Missouri publishes deer harvest in a form FDR could rank for 61 public hunting areas. Watkins Woolen Mill State Park is highest at 27.2 deer harvested per square mile in 2025. Stockton Lake State Park has 24.3 in 2021 and Truman State Park has 22.2 in 2020. For success rate Clarence Cannon National Wildlife Refuge - Disabled leads at 89% in 2025 and Clearwater Lake - Disabled has 67% in 2025. The rankings describe reported harvest and do not measure access or hunting pressure.
KEY FINDINGS
- Watkins Woolen Mill State Park has the highest harvest per square mile at 27.2. The agency reported 65 deer on 1,531 acres in 2025.
- Clarence Cannon National Wildlife Refuge - Disabled has the best success rate at 89%. Its harvest per square mile ranks 46 of 61.
- 61 public hunting areas are ranked. Ranks compare areas measured between 2019 and 2025 and each row shows its own newest year.
Missouri public land rankings
Best public land in Missouri
Derived FDR figures from state agency numbers. Seasons measured 2019 through 2025. Captured October 19, 2026. Harvest per square mile is the agency's deer harvest divided by the area's size. Success rate is the agency's published rate or harvest divided by hunters. Areas smaller than one square mile are left out of the rankings. Order uses the unrounded values and tied values share a rank. Blank cells mean the agency did not publish the figure.
Download all ranked rows (CSV)
Public hunting areas
Top 15 of 61 ranked public hunting areas by deer harvest per square mile. Each row shows its own newest year.
15 of 61 areas shown
| 1 | Watkins Woolen Mill State Park | 1,531 | 2025 | 65 | 27.2 | 44% | 12 | 35.0% (2025) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Stockton Lake State Park | 2,081 | 2021 | 79 | 24.3 | 65% | 3 | 22.0% (2021) | |
| 3 | Truman State Park | 1,415 | 2020 | 49 | 22.2 | 50% | 9 | 28.6% (2020) | |
| 4 | Blue and Gray County Park | 1,773 | 2025 | 57 | 20.6 | 9.8% (2025) | |||
| 5 | Harry S Truman SP | 1,415 | 2025 | 44 | 19.9 | 50% | 9 | 12.6% (2025) | |
| 6 | Robertsville SP | Franklin | 1,231 | 2025 | 37 | 19.2 | 60% | 6 | 20.6% (2025) |
| 7 | Monkey Mountain County Park | 855 | 2025 | 24 | 18.0 | 28.9% (2025) | |||
| 8 | Rock Bridge Memorial SP - Excluding Gans Creek | 1,382 | 2025 | 38 | 17.6 | 50% | 9 | 48.6% (2025) | |
| 9 | Pelican Island Natural Area | 2,260 | 2025 | 56 | 15.9 | 49% | 10 | 29.0% (2025) | |
| 10 | Long Branch SP | Macon | 1,921 | 2025 | 45 | 15.0 | 57% | 8 | 7.9% (2025) |
| 11 | Cuivre River State Park | 6,364 | 2025 | 146 | 14.7 | 59% | 7 | 10.9% (2025) | |
| 12 | Rock Bridge Memorial SP - Gans Creek | 750 | 2025 | 17 | 14.5 | 39% | 14 | 28.3% (2025) | |
| 13 | Blue Springs Lake (Jackson County Park) | 2,705 | 2025 | 52 | 12.3 | 15.6% (2025) | |||
| 14 | Crowder State Park | 1,974 | 2024 | 36 | 11.7 | 30% | 21 | 40.8% (2024) | |
| 15 | Stockton State Park | 2,081 | 2024 | 33 | 10.1 | 36% | 15 | 30.8% (2024) |
Draw odds are the share of applicants drawn across an area's deer hunts in the draw year shown. Est. means the agency does not print every drawn count so some are worked out from its numbers.
Top 10 by success rate
10 of 44 areas with a success rate shown
| 46 | Clarence Cannon National Wildlife Refuge - Disabled | 3,750 | 2025 | 11 | 1.9 | 89% | 1 | 100.0% (2025) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 57 | Clearwater Lake - Disabled | 12,659 | 2025 | 4 | 0.20 | 67% | 2 | 100.0% (2025) | |
| 2 | Stockton Lake State Park | 2,081 | 2021 | 79 | 24.3 | 65% | 3 | 22.0% (2021) | |
| 30 | Prairie Fork Conservation Area | 920 | 2023 | 8 | 5.6 | 63% | 4 | 12.3% (2023) | |
| 53 | Lake of the Ozarks State Park | 21,143 | 2024 | 16 | 0.48 | 62% | 5 | 11.6% (2024) | |
| 6 | Robertsville SP | Franklin | 1,231 | 2025 | 37 | 19.2 | 60% | 6 | 20.6% (2025) |
| 11 | Cuivre River State Park | 6,364 | 2025 | 146 | 14.7 | 59% | 7 | 10.9% (2025) | |
| 10 | Long Branch SP | Macon | 1,921 | 2025 | 45 | 15.0 | 57% | 8 | 7.9% (2025) |
| 3 | Truman State Park | 1,415 | 2020 | 49 | 22.2 | 50% | 9 | 28.6% (2020) | |
| 5 | Harry S Truman SP | 1,415 | 2025 | 44 | 19.9 | 50% | 9 | 12.6% (2025) |
01Public hunting areas
61 areas ranked on harvest per square mile
Watkins Woolen Mill State Park has the most deer harvested per square mile at 27.2 in 2025. Stockton Lake State Park has 24.3 in 2021 and Truman State Park has 22.2 in 2020.
The top 15 run from 27.2 down to 10.1 deer harvested per square mile.
02Success rate
Top 10 public hunting areas by success rate
Clarence Cannon National Wildlife Refuge - Disabled has the best success rate at 89% in 2025. Clearwater Lake - Disabled has 67% in 2025 and Stockton Lake State Park has 65% in 2021.
Success rate is the agency's published figure or harvest divided by hunters. 44 of the 61 ranked areas have one and the rest are left blank.
03Basis of this report
Sources and method
FDR divided the agency's deer harvest by the area's size to get harvest per square mile. Areas smaller than one square mile are left out of the rankings. Ranks compare areas measured between 2019 and 2025 and each row shows its own newest year.
Success rate is the agency's published figure or harvest divided by hunters. Tied values share a rank and the order uses the unrounded values.
A ranking does not evaluate an individual property and does not confirm that it is open to hunting for you.
Sources
NOTES AND SOURCES
- Derived FDR figures from state agency numbers. Seasons measured 2019 through 2025. Captured October 19, 2026. Harvest per square mile is the agency's deer harvest divided by the area's size. Success rate is the agency's published rate or harvest divided by hunters. Areas smaller than one square mile are left out of the rankings. Order uses the unrounded values and tied values share a rank. Blank cells mean the agency did not publish the figure.
Fully Drawn Research is an independent data analysis desk, not affiliated with any state wildlife agency, transportation agency, mapping provider or outfitter. FDR rankings are independent analysis of state agency numbers. A ranking does not evaluate an individual property.
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