Hungry Mother Conservation Area: hunting and access
Hungry Mother Conservation Area is 270 acres of MDC land in Howard County, 5 miles from Higbee. MDC lists deer hunting here (muzzleloader and archery, antlerless permits allowed). Hunters checked 2,304 deer in Howard 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 areasHungry Mother Conservation AreaCounty lineHighway
| Size | 270 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Howard County |
| Deer harvest unit | Howard County |
| MDC lists for hunting | Deer, Turkey and Squirrel |
| MDC area number | 6215 |
| MDC region | Central |
| Camping (MDC) | open camping - walk-in/float-in/backpack |
| Nearest towns | Higbee (5 mi), Armstrong (8 mi) and Harrisburg (8 mi) |
What is Hungry Mother Conservation Area like?
Hungry Mother Conservation Area was purchased in April of 1962.
The area is primarily good quality white oak forest with some steeper dissected slopes traversing down to unnamed tributaries of the Salt Fork Creek. A selective harvest was completed in 2013 on some of the areas ridges. The 274 acres of high quality forestland has good potential for additional timber and wildlife management with careful consideration given to the highly erodible loess soils of the area. The area is located in a remote portion of Howard County and offers solitude and excellent wildlife viewing opportunities.
In MDC's words, from the Hungry Mother Conservation Area page.
What can you hunt on Hungry Mother Conservation Area?
MDC's page for Hungry Mother Conservation Area lists: Deer: muzzleloader and archery, antlerless permits allowed; Turkey: archery and firearms; Squirrel.
What are the rules on Hungry Mother 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 Hungry Mother Conservation Area?
Hungry Mother Conservation Area lies in Howard County. Hunters checked 2,304 deer in Howard County in 2025, against 2,077 in 2024.
| County | Hungry Mother Conservation Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Howard County | 270 | 2,304 | 2,077 | 2,441 |
Harvest for the whole county, not the conservation area alone: MDC deer harvest summaries (2021 to 2025 seasons).
How do you get to Hungry Mother Conservation Area?
MDC's directions: From Higbee, take Route A south, then County Road 127 west 2.50 miles.
Nearest towns: Higbee (5 miles), Armstrong (8 miles), Harrisburg (8 miles) and Fayette (9 miles).
What other public land is near Hungry Mother Conservation Area?
MDC lands within 10 miles:
- Rudolf Bennitt Conservation Area: 3,565 acres, 3.3 miles away
- Moniteau Creek Conservation Area: 744 acres, 8.8 miles away
- D. C. Rogers Lake (Fayette): 203 acres, 9.5 miles away
- Lick Creek Conservation Area: 295 acres, 9.7 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Hungry Mother Conservation Area
Counting Hungry Mother Conservation Area itself, 270 of the 24,014 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (1.1%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and MDC conservation area boundaries.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| MDC conservation areas | 270 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Hungry Mother Conservation Area?
In Howard County, 5 miles from Higbee.
Can you deer hunt on Hungry Mother Conservation Area?
Yes, by MDC's page: muzzleloader and archery, antlerless permits allowed.
How much public land is around Hungry Mother Conservation Area?
270 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Hungry Mother Conservation Area included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and MDC conservation area boundaries. The closest other MDC area is Rudolf Bennitt Conservation Area (3.3 miles).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: MDC, Hungry Mother 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.