Hunting in Missouri: If the winter blues have gotten you down, perhaps it’s time to schedule a hunting outing in Missouri. Hunters can take advantage of the end of turkey hunting season during the winter, as well as hunt several other small game from December until either January, February, or early March.

Here are three animals to hunt during the winter in Missouri.

Turkey – For hunters that either enjoyed the spring turkey season or did not get the chance to snag any Toms in the spring, a second turkey hunting season starts every fall in Missouri. Archers need to be sure that they take advantage of the late September fall open dates that last until mid-November and then open again during Thanksgiving week through the rest of fall. Firearm hunters can start getting their turkey hunting on throughout the month of October. In 2011, American Hunter named Missouri one of the top ten states for turkey hunting, and many experts continue to agree. Writer Doug Howlett shares, “Always my personal favorite and what I would honestly declare the number one turkey hunting destination in the country based on my experiences.” A season limit of two turkeys, any sex, is enacted during the fall hunting season.

Opossum – Officially, opossum season starts in the fall about mid-November and lasts until the end of January. Hunters do not have to worry about bag or possession limits on opossums as none exist, and dogs can also be used during this time except for dates in November that overlap with fall firearm turkey hunting dates. Regulations about killing any animal using a firearm differ from county to county, so be sure to check your local regulations before discharging a firearm for any reason.

Rabbit – Rabbit hunters have two options during the winter; hunting rabbits until mid-February, or trapping rabbits through the end of January. Either way, the bag limit is six with a possession limit of 12 unless the rabbit in question is a swamp rabbit. These species have much lower limits with only a bag limit of two and a possession limit of four.

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