The total deer harvest for the first weekend of firearms deer season is slightly smaller than in years past. 

    Missouri hunters harvested over 86,000 deer across the state this past Saturday and Sunday, down from 98,000 back on opening weekend in 2008.  Just two years ago, hunters shot and killed 124,000 Missouri deer on the opening weekend.

    Camden County Conservation Agent Eric Smith says agents are more of a presence this year, checking for permits and tags.

    "Just make sure that they have them before they go out to the woods to hunt because that's the majority of our problem," Smith said.

    Smith says some hunters try to take advantage of the Telecheck program by purchasing their tags after they kill a deer.  Looking at the local 2009 totals, opening weekend in Camden County saw hunters get 1,261 deer. Morgan County hunters took 1,153 deer, and Miller County hunters shot 965. 

    In spite of the lower results, the state is encouraging hunters to donate their deer to Share the Harvest.  Smith says hunters who would like to provide venison to state's poor can take their deer to a Share the Harvest processing site.

    "Once you get there after you have checked it in you can give it to them and tell them you want to donate it to the needy families here in Camden County," Smith said. "All the meat that is given to Share the Harvest stays here in the county. It doesn't go to any other counties other than here so we're helping our own here." 

    Locally Larry's Meat Market in Sunrise Beach and Tom's Slaughterhouse in Linn Creek will process deer meat for the state's Share the Harvest program.