Ste. Genevieve County, Missouri: deer harvest and public hunting land
Ste. Genevieve County covers 507 square miles around Ste. Genevieve. Hunters checked 3,306 deer here in the 2025 season, 1,508 of them antlered bucks, by MDC's harvest summary. That is up 29% from 2024, and the most in the 5 years shown. 5.7% of Ste. Genevieve County is public land open to the public, the largest share national forest (10,374 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 wildlife refugesState parks and historic sitesCounty, city and regional landSte. Genevieve CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 324,337 acres (507 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Deer checked, 2025 | 3,306 (1,508 antlered bucks, 247 button bucks, 1,551 does) |
| Firearms and archery, 2025 | 2,848 by firearms, 458 by archery |
| Public land | 5.7% (18,549 acres) |
| MDC lands | 5 (3,043 acres inside Ste. Genevieve County) |
| MRAP land | None mapped this year |
| Towns in and near it | Ste. Genevieve, Bloomsdale, St. Mary, Leadington, Desloge and Farmington |
How many deer are harvested in Ste. Genevieve County?
Hunters checked 3,306 deer in Ste. Genevieve County in 2025: 1,508 antlered bucks, 247 button bucks and 1,551 does. By method: 2,848 by firearms (1,856 of them in the November portion) and 458 by archery; the rest came on managed hunts.
| Season | Deer checked | Antlered bucks | Button bucks | Does | Firearms | November portion | Archery |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3,306 | 1,508 | 247 | 1,551 | 2,848 | 1,856 | 458 |
| 2024 | 2,562 | 1,208 | 185 | 1,169 | 2,126 | 1,480 | 436 |
| 2023 | 3,042 | 1,401 | 291 | 1,350 | 2,677 | 1,912 | 364 |
| 2022 | 2,679 | 1,358 | 246 | 1,075 | 2,292 | 1,953 | 386 |
| 2021 | 2,621 | 1,307 | 244 | 1,070 | 2,172 | 448 |
Source: MDC deer harvest summaries (2021 to 2025 seasons), Ste. Genevieve 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 Ste. Genevieve County?
18,549 of Ste. Genevieve County's 324,337 acres are public land open to the public (5.7%). The biggest share is national forest: 10,374 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Ste. Genevieve County |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 10,374 | 3.2% |
| State parks and historic sites | 4,697 | 1.4% |
| MDC conservation areas | 3,362 | 1% |
| County, city and regional land | 87 | under 0.1% |
| Federal land, mostly Corps of Engineers lakes | 13 | under 0.1% |
| National park land (Ozark National Scenic Riverways and others) | 13 | under 0.1% |
| National wildlife refuges | 3 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 18,549 | 5.7% |
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 Ste. Genevieve County
MDC lands in Ste. Genevieve County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Magnolia Hollow Conservation Area: 1,706 acres
- Horton Farm Conservation Area: 651 acres
- Hickory Canyons Natural Area: 418 acres
- Pickle Springs Natural Area: 261 acres
- St. Mary Access: 7 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Mark Twain National Forest (10,374 acres).
How do you get to Ste. Genevieve County?
Highways through it: I-55 (about 50 miles inside), US 61 (about 29 miles inside), MO 32 (about 22 miles inside) and MO 144 (about 3 miles inside). Towns inside: Ste. Genevieve, Bloomsdale, St. Mary, Ozora, Grayhawk and Weingarten. Nearby: Leadington (3 miles), Desloge (3 miles), Farmington (4 miles) and Park Hills (5 miles).
Which counties border Ste. Genevieve County?
Ste. Genevieve County touches 3 other counties. Their latest MDC harvest and public land, for comparison:
| County | Deer harvested | Year | Public land | MRAP land sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Perry County | 3,160 | 2025 | 1.1% | |
| Jefferson County | 5,173 | 2025 | 1.9% | |
| St. Francois County | 3,381 | 2025 | 4.4% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Ste. Genevieve County in 2025?
Hunters checked 3,306 deer: 1,508 antlered bucks, 247 button bucks and 1,551 does (MDC). In 2024: 2,562.
Is there public hunting land in Ste. Genevieve County?
Yes. 18,549 acres, 5.7% 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 (10,374 acres). MDC's map shows 5 conservation areas here.
Does Ste. Genevieve 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 Perry County Jefferson County St. Francois County