Ben Cash Memorial Conservation Area: hunting and access
Ben Cash Memorial Conservation Area is 1,396 acres of MDC land in Dunklin County, 4 miles from Senath. MDC lists deer hunting here (muzzleloader and archery, antlerless permits not allowed). Hunters checked 496 deer in Dunklin County in 2025.
Data updated October 2026. Area facts: MDC's conservation area data, read 2026-10. Harvest: MDC deer harvest summaries, 2021 to 2025.
MDC conservation areasBen Cash Memorial Conservation AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 1,396 acres in 2 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Dunklin County |
| Deer harvest unit | Dunklin County |
| MDC lists for hunting | Deer and Turkey |
| MDC area number | 6402 |
| MDC region | Southeast |
| Nearest towns | Senath (4 mi), Arbyrd (6 mi) and Hollywood (7 mi) |
What is Ben Cash Memorial Conservation Area like?
Ben Cash Memorial Conservation Area is in Dunklin county, six miles west of Highway 412 on Route A. The Route A and Highway 412 junction is three miles south of Kennett.
This 1,443-acre area is located in the St. Francis River floodplain and contains 1,210 acres of lowland forest, 44 acres of swamp and 195 acres of open fields. Cash Swamp Natural Area is located on the south end of the area and includes 310 acres of high quality, remnant tupelo-cypress bottomland forest. The Ben Cash Memorial Conservation Area is one of the few vestigial bottomland hardwoods forest in the Bootheel and contains an extremely diversified floral community. This conservation area was acquired in part through the Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Act administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
In MDC's words, from the Ben Cash Memorial Conservation Area page.
What can you hunt on Ben Cash Memorial Conservation Area?
MDC's page for Ben Cash Memorial Conservation Area lists: Deer: muzzleloader and archery, antlerless permits not allowed; Turkey: archery and firearms.
What are the rules on Ben Cash Memorial Conservation Area?
Hunting: Nontoxic shot is required for all hunting with a shotgun on this area. Use or possession of lead shot is prohibited.
Every conservation area also follows MDC's standard rules in Chapter 11 of the Wildlife Code; the area's full rules are on MDC's site.
How many deer are taken around Ben Cash Memorial Conservation Area?
Ben Cash Memorial Conservation Area lies in Dunklin County. Hunters checked 496 deer in Dunklin County in 2025, against 477 in 2024.
| County | Ben Cash Memorial Conservation Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dunklin County | 1,364 | 496 | 477 | 540 |
Harvest for the whole county, not the conservation area alone: MDC deer harvest summaries (2021 to 2025 seasons).
How do you get to Ben Cash Memorial Conservation Area?
MDC's directions: From Kennett, take Highway 412 southwest, then Route A west, then County Road 516 west over the St. Francis River levee to the parking area.
Nearest towns: Senath (4 miles), Arbyrd (6 miles), Hollywood (7 miles) and Cardwell (7 miles). Highways within 5 miles: US 412.
What other public land is near Ben Cash Memorial Conservation Area?
MDC lands within 10 miles:
- Hornersville Swamp Conservation Area: 3,120 acres, 9 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Ben Cash Memorial Conservation Area
Counting Ben Cash Memorial Conservation Area itself, 1,573 of the 39,019 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (4%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and MDC conservation area boundaries.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| MDC conservation areas | 1,573 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Ben Cash Memorial Conservation Area?
In Dunklin County, 4 miles from Senath.
Can you deer hunt on Ben Cash Memorial Conservation Area?
Yes, by MDC's page: muzzleloader and archery, antlerless permits not allowed.
How much public land is around Ben Cash Memorial Conservation Area?
1,573 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Ben Cash Memorial Conservation Area included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and MDC conservation area boundaries. The closest other MDC area is Hornersville Swamp Conservation Area (9 miles).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: MDC, Ben Cash Memorial Conservation Area; MDC conservation area boundaries.
- Boundary and acres: MDC's map layer above. Surrounding public land: USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public) and MDC conservation area boundaries.
- Deer harvest: MDC deer harvest summaries (2021 to 2025 seasons).
FilledTag is not part of the Missouri Department of Conservation. Check MDC's rules and posted signs before you go.