Hardin Conservation Area: hunting and access
Hardin Conservation Area is 242 acres of MDC land in Ray County, next to Hardin. MDC lists deer hunting here (archery and firearms, antlerless permits allowed). Hunters checked 1,800 deer in Ray 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 sitesHardin Conservation AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 242 acres in 2 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Ray County |
| Deer harvest unit | Ray County |
| MDC lists for hunting | Deer and Turkey |
| MDC area number | 9618 |
| MDC region | Northwest |
| Camping (MDC) | individual campsites |
| Nearest towns | Hardin (next to it), Lexington (5 mi) and Henrietta (5 mi) |
What can you hunt on Hardin Conservation Area?
MDC's page for Hardin Conservation Area lists: Deer: archery and firearms, antlerless permits allowed; Turkey: archery and firearms.
What are the rules on Hardin 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 Hardin Conservation Area?
Hardin Conservation Area lies in Ray County. Hunters checked 1,800 deer in Ray County in 2025, against 1,588 in 2024.
| County | Hardin Conservation Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ray County | 242 | 1,800 | 1,588 | 1,746 |
Harvest for the whole county, not the conservation area alone: MDC deer harvest summaries (2021 to 2025 seasons).
How do you get to Hardin Conservation Area?
MDC's directions: From Hardin, take Route J south 0.75 mile to area entrance.
Nearest towns: Hardin (next to it), Lexington (5 miles), Henrietta (5 miles) and Richmond (7 miles). Highways within 5 miles: MO 13, MO 210, MO 224, US 24 and MO 10.
What other public land is near Hardin Conservation Area?
MDC lands within 10 miles:
- Ray County Community Lake: 166 acres, 8.5 miles away
- Frank E. Wagner Conservation Area: 133 acres, 8.9 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Hardin Conservation Area
Counting Hardin Conservation Area itself, 243 of the 23,320 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (1%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and MDC conservation area boundaries.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| MDC conservation areas | 243 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Hardin Conservation Area?
In Ray County, next to Hardin.
Can you deer hunt on Hardin Conservation Area?
Yes, by MDC's page: archery and firearms, antlerless permits allowed.
How much public land is around Hardin Conservation Area?
243 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Hardin Conservation Area included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and MDC conservation area boundaries. The closest other MDC area is Ray County Community Lake (8.5 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, Hardin 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.