Shoemaker Conservation Area: hunting and access
Shoemaker Conservation Area is 257 acres of MDC land in Adair County, 4 miles from Green Castle. MDC lists deer hunting here (archery and firearms, antlerless permits allowed). Hunters checked 2,639 deer in Adair 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 areasShoemaker Conservation AreaCounty lineHighway
| Size | 257 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Adair County |
| Deer harvest unit | Adair County |
| MDC lists for hunting | Deer, Turkey and Squirrel |
| MDC area number | 8927 |
| MDC region | Northeast |
| Camping (MDC) | walk-in, float-in or backpack camping (not during deer and turkey seasons) and designated camping sites |
| Nearest towns | Green Castle (4 mi), Connelsville (5 mi) and Novinger (6 mi) |
What is Shoemaker Conservation Area like?
In 1989, 200 acres of the area's 259 acres were donated to the Conservation Department. An additional 59 acres were purchased in 2008 to improve access to Spring Creek.
The area is characterized by oak-hickory wooded hills with narrow ridges. Spring Creek cuts through the northern portion of the area. The area supports good populations of deer, turkey, and squirrels.
In MDC's words, from the Shoemaker Conservation Area page.
What can you hunt on Shoemaker Conservation Area?
MDC's page for Shoemaker Conservation Area lists: Deer: archery and firearms, antlerless permits allowed; Turkey: archery and firearms; Squirrel.
What are the rules on Shoemaker 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 Shoemaker Conservation Area?
Shoemaker Conservation Area lies in Adair County. Hunters checked 2,639 deer in Adair County in 2025, against 2,827 in 2024.
| County | Shoemaker Conservation Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adair County | 257 | 2,639 | 2,827 | 2,823 |
Harvest for the whole county, not the conservation area alone: MDC deer harvest summaries (2021 to 2025 seasons).
How do you get to Shoemaker Conservation Area?
MDC's directions: From Novinger, take Route O north 7 miles, then Spring Creek Road west, then Stahl Road south.
Nearest towns: Green Castle (4 miles), Connelsville (5 miles), Novinger (6 miles) and Green City (8 miles). Highways within 5 miles: MO 149 and MO 6.
What other public land is near Shoemaker Conservation Area?
MDC lands within 10 miles:
- Union Ridge Conservation Area: 8,353 acres, 1 mile away
- Dark Hollow Natural Area: 315 acres, 6.4 miles away
- Hazel Creek Lake (Kirksville): 484 acres, 8.3 miles away
- Morris Prairie Conservation Area: 521 acres, 8.4 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Shoemaker Conservation Area
Counting Shoemaker Conservation Area itself, 2,405 of the 23,527 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (10.2%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and MDC conservation area boundaries.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| MDC conservation areas | 2,405 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Shoemaker Conservation Area?
In Adair County, 4 miles from Green Castle.
Can you deer hunt on Shoemaker Conservation Area?
Yes, by MDC's page: archery and firearms, antlerless permits allowed.
How much public land is around Shoemaker Conservation Area?
2,405 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Shoemaker Conservation Area included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and MDC conservation area boundaries. The closest other MDC area is Union Ridge Conservation Area (1 mile).
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, Shoemaker 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.