Upcoming hunting seasons


Missouri Department of Conservation photo

As hot as it has been lately, it’s hard to think about hunting. But fall is right around the corner, and with it comes several hunting seasons. The fall hunting seasons kick off Sept. 1 with the opening of three different bird seasons: dove, Sora and Virginia rails, and snipe (yes, these are real birds with a real hunting season, not the mythical creatures you “hunted” as a child at night with a stick and a gunny sack). A week later, on Sept. 7, the early teal season opens. Then, on Sept. 15, archery season opens for deer and turkey hunting. And that gets us through the September openers.

Oct. 1 marks the opening of rabbit season and the fall firearms turkey season. Then, on Oct. 5, the early goose season opens. Wood-cock season opens Oct. 15, and the youth quail and pheasant season on Oct. 26-27 wraps up the October openers.

November starts off with the opening of crow, pheasant and quail seasons on Nov. 1. Nov. 2-3 is the early youth deer season. The regular goose season opens Nov. 11. Nov. 15 marks the opening of hunting and trapping season for furbearers, including badgers, beaver, bobcats, coyotes, foxes, mink, opossum, otter, muskrat, rabbit, raccoon and striped skunks. The following day, Nov. 16, is the opening day of the November portion of the firearms deer season. Archery season for deer and turkey reopens on Nov. 27 (archery season closes during the November firearms deer season, and although archery methods are allowed during the firearms season, archery permits are not valid during the 11 days of the November firearms deer season). 

Duck hunting in the south zone opens Nov. 28, and then we wrap up the November openers with the late youth deer season on  Nov. 29.

The firearms antlerless deer season Dec. 6-8 and the alternative methods deer season from Dec. 28 through Jan. 7 finish up our hunting seasons for 2019. 

This is just an overview of the opening dates for the various hunting seasons. For the full season dates, permit requirements, limits and specific regulations pertaining to whatever species you might be interested in hunting, you can either go to your local permit vendor for a copy of the regulations or go to the Missouri Department of Conservation’s website, mdc.mo.gov.

Be safe out there this fall, and as always, if you would like to report any suspected illegal hunting or fishing activity, call your local conservation agent. In Ozark County, you can call Tom Leeker at 417-989-1693 or call me, Jerry Kiger, at 417-989-1690.

Ozark County Times

504 Third Steet
PO Box 188
Gainesville, MO 65655

Phone: (417) 679-4641
Fax: (417) 679-3423