Two Missouri Parks Closed For Wild Hog Hunting

If you have plans to visit a state park over the holidays, you may want to reconsider. Starting Tuesday, December 16, 2025, two Missouri state parks will be closed to the public as conservationists work to eliminate feral hogs from the air. These state parks were closed to the public from sunrise on Tuesday to sunset on Friday.

Hogs

The United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, in conjunction with the Missouri Feral Hog Elimination Partnership, flew helicopters over both Johnson Shut-Ins and Taum Sauk Mountain state parks to eliminate the hogs. Wild hogs are one of the “most destructive and dangerous invasive species in the United States,” according to the University of Missouri Extension Office. Hogs damage native habitats, woodlands, and crops, reproduce rapidly, and act as vectors of disease that threaten commercial livestock. Most landowners consider them a hindrance.

Problems

Missouri has had a feral hog problem for years, but conservationists have made significant dents in the hog populations over the past few years. The hogs’ population has fallen 84% since the state’s Feral Hog Elimination Partnership began in 2016.

Missouri Department of Conservation State Feral Hog Coordinator Alan Leary said last week’s effort is part of the department’s year-round elimination efforts, and the aerial operations are focused on where the hogs are being reported.