Preliminary data from the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) shows that young hunters ages 6 through 15 harvested 13,560 deer during Missouri’s early youth portion of the 2018 deer hunting season, which ran Oct. 27-28. Top counties for the early youth portion were Howell with 350, Osage with 316, and Franklin with 263 deer checked. Last year’s harvest total for the early youth portion was 17,412.

“Warm temperatures and gusty winds this weekend presented much more challenging hunting conditions compared to last year, but Missouri’s youth still pulled off a respectable harvest,” said MDC Cervid Program Supervisor Barb Keller.

Archery deer hunting continues through Nov. 9 and again from Nov. 21 through Jan. 15, 2019. Up next for deer hunting in Missouri is the November portion of firearms deer season, which runs Nov. 10-20. That will be followed by the late youth portion of firearms deer season on Nov. 23-25. The antlerless portion of firearms deer season runs Nov. 30-Dec. 2. Lastly the alternative methods portion will run Dec. 22- Jan. 1, 2019.