By Blake Jackson
The November portion of Missouri’s firearms deer season begins this Saturday, November 15, and hunters in designated Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) Management Zone counties must follow mandatory sampling requirements.
Those who harvest a deer in these areas during opening weekend (November 15-16) are required to take their deer or just the head on the day of harvest to a CWD sampling station for testing.
This year, both St. Louis and St. Charles Counties are included in the CWD Mandatory Sampling program. To support hunters in these areas, the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) has set up several sampling stations:
St. Louis County
- Bellefontaine Conservation Area, south of Highway 367 and I-270
- Rockwoods Reservation, off Highway 109 in Wildwood
- Powder Valley Nature Center, near I-270 and I-44 in Kirkwood
St. Charles County
- Weldon Spring Conservation Area Shop, off Highway 94
- Parking lot north of Emerald View Turf Farm, off Highway 79 in O’Fallon
All stations will operate from 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. on both days of opening weekends.
Hunters in Crawford, Franklin, Jefferson, and Washington Counties are not part of the mandatory sampling zone for 2025 but are encouraged to participate voluntarily.
Voluntary testing begins Monday, November 17, at any MDC office or one of nine deer head drop-off sites in these counties. Self-serve stations will not be open during opening weekend.
Before visiting a CWD sampling station, MDC advises hunters to:
- Field dress and Telecheck deer before arrival.
- Bring either the carcass or the head with at least six inches of neck attached.
- Ensure the person who harvested the deer is present.
- Have your Conservation Number and harvest location ready.
- Keep your paper or digital permit accessible.
- Position the deer so the head and neck are easy to reach.
These efforts help protect Missouri’s deer population from the spread of CWD.
Photo Credit: pexels-jim-fawns
Categories: Missouri, General, Rural Lifestyle