Caldwell County, Missouri: deer harvest and public hunting land
Caldwell County covers 430 square miles around Hamilton. Hunters checked 2,129 deer here in the 2025 season, 1,090 of them antlered bucks, by MDC's harvest summary. That is up 15% from 2024, and the most in the 5 years shown. 0.7% of Caldwell County is public land open to the public, the largest share MDC conservation areas (2,023 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 areasState parks and historic sitesCounty, city and regional landMRAP landCaldwell CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 275,085 acres (430 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Deer checked, 2025 | 2,129 (1,090 antlered bucks, 150 button bucks, 889 does) |
| Firearms and archery, 2025 | 1,638 by firearms, 331 by archery |
| Public land | 0.7% (2,024 acres) |
| MDC lands | 2 (2,022 acres inside Caldwell County) |
| MRAP land | 6 sites, 1,038 acres |
| Towns in and near it | Hamilton, Polo, Braymer, Elmira, Cameron and Mooresville |
How many deer are harvested in Caldwell County?
Hunters checked 2,129 deer in Caldwell County in 2025: 1,090 antlered bucks, 150 button bucks and 889 does. By method: 1,638 by firearms (1,056 of them in the November portion) and 331 by archery; the rest came on managed hunts.
| Season | Deer checked | Antlered bucks | Button bucks | Does | Firearms | November portion | Archery |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2,129 | 1,090 | 150 | 889 | 1,638 | 1,056 | 331 |
| 2024 | 1,854 | 1,026 | 110 | 718 | 1,542 | 1,168 | 311 |
| 2023 | 1,919 | 1,040 | 136 | 743 | 1,626 | 1,152 | 293 |
| 2022 | 1,826 | 976 | 123 | 727 | 1,510 | 1,228 | 316 |
| 2021 | 1,724 | 969 | 120 | 635 | 1,443 | 281 |
Source: MDC deer harvest summaries (2021 to 2025 seasons), Caldwell 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 Caldwell County?
2,024 of Caldwell County's 275,085 acres are public land open to the public (0.7%). The biggest share is MDC conservation areas: 2,023 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Caldwell County |
|---|---|---|
| MDC conservation areas | 2,023 | 0.7% |
| State parks and historic sites | 1 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 2,024 | 0.7% |
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 Caldwell County
MDC lands in Caldwell County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Bonanza Conservation Area: 1,942 acres
- Hamilton City Lake: 80 acres
MRAP land in Caldwell County
MDC's MRAP layer shows 6 tracts in Caldwell County open to some hunting, 1,038 acres of private land enrolled for public access. Each tract's map says what it allows. MDC: MRAP.
How do you get to Caldwell County?
Highways through it: US 36 (about 48 miles inside), MO 13 (about 19 miles inside) and MO 116 (about 7 miles inside). Towns inside: Hamilton, Polo, Braymer, Breckenridge, Kingston and Kidder. Nearby: Elmira (on the line), Cameron (on the line), Mooresville (2 miles) and Ludlow (3 miles).
Which counties border Caldwell County?
Caldwell County touches 6 other counties. Their latest MDC harvest and public land, for comparison:
| County | Deer harvested | Year | Public land | MRAP land sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ray County | 1,800 | 2025 | 0.7% | |
| DeKalb County | 1,097 | 2025 | 1.8% | 1 |
| Carroll County | 2,358 | 2025 | 0.9% | |
| Clinton County | 1,016 | 2025 | 3.4% | |
| Daviess County | 2,873 | 2025 | 0.3% | 1 |
| Livingston County | 2,120 | 2025 | 2.8% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Caldwell County in 2025?
Hunters checked 2,129 deer: 1,090 antlered bucks, 150 button bucks and 889 does (MDC). In 2024: 1,854.
Is there public hunting land in Caldwell County?
Yes. 2,024 acres, 0.7% of the county, are public land open to the public by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and MDC conservation area boundaries, the largest share MDC conservation areas (2,023 acres). MDC's map shows 2 conservation areas here.
Does Caldwell County have MRAP land?
Yes. 6 tracts open to some hunting, 1,038 acres, on MDC's MRAP layer.
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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 Ray County DeKalb County Carroll County Clinton County Daviess County Livingston County