High squirrel populations in Missouri can hurt commercial nut production, particularly of walnuts and pecans. If you’re trying to get rid of squirrels in Missouri, you should investigate the laws to trap and hunt squirrels in Missouri.
In Missouri, It’s illegal to hunt and trap squirrels, you need a permit to hunt or trap a squirrel. You must first get a Small Game Hunting Permit to hunt squirrels in the wild.
According to Missouri Rules, you don’t need a permit to kill squirrels that cause damage during the non-hunting season. This page goes into detail about squirrel hunting in Missouri.
Squirrel Types Found In Missouri
There are three types of squirrels in Missouri.
Fox squirrels
In Missouri, common habitats for fox squirrels include urban and suburban areas and open woodlands. The largest of the three kinds is this one. Fox squirrels are so named because their fur can sometimes resemble that of a red fox. However, not all fox squirrels are this shade of brown. Color variations in fox squirrels’ coats include black, white, brown, and grey.
Even while fox squirrels forage for food on the ground, they can’t survive without trees for protection and nesting. As a result, fox squirrels tend to prefer more open environments. There may be more of this species in forests, but you can also find them in towns, open woods, and on the outskirts of forests. Fox squirrels often stay near their nest tree all year.
Gray squirrels
Gray squirrels are more compact than fox squirrels. The tops are gray and the bottoms are white. The tips of their tails are white. Compared to fox squirrels, gray squirrels favor areas with a greater density of trees. The oak and hickory trees that populate woodlands are perfect homes for gray squirrels.
Gray squirrels, like fox squirrels, prefer to spend their time in trees rather than foraging on the ground. They spend the vast majority of their time in or near their two den trees and rarely venture more than hundreds of yards away.
Southern Flying Squirrel
Southern flying squirrels are widespread in the state, the species is rarely spotted because it is nocturnal. These squirrels prefer deciduous woodlands as a habitat. They prefer oak-hickory woods with plenty of snags, or dead trees. As they lack the ability to fly, these squirrels get around by gliding on loose skin that extends from their front legs to their sides.
The broad, flat surface of a flying squirrel’s tail serves as a rudder as the animal navigates from tree to tree. Their typical territory size is less than two acres. Only active at night, flying squirrels are notoriously reclusive. During the winter, flying squirrels will sleep in groups in tree holes or dead trees.
Which Types Of Squirrels Are Legal To Hunt In Missouri?
According to the state’s Department of Conservation, it is legal to hunt both the eastern grey squirrel and the fox squirrel in Missouri.
- The Missouri Wildlife Code classifies both the eastern grey squirrel and the fox squirrel as game mammals, which may be legally hunted by those with the appropriate license and during the appropriate seasons.
- Fox squirrels, sometimes known as “red squirrels,” and eastern grey squirrels, are both legal game in Missouri. The other type of squirrel is smaller than the fox squirrel.
- However, according to the Missouri Department of Conservation, it is against the law to hunt protected game animals in the state of Missouri. Some examples of protected game species are flying squirrels.
Squirrels Hunting Season In Missouri
Missouri’s Department of Conservation states that the squirrel hunting season runs from May to February. The daily limit for shooting and trapping squirrels is ten, and the maximum number that can be kept in one’s possession is twenty. Hunters are needed to have either a current permit or an exemption to legally hunt small game.
When hunting squirrels, hunters can use a wide range of legal weapons, such as shotguns, rifles, and other legal guns, as well as archery gear, slingshots, and atlatls. At the right time of year, different kinds of caged traps can also be used to catch squirrels.
Laws Governing The Hunting Of Squirrels In Missouri
The Missouri Conservation Department has these rules as the only legal ways to hunt squirrels in Missouri:
- Only during hunting seasons and with a license is it legal to hunt squirrels.
- You don’t need a hunting license to kill squirrels causing trouble.
- Squirrels can be hunted during the season.
- Consult the Missouri Department of Conservation for hunting information.
- Shooters of squirrels can only kill a certain number of them each day.
- Hunters can only have up to 10 squirrels at a time.
- To make hunting as easy as possible in Missouri, hunting licenses can be bought online or through a mobile app from the Department of Conservation.
Laws Governing The Trapping And Relocating Of Squirrels In Missouri
Specific sequences of live-trapping and relocating squirrels without permission.
- It is legal to trap squirrels in Missouri, but you need a license.
- Squirrels are protected furbearers in Missouri, so there are specific times when you can hunt and trap them. But there are a few ways that landowners can limit the damage done by furbearers.
- In Missouri, it is now legal to trap squirrels. Following Missouri’s Wildlife Code, property owners can hire furbearer hunters who can trap during the designated furbearer season at any time of the year, or they can trap wildlife that is bothering them themselves.
- The Missouri Department of Conservation’s rules for controlling wildlife says that moving them is not a good idea.
- Even though it might seem like a good idea, we don’t think you should move.
- The Missouri Conservation Department has rules about how to hunt, but if you have a hunting permit, you can catch squirrels with a cage-type trap at any time during the open hunting season.
How Can You Shoot And Hunt Squirrels In Missouri?
The following are some helpful recommendations for shooting squirrels in the state of Missouri:
- Guns like revolvers, pistols, and rifles that only shoot one bullet at a time
- Weapons are driven by springs, air pressure, or compressed gas
- shotguns of a 10 gauge or smaller that have had their magazines capped or hacked off, bringing the total number of rounds that can fit in the chamber as well as the magazine down to three.
- Archery equipment, such as longbows, compound bows, and recurve bows.
- It is possible to employ crossbows and slingshots.
- You may employ dogs
- Electronic or electronically triggered calls can be used.
Is It Legal To Shoot Squirrels With A Pellet Gun In Missouri?
The use of pellet guns to hunt squirrels is legal in the state of Missouri. Squirrels can be shot with a BB gun, pellet gun, or a regular gun, which is usually a rimfire or shotgun, in places where those guns and guns are allowed.
To buy a pellet gun, BB gun, air gun, or air rifle legally in the state of Missouri, the buyer must be at least 18 years old. If you want to know how to use weapons in Missouri, you can ask the city or county officials in your area.
Is It Legal To Shoot Squirrels On Property In Missouri?
If you want to kill squirrels in Missouri, whether you do it on private or public land, you will need a Small Game Hunting Permit. You can hunt down a squirrel with a shotgun, a rifle, or even a bow and arrow.
During the season, cage traps of various types also use to them trap. If you plan to go hunting with a shotgun in a conservation area, you need to be sure that the region is not one of the 21 that mandates the use of nontoxic shots.
Conclusion
It is legal to kill a squirrel as long as you have a valid hunting license and don’t hurt it. It is against the law to poison squirrels without a permit, and it is not a good idea to use traps that grab their legs or bodies.
Check the local laws before taking any measures that could kill the animals. You should never use a gun inside a city or in a neighborhood. Since squirrels can spread rabies, it’s best to hire a pro to get rid of them from your property.
