Wolf Bayou Unit of Black Island Conservation Area: hunting and access
Wolf Bayou Unit of Black Island Conservation Area is 349 acres of MDC land in Pemiscot County, 2 miles from Hayward. MDC lists deer hunting here (muzzleloader and archery, antlerless permits not allowed). Hunters checked 169 deer in Pemiscot 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 areasWolf Bayou Unit of Black Island Conservation AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 349 acres (276 by MDC's page) in 3 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Pemiscot County |
| Deer harvest unit | Pemiscot County |
| MDC lists for hunting | Deer, Turkey, Rabbit and Squirrel |
| MDC area number | 7004 |
| MDC region | Southeast |
| Nearest towns | Hayward (2 mi), Portageville (5 mi) and Hayti (7 mi) |
What is Wolf Bayou Unit of Black Island Conservation Area like?
Wolf Bayou contains 263 acres, of which 220 are forest. The area was purchased with Conservation Department funds between 1971-73.Eight acres are leased from the St. Francis Levee District under a 30-year arrangement.
Wolf Bayou is one of the state's last natural lowland lakes. The area provides opportunities for outdoor recreation and is managed to maintain unique forest cover and aquatic resources. Forest cover in the Bootheel region is less than two percent of the land area. The forest is a remnant of the once extensive bottomland hardwood forest that covered more than two million acres of the Missouri Bootheel. The area has four bayous totaling 43 acres of surface water. While there is little doubt the bayous are river formed, their exact origin is unclear. The deep, steep-sided , linear bayous have both washout and oxbow characteristics. Wolf Bayou itself is a designated natural area. All public use is prohibited, except fishing and waterfowl hunting by boat only, when the Mississippi River water level is at or above twenty eight (28) feet on the Caruthersville gauge.
In MDC's words, from the Wolf Bayou Unit of Black Island Conservation Area page.
What can you hunt on Wolf Bayou Unit of Black Island Conservation Area?
MDC's page for Wolf Bayou Unit of Black Island Conservation Area lists: Deer: muzzleloader and archery, antlerless permits not allowed; Turkey: archery and firearms; Rabbit; Squirrel.
What are the rules on Wolf Bayou Unit of Black Island Conservation Area?
Closings: This department area is closed during periods of high water.
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 Wolf Bayou Unit of Black Island Conservation Area?
Wolf Bayou Unit of Black Island Conservation Area lies in Pemiscot County. Hunters checked 169 deer in Pemiscot County in 2025, against 227 in 2024.
| County | Wolf Bayou Unit of Black Island Conservation Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pemiscot County | 349 | 169 | 227 | 220 |
Harvest for the whole county, not the conservation area alone: MDC deer harvest summaries (2021 to 2025 seasons).
How do you get to Wolf Bayou Unit of Black Island Conservation Area?
MDC's directions: Take the Wardell exit off I-55 and follow the east outer road south to Route BB, then take Route BB over the levee until it ends.
Nearest towns: Hayward (2 miles), Portageville (5 miles), Hayti (7 miles) and Hayti Heights (8 miles). Highways within 5 miles: I-55, US 61 and MO 162.
What other public land is near Wolf Bayou Unit of Black Island Conservation Area?
MDC lands within 10 miles:
- Stephen C. Bradford Unit of Black Island Conservation Area: 6,373 acres, next to it
- Twin Borrow Pits Conservation Area: 74 acres, 2.8 miles away
- Gayoso Bend Unit of Black Island Conservation Area: 953 acres, 3 miles away
- DeSoto Unit of Black Island Conservation Area: 737 acres, 3.9 miles away
- John L. and Georgia Girvin Conservation Area: 680 acres, 4.1 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Wolf Bayou Unit of Black Island Conservation Area
Counting Wolf Bayou Unit of Black Island Conservation Area itself, 5,630 of the 38,001 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (14.8%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and MDC conservation area boundaries.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| MDC conservation areas | 5,630 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Wolf Bayou Unit of Black Island Conservation Area?
In Pemiscot County, 2 miles from Hayward.
Can you deer hunt on Wolf Bayou Unit of Black Island Conservation Area?
Yes, by MDC's page: muzzleloader and archery, antlerless permits not allowed.
How much public land is around Wolf Bayou Unit of Black Island Conservation Area?
5,630 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Wolf Bayou Unit of Black Island Conservation Area included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and MDC conservation area boundaries. The closest other MDC area is Stephen C. Bradford Unit of Black Island Conservation Area (next to it).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: MDC, Wolf Bayou Unit of Black Island 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.