They've patiently watched as archers from all over Northwest Missouri have been bringing in some great whitetails. Youth hunters also had their turn and with less-than-favorable weather conditions still managed to complete their first weekend with an above-average harvest.

And as firearms season gets started on Saturday, gun hunters finally get their chance.

Missouri Department of Conservation agent David Carlisle said the conditions couldn't be better.

"Everything is shaping up for a perfect opening weekend," he said. "We should hit the peak of the rut just about right, and deer are moving and behaving as we would expect."

With temperatures expected to stay down in the upper 40s during the day and dropping to the upper 20s at night, conditions couldn't be better.

Conservation department resource scientist Lonnie Hansen said he agrees.

"Deer numbers should be pretty good in the northern part of the state," Hansen said, "but progress of corn harvest has me somewhat concerned.

"I was up in Northwest Missouri two weeks ago, and there was a tremendous amount of corn still standing. If the farmers don't get it out before the opening of deer season, it could negatively affect harvest because deer will use the corn as escape cover, and thus be less vulnerable."

Many deer might be moving around outside their normal core range, which could turn out to be a plus for hunters, Carlisle noted, because farmers are working in the fields later in the year combined with other hunters out scouting, hanging stands and preparing for the season.

Missouri hunters have a lot to be optimistic about.

In the last eight years, harvest rates have consistently averaged above 110,000 on opening weekend, and in 2004 hunters set a new state record with 133,136 whitetails taken.

This is a far cry from the historic inaugural season held in 1944, where 7,557 hunters took 583 deer during a two-day, bucks-only season held in only 20 southern Missouri counties. In recent years, nearly 500,000 combined whitetail hunters annually harvest around 300,000 deer during the statewide seasons, which span a period of about four months.

Three other firearms portions follow the November hunt. The muzzle-loader portion runs from Nov. 28 through Dec. 7. The antlerless portion is Dec. 13 to 21, and the late firearms youth portion is Jan. 3 and 4.

Missouri's archery deer season opened Sept. 15 and closes Jan. 15, with an 11-day hiatus during the November firearms season.