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Barclay Conservation Area hunting in Missouri
Public hunting ground in Dallas County (426 acres), with the county deer rules that apply there.
Photo: Chris M Morris (CC BY 2.0)
Getting to Barclay Conservation Area
Parking, trailheads and gates near Barclay Conservation Area
- Rendezvous PointBoat ramp · 0.6 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 0.6 mi from the centreDirections
- North RiverfrontBoat ramp · 0.6 mi from the centreDirections
- Barclay CA AccessBoat ramp · 0.6 mi from the centreDirections
- Barclay CA Canoe LaunchBoat ramp · 0.7 mi from the centreDirections
- Maggard Corkery LandingBoat ramp · 0.9 mi from the centreDirections
- Mountain Creek LandingBoat ramp · 1.7 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.8 mi from the centreDirections
- Prosperine AccessBoat ramp · 1.9 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.1 mi from the centreDirections
- Oldhams Riverview LandingBoat ramp · 2.1 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.2 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.
Barclay Conservation Area, the essentials
Its acreage is 426, inside Dallas County. Line up the 4 conservation areas in Dallas County by acres and Barclay Conservation Area comes 4th. Staff of the MDC North Slope district, in the Southwest Region, manage Barclay Conservation Area.
MDC also notes fishing (trout, rock bass, sunfish, suckers) and trapping (special use permit) at Barclay Conservation Area.
Habitat notes from the source: Barclay Conservation Area is in northeastern Dallas County, 40 miles south of Lake of the Ozarks, seven miles north of Bennett Spring State Park and 21 miles northeast of Buffalo. The Conservation Department purchased the area in 1996 with department funds to provide public access to the Niangua River. The area provides 1.7 miles of Niangua River frontage. A 0.4 mile spring branch also originates there. In addition to the river frontage, Barclay CA also contains 426 acres of land. This land has excellent examples of dolomite glade communities, oak-hickory uplands, river bottom forest, and clear-running springs. Deer, turkey, raccoon, squirrel, rabbit, coyote, and many other small animals and birds are commonly seen from the gravel roads and forest trails and along field edges. Hunting is allowed and there are opportunities for wildlife viewing. Wildlife habitat management includes manipulating fields within the forest to provide additional food sources.
Game listed: Deer, Black bear, Turkey, Rabbit, Squirrel.
From the agency record (Missouri Department of Conservation); checked October 29, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Barclay Conservation Area
Barclay Conservation Area and nearby public land, mapped
8 other public places sit inside a 45-mile circle around Barclay Conservation Area; together they add 9,002 acres, and Coffin Cave Conservation Area is nearest.
| Area | Type | Acres | County | Straight line | Which way |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coffin Cave CA | Conservation area | 68 | Laclede | 1.3 mi | southeast |
| Bennett Spring Access | Public access area | 178 | Dallas | 3.5 mi | south |
| Lead Mine CA | Conservation area | 7,761 | Dallas | 4.5 mi | northwest |
| Mary Lawson CA | Conservation area | 52 | Laclede | 5.7 mi | northeast |
| Alfred Newton Gossett CA | Conservation area | 671 | Dallas | 7.7 mi | south |
| Williams Ford Access | Public access area | 40 | Dallas | 8.3 mi | southwest |
| Branch Towersite | Towersite | 40 | Camden | 10 mi | northwest |
| Larry R. Gale Access | Public access area | 193 | Camden | 16 mi | north |
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.
Area rules at Barclay Conservation Area
MDC area rules for Barclay Conservation Area, as published for 2026-27.
| Species | Methods here | Note |
|---|---|---|
| White-tailed Deer | Archery and firearms | Allowed |
| Wild Turkey | Archery and firearms | – |
| Black Bear | Archery and firearms | Zone permit |
| Eastern Cottontail | Statewide methods | – |
| Gray Squirrel | Statewide methods | – |
For deer, Barclay Conservation Area is open to archery and firearms, and antlerless permits may be used. Turkey methods on Barclay Conservation Area: archery and firearms. Barclay Conservation Area allows black bear by archery and firearms during the October season, permit holders only. The FDT area table lists Barclay Conservation Area with code A (antlerless permits allowed). Deer and turkey may be hunted only on MDC areas that appear in the booklet table; Barclay Conservation Area is on it.
Sources: area page, area regulations, deer quick view; booklet table: 2026 Fall Deer and Turkey booklet, pp. 42-55. Checked October 29, 2026.
Barclay Conservation Area season calendar
County dates from Dallas County that fit Barclay Conservation Area, matched to its game list.
| Species | Portion | Covers | Begins | Through | Today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 3 | Bear zone 3 | 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 | |
| Rabbits | Rabbit hunting | Statewide | Oct 1, 2026 | Feb 15, 2027 | |
| Squirrels | Squirrel season | Statewide | May 23, 2026 | Feb 15, 2027 |
Duck zone rows come from the MDC zone layer; check the digest near a line.
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.
Deer rules that reach Barclay Conservation Area
| Rule | Dallas 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 3 |
| Duck zone | Middle / South |
Barclay Conservation Area takes its deer rules from Dallas County, where the firearms antlerless fill limit is 4. Antlerless portions run here in October and December. Dallas County falls under the CWD feed and mineral ban. BMZ 3 reaches Dallas County; the zone has 250 permits and closes early if 8 bears are taken. For 2026 MDC dropped the CWD portion, the CWD Management Zone and the antler-point restriction.
2026 Fall Deer and Turkey booklet county rules, MDC CWD rules and 2026 bear digest; checked October 29, 2026.
Barclay Conservation Area: towns and supplies
Bennett Springs is 4.2 mi from Barclay Conservation Area, the nearest town on this site. Lebanon is the biggest town in that list, 15,538 residents in 2024. Route from the area page: From Bennett Spring State Park, take Highway 64 west 3.70 miles, then Corkery Road north 3 miles, then Barclay Springs Road east. Drive 16 mi to Lebanon Office in Lebanon for the nearest MDC counter.
| Town | County | Pop. 2024 | Miles off | Bearing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bennett Springs | Laclede | – | 4.2 mi | south |
| Lebanon | Laclede | 15,538 | 14 mi | southeast |
| Buffalo | Dallas | 3,512 | 16 mi | southwest |
| Urbana | Dallas | 408 | 17 mi | west |
| Camdenton | Camden | 4,035 | 17 mi | northeast |
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.
County harvest around Barclay Conservation Area
These are county numbers.
In 2025, 2,951 deer were Telechecked in Dallas County, 1,196 of them does. Dallas County turkey hunters took 428 birds in spring 2026; 15 came off public land. The MDC dashboard lists 6 CWD positives in Dallas County across the years in the table, the first in 2022-2023.
| Year | Bucks | Button bucks | Does | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,475 | 280 | 1,196 | 2,951 |
| 2024 | 1,294 | 233 | 1,180 | 2,707 |
| 2023 | 1,555 | 363 | 1,524 | 3,442 |
| 2022 | 1,437 | 275 | 1,428 | 3,140 |
| 2021 | 1,809 | 342 | 1,481 | 3,632 |
| 2020 | 1,780 | 360 | 1,836 | 3,976 |
| Year | Spring total | On public land | Youth | Fall gun | Fall bow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 428 | 15 | 41 | – | – |
| 2025 | 470 | 33 | 51 | 21 | 17 |
| 2024 | 459 | 47 | 35 | 34 | 13 |
| 2023 | 492 | 45 | 14 | 26 | 25 |
| 2022 | 322 | – | 32 | 20 | 23 |
| 2021 | 346 | – | 23 | 18 | 11 |
| Sample year | CWD samples | Positives |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 12 | 0 |
| 2025 | 76 | 0 |
| 2024 | 554 | 1 |
| 2023 | 786 | 4 |
| 2022 | 99 | 1 |
| 2021 | 132 | 0 |
MDC 2025 deer harvest summary, MDC turkey harvest summaries and MDC CWD dashboard; earlier years from the yearly reports. Checked October 29, 2026.
When legal light starts in Barclay Conservation Area
Deer, bear, elk and fall archery turkey may be taken from half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset; ducks, geese, doves and fall firearms turkey stop at sunset.
| When | Event | Rise | Set | Big game | Birds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 1, 2026 | Dove opener | 6:41 a.m. | 7:42 p.m. | 6:11 a.m. to 8:12 p.m. | 6:11 a.m. to 7:42 p.m. |
| Sep 15, 2026 | Archery opener | 6:53 a.m. | 7:20 p.m. | 6:23 a.m. to 7:50 p.m. | 6:23 a.m. to 7:20 p.m. |
| Oct 1, 2026 | Fall firearms turkey | 7:08 a.m. | 6:54 p.m. | 6:38 a.m. to 7:24 p.m. | 6:38 a.m. to 6:54 p.m. |
| Nov 7, 2026 | Middle Zone ducks | 6:45 a.m. | 5:05 p.m. | 6:15 a.m. to 5:35 p.m. | 6:15 a.m. to 5:05 p.m. |
| Nov 14, 2026 | November firearms opener | 6:53 a.m. | 4:59 p.m. | 6:23 a.m. to 5:29 p.m. | 6:23 a.m. to 4:59 p.m. |
| Dec 26, 2026 | Alternative methods | 7:28 a.m. | 4:57 p.m. | 6:58 a.m. to 5:27 p.m. | 6:58 a.m. to 4:57 p.m. |
| Jan 15, 2027 | Archery close | 7:28 a.m. | 5:15 p.m. | 6:58 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. | 6:58 a.m. to 5:15 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.
Barclay Conservation Area in pictures
Barclay Conservation Area hunters: public range and clubs
From Barclay Conservation Area, 3 miles separates hunters from Lead Mine CA range, the closest public range. Club lanes within 30 miles fill the next cards.
From MDC area pages and the MDC Shooting Ranges layer, the operators’ pages and directory listings, checked October 29, 2026.
Barclay Conservation Area, quick questions
How many does may be taken around Barclay Conservation Area?
Dallas County: firearms antlerless limit 4, antlerless portions open.
What are the deer hunting methods at Barclay Conservation Area?
Deer may be taken by archery and firearms. Antlerless permits are allowed.
Turkey hunting at Barclay Conservation Area: what is allowed?
MDC allows archery and firearms. Fall firearms turkey runs Oct. 1-31.
Do I need a CWD sample for deer from Barclay Conservation Area?
Sampling is voluntary here; feeding and minerals are banned all year.
When does legal light start and end at Barclay Conservation Area?
Deer hunters get 6:23 a.m. to 5:29 p.m. on Nov. 14; sunset is 4:59 p.m..
Does a bear zone include Barclay Conservation Area?
Only with a Zone 3 permit from the drawing; season Oct. 17-30.
Which town sits closest to Barclay Conservation Area?
Bennett Springs lies 4.2 mi away.
Is there other public land around Barclay Conservation Area?
Try Coffin Cave Conservation Area (1.3 mi), Bennett Spring Access (3.5 mi) and Lead Mine Conservation Area (4.5 mi).
What should I buy before a Barclay Conservation Area hunt?
Missouri hunting permits for each species; there is no separate area permit for most MDC land.
How large an area is Barclay Conservation Area?
Missouri Department of Conservation runs the ground (426 acres).
Is hunting legal on Barclay Conservation Area?
Yes. The area page names deer, black bear, turkey, rabbit and squirrel.
Barclay Conservation Area final checklist
Carry your permit, notch it or the MO Hunting app right away, and Telecheck a deer or turkey by 10 p.m. on the day of harvest.
Sources: source · source · source · source; regulations from the 2026 Fall Deer and Turkey booklet. Checked October 29, 2026.
Other photos on this page: USFWS Midwest Region (Public Domain Mark 1.0); btrentler (CC BY 2.0); Scott Heron (CC BY-SA 2.0).