Preliminary data from the Missouri Department of Conservation shows deer hunters in Missouri harvested 90,334 deer during the opening weekend of the November portion of firearms deer season Nov. 11 and 12. Of the 90,334 deer harvested, 53,159 were antlered bucks, 7,163 were button bucks, and 30,012 were does.
Top harvest counties for opening weekend were Franklin with 2,114 deer harvested, Texas with 1,825, and Howell with 1,726.
In north Missouri, Harrison County experienced the most deer killed at 1,008. Other totals as of this Monday morning include Davies at 854; Linn at 775; and Sullivan with 717. Carroll County has 675; Chariton at 613; Livingston at 538; Mercer at 530; Caldwell at 518; Putnam at 505; Grundy County 490.
This includes antlered deer, button bucks, and does.
MDC said this year’s opening weekend harvest was similar to the previous five-year average. Last year, hunters checked 93,355 deer during the opening weekend of the November portion of firearms deer season.
For current preliminary harvest totals by season, county, and type of deer, visit the MDC website at this link.
For harvest summaries from past years, visit this link.
“With the cool mornings and comfortable afternoons, it would have been hard to ask for more pleasant conditions to be deer hunting this past weekend,” said MDC Cervid Program Supervisor Jason Isabelle.
The November portion of firearms deer season runs through Nov. 21 followed by the CWD portion Nov. 22-26 in open counties. Archery deer hunting resumes from Nov. 22 through Jan. 15, 2024. The late youth portion runs Nov. 24-26. The late antlerless portion of firearms deer season runs from Dec. 2-10 in open counties and the alternative methods portion will occur from Dec. 23 through Jan. 2, 2024.
