By FRANK CAMPA
Mo. Dept. of Conservation
With archery deer and turkey season almost to its end, some outdoorsman may be suffering from "cabin fever" and want to get outside and do something to stay active through the cold winter months.
With the colder weather we have had and more likely soon to come, a good suggestion to break-up the winter doldrums is hunting for furbearing predators.
Badger, bobcat, gray fox, opossum, raccoon, red fox and striped skunk may be taken in any numbers by hunting from Nov. 15 through Jan. 31. Pelts of furbearers may be possessed, transported, consigned for processing and sold only by the taker with a valid permit throughout the year, except bobcats or their pelts shall be delivered by the taker to an agent of the department for registration or tagging before selling, transferring, tanning or mounting, but not later than April 10.
Furbearers may be purchased and sold only under provisions of this rule, Chapter 10, and 3 CSR 10-4.135.
No person shall accept payment for furbearers taken by another. Tagged bobcats or their pelts may be possessed by the taker throughout the year and may be sold only to a licensed taxidermist, tanner or fur dealer as provided in Chapter 10. It shall be illegal to purchase or sell untagged bobcats or their pelts. After tanning, pelts may be possessed, bought, or sold without permit.
Skinned carcasses of legally-taken furbearers may be sold by the taker throughout the year.
Coyotes, except as otherwise provided in this section, may be taken by hunting year-round, and pelts and carcasses may be possessed, transported and sold in any numbers throughout the year.
Electronic calls may be used to pursue furbearers, but without the aid of artificial light or night vision equipment.
Artificial light may not be used except for raccoons or other furbearing animals when treed with the aid of dogs.
Dogs may be used during the prescribed open seasons to chase, pursue or take wildlife (except beaver, deer, mink, muskrat, river otter and turkey). All dogs used to hunt, chase or pursue wildlife shall wear a collar while hunting that contains the full name and address, conservation number or complete telephone number of the owner, except this provision does not apply to dogs used by waterfowl and game-bird hunters.
Firearms may be used to take wildlife (except beaver, mink, muskrat, river otter, turtles and fish) during the open seasons. Except for hunting deer, any shotgun having a capacity of more than three shells must have the magazine cut off or plugged with a device incapable of removal through the loading end, so as to reduce the capacity to not more than three shells in magazine and chamber combined. Fully automatic firearms are prohibited.
Bows, crossbows and atlatls may be used to take wildlife during prescribed seasons. Arrows, bolts and darts containing any drug, poison, chemical or explosive are prohibited, but illuminated sights, scopes and quickpoint sights may be used. Hand-held string releasing mechanisms are permitted with bows.
These are basic regulations that deal with hunting furbearers legally in the state of Missouri. This is being provided as general information for the reader, but these are the not the regulations in their entirety. Please refer to the current Wildlife Code of Missouri for additional information and/or contact your local conservation agent for clarification. Conservation agents' contact information is available by county in the back of the recently-printed 2017 Fall Deer and Turkey information pamphlet, or on the home page of the Missouri Department of Conservation website at mdc.mo.gov.
Last, but not least, if you intend to hunt private property, make sure you have permission from the landowner, and updated and written permission is always best.