City of Columbia, MO
07/17/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 07/17/2026 15:46
City planning bow hunter orientation and registration sessions
1 S Seventh Street
Columbia, MO 65201
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 17, 2026
CONTACT: Tammy Miller
Assistant to the Director
Parks and Recreation
City of Columbia
573.874.7465
[email protected]create new email
City planning bow hunter orientation and registration sessions
(COLUMBIA, MO) - The City of Columbia will host three hunter orientation and registration sessions for residents interested in bow hunting deer on designated City properties as part of the urban deer management program. The sessions are open to the public at no charge.
The one-hour sessions will be held at the Activity & Recreation Center (ARC), 1701 W. Ash, and are hosted by Columbia Parks and Recreation and the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC). The following sessions are the only times when City hunting permits will be issued:
Tuesday, Aug. 18: 5-6:30 p.m. at the ARC
Friday, Aug. 21: 2-3:30 p.m. at the ARC
Tuesday, Aug. 25: 6-7:30 p.m. at the ARC
Anyone wishing to receive a permit should register online at CoMo.gov to attend one of the orientation sessions. Pre-registered individuals will be able to obtain their permit upon completion of the orientation. Those who participated in the 2025 classes have permits that are good through Jan. 15, 2027. City permits from 2024 have expired. Hunters who obtained their permits in 2024 or prior must register again for the 2026-27 hunting season.
Bow hunting will be permitted during two seasons: Sept. 15, 2026 through Nov. 13, 2026 and Nov. 25, 2026 through Jan. 15, 2027. To hunt at designated City locations, hunters must carry the permit they obtain upon completion of one of the three orientation sessions. They will also receive an accompanying permit that must be displayed in vehicles parked in designated areas at hunting locations. Hunters shall also follow all relevant MDC rules, regulations and requirements related to hunting.
The City initiated the deer management program to help reduce the increasing urban deer population. Concern over the number of vehicle accidents involving deer was one of the factors that led to the creation of the deer management program.
Since it began in 2004, the deer management program has averaged more than 250 hunters per year. Further details about the program are posted at CoMo.gov (search "bow hunting"). For more information, call Parks and Recreation at 573.874.7460.
The one-hour sessions will be held at the Activity & Recreation Center (ARC), 1701 W. Ash, and are hosted by Columbia Parks and Recreation and the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC). The following sessions are the only times when City hunting permits will be issued:
Tuesday, Aug. 18: 5-6:30 p.m. at the ARC
Friday, Aug. 21: 2-3:30 p.m. at the ARC
Tuesday, Aug. 25: 6-7:30 p.m. at the ARC
Anyone wishing to receive a permit should register online at CoMo.gov to attend one of the orientation sessions. Pre-registered individuals will be able to obtain their permit upon completion of the orientation. Those who participated in the 2025 classes have permits that are good through Jan. 15, 2027. City permits from 2024 have expired. Hunters who obtained their permits in 2024 or prior must register again for the 2026-27 hunting season.
Bow hunting will be permitted during two seasons: Sept. 15, 2026 through Nov. 13, 2026 and Nov. 25, 2026 through Jan. 15, 2027. To hunt at designated City locations, hunters must carry the permit they obtain upon completion of one of the three orientation sessions. They will also receive an accompanying permit that must be displayed in vehicles parked in designated areas at hunting locations. Hunters shall also follow all relevant MDC rules, regulations and requirements related to hunting.
The City initiated the deer management program to help reduce the increasing urban deer population. Concern over the number of vehicle accidents involving deer was one of the factors that led to the creation of the deer management program.
Since it began in 2004, the deer management program has averaged more than 250 hunters per year. Further details about the program are posted at CoMo.gov (search "bow hunting"). For more information, call Parks and Recreation at 573.874.7460.
City of Columbia Vision
Columbia is the best place for everyone to live, work, learn and play.
City of Columbia Mission
To serve the public equitably through democratic, transparent and efficient government.
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City of Columbia, MO published this content on July 17, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on July 17, 2026 at 21:46 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]