Looking for Bobwhite, Pheasant, and different Small Sport in Missouri

Missouri encompasses a plethora of upland fowl and small recreation searching alternatives on public lands throughout the state.

Missouri has a popularity for high-quality searching. Many are conversant in the state’s means to provide giant whitetail bucks, however do you know it’s an unimaginable place for upland fowl searching, too?

Upland fans can pursue pheasant, quail, dove, woodcock, and extra within the Present-Me state. Though 93 % of Missouri’s lands are privately owned, the seven % that’s public nonetheless spans almost 3.2 million acres. Over 1.6 million of these acres are federal lands. The Missouri Division of Conservation (MDC) has a listing of all of the state-managed Conservation Areas, that are additionally open to the general public. These Conservation Areas embrace 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,” mentioned Kyle Hedges, an upland recreation habitat supervisor in Missouri. “Not all of these lands maintain upland recreation birds, however the accessibility to public lands in our state is unbelievable. In most parts of the state, there may be probably a tract of public land inside an hour drive harboring upland fowl searching alternatives.”

Let’s take a better take a look at Missouri’s upland birds, season dates, and searching laws.

Learn: Missouri 2024 Looking Rules

2024-25 Missouri Chicken Looking and Small Sport Seasons

*These season dates have been final up to date on September 14, 2024 and will not mirror adjustments since that date. For essentially the most up-to-date data, go to the Missouri Division of Conservation’s web site.

Pheasant

“Pheasant searching is primarily restricted to the northern third of Missouri, though just a few pockets of birds will be present in different parts of the state,” mentioned Hedges. “Personal or public lands holding a number of pheasants is uncommon, however high-quality habitat can yield a huntable inhabitants.”

In case you’re sticking to searching pheasants on Missouri’s public lands, focus your time on Conservation Areas. “Conservation Areas with a mix of row crop and grassland habitat present the perfect alternative for bagging a rooster,” mentioned Frank Loncarich, a wildlife biologist who makes a speciality of bobwhite and grassland administration. Identical to any upland fowl, 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 by 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 by October 27, 2024. Youth ages 6 by 13 could hunt, and youngsters with out a searching hunter’s security certification “should hunt within the quick presence of a correctly licensed grownup,” based on Missouri’s searching laws. Nevertheless, the chaperoning grownup can’t pheasant hunt, too.

Bobwhite Quail

Bobwhite quail will be discovered throughout Missouri, however essentially the most sturdy populations stay within the northern and western elements of the state, explains Loncarich. 

“Search for areas of native grassland or the place grassland restoration has occurred,” he mentioned. “Public land inside designated QRLs are deliberately managed for quail and supply good alternatives to search out birds.” QRL areas will 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 with out a hunter’s training certificates should 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,” mentioned Hedges. He defined that nationwide woodcock analysis has proven that woodcock summering within the higher Midwest use Missouri as their major southern migration route. “The primary two weeks of November sometimes present essentially the most constant woodcock searching in Missouri, as this usually coincides with their peak migration by 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 offer ample feed for resident and migratory doves. Looking can also be permitted on DMAs. 

View Missouri’s listing 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 consult with the mixed whole of all dove species.

Snipe, Soras, and Rails

Snipes, soras, and rails all skirt that line between being an upland fowl and a waterbird. These migratory birds depend on wetlands for meals, water, and shelter. Though Missouri has misplaced 87 % of its pre-settlement wetlands, 643,000 acres of wetlands stay within the state right this moment, offering habitat for huntable populations of Wilson’s snipe, sora, and Virginia rails. Most of those water-logged areas will 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, by 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 Sport In Missouri

Small recreation searching in Missouri doesn’t finish with upland birds. The state options sturdy numbers of squirrels, rabbits, waterfowl, and lots of different small recreation species and furbearers. Simply take into account that jackrabbits will not be hunted or trapped at any time in Missouri.

Rabbit searching season runs from October 1, 2024, by 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 Chicken Licensing Charges

*These charges have been final up to date on September 14, 2024, and will not mirror any adjustments since that date. For essentially the most up-to-date data, go to the MDC web site.

Blaze Orange Necessities in Missouri

Missouri urges all hunters to put on blaze orange, and so does Undertaking Upland. Nevertheless, Missouri solely legally requires hunters to don blaze orange throughout particular occasions of the searching season. 

Chicken 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 if you’re mentoring one other hunter in the course of the gun deer season. 

Missouri doesn’t require fowl hunters to put on orange if they’re searching migratory birds, searching on public land the place deer searching is restricted to archery, small recreation searching in the course of the antlerless or CWD parts in a closed county, searching small recreation or furbearers in the course of the different strategies portion, or searching small recreation or furbearers in the course of the firearms portion of the elk season. You possibly can assessment 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 relating to searching with and coaching canine.

Canines in coaching could chase however not take wildlife that may be legally hunted with canine within the state—a searching allow acceptable for the sport your canine is pursuing or a canine coaching exception is required. Pistols with clean ammunition could also be used to coach canine solely throughout daytime in closed searching seasons.

In case you plan to hunt rabbits or squirrels with canine in Missouri, extra restrictions apply. You possibly can view MDC’s dog-based laws right here, beneath the part “Looking with Canines.”