Birdsong Conservation Area: hunting and access
Birdsong Conservation Area is 422 acres of MDC land in St. Clair County, 4 miles from Collins. MDC lists deer hunting here (archery and firearms, antlerless permits allowed). Hunters checked 3,383 deer in St. Clair 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 areasBirdsong Conservation AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 422 acres |
|---|---|
| County | St. Clair County |
| Deer harvest unit | St. Clair County |
| MDC lists for hunting | Deer, Bear, Turkey and Squirrel |
| MDC area number | 8043 |
| MDC region | Kansas City |
| Camping (MDC) | open camping - walk-in/float-in/backpack and designated camping sites |
| Nearest towns | Collins (4 mi), Humansville (8 mi) and Vista (8 mi) |
What is Birdsong Conservation Area like?
Birdsong Conservation Area contains oak savannas and woodlands with expanses of dolomite glade common on thin soils and bluffs along Brush Creek.
This area also contains several large pockets of native grassland. Restoration efforts are underway including tree planting, grass planting, tree removal, and prescribed burning. The Niangua darter, listed as state endangered and federally threatened, is documented within Brush Creek, which runs through the center and western boundary of Birdsong CA. The diversity of aquatic species and the quality of Brush Creek led to the designation of Brush Creek Natural Area on Birdsong CA. Forty-one species of fish have been recorded in the area and invertebrate life is also diverse. Large golden redhorse, longear sunfish, northern hog sucker, Ozark minnow, bleeding shiner, and striped fantail and rainbow darters are some of the common fish. This part of Brush Creek has also been listed as Critical Habitat for the Niangua Darter, a federally threatened species. Area accesstrails provide...
In MDC's words, from the Birdsong Conservation Area page.
What can you hunt on Birdsong Conservation Area?
MDC's page for Birdsong Conservation Area lists: Deer: archery and firearms, antlerless permits allowed; Bear: archery and firearms; Turkey: archery and firearms; Squirrel.
What are the rules on Birdsong 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 Birdsong Conservation Area?
Birdsong Conservation Area lies in St. Clair County. Hunters checked 3,383 deer in St. Clair County in 2025, against 3,309 in 2024.
| County | Birdsong Conservation Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Clair County | 422 | 3,383 | 3,309 | 3,990 |
Harvest for the whole county, not the conservation area alone: MDC deer harvest summaries (2021 to 2025 seasons).
How do you get to Birdsong Conservation Area?
MDC's directions: From Collins, take Highway 54 west about 4 miles, then Route J south 2.50 miles.
Nearest towns: Collins (4 miles), Humansville (8 miles), Vista (8 miles) and Roscoe (9 miles). Highways within 5 miles: MO 13 and US 54.
What other public land is near Birdsong Conservation Area?
MDC lands within 10 miles:
- Blackjack Access: 209 acres, 1 mile away
- Brush Creek Conservation Area: 149 acres, 4.8 miles away
- Turkey Creek Conservation Area: 158 acres, 5.1 miles away
- Bluff Springs Conservation Area: 415 acres, 5.1 miles away
- Truman Reservoir Management Lands (Sac-Osage): 6,267 acres, 5.8 miles away
- Truman Reservoir Management Lands (Salt Creek): 3,708 acres, 8.2 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Birdsong Conservation Area
Counting Birdsong Conservation Area itself, 632 of the 27,273 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (2.3%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and MDC conservation area boundaries.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| MDC conservation areas | 631 |
| State parks and historic sites | 1 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Birdsong Conservation Area?
In St. Clair County, 4 miles from Collins.
Can you deer hunt on Birdsong Conservation Area?
Yes, by MDC's page: archery and firearms, antlerless permits allowed.
How much public land is around Birdsong Conservation Area?
632 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Birdsong Conservation Area included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and MDC conservation area boundaries. The closest other MDC area is Blackjack Access (1 mile).
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, Birdsong 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.