Missouri hunters harvested 6,524 deer during the firearms Early Antlerless Portion of the deer season held Oct. 9-11, with warm weather contributing to lower totals than a year ago.
The harvest figures were released by the Missouri Department of Conservation, according to a community announcement. The agency reported Franklin County led the state with 203 deer harvested, followed by Howell County with 181 and Jefferson County with 177.
The statewide total was down from 8,494 deer harvested during the same portion of the season last year.
According to the Missouri Department of Conservation, record to near-record high temperatures affected hunter success during this year's Early Antlerless Portion.
Hunters can view county-by-county harvest summaries
at extra.mdc.mo.gov/widgets/harvest_table.
Remaining deer hunting seasons
Missouri's deer hunting season continues through Jan. 15.
Archery season opened Sept. 15 and runs through Nov. 13 before reopening Nov. 25 and continuing through Jan. 15. The Early Youth Portion is scheduled for Oct. 24-25.
The November Firearms Portion runs Nov. 14-24. The Late Youth Portion is set for Nov. 27-29, followed by the Late Antlerless Portion from Dec. 5-13 in select counties. The Alternative Methods Portion runs from Dec. 26 through Jan. 5.
Additional deer hunting information is available through the Missouri Department of Conservation's "2026 Fall Deer & Turkey Regulations and Information" booklet at mdc.mo.gov/hunting-trapping/species/deer.
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This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Warm weather slows Missouri early antlerless deer harvest
