Missouri's Deer Hunters

The MDC Deer Program surveys deer hunters to gauge public opinion regarding deer numbers and management strategies and for indicators of deer population trends in each county. We greatly appreciate the responses we receive which help make our surveys an effective management tool! Our surveys ask questions about perceived changes in the deer population (number of big bucks and total deer), opinions about deer population size and trends, and specific days that are hunted and number of deer that were killed. Data on specific days hunted and number of deer killed are important both for a “trips-per-kill” estimate and to better understand when hunters are spending time afield. “Trips-per-kill” often influences hunter satisfaction and is also an important indicator of deer population trends.