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Corps lake land · Kansas City Region
Truman Reservoir Management Lands (Gouge Eye), a hunter guide
MDC-managed Corps lake land in Henry County, 573 acres, MDC Kansas City Region.
Photo: MoBikeFed (CC BY 2.0)
Getting to Truman Reservoir Management Lands (Gouge Eye)
Truman Reservoir Management Lands (Gouge Eye) basics
At 573 acres, Truman Reservoir Management Lands (Gouge Eye) is part of the public ground of Henry County. Among the 8 MDC-managed Corps lake lands of Henry County, it sits 8th for acres. Land title: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Manager: MDC, Lone Buffalo district.
The atlas entry for Truman Reservoir Management Lands (Gouge Eye) also shows fishing (white bass, catfish, crappie, black bass) and trapping (special use permit).
MDC describes the area this way: Harry S. Truman Reservoir management lands consist of 58,133 acres distributed around the reservoir in parts of Henry, Benton, Hickory, and St. Clair counties in west central Missouri. The reservoir lies within the upper Osage River basin where the Ozarks meet the Plains. Historically, Native Americans occupying this area were principally Osage, Shawnee, and Kickapoo. Early explorers and pioneers making their way west traveled the basin, while the French trapped along the Osage River and traded with the Native Americans. Place names like Marais des Cygnes, Marmaton, Pomme de Terre, and Thibaut are vivid reminders of the early French influence in the Upper Osage Valley.
Hunted here: Deer, Black bear, Turkey, Squirrel, Waterfowl.
From the agency record (Missouri Department of Conservation); checked October 29, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Truman Reservoir Management Lands (Gouge Eye)
Other units on the Truman Reservoir Management Lands (Gouge Eye) lake
Same lake, other records: see the table.
lands.json related records (MDC atlas and Corps Lakes Gateway); checked October 29, 2026.
MDC rules for Truman Reservoir Management Lands (Gouge Eye)
Read these before a first trip to Truman Reservoir Management Lands (Gouge Eye); posted signs still govern.
| Species | Allowed | Permit note |
|---|---|---|
| White-tailed Deer | Archery and firearms | Allowed |
| Wild Turkey | Archery and firearms | – |
| Black Bear | Archery and firearms | Zone permit |
| Gray Squirrel | Statewide methods | – |
| Ducks | Open Hunting | Nontoxic shot |
The deer rule for Truman Reservoir Management Lands (Gouge Eye) is archery and firearms, and antlerless permits may be used here. The turkey rule on Truman Reservoir Management Lands (Gouge Eye) reads archery and firearms. MDC lists black bear on Truman Reservoir Management Lands (Gouge Eye), archery and firearms, for hunters drawn for that zone. Listed or not matters on MDC ground: Truman Reservoir Management Lands (Gouge Eye) is on the deer list.
Sources: area page, area regulations, deer quick view; booklet table: 2026 Fall Deer and Turkey booklet, pp. 42-55. Checked October 29, 2026.
Truman Reservoir Management Lands (Gouge Eye) duck rules
No draw is needed for ducks on Truman Reservoir Management Lands (Gouge Eye); it is open hunting. Use Middle Zone dates for Truman Reservoir Management Lands (Gouge Eye), but check the digest if you hunt close to a zone line. Federal law makes nontoxic shot mandatory for waterfowl.
| Season | Start | End |
|---|---|---|
| Youth waterfowl days | Oct 31, 2026 | Nov 1, 2026 |
| Ducks, split 1 | Nov 7, 2026 | Dec 13, 2026 |
| Ducks, split 2 | Dec 19, 2026 | Jan 10, 2027 |
2026-2027 Migratory Bird and Waterfowl Digest, managed areas; area page; checked October 29, 2026.
County deer rules for Truman Reservoir Management Lands (Gouge Eye)
| Topic | Henry County |
|---|---|
| Firearms antlerless limit | 4 deer |
| Antlerless portions | Open |
| CWD sampling Nov. 14-15 | No |
| Feed and mineral ban | Yes |
| Share the Harvest CWD test | Required |
| Fall firearms turkey | Open |
| Dogs, November portion | No rule |
| Elk county | No |
| Bear zone | Zone 3 |
| Duck zone | Middle |
There are no deer units in Missouri; Henry County is the unit for Truman Reservoir Management Lands (Gouge Eye), with a firearms antlerless limit of 4. The early (Oct. 9-11) and late (Dec. 5-13) antlerless portions are open in Henry County. No grain, salt or mineral sites in Henry County: the ban runs all year. For bear, Henry County is in BMZ 3 (250 permits drawn, quota 8). The CWD portion, the CWD Management Zone and the antler-point restriction were removed for 2026.
2026 Fall Deer and Turkey booklet county rules, MDC CWD rules and 2026 bear digest; checked October 29, 2026.
Truman Reservoir Management Lands (Gouge Eye) by season
These 20 rows are the 2026-27 seasons that fit Truman Reservoir Management Lands (Gouge Eye) and its game list.
| Species | Hunt | Scope | First day | Last day | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White-tailed deer | Archery, first part | Statewide | Sep 15, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Firearms, early antlerless | Antlerless county | Oct 9, 2026 | Oct 11, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Firearms, early youth | Statewide | Oct 24, 2026 | Oct 25, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Firearms, November | Statewide | Nov 14, 2026 | Nov 24, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Archery, second part | Statewide | Nov 25, 2026 | Jan 15, 2027 | |
| White-tailed deer | Firearms, late youth | Statewide | Nov 27, 2026 | Nov 29, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Firearms, late antlerless | Antlerless county | Dec 5, 2026 | Dec 13, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Firearms, alternative methods | Statewide | Dec 26, 2026 | Jan 5, 2027 | |
| Black bear | Bear, zone 3 | Bear zone 3 | Oct 17, 2026 | Oct 30, 2026 | |
| Wild turkey | Fall archery | Statewide | Sep 15, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 | |
| Wild turkey | Fall firearms | Open county | Oct 1, 2026 | Oct 31, 2026 | |
| Wild turkey | Fall archery, part 2 | Statewide | Nov 25, 2026 | Jan 15, 2027 | |
| Squirrels | Squirrel season | Statewide | May 23, 2026 | Feb 15, 2027 | |
| Teal | September teal | Statewide | Sep 12, 2026 | Sep 20, 2026 | |
| Youth waterfowl | Youth waterfowl days | Middle Zone | Oct 31, 2026 | Nov 1, 2026 | |
| Ducks and coots | Ducks, split 1 | Middle Zone | Nov 7, 2026 | Dec 13, 2026 | |
| Ducks and coots | Ducks, split 2 | Middle Zone | Dec 19, 2026 | Jan 10, 2027 | |
| Early Canada goose | Early Canada goose | Statewide | Oct 3, 2026 | Oct 11, 2026 | |
| Geese | Regular geese | Statewide | Nov 11, 2026 | Feb 6, 2027 | |
| Light geese | Conservation order | Statewide | Feb 7, 2027 | Apr 30, 2027 |
Youth portions are for hunters 6 to 15 years old.
From the 2026 Fall Deer and Turkey booklet, the 2026-2027 waterfowl digest and the 2026 hunting and trapping summary (Missouri Department of Conservation); checked October 29, 2026. All Missouri seasons.
Harvest numbers near Truman Reservoir Management Lands (Gouge Eye)
Totals are for the whole county.
Henry County gave up 3,300 deer in 2025; the table runs back to 2020. In spring 2026, 479 turkeys were checked in Henry County, 130 of them reported from public land. For CWD, Henry County shows 2 positives over the years listed.
| Season | Bucks | Button bucks | Does | County total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,619 | 304 | 1,377 | 3,300 |
| 2024 | 1,436 | 277 | 1,580 | 3,293 |
| 2023 | 1,514 | 387 | 1,853 | 3,754 |
| 2022 | 1,587 | 383 | 1,784 | 3,754 |
| 2021 | 1,633 | 338 | 1,563 | 3,534 |
| 2020 | 1,591 | 337 | 1,524 | 3,452 |
| Year | Spring | Public | Youth | Fall gun | Fall bow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 479 | 130 | 60 | – | – |
| 2025 | 440 | 139 | 41 | 22 | 9 |
| 2024 | 455 | 135 | 33 | 26 | 8 |
| 2023 | 397 | 115 | 25 | 27 | 21 |
| 2022 | 347 | – | 31 | 32 | 19 |
| 2021 | 330 | – | 19 | 24 | 23 |
| Year | Samples | Positive |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 18 | 0 |
| 2025 | 611 | 2 |
| 2024 | 151 | 0 |
| 2023 | 57 | 0 |
| 2022 | 89 | 0 |
| 2021 | 92 | 0 |
MDC 2025 deer harvest summary, MDC turkey harvest summaries and MDC CWD dashboard; earlier years from the yearly reports. Checked October 29, 2026.
Truman Reservoir Management Lands (Gouge Eye): the surrounding public ground
The map pins Truman Reservoir Management Lands (Gouge Eye) with the 8 closest public areas, led by Truman Reservoir Management Lands (Cedar Creek) at 2.6 mi.
| Nearby | Kind | Acres | County | Miles | Heading |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Truman Reservoir Management Lands (Cedar Creek) | Corps lake land | 670 | Henry | 2.6 mi | east |
| Truman Reservoir Management Lands (Bethlehem) | Corps lake land | 3,345 | Henry | 5.7 mi | northwest |
| Truman Reservoir Management Lands (Brownington) | Corps lake land | 1,428 | Henry | 6.3 mi | southwest |
| Truman Reservoir Management Lands (Leesville) | Corps lake land | 1,808 | Henry | 7.9 mi | east |
| Truman Reservoir Management Lands (Upper Tebo Creek) | Corps lake land | 7,736 | Henry | 8.2 mi | north |
| Truman Reservoir Management Lands (Deepwater Creek) | Corps lake land | 5,631 | Henry | 8.6 mi | west |
| Truman Reservoir Management Lands (Valhalla) | Corps lake land | 1,765 | St. Clair | 9.3 mi | southeast |
| Truman Reservoir Management Lands (Brush Creek) | Corps lake land | 3,201 | Benton | 9.6 mi | northeast |
Points: MDC Conservation Area Centroids layer (https://gisblue.mdc.mo.gov/arcgis/rest/services/Discover_Nature/MDC_Administrative_Areas/FeatureServer/4). Straight-line distances. Statewide public land map.
Who is nearby at Truman Reservoir Management Lands (Gouge Eye)
The short run for gas and food is Deepwater, 7.1 mi out. 9,449 people live in Clinton, the largest town within reach. Driving route: From Clinton, take Highway 7 east, then Route W south, and east on SE 550. MDC permits and advice: Clinton Office, Clinton, 8.6 mi away.
| Town | County | 2024 population | Away | Which way |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deepwater | Henry | 384 | 7.1 mi | west |
| Bent Tree Harbor | Benton | – | 8.7 mi | east |
| Clinton | Henry | 9,449 | 9.2 mi | northwest |
| Calhoun | Henry | 405 | 13 mi | north |
| Warsaw | Benton | 2,337 | 15 mi | east |
Towns from places.json (Census 2024); offices and businesses from services.json (MDC offices and business listings, chain stores and permit vendors left out); straight-line miles. Checked October 29, 2026.
Shooting hours in Truman Reservoir Management Lands (Gouge Eye)
Sunrise in the Bootheel and in the Kansas City area can be 20 minutes apart, so use the adjusted times for Truman Reservoir Management Lands (Gouge Eye).
| Day | Hunt | Sun up | Sun down | Big game window | Migratory window |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 1, 2026 | Dove opener | 6:44 a.m. | 7:45 p.m. | 6:14 a.m. to 8:15 p.m. | 6:14 a.m. to 7:45 p.m. |
| Sep 15, 2026 | Archery opener | 6:56 a.m. | 7:23 p.m. | 6:26 a.m. to 7:53 p.m. | 6:26 a.m. to 7:23 p.m. |
| Oct 1, 2026 | Fall firearms turkey | 7:11 a.m. | 6:57 p.m. | 6:41 a.m. to 7:27 p.m. | 6:41 a.m. to 6:57 p.m. |
| Nov 7, 2026 | Middle Zone ducks | 6:48 a.m. | 5:08 p.m. | 6:18 a.m. to 5:38 p.m. | 6:18 a.m. to 5:08 p.m. |
| Nov 14, 2026 | November firearms opener | 6:56 a.m. | 5:02 p.m. | 6:26 a.m. to 5:32 p.m. | 6:26 a.m. to 5:02 p.m. |
| Dec 26, 2026 | Alternative methods | 7:31 a.m. | 5:00 p.m. | 7:01 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. | 7:01 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. |
| Jan 15, 2027 | Archery close | 7:31 a.m. | 5:18 p.m. | 7:01 a.m. to 5:48 p.m. | 7:01 a.m. to 5:18 p.m. |
Hours rule and the Jefferson City sunrise and sunset table from the MDC Migratory Bird and Waterfowl Digest (same table in the Fall Deer and Turkey booklet), adjusted 1 minute per 13.5 miles east or west as MDC directs; checked October 29, 2026. Legal hours for every county.
Hunts, classes and dinners by Truman Reservoir Management Lands (Gouge Eye)
Near this ground on October 29, 2026: 2 upcoming events.
Dates ahead
| Held on | Event | Away | Where held | Link | Checked at |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 20, 2026 | Game Utilization: Deer Leg Bone tools – knives or awls · deer hide and bone workshop | 9 | Clinton MDC Office — Henry County | Register | Source |
| Dec 5, 2026 | Golden Valley Dinner – Clinton · DU chapter dinner | 9 | Primitive Olde Crow & Winery — Clinton | Buy tickets | Source |
Before Truman Reservoir Management Lands (Gouge Eye): public and club ranges
Golden Valley Archery Range (Clinton Office) (public, free) is 9 miles from Truman Reservoir Management Lands (Gouge Eye). Beside it, two gun clubs within 30 miles.
From MDC area pages and the MDC Shooting Ranges layer, the operators’ pages and directory listings, checked October 29, 2026.
A visual feel for Truman Reservoir Management Lands (Gouge Eye)
Common Truman Reservoir Management Lands (Gouge Eye) questions
Are antlerless portions open near Truman Reservoir Management Lands (Gouge Eye)?
Up to 4 antlerless deer on firearms permits in Henry County; antlerless portions run in October and December.
Which weapons are legal for deer at Truman Reservoir Management Lands (Gouge Eye)?
Archery and firearms. Antlerless permits are allowed.
Is fall turkey open at Truman Reservoir Management Lands (Gouge Eye)?
Archery and firearms for turkey; the October firearms season is open in the county.
Is there mandatory CWD testing near Truman Reservoir Management Lands (Gouge Eye)?
No mandatory sampling, plus the feed and mineral ban.
Which duck zone covers Truman Reservoir Management Lands (Gouge Eye)?
Hunt ducks under open hunting; the county is in the Middle Zone.
Can I hunt bear on Truman Reservoir Management Lands (Gouge Eye)?
Henry County is in Bear Management Zone 3 (250 permits, quota 8); the area lists bear.
Where is the next public ground after Truman Reservoir Management Lands (Gouge Eye)?
Closest public options are Truman Reservoir Management Lands (Cedar Creek) (2.6 mi), Truman Reservoir Management Lands (Bethlehem) (5.7 mi) and Truman Reservoir Management Lands (Brownington) (6.3 mi).
First and last shooting light at Truman Reservoir Management Lands (Gouge Eye)?
6:26 a.m. to 5:32 p.m. for deer on opening day; ducks end at 5:02 p.m..
What is the acreage of Truman Reservoir Management Lands (Gouge Eye)?
In charge: Missouri Department of Conservation. Acres: 573.
Town nearest Truman Reservoir Management Lands (Gouge Eye)?
Deepwater, 7.1 mi by straight line.
Truman Reservoir Management Lands (Gouge Eye): open to hunters?
It is open to hunting: deer, black bear, turkey, squirrel and waterfowl, under statewide seasons and the area rules.
Permits needed for Truman Reservoir Management Lands (Gouge Eye)?
MDC permits by game: Small Game, Archer's, Firearms Any-Deer or Antlerless, Migratory Bird.
Truman Reservoir Management Lands (Gouge Eye): confirm these first
Area rules, closures and managed hunt notices on Truman Reservoir Management Lands (Gouge Eye) can change; posted signs and the agency page have the final word.
Sources: source · source · source · source; regulations from the 2026 Fall Deer and Turkey booklet. Checked October 29, 2026.
Other photos on this page: USFWS Midwest Region (Public Domain Mark 1.0); pfly (CC BY-SA 2.0); Frank.Vassen (CC BY 2.0).