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Missouri conservation area
Corning Conservation Area, a hunter guide
1,879 acres of conservation area in Atchison County and 1 neighboring county: area rules, season dates and nearby land.
Photo: Roy Harryman (CC0 1.0)
Getting to Corning Conservation Area
Corning Conservation Area basics
Corning Conservation Area measures 1,879 acres on the map and sits in Atchison and Holt counties. Atchison County has 8 conservation areas on our list; this one is the 4th largest. MDC lists Corning Conservation Area in its Loess Hills district, Northwest Region.
Non-hunting activities on the area page: camping (designated camping sites).
The area page says: The west boundary of this area adjoins the Deroin Bend Conservation Area. The United States Army Corps of Engineers has purchased this area as part of the Missouri River Mitigation Project. The mitigation project has been designed to enhance fish and wildlife habitat along the Missouri River. The area is managed through a cooperative effort between the Corps of Engineers and the Missouri Department of Conservation. This area is managed for a variety of game and non-game species of fish and wildlife. Rich bottomland soils here produce a variety of wetland vegetation and bottomland timber. Management practices include reforestation, prescribed burning, and opportunistic management of wetlands.
Species named: Deer, Turkey, Rabbit, Dove, Quail, Waterfowl.
- White-tailed Deer
- Wild Turkey
- Eastern Cottontail
- Mourning Dove
- Northern Bobwhite Quail
- Ducks
- Canada Goose
- Teal
From the agency record (Missouri Department of Conservation); checked October 29, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Corning Conservation Area
How Corning Conservation Area may be hunted
Area methods and permits for Corning Conservation Area, condensed from MDC.
| Game | How | Extra rule |
|---|---|---|
| White-tailed Deer | Muzzleloader, archery | Not allowed |
| Wild Turkey | Archery and firearms | Nontoxic shot |
| Eastern Cottontail | Statewide methods | – |
| Northern Bobwhite Quail | Statewide methods | – |
| Mourning Dove | Statewide methods | Nontoxic for doves |
| Ducks | Open Hunting | Nontoxic shot |
Corning Conservation Area area regulations
- Nontoxic shot is required for all hunting with a shotgun on this area. Use or possession of lead shot is prohibited.
Deer on Corning Conservation Area: muzzleloader and archery methods, and antlerless permits may not be used. Turkey on Corning Conservation Area: archery and firearms under the area listing. Booklet code C for Corning Conservation Area means antlerless permits not allowed. Corning Conservation Area is on the list of areas where every shotgun hunter must use nontoxic shot. Only areas on the MDC deer list allow deer hunting; Corning Conservation Area made the list.
Sources: area page, area regulations, deer quick view; booklet table: 2026 Fall Deer and Turkey booklet, pp. 42-55. Checked October 29, 2026.
Corning Conservation Area: the Atchison County rules
| Rule | Atchison County | Holt County |
|---|---|---|
| Firearms antlerless limit | None | 1 deer |
| Antlerless portions | Closed | Closed |
| CWD sampling Nov. 14-15 | Mandatory | Mandatory |
| Feed and mineral ban | No | No |
| Share the Harvest CWD test | No | No |
| Fall firearms turkey | Open | Open |
| Dogs, November portion | No rule | No rule |
| Elk county | No | No |
| Bear zone | None | None |
| Duck zone | North | North |
The county is the deer unit here. Atchison County allows no firearms antlerless deer this year. Antlerless portions: closed for Atchison County. Atchison County hunters must have opening-weekend deer sampled, at one of 1 station in the county. Three older rules are gone for 2026: the CWD portion, the CWD Management Zone and the antler-point rule. Corning Conservation Area reaches more than one county, so check which county you stand in before filling an antlerless permit.
- Atchison City Barn, 412 Elm St., Tarkio
2026 Fall Deer and Turkey booklet county rules, MDC CWD rules and 2026 bear digest; checked October 29, 2026.
Dates that apply at Corning Conservation Area
19 rows for Corning Conservation Area (11 species), cut down to its game list.
| Game | Season | Area | From | To | Open now? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White-tailed deer | Archery, first part | Statewide | Sep 15, 2026 | Nov 13, 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, alternative methods | Statewide | Dec 26, 2026 | Jan 5, 2027 | |
| 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 | |
| Bobwhite quail | Youth quail | Statewide | Oct 24, 2026 | Oct 25, 2026 | |
| Bobwhite quail | Quail | Statewide | Nov 1, 2026 | Jan 15, 2027 | |
| Rabbits | Rabbit hunting | Statewide | Oct 1, 2026 | Feb 15, 2027 | |
| Doves | Dove season | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Nov 29, 2026 | |
| Teal | September teal | Statewide | Sep 12, 2026 | Sep 20, 2026 | |
| Youth waterfowl | Youth waterfowl days | North Zone | Oct 24, 2026 | Oct 25, 2026 | |
| Ducks and coots | Regular ducks | North Zone | Oct 31, 2026 | Dec 29, 2026 | |
| Early Canada goose | Early Canada goose | Statewide | Oct 3, 2026 | Oct 11, 2026 | |
| Geese | Regular geese | Statewide | Nov 11, 2026 | Feb 6, 2027 | |
| Light geese | Conservation order | Statewide | Feb 7, 2027 | Apr 30, 2027 |
Modern centerfires are out on Corning Conservation Area; muzzleloaders cover the firearms portions. Hunter orange (hat plus vest, coat or shirt) is required during the firearms deer portions.
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.
Corning Conservation Area: blinds, draws and duck dates
Open waterfowl hunting applies on Corning Conservation Area, so arrive early for a spot. Atchison County falls in the North Zone on the MDC zone layer; the 2026-2030 lines changed, so check the digest map near a boundary. Nontoxic shot is required for all waterfowl and coot hunting.
| Window | Begins | Ends |
|---|---|---|
| Youth waterfowl days | Oct 24, 2026 | Oct 25, 2026 |
| Regular ducks | Oct 31, 2026 | Dec 29, 2026 |
2026-2027 Migratory Bird and Waterfowl Digest, managed areas; area page; checked October 29, 2026.
Dove hunting at Corning Conservation Area
MDC planted 25.7 acres in 1 dove field on Corning Conservation Area for 2026 (sunflower). Access note on the fields: open to all hunters. MDC counts Corning Conservation Area among its 75 dove management areas. Lead shot is banned for doves on this area. Statewide dove dates: Sep 1, 2026 through Nov 29, 2026.
MDC 2026 dove field layer and Dove Management Areas; checked October 29, 2026.
Public places ringing Corning Conservation Area
Head west about 2.6 mi and you reach Deroin Bend Conservation Area, the nearest listed neighbor of Corning Conservation Area.
| Name | Type | Size (ac) | County | Away | Bearing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deroin Bend CA | Conservation area | 1,164 | Atchison, Holt | 2.6 mi | west |
| H. F. Thurnau CA | Conservation area | 1,738 | Holt | 6.2 mi | southeast |
| Aspinwall Bend | Conservation area | 737 | Atchison | 8.9 mi | northwest |
| Little Tarkio Prairie | Conservation area | 129 | Holt | 9.6 mi | east |
| Rush Bottoms CA | Conservation area | 811 | Holt | 13 mi | south |
| Brickyard Hill CA | Conservation area | 2,896 | Atchison | 15 mi | north |
| Loess Bluffs NWR | Wildlife refuge | 7,557 | Holt | 17 mi | southeast |
| Nishnabotna CA | Conservation area | 2,436 | Atchison | 17 mi | northwest |
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.
What hunters took around Corning Conservation Area
MDC reports by county.
Deer checked in Atchison County: 540 in 2025 and 575 in 2024. Spring 2026 turkey harvest in Atchison County: 158, with 62 from public ground. Atchison County CWD testing: 54 samples in the years shown, 0 positives.
| Year | Antlered | Buttons | Does | All deer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 408 | 17 | 115 | 540 |
| 2024 | 443 | 14 | 118 | 575 |
| 2023 | 410 | 18 | 134 | 562 |
| 2022 | 365 | 23 | 120 | 508 |
| 2021 | 395 | 21 | 133 | 549 |
| 2020 | 450 | 19 | 125 | 594 |
| Year | Spring | Spring, public land | Spring youth | Fall firearms | Fall archery |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 158 | 62 | 10 | – | – |
| 2025 | 160 | 47 | 18 | 2 | 2 |
| 2024 | 172 | 42 | 8 | 1 | 2 |
| 2023 | 168 | 49 | 12 | 3 | 5 |
| 2022 | 92 | – | 10 | 5 | 7 |
| 2021 | 123 | – | 11 | 6 | 5 |
| Sample year | Tested | Detections |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 8 | 0 |
| 2024 | 9 | 0 |
| 2023 | 8 | 0 |
| 2022 | 12 | 0 |
| 2021 | 4 | 0 |
| 2020 | 13 | 0 |
MDC 2025 deer harvest summary, MDC turkey harvest summaries and MDC CWD dashboard; earlier years from the yearly reports. Checked October 29, 2026.
Nearest help for Corning Conservation Area hunters
7.8 mi separates Corning Conservation Area from Fairfax. Rock Port tops the population column at 1,238. MDC directions: From Corning, take Highway 111 northwest 1 mile, then turn on Atchison/Holt county gravel road west (left). Maitland hosts the MDC office nearest Corning Conservation Area (Nodaway Valley Conservation Area Field Office, 25 mi).
| Community | County | Residents | Straight line | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fairfax | Atchison | 623 | 7.8 mi | northeast |
| Rock Port | Atchison | 1,238 | 11 mi | north |
| Phelps City | Atchison | – | 12 mi | northwest |
| Mound City | Holt | 1,005 | 16 mi | southeast |
| Maitland | Holt | 280 | 22 mi | east |
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.
Corning Conservation Area hunters: public range and clubs
Riverbreaks CA range is the nearest public range to Corning Conservation Area, about 29 miles away. Beside it, two gun clubs within 30 miles.
From MDC area pages and the MDC Shooting Ranges layer, the operators’ pages and directory listings, checked October 29, 2026.
Corning Conservation Area legal shooting light
Legal light for deer at Corning Conservation Area runs 30 minutes either side of sunrise and sunset; for ducks it starts 30 minutes before sunrise and ends at sunset.
| Date | Why it matters | Sunrise | Sunset | Big game legal | Waterfowl legal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 1, 2026 | Dove opener | 6:51 a.m. | 7:52 p.m. | 6:21 a.m. to 8:22 p.m. | 6:21 a.m. to 7:52 p.m. |
| Sep 15, 2026 | Archery opener | 7:03 a.m. | 7:30 p.m. | 6:33 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. | 6:33 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. |
| Oct 1, 2026 | Fall firearms turkey | 7:18 a.m. | 7:04 p.m. | 6:48 a.m. to 7:34 p.m. | 6:48 a.m. to 7:04 p.m. |
| Nov 7, 2026 | Middle Zone ducks | 6:55 a.m. | 5:15 p.m. | 6:25 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. | 6:25 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. |
| Nov 14, 2026 | November firearms opener | 7:03 a.m. | 5:09 p.m. | 6:33 a.m. to 5:39 p.m. | 6:33 a.m. to 5:09 p.m. |
| Dec 26, 2026 | Alternative methods | 7:38 a.m. | 5:07 p.m. | 7:08 a.m. to 5:37 p.m. | 7:08 a.m. to 5:07 p.m. |
| Jan 15, 2027 | Archery close | 7:38 a.m. | 5:25 p.m. | 7:08 a.m. to 5:55 p.m. | 7:08 a.m. to 5:25 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.
Images near and like Corning Conservation Area
Corning Conservation Area, quick questions
When can I shoot at Corning Conservation Area on opening day?
Opening day of the November portion runs 6:33 a.m. to 5:39 p.m. there.
What backup public land is near Corning Conservation Area?
Within reach: Deroin Bend Conservation Area (2.6 mi), H. F. Thurnau Conservation Area (6.2 mi) and Aspinwall Bend (8.9 mi).
Closest community to Corning Conservation Area?
The closest town page is Fairfax (7.8 mi).
How large an area is Corning Conservation Area?
1,879 acres in all; the manager is Missouri Department of Conservation.
When may I be on Corning Conservation Area?
Camping is offered.
Which Missouri permits do I need at Corning Conservation Area?
Statewide MDC permits apply; managed hunts need the drawn permit as well.
Does Corning Conservation Area allow hunting?
Yes, for deer, turkey, rabbit, dove, quail and waterfowl; deer hunting is allowed because the area is on the MDC list.
How may deer be hunted on Corning Conservation Area?
MDC lists muzzleloader and archery methods for deer. Antlerless permits are not allowed.
What county deer limit applies at Corning Conservation Area?
The county rule is 0 antlerless deer with firearms; the antlerless portions are closed.
What CWD rules apply at Corning Conservation Area?
Atchison County has mandatory CWD sampling on Nov. 14-15 and no feed ban.
How may turkeys be hunted on Corning Conservation Area?
Yes, by archery and firearms; fall firearms turkey runs Oct. 1-31 here.
How does waterfowl hunting work at Corning Conservation Area?
The North Zone calendar and open hunting.
Is Corning Conservation Area a dove area?
1 managed dove fields, 25.7 acres.
Other photos on this page: isydiavibes (CC BY-SA 2.0); James Mann (CC BY 2.0); U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – Midwest Region (Public domain).