Ralls County, Missouri: deer harvest and public hunting land
Ralls County covers 484 square miles around Rensselaer. Hunters checked 2,742 deer here in the 2025 season, 1,231 of them antlered bucks, by MDC's harvest summary. That is down 4% from 2024. 0.4% of Ralls County is public land open to the public, the largest share MDC conservation areas (1,316 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 lakesCounty, city and regional landRalls CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 309,709 acres (484 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Deer checked, 2025 | 2,742 (1,231 antlered bucks, 226 button bucks, 1,285 does) |
| Firearms and archery, 2025 | 2,170 by firearms, 572 by archery |
| Public land | 0.4% (1,386 acres) |
| MDC lands | 5 (1,315 acres inside Ralls County) |
| MRAP land | None mapped this year |
| Towns in and near it | Rensselaer, Perry, New London, Vandalia, Monroe City and Hannibal |
How many deer are harvested in Ralls County?
Hunters checked 2,742 deer in Ralls County in 2025: 1,231 antlered bucks, 226 button bucks and 1,285 does. By method: 2,170 by firearms (1,312 of them in the November portion) and 572 by archery; the rest came on managed hunts.
| Season | Deer checked | Antlered bucks | Button bucks | Does | Firearms | November portion | Archery |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2,742 | 1,231 | 226 | 1,285 | 2,170 | 1,312 | 572 |
| 2024 | 2,845 | 1,147 | 273 | 1,425 | 2,263 | 1,621 | 582 |
| 2023 | 2,733 | 1,138 | 266 | 1,329 | 2,308 | 1,625 | 424 |
| 2022 | 2,825 | 1,183 | 275 | 1,367 | 2,267 | 1,758 | 556 |
| 2021 | 2,398 | 1,010 | 281 | 1,107 | 1,922 | 476 |
Source: MDC deer harvest summaries (2021 to 2025 seasons), Ralls 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 Ralls County?
1,386 of Ralls County's 309,709 acres are public land open to the public (0.4%). The biggest share is MDC conservation areas: 1,316 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Ralls County |
|---|---|---|
| MDC conservation areas | 1,316 | 0.4% |
| Federal land, mostly Corps of Engineers lakes | 70 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 1,386 | 0.4% |
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 Ralls County
MDC lands in Ralls County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Edward Anderson Conservation Area: 930 acres
- Upper Mississippi Conservation Area: 270 acres
- Route J Reservoir (Monroe City): 94 acres
- Robert H. Thompson Conservation Area: 11 acres
- Indian Camp Access: 10 acres
How do you get to Ralls County?
Highways through it: US 61 (about 26 miles inside), MO 19 (about 24 miles inside), MO 154 (about 20 miles inside), US 24 (about 11 miles inside) and MO 79 (about 11 miles inside). Towns inside: Rensselaer, Perry, New London, Center and Saverton. Nearby: Vandalia (on the line), Monroe City (on the line), Hannibal (2 miles) and Frankford (2 miles).
Which counties border Ralls County?
Ralls County touches 4 other counties. Their latest MDC harvest and public land, for comparison:
| County | Deer harvested | Year | Public land | MRAP land sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pike County | 4,848 | 2025 | 3.9% | |
| Marion County | 2,339 | 2025 | 1.6% | |
| Monroe County | 3,749 | 2025 | 0.7% | |
| Audrain County | 2,305 | 2025 | 0.6% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Ralls County in 2025?
Hunters checked 2,742 deer: 1,231 antlered bucks, 226 button bucks and 1,285 does (MDC). In 2024: 2,845.
Is there public hunting land in Ralls County?
Yes. 1,386 acres, 0.4% 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 (1,316 acres). MDC's map shows 5 conservation areas here.
Does Ralls 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 Pike County Marion County Monroe County Audrain County