Missouri deer research / Macon County

Macon County, Missouri Deer Hunting Research

Provisional FDR Deer Herd Index 72.3 Provisional, ranked #1 of 114 ranked Missouri counties. Built from Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) Telecheck records, 2015–2025 plus public-land access.

A - Elite
72.3 / 100
Provisional FDR Index
#1 of 114
Ranked-county rank
58↓
Buck Index
18,203
Public-land acres
4,525
2025 deer harvest

What drives the Macon County index

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

Herd quality57
Population74
Buck Index82
Habitat85
Momentum58
Deer-vehicle crash rate93

Buck Index

58↓ 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 4.1 / 10 (Middle). About 4.9 deer hunters per square mile of huntable land: 41st percentile of 3,051 rated counties in 48 states, 8th 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
20254,525
20244,489
20234,746
20224,631
20214,098
20204,414
20193,823
20184,286
20174,003
20163,985
20154,185

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 Macon County harvest charts →

Harvest composition

MDC reports each deer as an Antlered Buck, Doe, or Button Buck (a male fawn). In 2025, the Macon County harvest was 2,135 antlered bucks, 2,026 does, and 364 button bucks.

SeasonAntlered buckDoeButton buckTotal
20252,1352,0263644,525
20242,1362,0053484,489
20232,2822,0713934,746
20222,3211,9054054,631
20212,1411,6463114,098
20202,2031,8014104,414
20191,9921,5103213,823
20182,1481,7304084,286
20171,9961,5754324,003
20161,9501,6294063,985
20151,8661,8025174,185

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 Macon County composition charts →

Herd & land detail

MetricValue
Latest season (2025)4,525 deer
Harvest per sq mi5.65
Buck : doe ratio1.05
County land (sq mi)801.20
Public-land acres18,203

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 Macon 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 Macon County, Missouri good for deer hunting?

Macon County scores 72.3 of 100 on the provisional FDR Deer Herd Index (A - Elite), ranked #1 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 Macon County last season?

MDC records show 4,525 deer harvested in Macon County, Missouri in 2025, the most recent reported season.

Cite this

Fully Drawn Research. "Macon County, Missouri deer hunting research." County page. https://www.fullydrawnresearch.ai/research/mo/macon. 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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