Hunter orange will be the color of choice Saturday as the fall firearms deer season opens in Texas County, one of the perennial leaders in the statewide kill. The Missouri Department of Conservation predicts a spike in the numbers this year.
The season runs through Nov. 20. Last year, 3,869 deer were killed in Texas County.
Resource Scientist Lonnie Hansen of the conservation department, who has been tracking the white-tailed deer for more than 20 years, said the outlook is bright for deer hunters this year, due largely to one weather event: A severe freeze on Easter weekend wiped out much of the acorn crop. That forces deer herds into open areas to seek food. In this area, Hansen predicts, that will mean more predictable deer behavior. Hunters can take advantage of the situation by focusing their efforts on crop fields or other alternate food sources.