What's Open This Month
- Squirrel season runs through mid-February — late-spring and summer squirrel hunting is legal and surprisingly productive in Missouri
- Coyote and raccoon are open year-round on Corps and MDC lands
- Dove season opens September 1 — but patterns are being established right now in June fields
- Crow season has a summer break; check MDC for current open periods
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The Headline Opportunity
Let's be honest: June is the off-season. But that doesn't mean serious hunters stay home.
Squirrel hunting is genuinely underrated on Truman's Corps tracts in late spring and early summer. Fox squirrels are active early in the morning before the heat sets in, especially in the big white oak and hickory timber along the lake's coves and creek arms. The woods are quiet, competition from other hunters is basically zero, and a morning walk with a .22 or a small-bore shotgun in the Grand River Bottoms hardwoods or along Upper Tebo Creek can put a skillet full of squirrels in camp before breakfast.
Beyond squirrels, June is the single best month to scout deer. Bucks are in bachelor groups, velvet antlers are visible, and deer are moving more predictably on summer food sources — clover edges, green browse along creek drainages, and agricultural fields adjacent to Corps ground. Trail cameras (portable only — no permanent mounts on Corps land) placed now on travel corridors will tell you more about what's on a given tract than three days of blindly hunting it in November. The Tebo Islands, Brush Creek, and Gallinipper Creek are especially worth the legwork now because light boat-only access keeps pressure low year-round.
Turkey hunters should spend June replaying spring season mentally and mentally noting where birds roosted and what travel corridors they used. Fall turkey season opens in mid-October and birds will often key on similar ridge-to-creek-bottom routes.
Fly fishers and small-game hunters using the same Corps tracts often cross paths in June — the land is open, the access roads are dry, and there's no better time to walk a new tract you've been meaning to learn.
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Public Land Playbook
Upper Tebo Creek — Big mature timber in the Tebo Arm drainage. Fox squirrels love the white oaks here. Good deer scouting in the creek bottoms; look for rubs and scrapes left from last fall to understand travel patterns.
Grand River Bottoms — The flagship tract. In June, ignore the flooded timber holes (they're dry or nearly so) and focus on the hardwood ridges for squirrels and deer observation. Note any green food sources deer are hitting — that intel is gold in October.
Tebo Islands — Boat-access only. Extremely low June pressure. A kayak or small flat-bottom gets you in. Great tract to pattern deer without burning it out before season. Bring a topo and a mapping app.
Brush Creek — Mid-lake timbered ground with solid mast production in good years. June is a fine time to walk it and identify which ridge-top oaks are loaded. Those trees will be the spots to hang a portable stand in October.
Gallinipper Creek — Small, often overlooked, and quiet. A good half-day scout on foot. Less pressure than the larger tracts, which means deer here can be less educated by the time firearms season rolls around.
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Rules Not to Get Burned By
- No permanent stands on Corps land — ever. Portable stands must be removed at the end of each day or tagged with your name and MDC number and removed within 24 hours depending on the specific tract. Check current MDC area regulations for each unit.
- Trail cameras are allowed on most Corps tracts but must be portable — no screws, no spikes into trees, no permanent hardware. Check MDC and USACE rules for the specific tract before you set up.
- Squirrel season is open, but a valid Missouri small game permit is required. Don't assume your deer or turkey permit covers it.
- Coyote hunting on Corps land is generally allowed year-round but verify access rules and any seasonal closures that apply to specific tracts, especially areas adjacent to Truman State Park — there is no hunting inside the park boundary.
- Start checking MDC's draw hunt portal now. Some fall firearms deer and waterfowl draw hunts at nearby CAs (Montrose CA waterfowl blinds, for example) have application deadlines that arrive before most hunters expect. Missing the draw means hunting unreserved ground instead.
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Pro Tip
Don't wait until September to put boots on a new tract. Pick one Corps unit you've never hunted — Gallinipper Creek, Gouge Eye, or one of the Tebo Islands — and spend a June morning walking it with onX or the MDC MO Hunting app open on your phone. Mark every pinch point, creek crossing, and mast-producing ridge you find. The hunters who show up cold on opening day of archery season are guessing. You won't be.
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Always verify current seasons, permit requirements, and area-specific regulations with the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers before heading afield. Regulations change annually.