(This article comes courtesy of MissouriNet, written by Marshall Griffin.)
The Missouri Conservation Commission has given initial approval to several proposed rule changes and finalized one new rule about deer hunting.
Camping on public land
First, free camping may soon no longer be allowed on lands managed by the Missouri Department of Conservation. During the panel’s May 29 meeting, commissioners gave first-round approval to begin charging fees to campers. Tyler Blake with the Department of Conservation said their staff deals with the downside of camping on public lands.
“We have campers who don’t comply with area regulations, reports of campers who try to reserve a spot ahead of busy camping period, leaving their stuff unattended. And we don’t really have a good way of tracking these issues,” Blake told the commission. “Illegal and criminal activities, drug use, people hiding from the law. We often have public and staff sometimes who just don’t feel safe in our campgrounds or where folks are camping.”
Under the proposal, a camping permit would cost $5 a day for five days for up to ten people per group.
“You could have a group of campers under one permit,” Blake said. “And then it would also be valid statewide on any conservation area that allows camping.”
The Missouri Department of Conservation manages about 1,000 conservation areas around the state with more than 320 offering free camping.
Public comments can be sent to the Missouri Secretary of State’s website from July 16 through August 14. A final commission vote is scheduled in September.
Non-resident deer hunters
Nonresidents who hunt deer in Missouri would have to purchase a special permit to hunt them on public lands under a proposed rule given initial approval by conservation commissioners. Laura Conlee, Deputy Director of the Missouri Department of Conservation, said the new permit would be in addition to any other deer hunting permit required by law.
“Whether that be an archery deer hunter’s permit or their non-resident firearms deer hunting permit,” she said. “This would not be any kind of requirement related to private land. It’s strictly for public land.”
She added that it’s a hot topic of conversation.
“We’ve had a lot of public input related to crowding issues, interference issues, perceptions of resident hunters within the state as it relates to non-residents on public land,” Conlee said.
The new permit for non-resident deer hunters using public land would cost $165 per season. A final vote is scheduled for September following a public comment period.
In a separate vote, the Conservation Commission gave final approval to limiting non-resident deer hunters to one buck per season. The new limit takes effect July 1, well before the start of Missouri’s 2026 deer hunting season.
Unstaffed shooting ranges
Commissioners also gave first-round approval to require people that use unstaffed shooting ranges to have small game hunting permits. Justin McGuire with the Department of Conservation said the proposed requirement is sorely needed.
“The usage of MDC’s 37 unstaffed firearm shooting ranges has changed over time,” he said. “This has led to increased maintenance and an increase in illegal shooting range misuse.”
Some exceptions would be allowed.
“Such as youth under 16 and adults age 65 and up,” McGuire told the commission. “In addition to adding this language to the developmental disability exception, we propose to remove the requirement for disabled individuals to attend a hunter education course before qualifying for the exception.”
The permits would range in price, from $11- to $108, depending on residency.
The proposed rule would not apply to shooting ranges that are staffed.
Public comments on the proposed rules for shooting ranges, permits for camping, and the new permit for nonresident deer hunters can be submitted to the Missouri Sec. of State’s office between July 16 and August 14. Final votes on all three proposals are scheduled during the Conservation Commission’s September 11 meeting. If passed, the rules would take effect early next year.
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