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Wayne County · Conservation area
Flatwoods Conservation Area hunting
Seasons, methods and access for this conservation area in Wayne County.
Photo: USFWS Midwest Region (Public Domain Mark 1.0)
Getting to Flatwoods Conservation Area
Flatwoods Conservation Area profile
Wayne County is home to the 907 acres of Flatwoods Conservation Area. In acreage it places 6th among 9 conservation areas in Wayne County. Management sits with MDC: Clearwater South district, Southeast Region.
When hunting is slow, Flatwoods Conservation Area offers shooting range (archery, shotgun, rifle or pistol) and camping (open camping – walk-in/float-in/backpack, designated camping sites), per MDC.
In the agency's words: This is a forest area that has an archery and firearms range. This area has unimproved roads that are open to public vehicles. These roads may not be shown on area maps or posted with signs. Road conditions may vary.
Species on the record: Deer, Black bear, Turkey, Squirrel.
From the agency record (Missouri Department of Conservation); checked October 29, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Flatwoods Conservation Area
Flatwoods Conservation Area methods and area rules
Methods for Flatwoods Conservation Area come from the MDC area page and the deer quick view.
| Quarry | Methods | Permits |
|---|---|---|
| White-tailed Deer | Archery and firearms | Archery only |
| Wild Turkey | Archery and firearms | – |
| Black Bear | Archery and firearms | Zone permit |
| Gray Squirrel | Statewide methods | – |
Flatwoods Conservation Area: Code paragraphs
- An unstaffed range is located on this department area. Target shooting is not allowed anywhere on this area except for designated shooting range(s).
- Shooting hours are one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset. Ranges may be closed to public use at any time for maintenance or department sponsored events or programs.
- Possession of alcoholic beverages is prohibited on all ranges and associated parking lots.
- Groups of more than 10 people must obtain a special use permit prior to using the range. To obtain a special use permit, contact the area manager at the phone number listed for this area in the area details section.
Plan on archery and firearms for deer at Flatwoods Conservation Area; only archery antlerless permits may be used. For turkey, MDC allows archery and firearms on Flatwoods Conservation Area. A bear permit holder may hunt Flatwoods Conservation Area with archery and firearms. In the booklet table Flatwoods Conservation Area carries antlerless code B: archery antlerless permits only. MDC limits deer hunting on its areas to the listed ones, and Flatwoods Conservation Area is listed.
Sources: area page, area regulations, deer quick view; booklet table: 2026 Fall Deer and Turkey booklet, pp. 42-55. Checked October 29, 2026.
Wayne County rules on Flatwoods Conservation Area
| County rule | Wayne County |
|---|---|
| Firearms antlerless limit | 1 deer |
| Antlerless portions | Closed |
| CWD sampling Nov. 14-15 | Mandatory |
| Feed and mineral ban | No |
| Share the Harvest CWD test | No |
| Fall firearms turkey | Open |
| Dogs, November portion | No squirrel, rabbit dogs |
| Elk county | No |
| Bear zone | Zone 2 |
| Duck zone | Middle |
For deer, Wayne County sets the rules on Flatwoods Conservation Area: firearms antlerless limit 1. Wayne County sits out both antlerless portions this year. Mandatory CWD sampling applies in Wayne County on opening weekend of the November portion (3 stations in the county). Bear hunters drawn for Zone 2 may hunt Wayne County (750 permits, 22 bears). Keep beagles home Nov. 14-24 in Wayne County. No CWD portion, no CWD Management Zone and no antler-point restriction this season.
- Piedmont MDC Office, 410 Piedmont Ave. , Piedmont
- Greenville City Park, 248 Maple St., Greenville
- Redman Creek Recreation Area: Bill Emerson Visitor Center Shelter #3, 10276 Rte. T, Wapapello
2026 Fall Deer and Turkey booklet county rules, MDC CWD rules and 2026 bear digest; checked October 29, 2026.
Open dates on Flatwoods Conservation Area
Open-now status is in the last column; 11 rows apply to Flatwoods Conservation Area.
| Quarry | Season | Where | Opening | Closing | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | |
| Black bear | Bear, zone 2 | Bear zone 2 | 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 | |
| Squirrels | Squirrel season | Statewide | May 23, 2026 | Feb 15, 2027 |
Archery deer is closed during the November firearms portion, Nov. 14-24.
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.
Wayne County deer and turkey harvest near Flatwoods Conservation Area
County-level data from MDC.
MDC reports deer harvest by county, not by area: Wayne County checked 4,081 deer in the 2025 permit year, 52% more than in 2024. Public land gave up 121 of the 339 spring 2026 turkeys in Wayne County. CWD samples from Wayne County turned up 0 positives in recent years.
| Season | Antlered bucks | Button bucks | Does | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,898 | 402 | 1,781 | 4,081 |
| 2024 | 1,262 | 281 | 1,137 | 2,680 |
| 2023 | 1,888 | 421 | 1,705 | 4,014 |
| 2022 | 1,583 | 337 | 1,315 | 3,235 |
| 2021 | 1,606 | 315 | 1,132 | 3,053 |
| 2020 | 1,986 | 566 | 1,991 | 4,543 |
| Year | Spring | Public land | Youth | Fall firearms | Fall archery |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 339 | 121 | 42 | – | – |
| 2025 | 443 | 195 | 44 | 40 | 18 |
| 2024 | 372 | 146 | 29 | 23 | 11 |
| 2023 | 290 | 136 | 27 | 26 | 32 |
| 2022 | 204 | – | 17 | 20 | 12 |
| 2021 | 244 | – | 23 | 22 | 19 |
| Year | Deer tested | Positive |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | 0 |
| 2025 | 39 | 0 |
| 2024 | 126 | 0 |
| 2023 | 78 | 0 |
| 2022 | 46 | 0 |
| 2021 | 51 | 0 |
MDC 2025 deer harvest summary, MDC turkey harvest summaries and MDC CWD dashboard; earlier years from the yearly reports. Checked October 29, 2026.
Flatwoods Conservation Area and nearby public land, mapped
Lon Sanders Canyon Conservation Area (4.9 mi, northwest) tops the neighbor list for Flatwoods Conservation Area, measured as the crow flies.
| Neighbor | Category | Acreage | County | Distance | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lon Sanders Canyon CA | Conservation area | 130 | Wayne | 4.9 mi | northwest |
| Wappapello Lake Management Lands | Corps lake land | 1,880 | Wayne | 7.0 mi | northeast |
| Graves Mountain CA | Conservation area | 3,027 | Iron, Wayne | 9.1 mi | north |
| Clearwater Lake (Corps) | Corps lake | – | Reynolds, Wayne | 9.5 mi | west |
| Riverside CA | Conservation area | 2,768 | Iron, Reynolds | 10 mi | northwest |
| Clearwater Lake Management Lands | Corps lake land | 12,659 | Reynolds, Wayne | 11 mi | west |
| Funk Memorial State Forest and WA | Conservation area | 180 | Iron | 13 mi | northwest |
| Bradley A. Hammer Memorial CA | Conservation area | 344 | Wayne | 13 mi | south |
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.
Getting supplies near Flatwoods Conservation Area
Nearest town with its own page: Piedmont, 4.6 mi. Getting there, per MDC: From Piedmont, take Route B east 4 miles to the area. The closest MDC office on file is Piedmont Office, about 4.1 mi from Flatwoods Conservation Area.
| Place | County | Population | Distance | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Piedmont | Wayne | 1,869 | 4.6 mi | west |
| Greenville | Wayne | 439 | 9.1 mi | east |
| Williamsville | Wayne | 272 | 12 mi | south |
| Ellsinore | Carter | 417 | 17 mi | southwest |
| Ellington | Reynolds | 766 | 21 mi | west |
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.
Flatwoods Conservation Area hunting hours on key dates
MDC prints one sunrise and sunset table for Jefferson City and tells hunters to adjust it by 1 minute for every 13.5 miles east or west. For Flatwoods Conservation Area that means subtract 6 minutes.
| Date | Opener or close | Sunrise | Sunset | Deer | Migratory |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 1, 2026 | Dove opener | 6:31 a.m. | 7:32 p.m. | 6:01 a.m. to 8:02 p.m. | 6:01 a.m. to 7:32 p.m. |
| Sep 15, 2026 | Archery opener | 6:43 a.m. | 7:10 p.m. | 6:13 a.m. to 7:40 p.m. | 6:13 a.m. to 7:10 p.m. |
| Oct 1, 2026 | Fall firearms turkey | 6:58 a.m. | 6:44 p.m. | 6:28 a.m. to 7:14 p.m. | 6:28 a.m. to 6:44 p.m. |
| Nov 7, 2026 | Middle Zone ducks | 6:35 a.m. | 4:55 p.m. | 6:05 a.m. to 5:25 p.m. | 6:05 a.m. to 4:55 p.m. |
| Nov 14, 2026 | November firearms opener | 6:43 a.m. | 4:49 p.m. | 6:13 a.m. to 5:19 p.m. | 6:13 a.m. to 4:49 p.m. |
| Dec 26, 2026 | Alternative methods | 7:18 a.m. | 4:47 p.m. | 6:48 a.m. to 5:17 p.m. | 6:48 a.m. to 4:47 p.m. |
| Jan 15, 2027 | Archery close | 7:18 a.m. | 5:05 p.m. | 6:48 a.m. to 5:35 p.m. | 6:48 a.m. to 5:05 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.
Range time at Flatwoods Conservation Area
There is a shooting range on Flatwoods Conservation Area itself, public, free; the rest of the area is closed to target practice.
From MDC area pages and the MDC Shooting Ranges layer, the operators’ pages and directory listings, checked October 29, 2026; target shooting rule from MDC area rule 3 CSR 10-11.150 on the area page.
Photo strip for Flatwoods Conservation Area
Flatwoods Conservation Area hunter FAQ
Is Flatwoods Conservation Area good for fall turkey?
Turkey is archery and firearms; fall firearms is open.
What bear rules apply at Flatwoods Conservation Area?
Zone 2 covers the county (750 permits); bear is on the area list.
Flatwoods Conservation Area shooting hours for the November opener?
Roughly 6:14 a.m. until 5:20 p.m., worked out for this spot.
Flatwoods Conservation Area crowded: where next?
In order of distance: Lon Sanders Canyon Conservation Area (4.9 mi), Wappapello Lake Management Lands (7.0 mi) and Graves Mountain Conservation Area (9.1 mi).
Nearest town with services to Flatwoods Conservation Area?
Piedmont (Wayne County), about 4.6 mi away.
Flatwoods Conservation Area: size and manager?
The record lists 907 acres; Missouri Department of Conservation is in charge.
Can hunters camp on Flatwoods Conservation Area?
Hours are 4 a.m. to 10 p.m.; campsites are listed.
Is there an area permit for Flatwoods Conservation Area?
Missouri permits for the game you hunt; deer need an Archer's or Firearms permit, migratory birds a Migratory Bird permit.
May the public hunt at Flatwoods Conservation Area?
Open for deer, black bear, turkey and squirrel, with the methods shown in the rules section.
What deer methods are allowed on Flatwoods Conservation Area?
The deer rule is archery and firearms. Only archery antlerless permits may be used.
Which antlerless rule covers Flatwoods Conservation Area?
Missouri sets it by county; Wayne County allows 1 on firearms permits. Antlerless portions are closed.
Is deer feeding banned near Flatwoods Conservation Area?
CWD rules in Wayne County: sampling mandatory Nov. 14-15, feed ban no.
Flatwoods Conservation Area final checklist
Signs on the ground outrank any web page; look for posted refuge and closed zones on Flatwoods Conservation Area.
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); USFWS Midwest Region (Public Domain Mark 1.0); David Williss (CC BY 2.0).