I have tried looking this up but i cant find any info anywhere. im sure there is a rule somewhere but i cant find it. i want to know if i could plant a food plot on public land. something simple so i wouldnt have to till the land, just clear a section with a rake and hoe. im in missouri, and cant find the rule anywhere, maybe someone will know, or be able to point me in the right direction. ive already searched through the wildlife code. in my mind, if i put a food plot in a secluded part of the land, it would be a honey hole for deer. especially if i made it an extremely long walk so no one would want to venture to it.
I live and hunt on Missouri Public land. I believe you could call MDC and find out if you are allowed. I doubt it is legal though, just a hunch. You may disagree but I believe you would be better off spending your time scouting the Public CA area you are hunting throughly rather than putting in the plot. In short focus on being a cover and terrain hunter instead of focusing on the food. I believe a thorough knowledge of the terrain, pinch points and most importantly bedding will get you close to deer. my 2 cents. Good luck
Federal land, I'm sure you need a permit to even flip a tablespoon of dirt over. May be different on State but I doubt it.
I doubt you'd get in trouble for planting something like winter wheat, but you might see some backlash for planting things like corn etc. I'd definitely call the MDC to find out, but I'd approach it like, "Is it illegal to plant things on conservation land, such as trees, grass, etc" I wouldn't just come out and say "food plot". That way you get the REAL answer. Good luck
They don't allow baiting on our public land. I am pretty sure they don't allow putting in food plots. Best bet is to call your Game and Fish/ DNR. Tim
After some digging I'd say you probably can't... as all the planting seems very "controlled" as to what goes where etc. I'd like to know what else you find out when you call the MDC.
Baiting on private land is not illegal here. They made baiting illegal on public land to keep hunters from claiming spots as theirs and harrashing other hunters who tried to hunt in that immediate area. The same reason they make you pull your stands everyday when you leave. A food plot might not be the same as baiting in some ways but it would tend to cause hunters to claim spots and try to keep others out of " thier " area. Tim
Yes it is illegal to plant anything on conservation land. Its also illegal to take anything from conservation land unless stated otherwise. Examples: mushrooms are legal, walnuts or pecans are illegal, also the uprooting of saplings is a big no no as well. The land is managed for what they want the land to become. Most conservation land around me already has foot plots and crops fields on them. What conservation area are we talking about here that you want to plant this on?
well the two that are in my college town (maryville) is nodaway lake. and bilby ranch (wouldnt be too interested in putting one on bilby since it already has a lot of crop fields) but there is a ton of conservation land around my parents house, smithville lake area.
