Clear Creek Conservation Area: hunting and access
Clear Creek Conservation Area is 980 acres of MDC land in Vernon and Barton counties, 2 miles from Sheldon. 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 areasClear Creek Conservation AreaCounty lineHighway
| Size | 980 acres |
|---|---|
| Counties | Vernon County and Barton County |
| Deer harvest unit | Vernon County, Barton County |
| MDC lists for hunting | Deer, Bear, Turkey, Rabbit, Squirrel and Quail |
| MDC area number | 8919 |
| MDC region | Southwest |
| Nearest towns | Sheldon (2 mi), Irwin (4 mi) and Milford (5 mi) |
What is Clear Creek Conservation Area like?
This area is mostly prairie, but also contains more than 250 acres of woodlands. Five ponds (5.20 acres total) and a stream (Clear Creek) provide fishing opportunities. This area also has good deer and turkey hunting opportunities. Deer hunting is allowed by Archery and Muzzleloader methods only (only archery antlerless permits are allowed). Trapping is allowed by Special Use Permit.
In MDC's words, from the Clear Creek Conservation Area page.
What can you hunt on Clear Creek Conservation Area?
MDC's page for Clear Creek Conservation Area lists: Deer: muzzleloader and archery, archery antlerless permits only; Bear: archery and firearms; Turkey: archery and firearms; Rabbit; Squirrel; Quail.
What are the rules on Clear 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 Clear Creek Conservation Area?
Clear Creek Conservation Area lies in 2 counties. Hunters checked 3,131 deer in Vernon County in 2025, against 3,183 in 2024.
| County | Clear Creek Conservation Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vernon County | 573 | 3,131 | 3,183 | 3,197 |
| Barton County | 407 | 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 Clear Creek Conservation Area?
MDC's directions: From Sheldon, take Route B east a little more than 0.75 mile, then NE 10th Lane south, and NE 100th Road east, then NE 20th Lane south, then NE 90th Road east.
Nearest towns: Sheldon (2 miles), Irwin (4 miles), Milford (5 miles) and Milo (8 miles). Highways within 5 miles: I-49 and US 71.
What other public land is near Clear Creek Conservation Area?
MDC lands within 10 miles:
- Edward B. and Marie O. Risch Conservation Area: 173 acres, 0.5 miles away
- Buffalo Wallow Prairie Conservation Area: 1,144 acres, 1.1 miles away
- Gay Feather Prairie Conservation Area: 111 acres, 5.4 miles away
- Osage Prairie Conservation Area: 1,562 acres, 6.3 miles away
- Bushwhacker Lake Conservation Area: 4,817 acres, 6.7 miles away
- Pawhuska Prairie: 74 acres, 7 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Clear Creek Conservation Area
Counting Clear Creek Conservation Area itself, 1,872 of the 31,762 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (5.9%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and MDC conservation area boundaries.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| MDC conservation areas | 1,872 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Clear Creek Conservation Area?
In Vernon and Barton counties, 2 miles from Sheldon.
Can you deer hunt on Clear Creek Conservation Area?
Yes, by MDC's page: muzzleloader and archery, archery antlerless permits only.
How much public land is around Clear Creek Conservation Area?
1,872 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Clear Creek Conservation Area included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and MDC conservation area boundaries. The closest other MDC area is Edward B. and Marie O. Risch Conservation Area (0.5 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, Clear 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.