Barry County, Missouri: deer harvest and public hunting land
Barry County covers 791 square miles around Monett. Hunters checked 2,538 deer here in the 2025 season, 1,345 of them antlered bucks, by MDC's harvest summary. That is up 4% from 2024. 14.7% of Barry County is public land open to the public, the largest share national forest (54,864 acres), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and MDC conservation area boundaries.
Data updated October 2026. Harvest: MDC's deer harvest summaries, 2021 to 2025. Land: PAD-US 4.1 and MDC's conservation area and MRAP layers.
MDC conservation areasNational forestFederal land, mostly Corps of Engineers lakesState parks and historic sitesCounty, city and regional landLand trusts and other open landBarry CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 506,247 acres (791 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Deer checked, 2025 | 2,538 (1,345 antlered bucks, 186 button bucks, 1,007 does) |
| Firearms and archery, 2025 | 2,085 by firearms, 453 by archery |
| Public land | 14.7% (74,174 acres) |
| MDC lands | 4 (4,567 acres inside Barry County) |
| MRAP land | None mapped this year |
| Towns in and near it | Monett, Cassville, Seligman, Pierce City, Fairview and Crane |
How many deer are harvested in Barry County?
Hunters checked 2,538 deer in Barry County in 2025: 1,345 antlered bucks, 186 button bucks and 1,007 does. By method: 2,085 by firearms (1,378 of them in the November portion) and 453 by archery; the rest came on managed hunts.
| Season | Deer checked | Antlered bucks | Button bucks | Does | Firearms | November portion | Archery |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2,538 | 1,345 | 186 | 1,007 | 2,085 | 1,378 | 453 |
| 2024 | 2,446 | 1,174 | 221 | 1,051 | 1,990 | 1,478 | 456 |
| 2023 | 2,855 | 1,375 | 250 | 1,230 | 2,375 | 1,671 | 480 |
| 2022 | 2,428 | 1,279 | 193 | 956 | 2,021 | 1,719 | 407 |
| 2021 | 2,053 | 1,098 | 147 | 808 | 1,670 | 381 |
Source: MDC deer harvest summaries (2021 to 2025 seasons), Barry County, from the county tables of each season (all methods, firearms, archery and the November portion). The 2021 summary has no separate November table.
How much public land is in Barry County?
74,174 of Barry County's 506,247 acres are public land open to the public (14.7%). The biggest share is national forest: 54,864 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Barry County |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 54,864 | 10.8% |
| Federal land, mostly Corps of Engineers lakes | 10,664 | 2.1% |
| MDC conservation areas | 4,676 | 0.9% |
| State parks and historic sites | 3,805 | 0.8% |
| County, city and regional land | 146 | under 0.1% |
| Land trusts and other open land | 16 | under 0.1% |
| Other state land | 3 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 74,174 | 14.7% |
Measured by FilledTag inside the county line from USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public) and MDC conservation area boundaries. Hunting rules differ by manager: MDC conservation areas allow the hunting each area's page lists; national forest is open; Corps of Engineers lake land is open to hunting in many places under each project's own rules; refuges follow U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service rules; the Ozark National Scenic Riverways allows hunting under state rules while most other national park land is closed; state parks and city and county land are closed to most hunting.
MDC lands in Barry County
MDC lands in Barry County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Flag Spring Conservation Area: 3,594 acres
- John Baumgardt Memorial Conservation Area: 490 acres
- Roaring River Conservation Area: 434 acres
- Stubblefield Access: 49 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Mark Twain National Forest (54,900 acres) and Table Rock Recreation Area (10,684 acres).
How do you get to Barry County?
Highways through it: MO 86 (about 46 miles inside), MO 76 (about 37 miles inside), MO 37 (about 34 miles inside), MO 39 (about 30 miles inside) and MO 248 (about 22 miles inside). Towns inside: Monett, Cassville, Seligman, Washburn, Exeter and Emerald Beach. Nearby: Pierce City (on the line), Fairview (on the line), Crane (2 miles) and Verona (2 miles).
Which counties border Barry County?
Barry County touches 4 other counties. Their latest MDC harvest and public land, for comparison:
| County | Deer harvested | Year | Public land | MRAP land sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stone County | 2,137 | 2025 | 16.5% | |
| Newton County | 2,890 | 2025 | 1.4% | |
| Lawrence County | 2,088 | 2025 | 1.4% | |
| McDonald County | 1,907 | 2025 | 1.5% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Barry County in 2025?
Hunters checked 2,538 deer: 1,345 antlered bucks, 186 button bucks and 1,007 does (MDC). In 2024: 2,446.
Is there public hunting land in Barry County?
Yes. 74,174 acres, 14.7% of the county, are public land open to the public by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and MDC conservation area boundaries, the largest share national forest (54,864 acres). MDC's map shows 4 conservation areas here.
Does Barry County have MRAP land?
Not on MDC's MRAP layer of tracts open to hunting.
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Where these numbers come from
- Deer harvest: MDC deer harvest summaries (2021 to 2025 seasons).
- Public land: USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public) and MDC conservation area boundaries. conservation areas: MDC conservation area boundaries. MRAP land: MDC Missouri Recreational Access Program (MRAP) lands.
- Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau 2024 cartographic county boundaries. Highways and towns: U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line 2024 primary and secondary roads; U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer, places.
FilledTag is not part of the Missouri Department of Conservation. Numbers are copied from MDC and the federal sources above, or measured from their maps; nothing on this page is estimated by FilledTag.
Missouri hunting Stone County Newton County Lawrence County McDonald County