Wah'Kon-Tah Prairie: hunting and access
Wah'Kon-Tah Prairie is 3,563 acres of MDC land in St. Clair and Cedar counties, next to El Dorado Springs. MDC lists deer hunting here (muzzleloader and archery, antlerless permits allowed). Hunters checked 3,383 deer in St. Clair 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 landLand trusts and other open landWah'Kon-Tah PrairieCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 3,563 acres |
|---|---|
| Counties | St. Clair County and Cedar County |
| Deer harvest unit | St. Clair County, Cedar County |
| MDC lists for hunting | Deer, Turkey, Rabbit and Quail |
| MDC area number | 7414 |
| MDC region | Kansas City |
| Nearest towns | El Dorado Springs (next to it), Harwood (7 mi) and Schell City (8 mi) |
What is Wah'Kon-Tah Prairie like?
Wah'Kon-Tah Prairie is a remnant of the prairie ecosystem that once covered more than one-quarter of Missouri. It is also home to plants and animals that are specially adapted for life on the open prairie. Less than one-half of one percent of original prairie remains in Missouri making some of these species increasingly rare.
Managers use prescribed burning, grazing, and other tools to simulate historic disturbances that maintain healthy grasslands and limit the negative impacts of invasive plants, including trees, which were historically uncommon here. Management priorities include providing nesting and brood-rearing habitat for bobwhite quail and other grassland birds such as Henslow's sparrow and Upland Sandpiper. Monitoring and management for a number of lesser known species is also important. Some species may include: Mead's milkweed, prairie mole crickets, pink katydid, northern crawfish frog, slender glass lizard, Bell's vireo, grasshopper sparrow, Loggerhead shrike, short-eared owl, and Northern harrier.
In MDC's words, from the Wah'Kon-Tah Prairie page.
What can you hunt on Wah'Kon-Tah Prairie?
MDC's page for Wah'Kon-Tah Prairie lists: Deer: muzzleloader and archery, antlerless permits allowed; Turkey: archery and firearms; Rabbit; Quail.
What are the rules on Wah'Kon-Tah Prairie?
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 Wah'Kon-Tah Prairie?
Wah'Kon-Tah Prairie lies in 2 counties. Hunters checked 3,383 deer in St. Clair County in 2025, against 3,309 in 2024.
| County | Wah'Kon-Tah Prairie acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Clair County | 2,407 | 3,383 | 3,309 | 3,990 |
| Cedar County | 1,157 | 2,334 | 2,191 | 2,658 |
Harvest for the whole county, not the conservation area alone: MDC deer harvest summaries (2021 to 2025 seasons).
How do you get to Wah'Kon-Tah Prairie?
MDC's directions: From El Dorado Springs, take Highway 82 northeast 2.50 miles.
Nearest towns: El Dorado Springs (next to it), Harwood (7 miles), Schell City (8 miles) and Roscoe (9 miles). Highways within 5 miles: US 54, MO 82 and MO 32.
What other public land is near Wah'Kon-Tah Prairie?
MDC lands within 10 miles:
- Monegaw Prairie Conservation Area: 267 acres, 1.4 miles away
- Schell-Osage Conservation Area: 8,654 acres, 2.8 miles away
- Linscomb Wildlife Area: 2,422 acres, 4.3 miles away
- Taberville Prairie Conservation Area: 1,693 acres, 7.6 miles away
- Truman Reservoir Management Lands (Salt Creek): 3,708 acres, 8.5 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Wah'Kon-Tah Prairie
Counting Wah'Kon-Tah Prairie itself, 3,929 of the 43,488 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (9%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and MDC conservation area boundaries.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| MDC conservation areas | 3,862 |
| Land trusts and other open land | 39 |
| County, city and regional land | 28 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Wah'Kon-Tah Prairie?
In St. Clair and Cedar counties, next to El Dorado Springs.
Can you deer hunt on Wah'Kon-Tah Prairie?
Yes, by MDC's page: muzzleloader and archery, antlerless permits allowed.
How much public land is around Wah'Kon-Tah Prairie?
3,929 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Wah'Kon-Tah Prairie included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and MDC conservation area boundaries. The closest other MDC area is Monegaw Prairie 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, Wah'Kon-Tah Prairie; 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.