Why It Matters: Last week, the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) announced the Missouri Conservation Commission’s initial approval of proposed hunting season dates for the 2026-27 season. This announcement included several major changes to Missouri’s deer season framework compared to recent years. A few days later, MDC Director Jason Sumners issued an open letter announcing a pause in MDC’s targeted deer removal efforts that have been performed to slow the spread of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) through the Show-Me State’s deer population. These changes represent a significant inflection point in the management of CWD and the impacts that the disease has had and will continue to have on deer hunters across the nation.
Highlights:
- The Missouri Conservation Commission recently gave initial approval to season dates for deer and turkey hunters for the 2026-27 hunting seasons.
- Included in this announcement were several changes, including: the removal of the CWD Management Zone, the elimination of the CWD portion of the firearms deer season, and the statewide removal of antler point restrictions, among others.
- Later in the week, Missouri Department of Conservation Director Jason Sumners published an open letter announcing a pause on the Department’s targeted removal efforts, one of their tools to reduce populations to slow the spread of CWD.
Setting season dates and bag limits for hunters is no easy task for a state fish and wildlife agency. Charged with balancing public input with the current management needs of the populations, season setting is a data-driven process that, inevitably, will be met with a mixture of support and opposition. The recent announcement of the Missouri Conservation Commission’s initial approval for the 2026-27 big game hunting season framework is no exception, largely due to changes associated with the state’s approach to managing and mitigating Chronic Wasting Disease.
Over the last several years, the Missouri Department of Conservation has instituted several options designed to utilize hunters to slow the spread of CWD. This included the creation of a CWD Management Zone with liberalized tag allocations and limited restrictions (e.g., antler point restrictions) on harvest. Likewise, MDC created a CWD portion of the firearms deer season a couple of years ago to provide additional firearms hunting opportunities designed to increase harvest. Unfortunately, MDC data suggest that this season has not had the intended effect of hunter-led population reduction.
As a result, MDC has announced several key changes for 2026-27, including the removal of the CWD Management Zone, statewide removal of antler point restrictions, and, notably, the elimination of the CWD portion of the firearms season. The public will have an opportunity to comment on these season dates beginning in January 2026, and more information can be found on MDC’s website. During the comment period, the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) is planning to submit recommendations designed to enhance opportunities for deer hunters in the Show-Me State.
A few days after these dates were publicized, MDC Director Jason Sumners published an open letter announcing the agency’s pause of post-season targeted deer removal efforts. In addition to hunter harvest, these removals were a highly targeted effort to reduce localized deer populations to limit the spread of CWD. These removals were very contentious among some vocal opponents, and that position will now be put to the test as MDC reassesses their approach to mitigating and managing CWD in the Show-Me State. To read Director Sumners’ letter, click here.
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Introduction Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a progressive, fatal, degenerative neurological disease occurring in farmed...
