Tate Island Conservation Area: hunting and access
Tate Island Conservation Area is 423 acres of MDC land in Callaway and Montgomery counties, 3 miles from Morrison. MDC lists deer hunting here (archery and firearms, antlerless permits allowed). 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 sitesTate Island Conservation AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 423 acres |
|---|---|
| Counties | Callaway County and Montgomery County |
| Deer harvest unit | Callaway County, Montgomery County |
| MDC lists for hunting | Deer, Turkey and Squirrel |
| MDC area number | 9903 |
| MDC region | Central |
| Camping (MDC) | boat-in along missouri river |
| Nearest towns | Morrison (3 mi), Chamois (5 mi) and Gasconade (5 mi) |
What is Tate Island Conservation Area like?
Tate Island is is a 433 acre island located within the Missouri River Channel between river miles 110.3 and 113.3. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers acquired the island from willing sellers in 1994 and the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) cooperatively manages the area for Missouri River habitat and public use.This island area is forested and only accessible by boat.
In MDC's words, from the Tate Island Conservation Area page.
What can you hunt on Tate Island Conservation Area?
MDC's page for Tate Island Conservation Area lists: Deer: archery and firearms, antlerless permits allowed; Turkey: archery and firearms; Squirrel.
What are the rules on Tate Island 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 Tate Island Conservation Area?
Tate Island Conservation Area lies in 2 counties. Hunters checked 5,197 deer in Callaway County in 2025, against 4,440 in 2024.
| County | Tate Island Conservation Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Callaway County | 421 | 5,197 | 4,440 | 5,775 |
| Montgomery County | 1 | 3,419 | 3,206 | 3,645 |
Harvest for the whole county, not the conservation area alone: MDC deer harvest summaries (2021 to 2025 seasons).
How do you get to Tate Island Conservation Area?
MDC's directions: From Portland, by river, east about 1.50 miles. This is a Missouri River island accessible only by boat.
Nearest towns: Morrison (3 miles), Chamois (5 miles), Gasconade (5 miles) and Rhineland (7 miles). Highways within 5 miles: MO 94, MO 100 and MO 89.
What other public land is near Tate Island Conservation Area?
MDC lands within 10 miles:
- Grand Bluffs Conservation Area: 238 acres, 1.4 miles away
- Reform Conservation Area: 3,283 acres, 3.8 miles away
- Hams Prairie Access: 22 acres, 8 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Tate Island Conservation Area
Counting Tate Island Conservation Area itself, 669 of the 29,811 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (2.2%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and MDC conservation area boundaries.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| MDC conservation areas | 661 |
| State parks and historic sites | 8 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Tate Island Conservation Area?
In Callaway and Montgomery counties, 3 miles from Morrison.
Can you deer hunt on Tate Island Conservation Area?
Yes, by MDC's page: archery and firearms, antlerless permits allowed.
How much public land is around Tate Island Conservation Area?
669 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Tate Island Conservation Area included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and MDC conservation area boundaries. The closest other MDC area is Grand Bluffs Conservation Area (1.4 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, Tate Island 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.