Preliminary data from the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) shows that deer hunters in Missouri harvested 80,525 deer during the opening weekend of the November portion of the fall firearms deer season November 14 and 15. Of the 80,525 deer harvested, 48,695 were antlered bucks, 6,867 were button bucks and 24,963 were does.

MDC says top harvest counties for opening weekend were Howell with 1,499 deer harvested, Bollinger with 1,453 and Franklin with 1,446.

In the KMMO listening area, the top three counties were Pettis with 857, Carroll with 703 and Chariton with 692. Hunters harvested 661 deer in Saline County, 645 in Howard County, 612 in Cooper County and 467 in Lafayette County.

Last year, hunters checked 88,760 deer during the opening weekend of the firearms deer season.