Corkwood Conservation Area: hunting and access
Corkwood Conservation Area is 442 acres of MDC land in Butler County, next to Neelyville. MDC lists deer hunting here (archery only, antlerless permits allowed). Hunters checked 1,852 deer in Butler 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 areasLand trusts and other open landCorkwood Conservation AreaCounty lineHighway
| Size | 442 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Butler County |
| Deer harvest unit | Butler County |
| MDC lists for hunting | Deer, Bear, Turkey, Rabbit, Squirrel, Dove and Quail |
| MDC area number | 8424 |
| MDC region | Southeast |
| Camping (MDC) | open camping - walk-in/float-in/backpack |
| Nearest towns | Neelyville (next to it), Naylor (4 mi) and Harviell (7 mi) |
What is Corkwood Conservation Area like?
Corkwood Conservation Area is in Butler County, about one mile west of Neelyville on Highway 142. The Conservation Department purchased this 434-acre area, which is one of the few remaining tracts of bottomland forest in southeastern Missouri, in 1984 in order to protect and manage its forest communities and the rare and endangered species they support.
This area contains part of an unusual sand dune field with many forested dunes that rise two-four feet above adjacent swales. The forested dunes support plant species often associated with upland areas, including white oak, sugar maple, black walnut, Kentucky coffeetree, sassafras, and pawpaw. Corkwood, a rare shrub found in wet swales on the area, has the lightest wood of any wood plant in North America and occurs in only three southeastern counties in Missouri. Other species found in the wet swales include buttonbush, willow, cottonwood, and swamp red maple. The bottomland forest at Corkwood Conservation Area is dominated by willow oak and includes swamp red maple, hickories, sugarberry, green ash, overcup oak, winged elm, red mulberry, persimmon, and deciduous holly. Tree seedlings and acorns have been planted in most open fields to help restore the diverse forest communities that...
In MDC's words, from the Corkwood Conservation Area page.
What can you hunt on Corkwood Conservation Area?
MDC's page for Corkwood Conservation Area lists: Deer: archery only, antlerless permits allowed; Bear: archery and firearms; Turkey: archery and firearms; Rabbit; Squirrel; Dove; Quail.
What are the rules on Corkwood 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 Corkwood Conservation Area?
Corkwood Conservation Area lies in Butler County. Hunters checked 1,852 deer in Butler County in 2025, against 1,490 in 2024.
| County | Corkwood Conservation Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Butler County | 442 | 1,852 | 1,490 | 2,045 |
Harvest for the whole county, not the conservation area alone: MDC deer harvest summaries (2021 to 2025 seasons).
How do you get to Corkwood Conservation Area?
MDC's directions: From Neelyville, take Highway 142 west for 1.3 miles. The area will be on your left.
Nearest towns: Neelyville (next to it), Naylor (4 miles), Harviell (7 miles) and Fairdealing (8 miles). Highways within 5 miles: MO 142 and US 67.
What other public land is near Corkwood Conservation Area?
MDC lands within 10 miles:
- Big Cane Conservation Area: 2,138 acres, 2.6 miles away
- Sand Pond Conservation Area: 302 acres, 4.1 miles away
- Allred Lake Natural Area: 165 acres, 5.9 miles away
- Hemenway Conservation Area: 173 acres, 6 miles away
- Coon Island Conservation Area: 3,179 acres, 6.8 miles away
- Harviell Access: 40 acres, 8.3 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Corkwood Conservation Area
Counting Corkwood Conservation Area itself, 557 of the 25,322 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (2.2%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and MDC conservation area boundaries.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| MDC conservation areas | 557 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Corkwood Conservation Area?
In Butler County, next to Neelyville.
Can you deer hunt on Corkwood Conservation Area?
Yes, by MDC's page: archery only, antlerless permits allowed.
How much public land is around Corkwood Conservation Area?
557 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Corkwood Conservation Area included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and MDC conservation area boundaries. The closest other MDC area is Big Cane Conservation Area (2.6 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, Corkwood 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.