Des Moines County Conservation Board Changes Firearm Rules at Hunt Woods

The Des Moines County Conservation Board has approved a change to hunting regulations at Hunt Woods Recreation Area that prohibits the use of firearms within the park. Archery hunting will continue to be allowed in accordance with applicable state seasons and regulations.

The change follows repeated reports of people discharging firearms at Hunt Woods outside of lawful hunting activity, including a recent incident in which bullets passed dangerously close to a neighboring property owner. During its September 2 meeting, the Conservation Board heard directly from neighboring landowners about the incident and other recurring firearm use at the park.

Hunt Woods is a 58-acre forest management and recreation area southwest of Burlington along 65th Street. The property contains a network of trails and serves as a demonstration area for woodland management practices. Because of its relatively small size and proximity to neighboring homes, firearm use at the site had already been restricted. Rifles and slugs were prohibited, while small-game and turkey hunting with shotguns and archery hunting were permitted.

Under the newly adopted rule, all firearm use at Hunt Woods is prohibited. Hunting will be limited to archery methods only.

The change is intended to make the rule easier to understand and enforce while reducing risk to neighboring residents and park visitors.

New signage will be installed throughout the park reflecting the updated regulations.

“This is first and foremost a public safety issue,” said Des Moines County Conservation Executive Director Chris Lee. “We support public hunting and provide many acres for hunting throughout the county, but Hunt Woods is a small property surrounded by residences. Given the incidents we’ve seen there, archery-only hunting is the appropriate fit for this particular park.”

Hunt Woods remains open to hikers, wildlife enthusiasts and archery hunters. The property is located at 12412 65th St., Burlington, and is open daily from 6:00 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.

For more information about Hunt Woods and Des Moines County Conservation properties, visit the Des Moines County Conservation website at www.dmcconservation.com.