Here’s when hunters will be able to harvest Missouri’s deer and turkey in 2026.
MISSOURI, USA — The last hunting seasons of 2025 aren’t even over yet, but the Missouri Department of Conservation is already looking ahead to next year’s harvests.
The department on Friday set its hunting dates for both turkey and deer hunting seasons for 2026-2027. The dates were reportedly approved by the Missouri Conservation Commission at its Dec. 12 open meeting at the department’s headquarters in Jefferson City.
2026 Spring and Fall Turkey Hunting Dates
- Spring Youth Portion: April 11-12
- Regular Spring Turkey Season: April 20 through May 10
- Fall Archery Turkey Portion: Sept. 15 through Nov. 13 and Nov. 25 through Jan. 15, 2027
- Fall Firearms Turkey Portion: Oct. 1-31 (in open counties)
2026-2027 Archery Deer Hunting Dates
- Sept. 15 through Nov. 13 and Nov. 25 through Jan. 15, 2027
2026-2027 Firearms Deer Hunting Dates
- Firearms Early Antlerless Portion: Oct. 9-11 (in open counties)
- Firearms Early Youth Portion: Oct. 24-25*
- Firearms November Portion: Nov. 14-24
- Firearms Late Youth Portion: Nov. 27-29
- Firearms Late Antlerless Portion: Dec. 5-13 (in open counties)
- Firearms Alternative Methods Portion: Dec. 26, 2026-Jan. 5, 2027
The Commission also approved a turkey hunting regulation change that reduces the number of turkeys that out-of-state, or non-resident, hunters can harvest in the spring from two bearded birds to a single bearded bird. Nonresident landowners still maintain a two-bird limit, as long as only one was harvested during the season’s first seven days.
Wild Turkey and Ruffed Grouse Biologist Nick Oakley previously told 5 On Your Side that state data shows that out-of-state hunters make up about 18% of total trips, or days out in the field, during hunting season. But some hunting areas in Missouri can comprise as many as 40% of out-of-state hunters’ trips.