Trees, grass and water are part of the landscape at Phenix Access near Ash Grove. The small Missouri Department of Conservation property allows access to Clear Creek. Deer and turkey can be hunted at the site, as can dove, quail and squirrel. For anglers, Clear Creek is home to sunfish, catfish, crappie and bass. / ANN KEYES FOR THE NEWS-LEADER
Missouri is rich in wildlife and in public properties on which to seek elusive creatures.
Highways and small dirt roads around the state are flanked by the brown signs used by the Missouri Department of Conservation to signify their lands.
Northern Greene County has several MDC properties on which to trek, whether you're looking to bag a deer or shoot one with the lens of a camera. Or maybe you only like to look at nature. Phenix Access near Ash Grove is a small property close to home that allows any of these activities and fishing, too.
A recent visit to Phenix shows the season has turned. The trees blaze with brilliant fall foliage of orange, yellow and red. A few colored leaves float on top of the lazy Clear Creek that cuts across Phenix; the stream is murky and holds bundles of sticks caught up on tree roots that wind in and out of the waterway.
Whether you wish to drop a fishing line or fire the rifle or again, only want a place to take it all in Phenix offers a place for your pleasure.
Here's what you need to know:
Where: Approximately 20 miles northwest of Springfield; three miles north of Ash Grove off Greene County V.
What: The leaves signal not only fall, but the period of time Missouri sets aside for residents who wish to hunt. Due to the efforts of MDC, species of wildlife such as deer and turkey have been brought back from the verge of extinction, says the Conservation Department's Web site.
MDC attributes much of their success to regulations. During deer season, you'll need to purchase a permit, available at any Department of Conservation office, over the phone or on the Internet. Other species that can be hunted at Phenix include dove, quail and squirrel.
At Phenix Access, a tangled mess of vines sits in a heavily forested locale next to Clear Creek. The spot is a good place for hunters to lurk while waiting for game to walk or fly into view. Older, open fields with brushy fence rows are spots where quail might roost.
No animal's habitat would be complete without water. Clear Creek is home to sunfish, catfish, crappie and bass. While none of the species are found in abundance, they're there if you want to dangle a line for a while on a warm autumn afternoon.
If you stay: The area is closed from 10 p.m. until 4 a.m. unless the visitor is actively involved in hunting, fishing or trapping. There is no camping allowed on the 155 acres at Phenix.