Preliminary data from the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) shows that deer hunters in Missouri harvested 187,967 deer during the November portion of firearms deer season, November 13-23.

A news release says of the deer harvested, 101,501 were antlered bucks, 16,435 were button bucks and 70,031 were does.

Top harvest counties were Franklin with 4,144 deer harvested, Texas with 4,050 and Howell with 3,244.

Top harvest counties in the KMMO listening area were Johnson with 2,038 deer harvested, followed by Pettis with 1,885 and Carroll with 1,563. They were followed by Howard with 1,463, Cooper with 1,444, Chariton with 1,384, Saline with 1,337 and Lafayette with 1,056.

Last year, hunters checked 177,769 deer during the November portion of firearms deer season.

MDC reported two firearms-related hunting incidents during the November portion of the firearms deer season with both being nonfatal and self-inflicted.

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

For current ongoing preliminary harvest totals by season, county and type of deer, visit the MDC website at extra.mdc.mo.gov/widgets/harvest_table/.

Photo: Among successful deer hunters during the November firearms portion was was WWII Marine Veteran 98-year-old Robert McGrath, who took this buck on private land. (Photo courtesy of the McGrath family)