Good weather has made for good hunting on the first weekend of the firearms season for deer hunters. Missouri deer hunters have harvested deer at a near-record rate. State Conservation Department spokesman Arlicia Mayes says the kill on the first weekend was 124,271 deer. That compares to 110,995 on the opening weekend last year and just a few thousand shy of the record set in 2004 of about 127,000. There was one fatal accident over the weekend. The department is investigating. Mayes says information will not be released until more can be learned about it. There were three non-fatal accidents. Mayes says the cool, dry weather seemed to make the deer more active and was pleasant enough to bring out a number of hunters who might have been discouraged if it had rained. Seven counties recorded more than 2,000 deer killed. Benton County had the highest kill at 2,621, followed by Callaway County at 2,559 and Pike County at 2,334.
Related web sites:
Missouri Department of Conservation
