Rose Pond Conservation Area: hunting and access
Rose Pond Conservation Area is 382 acres of MDC land in Clark County, 3 miles from Alexandria. MDC lists deer hunting here (archery and firearms, antlerless permits allowed). Hunters checked 2,750 deer in Clark 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 wildlife refugesRose Pond Conservation AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 382 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Clark County |
| Deer harvest unit | Clark County |
| MDC lists for hunting | Deer, Turkey, Dove and Quail |
| MDC area number | 8417 |
| MDC region | Northeast |
| Camping (MDC) | designated camping sites |
| Nearest towns | Alexandria (3 mi), Wayland (5 mi) and St. Francisville (8 mi) |
What is Rose Pond Conservation Area like?
This 379-acre area consists mostly of bottomlands associated with Honey Creek, which empties into the Mississippi River. Approximately 38 acres are marshland. Rose Pond is believed to be a very small remnant of a once extensive marsh system associated with the mouth of the Des Moines River. A deep, sandy soil found here is assumed to have been deposited by the Des Moines River. Sand prairies were once found here and are now being restored.
Rose Pond Conservation Area was purchased as critical habitat for several wetland species. The management emphasis encourages healthy populations of wetland wildlife and provides permanent emergent marsh habitat while offering the public compatible outdoor recreational opportunities. As part of the amphibian and reptile management regime, pooled water on the area is fishless. The best fishing opportunities lie within Honey Creek. Management techniques include construction of shallow water habitat, establishment of native prairie plant species, restoration of original soil hydrology, protection of wildlife in refuges and construction of critical wildlife habitat. The Conservation Department purchased the bulk of this property in 1983. In 1984, David and Charlotte Fox donated 27 acres, with the stipulation that it be designated a wildlife refuge. That request was granted.
In MDC's words, from the Rose Pond Conservation Area page.
What can you hunt on Rose Pond Conservation Area?
MDC's page for Rose Pond Conservation Area lists: Deer: archery and firearms, antlerless permits allowed; Turkey: archery and firearms; Dove; Quail.
What are the rules on Rose Pond 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 Rose Pond Conservation Area?
Rose Pond Conservation Area lies in Clark County. Hunters checked 2,750 deer in Clark County in 2025, against 2,750 in 2024.
| County | Rose Pond Conservation Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clark County | 382 | 2,750 | 2,750 | 2,707 |
Harvest for the whole county, not the conservation area alone: MDC deer harvest summaries (2021 to 2025 seasons).
How do you get to Rose Pond Conservation Area?
MDC's directions: From Wayland, take Highway 27/61 south 7 miles, then Route F east 2.50 miles, then Route P north 2 miles, then on gravel road 317west 0.25 miles, then on gravel road 304north 0.50 miles.
Nearest towns: Alexandria (3 miles), Wayland (5 miles), St. Francisville (8 miles) and Kahoka (12 miles). Highways within 5 miles: US 61, US 136 and MO 27.
What other public land is near Rose Pond Conservation Area?
MDC lands within 10 miles:
- Frost Island Conservation Area: 1,251 acres, 6.4 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Rose Pond Conservation Area
Counting Rose Pond Conservation Area itself, 2,389 of the 24,661 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (9.7%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and MDC conservation area boundaries.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| National wildlife refuges | 2,007 |
| MDC conservation areas | 382 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Rose Pond Conservation Area?
In Clark County, 3 miles from Alexandria.
Can you deer hunt on Rose Pond Conservation Area?
Yes, by MDC's page: archery and firearms, antlerless permits allowed.
How much public land is around Rose Pond Conservation Area?
2,389 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Rose Pond Conservation Area included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and MDC conservation area boundaries. The closest other MDC area is Frost Island Conservation Area (6.4 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, Rose Pond 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.