MDC reports 301,954 deer harvested during Missouri season

FOX23 News at 9 p.m.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo., (KBSI) — Missouri hunters harvested an estimated 301,954 deer during the 2025-26 deer-hunting season, according to preliminary figures released by the Missouri Department of Conservation.

The season ended Jan. 15 with the close of archery hunting. Of the total deer harvested statewide, 145,222 were antlered bucks, 25,129 were button bucks and 131,603 were does.

The top harvest counties for the overall season were Franklin County with 6,770 deer, Howell County with 5,490 and Callaway County with 5,346.

The total harvest was up from the 2024-25 season, when hunters harvested 275,656 deer.

Archery hunters checked 62,203 deer during the 2025-26 season, according to MDC. The leading counties for archery harvest were Jefferson with 1,571 deer, Franklin with 1,272 and St. Louis with 1,076. The archery harvest totaled 56,516 deer last season.

MDC Cervid Program Supervisor Jason Isabelle said the season marked a rebound from last year’s lower harvest totals, particularly in southern Missouri.

“As expected, deer harvest rebounded nicely from the lower harvest total we had last year, especially across much of southern Missouri,” Isabelle said.

Isabelle said the 2025-26 harvest was slightly above the five-year average and marked the sixth time Missouri’s total deer harvest has exceeded 300,000.

MDC reported four nonfatal, self-inflicted firearms-related hunting incidents during the season. One involved deer hunting, while the others occurred during hunts for other game.

More information on deer-harvest totals by season, county and type is available on the Missouri Department of Conservation.