Total deer hunted in Missouri up nearly 10% from last year

EDITOR’S NOTE: Information for harvested deer in Buchanan, Andrew, Clinton and DeKalb counties in Missouri has been added to this story.

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) — The 2025-26 deer-hunting season ended on Jan. 15 and the preliminary total of deer harvested is up nearly 10% from last year, according to a Friday press release from the Missouri Department of Conservation.

MDC reports that 301,954 deer were harvested throughout the state this hunting season, compared to 275,656 during the 2024-25 season.

Previous reporting shows that last year’s numbers were down because the firearms seasons during the 2024-25 season was a week later and there was a plentiful bumper acorn crop, which affects deer migration.

“As expected, deer harvest rebounded nicely from the lower harvest total we had last year, especially across much of southern Missouri,” MDC Cervid Program Supervisor Jason Isabelle said in Friday’s press release.

The total number is still down from the 2023-24 season, when 326,448 deer were harvested.

For this season, the release says, 145,222 of the harvested deer were antlered bucks, while 25,129 were button bucks and 131,603 were does. Top harvest counties were Franklin (6,770), Howell (5,490) and Callaway (5,346), the release says.

Buchanan and DeKalb counties saw a total of 175 harvested deer, Andrew County saw a total of 187 and Clinton County saw 157.

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