Clinton County, Missouri: deer harvest and public hunting land
Clinton County covers 423 square miles around Cameron. Hunters checked 1,016 deer here in the 2025 season, 600 of them antlered bucks, by MDC's harvest summary. That is up 10% from 2024, and the most in the 5 years shown. 3.4% of Clinton County is public land open to the public, the largest share federal land, mostly Corps of Engineers lakes (7,434 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 lakesState parks and historic sitesCounty, city and regional landLand trusts and other open landClinton CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 271,014 acres (423 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Deer checked, 2025 | 1,016 (600 antlered bucks, 82 button bucks, 334 does) |
| Firearms and archery, 2025 | 801 by firearms, 208 by archery |
| Public land | 3.4% (9,168 acres) |
| MDC lands | 3 (1,167 acres inside Clinton County) |
| MRAP land | None mapped this year |
| Towns in and near it | Cameron, Lathrop, Plattsburg, Holt, Osborn and Stewartsville |
How many deer are harvested in Clinton County?
Hunters checked 1,016 deer in Clinton County in 2025: 600 antlered bucks, 82 button bucks and 334 does. By method: 801 by firearms (562 of them in the November portion) and 208 by archery; the rest came on managed hunts.
| Season | Deer checked | Antlered bucks | Button bucks | Does | Firearms | November portion | Archery |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,016 | 600 | 82 | 334 | 801 | 562 | 208 |
| 2024 | 926 | 530 | 67 | 329 | 765 | 581 | 157 |
| 2023 | 889 | 514 | 59 | 316 | 755 | 540 | 130 |
| 2022 | 978 | 545 | 74 | 359 | 797 | 678 | 171 |
| 2021 | 892 | 494 | 79 | 319 | 713 | 167 |
Source: MDC deer harvest summaries (2021 to 2025 seasons), Clinton 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 Clinton County?
9,168 of Clinton County's 271,014 acres are public land open to the public (3.4%). The biggest share is federal land, mostly Corps of Engineers lakes: 7,434 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Clinton County |
|---|---|---|
| Federal land, mostly Corps of Engineers lakes | 7,434 | 2.7% |
| MDC conservation areas | 1,169 | 0.4% |
| State parks and historic sites | 487 | 0.2% |
| Land trusts and other open land | 61 | under 0.1% |
| County, city and regional land | 17 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 9,168 | 3.4% |
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 Clinton County
MDC lands in Clinton County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- McGee Family Conservation Area: 1,027 acres
- Ronald and Maude Hartell Conservation Area: 113 acres
- Lathrop Bridge Access: 27 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Smithville Recreation Area (7,434 acres).
How do you get to Clinton County?
Highways through it: I-35 (about 42 miles inside), MO 116 (about 22 miles inside), US 69 (about 21 miles inside) and US 169 (about 13 miles inside). Towns inside: Cameron, Lathrop, Plattsburg, Gower, Trimble and Turney. Nearby: Holt (on the line), Osborn (on the line), Stewartsville (on the line) and Edgerton (2 miles).
Which counties border Clinton County?
Clinton 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% | |
| Clay County | 1,139 | 2025 | 7.2% | 1 |
| DeKalb County | 1,097 | 2025 | 1.8% | 1 |
| Platte County | 1,153 | 2025 | 2.9% | |
| Buchanan County | 867 | 2025 | 2.1% | |
| Caldwell County | 2,129 | 2025 | 0.7% | 6 |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Clinton County in 2025?
Hunters checked 1,016 deer: 600 antlered bucks, 82 button bucks and 334 does (MDC). In 2024: 926.
Is there public hunting land in Clinton County?
Yes. 9,168 acres, 3.4% 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 (7,434 acres). MDC's map shows 3 conservation areas here.
Does Clinton 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 Ray County Clay County DeKalb County Platte County Buchanan County Caldwell County