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Bollinger County · Conservation area
Castor River Conservation Area hunting
Seasons, methods and access for this conservation area in Bollinger County.
Photo: USFWS Midwest Region (Public Domain Mark 1.0)
Getting to Castor River Conservation Area
Castor River Conservation Area profile
Bollinger County is home to the 9,990 acres of Castor River Conservation Area. In acreage it places 1st among 7 conservation areas in Bollinger County. Management sits with MDC: River Hills – SE district, Southeast Region.
When hunting is slow, Castor River Conservation Area offers shooting range (rifle or pistol), trails (biking, horseback, hiking), camping (open camping – walk-in/float-in/backpack, designated camping sites, individual campsites) and fishing (sunfish, catfish, black bass), per MDC.
In the agency's words: Castor River CA is nearly all forest with several small springs scattered across the area, including Blue Pond Natural Area. Blue Pond is the deepest natural pond in Missouri at more than 65 feet deep. It's believed to have been formed from a cavern collapse during the New Madrid earthquake in 1811. Facilities/features at Castor River CA include primitive camping, multi-use trails for hiking, biking and horse riding, numerous intermittent streams and one permanent stream.
Species on the record: Deer, Black bear, Turkey, Squirrel, Dove.
From the agency record (Missouri Department of Conservation); checked October 29, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Castor River Conservation Area
Castor River Conservation Area methods and area rules
Methods for Castor River Conservation Area come from the MDC area page and the deer quick view.
| Quarry | Methods | Permits |
|---|---|---|
| White-tailed Deer | Archery and firearms | Archery only |
| Wild Turkey | Archery and firearms | – |
| Black Bear | Archery and firearms | Zone permit |
| Gray Squirrel | Statewide methods | – |
| Mourning Dove | Statewide methods | – |
Castor River Conservation Area: Code paragraphs
- 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.
Plan on archery and firearms for deer at Castor River Conservation Area; only archery antlerless permits may be used. For turkey, MDC allows archery and firearms on Castor River Conservation Area. A bear permit holder may hunt Castor River Conservation Area with archery and firearms. In the booklet table Castor River Conservation Area carries antlerless code B: archery antlerless permits only. MDC limits deer hunting on its areas to the listed ones, and Castor River Conservation Area is listed.
Sources: area page, area regulations, deer quick view; booklet table: 2026 Fall Deer and Turkey booklet, pp. 42-55. Checked October 29, 2026.
Doves on Castor River Conservation Area
Castor River Conservation Area is one of the 75 areas MDC manages for dove hunting. The 2026-27 dove season opens Sep 1, 2026 and closes Nov 29, 2026.
MDC 2026 dove field layer and Dove Management Areas; checked October 29, 2026.
Bollinger County rules on Castor River Conservation Area
| County rule | Bollinger County |
|---|---|
| Firearms antlerless limit | 2 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 |
For deer, Bollinger County sets the rules on Castor River Conservation Area: firearms antlerless limit 2. Antlerless portions: open in October and December for Bollinger County. Leave the feeders home: Bollinger County bans feed and minerals all year. Bear hunters drawn for Zone 2 may hunt Bollinger County (750 permits, 22 bears). No CWD portion, no CWD Management Zone and no antler-point restriction this season.
2026 Fall Deer and Turkey booklet county rules, MDC CWD rules and 2026 bear digest; checked October 29, 2026.
Open dates on Castor River Conservation Area
Open-now status is in the last column; 14 rows apply to Castor River Conservation Area.
| Quarry | Season | Where | Opening | Closing | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| Squirrels | Squirrel season | Statewide | May 23, 2026 | Feb 15, 2027 | |
| Doves | Dove season | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Nov 29, 2026 |
Archery deer is closed during the November firearms portion, Nov. 14-24.
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.
Bollinger County deer and turkey harvest near Castor River Conservation Area
County-level data from MDC.
MDC reports deer harvest by county, not by area: Bollinger County checked 3,992 deer in the 2025 permit year, 21% more than in 2024. Public land gave up 31 of the 651 spring 2026 turkeys in Bollinger County. CWD samples from Bollinger County turned up 0 positives in recent years.
| Season | Antlered bucks | Button bucks | Does | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,707 | 441 | 1,844 | 3,992 |
| 2024 | 1,355 | 389 | 1,547 | 3,291 |
| 2023 | 1,476 | 514 | 2,058 | 4,048 |
| 2022 | 1,796 | 468 | 2,009 | 4,273 |
| 2021 | 1,707 | 471 | 1,805 | 3,983 |
| 2020 | 1,795 | 581 | 2,151 | 4,527 |
| Year | Spring | Public land | Youth | Fall firearms | Fall archery |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 651 | 31 | 76 | – | – |
| 2025 | 568 | 38 | 53 | 41 | 25 |
| 2024 | 494 | 37 | 47 | 30 | 15 |
| 2023 | 493 | 30 | 19 | 24 | 25 |
| 2022 | 418 | – | 35 | 35 | 26 |
| 2021 | 427 | – | 35 | 19 | 30 |
| Year | Deer tested | Positive |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 12 | 0 |
| 2025 | 752 | 0 |
| 2024 | 727 | 0 |
| 2023 | 887 | 0 |
| 2022 | 71 | 0 |
| 2021 | 114 | 0 |
MDC 2025 deer harvest summary, MDC turkey harvest summaries and MDC CWD dashboard; earlier years from the yearly reports. Checked October 29, 2026.
Castor River Conservation Area and nearby public land, mapped
Sweetgum Access (5.2 mi, southeast) tops the neighbor list for Castor River Conservation Area, measured as the crow flies.
| Neighbor | Category | Acreage | County | Distance | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sweetgum Access | Public access area | 161 | Bollinger | 5.2 mi | southeast |
| Grassy Towersite | Towersite | 40 | Bollinger | 6.8 mi | northeast |
| Iron Bridge Access | Public access area | 70 | Wayne | 7.8 mi | southwest |
| Gipsy Towersite | Towersite | 40 | Bollinger | 8.7 mi | south |
| Coldwater CA | Conservation area | 10,804 | Wayne | 10 mi | west |
| Sank CA | Conservation area | 118 | Bollinger | 11 mi | southeast |
| Marquand Access | Public access area | 63 | Madison | 11 mi | north |
| Greenbrier Unit of Duck Creek CA | Conservation area | 474 | Bollinger | 11 mi | southeast |
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.
Getting supplies near Castor River Conservation Area
Nearest town with its own page: Zalma, 7.8 mi. For a hardware store or a motel, Marble Hill (1,381 people) is 12 mi away. Getting there, per MDC: From Marble Hill, take Highway 34 west 12 miles. Continue west to access campgrounds, trails and range, take Route Y south from Highway 34. The closest MDC office on file is Missouri Department of Conservation – Gaylord Laboratory Field Office, about 14 mi from Castor River Conservation Area.
| Place | County | Population | Distance | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zalma | Bollinger | – | 7.8 mi | southeast |
| Marble Hill | Bollinger | 1,381 | 12 mi | northeast |
| Greenville | Wayne | 439 | 17 mi | southwest |
| Cherokee Pass | Madison | – | 19 mi | north |
| Puxico | Stoddard | 869 | 19 mi | south |
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.
Castor River Conservation Area hunting hours on key dates
MDC prints one sunrise and sunset table for Jefferson City and tells hunters to adjust it by 1 minute for every 13.5 miles east or west. For Castor River Conservation Area that means subtract 8 minutes.
| Date | Opener or close | Sunrise | Sunset | Deer | Migratory |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 1, 2026 | Dove opener | 6:29 a.m. | 7:30 p.m. | 5:59 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. | 5:59 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. |
| Sep 15, 2026 | Archery opener | 6:41 a.m. | 7:08 p.m. | 6:11 a.m. to 7:38 p.m. | 6:11 a.m. to 7:08 p.m. |
| Oct 1, 2026 | Fall firearms turkey | 6:56 a.m. | 6:42 p.m. | 6:26 a.m. to 7:12 p.m. | 6:26 a.m. to 6:42 p.m. |
| Nov 7, 2026 | Middle Zone ducks | 6:33 a.m. | 4:53 p.m. | 6:03 a.m. to 5:23 p.m. | 6:03 a.m. to 4:53 p.m. |
| Nov 14, 2026 | November firearms opener | 6:41 a.m. | 4:47 p.m. | 6:11 a.m. to 5:17 p.m. | 6:11 a.m. to 4:47 p.m. |
| Dec 26, 2026 | Alternative methods | 7:16 a.m. | 4:45 p.m. | 6:46 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. | 6:46 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. |
| Jan 15, 2027 | Archery close | 7:16 a.m. | 5:03 p.m. | 6:46 a.m. to 5:33 p.m. | 6:46 a.m. to 5:03 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.
Range time at Castor River Conservation Area
There is a shooting range on Castor River Conservation Area itself, public, free; the rest of the area is closed to target practice.
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.
Photo strip for Castor River Conservation Area
Castor River Conservation Area hunter FAQ
Can hunters camp on Castor River Conservation Area?
Hours are 4 a.m. to 10 p.m.; campsites are listed.
Is there an area permit for Castor River Conservation Area?
Missouri permits for the game you hunt; deer need an Archer's or Firearms permit, migratory birds a Migratory Bird permit.
May the public hunt at Castor River Conservation Area?
Open for deer, black bear, turkey, squirrel and dove, with the methods shown in the rules section.
What deer methods are allowed on Castor River Conservation Area?
The deer rule is archery and firearms. Only archery antlerless permits may be used.
Which antlerless rule covers Castor River Conservation Area?
Missouri sets it by county; Bollinger County allows 2 on firearms permits. Antlerless portions are open.
Is deer feeding banned near Castor River Conservation Area?
CWD rules in Bollinger County: sampling not mandatory, feed ban yes.
Is Castor River Conservation Area good for fall turkey?
Turkey is archery and firearms; fall firearms is open.
What bear rules apply at Castor River Conservation Area?
Zone 2 covers the county (750 permits); bear is on the area list.
Castor River Conservation Area shooting hours for the November opener?
Roughly 6:12 a.m. until 5:18 p.m., worked out for this spot.
Castor River Conservation Area crowded: where next?
In order of distance: Sweetgum Access (5.2 mi), Grassy Towersite (6.8 mi) and Iron Bridge Access (7.8 mi).
Nearest town with services to Castor River Conservation Area?
Zalma (Bollinger County), about 7.8 mi away.
Castor River Conservation Area: size and manager?
The record lists 9,990 acres; Missouri Department of Conservation is in charge.
Other photos on this page: USFWS Midwest Region (Public Domain Mark 1.0); USFWS Midwest Region (Public Domain Mark 1.0); Renee Grayson (CC BY 2.0).