Elmslie Memorial Conservation Area: hunting and access
Elmslie Memorial Conservation Area is 237 acres of MDC land in Marion County, 6 miles from Philadelphia. MDC lists deer hunting here (archery and firearms, antlerless permits allowed). Hunters checked 2,339 deer in Marion 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 areasElmslie Memorial Conservation AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 237 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Marion County |
| Deer harvest unit | Marion County |
| MDC lists for hunting | Deer, Turkey and Squirrel |
| MDC area number | 6918 |
| MDC region | Northeast |
| Camping (MDC) | walk-in, float-in or backpack camping (not during deer and turkey seasons) and designated camping sites |
| Nearest towns | Philadelphia (6 mi), Monroe City (6 mi) and Hunnewell (8 mi) |
What is Elmslie Memorial Conservation Area like?
The area consists of 238 acres of mostly forested land donated to the Missouri Department of Conservation by Dr. and Mrs. Wallace P. Elmslie of Quincy, Illinois, who wanted to preserve the area's high-quality bird and plant habitat.
Elmslie Natural Area contains diverse and unique timber communities, including upland and bottomland hardwood forests, and woodlands. Visitors can acquaint themselves with these communities, and their associated shrubs and wildflowers with just a short hike. Due to the scientific and educational value, the south 100 acres of the forest have been designated a Natural Area for special study and management. The North River's south fork flows through the area for more than one-quarter mile. This small, scenic, usually clear stream provides fishing for bass and panfish. A 100-foot corridor of undisturbed vegetation is maintained along the waterway to prevent erosion of the banks and to enhance the stream's aesthetic quality.
In MDC's words, from the Elmslie Memorial Conservation Area page.
What can you hunt on Elmslie Memorial Conservation Area?
MDC's page for Elmslie Memorial Conservation Area lists: Deer: archery and firearms, antlerless permits allowed; Turkey: archery and firearms; Squirrel.
What are the rules on Elmslie Memorial 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 Elmslie Memorial Conservation Area?
Elmslie Memorial Conservation Area lies in Marion County. Hunters checked 2,339 deer in Marion County in 2025, against 2,485 in 2024.
| County | Elmslie Memorial Conservation Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marion County | 237 | 2,339 | 2,485 | 2,517 |
Harvest for the whole county, not the conservation area alone: MDC deer harvest summaries (2021 to 2025 seasons).
How do you get to Elmslie Memorial Conservation Area?
MDC's directions: From Warren, take Route C east 1 mile, then County Road 229 south 1.50 miles.
Nearest towns: Philadelphia (6 miles), Monroe City (6 miles), Hunnewell (8 miles) and Palmyra (12 miles).
What other public land is near Elmslie Memorial Conservation Area?
MDC lands within 10 miles:
- Callahan Mound Access: 126 acres, 5.1 miles away
- Hunnewell Lake Conservation Area: 1,971 acres, 5.2 miles away
- Black Hawk Access: 135 acres, 7.3 miles away
- Dunn Ford Access: 141 acres, 9.3 miles away
- Hunnewell Access: 38 acres, 9.4 miles away
- Route J Reservoir (Monroe City): 94 acres, 9.6 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Elmslie Memorial Conservation Area
Counting Elmslie Memorial Conservation Area itself, 237 of the 23,057 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (1%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and MDC conservation area boundaries.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| MDC conservation areas | 237 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Elmslie Memorial Conservation Area?
In Marion County, 6 miles from Philadelphia.
Can you deer hunt on Elmslie Memorial Conservation Area?
Yes, by MDC's page: archery and firearms, antlerless permits allowed.
How much public land is around Elmslie Memorial Conservation Area?
237 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Elmslie Memorial Conservation Area included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and MDC conservation area boundaries. The closest other MDC area is Callahan Mound Access (5.1 miles).
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, Elmslie Memorial 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.