Doves, rails, snipe and woodcock
Sora hunting in Missouri
The 2026-27 MDC rules for soras, with harvest figures and public land.
Photo: USFWS Midwest Region (Public Domain Mark 1.0)
This guide follows the 2026-27 MDC regulations for soras: the first legal day is Sep 1, 2026 and the last is Nov 9, 2026, each row with its source.
Sora at a glance
- Bag limit: 25 rails daily, 75 possession.
- Methods: Sept 1-Nov 9.
MDC source (as of Jun 17, 2026), checked October 29, 2026.
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When soras are open in Missouri
These are the 2026-27 sora rows; conservation areas and managed hunts can add their own limits.
| Segment | Area | Limit | First day | Last day | Length | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rail season | Statewide | 25 daily combined, 75 possession | Sep 1, 2026 | Nov 9, 2026 | 70 |
From Migratory Bird and Waterfowl Digest p. 10, checked October 29, 2026.
Sora: limits, permits, prices
Missouri calls hunting licenses permits; the sora permits below come from the 2026 MDC price list, and the permit year runs March 1 to the end of February.
| Limit type | Text |
|---|---|
| Rails | 25 daily, 75 possession. |
Permits for soras
| Permit | Residency | Who | Price | Valid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Migratory Bird | resident | Age 16+ | $8 | To June 30, 2027 |
| Migratory Bird | nonresident | Age 16+ | $60 | To June 30, 2027 |
| Small Game | resident | Age 16-64 | $11.50 | Permit year |
| Daily Small Game | nonresident | All | $16 | 1 day |
| Small Game | nonresident | Age 16+ | $108.50 | Permit year |
| Small Game and Fishing | resident | All | $22.50 | Permit year |
From Hunting and Trapping Summary p. 8, Hunting and Trapping Summary p. 9, Migratory Bird and Waterfowl Digest p. 10 and Migratory Bird and Waterfowl Digest p. 6, checked October 29, 2026.
Places to hunt soras
142 public areas in this guide list waterfowl hunting, the group that covers soras; the biggest by acreage are below.
| Area | County | Acres | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bull Shoals Lake lands | Ozark County | 34,736 | Corps lake lands |
| Stockton Lake Management Lands | Cedar County | 16,572 | Corps lake lands |
| Union Ridge Conservation Area | Adair County | 8,263 | Conservation Area |
| Truman Reservoir lands (Grand River Bottoms) | Henry County | 8,094 | Corps lake lands |
| Deer Ridge Conservation Area | Lewis County | 7,185 | Conservation Area |
| Duck Creek Conservation Area | Bollinger County | 6,319 | Conservation Area |
| Lamine River Conservation Area | Cooper County | 6,071 | Conservation Area |
| Grand Pass Conservation Area | Saline County | 5,301 | Conservation Area |
| Bilby Ranch Lake CA | Nodaway County | 5,110 | Conservation Area |
| Robert E. Talbot CA | Lawrence County | 4,361 | Conservation Area |
| B. K. Leach Memorial CA | Lincoln County | 4,308 | Conservation Area |
| Rebel's Cove Conservation Area | Putnam County | 4,225 | Conservation Area |
| Ralph and Martha Perry Memorial CA | Johnson County | 4,134 | Conservation Area |
| Bob Brown Conservation Area | Holt County | 3,307 | Conservation Area |
| Kind of land | Areas |
|---|---|
| Conservation Area | 108 |
| Corps lake lands | 17 |
| Cooperative Area | 14 |
| Public Access Area | 2 |
| Natural Area | 1 |
| MDC region | Areas |
|---|---|
| Kansas City | 33 |
| Northwest | 33 |
| Southeast | 21 |
| Northeast | 16 |
| Central | 15 |
| Southwest | 11 |
| St. Louis | 9 |
| Ozark | 4 |
Area lists from MDC area pages and the MDC places directory; methods from the MDC atlas; checked October 29, 2026.
Sora hunting rules
- When to shoot: Expect one window all season for soras: 30 minutes before sunrise until the sun sets.
- Hunter orange rule: No hunter orange is needed for soras; MDC exempts migratory bird hunting.
- Baiting law: No bait for soras; the waterfowl rule bans manipulated crops, the dove rule allows normal farming.
- Checking game: Carry soras with a head or a fully feathered wing attached, and buy the migratory permit that enrolls you in HIP.
Legal methods for soras
| Methods | Rule |
|---|---|
| Legal | Shotguns 10 ga or smaller plugged to 3 shells; nontoxic shot for waterfowl and coots; electronically switched mechanical calls for waterfowl. |
| Not legal | Rifles, pistols, recorded/amplified calls (except crows and the light goose order), sink boxes, live decoys, bait, motor vehicles/aircraft. |
Nontoxic shot: Required for waterfowl and coots statewide; for doves on 26 areas and all shotgun hunting on 46 MDC areas.
shooting hours, hunter orange, methods, checked October 29, 2026.
Sora legal hours on key dates
The sora window on key dates, computed from the MDC table for six counties from Nodaway to Cape Girardeau.
| Date | County | Opens | Closes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 1, 2026 | Jackson County | 6:17 a.m. | 7:48 p.m. |
| Sep 1, 2026 | St. Louis County | 6:01 a.m. | 7:32 p.m. |
| Sep 1, 2026 | Greene County | 6:13 a.m. | 7:44 p.m. |
| Sep 1, 2026 | Boone County | 6:09 a.m. | 7:40 p.m. |
| Sep 1, 2026 | Cape Girardeau County | 5:58 a.m. | 7:29 p.m. |
| Sep 1, 2026 | Nodaway County | 6:19 a.m. | 7:50 p.m. |
| Nov 9, 2026 | Jackson County | 6:23 a.m. | 5:09 p.m. |
| Nov 9, 2026 | St. Louis County | 6:07 a.m. | 4:53 p.m. |
| Nov 9, 2026 | Greene County | 6:19 a.m. | 5:05 p.m. |
| Nov 9, 2026 | Boone County | 6:15 a.m. | 5:01 p.m. |
| Nov 9, 2026 | Cape Girardeau County | 6:04 a.m. | 4:50 p.m. |
| Nov 9, 2026 | Nodaway County | 6:25 a.m. | 5:11 p.m. |
MDC sunrise and sunset table with the MDC longitude rule; checked October 29, 2026. Legal hours for every county.
Answers about soras
Which firearms and bows are legal for soras?
Shotguns 10 ga or smaller plugged to 3 shells; nontoxic shot for waterfowl and coots; electronically switched mechanical calls for waterfowl. Not legal: Rifles, pistols, recorded/amplified calls (except crows and the light goose order), sink boxes, live decoys, bait, motor vehicles/aircraft.
What hours apply to sora hunting?
Expect one window all season for soras: 30 minutes before sunrise until the sun sets.
What orange rule applies to soras?
No hunter orange is needed for soras; MDC exempts migratory bird hunting.
How many public areas allow sora hunting?
142 public areas in this guide list soras or the hunting group that covers them; the largest include Bull Shoals Lake lands, Stockton Lake Management Lands and Upper Mississippi Conservation Area. Every area posts its own sora rules.
How is a sora harvest recorded?
Carry soras with a head or a fully feathered wing attached, and buy the migratory permit that enrolls you in HIP.
Is Sunday sora hunting legal?
Yes. MDC prints no Sunday closure, so the sora season includes every Sunday.
When is sora season in Missouri?
Rail season Sep 1 to Nov 9, 2026.
What possession limit applies to soras?
25 daily, 75 possession.
What permit do I need for soras?
For soras, the resident Migratory Bird permit costs $8 (Age 16+). A nonresident hunting soras pays $60 for the Migratory Bird permit. Buy sora permits at mdc.mo.gov, in the app or at a vendor; phone sales add $1.