McDonald County, Missouri: deer harvest and public hunting land
McDonald County covers 540 square miles around Pineville. Hunters checked 1,907 deer here in the 2025 season, 1,066 of them antlered bucks, by MDC's harvest summary. That is up 6% from 2024. 1.5% of McDonald County is public land open to the public, the largest share MDC conservation areas (4,816 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 sitesMcDonald CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 345,348 acres (540 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Deer checked, 2025 | 1,907 (1,066 antlered bucks, 117 button bucks, 724 does) |
| Firearms and archery, 2025 | 1,493 by firearms, 414 by archery |
| Public land | 1.5% (5,327 acres) |
| MDC lands | 6 (3,073 acres inside McDonald County) |
| MRAP land | None mapped this year |
| Towns in and near it | Pineville, Jane, Anderson, Stella, Wheaton and Fairview |
How many deer are harvested in McDonald County?
Hunters checked 1,907 deer in McDonald County in 2025: 1,066 antlered bucks, 117 button bucks and 724 does. By method: 1,493 by firearms (982 of them in the November portion) and 414 by archery; the rest came on managed hunts.
| Season | Deer checked | Antlered bucks | Button bucks | Does | Firearms | November portion | Archery |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,907 | 1,066 | 117 | 724 | 1,493 | 982 | 414 |
| 2024 | 1,802 | 981 | 114 | 707 | 1,466 | 1,044 | 336 |
| 2023 | 2,294 | 1,254 | 163 | 877 | 1,927 | 1,341 | 366 |
| 2022 | 1,961 | 1,099 | 115 | 747 | 1,615 | 1,384 | 345 |
| 2021 | 1,616 | 939 | 110 | 567 | 1,287 | 326 |
Source: MDC deer harvest summaries (2021 to 2025 seasons), McDonald 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 McDonald County?
5,327 of McDonald County's 345,348 acres are public land open to the public (1.5%). The biggest share is MDC conservation areas: 4,816 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of McDonald County |
|---|---|---|
| MDC conservation areas | 4,816 | 1.4% |
| State parks and historic sites | 511 | 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 5,327 | 1.5% |
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 McDonald County
MDC lands in McDonald County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Huckleberry Ridge Conservation Area: 2,063 acres
- Buffalo Hills Natural Area: 494 acres
- Flag Spring Conservation Area: 396 acres
- Deep Ford Access: 45 acres
- Cowskin Access: 44 acres
- Mount Shira Access: 31 acres
How do you get to McDonald County?
Highways through it: US 71 (about 45 miles inside), I-49 (about 38 miles inside), MO 90 (about 37 miles inside), MO 76 (about 29 miles inside) and MO 59 (about 21 miles inside). Towns inside: Pineville, Jane, Anderson, Noel, Southwest City and Goodman. Nearby: Stella (on the line), Wheaton (on the line), Fairview (5 miles) and Seneca (5 miles).
Which counties border McDonald County?
McDonald County touches 2 other counties. Their latest MDC harvest and public land, for comparison:
| County | Deer harvested | Year | Public land | MRAP land sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barry County | 2,538 | 2025 | 14.7% | |
| Newton County | 2,890 | 2025 | 1.4% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in McDonald County in 2025?
Hunters checked 1,907 deer: 1,066 antlered bucks, 117 button bucks and 724 does (MDC). In 2024: 1,802.
Is there public hunting land in McDonald County?
Yes. 5,327 acres, 1.5% 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 (4,816 acres). MDC's map shows 6 conservation areas here.
Does McDonald 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.