FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. — With Missouri’s fall hunting season approaching, it’s crucial for Fort Leonard Wood hunters to know the rules that affect Missouri and the installation for a safe and successful harvest.
“All weapons must be declared immediately to the gate guard when entering post. If the weapon requires registration — all firearms including muzzle loaders and crossbows — the registration must also be presented to the guard at time of declaration,” said Police Lt. Eric Magoon, conservation law enforcement officer with the Directorate of Emergency Services.
According to Magoon, Chronic Wasting Disease continues to be an issue and Pulaski County is still under CWD management rules.
“For the folks who live out the South Gate, Texas County was added as a CWD county with mandatory sampling. There is no mandatory sampling for Fort Leonard Wood, but I would highly encourage hunters to submit for volunteer sampling at the freezer located at the Waynesville Rural Fire Training Building in Buckhorn,” Magoon said.
Carcass disposal and transportation rules have changed this year for CWD counties.
“Parts of a deer carcass that are not kept or provided to a taxidermist, processor or tanner must be disposed of in trash that is dumped in a sanitary landfill or left on the property where the deer was harvested. You must Telecheck your deer before transporting it, or its parts, out of the county where it was harvested or by 10 p.m. on the day of harvest, whichever comes first,” Magoon said.
More information about CWD can be found in the 2025 Fall Deer and Turkey Hunting Regulations and Information summary produced by the Missouri Department of Conservation.
“The summaries can be picked up for free from any permit vendor and we have them available at the Provost Marshal Office,” Magoon said.
Baiting for wildlife is prohibited on Fort Leonard Wood and all salt products and mineral attractants are also prohibited on post, according to Magoon.
He said the No. 1 violation for four consecutive years during hunting season has been “area-access violations.”
“Area-access violations are still the single highest violation, but we did see an increase in hunters transporting loaded weapons in vehicles. Hunters must ensure that they unload the (firearm) properly according to Fort Leonard Wood Regulation 190-11,” Magoon said.
Everyone must check in and out of open areas using the Fort Leonard Wood iSportsman website, regardless of duration or activity.
“All recreational activity is conducted via the (iSportsman) website, from purchasing appropriate permits to determining when areas are open or closed, along with sign-in and sign-out procedures,” Magoon said. “Please remember that check-in and check-out procedures must be completed on the same day access is desired and all recreational users must display their six-digit iSportsman permit number in the front windshield of the vehicle in which they are traveling each time they are checked in.”
He said this permit number must be placed in a manner that it is easily viewable from the outside.
If hunters are having an issue checking out via iSportsman, Magoon said they should contact a conservation officer, whichcan be done through the Military Police Station at 573.596.6141, or by calling the on-call officers at 573.842.5165 and 573.937.0981. Recreators can also call the Conservation Law Enforcement Office at 573.596.5002, and are encouraged to leave a message if no one answers.
Other common violations include failure to Telecheck deer as prescribed and permit violations.
“Hunters must report harvest in both iSportsman and to Missouri Department of Conservation, either through the Missouri Hunting application or the 800 number on the deer tag,” Magoon said.
Some of the upcoming hunting seasons include:
- Archery deer season is Sept. 15 to Nov. 14, and Nov. 26 to Jan. 15
- Archery turkey season is Sept. 15 to Nov. 14, and Nov. 26 to Jan. 15
- Fall firearms turkey season is Oct. 1 to 31
- Youth firearm deer season is Nov. 1 and 2, and Nov. 28 to 30
- Firearm deer season (antlerless portion) is Oct. 10 to 12, and Dec. 6 to 14
- Firearm deer season (November portion) is Nov. 15 to 25
- Firearm deer season (CWD portion) is Nov. 26 Nov to Nov. 30
- Firearm deer season (alternative methods) is Dec. 27 to Jan. 6
More hunting season dates can be found on the MDC hunting seasons page.
Missouri hunting permit prices can be found on the MDC hunting permits page.
Magoon said it is the hunter’s responsibility to provide both state and Fort Leonard Wood permits for inspection by conservation law enforcement officers.
“Many times, hunters are unable to pull up their digital permits on the Missouri Hunting app while afield, so it is recommended that everyone keep a paper copy of their Missouri State Deer and Turkey hunting permits on them,” Magoon said.
Upon registration with iSportsman, there is a required annual safety brief and quiz prior to being able to purchase Fort Leonard Wood recreational permits, including hunting permits.
There are four permanent ground blinds, located in Hunting Areas 14, 26A, 32 and 36A. These are available for use by all patrons, on a first-come basis and require check in and check out through iSportsman. However, they are designed primarily for disabled hunters, so it is expected that able-bodied hunters defer use.
Firearms turkey and waterfowl hunters should remember that shotguns capable of holding more than three shells in a magazine and chamber combined are prohibited.
The Missouri Wildlife Code requires all unattended tree stands to be labeled with full name, address and telephone number, or conservation ID number. Permanent tree stands are not authorized on post. Temporary tree stands include, but are not limited to, ladder stands, climbing stands and hang-on stands not affixed to trees with nails, screws or other permanent fixtures.
All other recreational activity that may occur outside the cantonment area is governed by Fort Leonard Wood Regulation 210-21. For activities other than hunting and fishing, it is required that those recreating outdoors register on iSportsman and obtain the Outdoor Recreation Permit. This enables individuals to check in and out of areas and participate in activities, such as picking berries or mushrooms, riding horses, hiking, cycling, bird watching and searching for shed antlers.
Organizations on post can also request Conservation Law Enforcement to provide a 60-minute overview of Fort Leonard Wood’s hunting and fishing regulations. For more information, call 573.596.5002, 573.528.8136 or email usarmy.leonardwood.id-training.mbx.usag-flw-des-cleo@army.mil.
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