the other Missouri cities on the list.

       
     
       
     
Kirksville was the only Missouri city on the whitetail list. It was joined in the rankings by Orofino, Idaho, Arcadia, Wis., Union City, Tenn., Barre, Mass., Guthrie, Texas, Parsons, Kan., Clanton, Ala., Sidney, Mont., and Waynesboro, Va.

Outdoor Life is one of the top hunting and fishing publications in the U.S. with an audience of more than 5 million readers. It provides technical information and insight to outdoorsmen, including field reports and gear guides, as well as the latest techniques, tactics and tips.

The complete list of 200 cities can be viewed at www.OutdoorLife.com/bestplacestolive.

       
     
       
     
 

       
     
       
     
 

       
     
       
     
 



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