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Ozark Region · MDC rules 2026-27
Ripley County Hunting
Hunting Ripley County in 2026-27: the county deer rules MDC set for 2026, deer and turkey harvest by year, CWD testing results, 5 listed public areas and the help close to Doniphan.
Photo: Chris M Morris (CC BY 2.0)
How MDC rules apply in Ripley County
With Doniphan as its seat, Ripley County spans 630 square miles of the Ozark hills, the Current and Eleven Point rivers and the Mark Twain National Forest. Roughly 10,715 residents share it, after a +0.4% change since the 2020 count. Ripley County carries a 4 deer fill limit for firearms antlerless permits in 2026. Antlerless-only firearms days return to Ripley County on Oct. 9-11 and again on Dec. 5-13. MDC lists Ripley County under the feed and mineral ban, so deer feed and mineral sites are illegal here all year. Deer donated to Share the Harvest from Ripley County must be CWD tested first; participating processors handle the test. Ripley County is one of 28 counties with mandatory CWD sampling on the November portion opening weekend. Beagles and squirrel dogs stay home in daylight during the November portion in Ripley County. Ripley County was inside the CWD Management Zone in 2025-26; MDC removed the zone, the CWD portion and the antler-point restriction for 2026.
| Item | In Ripley | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Firearms antlerless fill limit | 4 deer | All firearms portions |
| Antlerless portions | Open | Oct. 9-11, Dec. 5-13 |
| Mandatory CWD sampling | Nov. 14-15 | Day of harvest |
| Feed and mineral ban | Yes | Year-round |
| Share the Harvest test | 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 | 2021-2025 layer |
| SE flood closure zone | None | Gauge-based |
| CWD portion | Removed | Gone for 2026 |
| Antler-point restriction | Removed | Gone for 2026 |
Stations serving Ripley County
| Station | City | Street | Map |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gatewood School | Gatewood | 11111 Hwy. 142 | Drive |
| Doniphan MDC Forestry Office | Doniphan | 109 Ripley 21-N-1 | Drive |
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 Ripley County
Ripley County deer harvest, 2015 to 2025
MDC counted 3,088 deer from Ripley County for 2025, with 1,581 does and 1,221 antlered bucks. Compared with 2,848 in 2024, the count moved +8%. 2018 tops the chart at 4,233 deer, while 2024 sits at the bottom with 2,848. Statewide, Ripley County came 34th of 114 by deer checked in 2025. Archery accounted for 494 deer (16%) and the November portion for 1,718.
| Year | Antlered bucks | Buttons | Does | Deer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,221 | 286 | 1,581 | 3,088 |
| 2024 | 1,093 | 308 | 1,447 | 2,848 |
| 2023 | 1,390 | 383 | 2,045 | 3,818 |
| 2022 | 1,260 | 345 | 1,539 | 3,144 |
| 2021 | 1,117 | 360 | 1,398 | 2,875 |
| 2020 | 1,657 | 460 | 1,816 | 3,933 |
| 2019 | 1,133 | 390 | 1,493 | 3,016 |
| 2018 | 1,700 | 489 | 2,044 | 4,233 |
| 2017 | 1,533 | 438 | 1,604 | 3,575 |
| 2016 | 1,538 | 467 | 1,641 | 3,646 |
| 2015 | 1,401 | 471 | 1,580 | 3,452 |
Ripley County harvest split by season portion
| Portion | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Archery | 480 | 494 |
| Early youth | 198 | 257 |
| Early antlerless | 126 | 159 |
| Opening weekend* | 695 | 703 |
| November portion | 1,696 | 1,718 |
| CWD portion | 151 | 200 |
| Late youth | 13 | 23 |
| Late antlerless | 91 | 143 |
| Alternative methods | 93 | 94 |
| Managed hunts | — | 0 |
Per square mile, Ripley County gave up 5.1 deer in 2025 compared with the Ozark Region mark of 4.6.
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.
Drawings and zone lines for Ripley County
Bear zone facts for Ripley County
The bear season in Ripley County is Oct. 17 to 30, 2026, open only to residents drawn for a Zone 2 permit.
| 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 |
Ripley County duck season zone
For waterfowl, Ripley County reads as the South Zone on the layer MDC published with the 2021-2025 lines.
| Season | Zone | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Ducks, split 1 | South | Nov 26–Nov 29 |
| Ducks, split 2 | South | Dec 7–Jan 31 |
Managed hunts skip Ripley County this year; Carter, Butler and Wayne are the nearest counties on the list.
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.
Ripley County calendar for deer, turkey, birds and furbearers
Filter the table by species; dates come straight from the 2026 MDC booklets and the waterfowl digest.
| Game | Portion | Where | Opens | Closes | Today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White-tailed deer | Archery, first part | Statewide | Sep 15, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Firearms, early antlerless | Antlerless county | Oct 9, 2026 | Oct 11, 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, late antlerless | Antlerless county | Dec 5, 2026 | Dec 13, 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 | South Zone | Nov 21, 2026 | Nov 22, 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 | |
| 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.
Ripley County turkey numbers and disease testing
Ripley County gave up 174 turkeys in the spring 2026 regular season. 2016 leads the spring column at 310 birds. Fall hunters checked 9 with guns and 7 with bows in 2025. Spring 2026 is history; MDC had not set the spring 2027 dates at the last check.
| Year | Spring youth | Spring | Fall firearms | Fall archery |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 27 | 174 | — | — |
| 2025 | 33 | 248 | 9 | 7 |
| 2024 | 24 | 201 | 2 | 1 |
| 2023 | 12 | 195 | 3 | 9 |
| 2022 | 18 | 161 | 4 | 12 |
| 2021 | 15 | 145 | 0 | 8 |
| 2020 | 11 | 154 | 6 | 23 |
| 2019 | 16 | 149 | 1 | 4 |
| 2018 | 18 | 223 | 12 | 16 |
| 2017 | 22 | 225 | 4 | 12 |
| 2016 | 13 | 310 | 23 | 19 |
CWD surveillance in Ripley County
1,383 deer from Ripley County have been tested since 2016 on the MDC dashboard, and 0 were positive. Ripley County has no first-positive year on the MDC list.
| Year (July-June) | Tested | Positive |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 | 2 | 0 |
| 2025-26 | 42 | 0 |
| 2024-25 | 44 | 0 |
| 2023-24 | 637 | 0 |
| 2022-23 | 592 | 0 |
| 2021-22 | 9 | 0 |
| 2020-21 | 14 | 0 |
| 2019-20 | 16 | 0 |
| 2018-19 | 16 | 0 |
| 2017-18 | 11 | 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.
Places open to hunting in Ripley County
Ripley County has 5 listed places open to some hunting, led by Fourche Creek Conservation Area (3,768 acres). About 26.6% of the county (107,061 acres) is public on the state and federal layers. National forest land accounts for about 98,546 acres of it. We left out 3 places where hunting is not allowed.
| Area and kind | Acres | Deer methods | Antlerless | Extras |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fourche Creek CA · Conservation area | 3,768 | Archery only | antlerless OK | — |
| Little Black CA · Conservation area | 3,093 | Archery and firearms | antlerless OK | — |
| Mudpuppy CA · Conservation area | 1,404 | Archery and firearms | antlerless OK | — |
| Sand Pond CA · Conservation area | 202 | Archery only | antlerless OK | — |
| Hemenway CA · Conservation area | 172 | Archery only | antlerless OK | — |
Doniphan / Eleven Point Ranger District (Mark Twain National Forest) · Mark Twain National Forest
Nearby areas in other counties
- Hunter Towersite16 miles · 75 ac · Carter County
- Corkwood CA20 miles · 434 ac · Butler County
- Big Cane CA24 miles · 2,155 ac · Butler County
- Carter Creek CA26 miles · 407 ac · Carter County
- Bradley A. Hammer Memorial CA28 miles · 344 ac · Wayne County
- Stephen J. Sun CA29 miles · 485 ac · Butler 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.
Ripley County contacts, towns and shops
Hunters in Ripley County fall under the Ozark Region, whose office sits in West Plains. The closest MDC office open to the public is Twin Pines Conservation Center, about 34 miles from mid-county.
Ripley County hunting towns
- Doniphanpop. 1,782 · seat
- FairdealingCDP
Help for Ripley County hunters
Listings come from MDC lists (Share the Harvest processors, CWD sampling partners, commercial permits) and directories; call before you drive.
Ripley County neighbours
- Butler CountySoutheast
- Carter CountyOzark
- Oregon CountyOzark
Offices from MDC offices open to the public; services from MDC lists and directories as tagged; towns from Census 2024. Checked October 29, 2026.
Ripley County ranges and shoot dates
Cards for Ripley County carry each range’s access rule (1 range in all).
Ranges from MDC area pages and its Shooting Ranges layer, the operators’ own sites and directory listings, checked October 29, 2026.
When legal light starts in Ripley County
MDC publishes sunrise and sunset for Jefferson City only; Ripley County sits 5 minutes earlier by the 13.5-mile rule.
| Day | Hunt | Sun up | Sun down | Big game window | Migratory window |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 1, 2026 | Dove opener | 6:33 a.m. | 7:34 p.m. | 6:03 a.m. to 8:04 p.m. | 6:03 a.m. to 7:34 p.m. |
| Sep 15, 2026 | Archery opener | 6:45 a.m. | 7:12 p.m. | 6:15 a.m. to 7:42 p.m. | 6:15 a.m. to 7:12 p.m. |
| Oct 1, 2026 | Fall firearms turkey | 7:00 a.m. | 6:46 p.m. | 6:30 a.m. to 7:16 p.m. | 6:30 a.m. to 6:46 p.m. |
| Nov 7, 2026 | Middle Zone ducks | 6:37 a.m. | 4:57 p.m. | 6:07 a.m. to 5:27 p.m. | 6:07 a.m. to 4:57 p.m. |
| Nov 14, 2026 | November firearms opener | 6:45 a.m. | 4:51 p.m. | 6:15 a.m. to 5:21 p.m. | 6:15 a.m. to 4:51 p.m. |
| Dec 26, 2026 | Alternative methods | 7:20 a.m. | 4:49 p.m. | 6:50 a.m. to 5:19 p.m. | 6:50 a.m. to 4:49 p.m. |
| Jan 15, 2027 | Archery close | 7:20 a.m. | 5:07 p.m. | 6:50 a.m. to 5:37 p.m. | 6:50 a.m. to 5:07 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.
Things hunters ask about Ripley County
Must archers wear orange in Ripley County during gun season?
Yes in firearms portions, with some exceptions listed in the booklet.
Is Ripley County closed to the October and December antlerless portions?
No, both are open.
Must Ripley County deer go to a CWD station in November 2026?
Yes, deer taken Nov. 14-15 must be presented at a sampling station that day, hunter present.
Where does Ripley County land in the statewide deer harvest ranking?
34th out of 114 counties for 2025.
How many spring turkeys came from Ripley County in 2026?
174 in the regular season.
Could I draw an elk permit for Ripley County?
No. Elk hunting is limited to Carter, Reynolds and Shannon counties.
How much public land is there in Ripley County?
About 107,061 acres by GIS, with 5 listed areas.
Where can I buy hunting permits near Ripley County?
Online, in the MO Hunting app, at permit vendors or at an MDC office.
Is there a Share the Harvest processor near Ripley County?
Check the tags in the services band; Gold Buckle Meats LLC is closest on our list.
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.
Ripley County trip reminders
Rules here are for the 2026-27 permit year; the booklet and Wildlife Code win where they differ.
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).