Big Cane Conservation Area: hunting and access
Big Cane Conservation Area is 2,138 acres of MDC land in Butler County, 3 miles from Neelyville. MDC lists deer hunting here (archery and firearms, archery antlerless permits only). Hunters checked 1,852 deer in Butler 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 areasOther state landBig Cane Conservation AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 2,138 acres in 2 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Butler County |
| Deer harvest unit | Butler County |
| MDC lists for hunting | Deer, Bear, Turkey, Rabbit, Squirrel, Dove and Quail |
| MDC area number | 8014 |
| MDC region | Southeast |
| Camping (MDC) | designated camping sites |
| Nearest towns | Neelyville (3 mi), Naylor (7 mi) and Harviell (8 mi) |
What is Big Cane Conservation Area like?
Big Cane Conservation Area is located in Butler County along the Missouri-Arkansas state line. Encompassing approximately 2,154 acres, the area was acquired in 1980 and represents a significant remnant of the once- extensive bottomland hardwood forests that historically dominated the lowlands of Southeastern Missouri.
Today, the area is managed with a primary focus on forest and wetland conservation, emphasizing the preservation and enhancement of diverse bottomland habitats. These include forested wetlands, streams, sloughs, shrub swamps, and seasonal wetlands within the Black River floodplain. Management efforts are directed toward maintaining ecological integrity and supporting a wide range of native plant and animal communities. The area provides important habitat for several Species of Conservation Concern (SOCCs) associated with bottomland hardwood systems and adjacent wetlands. Notable examples include Nuttall Oak and Water Oak, which are structural species in bottomland communities, and Water Tupelo indicative of seasonally flooded wetlands and slough habitats. In addition, rare understory plants such as Corkwood, Pondberry, and various sedges may occur in mesic and hydric microsites,...
In MDC's words, from the Big Cane Conservation Area page.
What can you hunt on Big Cane Conservation Area?
MDC's page for Big Cane Conservation Area lists: Deer: archery and firearms, archery antlerless permits only; Bear: archery and firearms; Turkey: archery and firearms; Rabbit; Squirrel; Dove; Quail.
What are the rules on Big Cane 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 Big Cane Conservation Area?
Big Cane Conservation Area lies in Butler County. Hunters checked 1,852 deer in Butler County in 2025, against 1,490 in 2024.
| County | Big Cane Conservation Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Butler County | 2,138 | 1,852 | 1,490 | 2,045 |
Harvest for the whole county, not the conservation area alone: MDC deer harvest summaries (2021 to 2025 seasons).
How do you get to Big Cane Conservation Area?
MDC's directions: Area consists of two tracts.
Nearest towns: Neelyville (3 miles), Naylor (7 miles), Harviell (8 miles) and Qulin (10 miles). Highways within 5 miles: MO 142 and US 67.
What other public land is near Big Cane Conservation Area?
MDC lands within 10 miles:
- Allred Lake Natural Area: 165 acres, 0.8 miles away
- Coon Island Conservation Area: 3,179 acres, 1.9 miles away
- Corkwood Conservation Area: 442 acres, 2.6 miles away
- Sand Pond Conservation Area: 302 acres, 5 miles away
- Hemenway Conservation Area: 173 acres, 8.2 miles away
- Harviell Access: 40 acres, 8.8 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Big Cane Conservation Area
Counting Big Cane Conservation Area itself, 3,324 of the 46,147 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (7.2%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and MDC conservation area boundaries.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| MDC conservation areas | 3,284 |
| Other state land | 40 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Big Cane Conservation Area?
In Butler County, 3 miles from Neelyville.
Can you deer hunt on Big Cane Conservation Area?
Yes, by MDC's page: archery and firearms, archery antlerless permits only.
How much public land is around Big Cane Conservation Area?
3,324 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Big Cane Conservation Area included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and MDC conservation area boundaries. The closest other MDC area is Allred Lake Natural Area (0.8 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, Big Cane 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.