Mo. Dept. of Conservation reports final deer harvest numbers: nearly 300K

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Beards-n-Spurs

Discussion Starter · 5 mo ago (Edited)

Missouri Department of Conservation
MDC reports final deer harvest for season nearly 300,000
11:39 AM
MDC reports final deer harvest for season nearly 300,000 MDC reports final deer harvest for season nearly 300,000 Archery deer harvest was 56,525. Archery turkey harvest was 2,446.

MDC reports final deer harvest for season nearly 300,000

MDC reports final deer harvest for season nearly 300,000

Archery deer harvest was 56,525. Archery turkey harvest was 2,446.
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Missouri's 2022-2023 deer-hunting season ended Jan. 15 with the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) reporting a preliminary total deer harvest for the season of 299,721. Of the deer harvested, 140,736 were antlered bucks, 27,029 were button bucks, and 131,956 were does.
Top harvest counties for the overall deer season were Franklin with 6,471 deer harvested, Callaway with 5,438, and Jefferson with 4,966.
Hunters harvested 295,143 deer during the 2021-2022 deer hunting season with 143,815 being antlered bucks, 26,750 being button bucks, and 124,578 being does.
ARCHERY DEER RESULTS
Deer hunting ended with the close of the archery season. Preliminary data from MDC showed that hunters checked 56,525 deer during the 2022-2023 archery deer season. Top counties for the archery deer season were Jefferson with 1,391 deer harvested, Franklin with 1,182, and St. Louis with 1,068.
Hunters checked 59,498 deer during the 2021-2022 archery deer season.
For deer harvest totals by season, county, and type of deer, visit the MDC website at extra.mdc.mo.gov/widgets/harvest_table/
For deer harvest summaries from past years, visit mdc.mo.gov/hunting-trapping/species/deer/deer-reports/deer-harvest-summaries.
ARCHERY TURKEY RESULTS
Fall archery turkey hunting also ended Jan. 15. Preliminary data from MDC showed 2,446 turkeys harvested. Top counties for the fall archery turkey season were Macon with 73 turkeys harvested, Franklin with 66, and Greene with 66.
Hunters harvested 2,516 turkeys during the 2021-2022 fall archery turkey season.
For more turkey harvest information for the current season, go online at extra.mdc.mo.gov/widgets/harvest_table/.
For more harvest information on past turkey seasons, visit mdc.mo.gov/hunting-trapping/species/turkey/turkey-reports/turkey-harvest-summaries.
HUNTING INCIDENTS
MDC reported two firearms-related hunting incidents during deer and turkey season with both being non-fatal and being self-inflicted.

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1 - 20 of 25 Posts

bverboy

· #2 · 5 mo ago

best season ever

letemgrow

· #3 · 5 mo ago

There were more mature deer shot off my farm this year than any year I've known.

Reactions: 2

callaojoe

· #4 · 5 mo ago

I didn't kill a whitetail for the first time in 25+ years, but still had a great season.

Archery number is down, I guess one more year of crossbows not decimating the deer herd....

Reactions: 2

BC-Buck

· #5 · 5 mo ago

Had 6 bucks 3YO 135"+ make it through 2021 season. This year had two 3yo bucks and many more than normal 1year old bucks. All my mature bucks disappeared and thinking blue tong. Found 2yo along creek in September and going to walk the creeks in March.

20'

· #6 · 5 mo ago

BC-Buck said:
Had 6 bucks 3YO 135"+ make it through 2021 season. This year had two 3yo bucks and many more than normal 1year old bucks. All my mature bucks disappeared and thinking blue tong. Found 2yo along creek in September and going to walk the creeks in March.

that stinks! cheers to a better 2023 season for you!

lopester59

· #7 · 5 mo ago

The kill always seems to be pretty consistent over the years, weather permitting. In 2021 we had a terrible archery season until a storm hit 2 days before gun season.. Deer just didn't move. 2022 deer movement was great and it seemed like there were more bucks then normal. We had so many buck pictures on our trail cameras. I've already started my scouting for next year.

Reactions: 1

lopester59

· #8 · 5 mo ago

callaojoe said:
I didn't kill a whitetail for the first time in 25+ years, but still had a great season.

Archery number is down, I guess one more year of crossbows not decimating the deer herd....

You don't always have to kill a buck to enjoy yourself in the woods. After I kill a buck, I'll continue to archery hunt until gun season. I will shoot a doe but I'm really there to see the activity in the woods and be there for those in camp that might need assistance in getting a deer out of the woods. I like to record bucks as they search and chase does.

Reactions: 2

dbow

· #9 · 5 mo ago

Worst season for me. Way too many weekend warriors to deal with. Why did I move here? Lol

Reactions: 1

dbow

· #10 · 5 mo ago

Not that I’d ever move away, I love Missouri. I just saw way too many electric mountain bikes and ground blinds everywhere on public land. Why don’t I just stop being poor?

Reactions: 1

kgdog

· #11 · 5 mo ago

What county are you in ?

dbow

· #12 · 5 mo ago

kgdog said:
What county are you in ?

Polk hunting Stockton lake mostly

Reactions: 1

lopester59

· #13 · 5 mo ago

dbow said:
Not that I’d ever move away, I love Missouri. I just saw way too many electric mountain bikes and ground blinds everywhere on public land. Why don’t I just stop being poor?

I found a spot on NF last fall that was loaded with deer and never saw another hunter. I know there are a group of gun hunters that hunt the area very hard but I had it to myself during the two weeks before the firearm's season. I scouted it a week ago and there were still active scrapes. I found several heavily used trails and some single beds. I jumped 3 does. I may have a honey hole.

Reactions: 2

rat

· #14 · 5 mo ago

Here is a thought… so we killed about 1/5th of the deer herd in Mo. How many of those deer do you guys think were younger than 3.5yrs old, and I’m not talking about just bucks.

Let’s just say that about half of the deer that were killed weren’t mature deer. Those are the most vulnerable to being seen and kilt I would think.

That means, 1/10th of of our deer herd were harvested as matoor specimens. That leaves a lot of booners behind I would guess.

20'

· #15 · 5 mo ago

Booner does😁

if you think the mdc deer population guess is accurate???? Population seemed to conveniently jump in size in just a couple years, was it make hunters believe there are more deer so they push though refs to kill more……,seems the deer pop was 1.2 a couple years ago with nofall off in harvest numbers and now it is 1.4?

Reactions: 2

BC-Buck

· #16 · 5 mo ago

20' said:
Booner does😁

if you think the mdc deer population guess is accurate???? Population seemed to conveniently jump in size in just a couple years, was it make hunters believe there are more deer so they push though refs to kill more……,seems the deer pop was 1.2 a couple years ago with nofall off in harvest numbers and now it is 1.4?

Would like to know what county's this increase is in.

rat

· #17 · 5 mo ago

20' said:
Booner does😁

if you think the mdc deer population guess is accurate???? Population seemed to conveniently jump in size in just a couple years, was it make hunters believe there are more deer so they push though refs to kill more……,seems the deer pop was 1.2 a couple years ago with nofall off in harvest numbers and now it is 1.4?

Do you have a better estimate? I think the MDC uses the same tools to estimate deer abundance as other states.

But back to the question, what percentage of the deer we killed do you think were matoor, both bucks and does?

BC-Buck

· #18 · 4 mo ago

rat said:
Do you have a better estimate? I think the MDC uses the same tools to estimate deer abundance as other states.

But back to the question, what percentage of the deer we killed do you think were matoor, both bucks and does?

My bet would be 70% does and bucks 3yo and over less than 3%.

20'

· #19 · 4 mo ago

rat said:
Do you have a better estimate? I think the MDC uses the same tools to estimate deer abundance as other states.

But back to the question, what percentage of the deer we killed do you think were matoor, both bucks and does?

Likely a huge percantage were mature deer, seeing how the MDC considers a 2.5 yo a mature deer.

20'

· #20 · 4 mo ago

rat said:
Do you have a better estimate? I think the MDC uses the same tools to estimate deer abundance as other states.

no i do not, but just a few years ago I thouight we had a 1.2 million pop, now it is all of the sudden 1.5 mil? Maybe they counters was just off for a couple seasons

you decided if it was off the past couple or a few years ago!

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