2012 Deer Hunting.....

[jbtiwns30]

So im new to missouri and i live around the springfield area, is there any good deer hunting around or is it just a waist of time? I moved from Minnesota and I can say that I have some on the wall but now I want to put a ol missouri buck on the wall. Is there any good bucks around here and is there public hunting lands around? Any info would help, thanks.

[Feathers and Fins]

Get Google Earth If you do not have it.. Got to MDC website and go to Where to Hunt... Download the KMZ File it will upload to Google.. You will see the Google Earth map turn BLUE those are all the MDC areas and when you go to each it will give you full details for the area map and regs... Deer huntin is normally pretty good but with the drought this year it might be a little off.

[Dutch]

I used to quail hunt on the MDC areas. We would jump a few now and then. There is one at Bois de Arc but I don't think you can hunt with a rifle. You might check out Talbot which is west on hwy 96. Also look at the Mark Twain National Forest land.

[usmcgrunt]

Check out the Wire Road CA down in Crane. It's managed for the trout stream but there are a ton of deer cruising around. It's archery and muzzle loader only though. But the plus side is there's a lot of people that hike and ride horses there so the deer are pretty used to human scent.

[Creede]

Does the Arkansas game and fish have a similar program with google maps? That would be very helpful

[Blazerman]

If you’re looking for wall hangers you may have to travel some. Around Springfield you can find public places to hunt deer. But if you're from Minnesota you are probably used to seeing big body deer with the occasionally big thick rack. You won't see many of those in southern Missouri. There are a few taken every year but they are rare in the southern half of the state. For big deer with big racks the numbers are better the farther you go north. The Missouri river is generally considered the dividing line for the biggest deer. North of it you will find bigger body deer with bigger racks. There are more crops grown north of the Missouri river and the deer are better fed.

Also the Missouri river water shed produces many big bucks every year.

[Feathers and Fins]

yes arkansas does but not near as good as MO, it mostly just outlines a few, USFWS also does but you have to zoom ion close to see them and gives no details you have to go to usfws website for the refuge.