Home › Missouri › Counties › Butler County
2026-27 · Fall Deer and Turkey rules
Butler County Hunting
Butler County under the 2026-27 MDC rules: a firearms antlerless fill limit of 1 deer, antlerless portions closed, 1,852 deer Telechecked in 2025, 59,178 mapped public acres and the nearest MDC office.
Photo: USFWS Midwest Region (Public Domain Mark 1.0)
The 2026 county row for Butler County
Census maps give Butler County 695 square miles of land; Poplar Bluff is the county seat. Its population estimate for 2024 stands at 41,814, a 0.7% fall from 2020. In Butler County the county fill limit on firearms antlerless permits is 1 deer. Butler County is one of the 14 counties closed during both antlerless portions, so there is no Oct. 9-11 or Dec. 5-13 firearms hunting here. Butler County is on the November dog rule list: no dogs for rabbit or squirrel hunting in daylight Nov. 14-24.
| County rule | Status | When |
|---|---|---|
| Firearms antlerless fill limit | 1 deer | All firearms portions |
| Antlerless portions | Closed | Oct. 9-11, Dec. 5-13 |
| Mandatory CWD sampling | Not this year | Day of harvest |
| Feed and mineral ban | No | Year-round |
| Share the Harvest test | Not required | Before donating |
| November dog rule | Yes | November portion, daylight |
| Fall firearms turkey | Open | Oct. 1-31 |
| Elk hunting county | No | Carter, Reynolds, Shannon |
| Black Bear Management Zone | 2 | Oct. 17-30, by permit |
| Waterfowl zone (map layer) | South / Middle | 2021-2025 layer |
| SE flood closure zone | None | Gauge-based |
| CWD portion | Removed | Gone for 2026 |
| Antler-point restriction | Removed | Gone for 2026 |
County rules from the 2026 Fall Deer and Turkey booklet county table, the Wildlife Code 3 CSR 10-7 (antlerless limits and portions), CWD rules and stations, fall turkey counties, dog rule, bear digest, waterfowl digest. Checked October 29, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Butler County
Harvest trend for Butler County deer
In 2025, 1,852 deer from Butler County went through Telecheck; antlered bucks made up 48% of them. The year before, 2024, ended at 1,490 (+24% change). Across 11 permit years the peak came in 2018 (2,451) and the low in 2021 (1,383). That total ranks 91st among 114 Missouri counties for 2025. 53% of the 2025 deer came during the November portion and 30% with archery tackle.
| Permit year | Antlered | Button | Doe | Sum |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 887 | 171 | 794 | 1,852 |
| 2024 | 691 | 127 | 672 | 1,490 |
| 2023 | 968 | 169 | 908 | 2,045 |
| 2022 | 1,032 | 153 | 731 | 1,916 |
| 2021 | 707 | 136 | 540 | 1,383 |
| 2020 | 1,159 | 207 | 873 | 2,239 |
| 2019 | 788 | 197 | 849 | 1,834 |
| 2018 | 1,196 | 231 | 1,024 | 2,451 |
| 2017 | 1,099 | 202 | 831 | 2,132 |
| 2016 | 1,001 | 221 | 702 | 1,924 |
| 2015 | 996 | 191 | 809 | 1,996 |
Which portions produced Butler County deer
| Portion | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Archery | 386 | 563 |
| Early youth | 100 | 159 |
| Opening weekend* | 390 | 426 |
| November portion | 880 | 986 |
| Late youth | 14 | 20 |
| Alternative methods | 108 | 121 |
| Managed hunts | 2 | 3 |
For 2025 MDC measured 2.9 deer per square mile in Butler County (4.0 regionwide).
Telechecked harvest from the MDC 2025 deer harvest summary and earlier deer harvest summaries (2015-2025); density from the 2025 Missouri Deer Season Summary and Population Status Report. Checked October 29, 2026.
Butler County managed hunts and zones
Managed hunt draws in Butler County
Wappapello Lake ML (573-222-7500) holds 1 managed hunt this season; hunters were drawn from applications taken July 1-31, 2026.
| Hunt | Location | Type | Dates | Drawn | Bag |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| None | Wappapello Lake ML (573-222-7500) | Disabled hunters – Firearms | Oct. 17–18 | 25 | 1 either sex |
Butler County and the bear zones
Bear hunting reaches Butler County through Zone 2; residents applied for permits in May, and the season is Oct. 17-30, 2026.
| Zone | Share of county | Permits 2026 | Quota 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 2 | 100% | 750 | 22 |
| Year | Statewide bears |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 12 |
| 2022 | 8 |
| 2023 | 12 |
| 2024 | 15 |
| 2025 | 9 |
Waterfowl dates in Butler County
MDC's map layer places Butler County in the South Zone and Middle Zone; zone lines changed for 2026-2030.
| Season | Zone | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Ducks, split 1 | Middle | Nov 7–Dec 13 |
| Ducks, split 2 | Middle | Dec 19–Jan 10 |
| Ducks, split 1 | South | Nov 26–Nov 29 |
| Ducks, split 2 | South | Dec 7–Jan 31 |
Managed hunts from the 2026 managed deer hunt tables; bear from the 2026 Black Bear Hunting Digest and MDC bear reports; elk from the 2026 Elk Hunting Digest; waterfowl and wetlands from the 2026-2027 Migratory Bird and Waterfowl Digest. Checked October 29, 2026.
Every 2026-27 season that reaches Butler County
Rows that depend on county lists (antlerless portions, fall firearms turkey, bear, elk, duck zones) are already filtered for Butler County.
| Species | Window | Reach | From | Through | Today? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White-tailed deer | Archery, first part | Statewide | Sep 15, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Firearms, early youth | Statewide | Oct 24, 2026 | Oct 25, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Firearms, November | Statewide | Nov 14, 2026 | Nov 24, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Archery, second part | Statewide | Nov 25, 2026 | Jan 15, 2027 | |
| White-tailed deer | Firearms, late youth | Statewide | Nov 27, 2026 | Nov 29, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Firearms, alternative methods | Statewide | Dec 26, 2026 | Jan 5, 2027 | |
| Black bear | Bear, zone 2 | Bear zone 2 | Oct 17, 2026 | Oct 30, 2026 | |
| Wild turkey | Fall archery | Statewide | Sep 15, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 | |
| Wild turkey | Fall firearms | Open county | Oct 1, 2026 | Oct 31, 2026 | |
| Wild turkey | Fall archery, part 2 | Statewide | Nov 25, 2026 | Jan 15, 2027 | |
| Bobwhite quail | Youth quail | Statewide | Oct 24, 2026 | Oct 25, 2026 | |
| Bobwhite quail | Quail | Statewide | Nov 1, 2026 | Jan 15, 2027 | |
| Pheasant | Youth pheasant | Statewide | Oct 24, 2026 | Oct 25, 2026 | |
| Pheasant | Pheasant | Statewide | Nov 1, 2026 | Jan 15, 2027 | |
| Rabbits | Rabbit hunting | Statewide | Oct 1, 2026 | Feb 15, 2027 | |
| Squirrels | Squirrel season | Statewide | May 23, 2026 | Feb 15, 2027 | |
| Woodcock | Woodcock season | Statewide | Oct 18, 2026 | Dec 1, 2026 | |
| Doves | Dove season | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Nov 29, 2026 | |
| Teal | September teal | Statewide | Sep 12, 2026 | Sep 20, 2026 | |
| Youth waterfowl | Youth waterfowl days | Middle Zone | Oct 31, 2026 | Nov 1, 2026 | |
| Youth waterfowl | Youth waterfowl days | South Zone | Nov 21, 2026 | Nov 22, 2026 | |
| Ducks and coots | Ducks, split 1 | Middle Zone | Nov 7, 2026 | Dec 13, 2026 | |
| Ducks and coots | Ducks, split 1 | South Zone | Nov 26, 2026 | Nov 29, 2026 | |
| Ducks and coots | Ducks, split 2 | South Zone | Dec 7, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Ducks and coots | Ducks, split 2 | Middle Zone | Dec 19, 2026 | Jan 10, 2027 | |
| Early Canada goose | Early Canada goose | Statewide | Oct 3, 2026 | Oct 11, 2026 | |
| Geese | Regular geese | Statewide | Nov 11, 2026 | Feb 6, 2027 | |
| Light geese | Conservation order | Statewide | Feb 7, 2027 | Apr 30, 2027 | |
| Coyote | Coyote hunting | Statewide | Jan 1, 2026 | Dec 31, 2026 | |
| Groundhog | Groundhog | Statewide | May 11, 2026 | Dec 15, 2026 | |
| Bullfrogs and green frogs | Frogging | Statewide | Jun 30, 2026 | Oct 31, 2026 | |
| Raccoon, opossum, skunk | Hunt and trap, early | Statewide | Aug 1, 2026 | Oct 15, 2026 | |
| Rails | Rail season | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Nov 9, 2026 | |
| Snipe | Snipe season | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Dec 16, 2026 | |
| Crow | Crow season | Statewide | Nov 1, 2026 | Mar 3, 2027 | |
| Badger and foxes | Hunting and trapping | Statewide | Nov 15, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Bobcat | Hunting and trapping | Statewide | Nov 15, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Raccoon, opossum, skunk | Hunt and trap, main | Statewide | Nov 15, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 |
From the 2026 Fall Deer and Turkey Hunting Regulations, the 2026-2027 Migratory Bird and Waterfowl Digest and the 2026 hunting and trapping summary (Missouri Department of Conservation), checked October 29, 2026.
Turkeys and CWD testing in Butler County
Spring 2026 turkey hunters checked 130 birds in Butler County during the regular season, after 28 in the youth season. The best spring since 2016 was 2025 with 175. The fall 2025 count was 15 birds across both portions. Fall 2026 is still under way or unreported, and the spring 2027 season has no published dates yet.
| Year | Youth days | Spring season | Fall gun | Fall bow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 28 | 130 | — | — |
| 2025 | 7 | 175 | 6 | 9 |
| 2024 | 11 | 141 | 4 | 4 |
| 2023 | 6 | 99 | 15 | 13 |
| 2022 | 13 | 91 | 4 | 15 |
| 2021 | 7 | 90 | 0 | 6 |
| 2020 | 10 | 89 | 5 | 7 |
| 2019 | 9 | 84 | 5 | 5 |
| 2018 | 5 | 110 | 10 | 18 |
| 2017 | 14 | 127 | 4 | 17 |
| 2016 | 18 | 165 | 9 | 18 |
Butler County CWD record
MDC's CWD dashboard records 223 samples from Butler County across the sample years shown, with 0 positives. No CWD detection is on record for Butler County.
| Sample year | Samples | Positives |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 | 2 | 0 |
| 2025-26 | 1 | 0 |
| 2024-25 | 100 | 0 |
| 2023-24 | 39 | 0 |
| 2022-23 | 23 | 0 |
| 2021-22 | 9 | 0 |
| 2020-21 | 8 | 0 |
| 2019-20 | 12 | 0 |
| 2018-19 | 11 | 0 |
| 2017-18 | 11 | 0 |
| 2016-17 | 7 | 0 |
Turkey harvest from the MDC 2026 turkey harvest summary and earlier turkey harvest summaries; CWD from the MDC CWD sampling results layers and the MDC CWD page. Checked October 29, 2026.
Public areas you can hunt in Butler County
10 public areas inside Butler County make our Missouri list, with University Forest Conservation Area the largest at 7,151 acres. Mapped public land adds up to about 59,178 acres, or 13.3% of Butler County. The Mark Twain National Forest share is roughly 46,899 acres. 7 other public places here allow no hunting.
| Area | Acres | Deer allowed | Antlerless | Plus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University Forest CA · Conservation area | 7,151 | Archery and firearms | archery antlerless | — |
| Otter Slough CA · Conservation area | 4,859 | — | — | morning draw, 5 managed hunts |
| Coon Island CA · Conservation area | 3,223 | Archery only | antlerless OK | — |
| Big Cane CA · Conservation area | 2,155 | Archery and firearms | archery antlerless | — |
| Wilhelmina CA · Conservation area | 1,520 | Muzzleloader, archery | no antlerless | — |
| Poplar Bluff CA · Conservation area | 1,107 | Archery and firearms | archery antlerless | — |
| Stephen J. Sun CA · Conservation area | 485 | Archery and firearms | archery antlerless | — |
| Corkwood CA · Conservation area | 434 | Archery only | antlerless OK | — |
| Dan River Access · Public access | 68 | — | — | — |
| Wappapello Lake (Corps) · Corps lake | — | — | — | — |
Mark Twain National Forest · Poplar Bluff Ranger District (Mark Twain National Forest)
Close to Butler County, across the line
- Oak Ridge CA17 miles · 243 ac · Stoddard County
- Mudpuppy CA17 miles · 1,404 ac · Ripley County
- Hemenway CA18 miles · 172 ac · Ripley County
- Sand Pond CA18 miles · 202 ac · Ripley County
- Bradley A. Hammer Memorial CA19 miles · 344 ac · Wayne County
- Chalk Bluff Trail Access21 miles · 82 ac · Dunklin County
Areas from our Missouri land list (MDC area pages and the MDC area deer quick regs, USFS, USFWS, Corps and NPS records); acres by kind from MDC, USFS, USFWS, PAD-US and NPS GIS layers (GIS measures, not official acreages); MRAP from the MDC MRAP program. Checked October 29, 2026.
Who serves Butler County hunters
For regional questions, Butler County hunters call the Southeast office in Cape Girardeau at (573) 290-5730. The office nearest Butler County is Piedmont Office (35 miles).
Towns in Butler County
- Poplar Bluffpop. 16,177 · seat
- Qulinpop. 468
- Neelyvillepop. 311
- Fiskpop. 309
Butler County deer processing and gear
Businesses inside the county come first, then those just across the line.
Counties that border Butler County
- Carter CountyOzark
- Dunklin CountySoutheast
- Ripley CountyOzark
- Stoddard CountySoutheast
- Wayne CountySoutheast
Offices from MDC offices open to the public; services from MDC lists and directories as tagged; towns from Census 2024. Checked October 29, 2026.
Events on file for Butler County
This county shows 1 upcoming event; kinds are DU gun bingo.
Coming up
| Held on | Event | Where held | Link | Checked at |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 11, 2026 | Bluff City Mallards Bingo Bash! · DU gun bingo | Poplar Bluff Elks Lodge — Butler County | Buy tickets | Source |
Butler County ranges and shoot dates
Up to six Butler County ranges appear as cards; any more are in the table below.
Shoots coming up here
| Date and event | Type | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Feb 19-21, 2027 | Gun show | Source |
Ranges from MDC area pages and its Shooting Ranges layer, the operators’ own sites and directory listings, checked October 29, 2026.
Butler County legal shooting light
For ducks, geese and doves in Butler County the day ends at sunset; deer, bear and elk hunters get another half hour.
| Date | Season point | Sunrise | Sunset | Deer, bear, elk | Ducks, doves, geese |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 1, 2026 | Dove opener | 6:31 a.m. | 7:32 p.m. | 6:01 a.m. to 8:02 p.m. | 6:01 a.m. to 7:32 p.m. |
| Sep 15, 2026 | Archery opener | 6:43 a.m. | 7:10 p.m. | 6:13 a.m. to 7:40 p.m. | 6:13 a.m. to 7:10 p.m. |
| Oct 1, 2026 | Fall firearms turkey | 6:58 a.m. | 6:44 p.m. | 6:28 a.m. to 7:14 p.m. | 6:28 a.m. to 6:44 p.m. |
| Nov 7, 2026 | Middle Zone ducks | 6:35 a.m. | 4:55 p.m. | 6:05 a.m. to 5:25 p.m. | 6:05 a.m. to 4:55 p.m. |
| Nov 14, 2026 | November firearms opener | 6:43 a.m. | 4:49 p.m. | 6:13 a.m. to 5:19 p.m. | 6:13 a.m. to 4:49 p.m. |
| Dec 26, 2026 | Alternative methods | 7:18 a.m. | 4:47 p.m. | 6:48 a.m. to 5:17 p.m. | 6:48 a.m. to 4:47 p.m. |
| Jan 15, 2027 | Archery close | 7:18 a.m. | 5:05 p.m. | 6:48 a.m. to 5:35 p.m. | 6:48 a.m. to 5:05 p.m. |
Hours rule and the Jefferson City sunrise and sunset table from the MDC Migratory Bird and Waterfowl Digest (same table in the Fall Deer and Turkey booklet), adjusted 1 minute per 13.5 miles east or west as MDC directs; checked October 29, 2026. Legal hours for every county.
Butler County hunting, common questions
Which permit year gave Butler County its biggest deer harvest since 2015?
2018, at 2,451 deer.
Can a Butler County deer be donated to Share the Harvest without a CWD test?
Yes. The county is not on the testing list for donations.
Is Butler County North, Middle or South for duck season?
South Zone and Middle Zone on MDC's map layer; the 2026-2030 lines moved, so read the digest map near a boundary.
Is fall firearms turkey open in Butler County?
Yes, Oct. 1-31, 2026.
How do I check a deer in Butler County?
Notch the permit, then Telecheck online, in the MO Hunting app or by phone by 10 p.m. on the day of harvest.
Can I hunt state parks in Butler County?
Only parks with an MDC managed deer hunt allow hunting.
Does camo orange count in Butler County?
No. Camouflage orange does not meet the rule.
Who will skin and cut a Butler County deer?
The Deep Freeze INC heads our distance list.
Are the antlerless portions open in Butler County?
No. It is one of the 14 counties closed during both antlerless portions.
Answers from the 2026 Fall Deer and Turkey Hunting Regulations, the county rules table, the hunter orange rule, Telecheck rules, MDC harvest summaries and the sources above. Checked October 29, 2026.
Double-check list for Butler County
MDC can change rules after the booklet prints; recheck the county table before a Butler County hunt.
Sources: 2026 Fall Deer and Turkey Hunting Regulations, MDC hunting, Census and the sources in each section. Checked October 29, 2026.
Other photos on this page: USFWS Midwest Region (Public Domain Mark 1.0).