Hunting and Permit Information

All game bird hunters, except turkey hunters, must have a Missouri small game permit, unless exempt. Turkey hunters must have a permit for the fall or spring turkey season.

Check the Seasons page for season and bag limit information.

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Non-toxic Shot

Beginning March 1, 2007, twenty-one conservation areas will have a nontoxic shot only regulation for all hunting with a shotgun. The nontoxic shot regulation will reduce cases of lead shot ingestion, which can be fatal to birds including doves and eagles.

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Turkey

Spring turkey hunting information is available on the web in January and at permit vendors in March.

Fall turkey hunting information is available on the web in July and at permit vendors in August.

Early Migratory Birds

Migratory birds include dove, rail, snipe, teal and woodcock. Hunters will need the following:

To hunt teal, hunters 16 years of age and older also will need a federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp.

Additional information, including seasons, limits, shot requirements, bird identification and federal regulations summary is available in the Missouri Migratory Bird Hunting Digest, which is updated each July.

Mourning Doves

Hunters can pursue doves on 100 different conservation areas, including 2,800 acres of managed dove areas located in 800 fields. Each public area may have regulations that are slightly different from statewide regulations, and many areas require advanced reservations for hunting.

For the second year in a row, extreme weather conditions during the spring and summer of 2008 may limit dove hunting prospects on some conservation areas. Flooding along the Missouri River and its tributaries either destroyed or delayed planting sunflower and wheat plots for doves, although late-planted food plots may provide hunters with excellent late-season pass shooting.

View our 2008 fall dove hunting preview on YouTube.

Hunters are encouraged to check field conditions before the season opens September 1, or contact the regional offices for current conditions.

Pheasant, Ruffed Grouse and Quail

Pheasant and ruffed grouse hunting are allowed in certain counties. Please see the Summary of Missouri Hunting and Trapping Regulations, which is available on the web in February and at permit vendors in March. Download the 2008 Pheasant Status Report.

Quail hunting season and limits will be announced in late August.

You'll Find Good Hunting on Quail Emphasis Areas

If you're looking for new places to pursue quail, check out the Department's 19 Quail Emphasis Areas. These are located throughout the state, and recently the Department has ramped-up quail habitat-improvement efforts on them.

Youth-Only Quail and Pheasant Seasons Oct. 25-26, 2008

To provide more opportunities for hunters ages 6 through 15, the Conservation Commission has established youth-only quail and pheasant seasons. Both seasons take place Oct. 25-26. Youths who are not hunter education certified must hunt in the immediate presence of a properly licensed and hunter ed-certified adult. Adults may assist youths, BUT THE ADULT MAY NOT HUNT quail or pheasant. The quail season takes place statewide. The pheasant season will be held in the north zone only. The north zone is defined as north of Interstate 70 and also in the portion of St. Charles County south of Interstate 70. Check the permits and regulations page for more details.

Waterfowl

Waterfowl hunters will need:

Waterfowl hunters should see the Missouri Waterfowl Hunting page to access the online waterfowl reservation system, check season dates and regulations, and find many informational reports and harvest summaries.

Teal hunting information is included in the Migratory Bird Hunting Digest.