Paint Brush Prairie Conservation Area: hunting and access
Paint Brush Prairie Conservation Area is 524 acres of MDC land in Pettis County, 4 miles from Ionia. MDC lists deer hunting here (muzzleloader and archery, archery antlerless permits only). Hunters checked 2,867 deer in Pettis 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 areasPaint Brush Prairie Conservation AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 524 acres in 2 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Pettis County |
| Deer harvest unit | Pettis County |
| MDC lists for hunting | Deer, Bear, Turkey, Rabbit and Quail |
| MDC area number | 7832 |
| MDC region | Kansas City |
| Nearest towns | Ionia (4 mi), Cole Camp (6 mi) and Green Ridge (9 mi) |
What is Paint Brush Prairie Conservation Area like?
The Conservation Department acquired this native remnant prairie in 1978. It is currently 529 acres in size.
The northwest portion of the area has been designated a natural area, which protects a diverse plant community of over 200 tallgrass prairie plants, including the federally endangered Mead's milkweed. Slightly raised circular mounds measuring up to 12 feet in diameter, known as mima mounds or prairie mounds, are found on the area. Their origin is still open to debate. This area has been designated by Audubon Missouri as an Important Bird Area (IBA). IBAs are sites that have been identified by Audubon as the most crucial for bird populations, due to their abundance and/or diversity of birds present. High quality grasslands are important habitat for many species. This area is a remnant of a once vast prairie ecosystem that provides habitat for a diverse group of plants and animals. Because less than one-half of one percent of our original prairie remains, some of these species have become...
In MDC's words, from the Paint Brush Prairie Conservation Area page.
What can you hunt on Paint Brush Prairie Conservation Area?
MDC's page for Paint Brush Prairie Conservation Area lists: Deer: muzzleloader and archery, archery antlerless permits only; Bear: archery and firearms; Turkey: archery and firearms; Rabbit; Quail.
What are the rules on Paint Brush Prairie 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 Paint Brush Prairie Conservation Area?
Paint Brush Prairie Conservation Area lies in Pettis County. Hunters checked 2,867 deer in Pettis County in 2025, against 3,007 in 2024.
| County | Paint Brush Prairie Conservation Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pettis County | 524 | 2,867 | 3,007 | 3,146 |
Harvest for the whole county, not the conservation area alone: MDC deer harvest summaries (2021 to 2025 seasons).
How do you get to Paint Brush Prairie Conservation Area?
MDC's directions: From Sedalia, take Highway 65 south 10 miles, then Manila Road east.
Nearest towns: Ionia (4 miles), Cole Camp (6 miles), Green Ridge (9 miles) and Sedalia (10 miles). Highways within 5 miles: US 65 and MO 52.
What other public land is near Paint Brush Prairie Conservation Area?
MDC lands within 10 miles:
- Sedalia (Spring Fork Lake): 113 acres, next to it
- Friendly Prairie Conservation Area: 39 acres, 1.3 miles away
- Ionia Ridge Conservation Area: 238 acres, 1.4 miles away
- Drovers' Prairie Conservation Area: 78 acres, 1.5 miles away
- Grandfather Prairie Conservation Area: 81 acres, 1.9 miles away
- Mora Conservation Area: 589 acres, 2.3 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Paint Brush Prairie Conservation Area
Counting Paint Brush Prairie Conservation Area itself, 1,389 of the 30,640 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (4.5%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and MDC conservation area boundaries.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| MDC conservation areas | 1,389 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Paint Brush Prairie Conservation Area?
In Pettis County, 4 miles from Ionia.
Can you deer hunt on Paint Brush Prairie Conservation Area?
Yes, by MDC's page: muzzleloader and archery, archery antlerless permits only.
How much public land is around Paint Brush Prairie Conservation Area?
1,389 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Paint Brush Prairie Conservation Area included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and MDC conservation area boundaries. The closest other MDC area is Sedalia (Spring Fork Lake) (next to it).
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, Paint Brush Prairie 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.