Deer hunters in Missouri harvested 97,171 deer during opening weekend of the November portion of fall firearms deer season, surpassing last year's opening-weekend total by more than 5,700, a 6 percent increase.

Of those harvested, 53,359 were antlered bucks, 10,320 were button bucks and 33,492 were does, according to the Missouri Department of Conservation.

The season began Saturday and continues through Nov. 24.

Last year, hunters checked in 91,460 deer during opening weekend.

More than 1,200 deer were harvested in Cape Girardeau County as of Tuesday afternoon, according to data from the conservation department.

More than 1,300 were harvested in Perry County, data shows, and more than 1,700 were harvested in Bollinger County. About 108,500 deer were harvested statewide.

Final totals will be released after the season is over and the data have been cleaned to remove duplicate and incorrect entries, the department said.

Deer hunting is an important economic driver in Missouri, according to the department, giving a $1 million annual boost to state and local economies.

It also is an opportunity to help families in need through the state's Share the Harvest program.

The program is a partnership between the Conservation Federation of Missouri, the Missouri Department of Conservation, regional food banks, local food pantries and meat processors.

To donate, hunters take their deer to an approved meat processor. The hunter can let the processor know how much venison to donate, from a few pounds to an entire deer.

The processor will take care of processing and packing the meat, which then will be picked up by local sponsoring organizations and taken to a charitable agency for distribution.

Last year, 3,967 hunters donated 213,443 pounds of venison through Share the Harvest.

Since the beginning of the program in 1992, hunters have donated more than 3.3 million pounds of venison to the needy, according to the Conservation Federation.

"Share the Harvest is a win-win program," said Brandon Butler, executive director of the Conservation Federation. "Hunters spend time doing something they enjoy and give back to their community. The venison donated is a valuable source of protein and something many food pantries need."

While the processing fees are the hunter's responsibility, funds are available to help cover a portion of the costs when donating a whole deer. The Conservation Federation said it reimburses approved processors up to a certain amount, so many are able to offer fees at a reduced cost.

More details and a list of participating meat processors can be found at mo.gov by clicking Share the Harvest.

Gov. Jay Nixon was among those who donated venison this year after he harvested an eight-point buck in Clark County.

"Each year, thousands of Missourians donate to Share the Harvest, giving back to their communities and taking part in a great Missouri tradition," Nixon said in a statement. "I'm proud to join these Missourians as we share the harvest and help our neighbors in need."

klamb@semissourian.com

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