Rainbow Trout Courtesy MDC

Catch-and-keep trout season begins February 1 at two St. Joseph lakes

The Missouri Department of Conservation’s winter trout fishing program in St. Joseph takes a new turn on Tuesday, February 1, 2022, when anglers can begin keeping their catch. Krug Park Lagoon and Everyday Pond both have had rainbow trout stocked by MDC last fall for catch-and-release fishing. But starting Feb. 1, anglers with the proper […]

Photo of turkeys courtesy Missouri Department of Conservation

Apply online during February for Missouri Department of Conservation spring managed turkey hunts

Missouri turkey hunters can apply online during February for 2022 spring turkey-managed hunts through the Missouri Department of Conservation website.  Managed hunt details and application procedures are outlined on the webpage. Drawing results will be posted starting March 15. The spring turkey hunting youth portion will be April 9 and 10 with the regular spring […]

Ice Fishing on Mozingo Lake near Maryville

Missouri Department of Conservation to offer free ice fishing clinic at Mozingo Lake

A deep freeze can bring an outdoor opportunity for hardy anglers. The Missouri Department of Conservation will offer a free ice fishing clinic from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, February 5, 2022, at Mozingo Lake near Maryville. The clinic will cover what equipment and techniques are effective for ice fishing. Tory Mason, MDC fisheries […]

Deer and Turkey together

Missouri Department of Conservation reports final deer harvest for the season at 293,670

Missouri’s 2021-2022 deer-hunting season ended Jan. 15 with the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) reporting a preliminary total deer harvest for the season of 293,670. Of the deer harvested, 143,049 were antlered bucks, 26,599 were button bucks, and 124,022 were does. Top harvest counties for the overall deer season were Franklin with 6,392 deer harvested, […]

Cliff Wilson Photo

Cliff Wilson accepts position with Missouri Department of Conservation

The Missouri Department of Conservation Northwest Region is pleased to announce that Cliff Wilson has accepted the Community and Private Land Conservationist position formally held by Scott Roy. Cliff will be stationed at the Grundy County USDA office in Trenton and will be serving landowners and constituents in Mercer, Grundy, and Livingston counties. Prior to […]

Antlered Deer in the forest

Missouri hunters harvest almost 10,000 deer during alternative method portion of season

Preliminary data from the Missouri Department of Conservation shows deer hunters in Missouri harvested 9,965 deer during the alternative-methods portion of the firearms deer season. That portion went from December 25th through January 4th. The top harvest counties in the state were Osage with 223 deer harvested, Franklin with 211, and Callaway with 201. In […]

Antlerless Dear in field or does

Missouri Department of Conservation reports 14,896 deer harvested during antlerless portion

Preliminary data from the Missouri Department of Conservation shows that deer hunters in Missouri harvested 14,896 deer during the antlerless portion of the firearms deer season, Dec. 4-12. Top harvest counties were Callaway with 467 deer harvested, Pike with 376, and Morgan with 354. During the 2020 antlerless portion, the harvest total was 15,620.  Harvest […]

Coyote in field

Missouri Department of Conservation proposes expanding furbearer hunting and trapping seasons

The Missouri Conservation Commission gave initial approval to the Missouri Department of Conservation at its December 10. 2021, open meeting on proposed regulation changes that would extend current furbearer hunting and trapping seasons for abundant furbearer species. Furbearers are mammal species that have traditionally been trapped or hunted for their fur, such as coyotes, raccoons, […]

Deer and Turkey together

Missouri Department of Conservation sets deer and turkey hunting dates for upcoming seasons in 2022

At its December 10 open meeting in Jefferson City, the Missouri Conservation Commission approved the following recommendations by the Missouri Department of Conservation for upcoming turkey-hunting and deer-hunting season dates. 2022 SPRING AND FALL TURKEY HUNTING DATES Spring Youth Portion: April 9 and 10 Regular Spring Turkey Season: April 18 through May 8 Fall Firearms […]

12 year old Addison Gibbs harvested his buck in Howard County

Young hunters harvested 3,477 deer during late youth portion

Preliminary data from the Missouri Department of Conservation shows that young hunters ages 6 through 15 harvested 3,477 deer during Missouri’s late youth portion of the 2021 deer hunting season, Nov. 26-28. Of the 3,477 deer harvested, 1,470 were antlered bucks, 383 were button bucks, and 1,624 were does. The top counties for the late […]

Antlered Deer in the forest

Missouri Department of Conservation reports November firearms deer harvest ends with 187,967

Preliminary data from the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) shows that deer hunters in Missouri harvested 187,967 deer during the November portion of firearms deer season, Nov. 13-23. Of the 187,967 deer harvested, 101,501 were antlered bucks, 16,435 were button bucks, and 70,031 were does. The top harvest counties in the state were Franklin with […]

Jackson Boyer age 7 of Hillsboro with his first deer harvest in Adair County

Hunters harvest 89,861 deer during opening weekend of firearms season

Preliminary data from the Missouri Department of Conservation shows that deer hunters in Missouri harvested 89,861 deer during the opening weekend of the November portion of firearms deer season on November 13 and 14. Of the 89,861 deer harvested, 54,415 were antlered bucks, 7,187 were button bucks, and 28,259 were does. Top harvest counties for […]

Buck and doe with text labeled Deer Season

Audio: Missouri’s firearms deer hunting season begins Saturday

Missouri’s firearms deer hunting season begins Saturday, November 13, 2021, and runs through November 23.  Conservation Agent Kevin Lockard says there has been a reduction of chronic wasting disease in deer disease in Missouri.  There are, however, thirty-four Missouri counties that have regulations regarding the deadly disease.     You can find out more by […]

Young Deer Hunter

Local north Missouri counties report harvest totals for early portion of the youth only firearms deer season

Several north-central Missouri counties report more than 100 deer checked this past weekend during the early portion of the youth-only, firearms deer season. The two days of hunting on Saturday and Sunday were for youth ages six through 15. The online report from the Department of Conservation shows 250 deer were taken in Macon County […]

Deer

Young hunters harvest 15,608 deer during early youth portion

Preliminary data from the Missouri Department of Conservation shows that young hunters ages 6 through 15 harvested 15,608 deer during Missouri’s early youth portion of the 2021 deer hunting season, Oct. 30-31. The top counties were Osage with youth hunters harvesting 359 deer, Franklin with 329, and Howell with 310. Youth hunters harvested 15,854 deer […]

Bear Standing on Hill

Missouri hunters take 12 black bears during first black bear hunting season

The Missouri Department of Conservation reports that Missouri hunters harvested 12 black bears during the state’s inaugural bear-hunting season, which ran Oct. 18–27. More than 6,330 hunters applied for 400 permits for the season with the maximum total harvest for the season being 40 bears. “This was an incredibly successful first bear hunting season for […]

MDC Field to Freezer Workshop

Missouri Department of Conservation offering Field to Freezer workshop in Kirksville

The Missouri Department of Conservation will offer a free Field to Freezer workshop on basic deer processing at the MDC Northeast Regional Office in Kirksville. The event will be on November 1, 2021, from 6 to 9 p.m. Participants may attend in person or online. Participants will learn how to field dress, skin, and butcher […]

Buck illlegally shot near Trimble,Missouri photo two

Missouri Department of Conservation seeks public assistance with poaching case in Clinton County

Clinton County Conservation Agent Zach White is seeking information from the public regarding a white-tailed deer illegally shot from the public roadway with a rifle. The incident occurred during the late evening hours of Thursday, October 14, or the early morning hours of Friday, October 15. This buck (pictured below) was shot near the intersection […]