Missouri deer research / St. Charles County

St. Charles County, Missouri Deer Hunting Research

Provisional FDR Deer Herd Index 64.9 Provisional, ranked #7 of 114 ranked Missouri counties. Built from Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) Telecheck records, 2015–2025 plus public-land access.

B - Strong
64.9 / 100
Provisional FDR Index
#7 of 114
Ranked-county rank
75→
Buck Index
19,129
Public-land acres
2,141
2025 deer harvest

What drives the St. Charles County index

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

Herd quality33
Population95
Buck Index94
Habitat93
Momentum83
Deer-vehicle crash rate5

Buck Index

75→ 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 8.6 / 10 (Higher). About 11 deer hunters per square mile of huntable land: 86th percentile of 3,051 rated counties in 48 states, 78th 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
20252,141
20242,231
20232,297
20222,248
20212,122
20202,044
20192,000
20181,953
20171,803
20161,661
20152,278

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 St. Charles County harvest charts →

Harvest composition

MDC reports each deer as an Antlered Buck, Doe, or Button Buck (a male fawn). In 2025, the St. Charles County harvest was 976 antlered bucks, 1,009 does, and 156 button bucks.

SeasonAntlered buckDoeButton buckTotal
20259761,0091562,141
20241,0361,0291662,231
20231,0301,0462212,297
20221,0669752072,248
20219929361942,122
20209089292072,044
20199318831862,000
20189028412101,953
20178697381961,803
20168256711651,661
20151,0959452382,278

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 St. Charles County composition charts →

Herd & land detail

MetricValue
Latest season (2025)2,141 deer
Harvest per sq mi3.82
Buck : doe ratio0.97
County land (sq mi)560.30
Public-land acres19,129

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 St. Charles 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 St. Charles County, Missouri good for deer hunting?

St. Charles County scores 64.9 of 100 on the provisional FDR Deer Herd Index (B - Strong), ranked #7 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 St. Charles County last season?

MDC records show 2,141 deer harvested in St. Charles County, Missouri in 2025, the most recent reported season.

Cite this

Fully Drawn Research. "St. Charles County, Missouri deer hunting research." County page. https://www.fullydrawnresearch.ai/research/mo/st-charles. 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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