Goose Creek Conservation Area: hunting and access
Goose Creek Conservation Area is 882 acres of MDC land in Dallas and Laclede counties, next to Phillipsburg. MDC lists deer hunting here (archery and firearms, antlerless permits allowed). Hunters checked 2,951 deer in Dallas 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 areasGoose Creek Conservation AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 882 acres in 6 pieces |
|---|---|
| Counties | Dallas County and Laclede County |
| Deer harvest unit | Dallas County, Laclede County |
| MDC lists for hunting | Deer, Bear, Turkey, Rabbit and Squirrel |
| MDC area number | 5909 |
| MDC region | Southwest |
| Nearest towns | Phillipsburg (next to it), Conway (2 mi) and Bennett Springs (9 mi) |
What is Goose Creek Conservation Area like?
Goose Creek CA contains a total of 880 acres and is divided into five separate tracts. They are the Phillipsburg Tract (160 acres), Charity tract (240 acres), Oak Summitt Tract (200 acres), Frisco Tract (240 acres), Phillipsburg Towersite (40 acres). This forest lies in both Laclede and Dallas Counties close to I-44 and is accessible by County Roads. See Area map.
These tracts are mostly mixed oak forest with small openings and old fields. Various phases of multiple use management are often conducted on the area. Forest improvement practices which could include selective harvests, regeneration of forest stands, watershed protection, and wildlife habitat improvement are among the cultural practices utilized by area managers. Some glade restoration has been accomplished. Hunting is allowed and there are opportunities for wildlife viewing.
In MDC's words, from the Goose Creek Conservation Area page.
What can you hunt on Goose Creek Conservation Area?
MDC's page for Goose Creek Conservation Area lists: Deer: archery and firearms, antlerless permits allowed; Bear: archery and firearms; Turkey: archery and firearms; Rabbit; Squirrel.
What are the rules on Goose 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 Goose Creek Conservation Area?
Goose Creek Conservation Area lies in 2 counties. Hunters checked 2,951 deer in Dallas County in 2025, against 2,707 in 2024.
| County | Goose Creek Conservation Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas County | 442 | 2,951 | 2,707 | 3,442 |
| Laclede County | 440 | 3,328 | 3,168 | 4,001 |
Harvest for the whole county, not the conservation area alone: MDC deer harvest summaries (2021 to 2025 seasons).
How do you get to Goose Creek Conservation Area?
MDC's directions: Goose Creek Conservation Area consists of five tracts within eight miles of the I-44 Conway exit. See map for details.
Nearest towns: Phillipsburg (next to it), Conway (2 miles), Bennett Springs (9 miles) and Evergreen (9 miles). Highways within 5 miles: I-44, MO 32 and MO 38.
What other public land is near Goose Creek Conservation Area?
MDC lands within 10 miles:
- Charity Access: 145 acres, next to it
- Osage Fork Conservation Area: 281 acres, 5.1 miles away
- Alfred Newton Gossett Conservation Area: 678 acres, 5.2 miles away
- Rader Access: 67 acres, 5.4 miles away
- Niangua Conservation Area: 855 acres, 6.9 miles away
- Williams Ford Access: 37 acres, 7.5 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Goose Creek Conservation Area
Counting Goose Creek Conservation Area itself, 1,027 of the 75,789 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (1.4%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and MDC conservation area boundaries.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| MDC conservation areas | 1,027 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Goose Creek Conservation Area?
In Dallas and Laclede counties, next to Phillipsburg.
Can you deer hunt on Goose Creek Conservation Area?
Yes, by MDC's page: archery and firearms, antlerless permits allowed.
How much public land is around Goose Creek Conservation Area?
1,027 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Goose Creek Conservation Area included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and MDC conservation area boundaries. The closest other MDC area is Charity Access (next to it).
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, Goose 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.