This 358.4+/- acre tract in southwest Phelps County is completely surrounded by Mark Twain National Forest, with no private ground touching the property on any side. It sits outside Duke off County Road 6630 and is accessed by permit through the national forest. The property is approximately 20 miles from Fort Leonard Wood, 35 miles from Rolla, and about two hours from St. Louis, Springfield, and Columbia. The land runs mainly to timber, 328+/- acres of oak and hickory with native shortleaf pine lining the driveway and mixed through the forest, while approximately 30 acres of established food plots and grasses hold the open ground.

The habitat work is the story here. Thousands of hours have gone into a long-term program built on forestry, prescribed fire, native vegetation, and managed food plots. The property has been burned eight times under a written prescribed burn plan developed by a consulting forester. Seven mapped burn units allow sections to be burned under differing wind conditions, and the most recent burn covered 116+/- acres. Approximately 90% of the perimeter has been cleared for trails and fire lines. Selective harvest, TSI, and cedar removal followed by fire have restored portions of the timber toward Missouri’s native woodland and savanna structure, with warm-season grasses and ground-level forage under scattered hardwoods. The property has completed an EQIP program along with multiple MDC cost-share projects, and the burn plan, burn history, and habitat maps document the work.

The food plots received the same deliberate approach. The plot strategy came out of on-property consultation with the GrowingDeer.tv team led by Dr. Grant Woods. The plots are maintained with no-till methods using a drill and crimper, with seed sourced from Missouri Southern Seed.

For a deer hunter, the pieces are all here: food, cover, forest structure, native forage, water, and travel corridors have all received attention. If you think northern Missouri is the only part of the state where you can chase big bucks, look at this game camera folder. Wild turkey are abundant, doves use the property seasonally, and the occasional covey of quail makes an appearance. Black bear, bobcats, and coyotes round out the native wildlife.

Water and terrain add another layer. Multiple wet-weather creeks drain the tract, and a flowing spring-fed creek runs through it. Two rock shelters sit along the limestone hillsides. Miles of trails route through the timber, and over 160 feet of elevation change gives you options for hunting access, trail riding, biking, and land management. East Gate Access and its boat ramp on the Big Piney River are minutes away, adding fishing and floating to the list. With no neighboring private ground there is no light pollution, and on clear nights you get the Milky Way.

The home anchors it all. The 2,662-square-foot all-brick custom residence was completed in 2024, with four bedrooms, three bathrooms, a hip roof with asphalt shingles, and slab-on-grade construction. The split bedroom layout places the primary suite on one side and the remaining bedrooms on the other, a floor plan that works for a family and separates cleanly when multiple hunting groups share the house.

Inside, the shaker-style cabinets are hardwood inside and out, with 10-foot uppers in the kitchen. Stained knotty alder accents the island and the primary bath, quartzite tops the counters in the kitchen and bathrooms, and a Kucht Professional six-burner propane range with vented hood anchors the kitchen. A walk-in pantry with butcher-block countertop, custom entryway lockers, solid wood doors, custom woodwork, a brick gas-log fireplace, coffered ceilings, a walk-in shower with half-height wall and glass, a walk-in closet, and a dedicated laundry room with countertop complete the interior. A 420-square-foot screened porch and a 210-square-foot wood deck carry the living space outside.

A detached 900-square-foot metal garage is finished to match the home and has a concrete floor, a dedicated electrical panel, an automatic opener, sheeted interior walls, a wood counter with drawers, and water stubbed to the building.

The sweat equity put into this tract allows its next owner to inherit an established habitat program and immediately start reaping rewards. Reach out today for your own private tour.