JEFFERSON CITY – Are you, or do you know, a Missouri veteran who enjoys deer hunting? Veterans are encouraged to apply to be one of the 35 lucky winners to participate in special managed deer hunts at Mark Twain State Park or at Crowder State Park. The application period is now open, and veterans can apply through Sept. 4.
The Hero Deer Hunt hosted at Mark Twain State Park in Florida, Missouri, will be held Nov. 6-8 and is accepting 20 hunters, while the Gen. Crowder Veterans Hunt at Crowder State Park in Trenton will be Dec. 4-6 with a total of 15 hunters.
“We appreciate the service of all veterans and are honored to host these Missouri veterans and service members and facilitate their experience in Missouri’s great outdoors,” said Kurt Schaefer, director of the Department of Natural Resources.
These hunts are all-inclusive hunting trips for Missouri resident veterans only – all lodging, meals, and a hunting guide are provided. Hunters will receive their own Managed Deer Hunting Permit, purchased on their behalf by generous donors, and deer harvested on this permit do not count toward their regular season harvest limit.
If the hero is lucky enough to harvest a deer, free limited processing is also provided. Hunters who have been drawn in the past are ineligible to hunt at the same location but can apply for the other. A hunter is considered ineligible if they have participated in both hunting locations. Applicants are limited to veterans and active service members, including reservists and National Guard members.
To apply, veterans are encouraged to visit their local Veterans Service Office or apply online at 2026 Missouri Veteran and Military Appreciation Hunt. Selected hunters will be notified beginning Sept. 15. Applicants will not be notified if they are not selected.
The primary source of funding for Missouri’s state park system is half of the dedicated constitutional tax of one-tenth-of-one-percent Parks, Soils and Water Sales Tax. The tax provides about three-fourths of the division’s budget for operation and development of state parks. All additional funding for Missouri’s Division of State Parks comes from revenues generated in the state park system and some federal funds.
For more information on state parks and historic sites, visit Missouri State Parks. The Division of State Parks is part of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.