MDC reports final deer harvest for season nearly 300,000

Archery deer harvest was 56,525. Archery turkey harvest was 2,446

JEFFERSON CITY – 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.

MDC reports the final deer harvest for the season was 299,721. The archery deer harvest was 56,525. The archery turkey harvest was 2,446. Among the hunters was Andrew Berger (6) who harvested his first deer Nov. 12 in Cass County. (MDC Photo)