Deer Locations in Missouri
Tim and I are trying to find locations to hunt. There are really a lot of choices, and unfortunately, it is difficult to know which are best. I should probably scout some of these better. They basically fall into four categories: southern counties, northern counties, restricted, and federal lands.
Archery Areas
Many conservation areas near St. Louis limit deer hunting to archery methods only. Since I have decided to try bow hunting, I should take another look at these. If Mom has sold her house before archery season starts, then I will want to hunt these areas. Some of these also allow muzzleloader.
| Area | Acres | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Valley View Glades Natural Area (good) | 225 | 37 min |
| Young CA (good) | 1145 | 39 min |
| Victoria Glades CA (good) | 239 | 41 min |
| Howell Island (good) | 2548 | 50 min |
| Pacific Palisades CA (good) | 695 | 53 min |
| Dresser Island (good) | ? | 1 hr 3 min |
| B. K. Leach CA (good) | 4308 | 1 hr 29 min |
| Prairie Slough CA (good) | 583 | 1 hr 32 min |
| Bay Island (good) | ? | 2 hr 30 min |
| LaBarque Creek CA (fair) | 810 | 46 min |
| Merrill Horse Access | 74 | 54 min |
| Catawissa CA (fair) | 199 | 1 hour |
| River 'Round CA (fair) | 330 | 1 hr 8 min |
| Kessler WA (fair) | 157 | 1 hr 27 min |
| Vonaventure WA | 203 | 1 hr 35 min |
| Anderson CA (fair) | 340 | 1 hr 53 min |
| Sizemore CA (fair) | 180 | 2 hours |
Well, I should definitely check out Victoria Glades, since it is just south of where I live. I should also do more exploring at Young CA and Valley View Glades NA, which is fairly close and quite large.
I want to check out Dresser Island, since it is on the Mississippi River. If I can get there on a thoroughly dry day, I should bring my bicycle, since I cannot drive on the island itself.
Areas in Southern Counties
The southern counties have only the 11 day season, and only one doe tag can be filled in those counties, but there is no 4-point rule. Another advantage they have is that most of them are fairly close. We could hunt these during the first part of the season, then switch to the northern counties during the antlerless season (or after we bag our limit in the southern counties).
| Area | Acres | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Meramec CA | 4045 | 1 hr 20 min |
| Blue Springs Creek CA | 859 | 1 hr 29 min |
| Pea Ridge CA | 8390 | 1 hr 33 min |
| Huzzah CA | 6144 | 1 hr 46 min |
| Crooked Creek CA | 337 | 1 hr 55 min |
| Keysville Towersite | 80 | 2 hours |
Blue Springs Creek is the place outside of Bourbon where Tim and I have hunted rabbit with Carlos. I have been there a few times and hiked around, and I know exactly where I would set up to wait for deer.
I have been to Huzzah, but only to use the unmanned range, and I didn't really check the rest of the place out. It is quite big, and almost completely wooded.
At Meramec CA, for some reason, the MDC web site says the 4-point rule applies.
I have not been to any of the other locations, but Pea Ridge is definitely worth checking out.
Areas in Northern Counties
The northern counties are open during the antlerless portion of the season, have no limit on doe tags, but have a 4-point rule on bucks.
| Area | Acres | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Upper Mississippi CA | 14,912 | |
| Sandy Island CA | 308 | 1 hr 6 min |
| Thomas Hill Reservoir CA | 4381 | 2 hr 55 min |
| Hidden Hollow CA | 1360 | 3 hr 21 min |
| Montgomery Woods CA | 348 | 3 hr 40 min |
| Sugar Creek CA | 2604 | 3 hr 40 min |
| Truman Reservoir ML | 58,133 | 4 hours |
| Mineral Hills CA | 1980 | 4 hr 29 min |
The Upper Mississippi CA is several (87) tracts of land along the Mississippi River, starting in northern St. Charles County and stretching up north to Lewis County, almost at the northestern corner of the state. The part that is in St. Charles County is included in the St. Louis urban zone, so the urban portion of the season is open there, and the 4-point rule does not apply there. This is definitely worth checking out, however it could be crowded.
The Truman Reservoir Management Lands are a huge collection of land, totalling 58,133 acres, around the Lake of the Ozarks. It is about four hours away, and is probably a big attraction among hunters from Kansas City, but the area is vast. MDC has it on their website in several sections: Bethlehem, Brownington, Brush Creek, Cedar Creek, Cross Timbers, Deepwater Creek, Callinipper Creek, Gouge Eye, Grand River Bottoms, Leesville, Little Pomme de Terre, Little Tebo Creek, Sac Osage, Salt Creek, Tebo Islands, Upper Tebo Creek, Vallhalla, and Weaubleau Creek.
I have not been to any of these places.
Areas with Restrictions
Many public lands managed by MDC that allow firearm deer hunting have extra restrictions. All of these prohibit the use of a doe tag, are closed during the anterless season, and are under the 4-point rule. Additional restrictions are noted below. These areas are not attractive options to me, which is unfortunate, since many of them are so close.
| Area | Acres | Distance | Restriction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Little Indian Creek SF | 3939 | 1 hr 17 min | Antlered Only (4-Point) |
| Logan CA | 1797 | 1 hr 39 min | Antlered Only (4-Point) |
| White WA (Whiteside) | 810 | 1 hr 36 min | Antlered Only (4-Point) |
| Cuivre Island CA | 1461 | 1 hr 11 min | Accessible only by boat |
| Daniel Boone CA | 3520 | 1 hr 47 min | Antlered Only (4-Point) |
| Little Lost Creek CA | 2899 | 1 hr 32 min | Antlered Only (4-Point) |
| Long Ridge CA | 1815 | 1 hr 21 min | Antlered Only (4-Point) |
| Reifsnider SF | 1465 | 1 hr 30 min | Antlered Only (4-Point) |
Federal Lands
In Missouri, there is the Mark Twain National Forest, all of which is located in the southern counties. There is also the Ozark National Scenic Riverways. There are likely other federally owned or managed lands, but I have not researched the topic thoroughly.