Marshall Junction Conservation Area: hunting and access
Marshall Junction Conservation Area is 768 acres of MDC land in Saline and Pettis counties, 5 miles from Houstonia. MDC lists deer hunting here (archery and firearms, archery antlerless permits only). 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 areasMarshall Junction Conservation AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 768 acres |
|---|---|
| Counties | Saline County and Pettis County |
| Deer harvest unit | Saline County, Pettis County |
| MDC lists for hunting | Deer, Bear, Turkey, Rabbit, Squirrel and Dove |
| MDC area number | 6408 |
| MDC region | Central |
| Shooting range (MDC) | rifle or pistol |
| Nearest towns | Houstonia (5 mi), Hughesville (7 mi) and Sweet Springs (8 mi) |
What is Marshall Junction Conservation Area like?
Marshall Junction Conservation Area is off Route CC in southern Saline County. The area is approximately two miles south and three miles west of the I-70/Highway 65 intersection.
The Conservation Department purchased this 774-acre area in 1964. The area has rolling uplands with mixed old fields and crop fields bordered by timber on more rugged terrain and deep drainages. About 1.25 miles of the Blackwater River runs along the area's northwest boundary, and several fishless ponds are on the area. Management of the area includes periodic prescribed burning and/or vegetation control in old field areas to maintain open lands important to wildlife. Forest management provides a variety of age classes of forest and woodland for wildlife benefits. Woodland borders are feathered to provide habitat for edge and early succession species such as bobwhite quail and cottontail rabbits. About 150-acres of farmed cropland occur on the area and a part of the crop is left standing to provide food for wildlife. Marshall Junction Conservation Area is named for nearby historic...
In MDC's words, from the Marshall Junction Conservation Area page.
What can you hunt on Marshall Junction Conservation Area?
MDC's page for Marshall Junction Conservation Area lists: Deer: archery and firearms, archery antlerless permits only; Bear: archery and firearms; Turkey: archery and firearms; Rabbit; Squirrel; Dove.
What are the rules on Marshall Junction Conservation Area?
Target Shooting and Shooting Ranges: An unstaffed range is located on this department area. Target shooting is not allowed anywhere on this area except for designated shooting range(s). Shooting hours are one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset. Ranges may be closed to public use at any time for maintenance or department sponsored events or programs. Possession of alcoholic beverages is prohibited on all ranges and associated parking lots. Groups of more than 10 people must obtain a special use permit prior to using the range. To obtain a special use permit, contact the area manager at the phone number listed...
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 Marshall Junction Conservation Area?
Marshall Junction Conservation Area lies in 2 counties. Hunters checked 2,048 deer in Saline County in 2025, against 1,954 in 2024.
| County | Marshall Junction Conservation Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saline County | 766 | 2,048 | 1,954 | 2,198 |
| Pettis County | 3 | 2,867 | 3,007 | 3,146 |
Harvest for the whole county, not the conservation area alone: MDC deer harvest summaries (2021 to 2025 seasons).
How do you get to Marshall Junction Conservation Area?
MDC's directions: From the the I-70/Highway 65 junction, take Highway 65 south 2 miles, take Route CC west 3 miles, then Route RB north 1 mile.
Nearest towns: Houstonia (5 miles), Hughesville (7 miles), Sweet Springs (8 miles) and Marshall (11 miles). Highways within 5 miles: I-70, US 40 and US 65.
What other public land is near Marshall Junction Conservation Area?
MDC lands within 10 miles:
- Blue Lick Conservation Area: 387 acres, 2.6 miles away
- Blind Pony Lake Conservation Area: 2,197 acres, 7.6 miles away
- Ralph and Martha Perry Memorial Conservation Area: 4,204 acres, 9.9 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Marshall Junction Conservation Area
Counting Marshall Junction Conservation Area itself, 850 of the 28,198 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (3%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and MDC conservation area boundaries.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| MDC conservation areas | 850 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Marshall Junction Conservation Area?
In Saline and Pettis counties, 5 miles from Houstonia.
Can you deer hunt on Marshall Junction Conservation Area?
Yes, by MDC's page: archery and firearms, archery antlerless permits only.
How much public land is around Marshall Junction Conservation Area?
850 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Marshall Junction Conservation Area included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and MDC conservation area boundaries. The closest other MDC area is Blue Lick Conservation Area (2.6 miles).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: MDC, Marshall Junction 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.