Top harvest counties for opening weekend were Franklin, Howell, and Texas.
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Preliminary data from the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) shows that deer hunters in Missouri harvested 96,131 deer during the opening weekend of the November portion of the fall firearms deer season Nov. 12 and 13. Of the 96,131 deer harvested, 55,753 were antlered bucks, 8,873 were button bucks, and 31,505 were does.
Top harvest counties for opening weekend were Franklin with 2,041 deer checked, Howell with 1,950 and Texas with 1,939.
Last year hunters checked 93,896 deer during the opening weekend of the 2015 November portion of firearms deer season.
The November portion of fall firearms deer seasons continues through Nov. 22. Archery deer
season opens again Nov. 23 through Jan. 15, 2016. The late youth portion of firearms deer season runs Nov. 25-27. The antlerless portion of firearms deer season runs Dec. 2-4. Lastly the alternative methods portion will run Dec. 24- Jan. 3, 2017.
Missouri offers some of the best deer hunting in the country and deer hunting is an important part of many Missourians’ lives and family traditions. Deer hunting is also an important economic driver in Missouri and gives a $1 billion annual boost to the state and local economies.
For current ongoing preliminary harvest totals by season, county, and type of deer visit the MDC website at http://on.mo.gov/1jjz7Ew. For harvest summaries from past years, visit http://on.mo.gov/2fyMaBN.