In just 11 days, hunters kill about 13% of Missouri’s entire deer population, data show
During Missouri’s 11-day November firearms season, hunters killed a lot of deer — 178,936 of them, according to the Missouri Department of Conservation.
This means that from Nov. 16 to 26, hunters killed roughly 13 percent of Missouri’s estimated 1.4 million deer, according to a 2012 estimation by the University of Missouri.
Believe it or not, that number is actually down from last year, which saw 200,738 deer harvested during the same season, according to a news release from the department.
This season’s harvest is the lowest since 2014, but officials tell McClatchy news group the fluctuation is normal.
Of the 178,936 deer killed this season, almost half (88,843) were killed during opening weekend on Nov. 16 and 17, the department says.
And while it’s hard to tell exactly how many hunters were out testing their skills this November, the department told McClatchy news group it sold 846,199 firearm deer hunting permits so far this season. Sales close on Jan. 7.
November firearms season also saw its fair share of citations, with officials handing out more than 1,000, KMOV reported. That’s roughly one citation for every 179 deer killed.
The most common offense? Hunting without a permit, according to the news outlet. Between court costs and the fine itself, offenders pay about $289. Other common violations including hunting from the road and using a spotlight, KMOV reported.
Franklin County, west of St. Louis, harvested the most deer at 4,008, followed by Texas and Calloway counties with 3,734 and 3,369 respectively, the department says.
Firearms season wrapped up on Tuesday, but hunters need not fret — archery season opened Wednesday and will run through Jan. 15, the department says. Last year Missouri hunters killed 52,923 deer during archery season.
This story was originally published December 1, 2019 at 10:05 AM with the headline "In just 11 days, hunters kill about 13% of Missouri’s entire deer population, data show."