Mudpuppy Conservation Area: hunting and access
Mudpuppy Conservation Area is 1,384 acres of MDC land in Ripley County, 6 miles from Fairdealing. MDC lists deer hunting here (archery and firearms, antlerless permits allowed). Hunters checked 3,088 deer in Ripley 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 areasNational forestMudpuppy Conservation AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 1,384 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Ripley County |
| Deer harvest unit | Ripley County |
| MDC lists for hunting | Deer, Bear, Turkey, Rabbit, Squirrel and Dove |
| MDC area number | 8737 |
| MDC region | Ozark |
| Camping (MDC) | open camping - walk-in/float-in/backpack and designated camping sites |
| Nearest towns | Fairdealing (6 mi), Oxly (7 mi) and Doniphan (8 mi) |
What is Mudpuppy Conservation Area like?
Mudpuppy Conservation Area consists of 1,404 acres in Ripley County at the end of Route BB. The primary purpose of the acquisition was to manage a rare mussel species that occurred in this stretch of the Little Black River.
Starting near the end of the 19th century the Grandin Mill extensively harvested pine in this area. An active sawmill was also located a few miles downstream from the area in the community of King Bee. An important aquatic resource on Mudpuppy Conservation Area is the Little Black River. This 3.5 mile stretch of river has been designated an Outstanding State Water Resource by the Department of Natural Resources. Approximately 1,300 acres of Mudpuppy Conservation Area is forested. Two-hundred of these acres are old fields that have been planted or naturally regenerated in the last 10 years. Approximately 60% of the forested acres are upland forest. Common tree species in the uplands include white oak, black oak, Southern red oak, post oak, shortleaf pine, and mockernut hickory. The bottomlands have higher species diversity and include sugar maple, bitternut hickory, green ash, black...
In MDC's words, from the Mudpuppy Conservation Area page.
What can you hunt on Mudpuppy Conservation Area?
MDC's page for Mudpuppy Conservation Area lists: Deer: archery and firearms, antlerless permits allowed; Bear: archery and firearms; Turkey: archery and firearms; Rabbit; Squirrel; Dove.
What are the rules on Mudpuppy 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 Mudpuppy Conservation Area?
Mudpuppy Conservation Area lies in Ripley County. Hunters checked 3,088 deer in Ripley County in 2025, against 2,848 in 2024.
| County | Mudpuppy Conservation Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ripley County | 1,384 | 3,088 | 2,848 | 3,818 |
Harvest for the whole county, not the conservation area alone: MDC deer harvest summaries (2021 to 2025 seasons).
How do you get to Mudpuppy Conservation Area?
MDC's directions: From Doniphan, take Highway 160 east 6 miles, then Route BB north 4 miles.
Nearest towns: Fairdealing (6 miles), Oxly (7 miles), Doniphan (8 miles) and Grandin (9 miles). Highways within 5 miles: US 160 and MO 21.
What other public land is near Mudpuppy Conservation Area?
MDC lands within 10 miles:
- Little Black Conservation Area: 3,068 acres, 2.1 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Mudpuppy Conservation Area
Counting Mudpuppy Conservation Area itself, 1,717 of the 33,675 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (5.1%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and MDC conservation area boundaries.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| MDC conservation areas | 1,717 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Mudpuppy Conservation Area?
In Ripley County, 6 miles from Fairdealing.
Can you deer hunt on Mudpuppy Conservation Area?
Yes, by MDC's page: archery and firearms, antlerless permits allowed.
How much public land is around Mudpuppy Conservation Area?
1,717 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Mudpuppy Conservation Area included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and MDC conservation area boundaries. The closest other MDC area is Little Black Conservation Area (2.1 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, Mudpuppy 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.