Springfield Conservation Nature Center trails to close for archery deer hunt

(From the Missouri Department of Conservation)

Patrons of the Missouri Department of Conservation’s (MDC) Springfield Conservation Nature Center are reminded the facility’s trails will be closed Dec. 8-10 for the managed archery deer hunt taking place at the facility during that time.

While the Springfield Nature Center trails will be closed during the three-day period to ensure a safe and successful hunt; the nature center building will adhere to its regular winter schedule: It will be open 8 a.m.-5 p.m. on Dec. 8 (Saturday) and closed Dec. 9 and 10 (Sunday and Monday).

The Dec. 8-10 managed hunt at the Springfield Conservation Nature Center is one component of a city-wide strategy to control Springfield’s urban deer population. The nature center hunt – along with managed hunts at Lake Springfield and at Fellows Lake and Springfield City Council’s bow-hunting ordinance passed in 2014 that allows archery deer hunting within city limits – are part of a comprehensive plan to keep deer numbers inside Springfield’s city limits at a level that’s safe for citizens and healthy for deer.