Missouri hunters kill 91,000 deer opening weekend

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Hunters have killed more than 91,000 deer in Missouri so far this firearms season. State officials also reported two fatalities during the opening weekend for deer.

The Missouri Department of Conservation on Monday said the number of deer shot during opening weekend is up about 30,000, from 61,446 last year. That is a 48 percent increase.

The last time hunters checked this many deer during the first weekend of the season was in 2010, when Missouri reported 97,856 animals were killed.

Franklin County had the largest harvest with 1,839 deer, followed by Howell and Callaway counties with a little less than 1,800 each.

Two hunters are dead and one was injured after accidents during the opening weekend of firearm deer season.

The Department of Conservation on Monday said one person died from a heater explosion in a hunting blind in Ste. Genevieve County.

The other hunter fell from a tree stand in Crawford County.

Also, a man suffered nonfatal injuries in Phelps County after he shot himself in the leg trying to load his rifle.