Cole County, Missouri: deer harvest and public hunting land
Cole County covers 399 square miles around Jefferson City. Hunters checked 2,029 deer here in the 2025 season, 926 of them antlered bucks, by MDC's harvest summary. That is up 9% from 2024. 2.6% of Cole County is public land open to the public, the largest share MDC conservation areas (6,030 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 forestState parks and historic sitesOther state landCounty, city and regional landLand trusts and other open landMRAP landCole CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 255,333 acres (399 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Deer checked, 2025 | 2,029 (926 antlered bucks, 212 button bucks, 891 does) |
| Firearms and archery, 2025 | 1,603 by firearms, 423 by archery |
| Public land | 2.6% (6,630 acres) |
| MDC lands | 15 (5,981 acres inside Cole County) |
| MRAP land | 1 site, 30 acres |
| Towns in and near it | Jefferson City, Taos, Wardsville, Hartsburg, Olean and Meta |
How many deer are harvested in Cole County?
Hunters checked 2,029 deer in Cole County in 2025: 926 antlered bucks, 212 button bucks and 891 does. By method: 1,603 by firearms (958 of them in the November portion) and 423 by archery; the rest came on managed hunts.
| Season | Deer checked | Antlered bucks | Button bucks | Does | Firearms | November portion | Archery |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2,029 | 926 | 212 | 891 | 1,603 | 958 | 423 |
| 2024 | 1,866 | 866 | 153 | 847 | 1,463 | 982 | 400 |
| 2023 | 2,049 | 794 | 216 | 1,039 | 1,730 | 1,206 | 313 |
| 2022 | 1,940 | 785 | 204 | 951 | 1,587 | 1,266 | 350 |
| 2021 | 1,833 | 782 | 212 | 839 | 1,452 | 376 |
Source: MDC deer harvest summaries (2021 to 2025 seasons), Cole 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 Cole County?
6,630 of Cole County's 255,333 acres are public land open to the public (2.6%). The biggest share is MDC conservation areas: 6,030 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Cole County |
|---|---|---|
| MDC conservation areas | 6,030 | 2.4% |
| County, city and regional land | 445 | 0.2% |
| Land trusts and other open land | 91 | under 0.1% |
| Other state land | 44 | under 0.1% |
| State parks and historic sites | 20 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 6,630 | 2.6% |
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 Cole County
MDC lands in Cole County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Marion Bottoms Conservation Area: 2,896 acres
- Church Farm Conservation Area: 1,254 acres
- Scrivner Road Conservation Area: 923 acres
- Binder Community Lake: 201 acres
- Pikes Camp Access: 170 acres
- Conservation Commission Headquarters: 156 acres
- Smoky Waters Conservation Area: 141 acres
- Honey Creek Access: 75 acres
- Roger V. and Viola Wachal Smith Conservation Area: 54 acres
- Stringtown Bridge Access: 47 acres
- Mari-Osa Access: 28 acres
- Hough Park Lake (Jefferson City): 11 acres
- Moreau 50 Access: 10 acres
- Jaycee Park Lake (Cole County): 8 acres
- McKay Park Lake (Jefferson City): 7 acres
MRAP land in Cole County
MDC's MRAP layer shows 1 tract in Cole County open to some hunting, 30 acres of private land enrolled for public access. Each tract's map says what it allows. MDC: MRAP.
How do you get to Cole County?
Highways through it: US 50 (about 52 miles inside), US 54 (about 41 miles inside), US 63 (about 24 miles inside), MO 179 (about 20 miles inside) and MO 17 (about 3 miles inside). Towns inside: Jefferson City, Taos, Wardsville, St. Martins, St. Thomas and Centertown. Nearby: Hartsburg (2 miles), Olean (2 miles), Meta (2 miles) and Westphalia (3 miles).
Which counties border Cole County?
Cole County touches 5 other counties. Their latest MDC harvest and public land, for comparison:
| County | Deer harvested | Year | Public land | MRAP land sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boone County | 3,439 | 2025 | 4.4% | |
| Osage County | 3,740 | 2025 | 1.2% | |
| Miller County | 2,850 | 2025 | 3.6% | |
| Callaway County | 5,197 | 2025 | 4.4% | |
| Moniteau County | 1,822 | 2025 | 1.8% | 3 |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Cole County in 2025?
Hunters checked 2,029 deer: 926 antlered bucks, 212 button bucks and 891 does (MDC). In 2024: 1,866.
Is there public hunting land in Cole County?
Yes. 6,630 acres, 2.6% 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 (6,030 acres). MDC's map shows 15 conservation areas here.
Does Cole County have MRAP land?
Yes. 1 tract open to some hunting, 30 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 Boone County Osage County Miller County Callaway County Moniteau County