Hi Lonesome Prairie Conservation Area: hunting and access
Hi Lonesome Prairie Conservation Area is 650 acres of MDC land in Benton County, next to Cole Camp. MDC lists deer hunting here (muzzleloader and archery, archery antlerless permits only). Hunters checked 4,228 deer in Benton 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 areasHi Lonesome Prairie Conservation AreaCounty lineHighway
| Size | 650 acres in 2 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Benton County |
| Deer harvest unit | Benton County |
| MDC lists for hunting | Deer, Bear, Turkey, Rabbit, Dove and Quail |
| MDC area number | 8740 |
| MDC region | Kansas City |
| Nearest towns | Cole Camp (next to it), Ionia (5 mi) and Lincoln (7 mi) |
What is Hi Lonesome Prairie Conservation Area like?
This 655-acre native prairie was purchased from Vaughn Lumpee in 1987. Mr. Lumpee ran a cattle operation on this area and he had a great fondness for the cowboy lifestyle. The unusual name for this area can be traced to the traditional greeting that one cowboy might give to another when meeting out on the vast prairies, "Hi Lonesome". These words hung above Mr. Lumpee's cabin home.
This area has been designated by Missouri Audubon as an Important Bird Area (IBA). IBAs are sites that have been identified by Audubon as those that are the most crucial for bird populations, due to their abundance and/or diversity of birds present. High quality grasslands are important habitat for many species. This area is a remnant of a once vast prairie ecosystem that provides habitat for a diverse group of plants and animals. Because less than one-half of one percent of our original prairie remains, some of these species have become increasingly rare. Area managers use prescribed fire, grazing, and other management practices to maintain healthy grasslands, simulate historic disturbances, and limit the negative impacts of invasive plants. There are several species of conservation concern which find a home on this area: Grasshopper sparrows,Henslow sparrows, and Upland sandpipers.
In MDC's words, from the Hi Lonesome Prairie Conservation Area page.
What can you hunt on Hi Lonesome Prairie Conservation Area?
MDC's page for Hi Lonesome Prairie Conservation Area lists: Deer: muzzleloader and archery, archery antlerless permits only; Bear: archery and firearms; Turkey: archery and firearms; Rabbit; Dove; Quail.
What are the rules on Hi Lonesome Prairie 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 Hi Lonesome Prairie Conservation Area?
Hi Lonesome Prairie Conservation Area lies in Benton County. Hunters checked 4,228 deer in Benton County in 2025, against 3,915 in 2024.
| County | Hi Lonesome Prairie Conservation Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benton County | 650 | 4,228 | 3,915 | 4,692 |
Harvest for the whole county, not the conservation area alone: MDC deer harvest summaries (2021 to 2025 seasons).
How do you get to Hi Lonesome Prairie Conservation Area?
MDC's directions: From Cole Camp, take Highway 52 west 1 mile, then Klink Avenue north 0.50 mile.
Nearest towns: Cole Camp (next to it), Ionia (5 miles), Lincoln (7 miles) and Stover (12 miles). Highways within 5 miles: US 65 and MO 52.
What other public land is near Hi Lonesome Prairie Conservation Area?
MDC lands within 10 miles:
- Mora Conservation Area: 589 acres, 1 mile away
- Ionia Ridge Conservation Area: 238 acres, 3.5 miles away
- Paint Brush Prairie Conservation Area: 524 acres, 4 miles away
- Drovers' Prairie Conservation Area: 78 acres, 4.6 miles away
- Sedalia (Spring Fork Lake): 113 acres, 4.8 miles away
- Friendly Prairie Conservation Area: 39 acres, 5.6 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Hi Lonesome Prairie Conservation Area
Counting Hi Lonesome Prairie Conservation Area itself, 1,240 of the 27,207 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (4.6%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and MDC conservation area boundaries.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| MDC conservation areas | 1,240 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Hi Lonesome Prairie Conservation Area?
In Benton County, next to Cole Camp.
Can you deer hunt on Hi Lonesome Prairie Conservation Area?
Yes, by MDC's page: muzzleloader and archery, archery antlerless permits only.
How much public land is around Hi Lonesome Prairie Conservation Area?
1,240 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Hi Lonesome Prairie Conservation Area included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and MDC conservation area boundaries. The closest other MDC area is Mora Conservation Area (1 mile).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: MDC, Hi Lonesome Prairie 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.