Reynolds County, Missouri: deer harvest and public hunting land
Reynolds County covers 815 square miles around Ellington. Hunters checked 2,746 deer here in the 2025 season, 1,243 of them antlered bucks, by MDC's harvest summary. That is up 55% from 2024. 30.7% of Reynolds County is public land open to the public, the largest share national forest (89,664 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 forestFederal land, mostly Corps of Engineers lakesNational park land (Ozark National Scenic Riverways and others)State parks and historic sitesLand trusts and other open landReynolds CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 521,310 acres (815 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Deer checked, 2025 | 2,746 (1,243 antlered bucks, 259 button bucks, 1,244 does) |
| Firearms and archery, 2025 | 2,218 by firearms, 528 by archery |
| Public land | 30.7% (160,214 acres) |
| MDC lands | 8 (56,171 acres inside Reynolds County) |
| MRAP land | None mapped this year |
| Towns in and near it | Ellington, Centerville, Bunker, Piedmont and Annapolis |
How many deer are harvested in Reynolds County?
Hunters checked 2,746 deer in Reynolds County in 2025: 1,243 antlered bucks, 259 button bucks and 1,244 does. By method: 2,218 by firearms (1,691 of them in the November portion) and 528 by archery; the rest came on managed hunts.
| Season | Deer checked | Antlered bucks | Button bucks | Does | Firearms | November portion | Archery |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2,746 | 1,243 | 259 | 1,244 | 2,218 | 1,691 | 528 |
| 2024 | 1,766 | 711 | 226 | 829 | 1,391 | 1,107 | 375 |
| 2023 | 3,135 | 1,210 | 329 | 1,596 | 2,645 | 2,036 | 490 |
| 2022 | 2,310 | 1,021 | 239 | 1,050 | 1,859 | 1,624 | 450 |
| 2021 | 3,282 | 1,547 | 339 | 1,396 | 2,658 | 623 |
Source: MDC deer harvest summaries (2021 to 2025 seasons), Reynolds 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 Reynolds County?
160,214 of Reynolds County's 521,310 acres are public land open to the public (30.7%). The biggest share is national forest: 89,664 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Reynolds County |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 89,664 | 17.2% |
| MDC conservation areas | 59,353 | 11.4% |
| State parks and historic sites | 9,660 | 1.9% |
| Federal land, mostly Corps of Engineers lakes | 1,433 | 0.3% |
| Land trusts and other open land | 104 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 160,214 | 30.7% |
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 Reynolds County
MDC lands in Reynolds County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Clearwater Lake Management Lands: 16,723 acres
- Current River Conservation Area: 12,755 acres
- Logan Creek Conservation Area: 12,744 acres
- Clearwater Conservation Area: 11,403 acres
- Ketcherside Mountain Conservation Area: 1,461 acres
- Riverside Conservation Area: 1,000 acres
- Centerville Access: 43 acres
- Lesterville Access: 42 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Mark Twain National Forest (89,664 acres) and Clearwater Recreation Area (17,895 acres).
How do you get to Reynolds County?
Highways through it: MO 21 (about 45 miles inside), MO 72 (about 41 miles inside), MO 49 (about 18 miles inside), MO 34 (about 11 miles inside) and MO 106 (about 9 miles inside). Towns inside: Ellington and Centerville. Nearby: Bunker (on the line), Piedmont (3 miles), Annapolis (3 miles) and Van Buren (4 miles).
Which counties border Reynolds County?
Reynolds County touches 5 other counties. Their latest MDC harvest and public land, for comparison:
| County | Deer harvested | Year | Public land | MRAP land sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dent County | 2,659 | 2025 | 19.9% | |
| Iron County | 1,903 | 2025 | 31.7% | |
| Wayne County | 4,081 | 2025 | 26.6% | |
| Carter County | 2,210 | 2025 | 41.7% | |
| Shannon County | 3,030 | 2025 | 41.7% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Reynolds County in 2025?
Hunters checked 2,746 deer: 1,243 antlered bucks, 259 button bucks and 1,244 does (MDC). In 2024: 1,766.
Is there public hunting land in Reynolds County?
Yes. 160,214 acres, 30.7% of the county, are public land open to the public by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and MDC conservation area boundaries, the largest share national forest (89,664 acres). MDC's map shows 8 conservation areas here.
Does Reynolds 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 Dent County Iron County Wayne County Carter County Shannon County