Most of the chatter following last year’s firearms deer hunting season was about the reduced harvest totals. Rationale such as weather, acorns, moon phases and timing didn’t appease the skeptics, but when reviewed over time, things certainly were not that bad.
The overall harvest total was down 15% from the record set the previous year and 8% below the most recent five-year average, but there were still 276,272 deer taken by hunters. Of those checked from all seasons combined, 129,252 were antlered bucks.
Which brings me to promotion of this weekend’s annual free antler scoring event at Jay Henges Shooting Range and Education Center near High Ridge. The open house is scheduled from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, March 15. Shed antlers and racks from previous years may also be scored.
The event is free, but hunters may choose to have their trophies recognized by Pope and Young, Boone and Crocket, and Missouri Show-Me Big Bucks Club record books for a fee. The Boone and Crocket registry includes deer taken with firearms, while Pope and Young provides the same kind of certification for bow and arrow hunters. Show-Me Big Bucks Club recognizes trophy white-tailed deer harvested or found in Missouri, in typical and non-typical categories.
Advanced registration is not required for the open house event. The Henges Range is at 1100 Antire Road, near its Interstate 44 intersection. For more information call 636-938-9548.
The overall harvest total may have been down this past season, but archery hunting numbers statewide were about 1% higher than last year. Jefferson County held onto its position as the archery champion, exceeding its own record-setting total of 1,445 deer by nearly 10%. Top counties for the 2024-25 season were Jefferson with 1,579, Franklin with 1,216, and St. Louis with 994.
John Winkelman has been writing about outdoors news and issues in Jefferson County for more than 30 years and was the Associate Editor for Outdoor Guide Magazine.
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