County Howard, Missouri

Howard County occupies the northern Missouri Dissected Till Plains, with gently rolling to moderate uplands shaped by Pleistocene glaciation. The county's southern border is the Missouri River, creating broad alluvial bottomlands with rich loess-derived soils that support corn, soybean, and hay production across roughly 74% of the county's 472 square miles. Upland timber is confined to riparian corridors, loess bluffs, and steeper slopes; bottomland hardwoods — cottonwood, willow, swamp white oak, and bur oak — line the Missouri River, Moniteau Creek, Salt Fork Creek, and Bonne Femme Creek drainages. This grain-heavy agricultural matrix punctuated by wooded creek bottoms and river bluffs creates classic Midwest edge habitat. Soils range from deep loess on bluff faces to alluvial silt loams on river bottoms, both highly productive for mast-bearing oaks planted in MDC restoration areas. The county is not Ozarks — it sits in the Central Dissected Till Plains transition zone where former tallgrass prairie meets oak-hickory savanna.

Moderate. Howard County's small resident population of roughly 10,150 and its distance from major metro areas keep pressure manageable. The county is about 30 miles northwest of Columbia (home of the University of Missouri, a significant source of public-land hunting pressure), but Columbia hunters tend to concentrate on Boone County's more accessible public tracts. Howard County sits approximately 120 miles from Kansas City and 135 miles from St. Louis, insulating it from heavy weekend metropolitan influx. The Missouri River CAs — Diana Bend and Franklin Island — draw waterfowl hunters in season, concentrating pressure on those bottomland units during duck migration. Deer hunting pressure on the upland parcels (Moniteau Creek CA, Hungry Mother CA) remains light to moderate, and midweek firearms season hunting on these areas is notably uncrowded. Overall, Howard County rates moderate relative to the rest of Missouri and lighter than comparable counties immediately adjacent to Columbia.

Howard County is open to both antlerless firearms portions (early October and mid-December antlerless seasons). Hunters may fill up to four firearms antlerless deer permits across all firearms season portions combined — Howard County is classified as a four-permit blue county on the MDC antlerless county restriction map. Archery antlerless permits are unlimited and over the counter; hunters may purchase and fill any number during the full archery season including the late-season January window. All deer permits in Howard County are over the counter — no quota or managed-hunt permits are required. Resident landowners with 75 or more contiguous acres in the county may obtain two additional no-cost Resident Landowner Firearms Antlerless Permits per household. CWD surveillance sampling applies on the opening weekend of the November firearms season in designated counties; hunters should verify Howard County's current CWD zone status at mdc.mo.gov each year before the season.

Deer (2026-27): Archery Sep 15 – Nov 13 and Nov 25 – Jan 15; Firearms November portion Nov 14–24; Antlerless-only firearms portions Oct 9–11 and Dec 5–13 (Howard County open for both); Alternative Methods (muzzleloader, archery, air-powered .40-cal+, centerfire pistol/revolver) Dec 26 – Jan 5. Turkey: Spring firearms season runs approximately Apr 20 – May 10, 2026 with a preceding youth weekend, two bearded birds per resident; Fall firearms turkey Oct 1–31; Fall archery turkey concurrent with deer archery season (Sep 15 – Jan 15). Small game: Squirrel season May 23 – Feb 15, daily limit 10; Rabbit Oct 1 – Feb 15, daily limit 6. Waterfowl: Diana Bend and Franklin Island CAs on the Missouri River corridor offer duck and Canada goose hunting during fall-winter migration; seasons set annually under USFWS frameworks, typically opening in late October. Dove hunting is available on managed grassland openings at Moniteau Creek CA.

Howard County's Missouri River conservation areas — Diana Bend (1,343 ac) and Franklin Island (1,626 ac) — combine to offer nearly 3,000 acres of public bottomland hunting on one of the most productive big-buck corridors in the state. North-central Missouri's agricultural counties consistently produce B&C-class whitetails, and Howard County's corn and soybean matrix fuels exceptional antler growth. The 2024-25 season yielded 2,077 total deer harvested (1,683 by firearms, 371 by archery), confirming a strong, huntable herd. Unlimited OTC archery antlerless tags and four OTC firearms antlerless permits make doe management flexible. The hunting style is classic Midwest: set stands along creek drainages, loess bluff edges, or grain-field timber lines. Multi-species value is high — spring turkey on the CAs, fall firearms turkey in October, squirrel hunting in oak bottoms, and waterfowl on the Missouri River marsh at Diana Bend all in the same county. Pressure is moderate and midweek upland hunting remains uncrowded, making Howard County a solid draw for Missouri hunters who want river-corridor access without the crowding of Boone County public land.