-
Missouri sets season dates. limits
The Missouri Conservation Commission approved season dates at its April 8 meeting for the upcoming 2020 migratory game bird hunting seasons and the 2020-2021 waterfowl hunting seasons.
Andy Raedeke, waterfowl biologist, said the waterfowl hunting dates were set using the same formula as last year. Any shift in dates is based on how the days fall on the calendar.
“The North Zone will open on the first Saturday of November and this year it’s as late as it can be,” Raedeke said. “It will open Nov. 7, so that will be about the latest we’ve ever opened in the North Zone.”
The bag limits for waterfowl species will remain the same with the exemption of hunting scaup.
This year, two scaup can be harvested for the first 45 days of the season in each zone, and one scaup can be harvested for the last 15 days in each zone. The change was made in response to a decline in population. The population of the bird is currently around 28% below the long-term average.
“We shoot very few scaup in Missouri, so it really shouldn’t be a big deal for hunters one way or another,” Raedeke said. “We typically harvest less than 3,000 scaup statewide.”
The conservation department recently held public workshops for hunters to provide input about season dates and zone boundary locations for the 2021 through 2025 seasons.
The recommendations based on public input from those meetings will be presented to the regulations committee in the beginning of May. The issue is expected to be discussed at the next Missouri Conservation Commission meeting.
In addition, he said the annual fall monitoring activities of waterfowl that typically take place in North America will be cancelled this year due to concerns for the spread of the coronavirus. This likely will result in less information being collected on the waterfowl status and conditions on the breeding grounds this upcoming year.
2020 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
2020-2021 Waterfowl Hunting
Teal
Season: Sept. 12 to 27
Limits: Six daily and 18 in possession
Hours: Sunrise to sunset
Ducks
Season: North Zone: Nov. 7 through Jan. 5, 2021
Middle Zone: Nov. 7 to 13 and Nov. 19 through Jan. 10, 2021
South Zone: Nov. 26 to 29 and Dec. 7 through Jan. 31, 2021
Limits: Six ducks daily with species restrictions
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, 2021
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, 2021
Limits: Two daily and six in possession
Hours: One-half hour before sunrise to sunset
Canada Geese and Brant
Season: Oct. 3 to 11 and Nov. 11 to Feb. 6, 2021
Limits: Three Canada geese and Brant in aggregate daily, nine in possession
Hours: One-half hour before sunrise to sunset
Light Goose Conservation Order
Season: Feb. 7 through April 30, 2021
Limits: No daily or possession limits
Hours: One-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset
Youth Hunting Days
North Zone: Oct. 24 and 25
Limits: Same as regular waterfowl season
Hours: Same as regular waterfowl season
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. MDC’s 2020-2021 Migratory Bird and Waterfowl Hunting Digest will be available beginning in July where hunting permits are sold.
Posting Permissions
- You may not post new threads
- You may not post replies
- You may not post attachments
- You may not edit your posts
-
Forum Rules
Bookmarks