The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) reminds hunters not to forget their hunter orange before heading out the door for opening weekend of firearms deer season November 14-24.

MDC says hunters must wear a hunter orange hat and a hunter orange vest, shirt or coat. The color must be visible from all sides. Camouflage orange does not satisfy this rule.

MDC Hunter Education Program Coordinator Justin McGuire says, “Hunting is an extremely safe activity when done responsibly. One of those responsibilities is to make sure hunters and mentors are wearing the required hunter orange garments. Hunter orange clothing makes it easier for one hunter to spot and recognize another hunter because nothing in nature matches this color exactly.”

Hunters must wear hunter orange if:
· They are hunting any species of game during firearms deer season.
· They are hunting elk or accompanying an elk hunter during the firearms portion of elk season.
· They are hunting on an area that is having a managed firearms deer hunt.
· They are serving as a mentor to another hunter during firearms deer season or while on an area that is having a managed firearms deer hunt.

Hunters are not required to wear hunter orange if:
· They are hunting migratory game birds.
· They are archery hunting within municipal boundaries where the discharge of firearms is prohibited.
· They are hunting on federal or state land where deer hunting is restricted to archery methods.
· They are using an archery permit during the alternative methods portion.
· They are archery or small-game hunting in a closed county during the antlerless portion.
· They are hunting small game or furbearers during the alternative-methods portion.
· They are hunting small game or furbearers during the firearms portion of elk season.

The late youth portion of firearms deer season is November 27-29; followed by the antlerless portion December 4-6. The elk firearms portion is December 12-20. The alternative-methods portion for deer runs December 26 through January 5, 2021. Archery season runs now through November 13 and November 25 through January 15, 2021.

Hunting incidents remain rare thanks to hunter orange requirements.