The managed hunt held earlier this November at Bennett Spring State Park harvested 33 deer, according to senior naturalist and resource interpreter Sam Grove.
The park had previously announced a closure Nov. 7-9 for the managed hunt, and Grove wrote that despite the increased days to hunt and number of hunters, the number of deer harvested was comparable to last year.
“We are pleased with this number and are now getting ready to look forward to next year’s plans,” she wrote.
The park’s efforts to determine whether a managed hunt is necessary begins the winter before.
During the winter, Grove wrote that the park uses a hand-held spotlight and drives a specific route to search for deer. Spotlighting, she noted, was only permitted through the Missouri Department of Conservation in the winter.
She wrote that after counting the number of deer each night, the park uses a formula to calculate the number of deer per square mile – over 25 per square mile means a managed hunt the following November.
In the spring and summer, Grove collects data on deer browse, which also contributes to the park’s decision on whether to hold a managed hunt.
The species of plants deer eat inform the park how crowded the deer population is, Grove wrote.
Common plants deer appear to enjoy at the park include jewelweed, Aster species, and tall ragweed she wrote. If the park notices deer have browsed high C-value (rare) or uncommon plants, those are signs of an overcrowded deer population.
In Laclede County, the MDC’s Missouri 2025 Deer Harvest Map notes an unadjusted harvest number of 2,595 total deer – 910 does, 198 button bucks, and 1,487 antlered bucks – at the time of writing.
Dallas County’s unadjusted number at the time of writing was 2,275 total deer – 779 does, 205 button bucks, and 1,291 antlered bucks.
The map’s numbers are adjusted three to four time an hour, according to its page on the MDC’s website, and final season totals will be available on the Deer Harvest Summary pages once final numbers are compiled after season’s end in January.
