DeKalb County, Missouri: deer harvest and public hunting land
DeKalb County covers 426 square miles around Maysville. Hunters checked 1,097 deer here in the 2025 season, 549 of them antlered bucks, by MDC's harvest summary. That is up 5% from 2024, and the most in the 5 years shown. 1.8% of DeKalb County is public land open to the public, the largest share MDC conservation areas (4,852 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 areasCounty, city and regional landMRAP landDeKalb CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 272,531 acres (426 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Deer checked, 2025 | 1,097 (549 antlered bucks, 75 button bucks, 473 does) |
| Firearms and archery, 2025 | 876 by firearms, 221 by archery |
| Public land | 1.8% (4,852 acres) |
| MDC lands | 7 (4,846 acres inside DeKalb County) |
| MRAP land | 1 site, 382 acres |
| Towns in and near it | Maysville, Stewartsville, Osborn, Cameron, King City and Easton |
How many deer are harvested in DeKalb County?
Hunters checked 1,097 deer in DeKalb County in 2025: 549 antlered bucks, 75 button bucks and 473 does. By method: 876 by firearms (660 of them in the November portion) and 221 by archery; the rest came on managed hunts.
| Season | Deer checked | Antlered bucks | Button bucks | Does | Firearms | November portion | Archery |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,097 | 549 | 75 | 473 | 876 | 660 | 221 |
| 2024 | 1,047 | 559 | 80 | 408 | 872 | 703 | 175 |
| 2023 | 1,058 | 582 | 71 | 405 | 895 | 707 | 163 |
| 2022 | 970 | 531 | 65 | 374 | 829 | 710 | 141 |
| 2021 | 988 | 558 | 57 | 373 | 827 | 161 |
Source: MDC deer harvest summaries (2021 to 2025 seasons), DeKalb 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 DeKalb County?
4,852 of DeKalb County's 272,531 acres are public land open to the public (1.8%). The biggest share is MDC conservation areas: 4,852 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of DeKalb County |
|---|---|---|
| MDC conservation areas | 4,852 | 1.8% |
| All public land open to the public | 4,852 | 1.8% |
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 DeKalb County
MDC lands in DeKalb County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Pony Express Lake Conservation Area: 3,341 acres
- King Lake Conservation Area: 1,031 acres
- Grindstone Lake (Cameron): 185 acres
- Willow Brook Lake (Maysville): 150 acres
- Eagle Lake (Cameron): 92 acres
- Sunrise Lake (Cameron): 31 acres
- Century Lake (Cameron): 16 acres
MRAP land in DeKalb County
MDC's MRAP layer shows 1 tract in DeKalb County open to some hunting, 382 acres of private land enrolled for public access. Each tract's map says what it allows. MDC: MRAP.
How do you get to DeKalb County?
Highways through it: US 36 (about 43 miles inside), MO 6 (about 29 miles inside), MO 31 (about 21 miles inside), MO 33 (about 15 miles inside) and US 169 (about 8 miles inside). Towns inside: Maysville, Stewartsville, Osborn, Clarksdale, Union Star and Amity. Nearby: Cameron (on the line), King City (on the line), Easton (3 miles) and Winston (3 miles).
Which counties border DeKalb County?
DeKalb County touches 6 other counties. Their latest MDC harvest and public land, for comparison:
| County | Deer harvested | Year | Public land | MRAP land sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andrew County | 1,065 | 2025 | 2.4% | |
| Gentry County | 1,536 | 2025 | 0.7% | |
| Clinton County | 1,016 | 2025 | 3.4% | |
| Daviess County | 2,873 | 2025 | 0.3% | 1 |
| Buchanan County | 867 | 2025 | 2.1% | |
| Caldwell County | 2,129 | 2025 | 0.7% | 6 |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in DeKalb County in 2025?
Hunters checked 1,097 deer: 549 antlered bucks, 75 button bucks and 473 does (MDC). In 2024: 1,047.
Is there public hunting land in DeKalb County?
Yes. 4,852 acres, 1.8% 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 (4,852 acres). MDC's map shows 7 conservation areas here.
Does DeKalb County have MRAP land?
Yes. 1 tract open to some hunting, 382 acres, on MDC's MRAP layer.
Get a Missouri hunt plan when they open
Hunt plans for Missouri are coming. Join the list and you'll hear first. The first 50 hunters in each new state get their plan free.
Until then, the free FilledTag app for iPhone has a map that works in every state, Missouri included.
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 Andrew County Gentry County Clinton County Daviess County Buchanan County Caldwell County