Hidden Hollow Conservation Area: hunting and access
Hidden Hollow Conservation Area is 1,332 acres of MDC land in Macon County, 2 miles from Elmer. MDC lists deer hunting here (archery and firearms, antlerless permits allowed). Hunters checked 4,525 deer in Macon 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 areasHidden Hollow Conservation AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 1,332 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Macon County |
| Deer harvest unit | Macon County |
| MDC lists for hunting | Deer, Turkey, Rabbit and Squirrel |
| MDC area number | 8510 |
| MDC region | Northeast |
| Camping (MDC) | walk-in, float-in or backpack camping (not during deer and turkey seasons) and designated camping sites |
| Nearest towns | Elmer (2 mi), South Gifford (2 mi) and La Plata (8 mi) |
What is Hidden Hollow Conservation Area like?
Oak and hickory forest are present over 80 percent the area. Visitors will also see some native prairie, old fields, and cropland.
Forest management practices such as tree improvement and tree harvest to create forest openings for wildlife and promote a healthy diverse forest are implemented on the area. White-tailed deer and wild turkey are abundant on the area, as are numerous songbirds and a variety of woodland animals.
In MDC's words, from the Hidden Hollow Conservation Area page.
What can you hunt on Hidden Hollow Conservation Area?
MDC's page for Hidden Hollow Conservation Area lists: Deer: archery and firearms, antlerless permits allowed; Turkey: archery and firearms; Rabbit; Squirrel.
What are the rules on Hidden Hollow 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 Hidden Hollow Conservation Area?
Hidden Hollow Conservation Area lies in Macon County. Hunters checked 4,525 deer in Macon County in 2025, against 4,489 in 2024.
| County | Hidden Hollow Conservation Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Macon County | 1,332 | 4,525 | 4,489 | 4,746 |
Harvest for the whole county, not the conservation area alone: MDC deer harvest summaries (2021 to 2025 seasons).
How do you get to Hidden Hollow Conservation Area?
MDC's directions: From LaPlata, take Highway 156 west 7 miles, then Highway 3 south 1.50 mile, and Fox Road west 3 miles.
Nearest towns: Elmer (2 miles), South Gifford (2 miles), La Plata (8 miles) and Ethel (8 miles). Highways within 5 miles: MO 3 and MO 156.
What other public land is near Hidden Hollow Conservation Area?
MDC lands within 10 miles:
- Sugar Creek Conservation Area: 2,589 acres, 5.8 miles away
- Long Branch Lake Management Lands: 2,506 acres, 8.4 miles away
- Atlanta Conservation Area: 2,381 acres, 8.8 miles away
- Montgomery Woods Conservation Area: 349 acres, 9.6 miles away
- La Plata City Lake: 84 acres, 9.7 miles away
- Big Creek Conservation Area: 1,055 acres, 9.8 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Hidden Hollow Conservation Area
Counting Hidden Hollow Conservation Area itself, 1,333 of the 31,104 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (4.3%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and MDC conservation area boundaries.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| MDC conservation areas | 1,333 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Hidden Hollow Conservation Area?
In Macon County, 2 miles from Elmer.
Can you deer hunt on Hidden Hollow Conservation Area?
Yes, by MDC's page: archery and firearms, antlerless permits allowed.
How much public land is around Hidden Hollow Conservation Area?
1,333 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Hidden Hollow Conservation Area included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and MDC conservation area boundaries. The closest other MDC area is Sugar Creek Conservation Area (5.8 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, Hidden Hollow 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.