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Conservation area · Missouri 2026-27
Coon Island Conservation Area hunting
A 2026-27 hunter guide to this conservation area in Butler County, 3,223 acres.
Photo: USFWS Midwest Region (Public Domain Mark 1.0)
Getting to Coon Island Conservation Area
Coon Island Conservation Area profile
Expect about 3,223 acres of public ground at Coon Island Conservation Area, Butler County. By size it ranks 3rd of the 8 conservation areas we list in Butler County. MDC manages it from the MS Lowlands West district of the Southeast Region.
Besides hunting, the MDC area page lists camping (individual campsites), fishing (white bass, sunfish, catfish, crappie) and trapping (special use permit).
What the area page says about it: The Missouri Bootheel was once predominantly swamp and almost completely forested. The once vast swamps along the Black River, which flows through Coon Island Conservation Area, were reportedly favorite hunting grounds for Native Americans. Extensive land conversion from seasonally flooded bottomland hardwood forest to agricultural land has greatly diminished wetland habitat in this region and with it the numbers of resident and migratory wildlife species that depend on this valuable lowland habitat. The 3,222.8-acre Coon Island Conservation Area was purchased in 1979 to protect existing wetlands, recreate seasonally flooded bottomland hardwoods and restore the hydrology of the area to simulate natural water processes. A system of levees, spillways, water control structures, and submersible pumps maintain wetland habitat. However, the area continues to be subject to frequent Black River floods, which affect annual management practices. The area lies in a major waterfowl flyway and provides important habitat for waterfowl.
Listed game: Deer, Turkey, Rabbit, Squirrel, Waterfowl.
From the agency record (Missouri Department of Conservation); checked October 29, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Coon Island Conservation Area
Coon Island Conservation Area: methods MDC allows
The rules below are what MDC lists for Coon Island Conservation Area on top of statewide seasons.
| Game | Allowed methods | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| White-tailed Deer | Archery only | Allowed |
| Wild Turkey | Archery and firearms | Nontoxic shot |
| Eastern Cottontail | Statewide methods | – |
| Gray Squirrel | Statewide methods | – |
| Ducks | Open Hunting, self-registration | Nontoxic shot |
Area-specific Code rules, Coon Island Conservation Area
- Portions of this department area are closed to protect waterfowl from October 15 through March 1.
- Nontoxic shot is required for all hunting with a shotgun on this area. Use or possession of lead shot is prohibited.
- Waterfowl hunting is prohibited after 1:00 p.m. on designated portions of the following department areas: (A) Amarugia Highlands Conservation Area (B) Bob Brown Conservation Area (C) Columbia Bottom Conservation Area (D) Coon Island Conservation Area (E) Duck Creek Conservation Area (F) Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area (G) Fountain Grove Conservation Area (H) Grand Pass Conservation Area (I) King Lake Conservation Area (J) B. K.
Plan on archery methods only for deer at Coon Island Conservation Area; antlerless permits may be used. Coon Island Conservation Area is archery and firearms for turkey. Code A in the conservation-area table: antlerless permits allowed on Coon Island Conservation Area. The booklet names Coon Island Conservation Area among the all-shotgun nontoxic areas. On MDC land, deer hunting is legal only where the area is listed; Coon Island Conservation Area qualifies.
Sources: area page, area regulations, deer quick view; booklet table: 2026 Fall Deer and Turkey booklet, pp. 42-55. Checked October 29, 2026.
Coon Island Conservation Area county rules for 2026-27
| Item | Butler County |
|---|---|
| Firearms antlerless limit | 1 deer |
| Antlerless portions | Closed |
| CWD sampling Nov. 14-15 | No |
| Feed and mineral ban | No |
| Share the Harvest CWD test | No |
| Fall firearms turkey | Open |
| Dogs, November portion | No squirrel, rabbit dogs |
| Elk county | No |
| Bear zone | Zone 2 |
| Duck zone | South / Middle |
County rules apply on Coon Island Conservation Area; Butler County has a firearms antlerless limit of 1 for 2026-27. The early (Oct. 9-11) and late (Dec. 5-13) antlerless portions are closed in Butler County. The bear zone here is 2: 750 permits, quota 22, season Oct. 17-30. The November dog rule covers Butler County. Removed for 2026: the CWD portion, the management zone and the antler-point restriction.
2026 Fall Deer and Turkey booklet county rules, MDC CWD rules and 2026 bear digest; checked October 29, 2026.
Coon Island Conservation Area: what is open when
Filtered for Coon Island Conservation Area by its game list: 10 species, 17 season rows.
| Species | Season | Applies | Opens | Closes | Today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White-tailed deer | Archery, first part | Statewide | Sep 15, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Archery, second part | Statewide | Nov 25, 2026 | Jan 15, 2027 | |
| 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 | |
| Rabbits | Rabbit hunting | Statewide | Oct 1, 2026 | Feb 15, 2027 | |
| Squirrels | Squirrel season | Statewide | May 23, 2026 | Feb 15, 2027 | |
| Teal | September teal | Statewide | Sep 12, 2026 | Sep 20, 2026 | |
| Youth waterfowl | Youth waterfowl days | Middle Zone | Oct 31, 2026 | Nov 1, 2026 | |
| Youth waterfowl | Youth waterfowl days | South Zone | Nov 21, 2026 | Nov 22, 2026 | |
| Ducks and coots | Ducks, split 1 | Middle Zone | Nov 7, 2026 | Dec 13, 2026 | |
| Ducks and coots | Ducks, split 1 | South Zone | Nov 26, 2026 | Nov 29, 2026 | |
| Ducks and coots | Ducks, split 2 | South Zone | Dec 7, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| 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 |
Coon Island Conservation Area is archery only, so the table shows archery deer dates alone. Spring 2027 turkey dates were not published when these pages were checked.
From the 2026 Fall Deer and Turkey booklet, the 2026-2027 waterfowl digest and the 2026 hunting and trapping summary (Missouri Department of Conservation); checked October 29, 2026. All Missouri seasons.
Ducks and geese on Coon Island Conservation Area
Sign in at the self-registration point before hunting ducks on Coon Island Conservation Area. "Coon Island" is on the digest list beyond the 13 managed wetlands. MDC zone mapping puts Butler County in the South Zone; zone lines moved for 2026-2030, so confirm near the edge. Waterfowl loads must be nontoxic, statewide.
| Duck dates | From | To |
|---|---|---|
| Youth waterfowl days | Nov 21, 2026 | Nov 22, 2026 |
| Ducks, split 1 | Nov 26, 2026 | Nov 29, 2026 |
| Ducks, split 2 | Dec 7, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 |
2026-2027 Migratory Bird and Waterfowl Digest, managed areas; area page; checked October 29, 2026.
Map around Coon Island Conservation Area
Crow-flight distance from Coon Island Conservation Area to Big Cane Conservation Area is 6.9 mi (west); the table runs outward from there.
| Place | Type | Acres | County | Miles off | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Cane CA | Conservation area | 2,155 | Butler | 6.9 mi | west |
| Wilhelmina CA | Conservation area | 1,520 | Butler, Dunklin | 9.6 mi | east |
| Corkwood CA | Conservation area | 434 | Butler | 9.7 mi | west |
| Dan River Access | Public access area | 68 | Butler | 11 mi | north |
| Chalk Bluff Trail Access | Public access area | 82 | Dunklin | 12 mi | east |
| Sand Pond CA | Conservation area | 202 | Ripley | 14 mi | west |
| Hemenway CA | Conservation area | 172 | Ripley | 16 mi | west |
| Otter Slough CA | Conservation area | 4,859 | Butler, Stoddard | 17 mi | northeast |
Points: MDC Conservation Area Centroids layer (https://gisblue.mdc.mo.gov/arcgis/rest/services/Discover_Nature/MDC_Administrative_Areas/FeatureServer/4). Straight-line distances. Statewide public land map.
Coon Island Conservation Area area harvest by year
Whole-county counts.
Hunters in Butler County checked 1,852 deer in 2025, against 1,490 the year before; there is no figure for Coon Island Conservation Area alone. The spring 2026 count for Butler County was 130 turkeys (43 on public land). Recent CWD results for Butler County: 0 positives, none on record.
| Permit year | Antlered bucks | Button bucks | Does | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 887 | 171 | 794 | 1,852 |
| 2024 | 691 | 127 | 672 | 1,490 |
| 2023 | 968 | 169 | 908 | 2,045 |
| 2022 | 1,032 | 153 | 731 | 1,916 |
| 2021 | 707 | 136 | 540 | 1,383 |
| 2020 | 1,159 | 207 | 873 | 2,239 |
| Season | Spring | Public | Youth | Firearms (fall) | Archery (fall) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 130 | 43 | 28 | – | – |
| 2025 | 175 | 91 | 7 | 6 | 9 |
| 2024 | 141 | 50 | 11 | 4 | 4 |
| 2023 | 99 | 43 | 6 | 15 | 13 |
| 2022 | 91 | – | 13 | 4 | 15 |
| 2021 | 90 | – | 7 | 0 | 6 |
| Year | Samples | CWD found |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2 | 0 |
| 2025 | 1 | 0 |
| 2024 | 100 | 0 |
| 2023 | 39 | 0 |
| 2022 | 23 | 0 |
| 2021 | 9 | 0 |
MDC 2025 deer harvest summary, MDC turkey harvest summaries and MDC CWD dashboard; earlier years from the yearly reports. Checked October 29, 2026.
Towns, MDC offices and shops by Coon Island Conservation Area
From Coon Island Conservation Area, Qulin is 7.1 mi away. Largest of the five: Poplar Bluff, 16,177 people. Directions on file: From Poplar Bluff, take Highway 53 south, then Route HH south 8 miles, then County Road 244 east 1 mile. Otter Slough Conservation Area Field Office (Dexter) sits 18 mi from Coon Island Conservation Area, closer than any other MDC office.
| Town | County | People (2024) | Distance | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Qulin | Butler | 468 | 7.1 mi | northeast |
| Neelyville | Butler | 311 | 8.7 mi | west |
| Poplar Bluff | Butler | 16,177 | 15 mi | north |
| Fairdealing | Ripley | – | 16 mi | northwest |
| Fisk | Butler | 309 | 18 mi | northeast |
Towns from places.json (Census 2024); offices and businesses from services.json (MDC offices and business listings, chain stores and permit vendors left out); straight-line miles. Checked October 29, 2026.
Coon Island Conservation Area hunters: public range and clubs
From Coon Island Conservation Area, Poplar Bluff Conservation Area Archery Range is the nearest MDC or other public range (19 miles). Nearby gun clubs fill the other cards.
From MDC area pages and the MDC Shooting Ranges layer, the operators’ pages and directory listings, checked October 29, 2026.
Legal hours for Coon Island Conservation Area
Rabbits are sunrise to sunset, migratory birds half an hour before sunrise to sunset, and big game gets the extra half hour after sunset.
| Day | Moment | First sun | Last sun | Deer hours | Bird hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 1, 2026 | Dove opener | 6:31 a.m. | 7:32 p.m. | 6:01 a.m. to 8:02 p.m. | 6:01 a.m. to 7:32 p.m. |
| Sep 15, 2026 | Archery opener | 6:43 a.m. | 7:10 p.m. | 6:13 a.m. to 7:40 p.m. | 6:13 a.m. to 7:10 p.m. |
| Oct 1, 2026 | Fall firearms turkey | 6:58 a.m. | 6:44 p.m. | 6:28 a.m. to 7:14 p.m. | 6:28 a.m. to 6:44 p.m. |
| Nov 7, 2026 | Middle Zone ducks | 6:35 a.m. | 4:55 p.m. | 6:05 a.m. to 5:25 p.m. | 6:05 a.m. to 4:55 p.m. |
| Nov 14, 2026 | November firearms opener | 6:43 a.m. | 4:49 p.m. | 6:13 a.m. to 5:19 p.m. | 6:13 a.m. to 4:49 p.m. |
| Dec 26, 2026 | Alternative methods | 7:18 a.m. | 4:47 p.m. | 6:48 a.m. to 5:17 p.m. | 6:48 a.m. to 4:47 p.m. |
| Jan 15, 2027 | Archery close | 7:18 a.m. | 5:05 p.m. | 6:48 a.m. to 5:35 p.m. | 6:48 a.m. to 5:05 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.
Scenery to match Coon Island Conservation Area
Coon Island Conservation Area questions with sourced answers
Bear hunting near Coon Island Conservation Area?
Bear here means a Zone 2 permit (quota 22). The area does not list bear.
Can I hunt turkey on Coon Island Conservation Area?
Use archery and firearms. Fall gun season: Oct. 1-31.
What are deer hours at Coon Island Conservation Area on Nov. 14?
Nov. 14 at the Coon Island Conservation Area point: 6:13 a.m. to 5:19 p.m. for deer (sunrise 6:43 a.m.).
Duck hunting at Coon Island Conservation Area: how?
South Zone dates apply; the area uses open hunting.
How far is the nearest town from Coon Island Conservation Area?
Qulin is the nearest town we cover, 7.1 mi off.
Coon Island Conservation Area crowded: where next?
Next in line: Big Cane Conservation Area (6.9 mi), Wilhelmina Conservation Area (9.6 mi) and Corkwood Conservation Area (9.7 mi).
Can hunters camp on Coon Island Conservation Area?
Yes, camping is listed.
Coon Island Conservation Area: size and manager?
Missouri Department of Conservation handles it, and it spans 3,223 acres.
Is Coon Island Conservation Area open for hunting this season?
Yes, deer, turkey, rabbit, squirrel and waterfowl, following statewide seasons and any area limits.
Coon Island Conservation Area: which permits apply?
The right MDC permit: Archer's or Firearms for deer, Small Game for small game, Migratory Bird for doves and ducks.
What is the firearms antlerless limit around Coon Island Conservation Area?
1 antlerless deer with firearms permits, under the Butler County rule.
Can I use a rifle for deer on Coon Island Conservation Area?
Archery methods only on this area. Antlerless permits are allowed.
What are the CWD rules around Coon Island Conservation Area?
No mandatory station visit in this county. The feed ban does not apply.
Last word on Coon Island Conservation Area
Confirm methods, permits and the Butler County deer rules for Coon Island Conservation Area before the drive.
Sources: source · source · source · source; regulations from the 2026 Fall Deer and Turkey booklet. Checked October 29, 2026.
Other photos on this page: USFWS Midwest Region (Public Domain Mark 1.0); USFWS Midwest Region (Public Domain Mark 1.0); U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – Midwest Region (Public domain).