The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) has announced several changes to regulations for the upcoming fall deer and turkey hunting seasons.
Turkey Hunting Changes
Significant updates have been made to turkey hunting permits and regulations. Turkey permits will no longer be included with archery permits. Instead, a new fall turkey-hunting permit has been created. Both fall firearms turkey hunters and fall archery turkey hunters must now purchase this permit to hunt turkeys in the fall. Additionally, the fall turkey season is divided into archery and firearms portions, with the harvest limit reduced from four to two birds of either sex for both portions combined.
Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) Updates
Several counties have been added to the CWD Management Zone, including Audrain, Boone, Cole, Dent, Douglas, Howard, Lewis, Maries, Monroe, Newton, Osage, Phelps, Randolph, Saline, Scotland, Shannon, Shelby, and Webster. In these counties, the use of grain, salt products, minerals, and other consumable products to attract deer is prohibited year-round. Hunters must follow carcass transportation regulations. During the CWD portion of firearms deer season, all counties in the CWD Management Zone will be open. Hunters who harvest a deer in designated CWD Management Zone counties must take the deer (or its head) to a mandatory CWD sampling station on the day of harvest, scheduled for November 16–17.
Other Regulation Updates
The antler-point restriction has been removed from several counties, including Audrain, Boone, Cole, Howard, Lewis, Maries, Monroe, Osage, Phelps, Randolph, Saline, Scotland, and Shelby. Deer hunters in Dent, Douglas, Maries, Newton, and Phelps counties can now fill four firearms antlerless permits. Archery antlerless permits are now permitted in Dunklin, Mississippi, New Madrid, and Pemiscot counties. Additional managed deer hunts have been added, while others have been removed or modified. Regulations for deer hunting in some conservation areas have changed. Hunters are now allowed to use aerial drones to track wounded deer and turkeys. Permit prices for deer and turkey hunting have increased.
For detailed information, hunters can refer to the MDC 2024 Fall Deer & Turkey Hunting Regulations and Information booklet, available in July where permits are sold, and on the Missouri Department of Conservation website.
