Bear Creek Conservation Area: hunting and access
Bear Creek Conservation Area is 729 acres of MDC land in Laclede County, 4 miles from Stoutland. MDC lists deer hunting here (archery and firearms, antlerless permits allowed). Hunters checked 3,328 deer in Laclede County in 2025.
Data updated October 2026. Area facts: MDC's conservation area data, read 2026-10. Harvest: MDC deer harvest summaries, 2021 to 2025.
MDC conservation areasBear Creek Conservation AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 729 acres in 4 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Laclede County |
| Deer harvest unit | Laclede County |
| MDC lists for hunting | Deer, Bear, Turkey, Rabbit and Squirrel |
| MDC area number | 6523 |
| MDC region | Southwest |
| Nearest towns | Stoutland (4 mi), Lebanon (5 mi) and Richland (10 mi) |
What is Bear Creek Conservation Area like?
Bear Creek Conservation Area is located in Laclede County, northeast of Lebanon. The area was purchased from the University of Missouri in 1965. Bear Creek Conservation Area contains a total of 720 acres divided among four separate tracts.
These tracts are: Harrill Ford Tract (40 acres), Squatter Tract (120 acres), Bear CreekTract (320 acres), and the Hermit Tract (240 acres). These tracts are mostly mixed oak forest with small openings and old fields. Various phases of multiple use management are often conducted on the area. Forest improvement practices (which could include selective harvests), regeneration of forest stands, watershed protection, and wildlife habitat improvement are among the cultural practices utilized by area managers.
In MDC's words, from the Bear Creek Conservation Area page.
What can you hunt on Bear Creek Conservation Area?
MDC's page for Bear Creek Conservation Area lists: Deer: archery and firearms, antlerless permits allowed; Bear: archery and firearms; Turkey: archery and firearms; Rabbit; Squirrel.
What are the rules on Bear Creek Conservation Area?
MDC's standard conservation area rules (Chapter 11 of the Wildlife Code) apply; the area's rules on MDC's site list any it adds.
How many deer are taken around Bear Creek Conservation Area?
Bear Creek Conservation Area lies in Laclede County. Hunters checked 3,328 deer in Laclede County in 2025, against 3,168 in 2024.
| County | Bear Creek Conservation Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laclede County | 729 | 3,328 | 3,168 | 4,001 |
Harvest for the whole county, not the conservation area alone: MDC deer harvest summaries (2021 to 2025 seasons).
How do you get to Bear Creek Conservation Area?
MDC's directions: From Lebanon, take I-44 east 5.50 miles, take exit 135 to the South Outer Road and go east 0.10 mile, then Rustic Drive south 1.50 miles.
Nearest towns: Stoutland (4 miles), Lebanon (5 miles), Richland (10 miles) and Evergreen (12 miles). Highways within 5 miles: I-44, MO 32 and MO 5.
What other public land is near Bear Creek Conservation Area?
MDC lands within 10 miles:
- Coleman Memorial Conservation Area: 65 acres, 5.9 miles away
- Long Ford Access: 40 acres, 9.6 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Bear Creek Conservation Area
Counting Bear Creek Conservation Area itself, 750 of the 49,923 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (1.5%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and MDC conservation area boundaries.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| MDC conservation areas | 750 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Bear Creek Conservation Area?
In Laclede County, 4 miles from Stoutland.
Can you deer hunt on Bear Creek Conservation Area?
Yes, by MDC's page: archery and firearms, antlerless permits allowed.
How much public land is around Bear Creek Conservation Area?
750 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Bear Creek Conservation Area included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and MDC conservation area boundaries. The closest other MDC area is Coleman Memorial Conservation Area (5.9 miles).
Get a Missouri hunt plan when they open
Hunt plans for Missouri are coming. Join the list and you'll hear first. The first 50 hunters in each new state get their plan free.
Until then, the free FilledTag app for iPhone has a map that works in every state, Missouri included.
Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: MDC, Bear Creek Conservation Area; MDC conservation area boundaries.
- Boundary and acres: MDC's map layer above. Surrounding public land: USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public) and MDC conservation area boundaries.
- Deer harvest: MDC deer harvest summaries (2021 to 2025 seasons).
FilledTag is not part of the Missouri Department of Conservation. Check MDC's rules and posted signs before you go.