Missouri’s early youth portion of 2019s deer season was held on November 2 and 3. Across the state, young people between the ages of 6 and 15 sat outside with hopes of harvesting a deer, and, according to preliminary data from the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC), young hunters harvested 18,158 deer. [1]
Early Youth Deer Season
Deer season has been in full swing lately, with archery and the early youth portion of hunting already in effect. Last weekend was Missouri’s early youth portion of deer season, and several young people took advantage of that, checking in over 18,000 deer across Missouri.
Young deer hunters harvest 18,158 during early youth portion. Top counties were Osage, Howell, and Franklin. More at https://t.co/R3WKtKxhtB pic.twitter.com/JKhOv8FVAg
— MO Conservation (@MDC_online) November 4, 2019
Youths, ages 6 through 15, went out on November 2 and 3, fully intending to bring down a deer. Thankfully for the hunters, last weekend’s weather was extremely temperate, allowing hunters to enjoy themselves while they hunted as well as coaxing deer out of their hiding. “We had great weekend weather for deer hunting,” said MDC Deer Biologist Kevyn Wiskirchen. “It was chilly, but not freezing, which is good for deer movement.”
The top counties of Missouri with the most deer were Osage with young hunters harvesting 381 deer, Howell with 355, and Franklin with 351. Oregon County harvested 244 deer, with 166 of those being antlered bucks, 17 being button bucks, and 61 of those being does.
In 2018s early youth portion of deer season, 13,645 deer were harvested, making this years total of deer harvested a drastic increase. [2]
Future Deer Hunting Portions
Archery deer season will continue until November 15 before resuming on November 27 and continuing through until January 15, 2020.
The November section of firearms deer season will run from November 16 through the 26, followed by the late youth deer season, which will start on November 29 and end on December 1. The antlerless portion of the firearm deer season will be running from December 6 through the 8th, followed by the alternative methods deer hunting season on December 28 and running through January 7, 2020.
Notes:
- ^“Telecheck Harvest Numbers.” 5 Nov. 2019, extra.mdc.mo.gov/widgets/harvest_table. (go back ↩)
- ^“Deer Harvest Summaries.” MDC Hunting and Fishing, 5 Nov. 2019, huntfish.mdc.mo.gov/hunting-trapping/species/deer/deer-harvest-reports/deer-harvest-summaries. (go back ↩)
