Fourteen State Parks Temporarily Closed For Managed Deer Hunts

By Quentin Weed
UCM student and Townsquare Intern

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources has announced that managed deer hunts will take place at 14 state parks in Missouri during the months of November and December.

These hunts, a joint project between the Missouri Department of Natural Resources Division of State Parks and the Missouri Department of Conservation, help to keep the deer population at a healthy level each year.

The parks affected and their days of closure are listed below:

Edmund A. Babler Memorial State Park, 800 Guy Park Drive in Wildwood – Nov. 7-9.
Bennett Spring State Park, 26250 Highway 64A in Lebanon – Nov. 7-9.
Crowder State Park, 76 NW Highway 128 in Trenton – Nov. 7-9.
Cuivre River State Park, 678 State Route 147 in Troy – Nov. 1-5.
Ha Ha Tonka State Park, 1491 State Road D in Camdenton – Nov. 7-9.
Harry S Truman State Park, 28761 State Park Road West in Warsaw – Dec. 1-4.
Long Branch State Park, 28615 Visitor Center Road in Macon – Nov. 8-11.
Mark Twain State Park, 37352 Shrine Road in Florida – Nov. 8-9 and Dec. 6-7.
Montauk State Park, 345 County Road 6670 in Salem – Dec. 2-4.
Robertsville State Park, 902 State Park Drive in Robertsville – Nov. 8-9.
Rock Bridge Memorial State Park, 5901 South Highway 163 in Columbia – Nov. 3-4.
St. Francois State Park, 8920 U.S. Highway 67 North in Bonne Terre – Dec. 5-8.
St. Joe State Park, 2800 Pimville Road in Park Hills – Nov. 15-16.
Watkins Mill State Park, 26600 Park Road North in Lawson – Nov. 1-2.

It is recommended that visitors avoid the parks on the listed days as the parks will be closed for public safety. If you have any doubts about whether a park or historic site may be closed, visit the Missouri State Park and Site Status Map or mostateparks.com.

While hunting is generally not allowed in Missouri State Parks, it can be deemed necessary due to deer overpopulation, which can negatively affect the ecosystem. A special managed hunt will then be organized in a way that prevents further damage and fixes the issue. This helps to keep other flora and fauna in the park at a healthy population as well.

With that in mind, recent studies showed that there was an overcrowding of deer per acre in Missouri State Parks, and so a series of managed hunts was scheduled. Please note that the Missouri Department of Conservation has already selected hunters to participate in these hunts.