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Hunting programs
Missouri hunting access programs
MRAP walk-in land, managed deer hunts and drawings.
Photo: LeeAnne Adams (CC BY 2.0)
Missouri Hunting Programs: the largest first
Two programs widen access beyond walk-in public land. MRAP (Missouri Outdoor Recreational Access Program) leases private farms for walk-in use: 33 tracts allow hunting, 8,176 acres.
MDC managed deer hunts open closed ground (nature centers, parks, refuges, urban areas) to drawn hunters: 141 hunts at 82 locations, 141 marked cancelled.
Missouri Hunting Programs on the map
MRAP walk-in tracts
Private land open on foot; access type on each page.
Places with MDC managed deer hunts
141 hunts at 82 locations on the 2026-27 list; applications July 1-31.
| Place | County | Acres | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| August A. Busch Memorial CA | St. Charles | 6,951 | Conservation area |
| August A. Busch Range and Education Center | St. Charles | – | Nature center or range |
| August G. Beckemeier CA | St. Louis | 54 | Conservation area |
| Bicentennial CA | Newton | 721 | Conservation area |
| Blue Springs Lake (Jackson County) (1.0 acres) | Jackson | 1.0 | Cooperative area |
| Bois D'Arc CA | Greene | 3,176 | Conservation area |
| Burr Oak Woods CA | Jackson | 1,071 | Conservation area |
| Caney Mountain CA | Ozark | 7,899 | Conservation area |
| Cape Woods CA | Cape Girardeau | 37 | Conservation area |
| Clarence Cannon NWR | Pike | 3,761 | Wildlife refuge |
| Clearwater Lake Management Lands | Reynolds, Wayne | 12,659 | Corps lake land |
| Coldwater CA | Wayne | 10,804 | Conservation area |
| Columbia Bottom CA | St. Louis | 4,451 | Conservation area |
| Creve Coeur Park Lake (St. Louis County) | St. Louis | 320 | Cooperative area |
| Crowder State Park | Grundy | 1,974 | State park hunt |
| Cuivre River State Park | Lincoln | 6,364 | State park hunt |
| Davisdale CA | Howard | 2,691 | Conservation area |
| Dr. Edmund A. Babler Memorial State Park | St. Louis | 2,348 | State park hunt |
| Fellows Lake (Springfield City Utilities) | Greene | 820 | Cooperative area |
| Forest 44 CA | St. Louis | 958 | Conservation area |
| Harry S. Truman Lake (Corps) | Benton, Henry… | – | Corps lake |
| James A. Reed Memorial WA | Jackson | 3,084 | Conservation area |
| Jean and Joan Goodson CA (Bittersweet Woods) | St. Louis | 20 | Conservation area |
| Knob Noster State Park | Johnson | 3,631 | State park hunt |
| Lake Jacomo (Jackson County) | Jackson | 970 | Cooperative area |
| Lake of the Ozarks State Park (21,143 acres) | Camden, Miller | 21,143 | State park hunt |
| Loess Bluffs NWR | Holt | 7,557 | Wildlife refuge |
| Long Branch State Park | Macon | 1,921 | State park hunt |
| Lost Valley Fish Hatchery | Benton | 969 | Fish hatchery |
| Marais Temps Clair CA | St. Charles | 918 | Conservation area |
| Mark Twain Lake (Corps) | Monroe, Ralls | – | Corps lake |
| Mark Twain State Park | Monroe | 2,565 | State park hunt |
| Mingo NWR | Stoddard, Wayne | 21,109 | Wildlife refuge |
| Monkey Mountain CA | Andrew, Holt | 1,582 | Conservation area |
| Otter Slough CA | Butler, Stoddard | 4,859 | Conservation area |
| Ozark National Scenic Riverways | Shannon, Carter… | 80,546 | Scenic riverway |
| Peck Ranch CA | Carter, Shannon | 29,567 | Conservation area |
| Pelican Island Natural Area | St. Louis | 2,260 | Natural area |
| Phantom Forest CA | St. Louis | 13 | Conservation area |
| Pomme de Terre State Park | Hickory | 757 | State park hunt |
| Powder Valley Nature Center | St. Louis | 112 | Nature center or range |
| Prairie Fork CA | Callaway | 920 | Conservation area |
| Robertsville State Park | Franklin | 1,231 | State park hunt |
| Rockwoods Range | St. Louis | 1,453 | Conservation area |
| Rockwoods Reservation | St. Louis | 1,881 | Conservation area |
| Roger Klamberg Woods CA | St. Louis | 67 | Conservation area |
| Runge Nature Center | Cole | – | Nature center or range |
| Smithville Lake (Corps) | Clay, Clinton | – | Corps lake |
| Springfield Nature Center | Greene | 79 | Nature center or range |
| Stockton Lake Management Lands | Cedar, Dade… | 16,572 | Corps lake land |
| Stockton State Park | Cedar | 2,081 | State park hunt |
| Swan Lake NWR | Chariton, St. Clair… | 11,852 | Wildlife refuge |
| Three Creeks CA | Boone | 1,711 | Conservation area |
| Wappapello Lake Management Lands | Wayne | 1,880 | Corps lake land |
| Weldon Spring CA | St. Charles | 8,398 | Conservation area |
| Whetstone Creek CA | Callaway | 5,208 | Conservation area |
Missouri drawing deadlines for public land hunts
| Drawing | Deadline | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Managed deer hunts | Jul 31, 2026 | Apply July 1-31; results Aug. 15-Jan. 15; one hunt per year; preference points; youth-only applicants may not also apply for regular hunts. |
| Black bear permits | May 31, 2026 | Residents; May 1-31; $10; results by July 1; one BMZ. |
| Elk permits | May 31, 2026 | Residents; May 1-31; $10; results by July 1; no preference points; 10-year wait after selection. |
| Managed spring turkey hunts | Feb 28, 2026 | Feb. 1-28 (2026 hunts, past). |
| Managed waterfowl reservations (pre-season) | Sep 18, 2026 | Sept. 1-18; residents; up to 3 areas (ADA up to 5); weekly in-season drawings. |
| Wheelchair managed deer hunt requests | Jul 31, 2026 | Written request with physician statement; Busch, Burr Oak Woods, Caney Mountain, James A. Reed, Peck Ranch. |
MDC managed hunt list and drawing pages. Checked October 29, 2026.
More Missouri hunting programs
Other programs have their own hubs: 86 dove areas and the 13 managed waterfowl wetlands with the morning draw.
Missouri Hunting Programs in pictures
Missouri Hunting Programs: questions
What is MRAP?
Private farms and ranches that MDC leases for walk-in public hunting, fishing or viewing, each with an access type.
How do managed deer hunts work?
Apply July 1-31; MDC draws hunters for each hunt and mails results from mid-August.
Can I apply for more than one managed hunt?
One hunt per year, with preference points.
Are MRAP tracts open year-round?
They follow statewide seasons for the access type; hours are one hour before sunrise to one hour after sunset.
Are there youth-only MRAP tracts?
Yes; 6 tracts are youth hunting and fishing only.
Which managed hunts were cancelled?
Four hunts are marked cancelled, including Columbia Bottom (levee construction).
Where are the waterfowl draws?
On the 13 managed wetlands; see the managed waterfowl areas hub.
Do MRAP tracts allow trapping?
No. Trapping, vehicles, camping and dog training are not allowed.
Other photos on this page: Heath Cajandig (CC BY 2.0); Heath Cajandig (CC BY 2.0); Good Fire Photos (Public Domain Mark 1.0).