Richard Massengill Conservation Area: hunting and access
Richard Massengill Conservation Area is 203 acres of MDC land in Douglas County, 16 miles from Willow Springs. MDC lists deer hunting here (archery and firearms, antlerless permits allowed). Hunters checked 3,695 deer in Douglas 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 forestRichard Massengill Conservation AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 203 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Douglas County |
| Deer harvest unit | Douglas County |
| MDC lists for hunting | Deer, Bear, Turkey and Squirrel |
| MDC area number | 9915 |
| MDC region | Ozark |
| Nearest towns | Willow Springs (16 mi), Mountain Grove (17 mi) and Pomona (17 mi) |
What is Richard Massengill Conservation Area like?
This area is mostly forested and has an unimproved access trail through it.
In MDC's words, from the Richard Massengill Conservation Area page.
What can you hunt on Richard Massengill Conservation Area?
MDC's page for Richard Massengill Conservation Area lists: Deer: archery and firearms, antlerless permits allowed; Bear: archery and firearms; Turkey: archery and firearms; Squirrel.
What are the rules on Richard Massengill 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 Richard Massengill Conservation Area?
Richard Massengill Conservation Area lies in Douglas County. Hunters checked 3,695 deer in Douglas County in 2025, against 3,048 in 2024.
| County | Richard Massengill Conservation Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Douglas County | 203 | 3,695 | 3,048 | 4,138 |
Harvest for the whole county, not the conservation area alone: MDC deer harvest summaries (2021 to 2025 seasons).
How do you get to Richard Massengill Conservation Area?
MDC's directions: From Highway 95 at Vanzant, take Route W east, then Route AH east for 1.50 miles, and County Road 272 south, and the area access road south.
Nearest towns: Willow Springs (16 miles), Mountain Grove (17 miles), Pomona (17 miles) and Cabool (17 miles). Highways within 5 miles: MO 181, MO 14 and MO 95.
What other public land is near Richard Massengill Conservation Area?
MDC lands within 10 miles:
- Shannon Ranch Conservation Area: 1,572 acres, 4.1 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Richard Massengill Conservation Area
Counting Richard Massengill Conservation Area itself, 4,798 of the 24,274 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (19.8%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and MDC conservation area boundaries.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| National forest | 4,595 |
| MDC conservation areas | 203 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Richard Massengill Conservation Area?
In Douglas County, 16 miles from Willow Springs.
Can you deer hunt on Richard Massengill Conservation Area?
Yes, by MDC's page: archery and firearms, antlerless permits allowed.
How much public land is around Richard Massengill Conservation Area?
4,798 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Richard Massengill Conservation Area included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and MDC conservation area boundaries. The closest other MDC area is Shannon Ranch Conservation Area (4.1 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, Richard Massengill 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.