Missouri deer research / Cedar County

Cedar County, Missouri Deer Hunting Research

Provisional FDR Deer Herd Index 58.2 Provisional, ranked #22 of 114 ranked Missouri counties. Built from Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) Telecheck records, 2015–2025 plus public-land access.

B - Strong
58.2 / 100
Provisional FDR Index
#22 of 114
Ranked-county rank
59↓
Buck Index
21,123
Public-land acres
2,334
2025 deer harvest

What drives the Cedar County index

Provisional components, each scored 0–100 against the ranked Missouri counties. Provisional.

Herd quality64
Population61
Buck Index35
Habitat94
Momentum35
Deer-vehicle crash rate50

Buck Index

59↓ out of 100. How this county ranks on the Buck Index against every county we cover. 100 is the top. Land is measured as what a hunter can actually hunt (10 m estimate).

Hunting pressure

Pressure Index 7.5 / 10 (Higher). About 8.4 deer hunters per square mile of huntable land: 75th percentile of 3,051 rated counties in 48 states, 51st percentile within Missouri. How often deer run into people, 0 to 10 on one scale across every rated state; 10 is the most crowded county in the country.

Measured. Missouri Department of Conservation deer season summary, firearms hunters per square mile, 2024 season, places this county within Missouri. Missouri Department of Conservation report. Missouri averages 8.7 deer hunters per square mile of huntable land (state wildlife agency count, 2025 season).

2015–2025 harvest trend

SeasonTotal harvest
20252,334
20242,191
20232,658
20222,705
20212,387
20202,655
20192,244
20182,410
20172,313
20162,272
20152,490

Harvest totals from Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) Telecheck records, 2015–2025. MDC reports totals by county and season; archery / firearm splits are not broken out in this dataset.

See full Cedar County harvest charts →

Harvest composition

MDC reports each deer as an Antlered Buck, Doe, or Button Buck (a male fawn). In 2025, the Cedar County harvest was 1,211 antlered bucks, 949 does, and 174 button bucks.

SeasonAntlered buckDoeButton buckTotal
20251,2119491742,334
20241,1078742102,191
20231,2891,1602092,658
20221,3181,1692182,705
20211,2309871702,387
20201,3211,1062282,655
20191,2188531732,244
20181,2169752192,410
20171,2718322102,313
20161,0259582892,272
20151,0011,1972922,490

Antlered buck = adult male; button buck = male fawn; doe = adult female. Only MDC's additive method portions are summed, so the three sum to the county total, with no double-counting.

See full Cedar County composition charts →

Herd & land detail

MetricValue
Latest season (2025)2,334 deer
Harvest per sq mi4.92
Buck : doe ratio1.28
County land (sq mi)474.50
Public-land acres21,123

Methodology

Provisional index. Provisional index: herd, harvest, the Buck Index, and roadway (exposure-normalized deer-vehicle crash rate) components; habitat/age-structure partial where the state does not publish them.. FULLY DRAWN RESEARCH · Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) PROVISIONAL COUNTY DEER INDEX

Informational only. Built from public-record Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) county harvest data, US Census TIGER county land area, the Buck Index, and exposure-normalized deer-vehicle crash rates where published. Provisional index; some components partial or pending. Not a prediction or guarantee. Verify with the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC).

See Cedar County on the map

Parcels with owner & acreage, public hunting land, leaf-off imagery, and this research, together on one hunting map.

Nearby counties

Frequently asked questions

Is Cedar County, Missouri good for deer hunting?

Cedar County scores 58.2 of 100 on the provisional FDR Deer Herd Index (B - Strong), ranked #22 of 114 ranked Missouri counties. The provisional index is built from MDC public harvest records, the Buck Index and deer-vehicle crash data; some components are partial, as noted in the methodology.

How many deer were harvested in Cedar County last season?

MDC records show 2,334 deer harvested in Cedar County, Missouri in 2025, the most recent reported season.

Cite this

Fully Drawn Research. "Cedar County, Missouri deer hunting research." County page. https://www.fullydrawnresearch.ai/research/mo/cedar. Accessed Nov 1, 2026.

Data and charts from this page are free to use with attribution. See the Content Lab.

Sources: Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) Telecheck records, 2015–2025; public-land access from public land-cover and public-hunting-area records. Public-record data only: no private contact information, no landowner lists. This is a provisional index, harvest and access components only; Buck Index and roadway components are a later step.

Fully Drawn Research is independent and not affiliated with or endorsed by the Missouri MDC. Historical data and modeled indexes describe the past; they are not a promise of hunting outcomes. Always verify current seasons, permits, and site rules with the MDC before you hunt.

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