Parks Department Sets Managed Deer Bow Hunt Lottery

Deer hunters from Jefferson County are eligible to enter a lottery for bow hunting during four hunts in October at Beck Park near Eureka.

The Jefferson County Parks and Recreation Department, in cooperation with the Missouri Department of Conservation, is sponsoring the managed deer bow hunts. The lottery will be used to determine which hunters will be allowed to participate in the no-fee event. It is open to Jefferson County residents only.

The four hunts (which include open and special population hunts) will be in October.  Priority on two of the four hunts will be given to hunters with special needs. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, reasonable accommodations for these needs will be made available upon request. All participants must comply with all state hunting laws and regulations. 

Craig Luetkemeyer, recreation division manager for the Jefferson County Parks and Recreation Department, said there have been a variety of requests in the past from hunters who have disabilities.

"Believe it or not we've had blind hunters before," he said. "They bring a friend who will sight the bow."

Luetkemeyer says it's more common to provide transportation for  hunters with ambulatory disabilities by giving them rides or helping them with wheelchairs. "We accommodate all kinds of things," he said.

Registration for the managed bow hunt lottery is through the Parks and Recreation Office, 725 Maple Street, Room 202, P.O. Box 100, Hilsboro, 63050.

For more information call 636-797-5334, or visit the parks department website at www.jeffcomo.org/parks