Danville Conservation Area: hunting and access
Danville Conservation Area is 3,142 acres of MDC land in Montgomery County, next to Danville. MDC lists deer hunting here (archery and firearms, archery antlerless permits only). Hunters checked 3,419 deer in Montgomery 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 areasState parks and historic sitesDanville Conservation AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 3,142 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Montgomery County |
| Deer harvest unit | Montgomery County |
| MDC lists for hunting | Deer, Turkey, Rabbit, Squirrel and Quail |
| MDC area number | 6507 |
| MDC region | Central |
| Camping (MDC) | designated camping sites and individual campsites |
| Nearest towns | Danville (next to it), New Florence (3 mi) and Big Spring (4 mi) |
What is Danville Conservation Area like?
Danville Conservation Area is in Montgomery County, southeast of the community of Danville on Route RB. Mostly wooded, this 3,136 acre area features numerous narrow ridges between the tributaries of the Clear, Pinch, and Dishwater creeks. Limestone glades, dry limestone/dolomite woodland, and dry sandstone woodland found on the area offer unique habitat for a flora that is very similar to the traditional Ozarks south of the Missouri River. The dry glades support pale-purple coneflower, glade coneflower, prairie clovers, and Indian paintbrush among many other species. The Danville Glades Natural Area is split with 48 acres being found near the northwest corner of the area and 313 acres on the east side of the area. The north central tract was purchased in 1965. Historically known as The Snake Ranch because of the purported abundance of snakes. The large ridge on the east side of the area was locally known as The Dog Farm because fox and wolf hounds were bred and raised there in the 1920s. Additional land purchases, such as the Baldwin Annex (700 acres), the Thornhill and Shulze Annex (701 acres) and the Carlton Tract (198 acres) were made in 1982. In 2014, the Wansong Tract (492 acres) was purchased. Some portions of the area were donated to the Department while other portions were acquired through the Federal Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act funds administered by the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The area is popular with deer and turkey hunters as well as native plant enthusiasts. The unique geologic formations exposed on the area are best seen in the fall through the spring. Forest management and prescribed fires are frequently used to maintain the open woodland and glade communities.
In MDC's words, from the Danville Conservation Area page.
What can you hunt on Danville Conservation Area?
MDC's page for Danville Conservation Area lists: Deer: archery and firearms, archery antlerless permits only; Turkey: archery and firearms; Rabbit; Squirrel; Quail.
What are the rules on Danville 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 Danville Conservation Area?
Danville Conservation Area lies in Montgomery County. Hunters checked 3,419 deer in Montgomery County in 2025, against 3,206 in 2024.
| County | Danville Conservation Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montgomery County | 3,142 | 3,419 | 3,206 | 3,645 |
Harvest for the whole county, not the conservation area alone: MDC deer harvest summaries (2021 to 2025 seasons).
How do you get to Danville Conservation Area?
MDC's directions: From I-70 Danville exit 170, take the south outer road east 2 miles, then Route RB south 2 miles to the entrance.
Nearest towns: Danville (next to it), New Florence (3 miles), Big Spring (4 miles) and Montgomery City (6 miles). Highways within 5 miles: I-70, US 40, MO 19 and MO 161.
What other public land is near Danville Conservation Area?
MDC lands within 10 miles:
- Loutre Lick Access: 155 acres, 1.7 miles away
- Daniel Boone Conservation Area: 3,622 acres, 6.4 miles away
- Whetstone Creek Conservation Area: 5,318 acres, 8.2 miles away
- Prairie Fork Conservation Area: 913 acres, 9.2 miles away
- Wellsville Lake Conservation Area: 130 acres, 9.7 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Danville Conservation Area
Counting Danville Conservation Area itself, 3,688 of the 42,533 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (8.7%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and MDC conservation area boundaries.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| MDC conservation areas | 3,382 |
| State parks and historic sites | 306 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Danville Conservation Area?
In Montgomery County, next to Danville.
Can you deer hunt on Danville Conservation Area?
Yes, by MDC's page: archery and firearms, archery antlerless permits only.
How much public land is around Danville Conservation Area?
3,688 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Danville Conservation Area included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and MDC conservation area boundaries. The closest other MDC area is Loutre Lick Access (1.7 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, Danville 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.