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Fourche Creek Conservation Area hunting in Missouri
Public hunting ground in Ripley County (3,768 acres), with the county deer rules that apply there.
Photo: Paul Sableman (CC BY 2.0)
Getting to Fourche Creek Conservation Area
Fourche Creek Conservation Area, the essentials
Its acreage is 3,768, inside Ripley County. Line up the 5 conservation areas in Ripley County by acres and Fourche Creek Conservation Area comes 1st. Staff of the MDC Scenic Rivers East district, in the Ozark Region, manage Fourche Creek Conservation Area.
MDC also notes camping (open camping – walk-in/float-in/backpack) at Fourche Creek Conservation Area.
Habitat notes from the source: Fourche Creek CA has five tracts in Ripley County approximately 15 miles southwest of Doniphan. Most of the area was obtained by the University of Missouri in 1862 from the Federal government and sold to the Department of Conservation in 1965. During its century of ownership the University paid little attention to the property other than selling a site for the Gatewood School. Many local residents referred to it as the “Ag land” or “Agriculture land” and utilized it by cutting timber, grazing livestock, and farming. As many as 17 families lived on it at one time, the last of which moved away in the 1990’s. Fourche Creek CA is predominantly forest land, only 4% of the area is open in old fields and small glades. The forested acreage is mostly oak-hickory with some pine stands that were planted in the early 1970’s.
Game listed: 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 Fourche Creek Conservation Area
Fourche Creek Conservation Area and nearby public land, mapped
8 other public places sit inside a 45-mile circle around Fourche Creek Conservation Area; together they add 344,125 acres, and Little Black Conservation Area is nearest.
| Area | Type | Acres | County | Straight line | Which way |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Little Black CA | Conservation area | 3,093 | Ripley | 21 mi | northeast |
| Rose Hill Towersite | Towersite | 8.0 | Oregon | 21 mi | west |
| Doniphan / Eleven Point Ranger District | Ranger district | 338,889 | Oregon, Ripley | 21 mi | north |
| Hemenway CA | Conservation area | 172 | Ripley | 22 mi | east |
| Mudpuppy CA | Conservation area | 1,404 | Ripley | 23 mi | northeast |
| Sand Pond CA | Conservation area | 202 | Ripley | 24 mi | east |
| Hunter Towersite | Towersite | 75 | Carter | 27 mi | north |
| Dan and Maureen Cover Memorial WA | Conservation area | 282 | Oregon | 28 mi | west |
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.
Area rules at Fourche Creek Conservation Area
MDC area rules for Fourche Creek Conservation Area, as published for 2026-27.
| Species | Methods here | Note |
|---|---|---|
| White-tailed Deer | Archery only | Allowed |
| Wild Turkey | Archery and firearms | – |
| Black Bear | Archery and firearms | Zone permit |
| Eastern Cottontail | Statewide methods | – |
| Gray Squirrel | Statewide methods | – |
Booklet rows for parts of Fourche Creek Conservation Area
| Portion | Deer | Permit code | Turkey |
|---|---|---|---|
| Excluding Gatewood Tract | Firearms | A | Both |
| Gatewood Tract | Archery | A | Both |
Deer hunters on Fourche Creek Conservation Area are limited to archery methods only; antlerless permits may be used. Turkey methods on Fourche Creek Conservation Area: archery and firearms. Fourche Creek Conservation Area allows black bear by archery and firearms during the October season, permit holders only. The booklet splits Fourche Creek Conservation Area into 2 rows with their own deer methods; code A allows antlerless permits, B archery antlerless permits only and C none. Deer and turkey may be hunted only on MDC areas that appear in the booklet table; Fourche Creek Conservation Area is on it.
Sources: area page, area regulations, deer quick view; booklet table: 2026 Fall Deer and Turkey booklet, pp. 42-55. Checked October 29, 2026.
Fourche Creek Conservation Area season calendar
County dates from Ripley County that fit Fourche Creek Conservation Area, matched to its game list.
| Species | Portion | Covers | Begins | Through | Today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White-tailed deer | Archery, first part | Statewide | Sep 15, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Archery, second part | Statewide | Nov 25, 2026 | Jan 15, 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 | |
| Rabbits | Rabbit hunting | Statewide | Oct 1, 2026 | Feb 15, 2027 | |
| Squirrels | Squirrel season | Statewide | May 23, 2026 | Feb 15, 2027 |
No firearms deer rows for Fourche Creek Conservation Area, an archery-only area. Duck zone rows come from the MDC zone layer; check the digest near a line.
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.
Deer rules that reach Fourche Creek Conservation Area
| Rule | Ripley County |
|---|---|
| Firearms antlerless limit | 4 deer |
| Antlerless portions | Open |
| CWD sampling Nov. 14-15 | Mandatory |
| Feed and mineral ban | Yes |
| Share the Harvest CWD test | Required |
| Fall firearms turkey | Open |
| Dogs, November portion | No squirrel, rabbit dogs |
| Elk county | No |
| Bear zone | Zone 2 |
| Duck zone | South |
Fourche Creek Conservation Area takes its deer rules from Ripley County, where the firearms antlerless fill limit is 4. Antlerless portions run here in October and December. Any deer killed in Ripley County on Nov. 14 or 15 has to be presented at a sampling station; the county has 2 stations. Ripley County falls under the CWD feed and mineral ban. BMZ 2 reaches Ripley County; the zone has 750 permits and closes early if 22 bears are taken. Ripley County bans squirrel and rabbit dogs in the November portion. For 2026 MDC dropped the CWD portion, the CWD Management Zone and the antler-point restriction.
- Gatewood School, 11111 Hwy. 142 , Gatewood
- Doniphan MDC Forestry Office, 109 Ripley 21-N-1, Doniphan
2026 Fall Deer and Turkey booklet county rules, MDC CWD rules and 2026 bear digest; checked October 29, 2026.
Fourche Creek Conservation Area: towns and supplies
Doniphan is 14 mi from Fourche Creek Conservation Area, the nearest town on this site. Route from the area page: From Doniphan, take Highway 142 west 11 miles, then Route P south 7 miles to the area. Drive 16 mi to Doniphan Office in Doniphan for the nearest MDC counter.
| Town | County | Pop. 2024 | Miles off | Bearing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Doniphan | Ripley | 1,782 | 14 mi | northeast |
| Alton | Oregon | 702 | 23 mi | northwest |
| Fairdealing | Ripley | – | 26 mi | east |
| Hunter | Carter | – | 27 mi | northeast |
| Neelyville | Butler | 311 | 29 mi | east |
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.
County harvest around Fourche Creek Conservation Area
These are county numbers.
In 2025, 3,088 deer were Telechecked in Ripley County, 1,581 of them does. Ripley County turkey hunters took 174 birds in spring 2026; 45 came off public land. The MDC dashboard lists 0 CWD positives in Ripley County across the years in the table.
| Year | Bucks | Button bucks | Does | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,221 | 286 | 1,581 | 3,088 |
| 2024 | 1,093 | 308 | 1,447 | 2,848 |
| 2023 | 1,390 | 383 | 2,045 | 3,818 |
| 2022 | 1,260 | 345 | 1,539 | 3,144 |
| 2021 | 1,117 | 360 | 1,398 | 2,875 |
| 2020 | 1,657 | 460 | 1,816 | 3,933 |
| Year | Spring total | On public land | Youth | Fall gun | Fall bow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 174 | 45 | 27 | – | – |
| 2025 | 248 | 113 | 33 | 9 | 7 |
| 2024 | 201 | 67 | 24 | 2 | 1 |
| 2023 | 195 | 82 | 12 | 3 | 9 |
| 2022 | 161 | – | 18 | 4 | 12 |
| 2021 | 145 | – | 15 | 0 | 8 |
| Sample year | CWD samples | Positives |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2 | 0 |
| 2025 | 42 | 0 |
| 2024 | 44 | 0 |
| 2023 | 637 | 0 |
| 2022 | 592 | 0 |
| 2021 | 9 | 0 |
MDC 2025 deer harvest summary, MDC turkey harvest summaries and MDC CWD dashboard; earlier years from the yearly reports. Checked October 29, 2026.
When legal light starts in Fourche Creek Conservation Area
Deer, bear, elk and fall archery turkey may be taken from half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset; ducks, geese, doves and fall firearms turkey stop at sunset.
| When | Event | Rise | Set | Big game | Birds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 1, 2026 | Dove opener | 6:33 a.m. | 7:34 p.m. | 6:03 a.m. to 8:04 p.m. | 6:03 a.m. to 7:34 p.m. |
| Sep 15, 2026 | Archery opener | 6:45 a.m. | 7:12 p.m. | 6:15 a.m. to 7:42 p.m. | 6:15 a.m. to 7:12 p.m. |
| Oct 1, 2026 | Fall firearms turkey | 7:00 a.m. | 6:46 p.m. | 6:30 a.m. to 7:16 p.m. | 6:30 a.m. to 6:46 p.m. |
| Nov 7, 2026 | Middle Zone ducks | 6:37 a.m. | 4:57 p.m. | 6:07 a.m. to 5:27 p.m. | 6:07 a.m. to 4:57 p.m. |
| Nov 14, 2026 | November firearms opener | 6:45 a.m. | 4:51 p.m. | 6:15 a.m. to 5:21 p.m. | 6:15 a.m. to 4:51 p.m. |
| Dec 26, 2026 | Alternative methods | 7:20 a.m. | 4:49 p.m. | 6:50 a.m. to 5:19 p.m. | 6:50 a.m. to 4:49 p.m. |
| Jan 15, 2027 | Archery close | 7:20 a.m. | 5:07 p.m. | 6:50 a.m. to 5:37 p.m. | 6:50 a.m. to 5:07 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.
Fourche Creek Conservation Area in pictures
Fourche Creek Conservation Area hunters: public range and clubs
Ripley County has the public range nearest Fourche Creek Conservation Area: Little Black Conservation Area Archery Range (21 miles).
From MDC area pages and the MDC Shooting Ranges layer, the operators’ pages and directory listings, checked October 29, 2026.
Fourche Creek Conservation Area, quick questions
Can hunters camp on Fourche Creek Conservation Area?
Camping is listed; hours 4 a.m. to 10 p.m..
How large an area is Fourche Creek Conservation Area?
Missouri Department of Conservation runs the ground (3,768 acres).
Is hunting legal on Fourche Creek Conservation Area?
Yes. The area page names deer, black bear, turkey, rabbit and squirrel.
What should I buy before a Fourche Creek Conservation Area hunt?
Missouri hunting permits for each species; there is no separate area permit for most MDC land.
How many does may be taken around Fourche Creek Conservation Area?
Ripley County: firearms antlerless limit 4, antlerless portions open.
What are the deer hunting methods at Fourche Creek Conservation Area?
Deer may be taken by archery methods only. Antlerless permits are allowed.
Turkey hunting at Fourche Creek Conservation Area: what is allowed?
MDC allows archery and firearms. Fall firearms turkey runs Oct. 1-31.
Do I need a CWD sample for deer from Fourche Creek Conservation Area?
Mandatory sampling applies Nov. 14-15; feeding and minerals are banned all year.
When does legal light start and end at Fourche Creek Conservation Area?
Deer hunters get 6:15 a.m. to 5:21 p.m. on Nov. 14; sunset is 4:51 p.m..
Does a bear zone include Fourche Creek Conservation Area?
Only with a Zone 2 permit from the drawing; season Oct. 17-30.
Which town sits closest to Fourche Creek Conservation Area?
Doniphan lies 14 mi away.
Is there other public land around Fourche Creek Conservation Area?
Try Little Black Conservation Area (21 mi), Rose Hill Towersite (21 mi) and Doniphan / Eleven Point Ranger District (21 mi).
Fourche Creek Conservation Area final checklist
Carry your permit, notch it or the MO Hunting app right away, and Telecheck a deer or turkey by 10 p.m. on the day of harvest.
Sources: source · source · source · source; regulations from the 2026 Fall Deer and Turkey booklet. Checked October 29, 2026.
Other photos on this page: Chris M Morris (CC BY 2.0); Chris M Morris (CC BY 2.0); Robert Taylor (CC BY 2.0).