127 deer taken in Bates county during youth season

Preliminary data from the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) shows that young hunters ages 6 through 15 harvested 15,591 deer during Missouri’s early youth portion of the 2020 deer hunting season, Oct. 31 and Nov. 1. Top counties were Franklin with youth hunters harvesting 336 deer, Howell with 324, and Osage with 320.

Bates county youth took in 127 deer over the weekend. Photo is Brayden Nieder of Amsterdam with his 9 point buck.

Last year, youth hunters harvested 18,289 deer during the early youth portion. 

“This year’s harvest total is about on par with the average over the last few years,” said MDC Cervid Program Supervisor Jason Isabelle. “Whenever you have a short season portion like the two-day early youth portion, you can expect variability in the harvest total from year-to-year. This year’s harvest of about 15,600 deer puts us about in the middle of the range when compared to harvest totals from the past five years.”

Missouri’s deer archery season continues through Nov. 13 and resumes Nov. 25 through Jan. 15, 2021. The November portion of firearms deer season runs Nov. 14-24 followed by the late youth portion Nov. 27-29. The antlerless portion of firearms deer season runs Dec. 4-6 followed by the alternative methods portion Dec. 26 through Jan. 5.

- courtesy Missouri Department of Conservation