Johnson County, Missouri: deer harvest and public hunting land
Johnson County covers 833 square miles around Warrensburg. Hunters checked 3,057 deer here in the 2025 season, 1,635 of them antlered bucks, by MDC's harvest summary. That is down 3% from 2024, and the fewest in the 5 years shown. 1.7% of Johnson County is public land open to the public, the largest share MDC conservation areas (4,893 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 sitesOther state landCounty, city and regional landJohnson CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 533,156 acres (833 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Deer checked, 2025 | 3,057 (1,635 antlered bucks, 258 button bucks, 1,164 does) |
| Firearms and archery, 2025 | 2,421 by firearms, 636 by archery |
| Public land | 1.7% (8,996 acres) |
| MDC lands | 5 (4,888 acres inside Johnson County) |
| MRAP land | None mapped this year |
| Towns in and near it | Warrensburg, Knob Noster, Holden, Blairstown, Windsor and Gunn City |
How many deer are harvested in Johnson County?
Hunters checked 3,057 deer in Johnson County in 2025: 1,635 antlered bucks, 258 button bucks and 1,164 does. By method: 2,421 by firearms (1,768 of them in the November portion) and 636 by archery; the rest came on managed hunts.
| Season | Deer checked | Antlered bucks | Button bucks | Does | Firearms | November portion | Archery |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3,057 | 1,635 | 258 | 1,164 | 2,421 | 1,768 | 636 |
| 2024 | 3,151 | 1,587 | 208 | 1,356 | 2,487 | 1,945 | 605 |
| 2023 | 3,490 | 1,626 | 338 | 1,526 | 2,753 | 2,114 | 597 |
| 2022 | 3,443 | 1,676 | 316 | 1,451 | 2,806 | 2,417 | 636 |
| 2021 | 3,140 | 1,594 | 271 | 1,275 | 2,483 | 556 |
Source: MDC deer harvest summaries (2021 to 2025 seasons), Johnson 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 Johnson County?
8,996 of Johnson County's 533,156 acres are public land open to the public (1.7%). The biggest share is MDC conservation areas: 4,893 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Johnson County |
|---|---|---|
| MDC conservation areas | 4,893 | 0.9% |
| State parks and historic sites | 3,620 | 0.7% |
| County, city and regional land | 268 | 0.1% |
| Other state land | 215 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 8,996 | 1.7% |
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 Johnson County
MDC lands in Johnson County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Ralph and Martha Perry Memorial Conservation Area: 2,844 acres
- J. N. Turkey Kearn Memorial Wildlife Area: 1,237 acres
- Hazel Hill Community Lake: 504 acres
- Holden City Lake: 290 acres
- Lions Lake (Warrensburg): 13 acres
How do you get to Johnson County?
Highways through it: MO 13 (about 31 miles inside), MO 2 (about 27 miles inside) and MO 131 (about 21 miles inside). Towns inside: Warrensburg, Knob Noster, Holden, Leeton, Chilhowee and Kingsville. Nearby: Blairstown (on the line), Windsor (2 miles), Gunn City (2 miles) and Strasburg (2 miles).
Which counties border Johnson County?
Johnson County touches 5 other counties. Their latest MDC harvest and public land, for comparison:
| County | Deer harvested | Year | Public land | MRAP land sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cass County | 2,731 | 2025 | 1.6% | |
| Henry County | 3,300 | 2025 | 14.2% | |
| Pettis County | 2,867 | 2025 | 0.9% | |
| Jackson County | 2,415 | 2025 | 7.9% | |
| Lafayette County | 1,684 | 2025 | 1.2% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Johnson County in 2025?
Hunters checked 3,057 deer: 1,635 antlered bucks, 258 button bucks and 1,164 does (MDC). In 2024: 3,151.
Is there public hunting land in Johnson County?
Yes. 8,996 acres, 1.7% 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 (4,893 acres). MDC's map shows 5 conservation areas here.
Does Johnson County have MRAP land?
Not on MDC's MRAP layer of tracts open to hunting.
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 Cass County Henry County Pettis County Jackson County Lafayette County