Perry County sees increase of deer harvested during firearm season

Numbers are up across the state as deer hunters across Missouri finished up the November portion of firearms deer season. Preliminary data from the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) shows that deer hunters in Missouri harvested 197,724 deer during the November portion of firearms deer season, Nov. 12-22. Of the 197,724 deer harvested, 102,633 were antlered bucks, 16,929 were button bucks, and 78,162 were does.
Top harvest counties were Franklin with 4,175 deer harvested, Texas with 3,607, and Callaway with 3,416.
Last year hunters checked 188,928 deer during the November portion of firearms deer season with 102,054 being antlered bucks, 16,537 being button bucks, and 70,337 being does.
Perry County also saw its numbers increased as 2,204 deer were harvested of which 989 were bucks, 998 were does, and 217 button bucks. That ranked 31st out of more than 100 counties in Missouri.
Last year, Perry County harvested 2,054 deer in 2021, or 150 less than 2022. Other surrounding counties totals are Bollinger County which killed 3,066 deer, which included 1,419 bucks, 1,318 does, and 329 button bucks. Bollinger County ranked fifth in the state of Missouri in terms of total deer killed.
Ste. Genevieve County harvested 1,724 deer and Saint Francis County harvested 1,666 deer. “It would have been hard to ask for much better weather during the November portion than what hunters experienced this year,” said MDC Cervid Program Supervisor Jason Isabelle. “To have sustained temperatures that were well below average for nearly the entire season portion was quite remarkable.”
Isabelle noted that the colder weather likely resulted in increased deer movements, contributing to this year’s higher harvest total.
MDC reported one non-fatal firearms-related hunting incident during the November portion of the firearms deer season. It was self-inflicted and occurred in Bollinger County.
Missouri’s archery deer and turkey season resumed Nov. 23 through Jan. 15, 2023. The antlerless portion of firearms deer season runs Dec. 3-11 (in open counties) followed by the alternative methods portion Dec. 24 through Jan. 3, 2023.

Late Youth hunt
Preliminary data from the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) shows young hunters ages 6-15 harvested 2,881 deer during Missouri’s late youth portion of the 2022 deer hunting season, Nov. 25-27.
Of the 2,881 deer harvested, 1,302 were antlered bucks, 322 were button bucks, and 1,257 were does.
Top counties for the late youth portion were Lincoln with 82 deer harvested, Franklin with 65, and Osage with 52.
Perry County had 30 deer taken: 13 antlered bucks, two button bucks and 15 does.
Ste. Genevieve County had 26 deer taken: nine antlered bucks, three button bucks and 14 does.
Last year’s harvest total for the late youth portion was 3,534, with 1,498 being antlered bucks, 390 button bucks, and 1,646 does.
“It’s typical to see quite a bit of variability in the number of deer taken during our shorter season portions, due primarily to the effect of weather on deer movement, the number of hours hunters spend in the field, or both,” said MDC Cervid Program Supervisor Jason Isabelle.
Isabelle noted that harvest totals for the late youth portion over the past several years have ranged from about 2,000 deer to just under 4,000 deer.
“This year’s harvest total was slightly below average, but that wasn’t unexpected given the rain that moved through portions of the state.” Isabelle said.