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Missouri conservation area
Blue Springs Creek Conservation Area, a hunter guide
907 acres of conservation area in Crawford County: area rules, season dates and nearby land.
Photo: Richard Ricciardi (CC BY 2.0)
Getting to Blue Springs Creek Conservation Area
Parking, trailheads and gates near Blue Springs Creek Conservation Area
- Parking areaParking · 0.0 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 0.6 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.1 mi from the centreDirections
- OverflowParking · 1.1 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.4 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.4 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.5 mi from the centreDirections
- Blue Springs Public Canoe LaunchBoat ramp · 1.5 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.2 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.4 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.9 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.9 mi from the centreDirections
Parking, trailhead and gate locations come from OpenStreetMap contributors. Roads into public land can be gated or seasonal; check with the managing agency before you go.
Blue Springs Creek Conservation Area basics
Blue Springs Creek Conservation Area measures 907 acres on the map and sits in Crawford County. Crawford County has 6 conservation areas on our list; this one is the 3rd largest. MDC lists Blue Springs Creek Conservation Area in its Meramec district, St. Louis Region.
Non-hunting activities on the area page: fishing (trout, rock bass, sunfish, suckers) and trapping (special use permit).
The area page says: This area was acquired from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1983. An additional tract was added in 1992, increasing the size of the area to 859 acres. The area was named after Blue Springs Creek, which flows for four miles through the area to its confluence with the Meramec River. Blue Springs Creek is fed by four springs that arise on nearby private property. The springs provide a flow of between four and seven million gallons of water per day. Blue Springs Creek is managed for rainbow trout and the adjoining property supports a wide variety of game and non-game species. Deer, turkey, and squirrels are abundant. The area's diverse vegetation includes lowland timber species, such as sycamore, willow and river birch, and upland hardwoods, including black oak, white oak, post oak and hickory.
Species named: Deer, Black bear, Turkey, Rabbit, Squirrel.
From the agency record (Missouri Department of Conservation); checked October 29, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Blue Springs Creek Conservation Area
How Blue Springs Creek Conservation Area may be hunted
Area methods and permits for Blue Springs Creek Conservation Area, condensed from MDC.
| Game | How | Extra rule |
|---|---|---|
| White-tailed Deer | Muzzleloader, archery | Allowed |
| Wild Turkey | Archery and firearms | – |
| Black Bear | Archery and firearms | Zone permit |
| Eastern Cottontail | Statewide methods | – |
| Gray Squirrel | Statewide methods | – |
Deer on Blue Springs Creek Conservation Area: muzzleloader and archery methods, and antlerless permits may be used. Turkey on Blue Springs Creek Conservation Area: archery and firearms under the area listing. Black bear methods here: archery and firearms, with a zone permit from the drawing. Booklet code A for Blue Springs Creek Conservation Area means antlerless permits allowed. Only areas on the MDC deer list allow deer hunting; Blue Springs Creek Conservation Area made the list.
Sources: area page, area regulations, deer quick view; booklet table: 2026 Fall Deer and Turkey booklet, pp. 42-55. Checked October 29, 2026.
Blue Springs Creek Conservation Area: the Crawford County rules
| Rule | Crawford 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, Zone 3 |
| Duck zone | Middle |
The county is the deer unit here. Crawford County allows 4 firearms antlerless deer this year. Crawford County is one of the 100 counties open during the antlerless portions. The year-round feed and mineral ban covers Crawford County. Crawford County lies in Black Bear Management Zone 2, where 750 permits were issued against a quota of 22. Three older rules are gone for 2026: the CWD portion, the CWD Management Zone and the antler-point rule.
2026 Fall Deer and Turkey booklet county rules, MDC CWD rules and 2026 bear digest; checked October 29, 2026.
Dates that apply at Blue Springs Creek Conservation Area
15 rows for Blue Springs Creek Conservation Area (5 species), cut down to its game list.
| Game | Season | Area | From | To | Open now? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | |
| Black bear | Bear, zone 2 | Bear zone 2 | Oct 17, 2026 | Oct 30, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Bear, zone 3 | Bear zone 3 | Oct 17, 2026 | Oct 30, 2026 | |
| 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 |
Modern centerfires are out on Blue Springs Creek Conservation Area; muzzleloaders cover the firearms portions. Hunter orange (hat plus vest, coat or shirt) is required during the firearms deer portions.
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.
Public places ringing Blue Springs Creek Conservation Area
Head south about 5.6 mi and you reach Huzzah Conservation Area, the nearest listed neighbor of Blue Springs Creek Conservation Area.
| Name | Type | Size (ac) | County | Away | Bearing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Huzzah CA | Conservation area | 6,225 | Crawford | 5.6 mi | south |
| Meramec CA | Conservation area | 3,879 | Franklin | 10 mi | northeast |
| Long Ridge CA | Conservation area | 1,813 | Franklin | 12 mi | north |
| Pea Ridge CA | Conservation area | 8,494 | Washington | 13 mi | east |
| Little Indian Creek CA | Conservation area | 4,205 | Franklin, Washington | 15 mi | northeast |
| John N. and Melba S. Anderson Memorial CA | Conservation area | 341 | Crawford | 15 mi | southwest |
| Pearl G. and John J. Sizemore Memorial CA | Conservation area | 180 | Crawford | 15 mi | south |
| Redhorse Access | Public access area | 43 | Franklin | 18 mi | northeast |
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.
What hunters took around Blue Springs Creek Conservation Area
MDC reports by county.
Deer checked in Crawford County: 3,667 in 2025 and 3,082 in 2024. Spring 2026 turkey harvest in Crawford County: 474, with 64 from public ground. Crawford County CWD testing: 4,190 samples in the years shown, 9 positives; first positive year 2018-2019.
| Year | Antlered | Buttons | Does | All deer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,805 | 296 | 1,566 | 3,667 |
| 2024 | 1,492 | 333 | 1,257 | 3,082 |
| 2023 | 1,949 | 457 | 2,000 | 4,406 |
| 2022 | 1,633 | 379 | 1,489 | 3,501 |
| 2021 | 1,887 | 444 | 1,680 | 4,011 |
| 2020 | 1,510 | 422 | 1,449 | 3,381 |
| Year | Spring | Spring, public land | Spring youth | Fall firearms | Fall archery |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 474 | 64 | 54 | – | – |
| 2025 | 687 | 127 | 61 | 47 | 19 |
| 2024 | 565 | 96 | 28 | 36 | 14 |
| 2023 | 635 | 120 | 27 | 82 | 46 |
| 2022 | 417 | – | 30 | 43 | 29 |
| 2021 | 499 | – | 47 | 49 | 54 |
| Sample year | Tested | Detections |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 12 | 0 |
| 2025 | 106 | 1 |
| 2024 | 830 | 3 |
| 2023 | 1,108 | 3 |
| 2022 | 1,115 | 2 |
| 2021 | 1,019 | 0 |
MDC 2025 deer harvest summary, MDC turkey harvest summaries and MDC CWD dashboard; earlier years from the yearly reports. Checked October 29, 2026.
Nearest help for Blue Springs Creek Conservation Area hunters
6.1 mi separates Blue Springs Creek Conservation Area from Leasburg. Steelville tops the population column at 1,445. MDC directions: From Bourbon, take Route N south 2.50 miles to Blue Springs Road. There is parking available off of Route N as well as Blue Springs Road. Sullivan hosts the MDC office nearest Blue Springs Creek Conservation Area (Meramec Workstation Field Office, 8.9 mi).
| Community | County | Residents | Straight line | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leasburg | Crawford | 318 | 6.1 mi | west |
| Oak Grove Village | Franklin | 405 | 8.0 mi | north |
| Stanton | Franklin | – | 12 mi | north |
| Steelville | Crawford | 1,445 | 14 mi | southwest |
| Parkway | Franklin | 642 | 19 mi | northeast |
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.
Blue Springs Creek Conservation Area hunters: public range and clubs
Huzzah CA range is the nearest public range to Blue Springs Creek Conservation Area, about 6 miles away. Beside it, two gun clubs within 30 miles.
From MDC area pages and the MDC Shooting Ranges layer, the operators’ pages and directory listings, checked October 29, 2026.
Blue Springs Creek Conservation Area legal shooting light
Legal light for deer at Blue Springs Creek Conservation Area runs 30 minutes either side of sunrise and sunset; for ducks it starts 30 minutes before sunrise and ends at sunset.
| Date | Why it matters | Sunrise | Sunset | Big game legal | Waterfowl legal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 1, 2026 | Dove opener | 6:35 a.m. | 7:36 p.m. | 6:05 a.m. to 8:06 p.m. | 6:05 a.m. to 7:36 p.m. |
| Sep 15, 2026 | Archery opener | 6:47 a.m. | 7:14 p.m. | 6:17 a.m. to 7:44 p.m. | 6:17 a.m. to 7:14 p.m. |
| Oct 1, 2026 | Fall firearms turkey | 7:02 a.m. | 6:48 p.m. | 6:32 a.m. to 7:18 p.m. | 6:32 a.m. to 6:48 p.m. |
| Nov 7, 2026 | Middle Zone ducks | 6:39 a.m. | 4:59 p.m. | 6:09 a.m. to 5:29 p.m. | 6:09 a.m. to 4:59 p.m. |
| Nov 14, 2026 | November firearms opener | 6:47 a.m. | 4:53 p.m. | 6:17 a.m. to 5:23 p.m. | 6:17 a.m. to 4:53 p.m. |
| Dec 26, 2026 | Alternative methods | 7:22 a.m. | 4:51 p.m. | 6:52 a.m. to 5:21 p.m. | 6:52 a.m. to 4:51 p.m. |
| Jan 15, 2027 | Archery close | 7:22 a.m. | 5:09 p.m. | 6:52 a.m. to 5:39 p.m. | 6:52 a.m. to 5:09 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.
Images near and like Blue Springs Creek Conservation Area
Blue Springs Creek Conservation Area, quick questions
What county deer limit applies at Blue Springs Creek Conservation Area?
The county rule is 4 antlerless deer with firearms; the antlerless portions are open.
What CWD rules apply at Blue Springs Creek Conservation Area?
Crawford County has no mandatory sampling this year and a year-round feed and mineral ban.
How may turkeys be hunted on Blue Springs Creek Conservation Area?
Yes, by archery and firearms; fall firearms turkey runs Oct. 1-31 here.
Does a bear zone include Blue Springs Creek Conservation Area?
BMZ 2, 750 permits drawn. Bear hunting is listed here.
When can I shoot at Blue Springs Creek Conservation Area on opening day?
Opening day of the November portion runs 6:16 a.m. to 5:22 p.m. there.
What backup public land is near Blue Springs Creek Conservation Area?
Within reach: Huzzah Conservation Area (5.6 mi), Meramec Conservation Area (10 mi) and Long Ridge Conservation Area (12 mi).
Closest community to Blue Springs Creek Conservation Area?
The closest town page is Leasburg (6.1 mi).
How large an area is Blue Springs Creek Conservation Area?
907 acres in all; the manager is Missouri Department of Conservation.
Which Missouri permits do I need at Blue Springs Creek Conservation Area?
Statewide MDC permits apply; managed hunts need the drawn permit as well.
Does Blue Springs Creek Conservation Area allow hunting?
Yes, for deer, black bear, turkey, rabbit and squirrel; deer hunting is allowed because the area is on the MDC list.
How may deer be hunted on Blue Springs Creek Conservation Area?
MDC lists muzzleloader and archery methods for deer. Antlerless permits are allowed.
Blue Springs Creek Conservation Area: checks before you go
Use this page to plan, then reread the agency page for Blue Springs Creek Conservation Area shortly before the trip.
Sources: source · source · source · source; regulations from the 2026 Fall Deer and Turkey booklet. Checked October 29, 2026.
Other photos on this page: Dave Herholz (CC BY-SA 2.0); Richard Ricciardi (CC BY 2.0); James St. John (CC BY 2.0).