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Missouri conservation area
Richard Massengill Conservation Area, a hunter guide
207 acres of conservation area in Douglas County: area rules, season dates and nearby land.
Photo: David Nichols (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Getting to Richard Massengill Conservation Area
Parking, trailheads and gates near Richard Massengill Conservation Area
- Osborn Ford low-water bridgeBoat ramp · 2.3 mi from the centreDirections
- Hale Ford Bridge accessBoat ramp · 2.5 mi from the centreDirections
- Slab fordBoat ramp · 2.6 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.
Richard Massengill Conservation Area basics
Richard Massengill Conservation Area measures 207 acres on the map and sits in Douglas County. Douglas County has 3 conservation areas on our list; this one is the 3rd largest. MDC lists Richard Massengill Conservation Area in its Bryant Creek district, Ozark Region.
The area page says: This area is mostly forested and has an unimproved access trail through it.
Species named: Deer, Black bear, Turkey, Squirrel.
From the agency record (Missouri Department of Conservation); checked October 29, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Richard Massengill Conservation Area
How Richard Massengill Conservation Area may be hunted
Area methods and permits for Richard Massengill 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 |
| Gray Squirrel | Statewide methods | – |
Deer hunters on Richard Massengill Conservation Area are limited to archery and firearms; antlerless permits may be used. Turkey on Richard Massengill 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 Richard Massengill Conservation Area means antlerless permits allowed. Only areas on the MDC deer list allow deer hunting; Richard Massengill 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.
Richard Massengill Conservation Area: the Douglas County rules
| Rule | Douglas 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 1 |
| Duck zone | South |
The county is the deer unit here. Douglas County allows 4 firearms antlerless deer this year. Douglas County is one of the 100 counties open during the antlerless portions. The year-round feed and mineral ban covers Douglas County. Douglas County lies in Black Bear Management Zone 1, where 1,000 permits were issued against a quota of 30. 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 Richard Massengill Conservation Area
13 rows for Richard Massengill Conservation Area (4 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 1 | Bear zone 1 | 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 |
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 Richard Massengill Conservation Area
Head northwest about 5.8 mi and you reach Shannon Ranch Conservation Area, the nearest listed neighbor of Richard Massengill Conservation Area.
| Name | Type | Size (ac) | County | Away | Bearing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shannon Ranch CA | Conservation area | 1,565 | Douglas | 5.8 mi | northwest |
| Rippee CA | Conservation area | 419 | Douglas | 13 mi | west |
| Vera Cruz Access | Public access area | 80 | Douglas | 15 mi | west |
| Patrick Bridge Access | Public access area | 171 | Ozark | 17 mi | south |
| Dean Davis CA | Conservation area | 173 | Howell | 18 mi | east |
| Caney Mountain CA | Conservation area | 7,899 | Ozark | 18 mi | southwest |
| Tecumseh Towersite | Towersite | 40 | Ozark | 20 mi | south |
| Norfork Lake Management Lands | Corps lake land | 4,861 | Ozark | 24 mi | south |
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 Richard Massengill Conservation Area
MDC reports by county.
Deer checked in Douglas County: 3,695 in 2025 and 3,048 in 2024. Spring 2026 turkey harvest in Douglas County: 485, with 54 from public ground. Douglas County CWD testing: 1,510 samples in the years shown, 0 positives.
| Year | Antlered | Buttons | Does | All deer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,820 | 263 | 1,612 | 3,695 |
| 2024 | 1,373 | 272 | 1,403 | 3,048 |
| 2023 | 1,867 | 351 | 1,920 | 4,138 |
| 2022 | 1,563 | 345 | 1,441 | 3,349 |
| 2021 | 1,730 | 316 | 1,450 | 3,496 |
| 2020 | 1,655 | 290 | 1,309 | 3,254 |
| Year | Spring | Spring, public land | Spring youth | Fall firearms | Fall archery |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 485 | 54 | 50 | – | – |
| 2025 | 540 | 73 | 44 | 16 | 5 |
| 2024 | 452 | 56 | 44 | 19 | 12 |
| 2023 | 423 | 83 | 18 | 23 | 16 |
| 2022 | 293 | – | 20 | 7 | 13 |
| 2021 | 353 | – | 32 | 14 | 26 |
| Sample year | Tested | Detections |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 13 | 0 |
| 2025 | 600 | 0 |
| 2024 | 609 | 0 |
| 2023 | 99 | 0 |
| 2022 | 93 | 0 |
| 2021 | 96 | 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 Richard Massengill Conservation Area hunters
16 mi separates Richard Massengill Conservation Area from Willow Springs. MDC directions: From Highway 95 at Vanzant, take Route W east, then Route AH east for 1.50 miles, and County Road 272 south, and the area access road south. Gainesville hosts the MDC office nearest Richard Massengill Conservation Area (Caney Mountain Conservation Area Field Office, 17 mi).
| Community | County | Residents | Straight line | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Willow Springs | Howell | 2,219 | 16 mi | northeast |
| Cabool | Texas | 2,059 | 18 mi | northeast |
| Pomona | Howell | – | 18 mi | east |
| Norwood | Wright | 613 | 18 mi | northwest |
| Wasola | Ozark | – | 20 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.
Richard Massengill Conservation Area hunters: public range and clubs
Dean Davis Conservation Area Archery Range is the nearest public range to Richard Massengill Conservation Area, about 18 miles away. Beside it, two gun clubs within 30 miles.
From MDC area pages and the MDC Shooting Ranges layer, the operators’ pages and directory listings, checked October 29, 2026.
Richard Massengill Conservation Area legal shooting light
Legal light for deer at Richard Massengill 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 | 6:39 a.m. | 7:40 p.m. | 6:09 a.m. to 8:10 p.m. | 6:09 a.m. to 7:40 p.m. |
| Sep 15, 2026 | Archery opener | 6:51 a.m. | 7:18 p.m. | 6:21 a.m. to 7:48 p.m. | 6:21 a.m. to 7:18 p.m. |
| Oct 1, 2026 | Fall firearms turkey | 7:06 a.m. | 6:52 p.m. | 6:36 a.m. to 7:22 p.m. | 6:36 a.m. to 6:52 p.m. |
| Nov 7, 2026 | Middle Zone ducks | 6:43 a.m. | 5:03 p.m. | 6:13 a.m. to 5:33 p.m. | 6:13 a.m. to 5:03 p.m. |
| Nov 14, 2026 | November firearms opener | 6:51 a.m. | 4:57 p.m. | 6:21 a.m. to 5:27 p.m. | 6:21 a.m. to 4:57 p.m. |
| Dec 26, 2026 | Alternative methods | 7:26 a.m. | 4:55 p.m. | 6:56 a.m. to 5:25 p.m. | 6:56 a.m. to 4:55 p.m. |
| Jan 15, 2027 | Archery close | 7:26 a.m. | 5:13 p.m. | 6:56 a.m. to 5:43 p.m. | 6:56 a.m. to 5:13 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 Richard Massengill Conservation Area
Richard Massengill Conservation Area, quick questions
Closest community to Richard Massengill Conservation Area?
The closest town page is Willow Springs (16 mi).
How large an area is Richard Massengill Conservation Area?
207 acres in all; the manager is Missouri Department of Conservation.
When may I be on Richard Massengill Conservation Area?
4 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. No camping listed.
Which Missouri permits do I need at Richard Massengill Conservation Area?
Statewide MDC permits apply; managed hunts need the drawn permit as well.
Does Richard Massengill Conservation Area allow hunting?
Yes, for deer, black bear, turkey and squirrel; deer hunting is allowed because the area is on the MDC list.
How may deer be hunted on Richard Massengill Conservation Area?
MDC lists archery and firearms for deer. Antlerless permits are allowed.
What county deer limit applies at Richard Massengill Conservation Area?
The county rule is 4 antlerless deer with firearms; the antlerless portions are open.
What CWD rules apply at Richard Massengill Conservation Area?
Douglas County has no mandatory sampling this year and a year-round feed and mineral ban.
How may turkeys be hunted on Richard Massengill Conservation Area?
Yes, by archery and firearms; fall firearms turkey runs Oct. 1-31 here.
Does a bear zone include Richard Massengill Conservation Area?
BMZ 1, 1,000 permits drawn. Bear hunting is listed here.
When can I shoot at Richard Massengill Conservation Area on opening day?
Opening day of the November portion runs 6:20 a.m. to 5:26 p.m. there.
What backup public land is near Richard Massengill Conservation Area?
Within reach: Shannon Ranch Conservation Area (5.8 mi), Rippee Conservation Area (13 mi) and Vera Cruz Access (15 mi).
Richard Massengill Conservation Area: checks before you go
Use this page to plan, then reread the agency page for Richard Massengill 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: David Nichols (CC BY-SA 2.0); David Nichols (CC BY-SA 2.0); Russ (CC BY 2.0).