MDC reports 12,465 deer taken during alternative methods portion

Preliminary data from the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) shows deer hunters in Missouri harvested 12,465 deer during the alternative methods portion of firearms deer season, Dec. 23 – Jan. 2. Of the 12,465 deer harvested, 3,130 were antlered bucks, 1,450 were button bucks, and 7,885 were does.

Top harvest counties were Callaway with 296 deer harvested, Franklin with 250, and Macon with 228.

The harvest total for last year’s alternative methods portion was 8,724. This year’s harvest total was eight-percent higher than the previous five-year average.

For current ongoing preliminary harvest totals by season, county, and type of deer, visit the MDC website at https://extra.mdc.mo.gov/widgets/harvest_table/.

For harvest summaries from past years, visit https://mdc.mo.gov/hunting-trapping/species/deer/deer-reports/deer-harvest-summaries.

The archery deer and turkey season runs through Jan. 15.

Find more information on deer hunting from MDC’s 2023 Fall Deer & Turkey Hunting Regulations and Information booklet, available where permits are sold and online at https://mdc.mo.gov/sites/default/files/2023-08/2023FDT.pdf.