I’ve got a chance to hunt northern Missouri (Kirksville) this year during their rifle season. Anyone have any experience in that area? What can I expect? I know they have some giants, but whats an average, representative buck in that area? How about hunting pressure?
Any insights or advice would be greatly appreciated. You can post here or pm me.
Thanks in advance!
From what I’ve heard over the years its pretty darned good deer hunting there. I know theres alot of big bodied bucks there with some nice racks too. I’m pretty sure anywhere within the 75 miles from its northen border, next to Iowa its good huntng. I know southern Iowa is loaded with alot of deer with big herds and it runs like this down into Missouri. Northen Missouri is a very rural area with alot of areas hardly haveing any fenceposts anywhere with large areas of timber and meadows. I know its darned good deer hunting as I’ve never heard a bad report coming from this area and I know its loaded with alot of big flocks of turkeys too.
I hunted outside of Columbia, which is about 60 miles south of Kirksville about 5 yrs ago. 
Missed the biggest buck I have ever pulled my bow back on. 
The buck was killed the next week and grossed over 170″. 
Hunted 3 days in not so good weather but still saw plenty of deer. Hunted private land so I didnt have to worry about over pressure. If you are able to hunt managed property, I wouldnt hesitate one bit.
I never have, but I know lilG from the site here hunts there. Perhaps he will chime in!
Congrats and good luck!! 
Hey PowerFred, I’ll be bowhunting this year with Tombstone Creek Outfitting in northern Missouri between Bethany and Trenton. It will be my 2nd hunt there, cant wait to get back!! During the bow season there seemed to be very little hunting pressure(almost none in that area) which really helps your ability to call bucks in. As with any area, a good buck is 140″ but there are some real giants too. The CRP program that MO added some years back is probably the best thing that happened for getting big bucks. I wouldnt hesitate to hunt over an area that is more open with brush and CRP. Good luck!
Tombstone Creek is an outfitt on my hit list. 
Paul, Dan and Jim are doing it right down there.
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Tombstone Creek is an outfitt on my hit list.
Yes they are!! He is down there doing foodplots and checking cameras right now and just sent me this picture They have alot of big deer on their farms.
Well after reading this post at around noon, I checked out the link to Tombstone Creek and read up on what they have to offer… A few minutes later I got ahold of Dan up at A-1, and needless to say he should have my deposit along with 3 of my hunt partners in the next week. 
Talk about an impulse decision! With their current pricing though, and the opportunity that that offer..this was a no brainer.
Good for you!
Very Cool Congrats! 
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Well after reading this post at around noon, I checked out the link to Tombstone Creek and read up on what they have to offer… A few minutes later I got ahold of Dan up at A-1, and needless to say he should have my deposit along with 3 of my hunt partners in the next week.
Talk about an impulse decision! With their current pricing though, and the opportunity that that offer..this was a no brainer.
Hey Justin, thats great, glad to hear it!! what time of year are you going? I’ll be there Oct. 18-22.
Maybe this will be on my list for next year.
by all means go, and it sounds like you are….missouri is a great place to hunt and the terrain is a lot more fun than the flat lands if central MN that i am used to…
I thought Id describe what the terrain looks like at the places I’ve been that have been closer to the border within 75 miles of its northen border. We were into hunting rabbits and bought Missouri liscenses a couple years in a row and hunted there with our dogs. Where we were at it was rolling hills, by this I mean not long large rolling hills but smaller hills and alot of them. One after another that were about 1/4 to 1/2 mile long and covered with 100’s of small cedar trees. It was pretty neat because most of the branches on the bottom of those trees were gone and while driving you could see back into the timber and see deer walking. This was one place.
The other two times it was larger rolling hills and stands of hickory trees of many hundreds of acres with large meadows in between the timbers, perfect deer hunting for high powered rifles. You could see old farm steads with old fallen down fenceing for miles with an occasional working farm in between. Im not forsure but where we were at made me think alot of northen Missouri is like that. Alot of it looked like all the ground was put in setaside with alot of it just natural growth. It takes alot of undergrowth to produce good rabbit hunting and there were rabbits everywhere and the turkeys were thick. While in the timber you had to look for the turkeys because they were walking and feeding everywhere if you didn’t want to be seen. While rabbit hunting we seen alot of deer walking and jumping them up right in front of us. It should be a good hunt when you go and its very sparsly populated.
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Hey Justin, thats great, glad to hear it!! what time of year are you going? I’ll be there Oct. 18-22.
I’ll be going next year…My schedule is already filled up this year for the weeks that are not booked yet. It looks like I’ll be going the first or second week in December 2011. Hoping to hit the ever elusive second rut, as this is one of my favorite times to hunt if it all comes together.
After looking at his website, it looks like some great potential. I might have to save up for a late season bargain hunt. Love that time of year after most have left the woods.
You guys are really twisting my arm! I’ve got a place to stay for free ( I hope my kid won’t charge me 
) now all I need is for him to come through with some private land to hunt.
The principal at his school came to Wisconsin this Spring to fish for a week. I think he owes Andrew a spot to hunt this Fall. 
I think the terrain in NEMO is similar to Western Wisconsin, but the hills aren’t as steep. (Thank God!)
Lots of big oak/hickory woods and lots of CRP/open land. I’ve noticed that almost every farm has a pond, too. I’m hoping the hunting pressure isn’t real bad, considering its the rut when they have rifle season.
If anyone gets a nice one down there this year, I should get a little credit for putting the idea in your heads!
Good Luck to everyone!
I cant wait to get back down to Missouri, they just got back from checking cameras on the Tombstone Creek properties and sent me pictures of these two monsters along with about 15 other big bucks!! Come on October
You have way to many Responsibilities’ to go on this trip. I will be happy to take your place 
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You have way to many Responsibilities’ to go on this trip. I will be happy to take your place
Me 2 Me 2 Geezus look at the points 
Missouri is truly a sleeper state with many awesome bucks like the ones pictured above!
Good luck Mark!
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