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Missouri conservation area
James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife Area, a hunter guide
3,084 acres of conservation area in Jackson County: area rules, season dates and nearby land.
Photo: MoBikeFed (CC BY 2.0)
Getting to James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife Area
James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife Area basics
James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife Area measures 3,084 acres on the map and sits in Jackson County. Jackson County has 4 conservation areas on our list; this one is the 1st largest. MDC lists James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife Area in its Missouri River district, Kansas City Region.
Non-hunting activities on the area page: shooting range (archery), trails (biking, horseback, hiking), camping (designated camping sites, special use permit required), dog training, field trials (special use permit) and fishing (trout, sunfish, catfish, crappie).
The area page says: The James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife Area is located in Jackson County, south of Highway 50 near Lee's Summit. This wildlife area was established in 1952 after Mrs. Nell Reed donated 731 acres of land to the Missouri Department of Conservation in memory of her husband, Senator James A. Reed. Additional tracts were purchased using federal monies and department funds to bring the area to its present 3,084 acres. Development of the area and construction of lakes began in 1957. Since then, over 252 acres of water have been impounded to form 12 lakes, ranging in size from one to 42 acres. Most lakes contain largemouth bass, channel catfish, crappie, bluegill, and redear sunfish. In addition, hybrid striped bass have been stocked in most of the lakes, and rainbow trout are stocked for the winter fishing season (Nov-Mar) in Coot and Plover lakes and in Honker Pond (kids only). The area also has numerous small ponds. Woodlands, native grass plantings, shrub plantings, and crop fields are managed to provide year-round food for wildlife. Giant Canada geese nest and winter at the Reed Area.
Species named: Rabbit, Squirrel, Dove, Deer.
From the agency record (Missouri Department of Conservation); checked October 29, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife Area
How James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife Area may be hunted
Area methods and permits for James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife Area, condensed from MDC.
| Game | How | Extra rule |
|---|---|---|
| White-tailed Deer | Managed hunts only | Drawing only |
| Eastern Cottontail | Statewide methods | – |
| Gray Squirrel | Statewide methods | – |
| Mourning Dove | Statewide methods | Nontoxic for doves |
James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife Area area regulations
- Special hours apply on this department area. This area is open to public use only as authorized by posting.
- Use or possession of lead shot is prohibited for hunting doves on this area.
- Waterfowl hunting is prohibited after 1:00 p.m. on designated portions of the following department areas: (A) Amarugia Highlands Conservation Area (B) Bob Brown Conservation Area (C) Columbia Bottom Conservation Area (D) Coon Island Conservation Area (E) Duck Creek Conservation Area (F) Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area (G) Fountain Grove Conservation Area (H) Grand Pass Conservation Area (I) King Lake Conservation Area (J) B. K.
- Unless otherwise posted, bicycles, including electric bicycles as defined in the Missouri Wildlife Code ( Chapter 20- Definitions) , are allowed on roads open to vehicular traffic and service roads (designated in the online conservation atlas). Bicycles must stay on roads open to vehicular traffic or service roads, or on multi-use trails posted as open to bicycles. Bicycle use is not allowed on service roads passing through designated natural areas (designated in the online conservation atlas). Groups of 10 or more people using bicycles on a department area must obtain a special use permit.
- This department area also has multi-use trails open to equestrian use. Horses may be used year-round on multi-use trails designated as open to equestrian uses.
- Youth group camping permitted by Special Use Permit. No other overnight camping allowed.
- An unstaffed range is located on this department area. Target shooting is not allowed anywhere on this area except for designated shooting range(s).
Dove hunters on James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife Area must use nontoxic shot. Only areas on the MDC deer list allow deer hunting; James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife 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.
James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife Area: the Jackson County rules
| Rule | Jackson County |
|---|---|
| Firearms antlerless limit | 4 deer |
| Antlerless portions | Open |
| CWD sampling Nov. 14-15 | No |
| Feed and mineral ban | No |
| Share the Harvest CWD test | No |
| Fall firearms turkey | Open |
| Dogs, November portion | No rule |
| Elk county | No |
| Bear zone | Zone 3 |
| Duck zone | Middle |
The county is the deer unit here. Jackson County allows 4 firearms antlerless deer this year. Jackson County is one of the 100 counties open during the antlerless portions. Jackson County lies in Black Bear Management Zone 3, where 250 permits were issued against a quota of 8. Three older rules are gone for 2026: the CWD portion, the CWD Management Zone and the antler-point rule.
2026 Fall Deer and Turkey booklet county rules, MDC CWD rules and 2026 bear digest; checked October 29, 2026.
James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife Area: drawn deer hunts
Managed deer hunting on James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife Area: 4 hunts, 190 spots. James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife Area hunt categories: archery (3) and muzzleloader or cap-and-ball firearms only (1). The drawing used applications filed by Jul 31, 2026.
| No. | Type | When | Hunters | Code | Orientation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 49 | Archery | Sept. 15–Oct. 9 | 50 | B | – |
| 50 | Archery | Oct. 12–Nov. 6 | 50 | B | – |
| 51 | Archery | Nov. 16–Jan. 3 | 50 | B | – |
| 83 | Muzzleloader or Cap-and-Ball Firearms Only | Nov. 9–12 | 40 | B | – |
MDC Managed Deer Hunts List 2026-2027; checked October 29, 2026.
Dates that apply at James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife Area
3 rows for James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife Area (3 species), cut down to its game list.
| Game | Season | Area | From | To | Open now? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rabbits | Rabbit hunting | Statewide | Oct 1, 2026 | Feb 15, 2027 | |
| Squirrels | Squirrel season | Statewide | May 23, 2026 | Feb 15, 2027 | |
| Doves | Dove season | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Nov 29, 2026 |
Only drawn hunters take deer on James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife Area, so statewide deer dates are not shown. 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.
Dove hunting at James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife Area
MDC planted 94.2 acres in 11 dove fields on James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife Area for 2026 (other crops and sunflower). Access note on the fields: special regulations apply. MDC counts James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife 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 James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife Area
Head north about 6.7 mi and you reach Jim Bridger Urban Conservation Area, the nearest listed neighbor of James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife Area.
| Name | Type | Size (ac) | County | Away | Bearing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jim Bridger Urban CA | Conservation area | 320 | Jackson | 6.7 mi | north |
| Lone Jack Lake CA | Conservation area | 295 | Jackson | 7.0 mi | east |
| Lake Jacomo (Jackson County) | Cooperative area | 970 | Jackson | 7.1 mi | north |
| Blue Springs Lake (Jackson County) (1.0 acres) | Cooperative area | 1.0 | Jackson | 9.1 mi | north |
| Burr Oak Woods CA | Conservation area | 1,071 | Jackson | 12 mi | north |
| Ferguson-Herold CA | Conservation area | 175 | Lafayette | 15 mi | northeast |
| Holden City Lake | Cooperative area | 380 | Johnson | 17 mi | southeast |
| Sni-A-Bar CA | Conservation area | 80 | Lafayette | 17 mi | northeast |
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 James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife Area
MDC reports by county.
Deer checked in Jackson County: 2,415 in 2025 and 2,237 in 2024. Spring 2026 turkey harvest in Jackson County: 176, with 17 from public ground. Jackson County CWD testing: 382 samples in the years shown, 0 positives.
| Year | Antlered | Buttons | Does | All deer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,069 | 186 | 1,160 | 2,415 |
| 2024 | 1,011 | 170 | 1,056 | 2,237 |
| 2023 | 1,075 | 176 | 1,123 | 2,374 |
| 2022 | 1,020 | 178 | 912 | 2,110 |
| 2021 | 890 | 130 | 838 | 1,858 |
| 2020 | 957 | 167 | 863 | 1,987 |
| Year | Spring | Spring, public land | Spring youth | Fall firearms | Fall archery |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 176 | 17 | 14 | – | – |
| 2025 | 157 | 11 | 9 | 5 | 5 |
| 2024 | 150 | 9 | 11 | 5 | 3 |
| 2023 | 181 | 18 | 10 | 5 | 9 |
| 2022 | 141 | – | 6 | 9 | 11 |
| 2021 | 158 | – | 9 | 7 | 19 |
| Sample year | Tested | Detections |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 3 | 0 |
| 2025 | 27 | 0 |
| 2024 | 85 | 0 |
| 2023 | 85 | 0 |
| 2022 | 100 | 0 |
| 2021 | 82 | 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 James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife Area hunters
2.2 mi separates James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife Area from Greenwood. Lee's Summit tops the population column at 106,419. MDC directions: From Lee's Summit, take Highway 50 east 1 mile, then SE Ranson Road (Route RA) south 0.75 mile to the area entrance. Lees Summit hosts the MDC office nearest James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife Area (James A Reed Memorial Shop Field Office, 1.0 mi).
| Community | County | Residents | Straight line | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greenwood | Jackson | 6,235 | 2.2 mi | south |
| Lee's Summit | Jackson | 106,419 | 4.7 mi | northwest |
| Blue Springs | Jackson | 61,246 | 10 mi | north |
| Lake Tapawingo | Jackson | 781 | 10 mi | north |
| Grandview | Jackson | 26,630 | 11 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.
Sight in at James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife Area
James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife Area has its own MDC shooting range (MDC unstaffed range); target shooting on the area is allowed only there.
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.
James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife Area legal shooting light
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.
| Date | Why it matters | Sunrise | Sunset | Big game legal | Waterfowl legal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 1, 2026 | Dove opener | 6:47 a.m. | 7:48 p.m. | 6:17 a.m. to 8:18 p.m. | 6:17 a.m. to 7:48 p.m. |
| Sep 15, 2026 | Archery opener | 6:59 a.m. | 7:26 p.m. | 6:29 a.m. to 7:56 p.m. | 6:29 a.m. to 7:26 p.m. |
| Oct 1, 2026 | Fall firearms turkey | 7:14 a.m. | 7:00 p.m. | 6:44 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. | 6:44 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. |
| Nov 7, 2026 | Middle Zone ducks | 6:51 a.m. | 5:11 p.m. | 6:21 a.m. to 5:41 p.m. | 6:21 a.m. to 5:11 p.m. |
| Nov 14, 2026 | November firearms opener | 6:59 a.m. | 5:05 p.m. | 6:29 a.m. to 5:35 p.m. | 6:29 a.m. to 5:05 p.m. |
| Dec 26, 2026 | Alternative methods | 7:34 a.m. | 5:03 p.m. | 7:04 a.m. to 5:33 p.m. | 7:04 a.m. to 5:03 p.m. |
| Jan 15, 2027 | Archery close | 7:34 a.m. | 5:21 p.m. | 7:04 a.m. to 5:51 p.m. | 7:04 a.m. to 5:21 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.
Calendar dates around James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife Area
The property itself or a spot within about 10 miles hosts 1 upcoming event (youth managed deer hunt). Checked October 29, 2026.
Upcoming here
| Date | Event | Miles | Where | Sign up | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 15–Nov 8, 2026 | Lake Jacomo (West) Youth Managed Deer Hunt 2026 · youth managed deer hunt | 7 | Event details | Source |
Images near and like James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife Area
James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife Area, quick questions
Closest community to James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife Area?
The closest town page is Greenwood (2.2 mi).
How large an area is James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife Area?
3,084 acres in all; the manager is Missouri Department of Conservation.
When may I be on James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife Area?
Camping is offered.
Which Missouri permits do I need at James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife Area?
Statewide MDC permits apply; managed hunts need the drawn permit as well.
Does James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife Area allow hunting?
Hunting is by managed-hunt drawing only.
What county deer limit applies at James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife Area?
The county rule is 4 antlerless deer with firearms; the antlerless portions are open.
What CWD rules apply at James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife Area?
Jackson County has no mandatory sampling this year and no feed ban.
Does a bear zone include James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife Area?
BMZ 3, 250 permits drawn. The area does not list bear.
How many managed hunts does James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife Area hold?
Yes. Apply July 1-31 for the next season; this year has 4 hunts.
Is James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife Area a dove area?
11 managed dove fields, 94.2 acres.
When can I shoot at James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife Area on opening day?
Opening day of the November portion runs 6:29 a.m. to 5:35 p.m. there.
What backup public land is near James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife Area?
Within reach: Jim Bridger Urban Conservation Area (6.7 mi), Lone Jack Lake Conservation Area (7.0 mi) and Lake Jacomo (Jackson County) (7.1 mi).
James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife Area: checks before you go
Use this page to plan, then reread the agency page for James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife Area shortly before the trip.
Sources: source · source · source · source · source · source; regulations from the 2026 Fall Deer and Turkey booklet. Checked October 29, 2026.
Other photos on this page: Jena Fuller (CC BY-SA 2.0); Nick Varvel (CC BY 2.0); Terry Ross (CC BY-SA 2.0).