2009 General Deer and Turkey Regulations
Deer and turkey may be pursued, taken, killed, possessed or transported only as outlined in the Fall Deer and Turkey Hunting Regulations and Information booklet.
Firearms safety
Firearms safety is the first responsibility of every hunter. All hunters must be familiar with and follow the rules of safe firearms handling.
Hunter-orange requirements
The following persons are required to wear a cap or hat and also a shirt, vest or coat of hunter orange so that the color is plainly visible from all sides. Camouflage orange does not satisfy this requirement.
- firearms deer hunters during all five portions of the firearms deer season
- adults accompanying youths hunting deer on a Youth Deer & Turkey Hunting Permit
- archery hunters during the youth portion statewide and during the urban counties and antlerless portions in open counties
- all hunters (except migratory bird hunters) during the urban counties,
youth, November and antlerless portions in open counties.
Note: Fall firearms turkey hunters must wear hunter orange in some counties Oct. 9–12 (see Firearms Deer Hunting).
The following firearms deer hunters are exempt from the hunter-orange requirement:
- hunters using archery methods within municipal boundaries where discharge of firearms is prohibited
- archery permittees hunting during the muzzleloader portion of the firearms deer season
- hunters on federal or state public hunting areas where deer hunting is by archery methods only (However, hunter-orange is recommended for archery hunters who are hunting close to areas open to firearms methods.)
Note: Safety conscious hunters display hunter-orange even when it isn’t required. Here’s some examples:
- when walking to and from a turkey hunt, especially when carrying harvested game
- when hunting inside a camouflage blind, put hunter-orange on all sides of the blind
- when hunting close to areas where firearms hunting is allowed
Beware: When using a camouflage blind, other hunters cannot see you even if you are legally wearing hunter orange. To be safe, tie hunter orange on each side of the blind so it can be seen from all sides.
Methods prohibited
- Deer and turkeys may not be taken with the use of dogs, bait, electronic calls, electronically activated calls or live decoys. Scents and minerals, including salt, are not considered bait, however, mineral blocks with food additives are prohibited. An area is considered baited for 10 days even after complete removal of the bait. It is illegal to place bait in a way that causes others to be in violation of the baiting rule.
- Deer may not be hunted, pursued or taken within any area enclosed by a fence greater than 7 feet in height, except in licensed hunting preserves.
- Deer and turkeys may not be pursued or taken from or with a motor-driven vehicle. Deer may not be taken while they are in a stream or other body of water, or from any boat with a motor attached.
Antlered deer limit
- Each hunter may take only one antlered deer during the firearms deer season. This includes all portions, including the two youth portions.
- If you want to take additional antlered deer, you must hunt on an archer’s hunting permit during the archery deer season or in a managed hunt where antlered deer can be taken.
Hunter education certificate requirement
Hunters born on or after Jan. 1, 1967, must complete an approved hunter education program and show their card or verify certification through the permit vendor’s computer terminal. Those under age 11 cannot obtain hunter education certification, but they may obtain regular firearms deer or turkey hunting permits and hunt in the immediate presence of a qualifying mentor.
Assisting other deer and turkey hunters
A person must have a filled or unfilled turkey hunting permit to call turkeys for another hunter. Also, a person must have a filled or unfilled deer hunting permit to assist others in taking deer by active participation in deer drives or by enticing deer with calls or rattling antlers. It is illegal to shoot or take a deer or turkey for another hunter. Note: Party hunting where hunters pool their tags is prohibited.
Purple paint law
Landowners may post or define the boundaries of their property by marking trees and fence posts with purple paint. In a court of law, a property boundary marked with purple paint is the same as posting “No Trespassing” signs.
Tree stands placed on Conservation Department areas
Only portable tree stands may be placed or used only between Sept. 1 and Jan. 31 on Conservation Department areas. Unattended stands must be plainly labeled on durable material with the full name and address or Conservation I.D. number of the owner and be removed from the area before Feb. 1. Use of nails, screw-in steps or any material that would damage the tree is prohibited.
Please read Tree-Stand Safety
Retrieval of game
Anyone who kills or injures a deer or turkey must make a reasonable effort to retrieve and include the animal in his or her season limit, but this does not authorize trespass. It is a violation to wantonly leave or abandon commonly edible portions of game.
Use of dogs to recover legally taken game
A hunter can use leashed dogs to track and recover mortally wounded deer or turkeys, provided the hunter: (1) has exhausted other reasonable means of finding the animal, (2) contacts a conservation agent, (3) does not possess firearms or bows during dog-tracking activities, and (4) maintains control of the leashed dog at all times. Note: The use of dogs to recover legally taken game does not authorize trespass.
Keep deer carcasses out of streams and lakes
It is illegal to place a deer carcass or any of its parts into any well, spring, brook, branch, creek, stream, pond or lake.
Labeling game
All harvested deer and turkeys, either whole or processed, must be labeled with the taker’s full name, address and Telecheck confirmation number.
Giving away deer and turkey
A hunter who takes a deer or turkey may give it to another person, but the game counts toward the taker’s bag limit. Deer and turkey that are given away must be labeled with the taker’s full name, address, Telecheck confirmation number, species and the date taken.
Possession, storage and sale
Properly checked turkeys and deer may be possessed by anyone if labeled with the taker’s full name, address, Telecheck confirmation number and the date taken. The Telecheck confirmation number must remain attached to the carcass until a processor begins the act of processing the meat for packaging.
Deer left at commercial processing or cold storage plants must be claimed by May 1 following the season taken or the owner will be in violation of Rule 3 CSR 10-4.140.
Turkeys may not be possessed after Feb. 15 following the season taken.
Legally obtained turkey bones and feathers, and deer heads, antlers, hides and feet may be sold by the taker, but the taker must provide a bill of sale showing:
- the taker’s full name and address
- the species and number of the parts
- the full name and address of the buyer.
For deer heads and/or antlers attached to skull plates, a dated bill of sale identifying the seller must be retained while the heads or antlers are in the buyers possession.
Any person who finds a dead deer with antlers still attached to the skull plate may take the antlers, but must report the find to a conservation agent within 24 hours to receive authorization to possess the antlers.
No authorization is needed to possess, buy and sell shed antlers not attached to the skull plate.
Shooting dogs is illegal
The Conservation Department and local sheriff offices often receive questions from dog owners, landowners and hunters about laws pertaining to free-running dogs in rural areas. While landowners do have some recourse if dogs are injuring or killing livestock under Missouri Revised Statutes, Section 273.030, dogs that merely enter private property may not be killed. In fact, Section 578.012 provides penalties for intentionally killing a dog or other animal.
Anyone killing a dog under circumstances other than the narrow ones described above can expose themselves to significant legal difficulty. Those who kill dogs may be forced to pay restitution and/or face criminal charges. Because dogs are considered personal property, dog killings are investigated by local law enforcement authorities, not by conservation agents.
It is illegal for persons to trespass on private property without permission. Ethical hunters who use dogs do their best to keep them off property where dogs are not wanted, and should contact the property owner for permission to retrieve them when their dogs follow game onto such private property. The Conservation Department works with the Sporting Dog Association of Missouri and other groups to encourage legal and ethical hunting activities and to establish good relationships with private landowners.
Don’t hunt over bait
Turkey and deer may not be hunted with the aid of bait. If you put out food for deer or turkey in an area you intend to hunt, be sure to mark your calendars with a date to remove all food. See below for guidelines on baiting.
- Use of bait while hunting—which includes grain or other feed placed or scattered so as to attract deer or turkeys—is illegal.
- An area is considered baited for 10 days even after complete removal of the bait.
- A hunter can be in violation even if he or she did not know an area was or is baited.
- It is illegal to place bait in a way that causes others to be in violation of the baiting rule.
- Doe urine and other scents such as apple, acorn and persimmon may be used to attract deer while hunting, as long as the scents are not used on or with grain and other food products.
- Mineral blocks, including salt, are not considered bait, however, mineral blocks that contain grain or other food additives are prohibited.
- It is legal to hunt over a harvested crop field, but it is not legal to add grain or other crops such as apples to the field after it has been harvested.
- Manipulating crops, such as mowing or knocking them down, is not considered baiting for deer and turkey; however it is illegal to hunt waterfowl over manipulated crops.
Definitions
- Deer
- White-tailed deer and mule deer.
- Antlered Deer
- A deer with at least one antler a minimum of 3 inches long, except that special restrictions apply in 65 counties.
- Take
- To hunt, pursue, wound, capture or kill any wildlife in any manner. Also includes acts of assistance to other persons attempting to take wildlife.
- Taker
- A person who takes or attempts to take wildlife.
- Resident
- A person who does not claim resident privileges in another state or country, and whose actual and legal residence are both in Missouri and have been for at least the last 30 days.
Restrictions for taking feral hogs during fall firearms deer and turkey hunting seasons
Feral hogs may be taken in any number throughout the year. During most of the year, no permit is required and any method, including baiting and the use of dogs, is allowed. However, special restrictions apply during the fall firearms deer and turkey hunting seasons.
During all portions of the fall firearms deer season:
- you must possess a valid, unfilled firearms deer or small game hunting permit;
- you must abide by the methods of pursuit allowed for deer listed under General Regulations, Archery Deer Hunting, and Firearms Deer Hunting.
- you must abide by any other restrictions that may apply on specific public areas.
During the November portion statewide and the antlerless portion in open counties:
- if you have a deer permit you may only use methods allowed for deer;
- if you have a small game permit you may only use a .22 caliber or smaller
rimfire cartridge or a shotgun with
shot not larger than No. 4; - you may not use dogs to pursue feral hogs during these portions of the firearms deer season.
During the youth and muzzleloader portions statewide, and the urban zones portion in open counties:
- if you have a deer permit you may use methods allowed for deer;
- if you have a small game permit you may use methods allowed for small game.
During the fall firearms turkey hunting season:
- if you are hunting on a Fall Firearms Turkey Hunting Permit, you may only use methods allowed for turkey.
- if you are hunting on a small game hunting permit, you may use methods allowed for small game.
Note: Resident landowners and lessees on their land are not required to have any permit, and they may use any method or means to take feral hogs throughout the year, including during all portions of the firearms deer and turkey hunting seasons.
- Report sightings of feral hogs to the Conservation Department by calling (573) 522-4115, ext. 3147.
- For more information, go to: www.mdc.mo.gov/7849.
