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Town base, Madison County
Public hunting ground near Fredericktown, Missouri
Ground to hunt around Fredericktown, the 2026-27 rules for Madison County, deer and turkey totals by year, drawn hunts and businesses close to town.
Photo: Nearby stand-in for Fredericktown: Mark Twain National Forest (4.6 mi from Fredericktown). Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren (CC BY 2.0)
Madison County is governed from Fredericktown; for wildlife matters MDC answers from Cape Girardeau. Of the towns around Millstream Gardens Conservation Area, Fredericktown came out closest, the edge 8.1 miles out. In the 2024 estimates Fredericktown logged 4,581 residents. Counting overlaps once, public land within 10 miles comes to about 30,326 acres in 5 listed areas. County-wide, Madison County holds some 55,771 acres of public land: 2,740 acres of MDC land and 53,040 acres of Mark Twain National Forest. Closest of every listed area is Thompson Ford Access, its closest boundary 2.9 miles out.
Town point and land area from the Census 2024 Gazetteer, population from the Census Vintage 2024 estimates; public acreage and boundary miles within 10 miles are a GIS measure over MDC, USFS, USFWS, Corps and NPS boundaries (places.json). MDC region from the MDC Regions layer. Checked October 29, 2026.
Fredericktown land, nearest first
Miles run from the Fredericktown town point to the closest edge for land inside 10 miles, and to the mapped point beyond that, so road miles will be longer.
| Property | Off town | Type | Run by | Deer gear | Doe tags | Acres | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thompson Ford Access | 2.9 mi W | Public access | MDC | Archery only | Allowed | 84 | – |
| Mark Twain National Forest | 4.6 mi | National forest | USFS | Statewide rules | – | 1,510,740 | – |
| Amidon Memorial CA | 7.4 mi E | Conservation area | MDC | Bow and gun | Allowed | 1,878 | – |
| Knob Lick Towersite | 7.9 mi NW | Towersite | MDC | Archery only | Allowed | 80 | – |
| Millstream Gardens CA why listed | 8.1 mi W | Conservation area | MDC | Bow and gun | Allowed | 916 | – |
| Little Whitewater CA | 12 mi E | Conservation area | MDC | Muzzleloader, bow | Archery only | 80 | – |
| Marquand Access | 15 mi SE | Public access | MDC | Archery only | Allowed | 63 | – |
| Hawn Access | 15 mi SE | Public access | MDC | Muzzleloader, bow | Archery only | 81 | – |
| Coldwater Access | 20 mi SW | Public access | MDC | Bow and gun | Archery only | 79 | – |
| Horton Farm CA | 20 mi N | Conservation area | MDC | Muzzleloader, bow | Allowed | 640 | – |
Size leader inside 10 miles of Fredericktown: Amidon Memorial Conservation Area, 1,878 acres. That ring mixes 3 conservation and natural areas, 1 public access and 1 federal area. Thompson Ford Access (2.9 mi) takes archery methods only for deer, and antlerless permits may be filled there; turkey is bow and gun. Forest Service land is close by: Mark Twain National Forest, open under statewide MDC seasons.
Area descriptions
- Thompson Ford Access: The Thompson Ford Fishing Access, located on the Little St. Francis River, is an 84-acre tract of woodland and old fields.
- Amidon Memorial CA: Amidon Memorial Conservation Area is a 1,878-acre area located on the upper reaches of the Castor River in Bollinger and Madison counties.
- Knob Lick Towersite: Knob Lick Towersite is an 80-acre towersite purchased from the U.S. Forest Service for use as a fire detection tower to locate wildfires in southern St. Francois and northern Madison counties.
- MDC directions to Thompson Ford Access: From Fredericktown, take Highway 72 west, then County Road 504 south, then County Road 503 south. The entrance is on the west side of the road just before the river crossing.
Lands from MDC area pages and GIS layers, USFS, USFWS, NPS, Corps and Missouri State Parks records (lands.json; each land page cites its own source). Boundary miles from places.json, other miles to each mapped point. Deer methods and antlerless permit status from the 2026 Fall Deer and Turkey booklet area table and the MDC area deer quick view. Checked October 29, 2026.
Services around Fredericktown
Buttons for phone, map and website appear only when a source gave them; opening hours were not verified. Pruett's Meat Processing (3.8 mi) takes Share the Harvest deer for Missouri food pantries. Deer heads can be dropped at Pruett's Meat Processing, an MDC CWD sampling partner. Country Outback LLC (Fredericktown) is the first taxidermy stop, at town from Fredericktown. Cedar Falls Outdoors South (0.6 mi) is the handiest gun or outdoor shop. Twin Lakes Whitetails of Bismarck is the closest preserve on file.
| Service | Close (15 mi) | Wider (35 mi) | Closest | Miles | City |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deer processors | 4 | 10 | Country Outback LLC (closest) | at town | Fredericktown |
| Taxidermy shops | 3 | 13 | Country Outback LLC (closest) | at town | Fredericktown |
| Sporting goods | 1 | 16 | Cedar Falls Outdoors South (closest) | 0.6 mi E | Fredericktown |
| Outfitters and preserves | 0 | 1 | Twin Lakes Whitetails (closest) | 22 mi NW | Bismarck |
Deer processors
Taxidermy shops
Sporting goods
Outfitters and preserves
Processors from the MDC Share the Harvest processor lookup, MDC CWD sampling partners, the MDC commercial permit listing and Yellow Pages; taxidermists, shops and preserves from MDC permits, chain store locators and Yellow Pages (services.json). Checked October 29, 2026; hours were not checked.
Fredericktown county deer limits and CWD rules
The county you stand in decides the deer rules; this table lists the ones a Fredericktown hunter is most likely to cross into.
| County | Antlerless deer | Antlerless hunts | CWD stations | Feed rule | Fall turkey | Bear, elk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Madison County local | 2 | Open | No | Yes | Open | Zone 2 |
| Oregon County | 4 | Open | Nov. 14-15 | Yes | Open | Zone 2, Zone 1 |
| Ripley County | 4 | Open | Nov. 14-15 | Yes | Open | Zone 2 |
| Iron County | 1 | Closed | Nov. 14-15 | No | Open | Zone 2 |
| Carter County | 1 | Closed | Nov. 14-15 | No | Open | Zone 2 + elk |
MDC sets Madison County at 2 for firearms antlerless deer. Both antlerless portions apply in Madison County. Madison County is a feed-ban county: no grain, salt or minerals for deer. A CWD test is required before a Madison County deer can go to Share the Harvest. Leave the beagles home in Madison County by day during the November portion. Madison County lies in bear zone 2, where the quota is 22 bears. On MDC’s 2021-2025 zone layer Madison County is Middle Zone (100%); the zone lines moved for 2026. The old CWD Management Zone that covered Madison County is gone for 2026, as are the CWD portion and the antler-point rule.
Stations for Nov. 14-15
| Station | Street | City | County | Miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ZX Gas Station | 205 Hwy. 21 | Pilot Knob | Iron | 19 mi |
| Johnson Shut-Ins Visitor Center | 148 Taum Sauk Trl. | Lesterville | Reynolds | 30 mi |
| Greenville City Park | 248 Maple St. | Greenville | Wayne | 31 mi |
County rules from the 2026 Fall Deer and Turkey booklet county table; CWD sampling counties and stations from the MDC CWD pages; bear zones from the 2026 Black Bear Hunting Digest; elk from the 2026 Elk Hunting Digest; duck zones from the 2026-2027 waterfowl digest and the 2021-2025 MDC zone layer. Checked October 29, 2026.
Fredericktown season dates
For Madison County, 37 season segments cover deer, turkey, small game, waterfowl and furbearers this permit year.
| Animal | Season | Area rule | Start | Finish | Right 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 | |
| Bobwhite quail | Youth quail | Statewide | Oct 24, 2026 | Oct 25, 2026 | |
| Bobwhite quail | Quail | Statewide | Nov 1, 2026 | Jan 15, 2027 | |
| Pheasant | Youth pheasant | Statewide | Oct 24, 2026 | Oct 25, 2026 | |
| Pheasant | Pheasant | Statewide | Nov 1, 2026 | Jan 15, 2027 | |
| Rabbits | Rabbit hunting | Statewide | Oct 1, 2026 | Feb 15, 2027 | |
| Squirrels | Squirrel season | Statewide | May 23, 2026 | Feb 15, 2027 | |
| Woodcock | Woodcock season | Statewide | Oct 18, 2026 | Dec 1, 2026 | |
| Doves | Dove season | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Nov 29, 2026 | |
| Teal | September teal | Statewide | Sep 12, 2026 | Sep 20, 2026 | |
| Youth waterfowl | Youth waterfowl days | Middle Zone | Oct 31, 2026 | Nov 1, 2026 | |
| Ducks and coots | Ducks, split 1 | Middle Zone | Nov 7, 2026 | Dec 13, 2026 | |
| Ducks and coots | Ducks, split 2 | Middle Zone | Dec 19, 2026 | Jan 10, 2027 | |
| Early Canada goose | Early Canada goose | Statewide | Oct 3, 2026 | Oct 11, 2026 | |
| Geese | Regular geese | Statewide | Nov 11, 2026 | Feb 6, 2027 | |
| Light geese | Conservation order | Statewide | Feb 7, 2027 | Apr 30, 2027 | |
| Coyote | Coyote hunting | Statewide | Jan 1, 2026 | Dec 31, 2026 | |
| Groundhog | Groundhog | Statewide | May 11, 2026 | Dec 15, 2026 | |
| Bullfrogs and green frogs | Frogging | Statewide | Jun 30, 2026 | Oct 31, 2026 | |
| Raccoon, opossum, skunk | Hunt and trap, early | Statewide | Aug 1, 2026 | Oct 15, 2026 | |
| Rails | Rail season | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Nov 9, 2026 | |
| Snipe | Snipe season | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Dec 16, 2026 | |
| Crow | Crow season | Statewide | Nov 1, 2026 | Mar 3, 2027 | |
| Badger and foxes | Hunting and trapping | Statewide | Nov 15, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Bobcat | Hunting and trapping | Statewide | Nov 15, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Raccoon, opossum, skunk | Hunt and trap, main | Statewide | Nov 15, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 |
From the 2026 Fall Deer and Turkey Hunting Regulations, the 2026-2027 Migratory Bird and Waterfowl Digest and the 2026 hunting and trapping summary (Missouri Department of Conservation), checked October 29, 2026.
Fredericktown area harvest, county totals
MDC publishes harvest county by county, so the chart covers the whole of Madison County. 2025 brought 2,892 deer, after 1,887 in 2024. Antlered bucks: 1,213 in 2025; does: 1,390. MDC’s 2025 report puts the county at 6.0 deer per square mile and 11.1 firearms hunters per square mile. Spring 2026: 313 turkeys checked in Madison County (253 adult gobblers). Fall turkey in 2025 came to 40 on firearms permits. CWD testing in Madison County: 1,972 samples and 0 positives over the sample years shown.
| Year | Harvest | Bucks | Button bucks | Does |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2,259 | 914 | 297 | 1,048 |
| 2023 | 2,702 | 1,034 | 318 | 1,350 |
| 2024 | 1,887 | 743 | 251 | 893 |
| 2025 | 2,892 | 1,213 | 289 | 1,390 |
| Portion | Deer |
|---|---|
| Archery | 495 |
| Early youth | 129 |
| November | 1,623 |
| Late youth | 27 |
| Alt. methods | 90 |
| Managed hunts | 0 |
| Spring | Total | Public |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 218 | 56 |
| 2024 | 261 | 33 |
| 2025 | 335 | 60 |
| 2026 | 313 | 46 |
| Year | Samples | CWD found |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 560 | 0 |
| 2024 | 50 | 0 |
| 2025 | 449 | 0 |
| 2026 | 40 | 0 |
Deer from the MDC 2025-2026 deer harvest summary and earlier summaries (harvest.json; 2017-2019 county totals exclude managed hunts); density from the MDC 2025 deer season report; turkey from the MDC turkey harvest summaries; CWD from the MDC CWD dashboard. Checked October 29, 2026.
Fredericktown and surroundings, event dates
A 30-mile crow-flight radius gives 2 upcoming events as of October 29, 2026.
Next on the calendar
| Dates | What | Distance | Place | Next step | From |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 4, 2026 | Deer Hunting: Intro to Deer Hunting · intro deer hunting talk | 21 | Mineral Area College — Park Hills | Register | Source |
| Dec 12, 2026 | Deer Hunting: Field to Freezer: Beginner Venison Summer Sausage Masterclass · field-to-freezer deer program | 0 | Fredericktown High School — Madison County | Register | Source |
Fredericktown shooters: three nearest ranges
Millstream Gardens Conservation Area Archery Range heads the Fredericktown list (9 miles), and two more follow.
Straight-line miles from the town centre; ranges checked October 29, 2026.
MDC offices for Fredericktown hunters
From the centre of Madison County, the closest MDC office open to visitors is Piedmont Office in Piedmont. The Southeast Region is run from Southeast Regional Office in Cape Girardeau ((573) 290-5730). No office visit is needed for a permit: buy it online, in the MO Hunting app or from a vendor.
MDC Piedmont Office, about 34 mi southwest of town
MDC Missouri Department of Conservation – Gaylord Laboratory Field Office, 38 mi out of Fredericktown
Offices from the MDC offices open to the public, the MDC regional offices page and the MDC field office layer (services.json, counties.json). Checked October 29, 2026.
Fredericktown legal hours
Legal light for deer at Fredericktown runs 30 minutes either side of sunrise and sunset; for ducks it starts 30 minutes before sunrise and ends at sunset.
| When | Event | Rise | Set | Big game | Birds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 1, 2026 | Dove opener | 6:31 a.m. | 7:32 p.m. | 6:01 a.m.–8:02 p.m. | 6:01 a.m.–7:32 p.m. |
| Sep 15, 2026 | Archery opener | 6:43 a.m. | 7:10 p.m. | 6:13 a.m.–7:40 p.m. | 6:13 a.m.–7:10 p.m. |
| Oct 1, 2026 | Fall firearms turkey | 6:58 a.m. | 6:44 p.m. | 6:28 a.m.–7:14 p.m. | 6:28 a.m.–6:44 p.m. |
| Nov 7, 2026 | Middle Zone ducks | 6:35 a.m. | 4:55 p.m. | 6:05 a.m.–5:25 p.m. | 6:05 a.m.–4:55 p.m. |
| Nov 14, 2026 | November firearms opener | 6:43 a.m. | 4:49 p.m. | 6:13 a.m.–5:19 p.m. | 6:13 a.m.–4:49 p.m. |
| Dec 26, 2026 | Alternative methods | 7:18 a.m. | 4:47 p.m. | 6:48 a.m.–5:17 p.m. | 6:48 a.m.–4:47 p.m. |
| Jan 15, 2027 | Archery close | 7:18 a.m. | 5:05 p.m. | 6:48 a.m.–5:35 p.m. | 6:48 a.m.–5:05 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.
Fredericktown hunting questions
What bases lie close to Fredericktown?
Cobalt, Mine La Motte, Cherokee Pass and Knob Lick.
Which MDC office open to the public is nearest Fredericktown?
For Madison County, Piedmont Office, 410 Piedmont Ave, Piedmont, (573) 469-0899.
Is Fredericktown a good base for public-land hunting?
It has 5 tracts and about 30,326 public acres inside 10 miles.
Where is the closest conservation area or federal tract to Fredericktown?
Among MDC and federal tracts, the nearest is Thompson Ford Access, its closest boundary 2.9 miles out. Number two: Mark Twain National Forest, its closest boundary 4.6 miles out.
Is Madison County one of the antlerless-portion counties?
Yes. MDC lists Madison County as open.
Which 2026 county deer rules apply around Fredericktown?
Madison County: firearms antlerless limit 2, antlerless portions open, no mandatory CWD sampling.
Can I hunt black bear from Fredericktown?
Yes, Oct 17 to Oct 30, 2026 in zone 2 for drawn permit holders.
Must deer shot near Fredericktown be tested for CWD?
Not by law in Madison County; MDC offers voluntary testing.
Must I notch my permit for a Fredericktown deer?
Yes, notch the month and day on a paper permit or in the MO Hunting app right away.
How soon after dawn can a Fredericktown deer hunter fire?
From 6:13 a.m. on Nov. 14 at Fredericktown.
How many miles to a deer processor from Fredericktown?
About at town, to Country Outback LLC.
Must a portable blind on an MDC area carry orange?
It is recommended, not required, on MDC areas.
Answers from places.json, lands.json, counties.json, services.json and the 2026 Fall Deer and Turkey Hunting Regulations; Telecheck from the booklet, hunter orange from booklet p. 4. Checked October 29, 2026.
Fredericktown final checks
Leaving Fredericktown before dawn? Look up legal light for the date and the county rules for the tract you picked.
Other photos on this page: Heath Cajandig (CC BY 2.0); Jena Fuller (CC BY-SA 2.0); LeeAnne Adams (CC BY 2.0); darin_kuntze (CC BY 2.0); Heath Cajandig (CC BY 2.0); USFWS Midwest Region (Public Domain Mark 1.0); Shelby L. Bell (CC BY 2.0); Heath Cajandig (CC BY 2.0).