KANSAS CITY, Mo.— The fall hunting season is just around the corner and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Kansas City District reminds hunters to review any recent changes in hunting regulations and area restrictions.
Effective this March, the Missouri Department of Conservation changed regulations to include: allowing crossbows as a legal method during archery deer and turkey seasons; allowing the use of crossbows during the fall firearms turkey season; and removing the hunting method exemption requirement related to crossbows during the archery deer and turkey season.
David Hoover, conservation biologist, says recent regulation changes by the MDC to allow the use of crossbows during deer and turkey archery season have resulted in several questions concerning the use of crossbows on Corps of Engineers’ wildlife management lands posted as “Archery Only”.
“The “Archery Only” restriction posted on the Kansas City District’s projects will allow for the use of crossbows in accordance with current MDC regulations,” informs Hoover. “This will provide consistency for hunters using our project wildlife management lands. We also advise hunters to carefully review both state and federal regulations.”
The Corps of Engineers strive to provide a sustainable and healthy wildlife population on project lands. says Rich Chiles, park manager at Stockton Lake. “Our goal is to provide a safe hunting experience that is consistent with requirements of our State Fish and Game Agency. By allowing crossbows on land marked “Archery Only” we ensure consistency on our public hunting lands.”
Hunters should keep in mind these revisions apply only to the Kansas City District’s wildlife management lands in Missouri to include: Blue Springs Lake; Harry S. Truman Lake; Long Branch Lake; Longview Lake; Pomme de Terre Lake; Smithville Lake; Stockton Lake; and lands within the Missouri River Bank Stabilization and Navigation Fish and Wildlife Mitigation Project. Hunting is only allowed on dedicated locations which can be identified by the local Corps of Engineers project office.
Release no. UNRELEASED