Missouri Deer Population About 1.4 million whitetail deer in 2021, 2022, and 2023. Estimates of 1.4 million deer in 2019 and 2018, up from an estimated population of 1.2 million deer in 2015 through 2017. About 1.4 million in 2014 before hunting. The population trended higher during 2016 in some areas as a result of harvest restrictions and limited disease impact. A peak population of about 1.6 million around 2005.
Missouri Deer News
More than 240 cases of chronic wasting disease found in Missouri deer April 21, 2025 FOX 2 on MSN
... More than 240 new cases of chronic wasting disease (CWD) have been confirmed in deer across 35 counties in Missouri ... The positive CWD cases found across the state stem from testing more than 36,000 deer during the past hunting season and post-season removal efforts, with most cases being deer submitted by hunters during the 2024–25 deer-hunting season..,
Wildwood's deer management program culled 361 deer, surpassing goal March 28, Missouri, Spectrum News
...The program’s goal is to reduce the deer population from 73 per square mile to 40 across a 30-square mile where the majority of deer collisions have been recorded, according to the program’s overview... City officials are now working on population surveys in key areas ...
Missouri's deer slaughter is finally over March 14, 2025 Three Rivers Publishing
... Last year’s extermination project killed more than 37,000 deer. That number may reach 50,000 this year ... The killing is being done in the name of chronic wasting research... The MDC gets hundreds of thousands of dollars from USDA to carry out the extermination ...The public is told the deer meat is utilized in the “share the harvest” program. That’s baloney. A source inside the department I have talked with says, “You think those shooters will gut and butcher that many deer? ...
MDC wants public comments on resident and nonresident hunting March 10, 2025 Missouri, MDC News
... MDC is considering a range of potential regulatory changes regarding nonresident hunting. They could include limiting nonresident hunting during portions of the deer, turkey, and/or waterfowl hunting seasons; changing the price of nonresident permits; restricting nonresident hunting in portions of the state; and/or restricting nonresident hunting on MDC conservation areas... MDC will be accepting public comment on the topic online through March 24 ...
Hannibal, State conservation department given special permission to mitigate spread of 'zombie deer disease' February 19, 2025 Missouri, Muddy River News
... The Hannibal City Council unanimously approved Tuesday night to grant the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) an exemption from the city’s prohibition of firearm use for their efforts in preventing the spread of chronic wasting disease (CWD)... ecently have been found in a deer within city limits ...
Abundance of acorns, late start attributed to 15% decline in deer hunting totals January 20, 2025 Missouri, KCTV Kansas City on MSN
... “Based on the timing of Thanksgiving, the November portion started about a week later than it did in 2023. When this shift in season timing happens, we expect to see a drop in harvest because it shifts the November portion start date a week past the peak of the rut when deer aren’t moving quite as much.” ..,
MDC reports final deer harvest for season at 276,262 January 16, 2025 Missouri Department of Conservation
... Missouri's 2024-2025 deer-hunting season ended Jan. 15 with the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) reporting a preliminary total deer harvest for the season of 276,262. Of the deer harvested, 129,252 were antlered bucks, 23,842 were button bucks, and 123,168 were does... down 15% from last year’s record total of 326,448 and was 8% below the five-year average ..,
Forsyth, Mo. police investigating tons of deer hides illegally dumped December 28, 2024 Missouri, MSN
... it is against the law to dispose of deer remains, and a licensed processor is required to dispose of them in a licensed landfill and obtain a receipt...
Missouri may make big change to deer hunting next year, spurred by spread of a 100% fatal disease December 21, 2024 KHOU 11
... The new regulations would allow any deer hunter throughout the state to bring a harvested deer to any destination throughout the state for processing, regardless if it was shot in a CWD county, as long as any unused parts end up on the property it was harvested at or are disposed of in a landfill or trash service....
Missouri man charged for illegally killing mountain lion while deer hunting December 20, 2024 MSN
... he was excited to see the mountain lion and decided to shoot it as it walked away. Authorities say mountain lions can only be killed in Missouri if they are attacking or killing livestock, domestic animals, or threaten human safety...
After traveling at least 400 miles, a mountain lion was illegally killed in Missouri, MDC says December 20, 2024 KSDK
... The killed mountain lion had double ear tags that read "NE125," indicating it was previously marked by the Nebraska Game & Parks Commission. Even if the mountain lion came from the state's closest point to Missouri, it would have traveled at least 400 miles before it reached Iron County....
Missouri deer test positive for chronic wasting disease in another county December 12, 2024 Spectrum News
... The Missouri Department of Conservation has tested more than 25,000 deer this cycle, which began in July. Only 32 were positive, and only one was outside previously established CWD zones... “The disease is expanding geographically every year, that's been the trend,” ..,
Low deer harvest numbers in Boone County this November December 11, 2024 Missouri, Boone County Journal
... The total number of deer killed in Missouri this year was 159,120, compared to last year’s total of 193,885... a calendar shift, warmer temperatures and a bumper acorn crop..,
Calendar shift, warm weather and acorn boom lead to low deer harvest numbers November 6, 2024 MIssouri, KBIA
...during the November firearms hunting season ... The total number of deer killed in Missouri this year was 159,120, compared to last year’s total of 193,885... Supervisor Jason Isabelle said three factors are at play: a calendar shift, warmer temperatures and a bumper acorn crop..,
Department of Conservation investigating video of deer being beaten in Phelps County December 3, 2024 Missouri, ABC 17 News
... a man walking toward a deer lying on the side of the road that has blood coming from its mouth. The man is heard saying "f**k this stupid thing" as he walks towards it. Once the man approaches the deer, he strikes the deer in the head about three times while yelling more expletives at the animal ...
Missouri deer hunters harvest 159,120 deer during November season November 27, 2024 KTTN
... 82,613 were antlered bucks, 13,203 were button bucks, and 63,304 were does ... This year’s total was lower than the 2023 November portion total of 193,885 deer, representing a decline of approximately 15% from the five-year average ... weather conditions throughout much of the season were less than ideal..,
Mountain lion killed by deer hunter, officials say November 19, 2024 Missouri, WCJB
... The Missouri Department of Conservation says it is “aware” of an incident in which a deer hunter killed a mountain lion in Iron County, Missouri ... MDC has confirmed only 120 mountain lion reports from 1996 to 2024 ..,
Over 68,000 deer harvested during opening weekend of Missouri firearms season November 18, 2024 KTVO
... According to MDC Cervid Program Supervisor Jason Isabelle, the drop in harvest this year was due to a combination of factors. “The calendar shift this year put the November portion a week later than last year ... Throughout much of Missouri, there are a lot of acorns in the woods this year...When that happens, deer don’t need to move as much to find food ..,"
City Council Rejects Ban On Feeding Deer November 18, 2024 Missouri, Webster-Kirkwood Times
... “I think it would be very, very difficult to try and enforce this,” Zimmer said. “I think this is one of those items that will never be solved or fixed. I think it is part of nature.” ... If the disease [chronic wasting] becomes an issue in St. Louis County, the state of Missouri would ban feeding of deer...
Missouri's peak deer hunting season is about to kick off, with new rules November 15, 2024 KSDK
... A new Missouri law now allows hunters throughout the state to take to the sky with thermal drones to recover their harvest. Hunters can use drones to recover wounded deer, turkey, elk, and black bear during the respective hunting seasons, according to Missouri's Wildlife Code ...
Deer hunting in Missouri: A significant economic driver, generating billions November 15, 2024 KTVO Kirksville/Ottumwa on MSN
... “Free ranging deer hunting, in the state of Missouri contributes roughly $1.6 billion to Missouri’s economy annually ... That’s all the travel, lodging, food, gas, buying permits, you know buying firearms ..." said Aaron Hildreth, cervid biologist with the Missouri Department of Conservation..,
Findings from veterinary research may help to improve deer health, one test at a time October 30, 2024 Missouri, Phys.org on MSN
... In Missouri alone, more than 250 farms are dedicated to raising deer... A recent study led by Mizzou researchers and published in the Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation has found that infections are one of the biggest problems for white-tailed deer on Missouri farms... "When deer are kept in captivity, they often spread pathogens at a higher rate than when they are in the wild," ...
Missouri among the first states to allow hunter drone use for wildlife recovery October 17, 2024 KSDK
... sometimes be a downside to "Buck Fever." ... "Anyone who hunts and says they haven’t wounded one hasn’t hunted very much" ... A new Missouri law, however, could make that process a thing of the past, allowing hunters to take to the sky with thermal drones to recover their trophies...
CWD deer in Missouri 2024: These new counties had infected deer October 2, 2024 KSDK
... Nearly 20 counties around Missouri experienced their first case of an always-fatal deer disease over the past year ...The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) recently announced chronic wasting disease (CWD) had been found in 18 new counties...
The Missouri Department of Conservation is providing freezers for voluntary CWD sampling in the St. Louis region October 1, 2024 Warren County Record
... To make it easier for deer hunters to have their deer tested for Chronic Wasting Disease, the Missouri Department of Conservation has deployed deer head drop-off sites in six counties in the St. Louis region. Each site has a freezer that will preserve the samples, which will be picked up by MDC staff for CWD testing...
Missouri allows drones for game recovery September 24, 2024 thesalemnewsonline.com
...In a controversial move, Missouri Department of Conservation has decided to allow hunters to utilize drones to recover deer, turkeys, elk, and bear... still prohibited from using drones to harass, pursue, and take game...
Missouri Hunters Can Now Use Drones to Recover Deer, Turkeys, and Other Game September 13, 2024 Yahoo
... Starting Sunday, Missouri hunters will be able to use drones to track and recover wounded deer, elk ... the new rules specify that hunters are still prohibited from using drones to harass, pursue, and take game...
Deer population at near-record levels in Missouri September 11, 2024 Brownfield Ag News, Youtube Video
... overall the population is doing really well in most of the counties deer numbers are about right where we'd like them to be they they do continue to increase in most counties ..." Jason Isabelle from the Missouri Department of Conservation ..,
3 charged in elk poaching investigation in Shannon County, Mo. September 9, 2024, KFVS12
...During the nearly 10-month investigation, MDC said conservation agents from the Ozark, Central, St. Louis and Southeast regions interviewed numerous deer hunters in the area along with other people passing through the area in connection with the case ...
Causes of mortality in farmed white-tailed deer in the midwestern United States, 2004–2023 - Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation, 2024 Missouri
... Infectious disease was the most common cause of mortality (n = 335; 86.3%). Of infectious causes, primary pneumonia was most common (n = 140; 41.7%), followed by septicemia (n = 68; 20.1%), and primary enteritis (n = 64; 19.1%). Viruses were detected in 18% of pneumonia cases. The most common non-infectious diagnoses were emaciation and trauma (both 4 each; 1%)...
Cape council expands bow hunts of deer to private properties of minimum of 2-acres August 7, 2024 Missouri, Southeast Missourian
... Cape Girardeau City Council ... to reduce property damage and deer-car collisions ... Ward 4 Councilman David Cantrell said he has heard from residents concerned about the hunts being conducted on properties as small as 2 acres...
MDC seeking public feedback on updates to deer management plan July 12, 2024 Missouri Department of Conservation - MO.gov
... much has changed for deer managers since the previous version of the plan was completed a decade ago, including ... the continued spread of chronic wasting disease (CWD) and declines in deer hunter numbers ...MDC invites the public to learn more about deer management in Missouri and to read and comment on its draft Deer Management Plan goals and objectives through Aug. 4 at mdc.mo.gov/white-tailed-deer-management-plan-revision...
Missouri hunters can now use drones to track wounded deer, turkey June 28, 2024 Missouri, Springfield News-Leader on MSN
... The MDC, for the first time, is allowing hunters to use aerial drones to track wounded deer and turkey this fall...
MDC seeks public comments on future antlerless-elk hunting season April 15, 2024
Missouri Department of Conservation
... After several years of successful antlered-elk hunting seasons for Missouri residents, the Missouri Department to Conservation (MDC) is considering adding a limited antlerless-elk hunting season for residents and wants public input...at mdc.mo.gov/antlerlesselkcomments ... a video about the proposal
MDC reports 162 new cases of CWD for 2023 surveillance year April 11, 2024 Missouri, MDC Report
The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) reports that it sampled and tested more than 37,000 deer for chronic wasting disease (CWD) during the 2023 CWD surveillance year between July 2023 and April 2024. Of the more than 37,000 deer sampled, 162 tested positive for CWD..,
Conservation department reports final deer harvest at record 326,026 January 23, 2024 Courier-Tribune
... deer numbers increasing in most counties ... this year was the first since 2013 that more does were harvested than antlered bucks. “Prior to the severe hemorrhagic disease outbreak in 2012 that reduced deer numbers and resulted in regulation changes to reduce antlerless harvest, doe harvest exceeded antlered buck harvest each year for about a decade,.,
MDC reports final deer harvest for season at record 326,026 January 18, 2024 Missouri Department of Conservation
... According to MDC, increasing deer numbers and regulation changes that added a new early antlerless firearms portion, a new chronic wasting disease (CWD) firearms portion, and an increase in the number of firearms antlerless deer hunting permits in most counties led to additional hunting opportunities and contributed to a record harvest..,
MO Department of Conservation reports record deer harvest for 2023-24 January 17, 2024 Missouri, KBSI Fox 23
... a preliminary record-setting total deer harvest for the season of 326,026... surpasses the one set in 2006 of 325,457. 147,705 were antlered bucks, 29,060 were button bucks, 149,261 were does ...
Two Men Accused of Decapitating 15 Deer, Leaving Bodies to Rot in Missouri December 29,2023 Missouri, Wide Open Spaces
... charged with multiple poaching offenses, including taking deer in closed season, taking deer with the aid of artificial light, taking deer with aid of a motor vehicle, taking deer from public roadway, wanton waste, trespassing, and the illegal possession and transport of deer...
Missouri family spreads Christmas cheer with their traveling reindeer herd December 23, 2023 NY Post
... the reindeer business has really grown, with 130 farms across the U.S., U.K. and Canada, according to the Post-Dispatch. The average cost for a reindeer is $18,000 to $20,000. Maintaining cold-climate animals in Missouri is a lot of work and the family must constantly monitor the deer ...
Des Peres, City Partners For Annual Deer Culling December 18, 2023 Missouri, Webster Kirkwood Times
... could reduce the deer population by up to 30 deer, only 12 of which can be antlered. The city’s contract with White Buffalo for deer culling is not to exceed $35,000... The city will not conduct a deer sampling census this year, but will instead conduct the census next December for $9,500...
Missouri Department of Conservation discusses impacts of poaching in the state December 15, 2023, KFVS12
... According to Mizzou’s (University of Missouri) Extension office, the state’s deer population is estimated to be around 1.4 million... Poaching is a misdemeanor and is punishable up to a $5,000 dollar fine or up to a year in jail..,
Rare antlered doe hunted in Missouri November 22, 2023 KSDK
... The Missouri Department of Conservation said it only gets two or three reports of an antlered doe a year out of the hundreds of thousands of deer hunted...
Two charged in mid-Missouri deer poaching case November 17, 2023 YAHOO!News
... The MDC says several deer had been shot and dumped on the public trails in October. The Cole County Sheriff’s Office was also called to investigate the series of incidents, which recently led to the arrests of two suspects...
Poached Missouri elk launches $20,000 reward November 15, 2023 KSDK
... Help MDC find poacher of bull elk in Shannon County. Call OGT at 800-392-1111 with information on bull elk killed and left near Klepzig Mill in Shannon County this past weekend. A $20,000 reward is available ...
MDC reminds hunters of seven new CWD Management Zone counties in northwest Missouri November 6, 2023 Missouri Department of Conservation - MO.gov
... Deer that tested positive for chronic wasting disease (CWD) last year in or near those counties prompted the change. The northwest counties affected include Caldwell, Carroll, Clay, Clinton, Grundy, Livingston, and Ray...
MDC reminds deer hunters of baiting regulations ahead of opening weekend November 2, 2023 Missouri Department of Conservation - MO.gov
... The use of bait, including grain or other feed placed or scattered to attract deer while hunting this fall, is illegal. “The regulations are in place to help limit the spread of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in deer and to ensure fair chase,” said Southeast Region Protection Branch Captain Russell Duckworth. “For deer, bait includes grain or feed placed or scattered to attract them.” ...
Deer migration calls for caution on highways October 23, 2023 Missouri, St. Joseph News-Press
... The annual deer migration season coincides perfectly with the start of fall ... Just last year in the state of Missouri, there were 3,697 deer-vehicle crashes,..
The Missouri deer you shot could have a deadly disease October 20, 2023 KSDK
... CWD-infected deer can appear otherwise healthy for around two years before succumbing to the disease... is why MDC urges hunters who harvest deer in certain Missouri counties to test their kill so infected carcasses can't spread the disease to other counties...
Don't dump deer carcasses around roads or waters of St. Louis, MDC warns October 18, 2023 Missouri, FOX 2
... Not only is dumping of this nature illegal in Missouri, but agents are also concerned it could lead to the spread of chronic wasting disease. Long after infected carcass remains decompose, prions stay infectious in the environment, possibly exposing other deer to CWD...
Jefferson County Sheriff's Office issues warning about keeping deer as pets October 10, 2023 Missouri, KSDK
... After an incident in rural De Soto, Missouri, where a deer was found labeled "PET" and had a collar around its neck, the sheriff's office took to Facebook to issue a warning...
Changes reported in Missouri deer hunting regulations October 5, 2023 McDonald County Press
... "MDC's deer program aims to manage the deer population at a level that satisfies hunters and wildlife viewers and does not create unsafe driving conditions or overburden farmers." ... Testing for chronic wasting disease is not required for deer harvested during the CWD portion of the season, timed at the close of the breeding season when deer activity is typically high...
Bow hunter harvests rare 18-point doe, officials confirm September 29, 2023 Missouri, WEAU
... they thought was an 18-point buck. They quickly determined it was a doe, which the Missouri Department of Conservation confirmed...
MDC outlines deer season changes September 25, 2023 Missouri, Maryville Daily Forum
... “With deer numbers being at desired levels in most counties but continuing to increase, additional antlerless harvest is needed to stabilize the deer population,” said Isabelle. “This new season portion will help increase antlerless deer harvest prior to the November portion, when many hunters focus on harvesting bucks.”..,
MDC asks public to report hemorrhagic disease in Missouri deer September 19, 2023 Missouri, MDC News
... MDC has recently confirmed HD in deer in Cole, Greene, Howell, Miller, St. Louis, and Webster counties. MDC has also received at least 305 reports of additional suspected HD cases from locations throughout the state... report suspected cases of HD to their local MDC office, conservation agent, or to email the information to WildlifeHeath@mdc.mo.gov ..,
Missouri Deer News and Information Archive by Topic: Population and Management, Deer in the News, Disease, Suburban, Transportation
Missouri data: An estimated 1.4 million deer in 2021, 2022, and 2023. For 2024, the Department of Conservation reported that "in most counties the deer numbers are about right where we'd like them to be." The 2025 deer kill was 15% below 2024, partially attributed to a good acorn crop and a late start to the hunt. A reduced deer kill in the 2024 hunt was partially attributed to a good acorn crop reducing deer movement. A 2024 estimate that free ranging deer hunting contributes roughly $1.6 billion annually to the state economy.
For 2023 the state increased hunting in response to the higher deer population, "little over a million", in part due to reduced hunting to increase the population after the severe hemorrhagic disease outbreak in 2012. The 2023 population was "at desired levels in most counties but continuing to increase." with the 2023-24 deer hunt at record levels. A modestly increasing population in 2020.
About 1.3 million in 2019 and 2018. Roughly stable in 2019. About 1.2 million deer from 2015 through 2017. A statewide estimate of 1.2 million in 2016. Some deer populations were on an increase in 2018, in part a recovery from the major EHD outbreak and drought in 2012. Hunters take a quarter to a third of the total Missouri deer population during the firearms deer season.
The graphic below shows the statewide estimated deer population and total deer harvest from 1938 to 2014. [Graphic from Missouri Department of Conservation] Population numbers estimated from the graph are at the bottom of this column and in this spreadsheet.
The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) estimated the deer population at 1.2 million in 2015 and 1.4 million in 2014 before hunting. The 2015 decline was partly due to increased hunting in some areas designed to prevent the spread of chronic wasting disease and elimination of antler point restrictions in 19 north and central counties. In 17 counties in Southwest Missouri. The population averaged 20 deer per square mile in 2016. A shorted season for does in 2016, from 12 to 3 days, and reduced antlerless tags in the north to help the population recover. The deer population trended higher in 2016 in the south up as a result of harvest restrictions and limited disease. More than 250 deer farms in 2016.
MDC approved hunting restrictions -- a shorter season, lower limits, bucks-only hunt in the north -- in 2015 and 2014 to increase the population which has been reduced particularly in the north and west as a result of disease and drought. A decade of declining deer numbers in the northwest and north central into 2015 with the total deer population down by almost 20 percent. Factors included increased bag limits and regulation changes that encourage hunters to take more does, several years of drought and habitat loss.
An estimated 1.4 million deer in 2012. The 2013/2014 harvest was the lowest since 1993, down throughout the state. The Missouri Conservation Commission had supported policies to reduce the deer population for 20 years until in 2013 the herd declined beyond population goals in some areas, resulting in a reduction in the number of antlerless deer permits. Reduced hunting pressure allowed the herd to recover from a severe outbreak of epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) that reduced the deer population in 2012, killing over 100,000 deer. The poor acorn crop had the deer moving around looking for food during the hunting season, so the deer harvest was high, but the combination of disease and hunting significantly reduced the population. The 2012 mast survey showed the lowest production of red and white oak acorns in the 53 year history of the survey.
An estimate of 1.4 million deer in 2011. Populations in northern, western, and central were below target levels. Fewer deer in the river bottoms of the Ozarks. About 3,485 square miles of public land, almost all open to deer hunting. About 500,000 deer hunters. Deer hunting is estimated to add $1 billion to the state economy.
An estimate of 1.4 million in 2006 and 1 million deer in 2003.
Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) was first discovered in 2010 at a captive deer operation near the Macon County line in northeast Linn County. A captive deer tested positive in 2011 in Macon County. A buck reported positive in Adair county in 2014, Through 2014 11 wild and 11 captive deer with CWD, 10 of 11 wild deer within 10 miles of captive deer facilities. By November, 2016, 33 cases identified. Through 2017, more than 76,000 deer tested with 57 free ranging deer testing positive -- 33 in 2017.
By 2018 the total number of all deer testing positive was about 88. Into 2019, 103 positives. A total of 116 after the 2018-19 hunt. During the 2019 season, 24 out of 27,000 tested positive for a total of 140 confirmed cases out of the 130,000 deer tested. The MDC is trying to reduce deer populations in the CWD areas by changing the 2015 hunting regulations to increase antlerless permits and eliminate antler point restrictions.
For the 2019-20 season there were 46 new cases bringing the total number of CWD cases in the state to 162 after testing more than 137,000 deer. For the 2020-21 season there were 44 cases among the 15,300 deer tested. For the 2021-22 hunting season 86 deer tested positive bringing the total to 292 and almost 300 into September, 2022. More in 2023 with 117 positives for the 2022-23 hunting season bringing the total to 408 - 118 positives by July. During the 2023 surveillance year, 162 new cases reported. From fall 2023, to fall 2024, CWD was found in 20 new counties. More than 243 new cases were found in the 2024-25 hunting season, bringing the total to 815 in more than 46 counties.
Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD) and Bluetongue Severe outbreaks in 2012 and 2013 killing over 100,000 deer. Also in earlier years 2007, 1998, 1988, and 1980 -- all drought years. Populations in Boone, Calaway and other middle counties have dropped by up to 35 percent from EHD. Populations in the southeast have increased increasing where deer escaped the worst of the EHD outbreak and the summer was mild. Southern populations are stable to slightly increasing. At least 305 cases reported in 2023.
History: Deer were thought to be abundant before European settlement. William Clark of the Lewis and Clark expedition wrote about abundant deer in 1804. An 1818 report describes deer and elk as abundant in the uplands. Early estimates range from 700,000 to 1.4 million deer. As a result of unregulated hunting, the deer population was reduced to about 400 in 1925 when the State Legislature closed the entire state for hunting and imported deer from Michigan to restock the population.
About 2,500 or less deer in 1935. In 1936 the citizens of Missouri passed a constitutional amendment removing management from the legislature and appointing a four person conservation board. In 1944, the newly created Missouri Department of Conservation held the first modern deer season with 7,757 hunters harvesting 519 bucks during a two-day, bucks-only season in 20 counties . A population estimate of 15,000 in 1944. In 1951, the first anterless harvest was designed to slow the growth of the herd.
The herd grew rapidly during the 1980's and 90's, In 2000, the number of does taken exceeded the number of bucks, putting downward pressure on the population. The number of deer hunters increased from 400,000 in 2000 to 500,000 in 2012. An estimated 875,000 in 2000. Estimated 1989 deer population: 750,000, but the state updated their deer estimates in 2015.
Some historic estimates: An estimate of 4,500 in 1940, 42,000 in 1950, 170,000 in 1960 and 320,000 in 1968 (Nixon). Dunbar Robb, who worked as a chief biologist for the Missouri Department of Conservation, estimated the deer population as Europeans were arriving at 700,000 to 1.4 million.
The graphic below summarizing the population history of deer in Missouri is from the UM Extension series of publications on the Ecology and Management of White-tailed Deer in Missouri.
Elk: More than 200 in 2020 and 2021; 175 in 2017 and 2019; 125 elk by 2015. Once abundant, the last concentration of elk was wiped out by market hunting Indians in Polk County in 1841. The last wild elk was shot in the Bootheel region during the 1890's. In May, 2011, conservation officials brought 35 elk from Kentucky.
Black Bears: Estimated at 540 – 840 in 2020 with an increasing population.
Mountain Lions: Wiped out by 1927 but confirmed sightings of 5 to 10 per year and increasing in 2023, no evidence of an established population. From 1996 to 2024 only 120 confirmed mountain lion sightings.
Report Poaching, Operation Game Thief: 1-800-392-1111
Population Estimates for 1938 to 2016 are from the graph at the top of this column.
