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MDC record weights and harvest by year
Missouri Hunting Records
MDC runs no big game records program, so this page gathers the records it does keep: 15 record-weight furbearers, first-harvest certificates, the deer harvest by portion for 2015-2025, spring and fall turkey since 2015, every bear season since 2021, elk and the CWD testing totals. The private Show-Me Big Bucks Club keeps the deer book.
Photo: fishhawk (CC BY 2.0)
No state trophy book, and what stands in for it
Antler scores live with the private Show-Me Big Bucks Club, and MDC staff score deer for it on request at regional offices. MDC itself keeps furbearer weight records and the harvest totals below.
MDC does not keep a state big game record book.
Show-Me Big Bucks Club
Missouri Show-Me Big Bucks Club (private club; MDC staff score deer on request at regional offices). Non-typical minimum 155 in.; typical minimum not stated in the MDC pages read. Record-book non-typical 178 3/8 inches, Greene County, Nov. 2, 2025 (MDC news).
First-harvest certificates
MDC first-harvest certificates (mdc.mo.gov trophies and certificates). A printable keepsake for a first deer, turkey or other game.
Bear tooth ages
Bear hunters must submit a premolar; age results within about a year.
Sources: MDC news; MDC trophies and certificates; MDC record-weight furbearers, confirmed against the source on October 29, 2026.
MDC record-weight furbearers
MDC record-weight furbearers (since 2011; weighed before MDC staff on a certified scale). The heaviest is a female beaver from Chariton County at 81 lb; two badgers from Perry and Randolph counties share the badger mark to the tenth of an ounce.
| Species | Sex | Weight | County | Date taken |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Badger | Male | 28 lb 14.4 oz | Perry County | Dec 17, 2014 |
| Badger | Male | 28 lb 14.4 oz | Randolph County | Nov 21, 2017 |
| Beaver | Female | 81 lb | Chariton County | Mar 8, 2020 |
| Bobcat | Male | 38 lb 7.5 oz | Worth County | Dec 22, 2019 |
| Coyote | Male | 51.5 lb | Maries County | Jan 13, 2020 |
| Gray Fox | Male | 13 lb 4 oz | Shannon County | Dec 5, 2024 |
| Mink | Male | 5 lb 3.2 oz | Ralls County | Jan 19, 2013 |
| Muskrat | Male | 4 lb 5.3 oz | Cass County | Jan 29, 2020 |
| Nutria | Male | 20 lb 13.1 oz | Butler County | Feb 12, 2025 |
| Opossum | Male | 16 lb 2.6 oz | Lincoln County | Dec 18, 2016 |
| Raccoon | Male | 35 lb | Worth County | Dec 11, 2022 |
| Red Fox | Female | 13 lb 5.7 oz | Cape Girardeau County | Dec 29, 2018 |
| River Otter | Male | 32 lb 11.2 oz | Ozark County | Feb 4, 2019 |
| Striped Skunk | Female | 11 lb 8 oz | Laclede County | Dec 2, 2024 |
| Striped Skunk | Male | 11 lb 6.4 oz | Putnam County | Dec 30, 2024 |
Hunter/trapper names omitted. Sources: MDC record-weight furbearers, confirmed against the source on October 29, 2026.
Missouri deer harvest by permit year
2023 holds the top total in the MDC season summaries at 326,448 deer and 2016 the lowest at 263,834. Archery climbed from 49,759 in 2015 to 62,281 in 2025, while firearms portions together gave 236,551 deer in 2025.
| Permit year | Total | November | Archery | Youth | Antlerless | Alternative | CWD portion | Managed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 301,125 | 158,171 | 62,281 | 21,034 | 28,372 | 13,046 | 15,928 | 2,293 |
| 2024 | 275,656 | 158,577 | 56,516 | 16,413 | 20,379 | 10,083 | 11,454 | 2,234 |
| 2023 | 326,448 | 193,885 | 55,731 | 14,887 | 35,469 | 12,496 | 11,707 | 2,273 |
| 2022 | 299,719 | 199,115 | 56,683 | 16,747 | 16,241 | 8,724 | – | 2,209 |
| 2021 | 295,143 | 188,928 | 59,498 | 19,340 | 15,019 | 10,038 | – | 2,320 |
| 2020 | 297,214 | 177,769 | 67,487 | 19,821 | 15,620 | 14,623 | – | 1,894 |
| 2019 | 285,873 | 179,960 | 61,407 | 20,239 | 10,597 | 12,024 | – | 1,646 |
| 2018 | 290,224 | 200,738 | 52,923 | 16,240 | 6,645 | 12,109 | – | 1,569 |
| 2017 | 284,477 | 192,797 | 51,991 | 20,527 | 7,773 | 10,027 | – | 1,362 |
| 2016 | 263,834 | 185,062 | 47,552 | 14,115 | 6,503 | 10,602 | – | – |
| 2015 | 273,249 | 186,542 | 49,759 | 15,936 | 9,542 | 11,078 | – | – |
Permit year 2025 means the season that opened in fall 2025. Portion labels changed over the years; antlerless columns add the early and late portions, and the CWD portion ran 2023-2025 before it was removed for 2026. Sources: 2015 summary; 2020 summary; 2025 summary; MDC deer harvest summaries, confirmed against the source on October 29, 2026.
The 2025 deer season by permit type and region
The St. Louis Region led in deer per square mile in 2025 at 6.9, with 14.0 firearms hunters per square mile, while the Northwest had the fewest deer per square mile. About 57 percent of all deer hunters took no deer.
| Permit type, 2025 | Issued | Deer taken | Filled |
|---|---|---|---|
| Archery Any-Deer | 139,736 | 34,841 | 24.9% |
| Landowner Archery Any-Deer | 53,419 | 4,529 | 8.5% |
| Youth Archery Any-Deer | 10,591 | 2,074 | 19.6% |
| Archery Antlerless | 70,872 | 15,914 | 22.5% |
| Landowner Archery Antlerless | 103,818 | 3,861 | 3.7% |
| Youth Archery Antlerless | 4,820 | 793 | 16.5% |
| Firearms Any-Deer | 313,239 | 87,086 | 27.8% |
| Landowner Firearms Any-Deer | 81,173 | 18,728 | 23.1% |
| Youth Firearms Any-Deer | 59,133 | 23,545 | 39.8% |
| Firearms Antlerless | 265,194 | 80,024 | 30.2% |
| Landowner Firearms Antlerless | 98,083 | 13,494 | 13.8% |
| Youth Firearms Antlerless | 39,568 | 11,215 | 28.3% |
| Resident Firearms | 811,772 | 216,204 | 26.6% |
| Nonresident Firearms | 44,618 | 17,888 | 40.1% |
| Resident Archery | 360,662 | 53,670 | 14.9% |
| Nonresident Archery | 22,594 | 8,342 | 36.9% |
| MDC region | Deer, 2025 | Per sq. mi. | Firearms hunters per sq. mi. | Archers per sq. mi. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northwest | 32,768 | 3.5 | 6.9 | 3.5 |
| Northeast | 42,745 | 5.7 | 9.3 | 4.2 |
| Kansas City | 31,404 | 4.5 | 7.8 | 4.4 |
| Central | 45,426 | 5.5 | 10.4 | 4.3 |
| St. Louis | 30,369 | 6.9 | 14.0 | 8.2 |
| Southwest | 42,835 | 4.6 | 7.8 | 3.7 |
| Ozark | 40,974 | 4.6 | 6.5 | 2.4 |
| Southeast | 34,604 | 4.0 | 6.9 | 2.7 |
Sources: 2025 Missouri deer season summary and population status report, confirmed against the source on October 29, 2026.
Missouri turkey harvest by year
Spring 2025 is the high mark in these tables at 46,569 birds in the regular season. Fall harvests are far smaller: fall firearms ranged from 1,836 to 6,158 birds a year.
| Year | Spring regular | Spring youth | Fall firearms | Fall archery |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 45,482 | 5,274 | – | – |
| 2025 | 46,569 | 4,449 | 1,950 | 1,273 |
| 2024 | 43,388 | 3,739 | 1,861 | 1,148 |
| 2023 | 41,977 | 2,566 | 2,220 | 2,201 |
| 2022 | 33,359 | 2,894 | 1,844 | 2,054 |
| 2021 | 34,595 | 2,795 | 1,836 | 2,516 |
| 2020 | 38,734 | 2,724 | – | 2,350 |
| 2019 | 36,249 | 2,546 | 1,953 | 2,406 |
| 2018 | 34,072 | 1,729 | 2,170 | 2,055 |
| 2017 | 39,254 | 4,102 | 2,901 | 2,426 |
| 2016 | 44,207 | 4,167 | 3,698 | 2,304 |
| 2015 | 43,991 | 4,441 | 6,158 | 3,067 |
County sums equal the printed totals in every year; the 2026 page has spring only. Sources: MDC turkey harvest summaries; 2026 summary, confirmed against the source on October 29, 2026.
Bear, elk and CWD records
About 1,100 black bears, growing about 9% per year (May 2026 In Brief). Missouri hunters have taken between 8 and 15 bears a season since 2021, and three elk in each season on file. About 325 free-ranging elk (May 2026 In Brief).
Black bear seasons
| Year | Bears | Permits | Applicants | Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 9 | 600 | – | Oct. 18-31, 2025 |
| 2024 | 15 | 400 | 5,969 | Oct. 21-30, 2024 |
| 2023 | 12 | 400 | 5,374 | Oct. 16-25, 2023 (report text: Oct. 16-26) |
| 2022 | 8 | – | – | – |
| 2021 | 12 | 400 | – | – |
Elk seasons on file
| Year | Elk | Permits | Applicants |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3 | 5 | – |
| 2022 | 3 | 5 | 9,684 |
CWD testing by sample year
| Sample year | Deer tested | Positives | Counties with positives |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1,069 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | 24,280 | 122 | 34 |
| 2024 | 36,278 | 245 | 36 |
| 2023 | 37,558 | 162 | 27 |
| 2022 | 33,337 | 118 | 23 |
| 2021 | 32,842 | 86 | 18 |
| 2020 | 15,484 | 44 | 12 |
| 2019 | 32,257 | 46 | 11 |
| 2018 | 32,033 | 41 | 13 |
| 2017 | 24,614 | 33 | 10 |
| 2016 | 25,701 | 9 | 5 |
Elk harvest for 2020, 2021, 2023 and 2024 not found in the MDC pages read. The 2026 row is the sample year to date. Sources: May 2026 In Brief; 2024 bear report; Feb. 2023 In Brief; MDC CWD dashboard, confirmed against the source on October 29, 2026.
Missouri hunting records questions
How many bears have Missouri hunters taken?
56 in the seasons from 2021 to 2025: 12 in 2021, 8 in 2022, 12 in 2023, 15 in 2024, 9 in 2025.
Which spring had the most Missouri turkeys checked?
Spring 2025, with 46,569 birds in the regular season, in the MDC summaries from 2015.
Is there an official MDC big game record book?
No. MDC has no big game records program; antler records are kept by the private Show-Me Big Bucks Club, and MDC staff score deer for it on request.
Can I get a certificate for my first deer?
Yes. MDC offers first-harvest certificates on its trophies and certificates page.
Which furbearer records does MDC keep?
Record weights for 13 furbearer species since 2011, weighed in front of MDC staff on a certified scale; the hunter and trapper names are not shown here.
What is the Show-Me Big Bucks Club minimum for a non-typical deer?
155 inches, according to MDC. The typical minimum is not stated in the MDC pages read for this site.
How many deer did Missouri hunters check in 2025?
301,125: 158,171 in the November portion, 62,281 with archery gear and 21,034 in the two youth portions.
What is the heaviest Missouri coyote on record?
51.5 lb, a male from Maries County taken Jan 13, 2020.
Which year had the biggest Missouri deer harvest?
2023, with 326,448 deer, the most in the MDC season summaries from 2015.
Check the source before you go
In Missouri the county decides most deer rules: the antlerless fill limit, whether the October and December antlerless portions are open, mandatory CWD sampling and the feed ban. Know the county you will sit in before you trust any single date.
Other photos on this page: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – Midwest Region (Public domain); David Williss (CC BY 2.0); PierreSelim (CC BY 3.0); YellowstoneNPS (Public domain); ShenandoahNPS (Public domain).