Deer Hunting Regulations on Areas Managed or Owned by MDC

To maintain healthy populations of deer and to provide quality and varied hunting opportunities statewide, conservation area managers and biologists carefully evaluate the effects of deer hunting on all areas owned or managed by the Conservation Department.

There are six types of regulations designed to limit doe harvest at various levels and provide different types of hunting. Carefully check the area deer hunting regulations to find the type of hunt you prefer.

  1. Statewide deer seasons and limits apply.
  2. Only archery methods may be used. Deer hunting with firearms is prohibited. All other statewide deer seasons and limits apply.
  3. Only archery and muzzleloading methods may be used. All other statewide deer seasons and limits apply.
  4. Archery and firearms deer hunting is permitted for antlered or antlerless deer on the following permits only: Archer’s Hunting Permit, Firearms Any-Deer Hunting Permit, and Youth Deer and Turkey Hunting Permit. No archery or firearm antlerless permits may be used. All other statewide seasons and limits apply.
  5. Antlered or antlerless deer may be taken on an Archer’s Hunting Permit. Only antlered deer may be taken during the youth, November, and muzzleloader portions of the firearms deer season with the following permits: Firearms Any-Deer Hunting Permits and Youth Deer and Turkey Hunting Permits. No archery or firearm antlerless permits may be used. Closed to firearms deer hunting during the urban counties and antlerless portions. All other statewide deer seasons and limits apply.
  6. Archery and firearms deer hunting is permitted for antlered or antlerless deer on the following permits only: Archer’s Hunting Permit, Firearms Any-Deer Permit, and Youth Deer and Turkey Hunting Permit. No archery or firearms antlerless permits may be used. Closed to firearms deer hunting during the urban counties and antlerless portions. All other statewide deer seasons and limits apply.

Deer hunting is only allowed on Department areas that are listed in the chart on Page 34 in the Fall Deer and Turkey Hunting Booklet. If an area that is owned or managed by the Conservation Department is not listed, no deer hunting is allowed. For hunting opportunities on public land that is not owned or managed by the Conservation Department, contact the appropriate government agency.

Check the MDC Atlas and select "Area Regulations" to find hunting methods available on your favorite conservation areas.

Hunters Donated 1.4 Million Pounds of Venison through the Share the Harvest Program

The Share the Harvest program in Missouri provides a way for deer hunters to donate venison to the needy. This program is administered by the Conservation Federation of Missouri and the Missouri Department of Conservation. During the 2007 deer seasons, 5,569 hunters donated 260,908 pounds of venison. As of February 2008, this program has coordinated the donation of more than 1.4 million pounds of venison, which equals more than 5.6 million quarter-pound burgers.

Donating is easy. Hunters who want to participate simply take their deer to an approved meat processor and let the processor know how much venison they wish to donate. The processor will package the meat, which will be picked up by the local sponsoring organization and taken to a participating charitable agency for distribution.

The cost of processing the deer is the responsibility of the hunter. There are, however, funds available to help with processing cost when a whole deer is donated. The entire processing cost is paid by the Conservation Federation of Missouri and local sponsors during the urban counties portion of the firearms season for whole deer donations. During all other portions and seasons, the Conservation Federation of Missouri administers a state-wide program that directly reimburses the processor a pre-determined amount for each whole deer donated. That allows the processor to reduce the processing fee to the hunter at the time of donation. In addition, many processors have local money available that allows the deer to be donated free or at greatly reduced cost. Be sure to contact individual processors to determine what funds are available at that particular location.

State-wide sponsors of the cost-reduction program include Missouri Department of Conservation, Shelter Insurance, Bass Pro Shops, the Conservation Federation of Missouri, J.B. Reynolds Foundation, Missouri Chapter Whitetails Unlimited, Missouri Chapter Safari Club International, Missouri Chapter National Wild Turkey Federation and Drury Hotels. Whole deer donations last year approached 5,000.

To learn more about the program or to find out how your organization can become involved, check out our Share the Harvest information. You can also contact the Conservation Department at (573) 522-4115, ext. 3290, or the Conservation Federation of Missouri at (573) 634-2322.