Preliminary data from the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) shows that deer hunters in Missouri harvested 89,861 deer during opening weekend of the November portion of firearms deer season November 13 and 14.

Of the 89,861 deer harvested, 54,415 were antlered bucks, 7,187 were button bucks and 28,259 were does.

Top harvest counties were Franklin with 1,968 deer harvested, Texas with 1,814 and Benton with 1,654.

In the KMMO listening area, hunters harvested 1,040 deer in Johnson County, 996 in Pettis County and 779 in Carroll County. They were followed by: Cooper County with 763; Howard County with 752; Chariton County with 746; Saline County with 652; and Lafayette County with 549.

Last year, hunters checked 80,744 deer during opening weekend of the November portion of firearms deer season.

The November portion of firearms deer season continues through November 23. Missouri’s archery deer and turkey season resumes November 24 through January 15, 2022. The late youth portion of firearms season runs November 26 through 28. The antlerless portion of firearms deer season runs December 4 through 12, followed by the alternative-methods portion December 25 through January 4, 2022.