Bushwhacker Lake CA is one mile east of state Highway 43 on Barton-Vernon County Road. For a map or more information, contact the MDC's Southwest regional office at (417) 895-6880.

St. Louis: River 'Round CA
True, this CA doesn't offer much room for hunting -- but what it lacks in size, it makes up for in the quality of the action.

This 330-acre public-use area in Franklin County is a roughly even mix of forest and old fields. Of River 'Round's entire area, actively cultivated fields cover only 18 acres. "This is one of the conservation areas that was changed from being opened under statewide regulations to just archery and muzzleloader hunting methods only for deer," said MDC wildlife regional supervisor Joel Porath. "This wasn't done because there weren't enough deer, but rather to provide a diverse hunting opportunity close to St. Louis."

River 'Round CA is in Franklin County, one of the counties in the MDC'S antler-point restriction program. Hunters out after bucks need to remember that only those animals with at least 4 antler points or better on one side of their rack are legal.

To get to River 'Round CA, take County Route TT east from St. Clair. Turn left on Mill Hill Road and then north on Old Cove Road. For a map or more information, contact the MDC's St. Louis regional office at (636) 441-4554.

Central: Rocky Fork Lakes CA
Deer hunting at this 2,200-acre property in Boone County is restricted to archery and muzzleloader methods. The 4-points-or-better rule (see River 'Round CA above) is in force in this county.

"This area is an old strip coal mining operation," explained MDC wildlife biologist Tim James. "It's a relatively tough area to hunt because of the spoil piles and very brushy cover. But we do have respectable deer numbers here."

The CA is primarily forested; some open fields and a few food plots are present, but poor topsoil conditions resulting from the long-suspended mining operations make planting food plots difficult.

Rocky Fork Lakes CA is seven miles north of Columbia on state Highway 63 and one mile east on Peabody Road. For an area map or more information, contact the MDC's Central regional office at (573) 884-6861.

Northeast: Frost Island CA
Muzzleloader enthusiasts will find 1,200 acres' worth of serious buck hunting potential on Frost Island CA's 900 acres of Clark County bottomland.

"It's a tough area to hunt because it is so open," remarked MDC wildlife management biologist Darlene Hoffman. "It's difficult to find a good place to hang a stand, and I think that is why this area is where I see some of the bigger bucks."

Frost Island's 150 acres of crops include alfalfa and some corn. On arriving each year you'll find a fresh crop of corn and one that's been standing for two years. The old standing corn grows up into a thick blanket, offering the deer here some valuable food and shelter. Almost all of what little timber is present at this area -- pin oaks and regenerating willows for the most part -- will be found along the corridor of the Des Moines River.

"Although Frost Island might be far inferior to private property, it is some of the best public hunting land that we have to offer for deer," Hoffman said. "I'm not saying there are gobs of deer here, but we think it will only get better as time goes on with muzzleloader-and-archery-only methods allowed for deer hunting."