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Conservation area · MO
Montgomery Woods Conservation Area hunting
Seasons, methods and access for this conservation area in Adair County and 1 neighboring county.
Photo: David Wilson (CC BY 2.0)
Getting to Montgomery Woods Conservation Area
Parking, trailheads and gates near Montgomery Woods Conservation Area
- Parking areaParking · 0.3 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.
Montgomery Woods Conservation Area profile
Adair and Macon counties is home to the 348 acres of Montgomery Woods Conservation Area. In acreage it places 4th among 5 conservation areas in Adair County. Management sits with MDC: Bee Trace district, Northeast Region.
When hunting is slow, Montgomery Woods Conservation Area offers camping (open camping-walk/float/backpack(no deer/turkey), designated camping sites) and dog training, per MDC.
In the agency's words: All of Montgomery Woods Conservation Area is forested. Visitors will find a challenge on the rough terrain of this 348-acre area. Oak-hickory forest covers the steep hills and ridgetops. Bottomland tree species include silver maple, cottonwood, sycamore, and an assortment of other hardwoods. During your visit to Montgomery Woods Conservation Area, you may view various forest management practices such as tree improvement and tree harvest to create forest openings for wildlife, promote a healthy forest, and ensure a diversity of tree sizes and age classes. White-tailed deer and wild turkey are abundant on the area as well as numerous songbirds.
Species on the record: Deer, Turkey, Squirrel.
From the agency record (Missouri Department of Conservation); checked October 29, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Montgomery Woods Conservation Area
Montgomery Woods Conservation Area methods and area rules
Methods for Montgomery Woods Conservation Area come from the MDC area page and the deer quick view.
| Quarry | Methods | Permits |
|---|---|---|
| White-tailed Deer | Archery and firearms | Allowed |
| Wild Turkey | Archery and firearms | – |
| Gray Squirrel | Statewide methods | – |
Plan on archery and firearms for deer at Montgomery Woods Conservation Area; antlerless permits may be used. For turkey, MDC allows archery and firearms on Montgomery Woods Conservation Area. Antlerless code A applies to Montgomery Woods Conservation Area, so antlerless permits allowed. MDC limits deer hunting on its areas to the listed ones, and Montgomery Woods 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.
Adair County rules on Montgomery Woods Conservation Area
| County rule | Adair County | Macon County |
|---|---|---|
| Firearms antlerless limit | 4 deer | 4 deer |
| Antlerless portions | Open | Open |
| CWD sampling Nov. 14-15 | No | No |
| Feed and mineral ban | Yes | Yes |
| Share the Harvest CWD test | Required | Required |
| Fall firearms turkey | Open | Open |
| Dogs, November portion | No rule | No rule |
| Elk county | No | No |
| Bear zone | None | None |
| Duck zone | North | North |
For deer, Adair County sets the rules on Montgomery Woods Conservation Area: firearms antlerless limit 4. Antlerless portions: open in October and December for Adair County. Leave the feeders home: Adair County bans feed and minerals all year. No CWD portion, no CWD Management Zone and no antler-point restriction this season. Because Montgomery Woods Conservation Area spans 2 counties, the columns show each county rule side by side.
2026 Fall Deer and Turkey booklet county rules, MDC CWD rules and 2026 bear digest; checked October 29, 2026.
Open dates on Montgomery Woods Conservation Area
Open-now status is in the last column; 12 rows apply to Montgomery Woods 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 | |
| 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 |
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.
Adair County deer and turkey harvest near Montgomery Woods Conservation Area
County-level data from MDC.
MDC reports deer harvest by county, not by area: Adair County checked 2,639 deer in the 2025 permit year, 7% fewer than in 2024. Public land gave up 62 of the 723 spring 2026 turkeys in Adair County. CWD samples from Adair County turned up 12 positives in recent years (first found 2014-2015).
| Season | Antlered bucks | Button bucks | Does | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,344 | 207 | 1,088 | 2,639 |
| 2024 | 1,258 | 247 | 1,322 | 2,827 |
| 2023 | 1,489 | 206 | 1,128 | 2,823 |
| 2022 | 1,389 | 197 | 1,141 | 2,727 |
| 2021 | 1,363 | 187 | 1,016 | 2,566 |
| 2020 | 1,378 | 246 | 1,104 | 2,728 |
| Year | Spring | Public land | Youth | Fall firearms | Fall archery |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 723 | 62 | 65 | – | – |
| 2025 | 537 | 41 | 56 | 26 | 25 |
| 2024 | 609 | 49 | 42 | 33 | 20 |
| 2023 | 520 | 57 | 26 | 27 | 17 |
| 2022 | 401 | – | 29 | 33 | 24 |
| 2021 | 387 | – | 17 | 23 | 19 |
| Year | Deer tested | Positive |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 10 | 0 |
| 2025 | 160 | 0 |
| 2024 | 841 | 4 |
| 2023 | 1,036 | 3 |
| 2022 | 940 | 3 |
| 2021 | 850 | 2 |
MDC 2025 deer harvest summary, MDC turkey harvest summaries and MDC CWD dashboard; earlier years from the yearly reports. Checked October 29, 2026.
Montgomery Woods Conservation Area and nearby public land, mapped
Samuel Ziegler Prairie Tract (MRAP) (7.7 mi, north) tops the neighbor list for Montgomery Woods Conservation Area, measured as the crow flies.
| Neighbor | Category | Acreage | County | Distance | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Samuel Ziegler Prairie Tract (MRAP) | MRAP tract | 197 | Sullivan | 7.7 mi | north |
| Hidden Hollow CA | Conservation area | 1,360 | Macon | 11 mi | east |
| Sugar Creek CA | Conservation area | 3,081 | Adair | 11 mi | east |
| Big Creek CA | Conservation area | 1,064 | Adair | 14 mi | northeast |
| Dodd Access | Public access area | 40 | Macon | 17 mi | southeast |
| Griffiths Memorial CA | Conservation area | 128 | Macon | 17 mi | south |
| Shoemaker CA | Conservation area | 259 | Adair | 17 mi | north |
| Union Ridge CA | Conservation area | 8,263 | Adair, Putnam | 19 mi | north |
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 Montgomery Woods Conservation Area
Nearest town with its own page: Green City, 17 mi. For a hardware store or a motel, Kirksville (17,841 people) is 17 mi away. Getting there, per MDC: From Kirksville, take Highway 11 west 18 miles, then take Montgomery Woods Trail south 0.75 mile to the area. The closest MDC office on file is Northeast Regional Office, about 16 mi from Montgomery Woods Conservation Area.
| Place | County | Population | Distance | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Green City | Sullivan | 570 | 17 mi | northwest |
| Kirksville | Adair | 17,841 | 17 mi | northeast |
| Bucklin | Linn | 412 | 18 mi | south |
| La Plata | Macon | 1,244 | 18 mi | east |
| Milan | Sullivan | 1,749 | 19 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.
Montgomery Woods 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 Montgomery Woods Conservation Area that means add 3 minutes.
| Date | Opener or close | Sunrise | Sunset | Deer | Migratory |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 1, 2026 | Dove opener | 6:40 a.m. | 7:41 p.m. | 6:10 a.m. to 8:11 p.m. | 6:10 a.m. to 7:41 p.m. |
| Sep 15, 2026 | Archery opener | 6:52 a.m. | 7:19 p.m. | 6:22 a.m. to 7:49 p.m. | 6:22 a.m. to 7:19 p.m. |
| Oct 1, 2026 | Fall firearms turkey | 7:07 a.m. | 6:53 p.m. | 6:37 a.m. to 7:23 p.m. | 6:37 a.m. to 6:53 p.m. |
| Nov 7, 2026 | Middle Zone ducks | 6:44 a.m. | 5:04 p.m. | 6:14 a.m. to 5:34 p.m. | 6:14 a.m. to 5:04 p.m. |
| Nov 14, 2026 | November firearms opener | 6:52 a.m. | 4:58 p.m. | 6:22 a.m. to 5:28 p.m. | 6:22 a.m. to 4:58 p.m. |
| Dec 26, 2026 | Alternative methods | 7:27 a.m. | 4:56 p.m. | 6:57 a.m. to 5:26 p.m. | 6:57 a.m. to 4:56 p.m. |
| Jan 15, 2027 | Archery close | 7:27 a.m. | 5:14 p.m. | 6:57 a.m. to 5:44 p.m. | 6:57 a.m. to 5:14 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.
Montgomery Woods Conservation Area hunters: public range and clubs
Adair County has the public range nearest Montgomery Woods Conservation Area: Sugar Creek CA range (11 miles). Two club ranges follow.
From MDC area pages and the MDC Shooting Ranges layer, the operators’ pages and directory listings, checked October 29, 2026.
Photo strip for Montgomery Woods Conservation Area
Montgomery Woods Conservation Area hunter FAQ
What deer methods are allowed on Montgomery Woods Conservation Area?
The deer rule is archery and firearms. Antlerless permits are allowed.
Which antlerless rule covers Montgomery Woods Conservation Area?
Missouri sets it by county; Adair County allows 4 on firearms permits. Antlerless portions are open.
Is deer feeding banned near Montgomery Woods Conservation Area?
CWD rules in Adair County: sampling not mandatory, feed ban yes.
Is Montgomery Woods Conservation Area good for fall turkey?
Turkey is archery and firearms; fall firearms is open.
Montgomery Woods Conservation Area shooting hours for the November opener?
Roughly 6:23 a.m. until 5:29 p.m., worked out for this spot.
Montgomery Woods Conservation Area crowded: where next?
In order of distance: Samuel Ziegler Prairie Tract (MRAP) (7.7 mi), Hidden Hollow Conservation Area (11 mi) and Sugar Creek Conservation Area (11 mi).
Nearest town with services to Montgomery Woods Conservation Area?
Green City (Sullivan County), about 17 mi away.
Montgomery Woods Conservation Area: size and manager?
The record lists 348 acres; Missouri Department of Conservation is in charge.
Can hunters camp on Montgomery Woods Conservation Area?
Hours are 4 a.m. to 10 p.m.; campsites are listed.
Is there an area permit for Montgomery Woods 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 Montgomery Woods Conservation Area?
Open for deer, turkey and squirrel, with the methods shown in the rules section.
Montgomery Woods Conservation Area final checklist
Signs on the ground outrank any web page; look for posted refuge and closed zones on Montgomery Woods Conservation Area.
Sources: source · source · source · source; regulations from the 2026 Fall Deer and Turkey booklet. Checked October 29, 2026.
Other photos on this page: PierreSelim (CC BY 3.0); USFWS Midwest Region (Public Domain Mark 1.0); Susan Young (Public Domain Mark 1.0).