Prairie Fork Conservation Area: hunting and access
Prairie Fork Conservation Area is 913 acres of MDC land in Callaway County, 10 miles from Danville. MDC lists deer hunting here only on managed hunts. Hunters checked 5,197 deer in Callaway 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 sitesPrairie Fork Conservation AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 913 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Callaway County |
| Deer harvest unit | Callaway County |
| MDC area number | 9701 |
| MDC region | Central |
| MDC managed hunts | deer, turkey, rabbit and squirrel |
| Nearest towns | Danville (10 mi), Kingdom City (11 mi) and Auxvasse (11 mi) |
What are the rules on Prairie Fork Conservation Area?
Pets and Hunting Dogs: Pets and hunting dogs are 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 Prairie Fork Conservation Area?
Prairie Fork Conservation Area lies in Callaway County. Hunters checked 5,197 deer in Callaway County in 2025, against 4,440 in 2024.
| County | Prairie Fork Conservation Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Callaway County | 913 | 5,197 | 4,440 | 5,775 |
Harvest for the whole county, not the conservation area alone: MDC deer harvest summaries (2021 to 2025 seasons).
How do you get to Prairie Fork Conservation Area?
MDC's directions: From Williamsburg I-70 exit #161, take Route D north to stop sign, then west 2 miles, then south crossing I-70 and continuing 2 miles to the area.
Nearest towns: Danville (10 miles), Kingdom City (11 miles), Auxvasse (11 miles) and Fulton (11 miles). Highways within 5 miles: US 40 and I-70.
What other public land is near Prairie Fork Conservation Area?
MDC lands within 10 miles:
- Whetstone Creek Conservation Area: 5,318 acres, 1.7 miles away
- Moores Mill Access: 104 acres, 3.4 miles away
- Loutre Lick Access: 155 acres, 7 miles away
- Reform Conservation Area: 3,283 acres, 8.5 miles away
- Danville Conservation Area: 3,142 acres, 9.2 miles away
- Hams Prairie Access: 22 acres, 9.6 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Prairie Fork Conservation Area
Counting Prairie Fork Conservation Area itself, 2,439 of the 30,285 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (8.1%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and MDC conservation area boundaries.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| MDC conservation areas | 2,439 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Prairie Fork Conservation Area?
In Callaway County, 10 miles from Danville.
Can you deer hunt on Prairie Fork Conservation Area?
Only on MDC managed hunts, by MDC's page. Managed hunts are applied for through MDC.
How much public land is around Prairie Fork Conservation Area?
2,439 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Prairie Fork Conservation Area included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and MDC conservation area boundaries. The closest other MDC area is Whetstone Creek Conservation Area (1.7 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, Prairie Fork 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.