Springfield Conservation Nature Center trails will be closed December 12 through 14 for a managed archery deer hunt.
The hunt is one component of a citywide strategy to manage Springfield’s urban deer population, according to MDC in a news release. Managed hunts are also allowed under a city ordinance, approved in 2014, at Lake Springfield and Fellows Lake.
MDC officials say the managed hunts help keep the deer population at a level that's safe for humans and healthy for deer.
There will be four hunters at the Springfield Conservation Nature Center during the archery hunt, and they are allowed to take three deer each. The hunters were selected through a lottery system.
While the nature center trails will be closed December 12 through 14, the visitor center will be open on December 12 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Springfield Conservation Nature Center is located at 4601 S. Nature Center Way.
