KIRKSVILLE, MO. -- The number of deer harvested during opening weekend of this fall's firearms deer season is way down from last year's opening weekend.
statewide, hunters killed more than 12,000 fewer deer this fall than last.
Conservation Agents speculate about the reasons for that.
For one, they say lots of corn remains unharvested, giving deer a good place to hide from hunters.
Another reason is the rain. That keeps a lot of hunters away, and normally the deer wouldn't be as active in a downpour, except it happens to be mating season.
Reporter: "If it weren't for the rut, do they tend to bed down when it's raining?"
"Most often, yes. I mean they're active for a reason. They're not feeding right now. They're really interested in that whole idea of, you know, it's that time of year for them to get together with each other and make little deer for next year, so that's really what's motivating them," said Marsha Jones, Missouri conservation agent.
As most of you probably know, the rain continued pretty much non-stop Monday and Tuesday, so a lot of hunters headed home.
Jones predicts many of them will return this coming weekend, especially the out-of-state hunters, who paid a pretty penny for their Missouri deer permit.
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