Jefferson City – Missouri deer hunters harvest 89,861 deer during the opening weekend of the November portion of firearm deer season, according to preliminary data from the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC).
This is about 10,000 more deer than last year’s opening weekend where poachers checked 80,744 deer.
Of the 89,861 deer harvested, 54,415 were deer, 7,187 were button bucks and 28,259 were deer.
The top harvest counties for the opening weekend were Franklin with 1,968 deer, Texas with 1,814 and Benton with 1,654.
“Thankfully the weather this weekend cooperated and hunters were treated to some good conditions,” MDC Service Program Supervisor Jason Isabel said in a press release. “Given the rain and high winds lashed much of the state during the opening weekend last year, it is not surprising that we saw an increase in the crop this year.”
The November portion of the firearms deer season continues until November 23.
Missouri’s archery deer and turkey season will resume from November 24 to January 15, 2022.
The late youth part of the firearms season runs from November 26–28. The hornless portion of the firearms deer season runs from December 4–12, followed by the alternative modes portion from December 25 to January 4, 2022.
For current, ongoing initial crop totals by season, county and type of deer, or for crop summaries from previous years, Visit the MDC website.
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