Linn County, Missouri: deer harvest and public hunting land
Linn County covers 621 square miles around Brookfield. Hunters checked 2,590 deer here in the 2025 season, 1,332 of them antlered bucks, by MDC's harvest summary. That is down 4% from 2024, and the fewest in the 5 years shown. 3.1% of Linn County is public land open to the public, the largest share MDC conservation areas (7,315 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 wildlife refugesState parks and historic sitesCounty, city and regional landMRAP landLinn CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 397,616 acres (621 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Deer checked, 2025 | 2,590 (1,332 antlered bucks, 147 button bucks, 1,111 does) |
| Firearms and archery, 2025 | 2,059 by firearms, 531 by archery |
| Public land | 3.1% (12,464 acres) |
| MDC lands | 4 (6,853 acres inside Linn County) |
| MRAP land | 3 sites, 518 acres |
| Towns in and near it | Brookfield, Marceline, Laclede, Wheeling, Sumner and Rothville |
How many deer are harvested in Linn County?
Hunters checked 2,590 deer in Linn County in 2025: 1,332 antlered bucks, 147 button bucks and 1,111 does. By method: 2,059 by firearms (1,421 of them in the November portion) and 531 by archery; the rest came on managed hunts.
| Season | Deer checked | Antlered bucks | Button bucks | Does | Firearms | November portion | Archery |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2,590 | 1,332 | 147 | 1,111 | 2,059 | 1,421 | 531 |
| 2024 | 2,692 | 1,332 | 190 | 1,170 | 2,125 | 1,538 | 530 |
| 2023 | 2,973 | 1,507 | 209 | 1,257 | 2,439 | 1,652 | 500 |
| 2022 | 2,994 | 1,478 | 190 | 1,326 | 2,368 | 1,896 | 588 |
| 2021 | 2,937 | 1,592 | 206 | 1,139 | 2,242 | 628 |
Source: MDC deer harvest summaries (2021 to 2025 seasons), Linn 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 Linn County?
12,464 of Linn County's 397,616 acres are public land open to the public (3.1%). The biggest share is MDC conservation areas: 7,315 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Linn County |
|---|---|---|
| MDC conservation areas | 7,315 | 1.8% |
| State parks and historic sites | 5,082 | 1.3% |
| County, city and regional land | 67 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 12,464 | 3.1% |
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 Linn County
MDC lands in Linn County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Fountain Grove Conservation Area: 4,904 acres
- Mussel Fork Conservation Area: 1,783 acres
- Brookfield City Lake: 98 acres
- Old Marceline City Reservoir (Marceline): 68 acres
MRAP land in Linn County
MDC's MRAP layer shows 3 tracts in Linn County open to some hunting, 518 acres of private land enrolled for public access. Each tract's map says what it allows. MDC: MRAP.
How do you get to Linn County?
Highways through it: US 36 (about 54 miles inside), MO 5 (about 49 miles inside), MO 139 (about 37 miles inside), MO 11 (about 34 miles inside) and MO 129 (about 26 miles inside). Towns inside: Brookfield, Marceline, Laclede, Bucklin, Linneus and Meadville. Nearby: Wheeling (on the line), Sumner (3 miles), Rothville (4 miles) and Laredo (5 miles).
Which counties border Linn County?
Linn County touches 6 other counties. Their latest MDC harvest and public land, for comparison:
| County | Deer harvested | Year | Public land | MRAP land sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adair County | 2,639 | 2025 | 2.9% | |
| Macon County | 4,525 | 2025 | 3.4% | 6 |
| Grundy County | 1,812 | 2025 | 0.8% | 1 |
| Chariton County | 2,331 | 2025 | 2.6% | 3 |
| Sullivan County | 2,577 | 2025 | 2.5% | 1 |
| Livingston County | 2,120 | 2025 | 2.8% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Linn County in 2025?
Hunters checked 2,590 deer: 1,332 antlered bucks, 147 button bucks and 1,111 does (MDC). In 2024: 2,692.
Is there public hunting land in Linn County?
Yes. 12,464 acres, 3.1% 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 (7,315 acres). MDC's map shows 4 conservation areas here.
Does Linn County have MRAP land?
Yes. 3 tracts open to some hunting, 518 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 Adair County Macon County Grundy County Chariton County Sullivan County Livingston County