Marion County, Missouri: deer harvest and public hunting land
Marion County covers 444 square miles around Hannibal. Hunters checked 2,339 deer here in the 2025 season, 1,053 of them antlered bucks, by MDC's harvest summary. That is down 6% from 2024. 1.6% of Marion County is public land open to the public, the largest share MDC conservation areas (3,820 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 landMarion CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 284,176 acres (444 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Deer checked, 2025 | 2,339 (1,053 antlered bucks, 181 button bucks, 1,105 does) |
| Firearms and archery, 2025 | 1,864 by firearms, 475 by archery |
| Public land | 1.6% (4,422 acres) |
| MDC lands | 10 (3,817 acres inside Marion County) |
| MRAP land | None mapped this year |
| Towns in and near it | Hannibal, Palmyra, Philadelphia, Monroe City, Hunnewell and Rensselaer |
How many deer are harvested in Marion County?
Hunters checked 2,339 deer in Marion County in 2025: 1,053 antlered bucks, 181 button bucks and 1,105 does. By method: 1,864 by firearms (1,109 of them in the November portion) and 475 by archery; the rest came on managed hunts.
| Season | Deer checked | Antlered bucks | Button bucks | Does | Firearms | November portion | Archery |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2,339 | 1,053 | 181 | 1,105 | 1,864 | 1,109 | 475 |
| 2024 | 2,485 | 1,022 | 208 | 1,255 | 2,006 | 1,482 | 479 |
| 2023 | 2,517 | 1,066 | 238 | 1,213 | 2,099 | 1,509 | 418 |
| 2022 | 2,522 | 1,072 | 201 | 1,249 | 2,100 | 1,626 | 422 |
| 2021 | 2,111 | 965 | 197 | 949 | 1,691 | 420 |
Source: MDC deer harvest summaries (2021 to 2025 seasons), Marion 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 Marion County?
4,422 of Marion County's 284,176 acres are public land open to the public (1.6%). The biggest share is MDC conservation areas: 3,820 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Marion County |
|---|---|---|
| MDC conservation areas | 3,820 | 1.3% |
| County, city and regional land | 418 | 0.1% |
| Federal land, mostly Corps of Engineers lakes | 142 | under 0.1% |
| State parks and historic sites | 42 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 4,422 | 1.6% |
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 Marion County
MDC lands in Marion County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Upper Mississippi Conservation Area: 2,564 acres
- Soulard Access: 257 acres
- Elmslie Memorial Conservation Area: 237 acres
- J. Thad Ray Memorial Wildlife Area: 167 acres
- Dunn Ford Access: 141 acres
- Black Hawk Access: 135 acres
- Callahan Mound Access: 126 acres
- Julian Steyermark Woods Conservation Area: 78 acres
- McPike Access: 76 acres
- Fabius Chute Access: 36 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Ms Rv Pools 11-22 Recreation Area (2,223 acres).
How do you get to Marion County?
Highways through it: US 24 (about 55 miles inside), US 61 (about 47 miles inside), US 36 (about 42 miles inside), MO 168 (about 31 miles inside) and MO 110 (about 29 miles inside). Towns inside: Hannibal, Palmyra and Philadelphia. Nearby: Monroe City (on the line), Hunnewell (on the line), Rensselaer (on the line) and Ewing (4 miles).
Which counties border Marion County?
Marion County touches 4 other counties. Their latest MDC harvest and public land, for comparison:
| County | Deer harvested | Year | Public land | MRAP land sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lewis County | 2,407 | 2025 | 3.1% | |
| Ralls County | 2,742 | 2025 | 0.4% | |
| Monroe County | 3,749 | 2025 | 0.7% | |
| Shelby County | 2,559 | 2025 | 0.8% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Marion County in 2025?
Hunters checked 2,339 deer: 1,053 antlered bucks, 181 button bucks and 1,105 does (MDC). In 2024: 2,485.
Is there public hunting land in Marion County?
Yes. 4,422 acres, 1.6% 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 (3,820 acres). MDC's map shows 10 conservation areas here.
Does Marion 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 Lewis County Ralls County Monroe County Shelby County