Missouri Whitetail Deer Hunting Guides and Outfitters

Show Me Whitetail: Hunting The Majestic Deer in Missouri
 
The history of whitetail deer in Missouri demonstrates the influences mankind can have on wildlife. In earlier days, the whitetail was abundant in Missouri, especially in the more fertile and diverse habitats of northern Missouri. The immigration of European settlers to Missouri during the last half of the nineteenth century coincided with a rapid decline in the whitetail deer population. Unrestricted hunting and habitat destruction, like cutting, farming and grazing forest lands, created this decline.

Laws restricting the killing of deer were created in the late 1800s and early 1900s, but remained largely un-enforced. In 1925, the state's whitetail deer herd was estimated at about 400. Responding to this estimation, the Missouri Legislature announced deer season was closed, and made the first real effort to enforce it. Around this time, whitetail transported to Missouri from Michigan were released onto refuges in the Ozarks.
In 1931, whitetail-hunting season reopened, but was not very successful, which indicated a low population, whether stable or declining. When the first Conservation Commission formed in 1937, however, efforts to bring back the whitetail started to triumph. The Commission closed deer-hunting season from 1938 to 1943, during which additional deer were brought in from Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota and from existing refuges within the state. Enforcement by well trained agents brought down poaching significantly.
By 1944, the Missouri deer population soared to 15,000, and Missouri held its first deer season since the recovery effort. Shortly thereafter, hunting was restricted to bucks to help deer populations grow. By 1951, a few doe harvests were initiated. The moral of this story should be obvious: Early management promoted population growth, which promoted people's interest in deer hunting. Recent management efforts have tried to define desirable population levels and design regulations to achieve these. The success of the program is because of Missourians' support of their natural resources and the adaptability of the whitetail deer to human-altered habitats.
While many other states, for the purpose of hunting, whitetail are initially more appealing, but let’s explore this further. When early outfitters first arrived to set up shop, the Missouri land still had a virtually untouched environment – unspoiled by massive hunts. Many outfitters’ clients harvested whitetail bucks that were much bigger than in other regions of the U.S. More famous counties for outfitting, like Webb County, Texas and Pike County, Illinois, present wonderful opportunities to harvest big deer, but many professional hunters and outfitters know that Missouri most generally presented bigger bucks for harvest, due to lack of hunting pressure and no planning. The Missouri Deer Herd is an undisturbed herd that holds true dream bucks that have not been hunted correctly, allowing for a sportsman’s paradise.