Bradley A. Hammer Memorial Conservation Area hunting

Bradley A. Hammer Memorial Conservation Area profile

Expect about 344 acres of public ground at Bradley A. Hammer Memorial Conservation Area, Wayne County. By size it ranks 7th of the 9 conservation areas we list in Wayne County. MDC manages it from the Clearwater South district of the Southeast Region.

Besides hunting, the MDC area page lists camping (individual campsites), fishing (white bass, sunfish, catfish, black bass) and trapping (special use permit).

What the area page says about it: Bradley A. Hammer Memorial Conservation Area is in Wayne County, one-half mile south of Williamsville and 10 miles northwest of Poplar Bluff. The area borders the Black River and includes 1.4 miles of river frontage along its northern border. Visitors can access the 344-acre area from Wayne County Road 424. The property for this area was donated to the Conservation Department by Gordon and Shirley Garrey as a memorial to their deceased grandson. Approximately 85 percent of the area is upland forest and riparian forest along Black River. The remaining acreage is cropland and old fields, which are now being managed for upland game. The area supports numerous game and non-game wildlife species, including deer, turkey, squirrels and raccoons. Wading and shore birds can be seen along Black River. The area provides a primitive boat access to Black River.

Listed game: Deer, Black bear, Turkey, Rabbit, Squirrel, Dove, Quail.

• White-tailed Deer
• Black Bear
• Wild Turkey
• Eastern Cottontail
• Gray Squirrel
• Fox Squirrel
• Mourning Dove
• Northern Bobwhite Quail

From the agency record (Missouri Department of Conservation); checked October 29, 2026.

Map around Bradley A. Hammer Memorial Conservation Area

Crow-flight distance from Bradley A. Hammer Memorial Conservation Area to Poplar Bluff Ranger District is 1.5 mi (east); the table runs outward from there.

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.

Legal hours for Bradley A. Hammer Memorial Conservation Area

Rabbits are sunrise to sunset, migratory birds half an hour before sunrise to sunset, and big game gets the extra half hour after sunset.

Times are prevailing local time, Central Daylight Time until Nov. 1 and from March 14.

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.

Last word on Bradley A. Hammer Memorial Conservation Area

Confirm methods, permits and the Wayne County deer rules for Bradley A. Hammer Memorial Conservation Area before the drive.

Sources: source · source · source · source; regulations from the 2026 Fall Deer and Turkey booklet. Checked October 29, 2026.