Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Missouri Ozarks deer hunting

Wife is wanting us to retire in SW Missouri West of Springfield.
Anyone familiar with the whitetail hunting in that part of the state? Is there public land available to hunt? Thanks for any information.

I grew up down there and go back a couple of times a year for fishing. I think there is some quality archery hunting to be had on public land in that area. Based on my experiences in the midwest, I would not want to rifle hunt public land as a rule.

The crappie are going nuts right now on most of the lakes back there. Had a great time last week catching those. I won't be leaving CO to go back there permanently.

There are a few areas west of Springfield to hunt, 6000 acres each or so. Muzzleloader only on most of them. I don't deer hunt here, but was quail hunting on one this year and saw 4 different groups pushing draws deer hunting.

Mark train forest is open to hunt, but the size of the deer is limited due to only eating sticks and rocks......

I live in SW MO. 15 miles south of Spfd. On Hwy 65 between Spfd & Branson there is a Conservation Area called Buseick, it's 3000 acres of woods, springs & Mtn's. Can only use Bow or Muzzle loader. Lot of deer. Valley's so deep form the bottom looking up you will think you were in the Colorado Mtn's and even more so if you climb to the top. and that's just one area. there are more.

Why on dart would you want to leave northern Co.? An old buddy moved to Livermore Co. just north of Fort Collins and he loves it there. Way better than Wis. I want to move south , or west. I was in the Ozarks 2 yrs ago and liked it. Cambden and Lake of The Ozarks.

I laughed out loud reading this statement

Been in Northern Colorado 20 years....40 in Colorado and don't like the changes I see. Here are a few in no particular order:

Growing population of Illegals
Too much drug trafficking and crime
Oil exploration and drilling is ruining the landscape on the Pawnee

I could go on but just need a change.

I grew up in Missouri and have cousins scattered all around. Up north, the soil is better so better crops and critters. Springfield is down south and critters are small. Not sure what you are not likely re changes in Colorado but you may find it is the country changing rather than a portion of Colorado. I here people complain about Jackson, WY, and Bozeman, MT and Ft. Collins, CO, and Kansas City, MO.

Personally, as a hunter I would move to Colorado in a heartbeat if I still lived in Missouri. Missouri has whitetail deer over the counter rifle tags. That is good. Turkey is over the counter. That is good. That is it for challenging hunting. Colorado offers several more critters as well as all Missouri offers.

Not sure if health issues run in your family though, if they do, proximity to good medical care is something to consider. Springfield is on a geographic island away from major medical centers.

Another consideration is if you fly to do things or have people who visit you by flying. Springfield is not really easy to reach so might take 2 or 3 plane changes to get to about anywhere.

Some things that come to mind. If you do move to Springfield area then you will have milder winters but your summers will be humid so you might want to visit in July to fully appreciate how a midwestern state can get so dang humid.

If the drugs bother you, you might not like being in a meth area.
Deer numbers should be fine, but public might get a bit crowded.