It’s a time of year nearly half-a-million Missourians look forward to all year – the start of the regular firearms deer hunting season is Saturday and runs through the 26th. Missouri’s deer herd is estimated to be near one million, and Bill Heatherly with the state conservation department says he expects more than 400,000 Missourians will be hunting deer this year. Heatherly expects about 200,000 deer will be taken during this season and he hopes hunters will keep safety, more than trophies, on their minds when they are out in the woods. Hunters of other animals also must wear the hunter orange while in the in the field during the firearms season. And, Heatherly reminds drivers, with all the activity and the mating season also going on, there could be more deer than usual out on the roads.
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