JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – 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 hunting portion of the 2018 deer hunting season, which ran Oct. 27-28. Top counties for the early youth hunting 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.

For the latest deer harvest totals by county and portion, visit MDC’s website at http://on.mo.gov/1jjz7Ew.

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 hunting 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.

Get more information on deer hunting in Missouri through MDC’s free 2018 Fall Deer & Turkey Hunting Regulations and Information booklet available where permits are sold, from MDC regional offices and nature centers, and online at https://bit.ly/2pamBwF.