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Southeast Region town
Ironton, Missouri: conservation areas within reach
Miles from Ironton to conservation areas, river accesses and federal ground, the method rule on each, and where to Telecheck, process and mount a deer.
Photo: Public ground 2.2 mi from Ironton: Mark Twain National Forest (nearby stand-in). David Nichols (CC BY-SA 2.0)
The Iron County seat is Ironton, a city that MDC serves from its Southeast Region staff. 1,443 people called Ironton home in the Vintage 2024 count. MDC and federal polygons inside 10 miles of Ironton add up to roughly 36,025 acres (5 listed areas). By GIS count Iron County has 107,300 public acres, with 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. The quickest public ground to reach is Mark Twain National Forest, its closest boundary 2.2 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.
Ironton public tracts
The base-area tag flags the tract Ironton was picked for; anything inside 10 miles is listed ahead of the rest.
| Land | Miles off | Kind | Managed by | Deer allowed | Antlerless permits | Acreage | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mark Twain National Forest | 2.2 mi | National forest | USFS | Statewide rules | – | 1,510,740 | – |
| Ketcherside Mountain CA | 3.3 mi SW | Conservation area | MDC | Bow and gun | Allowed | 4,984 | – |
| Buford Mountain CA | 6.8 mi NW | Conservation area | MDC | Bow and gun | Allowed | 3,949 | – |
| Bismarck CA | 8.1 mi N | Conservation area | MDC | Bow and gun | Allowed | 1,188 | – |
| Millstream Gardens CA | 8.3 mi E | Conservation area | MDC | Bow and gun | Allowed | 916 | – |
| Knob Lick Towersite | 14 mi E | Towersite | MDC | Archery only | Allowed | 80 | – |
| Hughes Mountain Natural Area | 15 mi N | Natural area | MDC | Bow and gun | Allowed | 462 | – |
| Thompson Ford Access | 15 mi E | Public access | MDC | Archery only | Allowed | 84 | – |
| Bootleg Access | 17 mi NW | Public access | MDC | Bow and gun | Allowed | 303 | – |
| Funk Memorial State Forest and Wildlife Area | 21 mi S | Conservation area | MDC | Bow and gun | Allowed | 180 | – |
With 4,984 acres, Ketcherside Mountain Conservation Area gives the most elbow room near Ironton. The 10-mile list breaks down into 4 conservation and natural areas and 1 federal area. First on the list with an MDC deer entry, Ketcherside Mountain Conservation Area is open to archery and firearms, and antlerless permits may be filled there. Mark Twain National Forest land comes within the ring; MDC seasons, permits and limits apply there with no Forest Service fee.
What MDC says about them
- 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.
- Bismarck CA: Bismarck Conservation Area is a 1,188-acre tract of land in St. Francois, Iron, and Washington counties.
- Directions, 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.
Deer processing near Ironton
Counts run to 15 and 35 miles from Ironton, with the nearest few businesses of each trade spelled out underneath. Donated deer go to participating processors such as Walker's Meat Processing (7.8 mi). For a free CWD test, Walker's Meat Processing (7.8 mi) takes deer heads for MDC. at town separates Ironton from Spurs 'N Furs, LLC, the closest taxidermist here. Norma's Guns, 0.7 mi out, sells guns or outdoor gear. For a preserve hunt, start with Twin Lakes Whitetails in Bismarck.
| Category | Count, 15 mi | Count, 35 mi | First stop | How far | Located in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game processors | 2 | 11 | Ruble's Meat Market LLC (closest one) | 0.7 mi S | Arcadia |
| Taxidermy | 2 | 10 | Spurs 'N Furs, LLC (closest one) | at town | Ironton |
| Gun and archery stores | 2 | 14 | Norma's Guns (closest one) | 0.7 mi N | Ironton |
| Guides and preserves | 1 | 1 | Twin Lakes Whitetails (closest one) | 12 mi N | Bismarck |
Game processors
Taxidermy
Gun and archery stores
Guides 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.
County rules that apply to Ironton hunters
Rows cover Iron County and the counties of the closest public land; the November portion and archery dates are the same in all of them.
| County | Doe fill limit | Antlerless dates | CWD check | Feeding ban | Turkey (fall) | Bear, elk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iron County home | 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 |
Hunters may fill up to 1 firearms antlerless permit in Iron County. Iron County stays closed for the October and December antlerless portions. Opening-weekend deer from Iron County must visit a CWD sampling station on the day of harvest. No squirrel or rabbit dogs in Iron County during November portion daylight. For bear, Iron County is in zone 2 (750 permits, quota 22), season Oct 17 to Oct 30, 2026. Iron County falls in the Middle Zone (100%) on the 2021-2025 layer; the digest map decides near the new lines.
CWD stations nearest Ironton
| Station | Address | In | County | Away |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ZX Gas Station | 205 Hwy. 21 | Pilot Knob | Iron | 1.9 mi |
| Johnson Shut-Ins Visitor Center | 148 Taum Sauk Trl. | Lesterville | Reynolds | 12 mi |
| Iron County C-4 School | 35 Rte. 49 | Viburnum | Iron | 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.
Ironton dates, archery to January
Duck dates follow the North, Middle and South zones, so the zone column tells you which split counts in Iron County.
| Species | Season or portion | Covers | First day | Last day | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
Checked deer and turkeys around Ironton
County harvest is the finest grain MDC reports, so treat these as Iron County figures. Hunters checked 1,903 deer there in 2025, against 1,334 in 2015. 923 antlered bucks were checked in 2025. Per square mile, the 2025 harvest was 3.6 deer. Spring gobbler hunters in Iron County logged 194 birds in 2026. In fall 2025, gun hunters took 12 turkeys there. The MDC dashboard counts 0 positives in 264 Iron County samples.
| Year | All deer | Antlered 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 | Harvest |
|---|---|
| Archery | 421 |
| Early youth | 103 |
| November | 1,298 |
| Late youth | 13 |
| Alt. methods | 68 |
| Managed hunts | 0 |
| Spring | Checked | Public ground |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 180 | 64 |
| 2024 | 182 | 47 |
| 2025 | 247 | 85 |
| 2026 | 194 | 59 |
| Sample year | Samples | Positives |
|---|---|---|
| 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.
Upcoming dates in the Ironton area
Kinds within the 30-mile ring: NWTF chapter dinner, field-to-freezer deer program and intro deer hunting talk. Total: 3 upcoming events.
Dates ahead
| Date | Event | Away | Where | Sign up | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
Ironton shooters: three nearest ranges
Millstream Gardens Conservation Area Archery Range heads the Ironton list (9 miles), and two more follow.
Straight-line miles from the town centre; ranges checked October 29, 2026.
Ironton MDC contacts
Iron County hunters wanting a counter and a person can try Piedmont Office, 410 Piedmont Ave, Piedmont. MDC’s Southeast Region answers from Cape Girardeau; e-mail SERegion@mdc.mo.gov. Permits come through MDC’s online system and the MO Hunting app; offices handle local area questions.
MDC Piedmont Office at 30 mi, heading south
MDC Ellington Office: 32 mi to the southwest of Ironton
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.
Ironton hunting hours
The times below start from the MDC Jefferson City table and subtract 6 minutes for Ironton, as the booklet directs.
| Day | Hunt | Sun up | Sun down | Big game window | Migratory window |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
Ironton quick answers
Is there a venison processor in or near Ironton?
The nearest on our list is Ruble's Meat Market LLC, 0.7 mi away.
Which hunters near Ironton must show orange?
Hunters of any game during the firearms deer portions, with listed exceptions such as migratory bird hunters.
Which other towns near Ironton have pages?
Arcadia, Iron Mountain Lake, Knob Lick and Farmington, nearest first.
Who runs the conservation areas around Ironton?
MDC’s Southeast Region; the nearest public office is Piedmont Office (Piedmont).
How many acres of public hunting land fall within 10 miles of Ironton?
About 36,025 acres by GIS measure, over 5 listed areas.
What is the first public hunting area outside Ironton?
It is Mark Twain National Forest, its closest boundary 2.2 miles out. Next in line: Ketcherside Mountain Conservation Area, its closest boundary 3.3 miles out.
Will the December antlerless portion run near Ironton?
No, since the county rule for Iron County keeps it closed.
How many does may I fill on firearms antlerless permits near Ironton?
1 on firearms antlerless permits in Iron County.
How do Ironton hunters get a bear permit?
Residents apply May 1-31; results come by July 1, and each permit is good in one zone.
Is it legal to put out grain or minerals for deer near Ironton?
Feeding is not banned there, but hunting over bait is illegal.
What should I do right after killing a deer near Ironton?
Notch the permit at once, keep the deer intact or field-dressed, and Telecheck by 10 p.m. that day.
When does legal light begin at Ironton for the November portion?
At 6:14 a.m., and they run to 5:20 p.m.
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.
Last checks, Ironton
MDC revises rules between booklets; open the Iron County page and mdc.mo.gov once more before the trip.
Other photos on this page: Heath Cajandig (CC BY 2.0); J L (CC BY-SA 2.0); Good Fire Photos (Public Domain Mark 1.0); Heath Cajandig (CC BY 2.0); USFWS Midwest Region (Public Domain Mark 1.0); Jeff Meyer (CC BY 2.0); J L (CC BY-SA 2.0); Heath Cajandig (CC BY 2.0).