Fourche Creek Conservation Area: hunting and access
Fourche Creek Conservation Area is 3,782 acres of MDC land in Ripley County, 7 miles from Doniphan. MDC lists deer hunting here (archery only, antlerless permits allowed). Hunters checked 3,088 deer in Ripley 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 areasNational forestFourche Creek Conservation AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 3,782 acres in 6 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Ripley County |
| Deer harvest unit | Ripley County |
| MDC lists for hunting | Deer, Bear, Turkey, Rabbit and Squirrel |
| MDC area number | 6519 |
| MDC region | Ozark |
| Camping (MDC) | open camping - walk-in/float-in/backpack |
| Nearest towns | Doniphan (7 mi), Oxly (8 mi) and Naylor (10 mi) |
What is Fourche Creek Conservation Area like?
Fourche Creek CA has five tracts in Ripley County approximately 15 miles southwest of Doniphan.
Most of the area was obtained by the University of Missouri in 1862 from the Federal government and sold to the Department of Conservation in 1965. During its century of ownership the University paid little attention to the property other than selling a site for the Gatewood School. Many local residents referred to it as the “Ag land” or “Agriculture land” and utilized it by cutting timber, grazing livestock, and farming. As many as 17 families lived on it at one time, the last of which moved away in the 1990’s. Fourche Creek CA is predominantly forest land, only 4% of the area is open in old fields and small glades. The forested acreage is mostly oak-hickory with some pine stands that were planted in the early 1970’s.
In MDC's words, from the Fourche Creek Conservation Area page.
What can you hunt on Fourche Creek Conservation Area?
MDC's page for Fourche Creek Conservation Area lists: Deer: archery only, antlerless permits allowed; Bear: archery and firearms; Turkey: archery and firearms; Rabbit; Squirrel.
What are the rules on Fourche Creek 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 Fourche Creek Conservation Area?
Fourche Creek Conservation Area lies in Ripley County. Hunters checked 3,088 deer in Ripley County in 2025, against 2,848 in 2024.
| County | Fourche Creek Conservation Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ripley County | 3,778 | 3,088 | 2,848 | 3,818 |
Harvest for the whole county, not the conservation area alone: MDC deer harvest summaries (2021 to 2025 seasons).
How do you get to Fourche Creek Conservation Area?
MDC's directions: From Doniphan, take Highway 142 west 11 miles, then Route P south 7 miles to the area.
Nearest towns: Doniphan (7 miles), Oxly (8 miles), Naylor (10 miles) and Fairdealing (14 miles). Highways within 5 miles: MO 142 and US 160.
What other public land is near Fourche Creek Conservation Area?
MDC lands within 10 miles:
- Myrtle Access: 35 acres, 4.6 miles away
- Hemenway Conservation Area: 173 acres, 7 miles away
- Sand Pond Conservation Area: 302 acres, 9.4 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Fourche Creek Conservation Area
Counting Fourche Creek Conservation Area itself, 7,902 of the 86,860 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (9.1%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and MDC conservation area boundaries.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| National forest | 4,102 |
| MDC conservation areas | 3,800 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Fourche Creek Conservation Area?
In Ripley County, 7 miles from Doniphan.
Can you deer hunt on Fourche Creek Conservation Area?
Yes, by MDC's page: archery only, antlerless permits allowed.
How much public land is around Fourche Creek Conservation Area?
7,902 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Fourche Creek Conservation Area included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and MDC conservation area boundaries. The closest other MDC area is Myrtle Access (4.6 miles).
Get a Missouri hunt plan when they open
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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, Fourche Creek 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.