Little Bean Marsh Conservation Area: hunting and access
Little Bean Marsh Conservation Area is 440 acres of MDC land in Platte County, 2 miles from Iatan. MDC lists deer hunting here (archery only, antlerless permits allowed). Hunters checked 1,153 deer in Platte 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 areasState parks and historic sitesLittle Bean Marsh Conservation AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 440 acres in 3 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Platte County |
| Deer harvest unit | Platte County |
| MDC lists for hunting | Deer, Turkey, Rabbit and Squirrel |
| MDC area number | 7936 |
| MDC region | Kansas City |
| Nearest towns | Iatan (2 mi), Lewis and Clark Village (2 mi) and Rushville (5 mi) |
What is Little Bean Marsh Conservation Area like?
On July 4, 1804, the Lewis and Clark expedition passed by what is now Little Bean Marsh Natural Area. At that time, the marsh was part of an oxbow lake that was connected to the Missouri River in a vast riverine landscape of marshes, oxbows, wet prairies, and bottomland forest. The highly-altered Missouri River of today would be unrecognizable to Lewis and Clark as the once vast complex of wetlands associated with the river are largely gone. Little Bean Marsh Natural Area contains one of the last remnants of this system still present along the Missouri River flood plain.
In MDC's words, from the Little Bean Marsh Conservation Area page.
What can you hunt on Little Bean Marsh Conservation Area?
MDC's page for Little Bean Marsh Conservation Area lists: Deer: archery only, antlerless permits allowed; Turkey: archery and firearms; Rabbit; Squirrel.
What are the rules on Little Bean Marsh Conservation Area?
Hunting: Nontoxic shot is required for all hunting with a shotgun on this area. Use or possession of lead shot is prohibited.
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 Little Bean Marsh Conservation Area?
Little Bean Marsh Conservation Area lies in Platte County. Hunters checked 1,153 deer in Platte County in 2025, against 1,102 in 2024.
| County | Little Bean Marsh Conservation Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Platte County | 440 | 1,153 | 1,102 | 1,209 |
Harvest for the whole county, not the conservation area alone: MDC deer harvest summaries (2021 to 2025 seasons).
How do you get to Little Bean Marsh Conservation Area?
MDC's directions: From Kansas City, take Highway 45 north 30 miles, then Westside Drive west to access area.
Nearest towns: Iatan (2 miles), Lewis and Clark Village (2 miles), Rushville (5 miles) and De Kalb (8 miles). Highways within 5 miles: MO 45, MO 273, US 59 and MO 116.
What other public land is near Little Bean Marsh Conservation Area?
MDC lands within 10 miles:
- Bluffwoods Conservation Area: 2,247 acres, 7.8 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Little Bean Marsh Conservation Area
Counting Little Bean Marsh Conservation Area itself, 648 of the 26,754 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (2.4%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and MDC conservation area boundaries.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| MDC conservation areas | 441 |
| State parks and historic sites | 207 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Little Bean Marsh Conservation Area?
In Platte County, 2 miles from Iatan.
Can you deer hunt on Little Bean Marsh Conservation Area?
Yes, by MDC's page: archery only, antlerless permits allowed.
How much public land is around Little Bean Marsh Conservation Area?
648 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Little Bean Marsh Conservation Area included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and MDC conservation area boundaries. The closest other MDC area is Bluffwoods Conservation Area (7.8 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, Little Bean Marsh 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.