Missouri outdoor enthusiasts eagerly anticipate the upcoming period dedicated to pursuing deer. Missouri’s outdoor culture values game hunting, which is crucial to wildlife management. This page will highlight key information and updates crucial for enthusiasts preparing for the approaching period dedicated to pursuing wildlife.
Missouri Deer Season
| Hunt Type | Start Dates | End Dates |
| Archery | Sept. 15 | Nov. 15 |
| Nov. 27 | Jan. 15, 2025 | |
| Firearms | ||
| Early Antlerless Portion (in open counties) | Oct. 11 | Oct. 13 |
| Early Youth Portion | Nov. 2 | Nov. 3 |
| November Portion | Nov. 16 | Nov. 26 |
| CWD Portion (in open counties) | Nov. 27 | Dec. 1 |
| Late Youth Portion | Nov. 29 | Dec. 1 |
| Late Antlerless Portion (in open counties) | Dec. 7 | Dec. 15 |
| Alternative Methods Portion | Dec. 28 | Jan. 7, 2025 |
Bag Limits
| Method | Bag Limit |
|---|---|
| Archery | 2 animals of any gender |
| November Portion | 1 with antlers and 2 without |
| Alternative Methods | 1 with antlers and 2 without |
| Muzzleloader | 1 with antlers and 1 without |
| Youth Firearms | 1 animal of any gender |
Elk Season
| Elk Season | Dates | Bag Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Archery | October 21 - October 29 | 1 elk |
| Firearms | December 9 - December 17 |
License costs
| Firearms Antlerless Permit | |
| Resident | $7.00 |
| Resident Landowner | $0.00 |
| Nonresident | $25.00 |
| Youth (6-15) | $3.50 |
| Firearms Any-Deer Permit | |
| Resident | $17.00 |
| Landowner | $0.00 |
| Nonresident | $265.00 |
| Youth (6-15) | $8.50 |
| Lifetime Small Game Permit | |
| Youth (0-15) | $275.00 |
| Age 16-29 | $400.00 |
| Age 30-39 | $350.00 |
| Age 40-59 | $300.00 |
| Age 60-64 | $35.00 |
| Managed Deer Permit | |
| Resident | $17.00 |
| Nonresident | $265.00 |
| Youth (6-15) | $8.50 |
Hunting Regulations
Hunting Regulations
- Antlered games are white-tailed mules with at least one 3-inch spike. Capture activities include helping people track, pursue, injure, capture, or hunt animals.
- Must wear a hunter-orange headgear and a conspicuous shirt, vest, or suit during handgun usage. Migratory game birds, small game, or furbearers, hunting on federal or state properties with archery-only regulations, using an archery permit during alternative methods, or in counties closed for antlerless activities, this requirement is waived.
- Individuals 18 or older who are eligible via hunter education or were born before January 1, 1967, do not need animal permits for youth weapon activities. Outside of this time, persons must have a valid or expired animal permission to help others capture, including engaging in game animal chases or calling or rattling antlers. Party hunting, when hunters share licenses, is illegal.
- Electronic calls, electrically actuated calls, domestic animals, artificial illumination, night vision gear, and thermal imaging equipment are forbidden. Poisons, sedatives, projectiles with chemical or explosive payloads, slingshots, motorized vehicles on land, and airplanes are prohibited. Pursuing animals from a motorized watercraft is illegal. Only in approved zones may animals encased in barriers above 7 feet be caught.
- Enticing deer with maize or feed is illegal. Hunters must wait 10 days after bait removal. Using bait is illegal if the hunter knows or should know the area has been baited. Giving people bait to attract game animals is forbidden. However, doe urine and other odors may attract deer without grain or food. Mineral blocks without maize or food are not bait, however protected areas may limit their usage. Hunting over harvested crops is allowed, but baiting with maize or other crops is not.
- When river levels reach local river gauge limits, southeast Missouri flood-prone areas are closed except for birds during fall. Animals caught or fleeing floods or fires are banned except for ducks. Visit mdc.mo.gov/semofloods for game status.
- A person may harvest two male animals during bow and rifle seasons. Bow hunters may only capture one male animal before the rifle season begins in November. One male animal may be harvested throughout the whole rifle season. Remember that animals taken during controlled hunts do not contribute against firearm or bow usage quotas.
- Portable tree stands can be put on Conservation Department land from September 1 to January 31 and taken by February 1. Unattended stakes must have the hunter’s name and home or Conservation Number.
- Hunters in Chronic Wasting Disease Management Zones should study best practices.
- Adults escorting young hunters during gun period do not need a pass. Mentors must have a legal hunting pass for the season or be exempt otherwise.
- Hunters should read and obey stated laws. Missouri Outdoor Recreational Access Program zones have special rules. (MRAP).
- Dogs can find and rescue fatally injured deer in certain situations but cannot hunt them.
- Corpses are banned in creek or lake
- Labeled and poultry with the taker’s name, address, date, and Telecheck receipt number can be owned by anyone. Documentedheads, horns, skins, and feet can be sold. Shed horns are unregulated.
FAQ
When is the Missouri archery deer hunting season?
Missouri’s archery period last from September 15 through November 15, and from November 27 through January 15, 2025.
What is the hunter-orange requirement during the Missouri Deer Season?
During Missouri’s weapons period, hunter orange is mandatory. Before going shooting, be careful to understand all of the hunter-orange criteria.
Can I hunt deer in flood-prone areas in southeast Missouri?
Except for birds, spring and fall in southeast Missouri are banned in flood-prone areas. The Missouri Department of Conservation website has a real-time flood map.
James Ellis, the passionate creator of DeerSeason.Org, is dedicated to fostering a deep appreciation for wildlife. With over a decade of experience in exploring the world of deer, his writing reflects an extensive understanding of these magnificent creatures
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