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Missouri conservation area
Indian Trail Conservation Area, a hunter guide
13,503 acres of conservation area in Dent County: area rules, season dates and nearby land.
Photo: Forest Service, Eastern Region (Public Domain Mark 1.0)
Getting to Indian Trail Conservation Area
Indian Trail Conservation Area basics
Indian Trail Conservation Area measures 13,503 acres on the map and sits in Dent County. Dent County has 5 conservation areas on our list; this one is the 1st largest. MDC lists Indian Trail Conservation Area in its Northern Ozarks district, Ozark Region.
Non-hunting activities on the area page: shooting range (rifle or pistol), camping (designated camping sites, individual campsites), dog training and fishing (sunfish, catfish, crappie, black bass).
The area page says: Indian Trail Conservation Area covers 13,503 acres in northeast Dent County, between Salem and Steelville. The entrance to the area is off Highway 19. The area is mostly forested, but also includes glades, food plots, streams, and ponds. The area contains an intricate mosaic of dolomite glades and chert savannas with open-grown trees on exposed slopes. The canopy of the slopes is dominated by post, black, white, and blackjack oaks and hickories. The ground cover of the glades and savannas includes grasses such as little bluestem, big bluestem, sideoats, grama and Indian grass, as well as wildflowers such as white and purple prairie clovers and glade coneflower. Dolomite bedrock outcrops and ledges are scattered throughout the glades. Formerly, the area was the site of the Sligo Iron Company. Heavy cutting of cordwood to fuel the smelters depleted local timber supplies, eventually forcing the iron works to close. Private owners acquired the Indian Trail area in 1906 for use as rangeland.
Species named: Deer, Black bear, Turkey, Rabbit, Squirrel, Dove.
From the agency record (Missouri Department of Conservation); checked October 29, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Indian Trail Conservation Area
How Indian Trail Conservation Area may be hunted
Area methods and permits for Indian Trail Conservation Area, condensed from MDC.
| Game | How | Extra rule |
|---|---|---|
| White-tailed Deer | Archery and firearms | Allowed |
| Wild Turkey | Archery and firearms | – |
| Black Bear | Archery and firearms | Zone permit |
| Eastern Cottontail | Statewide methods | – |
| Gray Squirrel | Statewide methods | – |
| Mourning Dove | Statewide methods | – |
Indian Trail Conservation Area area regulations
- 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.
- Possession of alcoholic beverages is prohibited on all ranges and associated parking lots.
- Groups of more than 10 people must obtain a special use permit prior to using the range. To obtain a special use permit, contact the area manager at the phone number listed for this area in the area details section.
Deer hunters on Indian Trail Conservation Area are limited to archery and firearms; antlerless permits may be used. Turkey on Indian Trail 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 Indian Trail Conservation Area means antlerless permits allowed. Only areas on the MDC deer list allow deer hunting; Indian Trail 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.
Indian Trail Conservation Area: the Dent County rules
| Rule | Dent 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 squirrel, rabbit dogs |
| Elk county | No |
| Bear zone | Zone 2 |
| Duck zone | Middle / South |
The county is the deer unit here. Dent County allows 4 firearms antlerless deer this year. Dent County is one of the 100 counties open during the antlerless portions. The year-round feed and mineral ban covers Dent County. Dent County lies in Black Bear Management Zone 2, where 750 permits were issued against a quota of 22. In Dent County, no dogs for squirrels or rabbits during Nov. 14-24. 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 Indian Trail Conservation Area
15 rows for Indian Trail Conservation Area (6 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 | |
| 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 |
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 Indian Trail Conservation Area
Head northwest about 4.6 mi and you reach Short Bend Access, the nearest listed neighbor of Indian Trail Conservation Area.
| Name | Type | Size (ac) | County | Away | Bearing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Short Bend Access | Public access area | 87 | Dent | 4.6 mi | northwest |
| Crooked Creek CA | Conservation area | 337 | Crawford | 10 mi | north |
| Keysville Towersite | Towersite | 80 | Crawford | 11 mi | north |
| Pearl G. and John J. Sizemore Memorial CA | Conservation area | 180 | Crawford | 14 mi | north |
| Salem Ranger District | Ranger district | 195,986 | Reynolds, Dent | 14 mi | southeast |
| John N. and Melba S. Anderson Memorial CA | Conservation area | 341 | Crawford | 14 mi | north |
| Gerhild and Graham Brown CA | Conservation area | 189 | Dent | 16 mi | west |
| Potosi / Fredericktown Ranger District | Ranger district | 290,899 | Iron, Washington | 19 mi | east |
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 Indian Trail Conservation Area
MDC reports by county.
Deer checked in Dent County: 2,659 in 2025 and 2,584 in 2024. Spring 2026 turkey harvest in Dent County: 506, with 80 from public ground. Dent County CWD testing: 1,756 samples in the years shown, 0 positives.
| Year | Antlered | Buttons | Does | All deer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,208 | 268 | 1,183 | 2,659 |
| 2024 | 1,105 | 274 | 1,205 | 2,584 |
| 2023 | 1,508 | 339 | 2,018 | 3,865 |
| 2022 | 1,457 | 381 | 1,513 | 3,351 |
| 2021 | 1,789 | 449 | 1,948 | 4,186 |
| 2020 | 1,463 | 394 | 1,556 | 3,413 |
| Year | Spring | Spring, public land | Spring youth | Fall firearms | Fall archery |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 506 | 80 | 57 | – | – |
| 2025 | 692 | 162 | 56 | 42 | 15 |
| 2024 | 557 | 83 | 40 | 38 | 7 |
| 2023 | 608 | 153 | 38 | 86 | 37 |
| 2022 | 451 | – | 40 | 48 | 13 |
| 2021 | 582 | – | 56 | 72 | 50 |
| Sample year | Tested | Detections |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 4 | 0 |
| 2025 | 636 | 0 |
| 2024 | 653 | 0 |
| 2023 | 180 | 0 |
| 2022 | 98 | 0 |
| 2021 | 185 | 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 Indian Trail Conservation Area hunters
11 mi separates Indian Trail Conservation Area from Salem. MDC directions: From Salem, take Highway 19 northeast 12 miles to the area. Rolla hosts the MDC office nearest Indian Trail Conservation Area (Rolla Office, 29 mi).
| Community | County | Residents | Straight line | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salem | Dent | 4,726 | 11 mi | southwest |
| Viburnum | Iron | 658 | 13 mi | east |
| Steelville | Crawford | 1,445 | 18 mi | north |
| Bunker | Dent | 297 | 19 mi | southeast |
| St. James | Phelps | 3,932 | 24 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.
Sight in at Indian Trail Conservation Area
Indian Trail Conservation Area has its own MDC shooting range (MDC unstaffed range); target shooting on the area is allowed only there.
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.
Indian Trail Conservation Area legal shooting light
Legal light for deer at Indian Trail 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 Indian Trail Conservation Area
Indian Trail Conservation Area, quick questions
What county deer limit applies at Indian Trail Conservation Area?
The county rule is 4 antlerless deer with firearms; the antlerless portions are open.
What CWD rules apply at Indian Trail Conservation Area?
Dent County has no mandatory sampling this year and a year-round feed and mineral ban.
How may turkeys be hunted on Indian Trail Conservation Area?
Yes, by archery and firearms; fall firearms turkey runs Oct. 1-31 here.
Does a bear zone include Indian Trail Conservation Area?
BMZ 2, 750 permits drawn. Bear hunting is listed here.
When can I shoot at Indian Trail Conservation Area on opening day?
Opening day of the November portion runs 6:17 a.m. to 5:23 p.m. there.
What backup public land is near Indian Trail Conservation Area?
Within reach: Short Bend Access (4.6 mi), Crooked Creek Conservation Area (10 mi) and Keysville Towersite (11 mi).
Closest community to Indian Trail Conservation Area?
The closest town page is Salem (11 mi).
How large an area is Indian Trail Conservation Area?
13,503 acres in all; the manager is Missouri Department of Conservation.
When may I be on Indian Trail Conservation Area?
4 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. Camping is offered.
Which Missouri permits do I need at Indian Trail Conservation Area?
Statewide MDC permits apply; managed hunts need the drawn permit as well.
Does Indian Trail Conservation Area allow hunting?
Yes, for deer, black bear, turkey, rabbit, squirrel and dove; deer hunting is allowed because the area is on the MDC list.
How may deer be hunted on Indian Trail Conservation Area?
MDC lists archery and firearms for deer. Antlerless permits are allowed.
Indian Trail Conservation Area: checks before you go
Use this page to plan, then reread the agency page for Indian Trail 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: Erik MM (CC BY-SA 2.0); Chris M Morris (CC BY 2.0); USFWS Midwest Region (Public Domain Mark 1.0).