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Conservation area · Missouri 2026-27
Long Ridge Conservation Area hunting
A 2026-27 hunter guide to this conservation area in Franklin County, 1,813 acres.
Photo: Richard Ricciardi (CC BY 2.0)
Getting to Long Ridge Conservation Area
Long Ridge Conservation Area profile
Expect about 1,813 acres of public ground at Long Ridge Conservation Area, Franklin County. By size it ranks 3rd of the 6 conservation areas we list in Franklin County. MDC manages it from the Meramec district of the St. Louis Region.
Besides hunting, the MDC area page lists trails (biking, horseback, hiking), dog training and trapping (special use permit).
What the area page says about it: Long Ridge Conservation Area is located in Franklin County, near Sullivan. The area includes nine miles of developed, seasonal multi-use trails and five parking areas. The Conservation Department purchased the property for the 1,815-acre Long Ridge Conservation Area in 1995.
Listed game: Deer, Turkey, Squirrel.
From the agency record (Missouri Department of Conservation); checked October 29, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Long Ridge Conservation Area
Long Ridge Conservation Area: methods MDC allows
The rules below are what MDC lists for Long Ridge Conservation Area on top of statewide seasons.
| Game | Allowed methods | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| White-tailed Deer | Archery and firearms | Allowed |
| Wild Turkey | Archery and firearms | – |
| Gray Squirrel | Statewide methods | – |
Area-specific Code rules, Long Ridge 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.
Deer on Long Ridge Conservation Area: archery and firearms, and antlerless permits may be used. Long Ridge Conservation Area is archery and firearms for turkey. Code A in the conservation-area table: antlerless permits allowed on Long Ridge Conservation Area. On MDC land, deer hunting is legal only where the area is listed; Long Ridge 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.
Long Ridge Conservation Area county rules for 2026-27
| Item | Franklin 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 3, Zone 2 |
| Duck zone | Middle |
County rules apply on Long Ridge Conservation Area; Franklin County has a firearms antlerless limit of 4 for 2026-27. In Franklin County, the Oct. 9-11 and Dec. 5-13 antlerless portions apply. Feeding deer and placing minerals is banned year-round in Franklin County. The bear zone here is 3: 250 permits, quota 8, 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.
Long Ridge Conservation Area: what is open when
Filtered for Long Ridge Conservation Area by its game list: 3 species, 12 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 | |
| Squirrels | Squirrel season | Statewide | May 23, 2026 | Feb 15, 2027 |
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 Long Ridge Conservation Area
Crow-flight distance from Long Ridge Conservation Area to Noser Mill Conservation Area is 6.8 mi (north); the table runs outward from there.
| Place | Type | Acres | County | Miles off | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Noser Mill CA | Conservation area | 211 | Franklin | 6.8 mi | north |
| Meramec CA | Conservation area | 3,879 | Franklin | 7.8 mi | southeast |
| Blue Springs Creek CA | Conservation area | 907 | Crawford | 12 mi | south |
| Redhorse Access | Public access area | 43 | Franklin | 13 mi | east |
| Little Indian Creek CA | Conservation area | 4,205 | Franklin, Washington | 14 mi | southeast |
| River 'Round CA | Conservation area | 330 | Franklin | 17 mi | east |
| Huzzah CA | Conservation area | 6,225 | Crawford | 18 mi | south |
| Pea Ridge CA | Conservation area | 8,494 | Washington | 19 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.
Long Ridge Conservation Area area harvest by year
Whole-county counts.
Hunters in Franklin County checked 6,751 deer in 2025, against 6,199 the year before; there is no figure for Long Ridge Conservation Area alone. The spring 2026 count for Franklin County was 879 turkeys (31 on public land). Recent CWD results for Franklin County: 85 positives, first detected in 2015-2016.
| Permit year | Antlered bucks | Button bucks | Does | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3,185 | 623 | 2,943 | 6,751 |
| 2024 | 2,869 | 579 | 2,751 | 6,199 |
| 2023 | 3,312 | 657 | 3,428 | 7,397 |
| 2022 | 3,125 | 600 | 2,746 | 6,471 |
| 2021 | 3,153 | 662 | 2,786 | 6,601 |
| 2020 | 2,683 | 647 | 2,581 | 5,911 |
| Season | Spring | Public | Youth | Firearms (fall) | Archery (fall) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 879 | 31 | 119 | – | – |
| 2025 | 956 | 31 | 89 | 31 | 25 |
| 2024 | 940 | 24 | 89 | 35 | 24 |
| 2023 | 973 | 44 | 61 | 47 | 50 |
| 2022 | 798 | – | 71 | 70 | 51 |
| 2021 | 773 | – | 63 | 53 | 69 |
| Year | Samples | CWD found |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 30 | 0 |
| 2025 | 293 | 7 |
| 2024 | 1,890 | 27 |
| 2023 | 2,293 | 23 |
| 2022 | 2,022 | 22 |
| 2021 | 1,983 | 6 |
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 Long Ridge Conservation Area
From Long Ridge Conservation Area, Stanton is 3.8 mi away. Largest of the five: Union, 13,198 people. Directions on file: From Sullivan, take Route AF north 6 miles. At the end of Route AF, continue on Ridge Road to the area. Meramec Workstation Field Office (Sullivan) sits 7.8 mi from Long Ridge Conservation Area, closer than any other MDC office.
| Town | County | People (2024) | Distance | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stanton | Franklin | – | 3.8 mi | southeast |
| Oak Grove Village | Franklin | 405 | 4.7 mi | south |
| Parkway | Franklin | 642 | 11 mi | east |
| Union | Franklin | 13,198 | 14 mi | northeast |
| Leasburg | Crawford | 318 | 15 mi | southwest |
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.
Long Ridge Conservation Area hunters: public range and clubs
Drive about 14 miles from Long Ridge Conservation Area to reach Little Indian Creek CA range, the nearest public lanes. Nearby gun clubs fill the other cards.
From MDC area pages and the MDC Shooting Ranges layer, the operators’ pages and directory listings, checked October 29, 2026.
Legal hours for Long Ridge 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 | 6:34 a.m. | 7:35 p.m. | 6:04 a.m. to 8:05 p.m. | 6:04 a.m. to 7:35 p.m. |
| Sep 15, 2026 | Archery opener | 6:46 a.m. | 7:13 p.m. | 6:16 a.m. to 7:43 p.m. | 6:16 a.m. to 7:13 p.m. |
| Oct 1, 2026 | Fall firearms turkey | 7:01 a.m. | 6:47 p.m. | 6:31 a.m. to 7:17 p.m. | 6:31 a.m. to 6:47 p.m. |
| Nov 7, 2026 | Middle Zone ducks | 6:38 a.m. | 4:58 p.m. | 6:08 a.m. to 5:28 p.m. | 6:08 a.m. to 4:58 p.m. |
| Nov 14, 2026 | November firearms opener | 6:46 a.m. | 4:52 p.m. | 6:16 a.m. to 5:22 p.m. | 6:16 a.m. to 4:52 p.m. |
| Dec 26, 2026 | Alternative methods | 7:21 a.m. | 4:50 p.m. | 6:51 a.m. to 5:20 p.m. | 6:51 a.m. to 4:50 p.m. |
| Jan 15, 2027 | Archery close | 7:21 a.m. | 5:08 p.m. | 6:51 a.m. to 5:38 p.m. | 6:51 a.m. to 5:08 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 Long Ridge Conservation Area
Long Ridge Conservation Area questions with sourced answers
What are deer hours at Long Ridge Conservation Area on Nov. 14?
Nov. 14 at the Long Ridge Conservation Area point: 6:16 a.m. to 5:22 p.m. for deer (sunrise 6:46 a.m.).
Bear hunting near Long Ridge Conservation Area?
Bear here means a Zone 3 permit (quota 8). The area does not list bear.
How far is the nearest town from Long Ridge Conservation Area?
Stanton is the nearest town we cover, 3.8 mi off.
Long Ridge Conservation Area crowded: where next?
Next in line: Noser Mill Conservation Area (6.8 mi), Meramec Conservation Area (7.8 mi) and Blue Springs Creek Conservation Area (12 mi).
Can hunters camp on Long Ridge Conservation Area?
No camping listed, and the area is open 4 a.m. to 10 p.m..
Long Ridge Conservation Area: size and manager?
Missouri Department of Conservation handles it, and it spans 1,813 acres.
Is Long Ridge Conservation Area open for hunting this season?
Yes, deer, turkey and squirrel, following statewide seasons and any area limits.
Long Ridge 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 Long Ridge Conservation Area?
4 antlerless deer with firearms permits, under the Franklin County rule.
Can I use a rifle for deer on Long Ridge Conservation Area?
Archery and firearms on this area. Antlerless permits are allowed.
Can I hunt turkey on Long Ridge Conservation Area?
Use archery and firearms. Fall gun season: Oct. 1-31.
What are the CWD rules around Long Ridge Conservation Area?
No mandatory station visit in this county. Do not feed deer or put out minerals.
Last word on Long Ridge Conservation Area
Confirm methods, permits and the Franklin County deer rules for Long Ridge 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: Richard Ricciardi (CC BY 2.0); Dave Herholz (CC BY-SA 2.0); James St. John (CC BY 2.0).