Missouri Youth Deer Hunt Stats

(Jefferson City, MO) Preliminary data from the Missouri Department of Conservation shows young hunters ages 6 through 15 harvested 11,118 deer during Missouri's early youth portion of the 2023 deer hunting season this past Saturday and Sunday, October 28th and 29th. The top harvesting counties were Franklin with 258 deer taken, Osage with 224, and Texas with 209. Of the deer harvested, 6,857 were antlered bucks, 3,410 were does, and 851 were button bucks. Youth hunters harvested 13,877 during last year's early youth portion. It was noted the below average temperatures were conducive to good deer movement, but the combination of cooler temperatures and rainy conditions, that persisted throughout much of the weekend, likely reduced the amount of time many young hunters were able to spend in the field.