Lower Hamburg Bend Conservation Area: hunting and access
Lower Hamburg Bend Conservation Area is 2,405 acres of MDC land in Atchison County, 6 miles from Watson. MDC lists deer hunting here (muzzleloader and archery, antlerless permits not allowed). Hunters checked 540 deer in Atchison 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 areasLower Hamburg Bend Conservation AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 2,405 acres (2,265 by MDC's page) |
|---|---|
| County | Atchison County |
| Deer harvest unit | Atchison County |
| MDC lists for hunting | Deer, Turkey and Rabbit |
| MDC area number | 9911 |
| MDC region | Northwest |
| Camping (MDC) | designated camping sites |
| Nearest towns | Watson (6 mi), Phelps City (11 mi) and Rock Port (13 mi) |
What is Lower Hamburg Bend Conservation Area like?
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 wide variety of game and non-game fish and wildlife species. Rich bottomland soils here produce a wide variety of wetland vegetation and bottomland timber, which are supplemented by plantings of warm-season grasses. Management practices include reforestation, prescribed burning and opportunistic wetland management. Management of this area includes the restoration of two miles of an old Missouri River chute, creating a 500-acre island.
In MDC's words, from the Lower Hamburg Bend Conservation Area page.
What can you hunt on Lower Hamburg Bend Conservation Area?
MDC's page for Lower Hamburg Bend Conservation Area lists: Deer: muzzleloader and archery, antlerless permits not allowed; Turkey: archery and firearms; Rabbit.
What are the rules on Lower Hamburg Bend 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 Lower Hamburg Bend Conservation Area?
Lower Hamburg Bend Conservation Area lies in Atchison County. Hunters checked 540 deer in Atchison County in 2025, against 575 in 2024.
| County | Lower Hamburg Bend Conservation Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atchison County | 2,404 | 540 | 575 | 562 |
Harvest for the whole county, not the conservation area alone: MDC deer harvest summaries (2021 to 2025 seasons).
How do you get to Lower Hamburg Bend Conservation Area?
MDC's directions: From the Hamburg, Iowa I-29 exit 1, take 310 Street west about 4.50 miles, then 240 Avenue south about 1 mile to 130 Street.
Nearest towns: Watson (6 miles), Phelps City (11 miles), Rock Port (13 miles) and Tarkio (19 miles).
What other public land is near Lower Hamburg Bend Conservation Area?
MDC lands within 10 miles:
- Nishnabotna Conservation Area: 2,832 acres, 2.2 miles away
- Star School Hill Prairie Conservation Area: 292 acres, 5.2 miles away
- Brickyard Hill Conservation Area: 2,930 acres, 7.6 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Lower Hamburg Bend Conservation Area
Counting Lower Hamburg Bend Conservation Area itself, 2,641 of the 43,826 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (6%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and MDC conservation area boundaries.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| MDC conservation areas | 2,641 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Lower Hamburg Bend Conservation Area?
In Atchison County, 6 miles from Watson.
Can you deer hunt on Lower Hamburg Bend Conservation Area?
Yes, by MDC's page: muzzleloader and archery, antlerless permits not allowed.
How much public land is around Lower Hamburg Bend Conservation Area?
2,641 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Lower Hamburg Bend Conservation Area included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and MDC conservation area boundaries. The closest other MDC area is Nishnabotna Conservation Area (2.2 miles).
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Until then, the free FilledTag app for iPhone has a map that works in every state, Missouri included.
Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: MDC, Lower Hamburg Bend 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.