Benton County, Missouri: deer harvest and public hunting land
Benton County covers 752 square miles around Warsaw. Hunters checked 4,228 deer here in the 2025 season, 1,853 of them antlered bucks, by MDC's harvest summary. That is up 8% from 2024. 12.9% of Benton County is public land open to the public, the largest share federal land, mostly Corps of Engineers lakes (49,373 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 areasFederal land, mostly Corps of Engineers lakesOther state landCounty, city and regional landBenton CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 481,579 acres (752 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Deer checked, 2025 | 4,228 (1,853 antlered bucks, 431 button bucks, 1,944 does) |
| Firearms and archery, 2025 | 3,293 by firearms, 887 by archery |
| Public land | 12.9% (62,083 acres) |
| MDC lands | 12 (11,720 acres inside Benton County) |
| MRAP land | None mapped this year |
| Towns in and near it | Warsaw, Cole Camp, Lincoln, Tightwad, Windsor and Cross Timbers |
How many deer are harvested in Benton County?
Hunters checked 4,228 deer in Benton County in 2025: 1,853 antlered bucks, 431 button bucks and 1,944 does. By method: 3,293 by firearms (2,313 of them in the November portion) and 887 by archery; the rest came on managed hunts.
| Season | Deer checked | Antlered bucks | Button bucks | Does | Firearms | November portion | Archery |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 4,228 | 1,853 | 431 | 1,944 | 3,293 | 2,313 | 887 |
| 2024 | 3,915 | 1,664 | 365 | 1,886 | 3,058 | 2,312 | 820 |
| 2023 | 4,692 | 1,979 | 439 | 2,274 | 3,853 | 2,882 | 795 |
| 2022 | 4,148 | 1,729 | 416 | 2,003 | 3,334 | 2,815 | 758 |
| 2021 | 4,799 | 2,064 | 501 | 2,234 | 3,891 | 885 |
Source: MDC deer harvest summaries (2021 to 2025 seasons), Benton 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 Benton County?
62,083 of Benton County's 481,579 acres are public land open to the public (12.9%). The biggest share is federal land, mostly Corps of Engineers lakes: 49,373 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Benton County |
|---|---|---|
| Federal land, mostly Corps of Engineers lakes | 49,373 | 10.3% |
| MDC conservation areas | 11,761 | 2.4% |
| Other state land | 938 | 0.2% |
| County, city and regional land | 11 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 62,083 | 12.9% |
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 Benton County
MDC lands in Benton County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Truman Reservoir Management Lands (Brush Creek): 2,617 acres
- Truman Reservoir Management Lands (Little Pomme de Terre): 2,240 acres
- Big Buffalo Creek Conservation Area: 1,902 acres
- Truman Reservoir Management Lands (Little Tebo Creek): 1,710 acres
- Truman Reservoir Management Lands (Leesville): 1,064 acres
- Hi Lonesome Prairie Conservation Area: 650 acres
- Mora Conservation Area: 589 acres
- Granny's Acres Conservation Area: 349 acres
- Ionia Ridge Conservation Area: 238 acres
- Brickley Hollow Conservation Area: 211 acres
- Edmonson Access: 103 acres
- Warsaw (Drake Harbor): 47 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Harry Truman Recreation Area (56,997 acres).
How do you get to Benton County?
Highways through it: US 65 (about 56 miles inside), MO 83 (about 15 miles inside) and MO 52 (about 14 miles inside). Towns inside: Warsaw, Cole Camp, Lincoln, Ionia, Bent Tree Harbor and White Branch. Nearby: Tightwad (on the line), Windsor (on the line), Cross Timbers (3 miles) and Stover (4 miles).
Which counties border Benton County?
Benton County touches 6 other counties. Their latest MDC harvest and public land, for comparison:
| County | Deer harvested | Year | Public land | MRAP land sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Henry County | 3,300 | 2025 | 14.2% | |
| Camden County | 3,714 | 2025 | 4.4% | |
| Morgan County | 3,962 | 2025 | 1% | |
| Pettis County | 2,867 | 2025 | 0.9% | |
| Hickory County | 2,578 | 2025 | 9.2% | 1 |
| St. Clair County | 3,383 | 2025 | 11.8% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Benton County in 2025?
Hunters checked 4,228 deer: 1,853 antlered bucks, 431 button bucks and 1,944 does (MDC). In 2024: 3,915.
Is there public hunting land in Benton County?
Yes. 62,083 acres, 12.9% of the county, are public land open to the public by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and MDC conservation area boundaries, the largest share federal land, mostly Corps of Engineers lakes (49,373 acres). MDC's map shows 12 conservation areas here.
Does Benton 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 Henry County Camden County Morgan County Pettis County Hickory County St. Clair County