Anybody hunt Missouri public land?

[Flyboy718]

Can you tell me about some good archery only Public Lands that you know of?  Or areas that receive very little pressure? Thinking of beginning an annual trip up there starting next year.

[kennym]

Fountain Grove and Indian Creek near Chillicothe allow no firearms on portions of em.

[Flyboy718]

Originally posted by kennym:
Fountain Grove and Indian Creek near Chillicothe allow no firearms on portions of em.

Kenny,

What is the deer population like there?

[kennym]

I haven't hunted either one much, still hangin onto some private closer to home. I'm 30 miles from the further one, and we have plenty of deer, look up my lease thread for some pics and stories.

[Butch Speer]

Flyboy,
Fountain grove has a very good deer population. I've seen some awfully nice racks from there.

[Living_waters]

All the deer in Missouri left and went to Illinois     Just kidding, what are you looking for trophy or meat for the freezer?

[Onestringer]

MO has a ton of great public hunting stay in the middle to the northern sections and you will be fine. The DNR page has info on all the WMA's and will tell you whether its archery only or not.  Dad used to go up to a place near Rock Port and had good success.  Shell Osage had a very good population but the deer walk around looking up in trees.

[Tom Leemans]

Just as long as there's been a hard freeze to get rid of the ticks!

[Flyboy718]

Originally posted by Living_waters:
All the deer in Missouri left and went to Illinois      Just kidding, what are you looking for trophy or meat for the freezer?

A buddy and I are looking to start a yearly tradition of an out of state hunt with the possibility of sticking a couple really nice bucks and a fat doe.

[Mudd]

There is also an abundance of Federal land across the state.

Check out all of the holdings in Mark Twain National Forest.

God bless,Mudd

PS: I doubt there are any deer left though...lol

[Jeff Strubberg]

Take a look at the Reform Wildlife area, too.  It's a large tract around a nuclear plant in mid missouri that only allows bow and multiple projectile shotgun.

[Flyboy718]

Originally posted by Mudd:
There is also an abundance of Federal land across the state.

Check out all of the holdings in Mark Twain National Forest.

God bless,Mudd

PS: I doubt there are any deer left though...lol

Yah...I am looking over that way around Eminence, MO and that would be a lot closer to Louisiana for us; but I have heard to stay north of the missouri river if you want to see the big bucks?

[Living_waters]

Reason I asked the land from central to northern counties hold the bigger deer per capita but land is harder to find. A friend of mine just brought back a 178 buck from the mark twain area in southeast Boone county, and another just moved to macon county and says he never seen the like of big bucks.
We have good populations here in the southeast but our herds dont typically produce the numbers of big bucks north of us does. Although I have seen 2 160 class bucks come from with in a mile of where I have been hunting.

[Jeff Strubberg]

Heh, big bucks, that's funny...

They might be big compared to Louisiana deer, but if you want to see big bucks you've got to go a little farther north than Missouri.  A big buck around here is 200#.

[Flyboy718]

Originally posted by Living_waters:
Reason I asked the land from central to northern counties hold the bigger deer per capita but land is harder to find. A friend of mine just brought back a 178 buck from the mark twain area in southeast Boone county, and another just moved to macon county and says he never seen the like of big bucks.
We have good populations here in the southeast but our herds dont typically produce the numbers of big bucks north of us does. Although I have seen 2 160 class bucks come from with in a mile of where I have been hunting.

What is the pressure like for the MT forest during bow season?  We are basically just looking for a really good chance of one of us or both taking a buck in the 140ish range with archery equipment and a few fat doe's.  If that is possible and normal for the MT forest area then that will help us out on drive time...but if you guys think that we will have better opportunity for large bucks and success rate then we are willing to travel north of I-70 and or the Missouri River.

[Flyboy718]

Originally posted by Jeff Strubberg:
Heh, big bucks, that's funny...

They might be big compared to Louisiana deer, but if you want to see big bucks you've got to go a little farther north than Missouri.  A big buck around here is 200#.

Jeff, we have deer that almost average 200# over on the mississippi river delta side of the state but the prices to pay to hunt that kinda land...well...you have to make a lot more than a normal job.  I guess more than anything, it's a trip out of state to do something that we can talk about and remember in our old age.  But, big bucks on public land in Louisiana is not uncommon but is very tough.

[Living_waters]

The area around eminence can hold some good hunting, there is a county road that leaves the east side of town and runs towards the river, there is a small corner of the mark twain that corners down to the river right where the river and road come together always wanted to hunt that area.
If you want a good hunt and are looking for a good hunting experience, M highway west of van buran dead ends in waymire camp ground right on current river also the edge of the camp ground borders the eastern most side of peck ranch. It is a primitive camping area area on a really pretty section of the river, good smallie fishing and some really good hunting. The interior of the CA is special hunt only but there is more land that borders it than a person could hunt in a life time, some good bucks come from there and if the wind is right you just may hear some of Missouri's first wild elk.

[Living_waters]

Pressure is not bad in the southern MT areas, will be heading to some land we have hunted for 20 years in the next couple of weeks. It is right where the white river begins. A 27k area and we may see one or two other hunters before gun season. Gun seasons is another story.\\

I have hunted the area at peck ranch and only seen the park ranger in a week end.

[Living_waters]

Here is some of the stuff the southern MT can offer, first pic is a ridge 400ft above the white river I am setting on a fire ring still stacked and I found a hand full of chips around this ring pretty cool. And the second is a running shot I took and hit far back in the leg, buddy got a good standing shot a few minutes later. Of course he blamed it on my self bow and stone points. if my shot would have been at ten yards I dont think the black widow and muzzy would have been the difference in the outcome.  
   

   

[Flyboy718]

That is a nice buck!  Didn't quite understand the fire ring and chips you spoke of though.  Nice pics!  You have anymore