Missouri Deer Harvest #s (so far)

[356]

With the close of the Show-Me States’ main firearms deer season, the Missouri Department of Conservation reports hunters harvested 158,712 deer during the regular November firearms season (65% of the total harvest, to date).

• 2025: 158,712
• 2024: 158,577
• 2023: 193,885
• 2022: 199,115
• 2021: 188,928
• 2020: 177,769

Other points of comparison include:

Early Antlerless Harvest:

• 2025: 8520
• 2024: 5737

Youth Early Season

• 2025: 18884 (great weather, first good cold front)
• 2024: 13868 (rainy)

With Late Antlerless, Late Youth and the Alternative (primarily muzzleloader) seasons yet to come, the harvest so far is:

• Antlered Bucks: 132488
• Button Bucks: 18485
• Does: 91245
• Total: 242218

Opening weekend was welcomed by unseasonably warm weather (80s). The second year of above average mast kept deer in the woods. The severe drought in late summer through this week impacted food plots, with many reporting near or total failures. The cost of processing ($250 basic processing) and limited number of processors in western Missouri has had some impact on folks going into the field.

With all but 33 of 114 counties in "extended season" CWD zones, it may be that hunters are waiting for thus weekend's cold front.

For those not familiar with Missouri's licenses, for $19.50 (2026 price), resident hunters can harvest a maximum of one (1) firearms buck and one (1) archery buck (with an bow tag that is also $19.50). Generally, four (4) antlerless tags (at $7.50 each) are available for all hunters (with exceptions). Qualifying landowners can get free tags, but are still limited to 1 firearm and 1 archery buck. Non-residents licenses are over-the-counter. Costs for NR is over 15x higher (2026 will be $305.50 for archery, $305.50 for firearms and $29 for each doe tag).

While no state is perfect, Missouri is a great place to hunt public lands. Opportunities range from well manicured food plots established by the MDC to open woods in sparsely populated areas.

 

[SwampCat]

To what do you attribute the large drop in harvest from a few years back?

 

[bwoods11]

That’s interesting. I saw a lot of deer . However, my farm was the only standing corn in the area. So that actually helped .

My buddies 2 miles away, said it was a slow yr for them .

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

Maybe I’m cynical but I find it hard to believe 18800 youth killed deer. I don’t know what the success rate is for youth hunters but I imagine it is or should be relatively low-ish. So even if it was 50% that means almost 40,000 kids hunted that season. Two things I take from that. Either we have some adults taking some early season liberties and tagging it to little Johnny and/or we definitely don’t have a hunter recruitment issue. Love seeing kids out, don’t necessarily trust the numbers.

 

[356]

To what do you attribute the large drop in harvest from a few years back?

The 2022 and 2023 seasons conditions were magical....low mast crops, combined with major cold fronts and great soil moisture meant deer were going to food sources both years. Moreover, the season started November 11 in 2023, which was during peak rut movement. 2022 and 2023 were low mast years for much of Missouri, with few acorns, something I observed personally.

Last year the firearms season started November 16, this year it started November 15th. Missouri's peak rut is Nov 1-15, so 2022 provided 4 days of peak rut hunting and 2023 provided 5 days of peak rut vs. 0 or 1 day of peak rut activity the past two years.

The MDC attributes the changes to a combination of 1) weather 2) timing of the season and 3) high acorn production.

EHD outbreaks in 2024 and 2025 may have also contributed to some of the decline, but no hard numbers are available to support or refute the EHD impact.

While hunter numbers are stable, but the cost of processing a deer has gone from an average of $75 in 2019 to $225 in 2025, which clearly impacts hunter willingness to take does. The MBC and other organizations are trying to address this through expanding Share the Harvest opportunities, but this is a problem that has no easy solution.

Finally, there is some evidence that mandatory CWD testing in some areas caused some hunters to "bypass" the process by not tagging their harvest.

I appreciate that the MDC provides this data in real-time for the state and for each county, along with each managed hunt.

 

[SwampCat]

Maybe I’m cynical but I find it hard to believe 18800 youth killed deer. I don’t know what the success rate is for youth hunters but I imagine it is or should be relatively low-ish. So even if it was 50% that means almost 40,000 kids hunted that season. Two things I take from that. Either we have some adults taking some early season liberties and tagging it to little Johnny and/or we definitely don’t have a hunter recruitment issue. Love seeing kids out, don’t necessarily trust the numbers.

In reference, AR usually has a total deer harvest of 190,000 to 200,000. Youth harvest 9000-11000. But also realize, AR allows baiting and that makes a big difference - especially for youth hunters. The MO youth harvest does seem a little high

 

[356]

In reference, AR usually has a total deer harvest of 190,000 to 200,000. Youth harvest 9000-11000. But also realize, AR allows baiting and that makes a big difference - especially for youth hunters. The MO youth harvest does seem a little high

For 2025, youth could fill BOTH a buck and doe tag. Prior to this year, only one tag could be filled. That, along with great weather conditions this year helped contribute to a strong harvest.

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

In reference, AR usually has a total deer harvest of 190,000 to 200,000. Youth harvest 9000-11000. But also realize, AR allows baiting and that makes a big difference - especially for youth hunters. The MO youth harvest does seem a little high

Yeah I’m not buying that is on the up and up

 

[Bill]

To what do you attribute the large drop in harvest from a few years back?

State wide EHD breakouts pre season 2024

 

[swat1018]

To what do you attribute the large drop in harvest from a few years back?

The "kill them all before they die" management plan.

 

[Bill]

The "kill them all before they die" management plan.

Indeed. I used to respect MDC and give them a free pass on my lands to trap turkey and do any study they wanted. Now I’ll
Let a game warden have free rein. But the study folks can KMA.