Missouri Deer Harvest #s (so far)

[356]

With the late antlerless season now over, the only "firearms" season left is Missouri's "alternative season" (Dec 27-Jan 6) which is primarily muzzleloaders and pistols. While bow season continues through January 15, the harvest numbers are fairly low during the last 30 days of the season.

Total Deer: 282667
* Total Does: 119328
* Total Button Bucks: 23133
* Total Antlered Bucks: 140206

Late Antlerless Harvest: 19912 (good hunting weather--nice cold front)
Late Youth Harvest: 2326 (major snow in the northern half of the state)

Historically, between 10,000-13,000 tags are filled during alternative season. It is likely the 2025-26 season harvest will be right at the 5 year average.

 

[BC Buck]

Zero temp and -10 windchill keep me home. Brother killed doe Sat but said weather was stupid. I dont want to mess with frozen deer.

 

[Hoytvectrix]

We took three does this past weekend at the home farm. Because of cold weather I saw more bucks in two days of hunting than I did in 9 of the primary firearm season. No shooters one way or another. Between EHD and poor management, it was clear we still needed to take more does despite the fact overall numbers have been lower than what we normally see.

 

[BC Buck]

We took three does this past weekend at the home farm. Because of cold weather I saw more bucks in two days of hunting than I did in 9 of the primary firearm season. No shooters one way or another. Between EHD and poor management, it was clear we still needed to take more does despite the fact overall numbers have been lower than what we normally see.

What part of MO you in being hit with EHD? Have not had in Pike for years so know im about doo.

 

[SwampCat]

We took three does this past weekend at the home farm. Because of cold weather I saw more bucks in two days of hunting than I did in 9 of the primary firearm season. No shooters one way or another. Between EHD and poor management, it was clear we still needed to take more does despite the fact overall numbers have been lower than what we normally see.

Not saying you are wrong - just curious your thinking of taking does when trying to build the herd back?

 

[Hoytvectrix]

Not saying you are wrong - just curious your thinking of taking does when trying to build the herd back?

I would say we had too many deer the last several years and EHD has been a bit of an opportunity to balance sex ratios and get the numbers down to a manageable level. As much as I've read on the topic, it seems very difficult to accurately inventory deer numbers and sex ratios. Our properties are too small for thermal drone inventories to be worth it as we likely pull the majority of the deer in the area from surrounding properties. I run a lot of trail cameras in the same places year over year and that can help, but still has its limitations. Late season when they herd up or summer glassing are about the best chances I've seen for inventorying deer. We probably have had a doe to buck ratio of around 5:1 the last few years at the home farm.

@BC Buck this is in NE MO.

 

[bwoods11]

In the area in hunt in Missouri, most of the adjoining landowners shoot one buck on average per parcel ? However, there’s a group from a southern state that stacks em up on leased land. One parcel borders me & they shot 3 bucks … rumor is 9 or 10 total on 300 acres ? Not confirmed, but they shot plenty.

That has hurt my area. No offense, but if they were replaced with hunters that are more management conscious, the amount of nice surviving bucks would be really good.

It’s close now, but just that one group has a big impact !

 

[Hoytvectrix]

In the area in hunt in Missouri, most of the adjoining landowners shoot one buck on average per parcel ? However, there’s a group from a southern state that stacks em up on leased land. One parcel borders me & they shot 3 bucks … rumor is 9 or 10 total on 300 acres ? Not confirmed, but they shot plenty.

That has hurt my area. No offense, but if they were replaced with hunters that are more management conscious, the amount of nice surviving bucks would be really good.

It’s close now, but just that one group has a big impact !

Seems like we have a few different groups in our area that are all from Mississippi or Alabama that are doing the exact same.

We haven't taken a buck from our home farm since 2021.

 

[BC Buck]

In the area in hunt in Missouri, most of the adjoining landowners shoot one buck on average per parcel ? However, there’s a group from a southern state that stacks em up on leased land. One parcel borders me & they shot 3 bucks … rumor is 9 or 10 total on 300 acres ? Not confirmed, but they shot plenty.

That has hurt my area. No offense, but if they were replaced with hunters that are more management conscious, the amount of nice surviving bucks would be really good.

It’s close now, but just that one group has a big impact !

They are paying a lot of $ and want to kill deer. I had group on my southside that shot anything that moved. Way more than tags permitted. Would wounded at least one for everyone they tagged. After 3 years they had audacity to complain to me about not seeing the deer they had in past. Had MDC pay them a visit and report to land owner. They lost their access to free hunting.

 

[BenA]

In the area in hunt in Missouri, most of the adjoining landowners shoot one buck on average per parcel ? However, there’s a group from a southern state that stacks em up on leased land. One parcel borders me & they shot 3 bucks … rumor is 9 or 10 total on 300 acres ? Not confirmed, but they shot plenty.

That has hurt my area. No offense, but if they were replaced with hunters that are more management conscious, the amount of nice surviving bucks would be really good.

It’s close now, but just that one group has a big impact !

I've seen this happen with leasing to in state non-locals too. They'll come in from another part of the state or even more suburban areas.

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

Well it’s most always who has the least amount of skin in the game. The lease guys is only trumped by the permission guy in terms of least invested. My buddy used to be married a divorce attorney. She always said the person with the upper hand in any situation is the one with the least to lose. The landowner always has the most to lose when battling the lessor or permission guy.

 

[Ben.MN/WI]

I would say we had too many deer the last several years and EHD has been a bit of an opportunity to balance sex ratios and get the numbers down to a manageable level. As much as I've read on the topic, it seems very difficult to accurately inventory deer numbers and sex ratios. Our properties are too small for thermal drone inventories to be worth it as we likely pull the majority of the deer in the area from surrounding properties. I run a lot of trail cameras in the same places year over year and that can help, but still has its limitations. Late season when they herd up or summer glassing are about the best chances I've seen for inventorying deer. We probably have had a doe to buck ratio of around 5:1 the last few years at the home farm.

@BC Buck this is in NE MO.

Seems like we have a few different groups in our area that are all from Mississippi or Alabama that are doing the exact same.

We haven't taken a buck from our home farm since 2021.

That’s a lot of restraint. What size of a buck do you hold out for?

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

That’s a lot of restraint. What size of a buck do you hold out for?

I’ve shot one since being a landowner in Kentucky which started in 2019.

 

[swat1018]

I haven't killed a buck since 2019. If it isn't a booner, I pass. I've killed plenty of 150" deer, don't need any more. I just stack up the does for meat.

 

[Bill]

I haven't killed a buck since 2019. If it isn't a booner, I pass. I've killed plenty of 150" deer, don't need any more. I just stack up the does for meat.

I’m almost with you. Haven’t killed one in 2 years. Last one 3 years ago was a 6 year old 8. Just shy of 150”. I’m kinda gravitating to old bucks that will never be booners. I’d be pissed off at myself for shooting a 3 YO 12 point 150” deer.

This guy walked by me several times this year. 3 year old with potential to be a dream buck if he can get 2 or more years.



But we’re lucky enough to be swimming in a rare pond…. That would be the buck of a lifetime in most places. Can’t hunt what’s not there. I’m sure this guy won’t be around in 2 years. But if he is I’ll be gunning for him! Consolation prize is, if I killed him this year I couldn’t be hoping for later.

 

[Hoytvectrix]

That’s a lot of restraint. What size of a buck do you hold out for?

I'm certainly no Ghandi. I shot this buck last year on my newer farm and I am pretty proud of it for multiple reasons. My goals at this point are to just continue to harvest older and more mature bucks. The ones I regret not shooting the most are actually older and lower scoring deer because I was greedy and holding out for a higher scoring buck. I'm sure this will continue to be a struggle because hindsight is 20/20.

Here is another I am proud of. This is a buck we called "Lewis and Clark" because he just seemed to show up on most cameras most nights. In 2020 I filmed and passed him in person 7 times.




In 2021 he blew up like we had hoped, and I saw him another 2 times, the last of which was taking my nephew out for his very first hunt where he shot him in the first hour of his first firearm season.

 

[BC Buck]

I'm certainly no Ghandi. I shot this buck last year on my newer farm and I am pretty proud of it for multiple reasons. My goals at this point are to just continue to harvest older and more mature bucks. The ones I regret not shooting the most are actually older and lower scoring deer because I was greedy and holding out for a higher scoring buck. I'm sure this will continue to be a struggle because hindsight is 20/20.

Im in the same boat. Have not killed a buck I truly wanted to harvest in many years. Way to many mature bucks struggling to make 145 ". I pass during prime time and regret late season. Guess what, same buck on cam next year and only added 5" to his rack. Worst part is passed 3YO that would do 150" and will start same cycle next season.

 

[SwampCat]

I dont know if losing inches as a deer matures is as likely up north as it is in my area - but if you are after inches and not age - you better think long and hard about passing a deer at age 4 and you better not pass one at age 5. My biggest buck was probably mid 160’s at age 5 as an 11 pt and was 158 at age 6 as a ten pt, loosing an 8 in tine. Same thing happened on my wife’s biggest deer. My son’s biggest deer at age four we estimated at upper 150’s as a ten point. We thought this deer has real potential and passed him. Next year, he lost a little time length all over - and we would have killed him if we had seen him. Next year, we did kill him as a 148 nine point. Not uncommon for a seven or eight yr old deer to regress down into the low 100’s

 

[BC Buck]

I dont know if losing inches as a deer matures is as likely up north as it is in my area - but if you are after inches and not age - you better think long and hard about passing a deer at age 4 and you better not pass one at age 5. My biggest buck was probably mid 160’s at age 5 as an 11 pt and was 158 at age 6 as a ten pt, loosing an 8 in tine. Same thing happened on my wife’s biggest deer. My son’s biggest deer at age four we estimated at upper 150’s as a ten point. We thought this deer has real potential and passed him. Next year, he lost a little time length all over - and we would have killed him if we had seen him. Next year, we did kill him as a 148 nine point. Not uncommon for a seven or eight yr old deer to regress down into the low 100’s

Lee Lakosky Says a deer has one year when he has major antler growth at maturity. Thats the year he puts on hit list and can vary with age of deer.

 

[SwampCat]

Lee Lakosky Says a deer has one year when he has major antler growth at maturity. Thats the year he puts on hit list and can vary with age of deer.

I dont know if that is true on the land that Baker, from this forum, hunts

But I would say on my place, that is fairly true in general. I also dont think deer in the south - and maybe it is more my local area - tend to put on many inches of antler after age 5. I read of deer in areas where they are still adding inches at 7 or 8 - and it seems to me those are areas of more soil fertility. Even in my state, deer tend to do that in the river delta. These piney woods deer in my area with no ag crops and a diet of saw briars and fescue in the cattle pastures have a hard time of it.