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Species

Missouri Hunting by Species

All 57 species and groups for 2026-27: dates, limits, permits and the species with no season.

Every season Permit prices

57Species

44Dated

10No season

Photo: Gary Leavens (CC BY-SA 2.0)

How the Missouri species list is organized

MDC rules for 2026-27 cover 57 species and groups on this site: 44 with dated seasons, 10 with no open season, two unprotected birds (house sparrow and European starling) and feral hogs, which have no season and fall under eradication rules. Deer are managed county by county, with firearms antlerless limits of 0, 1, 2 or 4 and antlerless portions open in 100 counties; black bears are hunted Oct 17-30 in three Black Bear Management Zones on 2,000 drawn permits; elk only in Carter, Reynolds and Shannon counties on 5 permits; fall firearms turkey runs Oct 1-31 in 107 counties. Duck dates follow the North, Middle and South zones, new for 2026-2030. Spring 2027 turkey dates were not published when these pages were checked on October 29, 2026.

57Species pages

44With dated seasons

10No open season

64Season rows

From the 2026 Fall Deer and Turkey booklet, the waterfowl digest, the 2026 summary and the Wildlife Code, checked October 29, 2026.

Big game in Missouri

Deer, elk, black bear and wild turkey: drawn permits for bear and elk, county rules for deer.

White-tailed Deer

Sep 15–Jan 15

2 antlered deer (1 firearms, 1 archery before Nov 14); nonresidents 1 antlered; unlimited archery antlerless; county fir

Mule Deer

Sep 15–Jan 15

Same permits and limits as white-tailed deer (Code: deer = white-tailed and mule deer).

Elk

Oct 17–Dec 20

1 antlered elk (6 in.+ antler) on a drawn resident permit.

Black Bear

Oct 17–Oct 30

1 bear per drawn permit; BMZ quotas 30/22/8.

Wild Turkey

Sep 15–Jan 15

Fall: 2 either sex. Spring: 2 bearded (nonresident permit 1).

Small game in Missouri

Rabbits, squirrels, groundhogs and crows, on the Small Game Hunting permit.

Eastern Cottontail

Oct 1–Feb 15

6 daily (2 swamp), 12 possession.

Swamp Rabbit

Oct 1–Feb 15

Max 2 daily within the rabbit limit.

Gray Squirrel

May 23–Feb 15

10 daily, 20 possession (combined).

Fox Squirrel

May 23–Feb 15

10 daily, 20 possession (combined).

Groundhog

May 11–Dec 15

Any number.

American Crow

Nov 1–Mar 3

Any number.

Upland birds in Missouri

Bobwhite quail and ring-necked pheasant, with a youth weekend Oct 24-25.

Northern Bobwhite

Oct 24–Jan 15

8 daily, 16 possession.

Ring-necked Pheasant

Oct 24–Jan 15

2 males daily, 4 possession.

Doves, rails, snipe and woodcock in Missouri

Doves, rails, snipe and woodcock, on the Migratory Bird Hunting permit.

Mourning Dove

Sep 1–Nov 29

15 daily, 45 possession (all doves).

White-winged Dove

Sep 1–Nov 29

In the 15-dove limit.

Eurasian Collared-dove

Sep 1–Nov 29

In the 15-dove limit.

Sora

Sep 1–Nov 9

25 rails daily, 75 possession.

Virginia Rail

Sep 1–Nov 9

In the rail limit.

Wilson's Snipe

Sep 1–Dec 16

8 daily, 24 possession.

American Woodcock

Oct 18–Dec 1

3 daily, 9 possession.

Ducks, geese and coots in Missouri

Ducks, teal, mergansers, coots and geese, with the federal duck stamp for waterfowl.

Teal

Sep 12–Jan 31

September teal 6 daily, 18 possession; regular duck limits later.

Ducks

Oct 24–Jan 31

6 daily with species limits; possession 3x.

Mergansers

Oct 31–Jan 31

Hooded merganser 2 within the duck limit; other mergansers count toward 6 ducks.

American Coot

Oct 24–Jan 31

15 daily, 45 possession.

Canada Goose

Oct 3–Feb 6

3 daily with brant, 9 possession.

Brant

Oct 3–Feb 6

Combined with Canada geese.

White-fronted Goose

Oct 24–Feb 6

2 daily, 6 possession.

Light Geese

Nov 11–Apr 30

20 daily, no possession limit; no limits in the Conservation Order.

Furbearers in Missouri

Furbearers taken by hunting or trapping, most from Nov 15.

Raccoon

Aug 1–Feb 28

Any number.

Virginia Opossum

Aug 1–Feb 28

Any number.

Striped Skunk

Aug 1–Feb 28

Any number.

Coyote

Jan 1–Apr 14

Any number.

Red Fox

Nov 15–Jan 31

Any number.

Gray Fox

Nov 15–Jan 31

Any number.

Badger

Nov 15–Jan 31

Any number.

Bobcat

Nov 15–Feb 28

Any number.

Mink

Nov 15–Feb 28

Any number.

Muskrat

Nov 15–Feb 28

Any number.

River Otter

Nov 15–Feb 28

Any number.

Beaver

Nov 15–Mar 31

Any number.

Nutria

Nov 15–Mar 31

Any number.

Frogs, falconry and unprotected species in Missouri

Frogs, falconry, the two unprotected birds and feral hogs.

Bullfrog

Jun 30–Oct 31

8 daily combined with green frogs, 16 possession.

Green Frog

Jun 30–Oct 31

As bullfrog.

Falconry

Sep 1–Mar 10

3 daily, 9 possession combined.

Feral Swine

No open season

Any number where allowed.

House Sparrow

No closed season

No closed season or limit.

European Starling

No closed season

No closed season or limit.

No open season in Missouri

Species with no open season, from mountain lion to swans.

Mountain Lion

No open season

No season

Black-tailed Jackrabbit

No open season

Closed

Ruffed Grouse

No open season

No season

Gray Partridge

No open season

No season

Greater Prairie-chicken

No open season

No season

King Rail

No open season

No season

Swans

No open season

No season

Sandhill Crane

No open season

No season

Long-tailed Weasel

No open season

No season

Eastern Spotted Skunk

No open season

No season

Every Missouri species in one table

Species	Group	Opens	Closes	Limit (MDC summary)
White-tailed Deer	Big game	Sep 15, 2026	Jan 15, 2027	2 antlered deer (1 firearms, 1 archery before Nov 14); nonresidents 1 antlered; unlimited archery antlerless; county firearms antlerless limits 0-4.
Mule Deer	Big game	Sep 15, 2026	Jan 15, 2027	Same permits and limits as white-tailed deer (Code: deer = white-tailed and mule deer).
Elk	Big game	Oct 17, 2026	Dec 20, 2026	1 antlered elk (6 in.+ antler) on a drawn resident permit.
Black Bear	Big game	Oct 17, 2026	Oct 30, 2026	1 bear per drawn permit; BMZ quotas 30/22/8.
Wild Turkey	Big game	Sep 15, 2026	Jan 15, 2027	Fall: 2 either sex. Spring: 2 bearded (nonresident permit 1).
Mountain Lion	No open season			No season
Eastern Cottontail	Small game	Oct 1, 2026	Feb 15, 2027	6 daily (2 swamp), 12 possession.
Swamp Rabbit	Small game	Oct 1, 2026	Feb 15, 2027	Max 2 daily within the rabbit limit.
Black-tailed Jackrabbit	No open season			Closed
Gray Squirrel	Small game	May 23, 2026	Feb 15, 2027	10 daily, 20 possession (combined).
Fox Squirrel	Small game	May 23, 2026	Feb 15, 2027	10 daily, 20 possession (combined).
Groundhog	Small game	May 11, 2026	Dec 15, 2026	Any number.
Northern Bobwhite	Upland birds	Oct 24, 2026	Jan 15, 2027	8 daily, 16 possession.
Ring-necked Pheasant	Upland birds	Oct 24, 2026	Jan 15, 2027	2 males daily, 4 possession.
Ruffed Grouse	No open season			No season
Gray Partridge	No open season			No season
Greater Prairie-chicken	No open season			No season
Bullfrog	Frogs, falconry and unprotected species	Jun 30, 2026	Oct 31, 2026	8 daily combined with green frogs, 16 possession.
Green Frog	Frogs, falconry and unprotected species	Jun 30, 2026	Oct 31, 2026	As bullfrog.
Mourning Dove	Doves, rails, snipe and woodcock	Sep 1, 2026	Nov 29, 2026	15 daily, 45 possession (all doves).
White-winged Dove	Doves, rails, snipe and woodcock	Sep 1, 2026	Nov 29, 2026	In the 15-dove limit.
Eurasian Collared-dove	Doves, rails, snipe and woodcock	Sep 1, 2026	Nov 29, 2026	In the 15-dove limit.
Sora	Doves, rails, snipe and woodcock	Sep 1, 2026	Nov 9, 2026	25 rails daily, 75 possession.
Virginia Rail	Doves, rails, snipe and woodcock	Sep 1, 2026	Nov 9, 2026	In the rail limit.
King Rail	No open season			No season
Wilson's Snipe	Doves, rails, snipe and woodcock	Sep 1, 2026	Dec 16, 2026	8 daily, 24 possession.
American Woodcock	Doves, rails, snipe and woodcock	Oct 18, 2026	Dec 1, 2026	3 daily, 9 possession.
Teal	Ducks, geese and coots	Sep 12, 2026	Jan 31, 2027	September teal 6 daily, 18 possession; regular duck limits later.
Ducks	Ducks, geese and coots	Oct 24, 2026	Jan 31, 2027	6 daily with species limits; possession 3x.
Mergansers	Ducks, geese and coots	Oct 31, 2026	Jan 31, 2027	Hooded merganser 2 within the duck limit; other mergansers count toward 6 ducks.
American Coot	Ducks, geese and coots	Oct 24, 2026	Jan 31, 2027	15 daily, 45 possession.
Canada Goose	Ducks, geese and coots	Oct 3, 2026	Feb 6, 2027	3 daily with brant, 9 possession.
Brant	Ducks, geese and coots	Oct 3, 2026	Feb 6, 2027	Combined with Canada geese.
White-fronted Goose	Ducks, geese and coots	Oct 24, 2026	Feb 6, 2027	2 daily, 6 possession.
Light Geese	Ducks, geese and coots	Nov 11, 2026	Apr 30, 2027	20 daily, no possession limit; no limits in the Conservation Order.
Swans	No open season			No season
Sandhill Crane	No open season			No season
American Crow	Small game	Nov 1, 2026	Mar 3, 2027	Any number.
Falconry	Frogs, falconry and unprotected species	Sep 1, 2026	Mar 10, 2027	3 daily, 9 possession combined.
Raccoon	Furbearers	Aug 1, 2026	Feb 28, 2027	Any number.
Virginia Opossum	Furbearers	Aug 1, 2026	Feb 28, 2027	Any number.
Striped Skunk	Furbearers	Aug 1, 2026	Feb 28, 2027	Any number.
Coyote	Furbearers	Jan 1, 2026	Apr 14, 2027	Any number.
Red Fox	Furbearers	Nov 15, 2026	Jan 31, 2027	Any number.
Gray Fox	Furbearers	Nov 15, 2026	Jan 31, 2027	Any number.
Badger	Furbearers	Nov 15, 2026	Jan 31, 2027	Any number.
Bobcat	Furbearers	Nov 15, 2026	Feb 28, 2027	Any number.
Mink	Furbearers	Nov 15, 2026	Feb 28, 2027	Any number.
Muskrat	Furbearers	Nov 15, 2026	Feb 28, 2027	Any number.
River Otter	Furbearers	Nov 15, 2026	Feb 28, 2027	Any number.
Beaver	Furbearers	Nov 15, 2026	Mar 31, 2027	Any number.
Nutria	Furbearers	Nov 15, 2026	Mar 31, 2027	Any number.
Long-tailed Weasel	No open season			No season
Eastern Spotted Skunk	No open season			No season
Feral Swine	Frogs, falconry and unprotected species			Any number where allowed.
House Sparrow	Frogs, falconry and unprotected species			No closed season or limit.
European Starling	Frogs, falconry and unprotected species			No closed season or limit.

Limits are the species.json summaries from MDC sources; checked October 29, 2026.

Season guides for Missouri

Every season Deer rules by county Bear zones Waterfowl zones Permit prices

White-tailed buck standing in pale winter grassPhoto: Yellowstone National Park (Public Domain Mark 1.0)

Two white-tailed deer bounding across a snowy fieldPhoto: USFWS Midwest Region (Public Domain Mark 1.0)

White-tailed doe and fawn trotting down a grassy two-trackPhoto: USFWS Midwest Region (Public Domain Mark 1.0)

Missouri species questions

How many species can be hunted in Missouri?

44 of the 57 species and groups on this site have dated seasons in 2026-27; 10 have no open season.

Which Missouri species have no season?

Mountain Lion, Black-tailed Jackrabbit, Ruffed Grouse, Gray Partridge, Greater Prairie-chicken, King Rail, Swans, Sandhill Crane, Long-tailed Weasel and Eastern Spotted Skunk.

Are feral hogs a game animal in Missouri?

No. There is no hog season; the Wildlife Code allows incidental take by deer, turkey and small game permit holders in season and by resident landowners on their own land, and MDC asks people to report hogs.

When are the 2027 spring turkey dates?

Not published when checked on October 29, 2026; the 2026 seasons were youth April 11-12 and regular April 20-May 10.

Do Missouri hunters need a license?

Missouri sells permits rather than licenses: small game, migratory bird, deer, turkey, bear, elk and trapping permits, with landowner and youth exemptions.