Mineral Hills Conservation Area: hunting and access
Mineral Hills Conservation Area is 2,184 acres of MDC land in Putnam County, 3 miles from Unionville. MDC lists deer hunting here (archery and firearms, antlerless permits allowed). Hunters checked 2,336 deer in Putnam 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 areasMineral Hills Conservation AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 2,184 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Putnam County |
| Deer harvest unit | Putnam County |
| MDC lists for hunting | Deer, Turkey, Rabbit, Squirrel and Quail |
| MDC area number | 8332 |
| MDC region | Northeast |
| Camping (MDC) | walk-in, float-in or backpack camping (not during deer and turkey seasons) and designated camping sites |
| Nearest towns | Unionville (3 mi), Pollock (7 mi) and Green City (9 mi) |
What is Mineral Hills Conservation Area like?
The Conservation Department created the Mineral Hills area in 1983 with the purchase of three tracts of private land. Additional tracts were acquired in 1986 and 2000, bringing the area to its present 1,979-acre size.
In the early part of the 20th century, parts of this area were strip-mined and shaft-mined for coal, both for private and commercial use. Piles of tailings and collapsed tunnels remain as evidence of the mining. Over 75 percent of Mineral Hills Conservation Area is forested. Upland trees include white oak, red oak and several species of hickory. In the bottomlands, visitors will find silver maple, pin oak, green ash, hackberry, and an assortment of other hardwoods. Management of this forest includes tree improvement and tree harvest to create forest openings for wildlife, to promote the health of the forest, and ensure a diversity of tree sizes and age classes. Visitors to the area will also see signs of cropping, grasslands management, and woodland restoration. During your visit to Mineral Hills Conservation Area, you can enjoy the abundant forest wildflowers in the early spring or the...
In MDC's words, from the Mineral Hills Conservation Area page.
What can you hunt on Mineral Hills Conservation Area?
MDC's page for Mineral Hills Conservation Area lists: Deer: archery and firearms, antlerless permits allowed; Turkey: archery and firearms; Rabbit; Squirrel; Quail.
What are the rules on Mineral Hills 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 Mineral Hills Conservation Area?
Mineral Hills Conservation Area lies in Putnam County. Hunters checked 2,336 deer in Putnam County in 2025, against 2,465 in 2024.
| County | Mineral Hills Conservation Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Putnam County | 2,184 | 2,336 | 2,465 | 2,418 |
Harvest for the whole county, not the conservation area alone: MDC deer harvest summaries (2021 to 2025 seasons).
How do you get to Mineral Hills Conservation Area?
MDC's directions: From Unionville, take Highway 5 south 3 miles, then Route F east 2.50 miles.
Nearest towns: Unionville (3 miles), Pollock (7 miles), Green City (9 miles) and Green Castle (10 miles). Highways within 5 miles: MO 129, US 136 and MO 5.
What other public land is near Mineral Hills Conservation Area?
MDC lands within 10 miles:
- Morris Prairie Conservation Area: 521 acres, 0.5 miles away
- Lake Mahoney (Unionville): 74 acres, 3.8 miles away
- Union Ridge Conservation Area: 8,353 acres, 4.1 miles away
- Dark Hollow Natural Area: 315 acres, 4.8 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Mineral Hills Conservation Area
Counting Mineral Hills Conservation Area itself, 2,707 of the 39,587 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (6.8%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and MDC conservation area boundaries.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| MDC conservation areas | 2,707 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Mineral Hills Conservation Area?
In Putnam County, 3 miles from Unionville.
Can you deer hunt on Mineral Hills Conservation Area?
Yes, by MDC's page: archery and firearms, antlerless permits allowed.
How much public land is around Mineral Hills Conservation Area?
2,707 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Mineral Hills Conservation Area included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and MDC conservation area boundaries. The closest other MDC area is Morris Prairie Conservation Area (0.5 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, Mineral Hills 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.