Deer Hunts
State Choices
Deer Hunter Topics
Missouri Topics
Admin | Field TimeMissouri deer hunting allows all Association do it yourself hunters to Missouri whitetail hunt every year to include those years when a Kansas or Iowa tag is not drawn. Or, in the case of those that want to whitetail hunt two states over a range of seasons to double the available field time. That scheduling also includes retaining the hunter's home state favored hunting seasons as our approach allows the hunter to hunt on his schedule. Missouri's muzzleloader deer hunting example shows that hunters may enjoy the December muzzleloader hunting season as it is earlier than Iowa's late December season that runs into January and after Kansas' September muzzleloader and earlier Decembers modern and muzzleloader deer season. All combined 6+ weeks (8 if including the second Kansas seasons) of sequential muzzleloader hunting season days are available leaving the muzzleloader hunter a long range of available windows of time that do not conflict from state to state.
ConsequencesThere are consequences to Missouri deer hunting and a significant one is the topography of this state. Missouri rivers make for a lot more wildlife areas due to extensive river systems of large watershed making for more rolling terrain and less efficient agriculture thus more wildlife habitat and tougher hunting conditions. This allows for a large whitetail deer count that means hunters will sift through more doe and scrap racks seeking out that trophy quality wall hanger. To some this may be a hunting disadvantage, however others will find it exactly what they are looking for. While the trophy hunter may grow tired of the many non-shooter whitetail that will come by that very same whitetail density makes Missouri the best of our three states for the youth hunter. For those with children we have plenty of Missouri deer hunting land where the potential to harvest a scrap rack makes the trip worth the effort. Trophy deer hunters may not like reading this, however even they for the most part recognize trophy deer hunters are grown through experience. As a youth deer hunter harvests one buck he should be taught and held to the standard of only harvesting bucks with increasingly larger racks until the 130 (archery) 140 (firearms) is achieved then every buck after that is a trophy. HabitatOne last aspect about Missouri's deer habitat is its prevalence or area coverage being greater than that compared to Kansas or Iowa. The wooded creek bottoms are wider and more heavily covered. The ridges more pronounced with less agriculture and far more trees. While many deer hunters would jump on the chance to hunt larger woods believing they hold more deer many others would not due to the diffusing nature of large wooded areas. What many deer hunters come to appreciate about central mid-west whitetail habitat is the canalizing nature created by large crop fields crossed by wooded creek bottoms and isolated wood patches. This geography causes deer movement to be concentrated along cover and when connecting the dots between feed, bedding and movement corridors the whitetail pattern becomes far more evident. A final contrast is that of in Missouri, deer hunting between the Ozark region of 70% forested to the agricultural region of 55% crop land is dramatic in quality. The most and biggest trophy whitetail come from the agricultural region rather than the extensive wood lots of the Ozarks. So where does the the hunter want to hunt? Where we have our leases as we lease where we get the most return for our money, in the agricultural regions.
Do It YourselfMissouri offers through MAHA one more deer hunting opportunity that for the same cost expands the number of field days every do it yourself hunter may have in pursuit of his most favored recreational activity. Good luck to all and we will do the best we can to make every hunt a good hunt.
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