Deer season is typically a glorious time of year to be outdoors. But if you don’t deer hunt, it can be a bit intimidating too.
Fortunately, southeastern Missouri has a rich selection of state parks where deer season is closed, providing non-hunters or those who fill their tags early to take in nature without venturing among the orange clad hunters.
Elephant Rocks State Park would be an excellent choice. It is located north of Ironton just off Highway 21.
The primary feature here is an outcropping of granite boulders that give people the idea of giants of some sort marching across the Ozark horizon. Elephants.
There is an enormous mass of granite underlying parts of the eastern Ozarks, and here, some of it is completely exposed to the surface.
Here, forces of nature have split the granite into giant blocks. Then weather has whittled away at the blocks, leaving the giant boulders atop another layer of fractured granite - new elephants
The place invites photography, both of the elephants, and from the elephants - scenery is great.
The trail from the parking area to the elephant rocks is unusual in that it is designed to be used by blind people. Signs telling about the natural things along the trail are in braille as well as type. Carpet on the trail lets a blind person know a sign is just ahead.
Much of the trail can be traveled by wheel chairs, too. Loops go around the tight squeezes.
History of the immediate area is interesting too. Rock for many of St. Louis’ downtown buildings was quarried here - indeed, buildings in Washington, D.C. and New York feature granite from here.
And young men learning to “write” on stone practiced here. Their names and initials can still be seen.
For youngsters, clambering over and through the rocks is the thing. There is an official “fat man’s squeeze” on the trail, and another between elephants that kids will find.
There is a picnic area and on nice days, the smell of barbecue or hot dogs wafts through the area. There are more elephants there. Some call them the “wild herd”. Kids can explore these boulders as lunch is cooking.
If you make a whirlwind tour and need more, Johnson’s Shut-Ins is nearby. Also Taum Sauk Mountain. And Fort Davidson Historic Site.
The Past - November, 1980
One of the stories in the November, 1980 issue of Traveler was a woman’s account of her first deer hunt. Pat Todd said she was initially frightened to find herself alone in the woods, in the dark, for the first time. And almost terrified as she heard noises heading her way.
But it was turkeys. They put her at ease, and soon she was enjoying the special things hunters get to see. No, she didn’t get a deer.
Outlook for deer season was mixed, but officials expected the kill to top 53,000.
Missouri was considering purchase of Onondaga Cave and surrounding property for a state park. And citizens were irate that the State Park Division had closed Johnson Shut-Ins State Park, without any public notice in advance. Plans were to reduce camping and restrict access drastically in 1981.
Bass fishing was uncharacteristically poor on Lake Wappapello in October. And poor elsewhere as well, writer Bob Todd discovered.
And Wappapello fishermen were irate with the Department of Conservation over what they regarded as a survey using loaded questions about whether or not they wanted to see the experimental creel limit of 10 kept on another year.
The two-year experiment was already in its fourth year.
There was a photo story on a float trip from Akers Ferry to Pulltite on Current River. And a story about trapping.
P.N. Hirsch stores advertised sweatshirts for $4.79 and knit sock caps for $1.

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