During the opening weekend of the November portion of firearms deer season, hunters in Missouri harvested 68,312 deer, according to the preliminary data from the Missouri Department of Conservation. Of the total, more than 42,000 were antlered bucks, 5,105 were button bucks and almost 21,000 were does.
Missouri’s firearms deer season November portion runs from Nov. 16 through Nov. 26, 2024.
The counties that reported the most deer taken were Franklin, Texas and Pike counties, according to a MDC news release. In Greene County, 528 deer were harvested in total.
This year’s opening weekend harvest is several thousand below last year’s 90,253. MDC Cervid Program Supervisor Jason Isabelle credits this drop to a combination of factors.
“The calendar shift this year put the November portion a week later than last year, which results in lower deer harvest,” Isabelle said in the release. “The peak of the rut in Missouri occurs around Nov. 10. When the calendar shifts, it puts the opener about a week past peak rut when deer movement isn’t as high as it is earlier in the month.”
Abundant acorn crop also contributes to the lower harvest totals. When there are more acorns, deer don’t need to move as much to find food and visit fields and open areas less frequently. Isabelle noted in the release that counties with the largest decline in harvest were in the more heavily forested portions of Missouri where acorn abundance has a larger impact.
More: Missouri’s deer season has started. Here’s what to know about dates, methods and permits
With warmer temperatures, deer movement also declines. With unseasonably mild temperatures, some hunters also opted against hunting this weekend given the necessity for rapid processing.
“Fortunately, there are cooler temperatures in the forecast for the latter half of the November portion, which should result in better hunting conditions,” Isabelle said in the release.
Firearms deer hunting in Missouri continues with the November portion running through Nov. 26 followed by the CWD portion Nov. 27-Dec. 1 in open counties. The Late Youth portion runs Nov. 29-Dec. 1 followed by the Late Antlerless portion Dec. 7-15 in open counties and then the Alternative Methods portion Dec. 28 through Jan. 7, 2025. The archery deer season reopens Nov. 27 and runs through Jan. 15, 2025.
Marta Mieze covers local government at the News-Leader. Have feedback, tips or story ideas? Contact her at mmieze@news-leader.com.
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Hunters harvest almost 70,000 deer in firearm season opening weekend
