The Missouri Conservation Commission approved recommendations at its April 12 meeting from the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) for upcoming 2019 migratory-game-bird-hunting seasons and 2019-2020 waterfowl-hunting seasons.

2019 MIGRATORY GAME BIRD HUNTING

Mourning Doves, Eurasian Collared Doves, and White-Winged Doves
Season: Sept. 1 through Nov. 29
Limits: 15 daily and 45 in possession combined total for all three species
Hours: One-half hour before sunrise to sunset

Sora and Virginia Rails
Season: Sept. 1 through Nov. 9
Limits: 25 daily and 75 in possession combined for both species
Hours: One-half hour before sunrise to sunset

Wilson's (Common) Snipe
Season: Sept. 1 through Dec. 16
Limits: 8 daily and 24 in possession
Hours: One-half hour before sunrise to sunset

American Woodcock
Season: Oct. 15 through Nov. 28
Limits: 3 daily and 9 in possession
Hours: One-half hour before sunrise to sunset

2019-2020 WATERFOWL HUNTING

Teal
Season: Sept. 7-22
Limits: 6 daily and 18 in possession
Hours: Sunrise to sunset

Ducks
Season:
  North Zone: Nov. 2 through Dec. 31
  Middle Zone: Nov. 9 - 15 and Nov. 21 through Jan. 12, 2020
  South Zone: Nov. 28 through Dec. 1 and Dec. 7 through Jan. 31, 2020

Bag Limit: 6 ducks daily with species restrictions of:
  4 mallards (no more than 2 females)
  3 scaup
  3 wood ducks
  2 redheads
  2 hooded mergansers
  1 pintail (new limit)
  2 canvasbacks
  2 black ducks
  1 mottled duck

Possession Limit: Three times the daily bag or 18 total, varies by species
Hours: One-half hour before sunrise to sunset

Coots
Season: Same as duck season dates in the respective zones
Limits: 15 daily and 45 in possession
Hours: One-half hour before sunrise to sunset

Snow Geese (White and Blue Phases) and Ross's Geese
Season: Nov. 11 through Feb. 6, 2020
Limits: 20 blue, snow, or Ross's geese daily with no possession limit
Hours: One-half hour before sunrise to sunset

White-Fronted Geese
Season: Nov. 11 through Feb. 6, 2020
Limits: 2 daily and 6 in possession
Hours: One-half hour before sunrise to sunset

Canada Geese and Brant
Season: Oct. 5-13 and Nov. 11 – Feb. 6, 2020
Limits: 3 Canada geese and Brant in aggregate daily, 9 in possession
Hours: One-half hour before sunrise to sunset

Light Goose Conservation Order
Season: Feb. 7 through April 30, 2020
Limits: No daily or possession limits
Hours: One-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset
Requirements: Persons must possess a Conservation Order permit to participate in the Conservation Order. An exception to the permit requirement includes any person 15 years of age or younger provided either she or he is in the immediate presence of a properly permitted adult hunter 18 years of age or older with hunter-education certification or who is exempt.
Methods: For the taking of blue, snow and Ross's geese, hunters may use shotguns capable of holding more than three shells and recorded or electronically amplified bird calls or sounds or imitations of bird calls or sounds.

YOUTH HUNTING DAYS

North Zone: Oct. 26 and 27
Middle Zone: Oct. 26 and 27
South Zone: Nov. 23 and 24
Limits: Same as during regular waterfowl season
Hours: Same as during regular waterfowl season
Requirements: Any person 15 years of age or younger may participate in youth waterfowl hunting days without permit provided they are in the immediate presence of an adult 18 years of age or older. If the youth hunter is not certified in hunter education, the adult must have the required permits and have in his or her possession proof of hunter-education unless exempt. The adult may not hunt ducks but may participate in other seasons that are open on youth hunting days.

FALCONRY SEASONS

Falconry Season for Doves
Season: Sept. 1 through Dec. 16
Limits: 3 daily and 9 in possession, singly, or in the aggregate (any ducks, coots, or mergansers taken by falconers must be included in these limits)
Hours: One-half hour before sunrise to sunset

Falconry Season for Ducks, Coots, and Mergansers
Season: Open during waterfowl seasons (teal, youth, and duck) and Feb. 11 through March 10, 2020
Limits: 3 daily and 9 in possession, singly, or in the aggregate during the regular duck-hunting seasons (including teal and youth seasons) and extended falconry seasons (any doves taken by falconers must be included in these limits)
Hours: One-half hour before sunrise to sunset

HUNTING ZONES

Waterfowl hunting zones in Missouri are divided into North, Middle, and South. For a map and more information, visit MDC online at huntfish.mdc.mo.gov/hunting-trapping/species/waterfowl/waterfowl-reports-prospects/duck-zones-and-season-dates or refer to MDC’s 2019-2020 Migratory Bird and Waterfowl Hunting Digest, available beginning in July where hunting permits are sold.

NONTOXIC SHOT REQUIREMENTS

Shells possessed or used while hunting waterfowl and coots statewide, and for other species as designated by posting on public areas, must be loaded with material approved as nontoxic by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

MDC reminds hunters of new regulations that require the use of nontoxic shot for all hunting with shotguns on 16 more conservation areas in addition to its existing 21 areas where nontoxic shot is required for all hunting with shotguns. The new regulation became effective March 1.

The 16 conservation areas are: Aspinwall Bend, Church Farm, Corning, Deroin Bend, Diana Bend, Franklin Island, Frost Island, Lower Hamburg Bend, Nishnabotna, Perry (Ralph and Martha), Platte Falls, Plowboy Bend, Thurnau (H. F.), Rose Pond, Rush Bottom, and Wolf Creek.

The 16 areas have been added to these 21 conservation areas that already require nontoxic shot for hunting with shotguns: B. K. Leach, Bob Brown, Black Island, Columbia Bottom, Cooley Lake, Coon Island, Duck Creek, Eagle Bluffs, Fountain Grove, Four Rivers, Grand Pass, Little Bean Marsh, Little River, Marais Temps Clair, Montrose, Nodaway Valley, Otter Slough, Schell-Osage, Settle’s Ford, Ted Shanks, and Ten Mile Pond.

New regulations also require the use of nontoxic shot, effective March 1, on the following 20 conservation areas managed for dove hunting: Bilby Ranch Lake, Bois D’Arc, Busch (August A.), Crowley’s Ridge, Davisdale, Harmony Mission Lake, Lamine River, Logan (William R.), Maintz Wildlife Preserve, Pacific Palisades, Park (Guy B.), Peabody, Pony Express Lake, Reed (James A.) Memorial Wildlife Area, Reform, Talbot (Robert E.), Truman Reservoir Management Lands (Bethlehem), Weldon Spring, Whetstone Creek, and White (William G. and Erma Parke) Memorial Wildlife Area.

Find more information about these and other conservation areas on the MDC website at nature.mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/places

MORE INFORMATION

For more information on migratory-bird and waterfowl hunting, visit MDC online at huntfish.mdc.mo.gov/hunting-trapping/species and select the specific species, or get MDC’s 2019-2020 Migratory Bird and Waterfowl Hunting Digest, available beginning in July where hunting permits are sold.