Carter Creek Conservation Area: hunting and access
Carter Creek Conservation Area is 444 acres of MDC land in Carter County, 4 miles from Van Buren. MDC lists deer hunting here (archery and firearms, archery antlerless permits only). Hunters checked 2,210 deer in Carter 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 areasNational forestNational park land (Ozark National Scenic Riverways and others)Carter Creek Conservation AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 444 acres (407 by MDC's page) in 2 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Carter County |
| Deer harvest unit | Carter County |
| MDC lists for hunting | Deer, Bear, Turkey and Squirrel |
| MDC area number | 9514 |
| MDC region | Ozark |
| Camping (MDC) | open camping - walk-in/float-in/backpack |
| Nearest towns | Van Buren (4 mi), Hunter (10 mi) and Ellsinore (11 mi) |
What can you hunt on Carter Creek Conservation Area?
MDC's page for Carter Creek Conservation Area lists: Deer: archery and firearms, archery antlerless permits only; Bear: archery and firearms; Turkey: archery and firearms; Squirrel.
What are the rules on Carter Creek 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 Carter Creek Conservation Area?
Carter Creek Conservation Area lies in Carter County. Hunters checked 2,210 deer in Carter County in 2025, against 1,539 in 2024.
| County | Carter Creek Conservation Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carter County | 444 | 2,210 | 1,539 | 2,942 |
Harvest for the whole county, not the conservation area alone: MDC deer harvest summaries (2021 to 2025 seasons).
How do you get to Carter Creek Conservation Area?
MDC's directions: Two tracts.
Nearest towns: Van Buren (4 miles), Hunter (10 miles), Ellsinore (11 miles) and Mill Spring (13 miles). Highways within 5 miles: US 60, MO 21 and MO 34.
What other public land is near Carter Creek Conservation Area?
MDC lands within 10 miles:
- Miller Community Lake: 60 acres, next to it
- Clearwater Conservation Area: 11,405 acres, 1.1 miles away
- Clearwater Lake Management Lands: 16,791 acres, 5.7 miles away
- Current River Conservation Area: 29,828 acres, 5.9 miles away
- Peck Ranch Conservation Area: 29,462 acres, 6.9 miles away
- Rocky Creek Conservation Area: 42,323 acres, 8.7 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Carter Creek Conservation Area
Counting Carter Creek Conservation Area itself, 789 of the 29,329 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (2.7%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and MDC conservation area boundaries.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| MDC conservation areas | 789 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Carter Creek Conservation Area?
In Carter County, 4 miles from Van Buren.
Can you deer hunt on Carter Creek Conservation Area?
Yes, by MDC's page: archery and firearms, archery antlerless permits only.
How much public land is around Carter Creek Conservation Area?
789 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Carter Creek Conservation Area included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and MDC conservation area boundaries. The closest other MDC area is Miller Community Lake (next to it).
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, Carter Creek 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.