County Andrew, Missouri

Andrew County lies in the Dissected Till Plains of northwest Missouri, shaped by Pleistocene glaciation into gently rolling hills of fertile silt-loam soils ideal for corn and soybean production. The Missouri River forms the county's eastern boundary, carving steep timbered bluffs and broad, wooded bottomlands. The Nodaway River bisects the county north-to-south through a wide floodplain punctuated by wetland pockets, while the One Hundred and Two River drains the interior uplands. Land cover is predominantly row-crop agriculture with timbered creek draws, hardwood-lined river corridors, and scattered upland grassland patches. Oak mast in timber draws supplements crop-field edges loaded with corn and soybean residue, making for outstanding deer nutrition and body weights.

Moderate overall, varying by area. Andrew County sits 10-15 miles north of St. Joseph (Buchanan County, approx. 65,000 residents) and roughly 50 miles north of the Kansas City metro, generating steady local hunting pressure on accessible areas. Honey Creek CA is noted in MDC area management plans as receiving a high level of deer hunting pressure. Happy Holler Lake CA draws regular pressure from St. Joseph-area hunters. Nodaway Valley CA sees lighter deer pressure given its archery-only deer restriction. Compared statewide, Andrew County is in the moderate tier — considerably less intense than Ozark-fringe and St. Louis-adjacent counties, but more active than remote northwest Missouri counties with no nearby urban center.

Andrew County falls in the Brown antlerless permit zone, allowing one Firearms Antlerless Deer Hunting Permit per hunter per season — available over-the-counter with no quota draw required. Archery hunters may purchase and fill an unlimited number of Archery Antlerless Deer Hunting Permits in Andrew County with no cap. Resident landowners holding 75 or more acres in a single county may receive two Resident Landowner Firearms Antlerless Permits for household members age 6 and older. Area-specific note: Nodaway Valley CA restricts all deer hunting to archery methods only — firearms deer hunting is prohibited on that area regardless of county permit zone. No county-specific quota or controlled hunt applies to the general firearms season.

Deer: Archery Sept 15–Nov 14 and Nov 26–Jan 15; Youth Firearms Nov 1-2 and Nov 28-30; Firearms antlerless-only Oct 10-12 and Dec 6-14; November Firearms all-deer Nov 15-25; Alternative Methods (including crossbow and handgun) Dec 27–Jan 6. Turkey: Spring youth/mobility-impaired portion mid-April; regular spring season late April through early May; Fall firearms turkey Oct 1-31; Fall archery turkey runs concurrent with archery deer season. Waterfowl: Missouri River and Nodaway River corridors support Canada geese and mixed ducks; Nodaway Valley CA operates a managed blind system requiring a free daily hunting tag, waterfowl prohibited after 1 p.m., and nontoxic shot required for all shotgun use. Squirrel season typically May 25–Feb 15; rabbit approximately Nov 1–Feb 15 — both available at Honey Creek CA, Happy Holler Lake CA, and most MDC areas in the county.

Honey Creek CA stands out as the county's premier deer destination: 1,448 acres of Nodaway River bottomland and upland savanna where MDC enforces a four-point antler restriction and manages antlerless harvest to maintain above-average buck age structure for Missouri public land. The 2024-25 season yielded 612 antlered bucks against only 363 does county-wide (1,039 total) — a 1.7:1 ratio well above Missouri norms and a clear signal of trophy-class opportunity. Happy Holler Lake CA (2,207 acres) provides the county's most accessible large public block with diverse habitat mix and a quality fishing lake. Worthwine Island CA and Tom Brown Access place hunters into Missouri River bottomland — high-value rut-travel corridors as bucks push bluff-edge cover in November. The agricultural matrix of corn and soybeans feeds deer through late season, supporting exceptional body weights. For northwest Missouri hunters willing to work Honey Creek's interior timber via its trail network, Andrew County offers legitimate trophy whitetail opportunity with far less competition than comparable MDC areas closer to the state's population centers.