Bonanza Conservation Area: hunting and access
Bonanza Conservation Area is 1,942 acres of MDC land in Caldwell County, 2 miles from Kingston. MDC lists deer hunting here (archery and firearms, antlerless permits not allowed). Hunters checked 2,129 deer in Caldwell 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 areasMRAP landBonanza Conservation AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 1,942 acres in 2 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Caldwell County |
| Deer harvest unit | Caldwell County |
| MDC lists for hunting | Deer, Turkey, Rabbit, Squirrel, Dove and Quail |
| MDC area number | 6805 |
| MDC region | Northwest |
| Camping (MDC) | individual campsites |
| Nearest towns | Kingston (2 mi), Cowgill (4 mi) and Polo (5 mi) |
What is Bonanza Conservation Area like?
The Conservation Department created this area in 1968 with the purchase of 1,024 acres from several landowners. Later acquisitions of 924 acres have increased the area's current size. This conservation area was acquired in part through the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Pittman-Robertson funds are generated from a federal excise tax on sporting arms and ammunition. Because of its size and diversity of habitat, Bonanza Conservation Area is managed for a wide range of game and nongame wildlife species. The area's open fields are managed by farming, haying and controlled burning. Other habitat management includes tree, shrub and grass plantings and selective timber harvest. Native grasses have been planted and managed to improve nesting habitat and winter cover. A few streams run through the area; the largest of these are Shoal Creek and Crabapple Creek. Bonanza Conservation Area is a Quail Restoration Landscape. This means additional emphasis is placed upon managing the area for early successional species such as Bobwhite quail.
Area closed to bicycle use (and horseback riding) during all portions of the firearms deer hunting season and spring turkey hunting seasons.
In MDC's words, from the Bonanza Conservation Area page.
What can you hunt on Bonanza Conservation Area?
MDC's page for Bonanza Conservation Area lists: Deer: archery and firearms, antlerless permits not allowed; Turkey: archery and firearms; Rabbit; Squirrel; Dove; Quail.
What are the rules on Bonanza 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 Bonanza Conservation Area?
Bonanza Conservation Area lies in Caldwell County. Hunters checked 2,129 deer in Caldwell County in 2025, against 1,854 in 2024.
| County | Bonanza Conservation Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caldwell County | 1,942 | 2,129 | 1,854 | 1,919 |
Harvest for the whole county, not the conservation area alone: MDC deer harvest summaries (2021 to 2025 seasons).
How do you get to Bonanza Conservation Area?
MDC's directions: From Kingston, take Highway 13 south 2 miles, then Route F east 5 miles.
Nearest towns: Kingston (2 miles), Cowgill (4 miles), Polo (5 miles) and Braymer (7 miles). Highways within 5 miles: MO 13 and MO 116. 1 MRAP tract within 3 miles.
What other public land is near Bonanza Conservation Area?
MDC lands within 10 miles:
- Hamilton City Lake: 80 acres, 8.2 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Bonanza Conservation Area
Counting Bonanza Conservation Area itself, 1,943 of the 39,529 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (4.9%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and MDC conservation area boundaries.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| MDC conservation areas | 1,943 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Bonanza Conservation Area?
In Caldwell County, 2 miles from Kingston.
Can you deer hunt on Bonanza Conservation Area?
Yes, by MDC's page: archery and firearms, antlerless permits not allowed.
How much public land is around Bonanza Conservation Area?
1,943 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Bonanza Conservation Area included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and MDC conservation area boundaries. The closest other MDC area is Hamilton City Lake (8.2 miles).
Get a Missouri hunt plan when they open
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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, Bonanza 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.