Bushwhacker Lake Conservation Area: hunting and access
Bushwhacker Lake Conservation Area is 4,817 acres of MDC land in Vernon and Barton counties, 2 miles from Bronaugh. MDC lists deer hunting here (muzzleloader and archery, archery antlerless permits only). Hunters checked 3,131 deer in Vernon 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 areasBushwhacker Lake Conservation AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 4,817 acres in 3 pieces |
|---|---|
| Counties | Vernon County and Barton County |
| Deer harvest unit | Vernon County, Barton County |
| MDC lists for hunting | Deer, Bear, Turkey, Rabbit, Squirrel, Dove and Quail |
| MDC area number | 7823 |
| MDC region | Southwest |
| Camping (MDC) | designated camping sites and individual campsites |
| Nearest towns | Bronaugh (2 mi), Sheldon (5 mi) and Moundville (5 mi) |
What is Bushwhacker Lake Conservation Area like?
During the Civil War, Kansas Jayhawkers ambushed local residents believed to be Confederate sympathizers. In retaliation, those men, known as bushwhackers, banded together and started their own guerilla war against the Union. The guerilla warfare soon spilled over into Missouri, and some fierce fighting took place along Little Dry Wood Creek. Bushwhacker is an appropriate name for the conservation area that now covers 4,790 acres along the Vernon and Barton county lines.
Historically, nearly the whole area was prairie, with timber only along Little Dry Wood Creek and its drainages. Before it became public land, much of the original prairie had been plowed and put into crops, or disced and seeded to fescue. The more than 1,400 acres of prairie remaining today are being restored through controlled grazing, herbicide treatment, and burning. About 120 acres of native hay meadows also remain and harbor the same plant communities that buffalo once grazed. During your visit to Bushwhacker Lake Conservation Area, you may observe various wildlife management, research, and soil conservation activities. Any physical disturbance is only temporary. Wildlife, such as quail, rabbits, and deer, are common. Each Fall and Spring, hundreds of waterfowl use the area's lakes and ponds. One of the drainages was dammed in 1982 to make the 157-acre Bushwhacker Lake. This lake,...
In MDC's words, from the Bushwhacker Lake Conservation Area page.
What can you hunt on Bushwhacker Lake Conservation Area?
MDC's page for Bushwhacker Lake Conservation Area lists: Deer: muzzleloader and archery, archery antlerless permits only; Bear: archery and firearms; Turkey: archery and firearms; Rabbit; Squirrel; Dove; Quail.
What are the rules on Bushwhacker Lake 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 Bushwhacker Lake Conservation Area?
Bushwhacker Lake Conservation Area lies in 2 counties. Hunters checked 3,131 deer in Vernon County in 2025, against 3,183 in 2024.
| County | Bushwhacker Lake Conservation Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vernon County | 4,749 | 3,131 | 3,183 | 3,197 |
| Barton County | 68 | 1,844 | 1,850 | 1,966 |
Harvest for the whole county, not the conservation area alone: MDC deer harvest summaries (2021 to 2025 seasons).
How do you get to Bushwhacker Lake Conservation Area?
MDC's directions: From Bronaugh, take Highway 43 south 2.50 miles to Zodiac Road, then east 1 mile to the area.
Nearest towns: Bronaugh (2 miles), Sheldon (5 miles), Moundville (5 miles) and Milo (6 miles). Highways within 5 miles: I-49, US 71 and MO 43.
What other public land is near Bushwhacker Lake Conservation Area?
MDC lands within 10 miles:
- Comstock Prairie Conservation Area: 313 acres, 1.1 miles away
- Osage Prairie Conservation Area: 1,562 acres, 3.7 miles away
- Buffalo Wallow Prairie Conservation Area: 1,144 acres, 3.8 miles away
- Drywood Conservation Area: 98 acres, 4.5 miles away
- Little Osage Prairie: 80 acres, 5.2 miles away
- Redwing Prairie Conservation Area: 166 acres, 6.3 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Bushwhacker Lake Conservation Area
Counting Bushwhacker Lake Conservation Area itself, 5,130 of the 54,231 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (9.5%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and MDC conservation area boundaries.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| MDC conservation areas | 5,130 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Bushwhacker Lake Conservation Area?
In Vernon and Barton counties, 2 miles from Bronaugh.
Can you deer hunt on Bushwhacker Lake Conservation Area?
Yes, by MDC's page: muzzleloader and archery, archery antlerless permits only.
How much public land is around Bushwhacker Lake Conservation Area?
5,130 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Bushwhacker Lake Conservation Area included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and MDC conservation area boundaries. The closest other MDC area is Comstock Prairie Conservation Area (1.1 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, Bushwhacker Lake 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.