Moniteau Creek Conservation Area: hunting and access
Moniteau Creek Conservation Area is 744 acres of MDC land in Howard County, 6 miles from Fayette. MDC lists deer hunting here (archery and firearms, archery antlerless permits only). Hunters checked 2,304 deer in Howard 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 areasCounty, city and regional landMoniteau Creek Conservation AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 744 acres (844 by MDC's page) |
|---|---|
| County | Howard County |
| Deer harvest unit | Howard County |
| MDC lists for hunting | Deer, Turkey, Rabbit, Squirrel, Dove and Quail |
| MDC area number | 9735 |
| MDC region | Central |
| Camping (MDC) | designated camping sites |
| Nearest towns | Fayette (6 mi), Harrisburg (6 mi) and Rocheport (7 mi) |
What is Moniteau Creek Conservation Area like?
Moniteau Creek Conservation Area is in Howard County, not far from Harrisburg. Part of the area is accessible only by taking Route A to Route W.
Moniteau Creek Conservation Area contains 844 acres and has irregular boundaries. The area is bisected by 2.25 miles of Moniteau Creek. The creek is subject to seasonal flooding and often overflows its banks. About 30 percent of the area is in timber, including bottomland hardwoods. The rest of the area is primarily open grasslands, although it also contains small wetlands. The area provides good access to Moniteau Creek, which is deep and meandering and provides good fishing opportunities. Primative camping is allowed in designated parking lots. The Conservation Department is managing the area primarily for wildlife species associated with grasslands. Cool season grasses will include timothy and orchard grass, to which annual lespedeza has been added. Other acreage have been converted to warm-season grasses such as big and little bluestem and wildflowers such as pale purple coneflower...
In MDC's words, from the Moniteau Creek Conservation Area page.
What can you hunt on Moniteau Creek Conservation Area?
MDC's page for Moniteau Creek Conservation Area lists: Deer: archery and firearms, archery antlerless permits only; Turkey: archery and firearms; Rabbit; Squirrel; Dove; Quail.
What are the rules on Moniteau 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 Moniteau Creek Conservation Area?
Moniteau Creek Conservation Area lies in Howard County. Hunters checked 2,304 deer in Howard County in 2025, against 2,077 in 2024.
| County | Moniteau Creek Conservation Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Howard County | 744 | 2,304 | 2,077 | 2,441 |
Harvest for the whole county, not the conservation area alone: MDC deer harvest summaries (2021 to 2025 seasons).
How do you get to Moniteau Creek Conservation Area?
MDC's directions: From Harrisburg, take Route A south from Highway 124. From Columbia, take I-70 west to Highway 40, from Highway 40 take Route J north, and Route EE west, then Route A to the area to access the east side of the area. Take Route W to access the west side of the area.
Nearest towns: Fayette (6 miles), Harrisburg (6 miles), Rocheport (7 miles) and New Franklin (9 miles). Highways within 5 miles: MO 240.
What other public land is near Moniteau Creek Conservation Area?
MDC lands within 10 miles:
- Davisdale Conservation Area: 2,784 acres, 3.5 miles away
- Diana Bend Conservation Area: 1,342 acres, 6.9 miles away
- D. C. Rogers Lake (Fayette): 203 acres, 7 miles away
- Franklin Island Conservation Area: 1,668 acres, 7.5 miles away
- Peters Lake (Fayette): 62 acres, 8.3 miles away
- Hungry Mother Conservation Area: 270 acres, 8.8 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Moniteau Creek Conservation Area
Counting Moniteau Creek Conservation Area itself, 770 of the 31,083 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (2.5%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and MDC conservation area boundaries.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| MDC conservation areas | 770 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Moniteau Creek Conservation Area?
In Howard County, 6 miles from Fayette.
Can you deer hunt on Moniteau Creek Conservation Area?
Yes, by MDC's page: archery and firearms, archery antlerless permits only.
How much public land is around Moniteau Creek Conservation Area?
770 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Moniteau Creek Conservation Area included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and MDC conservation area boundaries. The closest other MDC area is Davisdale Conservation Area (3.5 miles).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: MDC, Moniteau 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.