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Conservation area · Missouri 2026-27
Apple Creek Conservation Area hunting
A 2026-27 hunter guide to this conservation area in Cape Girardeau County, 2,100 acres.
Photo: Allen Gathman (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Getting to Apple Creek Conservation Area
Apple Creek Conservation Area profile
Expect about 2,100 acres of public ground at Apple Creek Conservation Area, Cape Girardeau County. By size it ranks 1st of the 5 conservation areas we list in Cape Girardeau County. MDC manages it from the River Hills – SE district of the Southeast Region.
Besides hunting, the MDC area page lists shooting range (archery, shotgun, rifle or pistol), trails (biking, horseback, hiking), camping (designated camping sites, individual campsites), fishing (white bass, sunfish, catfish, black bass) and trapping (special use permit).
What the area page says about it: Apple Creek Conservation Area is located in northeast Cape Girardeau County, three miles east of New Wells on Route CC. Steep hills and narrow valleys characterize this area, and approximately 2.5 miles of Apple Creek stream frontage forms its northern border. The area is home to a mix of upland oak-hickory forests and a few bottomland forests. You may notice various forest improvement practices designed to improve wildlife habitat and maintain watershed quality. MDC has created watering ponds and permits agricultural crop planting within the area to provide additional food sources for wildlife.
Listed game: Deer, Turkey, Rabbit, Squirrel, Dove.
From the agency record (Missouri Department of Conservation); checked October 29, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Apple Creek Conservation Area
Apple Creek Conservation Area: methods MDC allows
The rules below are what MDC lists for Apple Creek Conservation Area on top of statewide seasons.
| Game | Allowed methods | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| White-tailed Deer | Archery and firearms | Allowed |
| Wild Turkey | Archery and firearms | – |
| Eastern Cottontail | Statewide methods | – |
| Gray Squirrel | Statewide methods | – |
| Mourning Dove | Statewide methods | – |
Area-specific Code rules, Apple Creek Conservation Area
- Unless otherwise posted, bicycles, including electric bicycles as defined in the Missouri Wildlife Code ( Chapter 20- Definitions) , are allowed on roads open to vehicular traffic and service roads (designated in the online conservation atlas). Bicycles must stay on roads open to vehicular traffic or service roads, or on multi-use trails posted as open to bicycles. Bicycle use is not allowed on service roads passing through designated natural areas (designated in the online conservation atlas). Groups of 10 or more people using bicycles on a department area must obtain a special use permit.
- This department area also has multi-use trails open to equestrian use. On multi-use trails designated as open to equestrian use, horses and horseback riding is prohibited during all portions of the firearms deer hunting season and during shooting hours of spring turkey hunting seasons.
- An unstaffed range is located on this department area. Target shooting is not allowed anywhere on this area except for designated shooting range(s).
- Shooting hours are one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset. Ranges may be closed to public use at any time for maintenance or department sponsored events or programs.
Deer on Apple Creek Conservation Area: archery and firearms, and antlerless permits may be used. Apple Creek Conservation Area is archery and firearms for turkey. Code A in the conservation-area table: antlerless permits allowed on Apple Creek Conservation Area. On MDC land, deer hunting is legal only where the area is listed; Apple Creek Conservation Area qualifies.
Sources: area page, area regulations, deer quick view; booklet table: 2026 Fall Deer and Turkey booklet, pp. 42-55. Checked October 29, 2026.
Apple Creek Conservation Area county rules for 2026-27
| Item | Cape Girardeau County |
|---|---|
| Firearms antlerless limit | 4 deer |
| Antlerless portions | Open |
| CWD sampling Nov. 14-15 | No |
| Feed and mineral ban | Yes |
| Share the Harvest CWD test | Required |
| Fall firearms turkey | Open |
| Dogs, November portion | No rule |
| Elk county | No |
| Bear zone | Zone 2 |
| Duck zone | Middle / South |
County rules apply on Apple Creek Conservation Area; Cape Girardeau County has a firearms antlerless limit of 4 for 2026-27. In Cape Girardeau County, the Oct. 9-11 and Dec. 5-13 antlerless portions apply. Feeding deer and placing minerals is banned year-round in Cape Girardeau County. The bear zone here is 2: 750 permits, quota 22, season Oct. 17-30. Removed for 2026: the CWD portion, the management zone and the antler-point restriction.
2026 Fall Deer and Turkey booklet county rules, MDC CWD rules and 2026 bear digest; checked October 29, 2026.
Apple Creek Conservation Area: what is open when
Filtered for Apple Creek Conservation Area by its game list: 5 species, 14 season rows.
| Species | Season | Applies | Opens | Closes | Today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White-tailed deer | Archery, first part | Statewide | Sep 15, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Firearms, early antlerless | Antlerless county | Oct 9, 2026 | Oct 11, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Firearms, early youth | Statewide | Oct 24, 2026 | Oct 25, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Firearms, November | Statewide | Nov 14, 2026 | Nov 24, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Archery, second part | Statewide | Nov 25, 2026 | Jan 15, 2027 | |
| White-tailed deer | Firearms, late youth | Statewide | Nov 27, 2026 | Nov 29, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Firearms, late antlerless | Antlerless county | Dec 5, 2026 | Dec 13, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Firearms, alternative methods | Statewide | Dec 26, 2026 | Jan 5, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Fall archery | Statewide | Sep 15, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 | |
| Wild turkey | Fall firearms | Open county | Oct 1, 2026 | Oct 31, 2026 | |
| Wild turkey | Fall archery, part 2 | Statewide | Nov 25, 2026 | Jan 15, 2027 | |
| Rabbits | Rabbit hunting | Statewide | Oct 1, 2026 | Feb 15, 2027 | |
| Squirrels | Squirrel season | Statewide | May 23, 2026 | Feb 15, 2027 | |
| Doves | Dove season | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Nov 29, 2026 |
Spring 2027 turkey dates were not published when these pages were checked.
From the 2026 Fall Deer and Turkey booklet, the 2026-2027 waterfowl digest and the 2026 hunting and trapping summary (Missouri Department of Conservation); checked October 29, 2026. All Missouri seasons.
Map around Apple Creek Conservation Area
Crow-flight distance from Apple Creek Conservation Area to Seventy-Six Conservation Area is 12 mi (north); the table runs outward from there.
| Place | Type | Acres | County | Miles off | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seventy-Six CA | Conservation area | 818 | Perry | 12 mi | north |
| Maintz Wildlife Preserve | Conservation area | 801 | Cape Girardeau | 14 mi | west |
| Red Rock Landing CA | Conservation area | 560 | Perry | 14 mi | northwest |
| Windy Bar Island CA | Conservation area | 583 | Cape Girardeau | 14 mi | southeast |
| Cape Woods CA | Conservation area | 37 | Cape Girardeau | 16 mi | south |
| Old Plantation Access | Public access area | 70 | Cape Girardeau | 17 mi | west |
| Cape LaCroix Bluffs CA | Conservation area | 63 | Scott | 22 mi | south |
| Lake Girardeau CA | Conservation area | 351 | Cape Girardeau | 24 mi | southwest |
Points: MDC Conservation Area Centroids layer (https://gisblue.mdc.mo.gov/arcgis/rest/services/Discover_Nature/MDC_Administrative_Areas/FeatureServer/4). Straight-line distances. Statewide public land map.
Apple Creek Conservation Area area harvest by year
Whole-county counts.
Hunters in Cape Girardeau County checked 3,186 deer in 2025, against 3,111 the year before; there is no figure for Apple Creek Conservation Area alone. The spring 2026 count for Cape Girardeau County was 594 turkeys (14 on public land). Recent CWD results for Cape Girardeau County: 1 positive.
| Permit year | Antlered bucks | Button bucks | Does | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,260 | 337 | 1,589 | 3,186 |
| 2024 | 1,216 | 307 | 1,588 | 3,111 |
| 2023 | 1,296 | 314 | 1,689 | 3,299 |
| 2022 | 1,228 | 295 | 1,613 | 3,136 |
| 2021 | 1,228 | 228 | 1,233 | 2,689 |
| 2020 | 1,328 | 250 | 1,337 | 2,915 |
| Season | Spring | Public | Youth | Firearms (fall) | Archery (fall) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 594 | 14 | 70 | – | – |
| 2025 | 488 | 17 | 47 | 23 | 13 |
| 2024 | 504 | 33 | 46 | 29 | 16 |
| 2023 | 473 | 19 | 42 | 24 | 16 |
| 2022 | 393 | – | 47 | 30 | 30 |
| 2021 | 429 | – | 53 | 20 | 25 |
| Year | Samples | CWD found |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 13 | 0 |
| 2025 | 513 | 1 |
| 2024 | 41 | 0 |
| 2023 | 52 | 0 |
| 2022 | 42 | 0 |
| 2021 | 83 | 0 |
MDC 2025 deer harvest summary, MDC turkey harvest summaries and MDC CWD dashboard; earlier years from the yearly reports. Checked October 29, 2026.
Towns, MDC offices and shops by Apple Creek Conservation Area
From Apple Creek Conservation Area, New Wells is 3.4 mi away. Largest of the five: Jackson, 15,929 people. Directions on file: North of Cape Girardeau, take the Fruitland exit off I-55, then Highway 61 north 7 miles, then Route CC east 6 miles to the area. Southeast Regional Office (Cape Girardeau) sits 14 mi from Apple Creek Conservation Area, closer than any other MDC office.
| Town | County | People (2024) | Distance | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Wells | Cape Girardeau | – | 3.4 mi | west |
| Jackson | Cape Girardeau | 15,929 | 13 mi | southwest |
| Perryville | Perry | 8,554 | 21 mi | northwest |
| Marble Hill | Bollinger | 1,381 | 29 mi | southwest |
| St. Mary | Ste. Genevieve | 306 | 31 mi | northwest |
Towns from places.json (Census 2024); offices and businesses from services.json (MDC offices and business listings, chain stores and permit vendors left out); straight-line miles. Checked October 29, 2026.
Where to shoot targets on Apple Creek Conservation Area
Sight in on the area: Apple Creek Conservation Area has an MDC unstaffed range, the only place on it where target shooting is allowed.
From MDC area pages and the MDC Shooting Ranges layer, the operators’ pages and directory listings, checked October 29, 2026; target shooting rule from MDC area rule 3 CSR 10-11.150 on the area page.
Legal hours for Apple Creek Conservation Area
Rabbits are sunrise to sunset, migratory birds half an hour before sunrise to sunset, and big game gets the extra half hour after sunset.
| Day | Moment | First sun | Last sun | Deer hours | Bird hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 1, 2026 | Dove opener | 6:28 a.m. | 7:29 p.m. | 5:58 a.m. to 7:59 p.m. | 5:58 a.m. to 7:29 p.m. |
| Sep 15, 2026 | Archery opener | 6:40 a.m. | 7:07 p.m. | 6:10 a.m. to 7:37 p.m. | 6:10 a.m. to 7:07 p.m. |
| Oct 1, 2026 | Fall firearms turkey | 6:55 a.m. | 6:41 p.m. | 6:25 a.m. to 7:11 p.m. | 6:25 a.m. to 6:41 p.m. |
| Nov 7, 2026 | Middle Zone ducks | 6:32 a.m. | 4:52 p.m. | 6:02 a.m. to 5:22 p.m. | 6:02 a.m. to 4:52 p.m. |
| Nov 14, 2026 | November firearms opener | 6:40 a.m. | 4:46 p.m. | 6:10 a.m. to 5:16 p.m. | 6:10 a.m. to 4:46 p.m. |
| Dec 26, 2026 | Alternative methods | 7:15 a.m. | 4:44 p.m. | 6:45 a.m. to 5:14 p.m. | 6:45 a.m. to 4:44 p.m. |
| Jan 15, 2027 | Archery close | 7:15 a.m. | 5:02 p.m. | 6:45 a.m. to 5:32 p.m. | 6:45 a.m. to 5:02 p.m. |
Hours rule and the Jefferson City sunrise and sunset table from the MDC Migratory Bird and Waterfowl Digest (same table in the Fall Deer and Turkey booklet), adjusted 1 minute per 13.5 miles east or west as MDC directs; checked October 29, 2026. Legal hours for every county.
Scenery to match Apple Creek Conservation Area
Apple Creek Conservation Area questions with sourced answers
What are deer hours at Apple Creek Conservation Area on Nov. 14?
Nov. 14 at the Apple Creek Conservation Area point: 6:10 a.m. to 5:16 p.m. for deer (sunrise 6:40 a.m.).
Bear hunting near Apple Creek Conservation Area?
Bear here means a Zone 2 permit (quota 22). The area does not list bear.
How far is the nearest town from Apple Creek Conservation Area?
New Wells is the nearest town we cover, 3.4 mi off.
Apple Creek Conservation Area crowded: where next?
Next in line: Seventy-Six Conservation Area (12 mi), Maintz Wildlife Preserve (14 mi) and Red Rock Landing Conservation Area (14 mi).
Can hunters camp on Apple Creek Conservation Area?
Yes, camping is listed, and the area is open 4 a.m. to 10 p.m..
Apple Creek Conservation Area: size and manager?
Missouri Department of Conservation handles it, and it spans 2,100 acres.
Is Apple Creek Conservation Area open for hunting this season?
Yes, deer, turkey, rabbit, squirrel and dove, following statewide seasons and any area limits.
Apple Creek Conservation Area: which permits apply?
The right MDC permit: Archer's or Firearms for deer, Small Game for small game, Migratory Bird for doves and ducks.
What is the firearms antlerless limit around Apple Creek Conservation Area?
4 antlerless deer with firearms permits, under the Cape Girardeau County rule.
Can I use a rifle for deer on Apple Creek Conservation Area?
Archery and firearms on this area. Antlerless permits are allowed.
Can I hunt turkey on Apple Creek Conservation Area?
Use archery and firearms. Fall gun season: Oct. 1-31.
What are the CWD rules around Apple Creek Conservation Area?
No mandatory station visit in this county. Do not feed deer or put out minerals.
Last word on Apple Creek Conservation Area
Confirm methods, permits and the Cape Girardeau County deer rules for Apple Creek Conservation Area before the drive.
Sources: source · source · source · source; regulations from the 2026 Fall Deer and Turkey booklet. Checked October 29, 2026.
Other photos on this page: Allen Gathman (CC BY-SA 2.0); cuatrok77 (CC BY-SA 2.0); USFWS Midwest Region (Public Domain Mark 1.0).