A state park, located near Kellogg in Jasper County, will be closed to visitors this weekend. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is closing Rock Creek State Park to allow for a youth deer hunt on Saturday and Sunday. Park ranger Kory Kinnick says he’s limited the hunt to 20 kids who are at least 10 years old. All of the kids will be accompanied by a parent or adult mentor.
Kinnick says each child will be provided with a specific "zone" to hunt. The zones are not located near any housing areas. Each child is required to purchase a $27 hunting license and will only be allowed to shoot one antlerless deer.
"I just want to give them…not necessarily the ideal deer hunt, but I want to give them a deer hunt under their circumstances," Kinnick says. The DNR has allowed archery deer hunting in Rock Creek for three years to help reduce the number of deer in the park. This will be the first time a gun hunt has been allowed in Rock Creek. Kinnick says similar youth only deer hunts have been organized at Springbrook State Park near Guthrie Center.