Urban Whitetail “Management”

mmgsozarks
Jan 19
6 min read

Making the Capitol City a safer place, one backstrap at a time.

By Michael Collins Jan 19, 2026

In 2024, Jefferson City, Missouri announced it’s Urban Deer Management program. 10 locations were made available to hunt for Whitetail Deer, but only if you’re lucky enough to pull a permit. 50 permits were issued, and 10 deer were taken in the first urban season. The idea behind the program is simple. The city has too many deer, and there are hunters that would like to harvest them. It’s a fantastic program where everyone wins, whether you’re the hunter who gets to enjoy the outdoors and pursuit of deer, or just a citizen driving down the road. And did I mention the Backstraps?!

Photo credit: Michael Collins

How it works

On the Jefferson City Parks and Recreation website is the Urban Deer Management Program. Every year 50 participant names are pulled and offered the ability to hunt. There are 100 participants total, with a 2 year rotation. There are guidelines to the program that describe what you can use, where you can go, and how to be safe while on city property. This program is subject to all Missouri Department of Conservation laws and policies. Each participant is required to go to an in person class that goes over these guidelines, as well as the legalities of everything. In city limits, land boundaries are very important, and every participant is given a set of maps that detail where those boundaries are.

Why is this good for everyone?

Hunting can be very divisive. For some, it's a hobby, a personal challenge, or maybe even a way of life. For others, it can be seen as gruesome and barbaric. The fact is, it needs to happen. Population control isn’t just a hot button term, but a real thing that needs to happen in the natural world. If one population gets too numerous, bad things can happen. When it comes to deer, those can be things like deer getting hit by cars, animal attacks, and disease within the deer population. Deer also have a nasty habit of grazing down entire gardens overnight. I have personal proof of that, like many of us. Besides, the gardeners, and drivers of Jefferson City, us hunters are the real winners. Forget the adventure, adrenaline rushes, and beautiful scenery, (area dependent on that last one), the real trophy is the meat! Every deer I harvest is protein in my freezer. There is nothing I love more than having food freedom for the price of an arrow & archery tag.

So How’s it going so far?

2025 is my 2nd year of participation in the Urban Deer Management Program. When I got the news that I won a spot, I was so excited! I couldn’t wait to get out there. I’ve lived in Jefferson City, Missouri for almost my whole life and never dreamed that this would come true.

Half of the fun of hunting for me is virtual scouting. I love getting on Google Maps or Onx Hunts and scouring the land for features that look like decent habitat. Soon after I received the news, I was on the internet and scouting. Of the 10 spots, (now 11 with the addition of Frog Hollow Park), I knew many of them already. Some were areas I have biked into, played golf in, or even grew up in as a kid, playing. I felt like the cards were really in my favor. Within 30 minutes, I had my favorite places picked out, and pins were being dropped all over town. In 2024, the program started just before rifle season. Being that it was the first year of the program, the deer had no idea what was coming. Within a few sits, I had already harvested a doe. A few more weeks go by and I had another one that would have been harvested at 8 yards, if not for a crossbow malfunction. It’s still hunting, but with slightly different tactics involved.

Jefferson City Parks & Rec Archery Range

Tactics

Coming from bow hunting on the open prairie and rolling hills of Northern Missouri, I had very little experience with how to hunt the woods between my childhood house and some tennis ball courts. I mean, I literally grew up in this same patch of timber, but hunting it was never on my mind. I would usually use them as a shortcut to get into a small creek that I like to fish. Or how about the golf course, where buzzing golf carts and people all over keep deer deep in the hillsides around the property until just the right time. Not only was the peripheral noise new, but lets not forget that JCMO is on the border of the Northern Ozarks. Many of these areas are sheer steep hillsides. There is no mistake that hunting in town was going to be different, and not as easy as one might think.

Among the many skills I knew I needed to improve upon, access into a spot was at the top of the list. It didn’t take long to notice that these urban spots are often some of the only bedding that these deer have. That’s fine, except for the part where you are almost always bumping deer when you walk in. Some early ground scouting and note taking now has me walking into some of these areas in a very specific way, and I never create a pattern of access.

Another skill worth picking up is the ability to be agile in your hunting. Maybe you’re a tree stand hunter only. Well, on the city spots you may be better off on the ground, or at least building a blind of sorts. Some areas don’t have many trees to set up in. On the other hand, other areas may have so many trees and such dense canopy, that a tree stand will never work. Trying out new areas, playing the wind, and taking note of movement patterns are typically more important than locking yourself down to an area or stand.

Concealment was yet another skill that I’ve improved upon with urban hunting. Many of these areas are thick, with not much area to watch while hunting. Many of my preferred areas have shots that are 15 yards on the long side. Many trees that I set my saddle up in have 10 yard shots, max. Close range hunting, even for half domesticated deer in town, can be tricky, and deer will still spook off if given a reason.

Weaponry

Last year I was running a Bear Intense crossbow. It slings bolts great, and has taken many a whitetail. As efficient as the crossbow is, I felt a calling to dive deeper into bow hunting. At the end of the season I picked up a Bear Kodiak Hunter 40lb Recurve bow. Months of serious practice later, and I have taken 2 deer with it this season! One of which was on a ground stalk on, you guessed it, Jefferson City land! While not quite as efficient as a crossbow, the recurve is plenty fun, and allows me to take deer in a more traditional way.

Other Useful Gear

I mentioned earlier the importance of being agile. When hunting small land plots, I needed something that I could set up, take down, and throw up in almost any tree that will hold my bodyweight. My XOP saddle was the perfect option. My kit consists of climbing sticks that are strapped to the tree, my platform that I stand on, (also strapped to said tree), and a climbing harness. Sure there are other things like ropes, carabiners, gear hooks, etc. At 29lbs, my pack is full. Water, Vortex binos & rangefinder, gear hoist. It all adds up, but it all has a place.

Urban hunting is different, yet so similar to what we all know to be bow hunting. Sure, there may be the craziness of the city all around, but the deer are surprisingly in tune with the madness, and move about like the ghosts that they tend to be. The hunting can be easy some days, and extremely challenging the next.

If you live in an urban environment and have ever wanted to try bow hunting, this is a great way to get started. I highly encourage you to put your name in the hat if your city has a program like this. The backstraps are waiting, and so is the adventure!

Thank you for reading! If you’re interested in booking a fishing trip here in the Missouri Ozarks, get ahold of me! I’m now booking for Trout, Smallmouth, and Grass Carp trips for 2026.

Current Locations:

Gasconade River (Dixon, Missouri)

Meramec River (Steelville)

Niangua River (Lebanon)

Maries River (Freeburg)

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