Callaway County young hunters bagged the third-most deer during Missouri's late youth portion of the 2019 deer hunting season, according to the Missouri Department of Conservation.
Callawegian hunters ages 6-15 checked 41 deer during this year's late season, which took place Nov. 29 through Dec. 1, according to preliminary data. The top counties for this portion were Osage County with 63 deer checked and Lincoln County with 45.
"The youth firearms season is more about hunter recruitment. It gives youths an opportunity to not have the pressure of their parents trying and hunt at the same time as them," said Stephen Kistner, conservation agent at the MDC.
Kistner said the youth season was established more recently than the November firearms season, which is in its 75th year. All youths younger than 16 years old are required to be supervised by a certified adult. Kistner said Callaway County's higher numbers in deer harvests stem from it being a "good habitat" for deer with the abundance of farmland.
Of the 1,909 harvested by young hunters in Missouri, 752 were antlered bucks, 200 were button bucks and 957 were does. Last year's harvest total for the late youth portion was 2,595 with 1,160 being antlered bucks, 338 button bucks and 1,097 does.
While numbers across the state were down compared to last year's, Callaway County youth hunters saw an increase. In 2018, Callaway youth hunters harvested three fewer deer with only 38 total in the late firearms session.
"This year's lower numbers probably stem from the weather and snow and 40 mph wind gusts that just were not conducive to hunting," Kistner said.
For current ongoing preliminary harvest totals by season, county and type of deer, visit the MDC website at bit.ly/2rbT2zt. For harvest summaries from past years, visit bit.ly/2OOzdYh.
Deer hunting in Missouri continues with archery deer hunting through Jan. 15. The antlerless portion of firearms deer season runs Dec. 6-8. Lastly, the alternative methods portion will run Dec. 28 through Jan. 7.