Howell Island Conservation Area: hunting and access
Howell Island Conservation Area is 2,707 acres of MDC land in St. Charles and St. Louis counties, 2 miles from Weldon Spring Heights. MDC lists deer hunting here (archery only, antlerless permits allowed). Hunters checked 2,141 deer in St. Charles 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 sitesCounty, city and regional landLand trusts and other open landHowell Island Conservation AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 2,707 acres (2,548 by MDC's page) in 2 pieces |
|---|---|
| Counties | St. Charles County and St. Louis County |
| Deer harvest unit | St. Charles County, St. Louis County |
| MDC lists for hunting | Deer, Turkey and Squirrel |
| MDC area number | 7808 |
| MDC region | St. Louis |
| Nearest towns | Weldon Spring Heights (2 mi), Weldon Spring (2 mi) and Defiance (3 mi) |
What is Howell Island Conservation Area like?
Howell Island Conservation Area is located in St. Charles County, across the Missouri River from the Weldon Spring Conservation Area. Access to the island is by boat only. This 2,548-acre island was purchased by the Conservation Department in 1978. It is mostly forested with bottomland trees such as cottonwood and sycamore, but shrub/grass fields also provide important habitat for wildlife.
In MDC's words, from the Howell Island Conservation Area page.
What can you hunt on Howell Island Conservation Area?
MDC's page for Howell Island Conservation Area lists: Deer: archery only, antlerless permits allowed; Turkey: archery and firearms; Squirrel.
What are the rules on Howell Island 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 Howell Island Conservation Area?
Howell Island Conservation Area lies in 2 counties. Hunters checked 2,141 deer in St. Charles County in 2025, against 2,231 in 2024.
| County | Howell Island Conservation Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Charles County | 2,678 | 2,141 | 2,231 | 2,297 |
| St. Louis County | 28 | 1,922 | 1,917 | 2,015 |
Harvest for the whole county, not the conservation area alone: MDC deer harvest summaries (2021 to 2025 seasons).
How do you get to Howell Island Conservation Area?
MDC's directions: From eastbound I-64, exit onto Chesterfield Airport Road and take Olive Street/Eatherton Road 3 miles west to the area entrance. From westbound I-64, exit onto Long Road and take Chesterfield Airport Road west 2 miles, then Olive Street/Eatherton Road west 3 miles to the area entrance.
Nearest towns: Weldon Spring Heights (2 miles), Weldon Spring (2 miles), Defiance (3 miles) and Dardenne Prairie (5 miles). Highways within 5 miles: US 61, US 40, I-64, MO 94 and MO 364.
What other public land is near Howell Island Conservation Area?
MDC lands within 10 miles:
- Weldon Spring Conservation Area: 8,539 acres, next to it
- August A. Busch Memorial Conservation Area: 6,999 acres, 1.9 miles away
- Rockwoods Reservation: 1,923 acres, 4.6 miles away
- Engelmann Woods Natural Area: 155 acres, 5 miles away
- Rockwoods Range: 1,461 acres, 7.1 miles away
- Roger Klamberg Woods Conservation Area: 68 acres, 7.4 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Howell Island Conservation Area
Counting Howell Island Conservation Area itself, 13,937 of the 39,819 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (35%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and MDC conservation area boundaries.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| MDC conservation areas | 10,972 |
| State parks and historic sites | 2,266 |
| National wildlife refuges | 484 |
| County, city and regional land | 215 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Howell Island Conservation Area?
In St. Charles and St. Louis counties, 2 miles from Weldon Spring Heights.
Can you deer hunt on Howell Island Conservation Area?
Yes, by MDC's page: archery only, antlerless permits allowed.
How much public land is around Howell Island Conservation Area?
13,937 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Howell Island Conservation Area included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and MDC conservation area boundaries. The closest other MDC area is Weldon Spring Conservation Area (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, Howell Island 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.