Updated September 7, 2026
Every 2026 Missouri hunting season in one place: deer, turkey, duck, and small game dates, searchable by month or zone. Use the live calendar below to see exactly what is open right now.
Every Missouri hunting season, on one page. Big game, waterfowl, small game, and statewide fishing, searchable by month, by zone, or by any single day of the year. Wondering what hunting season is it right now in Missouri? The live calendar below answers that for today's date in one tap.
Each season has its own kit. Deer hunters start with game cameras and riflescopes, waterfowlers with duck decoys and waders, and turkey hunters with turkey calls and a vest.
For full breakdowns of the most-hunted seasons, jump to our dedicated guides for deer, turkey, duck, teal, squirrel, rabbit, and gigging. All dates follow Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) regulations. New hunters should complete hunter education before their first trip.
Waterfowl Zone
Zone lines follow specific highways and rivers, not county borders. See the Missouri duck season guide for the exact boundaries, or check the MDC duck zone map.
Deer season, turkey season, dove season, and other Missouri hunting season dates plotted across the year. Scroll horizontally on mobile.
A couple of Missouri seasons sit outside the headline species. Dates below are for 2026–27, with shooting hours sunrise to sunset unless noted. For deer, turkey, duck, and small game, jump to the full guides in Browse by Species below. Last reviewed June 2026.
Teal season MO (early teal) runs September 12–20, 2026 statewide. The daily limit is 6 teal with an 18-bird possession limit. This short window is a popular kickoff to fall waterfowl hunting. See our full Missouri teal season guide for dates, limits, shooting hours, and tactics.
Teal spreads run small. Six duck decoys, a whistle from the duck calls rack, and a pair of waders is most of what September asks for.
Missouri crow season runs November 1, 2026 through March 3, 2027. There is no daily bag or possession limit on crows. Crows may be hunted with shotgun, rifle, or archery equipment.
Crows respond to the same electronic and mouth callers that work on coyotes. See our predator calls for both.
What hunting season is it right now in Missouri? Use the Open Right Now bar at the top of this page for live counts on today's date. In summer, squirrel, groundhog, and coyote are typically open while deer, duck, and turkey are closed until fall.
When is deer season in Missouri? The 2026 Missouri deer season spans September 15, 2026 through January 15, 2027 for archery, with a break during the November firearms portion (Nov 14–24). Youth portions are October 24–25 and November 27–29. See our full Missouri deer season guide for bow, rifle, youth, and county-specific dates.
Duck season in Missouri runs by waterfowl zone. North, Middle, and South each open on their own calendar between late October and January 31, 2027. Early teal runs September 12–20. See our full Missouri duck season guide for every zone date, goose seasons, and daily limits.
Missouri early teal season runs September 12–20, 2026 statewide. The daily limit is 6 teal with an 18-bird possession limit and sunrise-to-sunset hours. See our full Missouri teal season guide for legal species, permits, and tactics.
Missouri spring turkey season runs April 20 – May 10, 2027, with a youth portion April 11–12, 2027. Fall firearms turkey is October 1–31, 2026. For limits, shooting hours, and calling tactics, see our Missouri turkey season guide.
Missouri squirrel season runs May 23, 2026 through February 15, 2027, one of the longest small-game windows in the state. The daily limit is 10 with a possession limit of 20. See our full Missouri squirrel season guide for limits, permits, and the November deer-season rule.
Missouri crow season runs November 1, 2026 through March 3, 2027. There is no daily bag or possession limit on crows, which may be hunted with shotgun, rifle, or archery equipment.
Each of Missouri's headline seasons has its own full breakdown: dates, methods, limits, licenses, and the gear that gets it done. Start with the quick summary below, then dive into the dedicated guide for the species you are chasing.
The Missouri deer season runs more than four months across archery and firearms portions, one of the longest whitetail calendars in the Midwest. For most counties:
Antlerless, alternative-methods, muzzleloader, and CWD management portions vary by county. See the full Missouri Deer Season 2026 guide → for licenses, county rules, and an opening-day checklist.
Deer season, straight from the catalog:
Missouri turkey hunting runs spring and fall, with the spring gobbler season drawing the biggest crowds:
See the full Missouri Turkey Season 2026 guide → for bag limits, shooting hours, and calling tips.
Turkey season, straight from the catalog:
Duck season in Missouri is split across three waterfowl zones covering the northern tier, the central band, and the southern counties plus the Bootheel. The lines follow highways and rivers rather than county borders:
Early teal runs September 12–20. See the full Missouri Duck Season 2026 guide → for zone boundaries, goose dates, and limits.
Waterfowl season, straight from the catalog:
When the big-game seasons are closed, or you just want a change of pace, Missouri's small-game windows are some of the longest in the country and overlap early archery and late firearms deer hunting.
Youth-only quail and pheasant hunts run October 24–25, 2026, the same weekend as the first youth deer portion. Coyote runs year-round statewide with no bag limit, making it the perfect off-season pursuit between deer and duck hunts.
Knowing the dates is step one. Having the right gear for each Missouri hunting season is step two. Double D Hunting stocks optics, calls, blinds, and field equipment matched to the species on this calendar, from early archery deer hunts through late duck season in the Bootheel.
The 2026 Missouri deer season rewards hunters who scout early and show up with glass that performs in low light. For firearms season in November, a clear riflescope with good low-light transmission helps in timber and field edges at first and last light. Popular picks include the Athlon Argos HMR 4-20x50 for mid-range shots and the Midas HMR GEN2 4-24x50 when you need extra magnification on crop-field setups. Our best budget long range scope guide compares glass across every price tier, and the full Athlon Optics lineup is worth a look.
Archery hunters should browse our archery collection for bows, broadheads, and accessories. Pair a quality binocular with a laser rangefinder to judge yardage from the stand before the rut pushes deer through unpredictable lanes. Hang game cameras on scrapes and funnels in August to pattern movement before September 15 opens, and keep spare mounts and batteries on hand.
Elevated setups? Shop tree stands, climbing sticks, and ground blinds for firearms and late-season archery hunts when deer key on food sources. Summer mineral sites turn into October patterns, so start with attractants and minerals well before the opener.
Duck season in Missouri runs different dates in each zone, but the gear list stays the same: decoys, calls, waders, and a blind that hides movement on windy days. Start with our duck decoys for mallard spreads on flooded timber and field setups along the Missouri River corridor, and haul them in a bag from bags and storage. Late-season birds that have seen every static spread in the flyway still commit to water that moves, so a spinner or a pulsator from our motion decoys earns its spot by December.
Duck calls and goose calls cover early teal in September through late-season honkers in the South Zone. A layout blind or A-frame from waterfowl blinds keeps you concealed when birds finish short, and men's waders keep you in the spread. For scouting marshes before the season, a waterproof binocular helps you read water levels and bird activity from the levee.
Missouri spring turkey season opens in April, and fall turkey overlaps with early deer archery in October. Turkey hunters rely on mouth and slate turkey calls, lightweight turkey decoys for field-edge setups, a turkey vest with a built-in seat, and a turkey choke tube patterned before opening morning.
Coyote season runs all year in Missouri with no bag limit, making it the perfect off-season pursuit between deer and duck hunts. Our coyote hunting gear guide breaks down thermal scopes, electronic callers, and flat-shooting optics for predator work, and our predator calls cover coyote and crow alike. For night hunts on farmland, the RIX STORM S3 thermal scope and Cronus ATS Pro are top picks. Browse the full RIX thermal scopes hub or shop all thermal and night vision optics.
Missouri fishing seasons run year-round for most species on this page. Bass, crappie, catfish, and trout all have open windows that overlap with hunting seasons, so many Missouri outdoorsmen switch from treestand to boat as the calendar turns.
Shop our full fishing gear collection for rods, reels, tackle, and accessories. Paddlefish snagging season in March and April is a Missouri tradition on the Osage and other rivers, and crappie fishing peaks in spring when turkey season is in full swing. For a cold-weather river tradition, see our Missouri gigging season guide. Nongame fish gigging runs September 15 through February 15.
Missouri hunting season dates, bag limits, and zone boundaries can change. This 2026 guide follows MDC regulations for reference only. Complete hunter education if required, then confirm current deer hunting seasons, waterfowl limits, and county rules on the Missouri Department of Conservation website before you go.
Nothing on this page constitutes legal advice. Always consult official Missouri hunting and fishing rules and regulations before you hunt or fish. Double D Hunting is not responsible for errors, omissions, or changes in season dates or regulations, and will not be held liable for any decisions made based on this information.