Missouri incorporates a plethora of upland chicken and small sport searching alternatives on public lands throughout the state.
Missouri has a fame for high-quality searching. Many are aware of the state’s skill to supply giant whitetail bucks, however do you know it’s an unimaginable place for upland chicken searching, too?
Upland fans can pursue pheasant, quail, dove, woodcock, and extra within the Present-Me state. Though 93 p.c of Missouri’s lands are privately owned, the seven p.c that’s public nonetheless spans practically 3.2 million acres. Over 1.6 million of these acres are federal lands. The Missouri Division of Conservation (MDC) has an inventory of all of the state-managed Conservation Areas, that are additionally open to the general public. These Conservation Areas embody Quail Restoration Landscapes (QRLs), Dove Administration Areas (DMAs), taking pictures ranges, and extra.
“We’re lucky in Missouri to have public lands in each county within the state,” stated Kyle Hedges, an upland sport habitat supervisor in Missouri. “Not all of these lands maintain upland sport birds, however the accessibility to public lands in our state is incredible. In most parts of the state, there’s possible a tract of public land inside an hour drive harboring upland chicken searching alternatives.”
Let’s take a better take a look at Missouri’s upland birds, season dates, and searching laws.
Learn: Missouri 2024 Searching Rules
2024-25 Missouri Chook Searching and Small Recreation Seasons
*These season dates have been final up to date on September 14, 2024 and should not replicate modifications since that date. For essentially the most up-to-date info, go to the Missouri Division of Conservation’s web site.
Pheasant
“Pheasant searching is primarily restricted to the northern third of Missouri, though a number of pockets of birds might be present in different parts of the state,” stated Hedges. “Personal or public lands holding a number of pheasants is uncommon, however high-quality habitat can yield a huntable inhabitants.”
Should you’re sticking to searching pheasants on Missouri’s public lands, focus your time on Conservation Areas. “Conservation Areas with a mixture of row crop and grassland habitat present one of the best alternative for bagging a rooster,” stated Frank Loncarich, a wildlife biologist who focuses on bobwhite and grassland administration. Identical to any upland chicken, pheasant want meals and canopy, and locations the place these two sources intersect can supply prime rooster taking pictures alternatives.
Missouri’s pheasant season runs from November 1, 2024 via January 15, 2025. The each day restrict is 2 roosters, and the possession restrict is 4 roosters. Solely male birds could also be taken in the course of the searching season.
Missouri additionally presents a two-day lengthy youth pheasant season from October 26, 2024 via October 27, 2024. Youth ages 6 via 13 could hunt, and children and not using a searching hunter’s security certification “should hunt within the quick presence of a correctly licensed grownup,” in keeping with Missouri’s searching laws. Nevertheless, the chaperoning grownup can’t pheasant hunt, too.
Bobwhite Quail
Bobwhite quail might be discovered throughout Missouri, however essentially the most sturdy populations dwell within the northern and western components of the state, explains Loncarich.
“Search for areas of native grassland or the place grassland restoration has occurred,” he stated. “Public land inside designated QRLs are deliberately managed for quail and supply good alternatives to search out birds.” QRL places might be discovered on the MDC web site.
Quail season opens on November 1, 2024 and closes January 15, 2025. The bag restrict is eight birds, and the possession restrict is 16.
Youth quail season runs concurrently with the youth pheasant season. Youth quail season opens on October 26, 2024 and closes October 27, 2024. Identical to pheasant, youths between the ages of six and 13 could hunt, and people and not using a hunter’s schooling certificates have to be accompanied by a licensed grownup who shouldn’t be searching.
Woodcock
“Missouri can present some nice woodcock searching in the course of the fall migration,” stated Hedges. He defined that nationwide woodcock analysis has proven that woodcock summering within the higher Midwest use Missouri as their main southern migration route. “The primary two weeks of November sometimes present essentially the most constant woodcock searching in Missouri, as this typically coincides with their peak migration via the state.”
American woodcock season opens on October 18, 2024 and ends December 1, 2024. The bag restrict is three birds, and the possession restrict is 9.
Dove
Missouri is exclusive in that the state manages Dove Administration Areas. Inside DMAs, sunflower meals plots are maintained to supply ample feed for resident and migratory doves. Searching can also be permitted on DMAs.
View Missouri’s checklist of dove administration areas right here.
Dove searching season opens on September 1, 2024 and concludes December 16, 2024. The bag restrict is 15, and the possession restrict is 45. Each mourning and Eurasian collared dove are each current in Missouri, and the bag and possession limits discuss with the mixed whole of all dove species.
Snipe, Soras, and Rails
Snipes, soras, and rails all skirt that line between being an upland chicken and a waterbird. These migratory birds depend on wetlands for meals, water, and shelter. Though Missouri has misplaced 87 p.c of its pre-settlement wetlands, 643,000 acres of wetlands stay within the state at present, offering habitat for huntable populations of Wilson’s snipe, sora, and Virginia rails. Most of those water-logged areas might be discovered close to the Ozarks, within the southern half of the state, and alongside the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers.
Missouri’s snipe season runs from September 1, 2024, via December 16, 2024. The each day restrict is eight, and the possession restrict is 24.
Missouri’s sora and Virginia rail season opens on September 1, 2024, and closes on November ninth, 2024. The each day restrict of mixed rail species is 25, and the possession restrict is 75.
Squirrels, Rabbits, and Different Small Recreation In Missouri
Small sport searching in Missouri doesn’t finish with upland birds. The state options sturdy numbers of squirrels, rabbits, waterfowl, and plenty of different small sport species and furbearers. Simply understand that jackrabbits is probably not hunted or trapped at any time in Missouri.
Rabbit searching season runs from October 1, 2024, via February 15, 2025. Each cottontails and swamp rabbits could also be hunted. The each day restrict is six rabbits, two of which can be swamp rabbits. The possession restrict is 12 rabbits, 4 of which can be swamp rabbits.
Missouri’s squirrel searching season is prolonged and beneficiant. Squirrel season opened on Could 25, 2024, and can shut on February 15, 2025. The each day restrict is 10 and the possession restrict is 20.
Missouri Upland Chook Licensing Charges
*These charges have been final up to date on September 14, 2024, and should not replicate any modifications since that date. For essentially the most up-to-date info, go to the MDC web site.
Blaze Orange Necessities in Missouri
Missouri urges all hunters to put on blaze orange, and so does Mission Upland. Nevertheless, Missouri solely legally requires hunters to don blaze orange throughout particular occasions of the searching season.
Chook hunters should put on blaze orange if they’re searching in the course of the gun deer season, searching in an space having a managed firearms deer hunt, or in case you are mentoring one other hunter in the course of the gun deer season.
Missouri doesn’t require chicken hunters to put on orange if they’re searching migratory birds, searching on public land the place deer searching is restricted to archery, small sport searching in the course of the antlerless or CWD parts in a closed county, searching small sport or furbearers in the course of the different strategies portion, or searching small sport or furbearers in the course of the firearms portion of the elk season. You’ll be able to evaluate Missouri’s blaze orange necessities right here on MDC’s web site.
Canine Coaching in Missouri
Canine coaching on wild birds is allowed in Missouri. Nevertheless, the state has some restrictions concerning searching with and coaching canines.
Canines in coaching could chase however not take wildlife that may be legally hunted with canines within the state—a searching allow applicable for the sport your canine is pursuing or a canine coaching exception is required. Pistols with clean ammunition could also be used to coach canines solely throughout daylight in closed searching seasons.
Should you plan to hunt rabbits or squirrels with canines in Missouri, extra restrictions apply. You’ll be able to view MDC’s dog-based laws right here, beneath the part “Searching with Canines.”
Learn Extra
A Information to Wild Bobwhite Quail Searching
A Information to Wild Pheasant Searching in North America
The Unrealized Alternative of Woodcock Searching within the Central Midwest
How Native Prairies Can Assist Save Bobwhite Quail
