Lead Mine Conservation Area: hunting and access
Lead Mine Conservation Area is 7,832 acres of MDC land in Dallas County, 6 miles from Bennett Springs. MDC lists deer hunting here (archery and firearms, antlerless permits not allowed). Hunters checked 2,951 deer in Dallas 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 sitesOther state landLead Mine Conservation AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 7,832 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Dallas County |
| Deer harvest unit | Dallas County |
| MDC lists for hunting | Deer, Bear, Turkey, Rabbit, Squirrel and Quail |
| MDC area number | 8024 |
| MDC region | Southwest |
| Camping (MDC) | designated camping sites and individual campsites |
| Shooting range (MDC) | rifle or pistol |
| Nearest towns | Bennett Springs (6 mi), Macks Creek (7 mi) and Camdenton (11 mi) |
What is Lead Mine Conservation Area like?
Lead Mine Conservation Area is located in northeastern Dallas County, 40 miles south of Lake of the Ozarks, 12 miles north of Bennett Springs, five miles east of Tunas, and 21 miles northeast of Buffalo. The area provides about two miles of Niangua River frontage and has a 3.5-mile stretch of Jakes Creek running through it.
The Conservation Department purchased the original 600 acres for the Lead Mine Conservation Area in 1965 through a University of Missouri land grant. Additional land was acquired with Pittman-Robertson and Dingell-Johnson funding, and the state conservation sales tax, increasing the area to 7,761 acres. During early settlement in the late 1800s and early 1900s, some lead mining did take place near the area. However, evidence of this is hard to find. Many people made their living and raised their families on small farms that now make up Lead Mine Conservation Area. The town of Lead Mine, just one-quarter mile west, is a small community known for its country atmosphere, hand-made goods, and horse drawn buggies. Lead Mine Conservation Area contains many excellent examples of dolomite glade communities, oak-hickory uplands, and clear running springs. Deer, turkey, raccoon, squirrel, rabbit,...
In MDC's words, from the Lead Mine Conservation Area page.
What can you hunt on Lead Mine Conservation Area?
MDC's page for Lead Mine Conservation Area lists: Deer: archery and firearms, antlerless permits not allowed; Bear: archery and firearms; Turkey: archery and firearms; Rabbit; Squirrel; Quail.
What are the rules on Lead Mine Conservation Area?
Target Shooting and Shooting Ranges: An unstaffed range is located on this department area. Target shooting is not allowed anywhere on this area except for designated shooting range(s). Shooting hours are one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset. Ranges may be closed to public use at any time for maintenance or department sponsored events or programs. Possession of alcoholic beverages is prohibited on all ranges and associated parking lots. Groups of more than 10 people must obtain a special use permit prior to using the range. To obtain a special use permit, contact the area manager at the phone number listed...
Every conservation area also follows MDC's standard rules in Chapter 11 of the Wildlife Code; the area's full rules are on MDC's site.
How many deer are taken around Lead Mine Conservation Area?
Lead Mine Conservation Area lies in Dallas County. Hunters checked 2,951 deer in Dallas County in 2025, against 2,707 in 2024.
| County | Lead Mine Conservation Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas County | 7,832 | 2,951 | 2,707 | 3,442 |
Harvest for the whole county, not the conservation area alone: MDC deer harvest summaries (2021 to 2025 seasons).
How do you get to Lead Mine Conservation Area?
MDC's directions: Southwest entrance: From Plad, take Highway 64 west, then Route T north, then Route YY east 0.50 mile.
Nearest towns: Bennett Springs (6 miles), Macks Creek (7 miles), Camdenton (11 miles) and Urbana (11 miles). Highways within 5 miles: MO 73 and MO 64.
What other public land is near Lead Mine Conservation Area?
MDC lands within 10 miles:
- Barclay Conservation Area: 425 acres, 1.4 miles away
- Mary Lawson Conservation Area: 62 acres, 2.1 miles away
- Coffin Cave Conservation Area: 79 acres, 2.9 miles away
- Bennett Spring Access: 180 acres, 5.1 miles away
- Mule Shoe Conservation Area: 2,839 acres, 8.1 miles away
- Alfred Newton Gossett Conservation Area: 678 acres, 8.5 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Lead Mine Conservation Area
Counting Lead Mine Conservation Area itself, 8,374 of the 59,351 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (14.1%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and MDC conservation area boundaries.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| MDC conservation areas | 8,374 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Lead Mine Conservation Area?
In Dallas County, 6 miles from Bennett Springs.
Can you deer hunt on Lead Mine Conservation Area?
Yes, by MDC's page: archery and firearms, antlerless permits not allowed.
How much public land is around Lead Mine Conservation Area?
8,374 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Lead Mine Conservation Area included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and MDC conservation area boundaries. The closest other MDC area is Barclay Conservation Area (1.4 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, Lead Mine 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.