Firearms deer antlerless portion increasing from three days to nine.

At its Dec. 11 open meeting in Jefferson City, the Missouri Conservation Commission approved the following recommendations by the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) for upcoming turkey-hunting and deer-hunting season dates.

2021 spring and fall turkey hunting dates

Spring Youth Portion: April 10 and 11

Regular Spring Turkey Season: April 19 through May 9

Fall Firearms Turkey Season: Oct. 1 – 31

2021 – 2022 archery deer and turkey hunting dates

Sept. 15 through Nov. 12 and Nov. 24 through Jan. 15, 2022

2021 – 2022 firearms deer hunting dates

Firearms Deer Early Youth Portion: Oct. 30-31

Firearms Deer November Portion: Nov. 13 – 23

Firearms Deer Late Youth Portion: Nov. 26 – 28

Firearms Deer Antlerless Portion: Dec. 4 – 12

Firearms Deer Alternative Methods Portion: Dec. 25 – Jan. 4, 2022

The Commission approved providing more days of hunting opportunity to increase the harvest of antlerless deer. MDC recommended increasing the length of the antlerless portion from three days to nine days based on Missouri deer numbers being at desirable levels and being stable or increasing in most counties that allow two firearms antlerless permits and two landowner firearms antlerless permits. MDC harvest data shows that increasing the firearms antlerless harvest limit past two does not result in a significant increase in harvest.

Details on hunting regulations, harvest limits, allowed methods, required permits, and other related information will be available in MDC’s 2021 Spring Turkey Hunting Regulations and Information booklet and MDC’s 2021 Fall Deer & Turkey Hunting Regulations and Information booklet. Both will be available where permits are sold prior to the related seasons.

Learn more about turkey hunting in Missouri at huntfish.mdc.mo.gov/hunting-trapping/species/turkey.

Learn more about deer hunting in Missouri at huntfish.mdc.mo.gov/hunting-trapping/species/deer.

Buy Missouri hunting permits from numerous vendors around the state, online at mdc.mo.gov/buypermits, or through MDC’s free mobile apps, MO Hunting and MO Fishing, available for download through Google Play for Android devices or the App Store for Apple devices.