Missouri’s hunting season ended this month with about 8,000 more deer harvested than the previous year.
The Missouri Department of Conservation reported that the total deer harvest for the season was 260,552, which was 7,978 more than the 252,574 deer checked during the previous year.
Hunters checked 51,755 deer during the archery season that ended Jan. 15 with top counties being Jefferson (1,080), St. Louis (1,063), and Franklin (1,032). The harvest for the previous year’s deer archery season was 1,248 fewer at 50,507.
The archery turkey season also closed Jan. 15 with a total of 2,587 birds checked compared to the previous year of 2,546 birds checked. Top counties were Greene with 64, Franklin (60), and Callaway (54.)
MDC also reported 14 hunting incidents during the deer hunting season. Four were fatal and involved a fall from a tree stand, a heater explosion in a deer blind, a gunshot wound from another hunter and a heart attack while hunting.
Dates for the 2015-2016 firearms deer season are:
•Urban portion – Oct. 9-12
•Early youth portion – Oct. 31 and Nov. 1
•November portion – Nov. 14-24
•Antlerless portion – Nov. 25 through Dec. 6
•Alternative-methods portion – Dec. 19-29
•Late youth portion – Jan. 2-3
The 2015-2016 archery deer and turkey season will run Sept. 15 through Jan. 15, excluding the November portion of deer season, Nov. 14-24.