Winona, Missouri - The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) has closed the refuge portion of the Peck Ranch Conservation Area until further notice due to road damage caused by recent flooding. This closure includes the elk viewing route.

Wildlife Biologist Preston Mabry, manager of Peck Ranch Conservation Area, said this puts a temporary halt on auto tours and other activities in the refuge. He said access is still allowed on approximately 12,000 acres outside the marked refuge fence.

The Peck Ranch Conservation Area lies in both Carter and Shannon counties. The refuge portion of the area encompasses approximately 11,500 acres. In the portion of the Peck Area that's open to the public, Mabry still recommends caution wherever roads might have suffered damage due to recent flooding.

For more information, call the Peck Ranch Conservation Area at 573-323-4249 or the Missouri Department of Conservation's Ozark Regional Office in West Plains at 417-256-7161.