Missouri deer research / Ralls County

Ralls County, Missouri Deer Hunting Research

Provisional FDR Deer Herd Index 52.9 Provisional, ranked #50 of 114 ranked Missouri counties. Built from Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) Telecheck records, 2015–2025 plus public-land access.

C - Above Average
52.9 / 100
Provisional FDR Index
#50 of 114
Ranked-county rank
66→
Buck Index
115
Public-land acres
2,742
2025 deer harvest

What drives the Ralls County index

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

Herd quality10
Population88
Buck Index87
Habitat2
Momentum89
Deer-vehicle crash rate88

Buck Index

66→ 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 8.8 / 10 (Higher). About 12 deer hunters per square mile of huntable land: 88th percentile of 3,051 rated counties in 48 states, 85th 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
20252,742
20242,845
20232,733
20222,825
20212,398
20202,533
20192,400
20182,499
20172,211
20162,066
20151,982

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 Ralls County harvest charts →

Harvest composition

MDC reports each deer as an Antlered Buck, Doe, or Button Buck (a male fawn). In 2025, the Ralls County harvest was 1,231 antlered bucks, 1,285 does, and 226 button bucks.

SeasonAntlered buckDoeButton buckTotal
20251,2311,2852262,742
20241,1471,4252732,845
20231,1381,3292662,733
20221,1831,3672752,825
20211,0101,1072812,398
20201,1341,1132862,533
20191,0901,0452652,400
20181,1851,0402742,499
20171,0798772552,211
20169538602532,066
20158119252461,982

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 Ralls County composition charts →

Herd & land detail

MetricValue
Latest season (2025)2,742 deer
Harvest per sq mi5.84
Buck : doe ratio0.96
County land (sq mi)469.80
Public-land acres115

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 Ralls 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 Ralls County, Missouri good for deer hunting?

Ralls County scores 52.9 of 100 on the provisional FDR Deer Herd Index (C - Above Average), ranked #50 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 Ralls County last season?

MDC records show 2,742 deer harvested in Ralls County, Missouri in 2025, the most recent reported season.

Cite this

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