Rules, regulations & DNR Links
You can expect a wholesome environment, a lot of fun, and one of the best hunts of your life!
We do not allow alcohol on the premesis, nor do we allow smoking in the lodge, because serious hunting requires EXTREME awareness and scent control. Smoking is allowed outside at the lodge. (see Elimitrax Scent Control for more info)
We will provide a full-body safety harness that you will be required to wear in all tree or ladder stands.
You will be required to practice effective scent cover and you must bring a scent cover suit. We provide complimentary scent free soap for both the body and your laundry.We also ask that you wear Elimitrax scent control boots to and from your stand. The Elimitrax scent control systems will be available for purchase at the lodge or we can provide them for your use while at the Trading Post. Even during rifle or muzzleloader season, we will practice scent control like a bow hunter. Big Bucks tolerate very few mistakes! Good scent control maximizes your chances of bagging that monster buck and it protects our lands for the hunters that follow you.
Please plan on arriving around noon on the day before your hunt is scheduled to begin. This is to familiarize yourself with the ground you will be hunting, obtain your tags, and get settled in for a fresh start. Each hunting day will start approximately 2 hours before sunrise. This way, you can eat breakfast, pack your equipment, and get motivated for a great hunt. Legal hunting hours start 30 minutes before sunrise.
You are responsible for obtaining your own permits. Check availability with the appropriate state's department of conservation. Missouri permits can be purchased over the counter, while Iowa permits are granted by a seasonal lottery drawing that must be applied for in advance. Please see the Department of Conservation websites for details. If you need more assistance, feel free to contact us.
You will be required to sight in your weapon (rifle, muzzleloader, or bow) before you will be allowed to hunt with that weapon. There is a range set up at the lodge specifically for this purpose.
Missouri bucks must have at least four points on one side to be legal. At our lodge, in Missouri, the minimum size is 2 1/2 years old. In Iowa, the minimum size is 130 B&C gross. Bucks less than that will incur a $250 harvest fee (this also includes button bucks)...Let them grow big for next season! (this is a wonderful conservation effort by MDOC--read more about it here...)
Once a shot is made, we will make every attempt to retrieve that animal.
Hunting will ONLY be done from your stand. If you must leave your stand for any reason, please go back to the drop off point and follow the exact path on which you came in. We will not allow pushes, drives, or stalking. If you leave your stand to hunt this way, your hunt is over. No exceptions will be made.
Iowa DNR
For more information regarding Iowa hunting regulations, permit information, season schedules, or general state wildlife information please click on this picture:
Missouri DOC
For more information regarding Missouri hunting regulations, permit information, season schedules, or general state wildlife information please click on this picture:
