Missouri Deer Hunting Season Opens with Over 90,000 Harvested
1 min read
Deer Hunting Season Opens With a Bang - Photo By Paul Tessier of MO
The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) reported a successful start to the firearms deer hunting season, with hunters harvesting 90,334 deer on the opening weekend. The breakdown of the harvest from November 11-12 included 53,159 antlered bucks, 7,163 button bucks, and 30,012 does.
The top three counties in terms of deer harvests were Franklin with 2,114, Texas with 1,825, and Howell with 1,726. The MDC noted that this year’s opening weekend harvest aligns with the past five-year average, slightly down from last year’s 93,355 deer.
MDC Cervid Program Supervisor Jason Isabelle remarked on the favorable weather conditions, which likely contributed to the successful hunting weekend.
For those interested in tracking ongoing harvest totals, the MDC provides updated information on its website. This includes breakdowns by season, county, and deer type. Historical harvest summaries are also available for comparison.
The current firearms deer hunting season will continue through November 21. This will be followed by various hunting portions including the CWD portion in open counties, archery deer hunting, a late youth portion, a late antlerless portion, and an alternative methods portion.
Hunters can find comprehensive details in the MDC’s 2023 Fall Deer and Turkey Hunting Regulations and Information booklet, available both online and where hunting permits are sold.
