diff --git a/DESCRIPTION b/DESCRIPTION
index 31d9d7c..51fc40d 100644
--- a/DESCRIPTION
+++ b/DESCRIPTION
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 Package: unmarked
-Version: 1.4.1.9017
-Date: 2024-08-22
+Version: 1.4.1.9018
+Date: 2024-08-26
 Type: Package
 Title: Models for Data from Unmarked Animals
 Authors@R: c(
diff --git a/R/utils.R b/R/utils.R
index 205d5af..fbb0598 100644
--- a/R/utils.R
+++ b/R/utils.R
@@ -510,6 +510,10 @@ getSS <- function(phi) {
 
 imputeMissing <- function(umf, whichCovs = seq(length=ncol(obsCovs(umf))))
 {
+    .Deprecated("imputeMissing", package=NULL, 
+              msg = paste("imputeMissing will be deprecated in the next version."),
+             old = as.character(sys.call(sys.parent()))[1L])
+
     ## impute observation covariates
     if(!is.null(umf@obsCovs)) {
         obsCovs <- umf@obsCovs