MISSOURI (AP) -- Missouri hunters bagged fewer deer during the opening weekend of firearms season.

The Department of Conservation said Monday that hunters reported killing 89,728 deer this past weekend - down 8.3 percent from opening weekend in 2010.

Part of the decline may be attributable to warm weather and high winds.

But department scientist Jason Sumners says the decline also reflects a long-term trend stemming from the fact that there are fewer deer in some areas. Statewide, the opening weekend deer kill averaged 118,000 from 2001 through 2005. It averaged 95,400 from 2006 through 2010.

Sumners said deer populations have been declining in the Kansas City, northwest, southwest and central regions.

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