Grand Pass Conservation Area: hunting and access
Grand Pass Conservation Area is 5,366 acres of MDC land in Saline County, 3 miles from Miami. MDC lists deer hunting here (archery only, antlerless permits allowed). Hunters checked 2,048 deer in Saline 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 wildlife refugesState parks and historic sitesGrand Pass Conservation AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 5,366 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Saline County |
| Deer harvest unit | Saline County |
| MDC lists for hunting | Deer, Turkey, Rabbit, Dove and Quail |
| MDC area number | 8010 |
| MDC region | Northwest |
| Camping (MDC) | individual campsites and boat-in along missouri river |
| Nearest towns | Miami (3 mi), Malta Bend (6 mi) and De Witt (6 mi) |
What is Grand Pass Conservation Area like?
Grand Pass Conservation Area is in Saline County.Six miles of the area fronts the Missouri River. The Conservation Department purchased 2,100 acres in 1980, 2,611 acres in 1984 and 385 acres in 1994 and leased 205 more acres in 1986 to form Grand Pass Conservation Area.
The area consists of Missouri River bottomlands, including wetlands, adjacent river islands, agricultural units, and timber tracts. Area development includes levees and water control structures. Waterways and pumps help manage these Missouri River wetlands and restore and maintain habitat for migratory wetland species and associated resident wildlife. Wetland management consists of providing fall and spring flooded habitat for migratory birds and emergent marshes for resident and breeding wetland wildlife. This area has been designated by Audubon Missouri as an Important Bird Area (IBA). IBA's are sites that have been identified by Audubon as those that are the most crucial for bird populations, due to their abundance and/or diversity of birds present. Grand Pass Conservation Area is within the Wakenda Bottoms Conservation Opportunity Area, a broad reach of the Missouri River...
In MDC's words, from the Grand Pass Conservation Area page.
What can you hunt on Grand Pass Conservation Area?
MDC's page for Grand Pass Conservation Area lists: Deer: archery only, antlerless permits allowed; Turkey: archery and firearms; Rabbit; Dove; Quail.
What are the rules on Grand Pass Conservation Area?
Closings: Portions of this department area are closed to protect waterfowl from October 15 through March 1.
Hunting: Nontoxic shot is required for all hunting with a shotgun on this area. Use or possession of lead shot is prohibited.
Waterfowl Hunting: Waterfowl hunting is prohibited after 1:00 p.m. on designated portions of this area (one of several MDC lists for this rule).
Every conservation area also follows MDC's standard rules in Chapter 11 of the Wildlife Code; the area's full rules are on MDC's site.
How many deer are taken around Grand Pass Conservation Area?
Grand Pass Conservation Area lies in Saline County. Hunters checked 2,048 deer in Saline County in 2025, against 1,954 in 2024.
| County | Grand Pass Conservation Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saline County | 5,366 | 2,048 | 1,954 | 2,198 |
Harvest for the whole county, not the conservation area alone: MDC deer harvest summaries (2021 to 2025 seasons).
How do you get to Grand Pass Conservation Area?
MDC's directions: From Marshall, take Highway 65 west 8 miles, then Route N north 5 miles to area headquarters.
Nearest towns: Miami (3 miles), Malta Bend (6 miles), De Witt (6 miles) and Grand Pass (8 miles). Highways within 5 miles: MO 41, US 24 and MO 122.
What other public land is near Grand Pass Conservation Area?
MDC lands within 10 miles:
- McKinny Conservation Area: 112 acres, 4.4 miles away
- Malta Bend Community Lake: 24 acres, 7.2 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Grand Pass Conservation Area
Counting Grand Pass Conservation Area itself, 6,507 of the 45,807 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (14.2%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and MDC conservation area boundaries.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| MDC conservation areas | 5,713 |
| State parks and historic sites | 794 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Grand Pass Conservation Area?
In Saline County, 3 miles from Miami.
Can you deer hunt on Grand Pass Conservation Area?
Yes, by MDC's page: archery only, antlerless permits allowed.
How much public land is around Grand Pass Conservation Area?
6,507 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Grand Pass Conservation Area included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and MDC conservation area boundaries. The closest other MDC area is McKinny Conservation Area (4.4 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, Grand Pass 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.