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Town base, Iron County
Public hunting ground near Arcadia, Missouri
Ground to hunt around Arcadia, the 2026-27 rules for Iron County, deer and turkey totals by year, drawn hunts and businesses close to town.
Photo: Nearby stand-in for Arcadia: Mark Twain National Forest (1.5 mi from Arcadia). Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren (CC BY 2.0)
Arcadia, a city, falls within Iron County and MDC’s Southeast Region. Of the towns around Mark Twain National Forest, Arcadia came out closest, the edge 1.5 miles out. This page hangs on Ketcherside Mountain Conservation Area, whose line lies within 3 miles of Arcadia. In the 2024 estimates Arcadia logged 607 residents. Counting overlaps once, public land within 10 miles comes to about 36,720 acres in 5 listed areas. County-wide, Iron County holds some 107,300 acres of public land: 8,724 acres of MDC land, 97,526 acres of Mark Twain National Forest, 95 acres of refuge land and 959 acres of state parks and historic sites. Closest of every listed area is Mark Twain National Forest, its closest boundary 1.5 miles out.
Town point and land area from the Census 2024 Gazetteer, population from the Census Vintage 2024 estimates; public acreage and boundary miles within 10 miles are a GIS measure over MDC, USFS, USFWS, Corps and NPS boundaries (places.json). MDC region from the MDC Regions layer. Checked October 29, 2026.
Arcadia land, nearest first
Miles run from the Arcadia town point to the closest edge for land inside 10 miles, and to the mapped point beyond that, so road miles will be longer.
| Property | Off town | Type | Run by | Deer gear | Doe tags | Acres | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mark Twain National Forest why listed | 1.5 mi | National forest | USFS | Statewide rules | – | 1,510,740 | – |
| Ketcherside Mountain CA why listed | 2.8 mi SW | Conservation area | MDC | Bow and gun | Allowed | 4,984 | – |
| Buford Mountain CA | 7.4 mi NW | Conservation area | MDC | Bow and gun | Allowed | 3,949 | – |
| Millstream Gardens CA | 8.2 mi E | Conservation area | MDC | Bow and gun | Allowed | 916 | – |
| Bismarck CA | 8.7 mi N | Conservation area | MDC | Bow and gun | Allowed | 1,188 | – |
| Knob Lick Towersite | 14 mi E | Towersite | MDC | Archery only | Allowed | 80 | – |
| Thompson Ford Access | 15 mi E | Public access | MDC | Archery only | Allowed | 84 | – |
| Hughes Mountain Natural Area | 15 mi N | Natural area | MDC | Bow and gun | Allowed | 462 | – |
| Bootleg Access | 18 mi NW | Public access | MDC | Bow and gun | Allowed | 303 | – |
| Funk Memorial State Forest and Wildlife Area | 20 mi S | Conservation area | MDC | Bow and gun | Allowed | 180 | – |
Size leader inside 10 miles of Arcadia: Ketcherside Mountain Conservation Area, 4,984 acres. That ring mixes 4 conservation and natural areas and 1 federal area. Ketcherside Mountain Conservation Area (2.8 mi) takes archery and firearms for deer, and antlerless permits may be filled there; turkey is bow and gun. Forest Service land is close by: Mark Twain National Forest, open under statewide MDC seasons.
Area descriptions
- Ketcherside Mountain CA: Ketcherside Mountain CA is home to a portion of the St. Francois Mountains Natural Area and Royal Gorge Natural Area.
- Buford Mountain CA: Buford Mountain Conservation Area is located east of Missouri's beautiful Belleview Valley.
- Millstream Gardens CA: Millstream Gardens Conservation Area is a 916-acre tract of land in Madison County, about halfway between Fredericktown and Arcadia, off of Highway 72.
- MDC directions to Ketcherside Mountain CA: From Ironton, take Highway 21 south 4 miles. Take Route CC north to firetower, privy, etc.
Lands from MDC area pages and GIS layers, USFS, USFWS, NPS, Corps and Missouri State Parks records (lands.json; each land page cites its own source). Boundary miles from places.json, other miles to each mapped point. Deer methods and antlerless permit status from the 2026 Fall Deer and Turkey booklet area table and the MDC area deer quick view. Checked October 29, 2026.
Services around Arcadia
Buttons for phone, map and website appear only when a source gave them; opening hours were not verified. Walker's Meat Processing (7.7 mi) takes Share the Harvest deer for Missouri food pantries. Deer heads can be dropped at Walker's Meat Processing, an MDC CWD sampling partner. Spurs 'N Furs, LLC (Ironton) is the first taxidermy stop, 0.7 mi from Arcadia. Arcadia Sporting Goods (at town) is the handiest gun or outdoor shop. Twin Lakes Whitetails of Bismarck is the closest preserve on file.
| Service | Close (15 mi) | Wider (35 mi) | Closest | Miles | City |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deer processors | 2 | 11 | Ruble's Meat Market LLC (closest) | at town | Arcadia |
| Taxidermy shops | 1 | 10 | Spurs 'N Furs, LLC (closest) | 0.7 mi N | Ironton |
| Sporting goods | 2 | 14 | Arcadia Sporting Goods (closest) | at town | Arcadia |
| Outfitters and preserves | 1 | 1 | Twin Lakes Whitetails (closest) | 13 mi N | Bismarck |
Deer processors
Taxidermy shops
Sporting goods
Outfitters and preserves
Processors from the MDC Share the Harvest processor lookup, MDC CWD sampling partners, the MDC commercial permit listing and Yellow Pages; taxidermists, shops and preserves from MDC permits, chain store locators and Yellow Pages (services.json). Checked October 29, 2026; hours were not checked.
Arcadia county deer limits and CWD rules
The county you stand in decides the deer rules; this table lists the ones a Arcadia hunter is most likely to cross into.
| County | Antlerless deer | Antlerless hunts | CWD stations | Feed rule | Fall turkey | Bear, elk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iron County local | 1 | Closed | Nov. 14-15 | No | Open | Zone 2 |
| Oregon County | 4 | Open | Nov. 14-15 | Yes | Open | Zone 2, Zone 1 |
| Ripley County | 4 | Open | Nov. 14-15 | Yes | Open | Zone 2 |
| Carter County | 1 | Closed | Nov. 14-15 | No | Open | Zone 2 + elk |
| Wayne County | 1 | Closed | Nov. 14-15 | No | Open | Zone 2 |
MDC sets Iron County at 1 for firearms antlerless deer. Antlerless portions are closed in Iron County. Deer shot in Iron County on the November opening weekend must be sampled for CWD that day at one of 2 county stations. Leave the beagles home in Iron County by day during the November portion. Iron County lies in bear zone 2, where the quota is 22 bears. On MDC’s 2021-2025 zone layer Iron County is Middle Zone (100%); the zone lines moved for 2026.
Stations for Nov. 14-15
| Station | Street | City | County | Miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ZX Gas Station | 205 Hwy. 21 | Pilot Knob | Iron | 2.5 mi |
| Johnson Shut-Ins Visitor Center | 148 Taum Sauk Trl. | Lesterville | Reynolds | 12 mi |
| Piedmont MDC Office | 410 Piedmont Ave. | Piedmont | Wayne | 29 mi |
County rules from the 2026 Fall Deer and Turkey booklet county table; CWD sampling counties and stations from the MDC CWD pages; bear zones from the 2026 Black Bear Hunting Digest; elk from the 2026 Elk Hunting Digest; duck zones from the 2026-2027 waterfowl digest and the 2021-2025 MDC zone layer. Checked October 29, 2026.
Arcadia season dates
For Iron County, 35 season segments cover deer, turkey, small game, waterfowl and furbearers this permit year.
| Animal | Season | Area rule | Start | Finish | Right now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White-tailed deer | Archery, first part | Statewide | Sep 15, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Firearms, early youth | Statewide | Oct 24, 2026 | Oct 25, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Firearms, November | Statewide | Nov 14, 2026 | Nov 24, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Archery, second part | Statewide | Nov 25, 2026 | Jan 15, 2027 | |
| White-tailed deer | Firearms, late youth | Statewide | Nov 27, 2026 | Nov 29, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Firearms, alternative methods | Statewide | Dec 26, 2026 | Jan 5, 2027 | |
| Black bear | Bear, zone 2 | Bear zone 2 | Oct 17, 2026 | Oct 30, 2026 | |
| Wild turkey | Fall archery | Statewide | Sep 15, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 | |
| Wild turkey | Fall firearms | Open county | Oct 1, 2026 | Oct 31, 2026 | |
| Wild turkey | Fall archery, part 2 | Statewide | Nov 25, 2026 | Jan 15, 2027 | |
| Bobwhite quail | Youth quail | Statewide | Oct 24, 2026 | Oct 25, 2026 | |
| Bobwhite quail | Quail | Statewide | Nov 1, 2026 | Jan 15, 2027 | |
| Pheasant | Youth pheasant | Statewide | Oct 24, 2026 | Oct 25, 2026 | |
| Pheasant | Pheasant | Statewide | Nov 1, 2026 | Jan 15, 2027 | |
| Rabbits | Rabbit hunting | Statewide | Oct 1, 2026 | Feb 15, 2027 | |
| Squirrels | Squirrel season | Statewide | May 23, 2026 | Feb 15, 2027 | |
| Woodcock | Woodcock season | Statewide | Oct 18, 2026 | Dec 1, 2026 | |
| Doves | Dove season | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Nov 29, 2026 | |
| Teal | September teal | Statewide | Sep 12, 2026 | Sep 20, 2026 | |
| Youth waterfowl | Youth waterfowl days | Middle Zone | Oct 31, 2026 | Nov 1, 2026 | |
| Ducks and coots | Ducks, split 1 | Middle Zone | Nov 7, 2026 | Dec 13, 2026 | |
| Ducks and coots | Ducks, split 2 | Middle Zone | Dec 19, 2026 | Jan 10, 2027 | |
| Early Canada goose | Early Canada goose | Statewide | Oct 3, 2026 | Oct 11, 2026 | |
| Geese | Regular geese | Statewide | Nov 11, 2026 | Feb 6, 2027 | |
| Light geese | Conservation order | Statewide | Feb 7, 2027 | Apr 30, 2027 | |
| Coyote | Coyote hunting | Statewide | Jan 1, 2026 | Dec 31, 2026 | |
| Groundhog | Groundhog | Statewide | May 11, 2026 | Dec 15, 2026 | |
| Bullfrogs and green frogs | Frogging | Statewide | Jun 30, 2026 | Oct 31, 2026 | |
| Raccoon, opossum, skunk | Hunt and trap, early | Statewide | Aug 1, 2026 | Oct 15, 2026 | |
| Rails | Rail season | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Nov 9, 2026 | |
| Snipe | Snipe season | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Dec 16, 2026 | |
| Crow | Crow season | Statewide | Nov 1, 2026 | Mar 3, 2027 | |
| Badger and foxes | Hunting and trapping | Statewide | Nov 15, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Bobcat | Hunting and trapping | Statewide | Nov 15, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Raccoon, opossum, skunk | Hunt and trap, main | Statewide | Nov 15, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 |
From the 2026 Fall Deer and Turkey Hunting Regulations, the 2026-2027 Migratory Bird and Waterfowl Digest and the 2026 hunting and trapping summary (Missouri Department of Conservation), checked October 29, 2026.
Arcadia area harvest, county totals
MDC publishes harvest county by county, so the chart covers the whole of Iron County. 2025 brought 1,903 deer, after 1,240 in 2024. Antlered bucks: 923 in 2025; does: 790. MDC’s 2025 report puts the county at 3.6 deer per square mile and 6.2 firearms hunters per square mile. Spring 2026: 194 turkeys checked in Iron County (157 adult gobblers). Fall turkey in 2025 came to 12 on firearms permits. CWD testing in Iron County: 264 samples and 0 positives over the sample years shown.
| Year | Harvest | Bucks | Button bucks | Does |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 1,534 | 734 | 151 | 649 |
| 2023 | 1,843 | 831 | 237 | 775 |
| 2024 | 1,240 | 619 | 141 | 480 |
| 2025 | 1,903 | 923 | 190 | 790 |
| Portion | Deer |
|---|---|
| Archery | 421 |
| Early youth | 103 |
| November | 1,298 |
| Late youth | 13 |
| Alt. methods | 68 |
| Managed hunts | 0 |
| Spring | Total | Public |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 180 | 64 |
| 2024 | 182 | 47 |
| 2025 | 247 | 85 |
| 2026 | 194 | 59 |
| Year | Samples | CWD found |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 28 | 0 |
| 2024 | 26 | 0 |
| 2025 | 11 | 0 |
| 2026 | 1 | 0 |
Deer from the MDC 2025-2026 deer harvest summary and earlier summaries (harvest.json; 2017-2019 county totals exclude managed hunts); density from the MDC 2025 deer season report; turkey from the MDC turkey harvest summaries; CWD from the MDC CWD dashboard. Checked October 29, 2026.
Arcadia and surroundings, event dates
A 30-mile crow-flight radius gives 3 upcoming events as of October 29, 2026.
Next on the calendar
| Dates | What | Distance | Place | Next step | From |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 4, 2026 | Deer Hunting: Intro to Deer Hunting · intro deer hunting talk | 17 | Mineral Area College — Park Hills | Register | Source |
| Dec 12, 2026 | Deer Hunting: Field to Freezer: Beginner Venison Summer Sausage Masterclass · field-to-freezer deer program | 18 | Fredericktown High School — Madison County | Register | Source |
| Mar 6, 2027 | Mark Twain Forest Longspurs NWTF Banquet · NWTF chapter dinner | 25 | Potosi | Buy tickets | Source |
Arcadia shooters: three nearest ranges
Millstream Gardens Conservation Area Archery Range heads the Arcadia list (9 miles), and two more follow.
Straight-line miles from the town centre; ranges checked October 29, 2026.
MDC offices for Arcadia hunters
From the centre of Iron County, the closest MDC office open to visitors is Piedmont Office in Piedmont. The Southeast Region is run from Southeast Regional Office in Cape Girardeau ((573) 290-5730). No office visit is needed for a permit: buy it online, in the MO Hunting app or from a vendor.
MDC Piedmont Office, about 29 mi south of town
MDC Ellington Office, 32 mi out of Arcadia
Offices from the MDC offices open to the public, the MDC regional offices page and the MDC field office layer (services.json, counties.json). Checked October 29, 2026.
Arcadia legal hours
Legal light for deer at Arcadia runs 30 minutes either side of sunrise and sunset; for ducks it starts 30 minutes before sunrise and ends at sunset.
| When | Event | Rise | Set | Big game | Birds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 1, 2026 | Dove opener | 6:32 a.m. | 7:33 p.m. | 6:02 a.m.–8:03 p.m. | 6:02 a.m.–7:33 p.m. |
| Sep 15, 2026 | Archery opener | 6:44 a.m. | 7:11 p.m. | 6:14 a.m.–7:41 p.m. | 6:14 a.m.–7:11 p.m. |
| Oct 1, 2026 | Fall firearms turkey | 6:59 a.m. | 6:45 p.m. | 6:29 a.m.–7:15 p.m. | 6:29 a.m.–6:45 p.m. |
| Nov 7, 2026 | Middle Zone ducks | 6:36 a.m. | 4:56 p.m. | 6:06 a.m.–5:26 p.m. | 6:06 a.m.–4:56 p.m. |
| Nov 14, 2026 | November firearms opener | 6:44 a.m. | 4:50 p.m. | 6:14 a.m.–5:20 p.m. | 6:14 a.m.–4:50 p.m. |
| Dec 26, 2026 | Alternative methods | 7:19 a.m. | 4:48 p.m. | 6:49 a.m.–5:18 p.m. | 6:49 a.m.–4:48 p.m. |
| Jan 15, 2027 | Archery close | 7:19 a.m. | 5:06 p.m. | 6:49 a.m.–5:36 p.m. | 6:49 a.m.–5:06 p.m. |
Hours rule and the Jefferson City sunrise and sunset table from the MDC Migratory Bird and Waterfowl Digest (same table in the Fall Deer and Turkey booklet), adjusted 1 minute per 13.5 miles east or west as MDC directs; checked October 29, 2026. Legal hours for every county.
Arcadia hunting questions
What bases lie close to Arcadia?
Ironton, Iron Mountain Lake, Knob Lick and Farmington.
Which MDC office open to the public is nearest Arcadia?
For Iron County, Piedmont Office, 410 Piedmont Ave, Piedmont, (573) 469-0899.
Is Arcadia a good base for public-land hunting?
It has 5 tracts and about 36,720 public acres inside 10 miles.
Where is the closest conservation area or federal tract to Arcadia?
Among MDC and federal tracts, the nearest is Mark Twain National Forest, its closest boundary 1.5 miles out. Number two: Ketcherside Mountain Conservation Area, its closest boundary 2.8 miles out.
Is Iron County one of the antlerless-portion counties?
No. MDC lists Iron County as closed.
Which 2026 county deer rules apply around Arcadia?
Iron County: firearms antlerless limit 1, antlerless portions closed, mandatory CWD sampling Nov. 14-15.
Can I hunt black bear from Arcadia?
Yes, Oct 17 to Oct 30, 2026 in zone 2 for drawn permit holders.
Must deer shot near Arcadia be tested for CWD?
Yes, deer taken Nov. 14 or 15 in Iron County must go to a sampling station that day.
Must I notch my permit for a Arcadia deer?
Yes, notch the month and day on a paper permit or in the MO Hunting app right away.
How soon after dawn can a Arcadia deer hunter fire?
From 6:14 a.m. on Nov. 14 at Arcadia.
How many miles to a deer processor from Arcadia?
About at town, to Ruble's Meat Market LLC.
Must a portable blind on an MDC area carry orange?
It is recommended, not required, on MDC areas.
Answers from places.json, lands.json, counties.json, services.json and the 2026 Fall Deer and Turkey Hunting Regulations; Telecheck from the booklet, hunter orange from booklet p. 4. Checked October 29, 2026.
Arcadia final checks
Leaving Arcadia before dawn? Look up legal light for the date and the county rules for the tract you picked.
Other photos on this page: USFWS Midwest Region (Public Domain Mark 1.0); LeeAnne Adams (CC BY 2.0); Heath Cajandig (CC BY 2.0); Heath Cajandig (CC BY 2.0); Heath Cajandig (CC BY 2.0); Jena Fuller (CC BY-SA 2.0); Good Fire Photos (Public Domain Mark 1.0); Jeff Meyer (CC BY 2.0).