"The Busch Area will remain open to the public during these waterfowl hunts." That sentence is on the Missouri Department of Conservation's managed waterfowl page for August A. Busch Memorial Conservation Area, and it describes only one of the two large conservation areas next to Weldon Spring. Busch and Weldon Spring Conservation Area together cover more than 15,000 acres off Highway 94 and Highway D. Between now and early February, MDC has scheduled very different kinds of hunts on each one. Busch has small waterfowl draws and archery. Weldon Spring has two four-day blocks of shotgun hunting with 100 hunters each in November.
This season, the trail worth taking depends on which area you're headed to and on the date.
Lake 34 Has Been Partly Closed Since July
Busch already has one closure that won't change until spring. MDC closed the northern part of Lake 34 on July 6, 2026, to repair damage that has built up on the dam's slope over recent years. The department estimates the work will be finished by March 2027, depending on weather. The closed zone covers the lake's north shore and dam, the northernmost parking lot, and the road and area around them. The ADA dock and the rest of the lake stay open for bank fishing.
A second notice is posted for Lake 33. The bridge across its spillway is closed to vehicles but still open to people on foot, and MDC staff are evaluating repair options. The Busch area page still shows both notices, and the St. Louis Regional Office at 636-441-4554 takes questions about the Lake 34 closure.
That means some Busch parking and shoreline is closed through the winter. The managed hunts add to it from the second week of November on.
The Calendar, Side by Side
The table below comes from MDC's 2026–2027 managed deer hunt list, the Busch waterfowl page, and the Busch Range's holiday closures. It lists managed hunts and range closures only. It isn't a complete schedule of every activity on either area.
| Dates | August A. Busch Memorial CA | Weldon Spring CA |
|---|---|---|
| Nov. 7–9 | Managed waterfowl hunt, ducks only | None listed |
| Nov. 14–17 | Archery deer hunt, atlatls permitted | Managed deer hunt, shotguns with slugs only, 100 hunters drawn |
| Nov. 21–24 | Archery deer hunt, atlatls permitted; mentored beginner deer hunt at the range Nov. 23–24 | Managed deer hunt, shotguns with slugs only, 100 hunters drawn |
| Nov. 26 | Shooting range closed for Thanksgiving | None listed |
| Dec. 4–6 | Managed waterfowl hunt, ducks and geese | None listed |
| Dec. 14–Jan. 15 | Archery deer hunt | Archery deer hunt |
| Dec. 25 | Shooting range closed for Christmas | None listed |
| Jan. 8–10 | Managed waterfowl hunt, ducks and geese | Archery window continues |
| Feb. 4–6 | Managed waterfowl hunt, geese only | None listed |
The first round of the season has already happened. Both areas held youth shotgun hunts, slugs only, on Oct. 24–25, and both held archery deer hunts from Sept. 15 to Oct. 2 and again Oct. 5–18. The next date on the calendar is Busch's duck hunt on Nov. 7–9.
Why the Two Areas Differ
The difference between the two areas comes down to the size of each hunt. Busch's waterfowl hunts are small. For each of the four hunt dates, MDC draws four applicants at random, and each one may bring up to three hunting partners. MDC explains the hunts as a way to add hunting opportunities in the St. Louis region "while balancing multiple public uses on this popular Conservation Area," and it notes that large numbers of resident Canada geese and other waterfowl use Busch all year. Busch's November deer hunts are archery, with atlatls also allowed on the Nov. 14–17 and Nov. 21–24 dates.
Weldon Spring Conservation Area's November is a different setup. MDC's list shows two shotgun-only hunts there, slugs only, on Nov. 14–17 and Nov. 21–24. Each one draws 100 hunters. Those 8,397.8 acres also carry the area's longer hiking and mountain biking routes. The Lewis and Clark Trail offers a five-mile or eight-mile loop with a few challenging hills and overlooks of the Missouri River. The 10-mile Lost Valley Trail is open to hikers and mountain bikers, and connectors lead to the Katy Trail. Fire Lake and Prairie Lake hold catfish, crappie, sunfish, black bass, and white bass, and a large boat ramp puts boats into the Missouri River.
Weldon Spring's area page doesn't give a date-by-date closure list for those trails or lakes during the shotgun hunts. MDC's area rules say signs, posted regulations, and area maps may limit activities or mark parts of an area as closed. Busch's rules say the area is open to public use only as authorized by posting. So the signs at the parking areas along Highway 94 are what count on Nov. 14–17 and Nov. 21–24, and the regional office number, 636-441-4554, covers both areas.
Weldon Spring has one more fall event before the November hunts begin. An MDC nature programs calendar on recreationcouncil.org lists an 8.3-mile "Lewis Trail Hike: Fall Colors" at Weldon Spring Conservation Area on Saturday, Oct. 31, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Registration and status should be confirmed with MDC.
The Range Keeps Its Own Hours
The August A. Busch Shooting Range and Outdoor Education Center doesn't follow the hunt calendar. It has its own winter schedule. In an Aug. 31, 2026 release, MDC set fall and winter hours of Wednesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with the range closed Monday and Tuesday for maintenance and special use through March 31, 2027. The facility closes on state holidays, including Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 26, and Christmas Day, Dec. 25.
The complex is staffed and includes static archery facilities that are free to use. The rifle, handgun, and shotgun ranges charge use fees. Target shooting isn't allowed anywhere else on Busch, and groups larger than 10 need a special use permit. The range also hosts the two mentored beginner deer hunts on MDC's list, and the second one falls on Nov. 23–24.
Why Busch Has Lakes and Bunkers
Busch is set up this way partly because of what it was before. MDC bought the land from the federal government in 1947. Mrs. August A. Busch Sr. contributed $70,000 toward the purchase as a memorial to her husband. In the early 1940s, the Army had run a TNT munitions plant there, and about 100 of the old TNT storage bunkers still stand. Parts of the land were later used for uranium ore processing in the 1960s and went through a federal environmental cleanup. MDC now considers the area safe for all the recreation it allows.
MDC sends visitors who want the full history to the Weldon Spring Site Interpretive Center at 7295 Highway 94 South. Busch's own description invites people to walk the trails, drive the auto tour, photograph wildlife, or just sit under a tree. The Lake 34 repairs and the hunt dates limit which of those you can do on a given day this winter.
Picking a Weekend
Both areas are posted as open from 4 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day. Busch's office building is open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and closed on weekends. Using the published dates, here's how the season breaks down through early February:
- Oct. 31. The listed Lewis Trail fall-colors hike at Weldon Spring CA comes before any November hunt on either area.
- Nov. 7–9. Busch hosts its duck-only waterfowl hunt, and MDC says the area stays open to the public.
- Nov. 14–17 and Nov. 21–24. Weldon Spring CA has its 100-hunter shotgun blocks and Busch has archery. Check the posted signs before using the Lewis and Clark or Lost Valley trails.
- Dec. 4–6 and Jan. 8–10. Busch waterfowl hunts for ducks and geese fall inside or near the archery window that runs on both areas from Dec. 14 to Jan. 15.
- Feb. 4–6. Busch holds its goose-only hunt, the last waterfowl date of the season.
One project to keep an eye on is the road you'd take to get there. MoDOT's Route 94 and Route D improvements will add turn and through lanes and signals and widen about a mile of Route 94 between Route D and I-64. Right-of-way acquisition is planned through mid-2027, contract award in summer 2027, and completion by the end of 2028. MoDOT says it will keep access open during construction and doesn't expect direct impacts to the Hamburg Trail or Busch Greenway, though delays and short-term detours may happen.
If your home backs up to conservation land along Highway 94 or Highway D and you're curious what that location means for its value, The Benes Group knows this stretch of St. Charles County well. Request a Complimentary Home Valuation, and we'll give you a private, data-driven look at your property.
