Missouri Deer Season 2026-27
Deer: Archery: September 15, 2026 to January 15, 2027. Deer: Firearms: November Portion: November 14, 2026 to November 24, 2026. Every date below was read from Missouri Department of Conservation’s own published page, linked beside it, on September 2, 2026.
Missouri deer seasons, 2026-27
“When does deer season open” is four questions wearing one coat. Missouri Department of Conservation dates white-tailed deer seasons separately by weapon, so each one is below under the agency’s own name for it, with the zone rows exactly as the agency lists them.
Deer: Archery
publishedDeer: Archery is OPEN now, through November 13, 2026.
| Zone | Opens | Closes | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Statewide (segment 1) | September 15, 2026 | November 13, 2026 | Closed during the November firearms portion |
| Statewide (segment 2) | November 25, 2026 | January 15, 2027 |
Dates read from White-Tailed Deer Seasons, Missouri Department of Conservation, accessed 2026-09-02.
Missouri closes archery for the eleven days of the November firearms portion and reopens it the day after that portion ends, running to the middle of January.
Deer: Firearms: November Portion
publishedDeer: Firearms: November Portion opens in 26 days, on November 14, 2026.
| Zone | Opens | Closes | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Statewide | November 14, 2026 | November 24, 2026 |
Dates read from White-Tailed Deer Seasons, Missouri Department of Conservation, accessed 2026-09-02.
Missouri divides its firearms season into named portions rather than running one window. The November portion is the main one; the youth, antlerless and alternative methods portions are dated separately and appear below and under other seasons.
Deer: Firearms: Alternative Methods
publishedDeer: Firearms: Alternative Methods opens in 68 days, on December 26, 2026.
| Zone | Opens | Closes | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Statewide | December 26, 2026 | January 5, 2027 |
Dates read from White-Tailed Deer Seasons, Missouri Department of Conservation, accessed 2026-09-02.
Missouri no longer names a muzzleloader only season. The alternative methods portion after Christmas is the window that replaced it, and it is the last firearms portion of the season year.
Deer: Firearms: Youth Portions
publishedDeer: Firearms: Youth Portions opens in 5 days, on October 24, 2026.
| Zone | Opens | Closes | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Statewide (segment 1) | October 24, 2026 | October 25, 2026 | Early and late youth portions |
| Statewide (segment 2) | November 27, 2026 | November 29, 2026 |
Dates read from White-Tailed Deer Seasons, Missouri Department of Conservation, accessed 2026-09-02.
Two youth portions, an October weekend before the archery pause and a Thanksgiving weekend one straight after the November portion closes.
For which days to sit, the Missouri deer movement forecast rates the next 7 days Slow to Prime from the weather and first light.
Deer: Firearms: November Portion Nov 14, 2026 - Nov 24, 2026Missouri Department of Conservation, read September 2, 2026. Read it at the source
Other Missouri deer seasons the agency names
Beyond the four main windows, Missouri Department of Conservation dates one further season for deer. They are reproduced here under the agency’s own names, because a hunter reading a calendar needs to know which window a tag actually covers.
Deer: Firearms: Antlerless Portions
publishedDeer: Firearms: Antlerless Portions opens in 47 days, on December 5, 2026 (Select counties the Department opens).
| Zone | Opens | Closes | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Select counties the Department opens (segment 1) | October 9, 2026 | October 11, 2026 | |
| Select counties the Department opens (segment 2) | December 5, 2026 | December 13, 2026 |
Dates read from White-Tailed Deer Seasons, Missouri Department of Conservation, accessed 2026-09-02.
Two extra firearms portions, open only in the counties the Department designates on its own page.
One calendar, one state
Missouri is one of the states that keeps it simple: Missouri Department of Conservation publishes these windows as listed above rather than splitting the state into zones with different openers. That makes the calendar easy and the sourcing no less important, because the dates still change every year.
Which unit or county you hunt can still change what you may take, even where it does not change when the season runs. That is the agency’s to tell you, and its regulations page is linked below.
Missouri deer hunting regulations
Season windows are carried here with their source and read date attached. Everything else a hunter is bound by is set by Missouri Department of Conservation, and its regulations page is linked below.
Current Missouri regulations
Harvest limits, antler restrictions, permitted arms, shooting hours, tagging and reporting, and license and permit requirements for Missouri are set by Missouri Department of Conservation, are legally binding and change annually. Its current regulations page is linked here.
Missouri Department of Conservation: current regulations
Deer season dates in other states
Missouri deer season questions
This page covers the 2026-27 season year with data as of September 2, 2026. Every season window is republished from the Missouri Department of Conservation page linked beside it, read on September 2, 2026; windows the agency had not yet published are labelled not yet published. Harvest limits, antler restrictions, permitted arms, shooting hours and license rules are set by Missouri Department of Conservation, whose page is the final word on the day you hunt. See also the national deer season guide and the Missouri rut timing page.