Youth season harvest here is the largest in 10 years

Ozark County’s youth firearms deer season was a tremendous success this year, with harvest numbers reaching a level not seen in a decade.

According to preliminary data from the Missouri Department of Conserva-tion, young hunters ages 6-15 harvested 206 deer in Ozark County during the two-day early youth season Nov. 1-2. That total reflects the highest youth season harvest here in the last 10 years. Last year, 131 were killed in the same season, and in 2023, there were 121 harvested.

For many Ozark County families, youth season is a long-standing tradition that is a holiday in and of itself. Families gather, and grandparents, parents, aunts and uncles make time to sit in the woods with the next generation of hunters, while other family members anxiously await news of a successful hunt. When the hunt is over, everyone cooks breakfast together and soaks in the precious memories that come with deer season.

The Ozark County Times had an extraordinary 116 deer photos submitted by Ozark County hunters or those with local ties. Half of those photos are on pages A12-A13, and the other half will run in next week’s edition.