Jefferson County residents hoping to participate in the state’s managed deer hunting program this fall have many things to think about before applying for their best opportunity. The most important consideration is timing. The online application process is only available this month.
Every year, the state Department of Conservation program offers hunts on public lands that are otherwise restricted from deer hunting. There are 101 scheduled hunts that will accommodate more than 5,300 hunters, and that number does not include managed hunts specifically for beginners, youth-only, and hunters with disabilities.
One of the 101 hunts is for women-only and at a place called Monkey Mountain County Park. While it may sound like fun to be able to tell people you’re going hunting at Monkey Mountain, the park is in Jackson County, near Kansas City, so it’s not very handy for Jefferson County residents.
Proximity is probably the most important consideration, but local hunters who have places to stay elsewhere in the state certainly can expand their horizons. There are no managed hunts planned in Jefferson County, but opportunities abound in St. Louis and St. Charles counties, and an interesting option is offered again at Robertsville State Park in Franklin County.
The goal of the managed hunt program is two-fold. First of all, it provides places for people to hunt in areas where deer hunting is generally restricted. Secondly, it is a management tool to help control deer populations on properties where their numbers exceed the carrying capacity of the land.
Hunts like the one at Robertsville State Park on Nov. 7 and 8 are designed to reduce the expanding number of deer in the park. Thirty-five hunters will be selected to use muzzle-loading firearms at the state park. The hunt allows each hunter to take three deer, but hunters must check-in with an antlerless deer before taking a deer with antlers.
According to statistics from the hunt last year at Robertsville, 21 hunters took 37 deer, including just five with antlers. By removing mostly does, hunters can have a significant impact on the number of deer in the park.
The potential to be selected in the random drawing is another consideration when determining where to hunt. Included in the statistics available at mdc.mo.gov is information about how many people apply for each hunt. Statewide about 23,000 people applied for managed hunts last year. Participants may only apply for one hunt each year. Those who do not get selected earn preference points that improve their odds for future drawings.
The Robertsville hunt had 170 applications for 35 permits last year. Not on the list this year are nearby hunts that had been held in the past at St. Francois and St. Joe state parks just south of Jefferson County. Last year nearly 600 people applied to hunt at St. Francois, and 301 tried for the chance to hunt at St. Joe.
Popular opportunities like a 24-day archery hunt at Jefferson Barracks Park in St. Louis County had 919 applicants for 20 permits last year. This year that hunt is scheduled from Oct. 19 through Nov. 13. Getting picked is a long shot. Conversely only seven archers applied for 10 spots in a hunt at Marais Temps Clair in St. Charles County in January.
The other statistic available from previous hunts is the success rate for hunters. Sixteen hunters took 31 deer in the archery hunt at Jefferson Barracks last year. Only one of the seven hunters harvested a deer at Marais Temps Clair.
In addition to the options at Robertsville State Park, Jefferson Barracks, and Marais Temps Clair, other intriguing managed hunts in the St. Louis region include chances for 600 archers in three hunts at August A. Busch Conservation Area, two month-long hunts in November and December for 75 archers each at Rockwoods Range in St. Louis County, and two, two-day muzzleloader hunts in November at Forest 44 Conservation Area near Valley Park.
The program also caters to special groups. Eleven hunts with a Conservation Department approved mentor are available for hunters who have never taken a deer. Twelve hunts statewide are scheduled for young people ages 11-15 years old. Fifteen managed hunts are planned for hunters with disabilities.
Hunts are available for archery, muzzleloading firearms, shotguns and modern centerfire rifles. With more than 100 to choose from, now is the time to begin dreaming about autumn success. All the information about the hunts is available at mdc.mo.gov, including the application process, locations for 2026-27, and nine years of statistics from the past.