Brickyard Hill Conservation Area: hunting and access
Brickyard Hill Conservation Area is 2,930 acres of MDC land in Atchison County, 2 miles from Watson. MDC lists deer hunting here (archery and firearms, antlerless permits not allowed). Hunters checked 540 deer in Atchison 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 areasBrickyard Hill Conservation AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 2,930 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Atchison County |
| Deer harvest unit | Atchison County |
| MDC lists for hunting | Deer, Turkey, Rabbit and Squirrel |
| MDC area number | 6301 |
| MDC region | Northwest |
| Camping (MDC) | individual campsites |
| Nearest towns | Watson (2 mi), Rock Port (2 mi) and Phelps City (3 mi) |
What is Brickyard Hill Conservation Area like?
Located in Atchison County, Brickyard Hill Conservation Area was created in 1962. Adjoining tracts were later acquired to comprise its current acres.
The soil of the area is a type known as loess. It was formed primarily by deposits of silt and clay after the retreat of the glaciers. Soil depth varies from 10 to 90 feet. The loess soil was found to be ideal for making bricks, and the area was named after a brick factory that was established here around 1900. Because of its size and diversity, the area is managed for a wide range of game and non-game wildlife. Deer, turkey, and squirrels are abundant. Forested areas are diverse, containing lowland species like cottonwood and willow as well as upland hardwoods like hickory, American elm, red oak, and bur oak. A bur oak more than 300 years old has been found on a remote part of the area. The Brickyard Hill Loess Mounds Natural Area is on the southwest side of the area. Dry loess hill prairies, found only in this corner of Missouri and the river bluffs in extreme western Iowa, are...
In MDC's words, from the Brickyard Hill Conservation Area page.
What can you hunt on Brickyard Hill Conservation Area?
MDC's page for Brickyard Hill Conservation Area lists: Deer: archery and firearms, antlerless permits not allowed; Turkey: archery and firearms; Rabbit; Squirrel.
What are the rules on Brickyard Hill Conservation Area?
Hunting: Hunting is permitted on this Department area. Special seasons, methods, and limits may apply.
Every conservation area also follows MDC's standard rules in Chapter 11 of the Wildlife Code; the area's full rules are on MDC's site.
How many deer are taken around Brickyard Hill Conservation Area?
Brickyard Hill Conservation Area lies in Atchison County. Hunters checked 540 deer in Atchison County in 2025, against 575 in 2024.
| County | Brickyard Hill Conservation Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atchison County | 2,930 | 540 | 575 | 562 |
Harvest for the whole county, not the conservation area alone: MDC deer harvest summaries (2021 to 2025 seasons).
How do you get to Brickyard Hill Conservation Area?
MDC's directions: From I-29 Exit 116, take Route B east for 0.125 mile, then Route RA southeast 0.125 mile to area entrance.
Nearest towns: Watson (2 miles), Rock Port (2 miles), Phelps City (3 miles) and Tarkio (8 miles). Highways within 5 miles: I-29, US 275, US 136 and MO 111.
What other public land is near Brickyard Hill Conservation Area?
MDC lands within 10 miles:
- Nishnabotna Conservation Area: 2,832 acres, 3.2 miles away
- Star School Hill Prairie Conservation Area: 292 acres, 3.6 miles away
- Lower Hamburg Bend Conservation Area: 2,405 acres, 7.6 miles away
- Aspinwall Bend: 704 acres, 8.5 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Brickyard Hill Conservation Area
Counting Brickyard Hill Conservation Area itself, 2,972 of the 42,954 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (6.9%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and MDC conservation area boundaries.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| MDC conservation areas | 2,972 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Brickyard Hill Conservation Area?
In Atchison County, 2 miles from Watson.
Can you deer hunt on Brickyard Hill Conservation Area?
Yes, by MDC's page: archery and firearms, antlerless permits not allowed.
How much public land is around Brickyard Hill Conservation Area?
2,972 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Brickyard Hill Conservation Area included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and MDC conservation area boundaries. The closest other MDC area is Nishnabotna Conservation Area (3.2 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, Brickyard Hill 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.