Missouri hunters harvested 22,151 deer during the Firearms Antlerless Deer Season that began on Nov. 25 and ended Dec. 6.

Hunters beat last year’s antlerless deer season harvest number by 7,000 animals. Resource Scientist Lonnie Hansen with the Missouri Department of Conservation said hunters were eager to claim some venison for the coming year, but also attributed the high antlerless harvest to the cool, dry weather.

“Heavy rainfall on opening weekend held down the harvest during the November firearms hunt,” Hansen said. “I think a lot of hunters went into the antlerless season wanting to shoot does for their freezers. The numbers make it clear they succeeded.”

The number of deer taken by firearms within Missouri was last counted at 229,876 so far this year.

Missouri’s muzzleloader deer season opens Dec. 19 and runs through Dec. 29. The youth hunt on Jan. 2 and 3 will mark the finalization of Missouri’s firearms deer season.