Stay in Touch with MDC news, newsletters, events, and manage your subscription
Xplor reconnects kids to nature and helps them find adventure in their own backyard. Free to residents of Missouri.
A monthly publication about conservation in Missouri. Started in 1938, the printed magazine is free to residents of Missouri.
ST. CHARLES, Mo. — The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) is offering the opportunity for women and youths to discover upland gamebird hunting at the youth and women pheasant hunts. The program will introduce new hunters to the sport with the emphasis on ring-necked pheasants.
The program begins with a classroom clinic at the new August A. Busch Memorial Shooting Range and Outdoor Education Center on Monday, Feb. 11 from 6-8 p.m. Participants will then take to the field for the hunt itself, hosted at the Missouri Gun and Quail Club located in Wright City. The women’s hunt will be Saturday, Feb. 16, and the youth hunt on Saturday, February 23.
“The clinic will cover some biology, firearm handling, and how to clean the birds. We’ll even give participants some recipes to help them prepare the pheasants for eating,” said Bryant Hertel, MDC outdoor education center manager. Participants will learn about regulations, safety, hunting strategies, equipment and game care. The class is designed to help increase new hunters’ success in the field.
Hertel added that the hunts would be a great way for first-timers to sample the sport of upland bird hunting under the mentorship of experienced instructors.
The hunt is open to youth age 11-15 and women age 11 and up. All participants must be Hunter Education certified and have not attended the program in the past. The guided hunt is for first-time participants only. Participants must also attend the clinic to attend the hunt and should have some familiarity with shotgun handling.
“This is an excellent chance for women and youth who want to get introduced to hunting to do it in a supportive, safe and controlled environment,” Hertel said.
The clinic and hunt are both free. However, advanced online registration is required at the following links:
For more information call 636-441-4554, extension 1550. The August A. Busch Shooting Range and Outdoor Education Center is located at 3550 Route D in Defiance, approximately five miles west of Highway 94.
