Youth deer hunt results in harvest of 15,591

Missouri’s youngest deer hunters took 15,591 deer during the first portion of their special season last weekend, but fell short of last year’s harvest.

During last year’s first segment of the youth season, hunters took home 18,289 deer.

The top counties in the state were Franklin with 336 deer taken, Howell with 324 and Osage with 320.

Stephen Clark of Puxico took this buck while hunting with his dad, Scott Clark, and brother, Joel Clark, at McGee Creek Outfitters in Wayne County.Photo provided

Wayne County ended up fourth in the state with 295 deer tagged. That was short of the 304 taken there a year ago.

In Butler County, young hunters took 157 deer, down slightly from 163 last year.

In Carter County, hunters killed 143 deer, down from 161 in 2019.

Lydia O'Dell of Puxico hunted with her dad, Eric O'Dell, in Wayne County when she took her first deer during the youth deer season.Photo provided

Dunklin County hunters managed to tag 33 deer, and that was down from 48 a year ago.

In Reynolds County, 228 deer were taken by youth-season hunters, a slight increase from the 218 taken there during the same period last year.

Hunters in Ripley County tagged 252 deer, falling just shy of the 259 taken there a year ago.

In Stoddard County, youth hunters took home 167 deer, compared to 201 a year ago. As far as our local counties, that was the biggest drop.

The second segment of the youth deer season will run Nov. 27-29.

Going Strong

The archery deer harvest in Missouri has really shot up over the last week as rut activity, and consequently, buck movement, have increased significantly. In the last seven days, slightly more than 10,000 deer have been tagged by bowhunters.

The statewide archery harvest now sits at 39,550 (as of Wednesday). That remains well above the 37,565 deer on the books as of Nov. 7 last year, the closest date I have data from.

Locally, bowhunters in Butler County have taken home 440 deer, and those in Carter County have tagged 465.

In Dunklin County, the tally is 50 deer, and in Reynolds County, 463 have been arrowed.

In Ripley County, the total archery harvest so far is 477 deer, and in Stoddard County, 445 deer have taken a ride home with hunters.

Wayne County remains the region’s leader with 806 deer taken by bowhunters.

The archery season continues through Nov. 13. It will pick back up again Nov. 25 and run through Jan. 15.

Turkey Season

Missouri’s fall turkey hunters fared just well enough during the month-long fall firearms season to avoid setting a new all-time low harvest, which they did a year ago.

This year, hunters took 2,127 turkeys, up slightly from last year’s record low of 1,951.

The total number of turkeys taken locally includes five from Butler County, two from Carter County, 19 from Reynolds County, six from Ripley County, 26 from Stoddard County and 23 from Wayne County.

Duck Season

Missouri’s North and Middle zone duck season openers are getting close, and Saturday is the magic day.

While the North Zone has a straight 60-day season, the Middle Zone is divided into two segments, one running Nov. 7-13 and another going from Nov. 19-Jan. 10.

At the Otter Slough Conservation Area, biologist Luke Wehmhoff reports the area will have 28 hunting positions available for the opener.

Since Otter Slough remains in MDC’s designated yellow category, 100% of those spots will go to online reservation holders.

There will be a poor line option, Wehmhoff said, but obviously if all reservation holders show up, nobody else will get in.

Duck numbers are strong for this early in the fall, Wehmhoff said.

“It’s looking ducky right now,” he said.

That also worries him that the later season could see fewer ducks than normal and things could get stale pretty quickly.

No information was available for the Duck Creek Conservation Area, but there should be around 15 hunting positions.

Just like Otter Slough, Duck Creek is categorized as a yellow area, meaning all positions will go to reservation holders.

The daily limit remains six birds, which can include no more than four mallards (and only two females), three wood ducks, two black ducks, two canvasbacks, two hooded mergansers, two redheads, two scaup, one mottled duck and one pintail. Other species, like teal, gadwalls and wigeon, can make up your entire six-bird limit.

Goose Season

The goose season in Missouri also is coming up, and it opens on Veterans Day, which is Wednesday.

Canada, Brant, white-fronted and snow geese all share the same season now, and it will continue thorough Feb. 6.

I’ve been hearing white-fronts overhead for a couple weeks now, and a friend at Ducks Unlimited in Memphis said Arkansas has more geese currently than he can ever remember for this early in the season.

Snow geese tend to show up a little later, but I did see a very small flock of 30 or so two weeks ago near Fisk.

Just like ducks, shooting hours for geese are one-half hour before sunrise until sunset.

Daily limits include three Canada geese, two white-fronts and 20 snows/Ross’s geese.

Managed Hunts

There are a few managed deer hunts coming up this weekend, which will close some areas to public entry.

Mingo National Wildlife refuge will host a youth deer hunt Saturday and Sunday in the area west of Ditch 4.

Bluff Road, west of the boardwalk, will be closed to public entry, as will the Job Corps and Rabbit Ridge entrances and the Ozark Highland Auto Tour.

Red Mill Drive will remain open, and bowhunting still will be allowed east of Ditch 4 like normal.

Clearwater Lake combined its managed hunts for veterans and others with disabilities this year and will host a managed deer hunt Saturday and Sunday in the Watchable Wildlife Area below the dam.

All the trails in that area will be closed to public access both days of the hunt.

At the Ozark National Scenic Riverways, Saturday and Sunday are the days for the annual Exceptional Warriors mobility-impaired deer hunt.

The Big Spring area is where the hunt is held, so some portions of the park will be closed.