Hunting Seasons

Methods depend on the type of permit (archery or small game hunting).

Allowed

Archery Permit Methods

• Longbow, compound bow, or recurve bow of any draw weight
• Atlatls, which are defined as a rod or narrow board-like device used to launch, through a throwing motion of the arm, a dart 5 to 8 feet long
• Hand-held string releasing devices
• Illuminated sights, scopes, and quickpoint sights
• Crossbow

Small Game Hunting Permit Methods

• Pistols, revolvers, and rifles propelling a single projectile at one discharge
• Guns powered by spring, air, or compressed gas
• Shotguns not larger than 10 gauge
• Crossbows
• Shotguns with the magazine cut off or plugged to reduce the capacity to not more than 3 shells in the magazine and chamber combined. This restriction does not apply during the Conservation Order for light geese.
• Shotguns are the only firearm allowed for hunting game birds (except crow). Pistols, revolvers, rifles, and shotguns may be used to hunt crow.
• Bows, which include longbows, compound bows, and recurve bows, illuminated sights, scopes, quickpoint sights and hand-held string releasing mechanisms may be used.
• Atlatls
• Slingshots

You may take groundhogs with a cage-type trap at any hour during the open hunting season if you possess a hunting permit. The cage-type trap must be labeled with your full name and address, or Conservation ID number; must be attended daily; and have an opening of 144 square inches or smaller.

Special Provision During the Firearms Deer Season: During the November portion statewide and antlerless portion in open counties, other wildlife may be hunted only with a shotgun and shot not larger than No. 4 or a .22 or smaller caliber rimfire rifle. This does not apply to waterfowl hunters, trappers, or to landowners on their land.

Prohibited Methods

• Arrows containing any drug, poison, chemical or explosive.
• Motor driven conveyances may not be used to take, drive or molest wildlife. 
• Any sighting device that casts a beam of light on the game
• Artificial lights may be used only to hunt bullfrogs and green frogs, or to hunt raccoons and other furbearing animals when treed with the aid of dogs. Using lights to search for, spot, illuminate, harass, or disturb other wildlife is a violation of the Wildlife Code of Missouri. Landowners and lessees may use artificial lights on their property, but while doing so may not be in possession of — or be in the company of someone who possesses — a firearm, bow, or other implement used to take wildlife.
• You may not possess night vision or thermal imagery equipment while carrying a firearm, bow, or other implement used to take wildlife.

Allowed

Shotgun

Allowed

Shotguns

Allowed

• Longbows, compound bows, and recurve bows of any draw weight
• Crossbows
• Hand-held string-releasing devices
• Illuminated sights, scopes, and quickpoint sights
• Atlatls

Allowed methods under special circumstances

• Because crossbows are now a legal method, a hunting method exemption is not needed.

Prohibited

• Any sighting device that casts a beam of light on the game
• Use of electronic calls, electronically activated calls, bait, dogs, or night vision equipment
• Live decoys may not be used to take turkeys.
• Archers hunting deer or turkeys during the archery season may not be in possession of a firearm. Some exceptions apply. See 3 CSR 10-7.432 and 3 CSR 10-7.455 of the Wildlife Code of Missouri.

Allowed

Shotguns

Allowed

Shotgun

Allowed

• Pistols
• Revolvers
• Rifles
• Shotguns

Allowed

Shotguns, 10 gauge or smaller. A shotgun must be plugged if it holds more than 3 shells. Use nontoxic shot only.

Prohibited

• Sink boxes or anything else that conceals you below the surface of the water.
• Live decoys -- all tame or captive ducks and geese must be removed 10 days prior to hunting and must be kept where migratory waterfowl cannot see them and their calls are quieted.
• Recorded or amplified bird calls, amplified imitations of bird calls.
• Hunting from a motor vehicle, including aircraft.
• Hunting from a motorboat or sailboat unless the motor is off or sails furled.
• Rounding up migratory birds with motorized vehicles, including aircraft, or motor boats or sailboats
• Baiting your hunting area or hunting over freshly planted food plots. All bait must be removed 10 days prior to hunting.

Allowed

Shotguns, 10 gauge or smaller. A shotgun must be plugged if it holds more than 3 shells. Use nontoxic shot only.

Prohibited;

• Sink boxes or anything else that conceals you below the surface of the water.
• Live decoys -- all tame or captive ducks and geese must be removed 10 days prior to hunting and must be kept where migratory waterfowl cannot see them and their calls are quieted.
• Recorded or amplified bird calls, amplified imitations of bird calls.
• Hunting from a motor vehicle, including aircraft.
• Hunting from a motorboat or sailboat unless the motor is off or sails furled.
• Rounding up migratory birds with motorized vehicles, including aircraft, or motor boats or sailboats
• Baiting your hunting area or hunting over freshly planted food plots. All bait must be removed 10 days prior to hunting.

Allowed

• Centerfire pistols, revolvers or rifles using expanding-type bullets such as lead or copper.
• Shotgun (including .410) with slugs only.
• Air-powered guns, .40 caliber or larger, charged only from an external high compression power source (external hand pump, air tank, or air compressor).
• Muzzleloading or cap-and-ball firearms, .40 caliber or larger and capable of firing only a single projectile at one discharge; in-lines and scopes are allowed.
• Multiple-barreled muzzleloading or cap-and-ball firearms and/or muzzleloading or cap-and-ball handguns, including revolvers, .40 caliber or larger, are allowed and may be carried in addition to a muzzleloading or cap-and-ball rifle.
• Longbows, compound bows or recurve bows of any draw weight; hand-held string releasing devices, illuminated sights, scopes and quickpoint sights are allowed.
• Crossbows
• Atlatls

Prohibited methods

• Self-loading firearms with capacity of more than 11 cartridges in magazine and chamber combined
• Ammunition propelling more than one projectile at a single discharge (such as buckshot)
• Full hard metal case projectiles
• Fully automatic firearms
• Any sighting device that casts a beam of light on the game
• Electronic calls or electronically activated calls
• Night vision equipment
• Use of bait
• Use of dogs
• Additional methods may be prohibited by local ordinances
• Motor driven conveyances may not be used to take, drive or molest wildlife. Deer may not be hunted from a boat with a motor attached.

Allowed Methods

Pelts must be delivered to a conservation agent for registration or tagging by April 10. Find contact information for a conservation agent near you.

Hunting Methods

• Pistols, revolvers, and rifles propelling a single projectile at one discharge
• Guns powered by spring, air, or compressed gas
• Shotguns not larger than 10 gauge with magazine cut off or plugged to reduce the capacity to no more than three shells.
• Bows, including longbows, compound bows, and recurve bows.
• Crossbows
• Atlatls
• Slingshots
• Dogs may be used.

During fall deer season, hunters must have an unfilled firearms deer hunting permit and a permit to hunt small game.

Trapping Methods

• Traps must have smooth or rubber jaws only
• Foot-hold trap
• Conibear or other killing-type trap
• Foot-enclosing trap
• Cage-type trap
• Colony traps with openings no greater than 6 inches in height and 6 inches wide
• Cable restraint devices
• Snare set underwater

Within communities having 10,000 or more inhabitants, only cage-type or foot-enclosing traps, may be set within 150 feet of any residence or occupied buiding.

Prohibited Methods

• Arrows containing any drug, poison, chemical, or explosive
• Poisons, tranquilizing drugs, chemicals, or explosives
• Motor driven conveyances may not be used to take, drive, or molest wildlife
• Artificial lights to search for, harass, or disturb wildlife
• You may not take wildlife from or across a public roadway with a firearm, bow, or crossbow
• Snares set on land
• Pitfalls
• Deadfalls
• Nets
• Traps may not be set in paths made or used by people or domestic animals
• Killing-type traps may not be set along public roadways.

Dogs may not be used during daylight hours from Nov. 1 through the end of the November portion statewide and antlerless portion in open counties.

Allowed Methods

• Traps must have smooth or rubber jaws only
• Foot-hold trap
• Conibear or other killing-type trap
• Foot-enclosing trap
• Cage-type trap
• Colony traps with openings no greater than 6 inches in height and 6 inches wide
• Cable restraint devices

Within communities having 10,000 or more inhabitants, only cage-type or foot-enclosing traps, may be set within 150 feet of any residence or occupied buiding.

You may take rabbits with a cage-type trap at any hour during the open hunting season if you possess a hunting permit. The cage-type trap must be labeled with your full name and address, or Conservation ID number; must be attended daily; and have an opening of 144 square inches or smaller.

Prohibited Methods

• Snares on land
• Pitfalls
• Deadfalls
• Nets
• Traps may not be set in paths made or used by people or domestic animals
• Killing-type traps may not be set along public roadways.

Allowed

Shotguns, 10 gauge or smaller. A shotgun must be plugged if it holds more than 3 shells. Use nontoxic shot only.

Prohibited

• Sink boxes or anything else that conceals you below the surface of the water.
• Live decoys -- all tame or captive ducks and geese must be removed 10 days prior to hunting and must be kept where migratory waterfowl cannot see them and their calls are quieted.
• Recorded or amplified bird calls, amplified imitations of bird calls.
• Hunting from a motor vehicle, including aircraft.
• Hunting from a motorboat or sailboat unless the motor is off or sails furled.
• Rounding up migratory birds with motorized vehicles, including aircraft, or motor boats or sailboats
• Baiting your hunting area or hunting over freshly planted food plots. All bait must be removed 10 days prior to hunting.

Allowed

• Longbows, compound bows, and recurve bows of any draw weight
• Crossbows
• Hand-held string-releasing devices
• Illuminated sights, scopes, and quickpoint sights
• Atlatls

Allowed methods under special circumstances

• Because crossbows are now a legal method, a hunting method exemption is not needed.

Prohibited

• Any sighting device that casts a beam of light on the game
• Use of electronic calls, electronically activated calls, bait, dogs, or night vision equipment
• Live decoys may not be used to take turkeys.
• Archers hunting deer or turkeys during the archery season may not be in possession of a firearm. Some exceptions apply. See 3 CSR 10-7.432 and 3 CSR 10-7.455 of the Wildlife Code of Missouri.

Allowed

• Centerfire pistols, revolvers, or rifles using expanding-type bullets; legal ammunition includes lead bullets, copper bullets and bullets made of other material designed to expand.
• Shotguns (including .410) with slugs only
• Air-powered guns, .40 caliber or larger, charged only from an external high compression power source (external hand pump, air tank, or air compressor)
• Muzzleloading or cap-and-ball firearms, .40 caliber or larger and capable of firing only a single projectile at one discharge; in-lines and scopes are allowed.
• Multiple-barreled muzzleloading or cap-and-ball firearms and/or muzzleloading or cap-and-ball handguns, including revolvers, .40 caliber or larger, are allowed and may be carried in addition to a muzzleloading or cap-and-ball rifle.
• Longbows, recurve bows, and recurve bows of any draw weight; hand-held string releasing devices, illuminated sights, scopes, and quickpoint sights are allowed.
• Crossbows
• Atlatls

Prohibited

• Self-loading firearms with capacity of more than 11 cartridges in magazine and chamber combined
• Ammunition propelling more than one projectile at a single discharge (such as buckshot)
• Full hard metal case projectiles
• Fully automatic firearms
• Any sighting device that casts a beam of light on the game
• Electronic calls or electronically activated calls
• Night vision equipment
• Use of bait
• Use of dogs
• Additional methods may be prohibited by local ordinances.
• Motor driven conveyances may not be used to take, drive or molest wildlife. Deer may not be hunted from a boat with a motor attached.

Allowed

• Muzzleloading or cap-and-ball firearms, .40 caliber or larger and capable of firing only a single projectile at one discharge; in-lines and scopes are allowed.
• Multiple-barreled muzzleloading or cap-and-ball firearms and/or muzzleloading or cap-and-ball handguns, including revolvers, .40 caliber or larger, are allowed and may be carried in addition to a muzzleloading or cap-and-ball rifle.
• Centerfire pistols or revolvers using expanding-type bullets, such as lead or copper
• Air-powered guns, .40 caliber or larger, charged only from an external high compression power source (external hand pump, air tank, or air compressor)
• Longbows, compound bows, and recurve bows of any draw wright; hand-held string-releasing devices, illuminated sights, scopes, and quickpoint sights are allowed.
• Crossbows
• Atlatls, which are defined as a rod or narrow board-like device used to launch, through a throwing motion of the arm, a dart 5 to 8 feet in length.

Prohibited

• Any rifle capable of being loaded by any means other than the muzzle
• Shotguns
• Self-loading firearms with capacity of more than 11 cartridges in magazine and chamber combined
• Ammunition propelling more than one projectile at a single discharge (such as buckshot)
• Full hard metal case projectiles
• Fully automatic firearms
• Any sighting device that casts a beam of light on the game
• Electronic calls or electronically activated calls
• Night vision equipment
• Use of bait
• Use of dogs
• Motor driven conveyances may not be used to take, drive or molest wildlife. Deer may not be hunted from a boat with a motor attached.
• Additional methods may be prohibited by local ordinances.