Missouri Firearms Season: How to Recover a Downed Deer With a Thermal Drone

Missouri's firearms November portion brings more hunters into the woods than any other week of the year. MDC has set the 2026 November portion for Nov. 14–24, with the late youth portion Nov. 27–29 and other portions later in the season. More hunters means more shots, and more shots means more deer that run out of sight before they go down. This guide covers how to handle a downed deer during firearms season so a thermal drone pilot has the best chance to help you find it.

Season dates and rules can change. Always confirm current dates and regulations on MDC's Deer Hunting and Deer Regulations pages, and MDC's 2026-2027 season dates announcement.

A rifle or shotgun hit often looks decisive, and many deer drop fast. But a deer hit high, low, or far back can still cover real ground before it beds down, and the blood trail can thin out quickly. Firearms season adds a few complications archery hunters don't usually face:

• More people on neighboring ground. Your deer may cross into land where someone else is hunting.
• More noise and pressure. Other shots and hunters moving can push a hit deer farther than it would go on a quiet evening.
• Colder weather. November in Missouri often brings cooler air, which is good for thermal contrast but means less time to waste on meat care in a warm spell.
• Shorter daylight. Evening shots leave less light for tracking on foot.

1. Watch and listen. Note exactly where the deer was standing, which way it ran, and the last place you saw it.
2. Mark the hit site. Drop a pin on your phone at the spot the deer stood and another where you last saw it. A GPS pin is far more useful to a pilot than "past the big oak."
3. Check for sign without trampling it. Look for blood, hair, or bone at the hit site, then back off.
4. Give the deer time. If you aren't sure of the hit, pushing a downed deer that's still alive can send it much farther. Wait before you start a ground search.
5. Unload before you track. Keep it safe, especially with other hunters nearby, and keep wearing your hunter orange as Missouri regulations require during firearms portions.

A thermal drone works best when it searches for a deer that has stopped moving. Consider calling a pilot when:

• The blood trail ends or gets too thin to follow.
• The deer ran into thick cover, CRP, timber, or a crop field you can't grid on foot.
• Daylight is running out and you need a wider search area covered.
• You've already lost the trail once and don't want to push the deer further.

Thermal search is post-harvest recovery only. A drone is never used to scout, flush, drive, or harass live deer. If the deer is found alive, the pilot's job is to tell you where it is so you can make a legal, ethical decision on the ground under Missouri rules.

During the November portion, the ground around you is often busy. Before a pilot flies:

• Know whose land the deer may be on. If your deer crossed a fence, get the landowner's permission before you or anyone else goes after it.
• Tell nearby hunters what's happening. A quick text or call to people hunting next door avoids surprises.
• Let the pilot handle airspace and flight rules. Pilots in the network are independent FAA Part 107 pilots who plan their own flights and are responsible for flying legally.

Have this ready so the pilot can decide quickly whether they can help:

• Your county and the nearest road or landmark
• The hit site and last-seen GPS pins
• What time you shot and what time it is now
• What you saw at the hit site (blood color, hair, or nothing)
• The kind of cover the deer went into
• Whether you have landowner permission for the area you need searched
• Current weather, especially wind, rain, or fog

Once you recover your deer, follow Missouri's notching, tagging, and Telecheck steps before you move it. Our guide Found Your Downed Deer With a Drone? Missouri Notch, Tag, and Telecheck Steps walks through what to do, and MDC's deer regulations pages have the current rules.

The best time to find a thermal pilot is before you need one. Browse the Missouri pilot directory now, save a few numbers for pilots near where you hunt, and check the gallery to see the kind of work network pilots do. If you fly thermal and want to help Missouri hunters recover downed deer this firearms season, join the network.

This article is general information, not legal advice. Missouri hunting regulations change; confirm current rules with the Missouri Department of Conservation at mdc.mo.gov.