Missouri · Turkey · 2026–27 Edition
Missouri Turkey Season 2026–27: Fall & Spring Dates, Bag Limits
01 — Fall turkey
| Season | Zones | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Fall Archery Turkey | Statewide | Sep 15 – Nov 13 |
| Fall Firearms Turkey | Statewide except Dunklin, McDonald, Mississippi, New Madrid, Newton, Pemiscot & Scott counties | Oct 1 – Oct 31 |
| Fall Archery Turkey (late) | Statewide | Nov 25 – Jan 15 |
02 — Spring gobbler
| Season | Zones | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Spring Youth Portion | Statewide | Apr 11 – Apr 12 |
| Regular Spring Turkey | Statewide | Apr 20 – May 10 |
03 — Bag limits
| Spring — Resident | 2 bearded turkeys (only 1 during the first 7 days) |
|---|---|
| Spring — Nonresident | 1 bearded turkey |
| Spring — Nonresident landowner | 2 bearded turkeys (only 1 during the first 7 days) |
| Fall | Set by permit and county — see MDC turkey regulations |
04 — Shooting hours
Legal light on opening day (September 15, 2026) 06:22 — 19:47
Rule: Fall Archery (Sept. 15-Nov. 13 & Nov. 25-Jan. 15): half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset. Fall Firearms (Oct. 1-31): half an hour before sunrise to sunset. Spring Youth (Apr. 11-12): half an hour before sunrise to sunset. Regular Spring Season (Apr. 20-May 10): half an hour before sunrise to 1 p.m. CDT on PUBLIC land, but to sunset on PRIVATE land — split by land type, not by date (per MDC). Sunrise/sunset shift daily — the times above are computed for opening day; use your local Missouri sun times for any other date.
05 — License
A Missouri hunting license and turkey permit are required. Spring and fall permits are often sold separately, and some states cap the number of gobblers per hunter per year across both seasons.
Missouri hunting license cost & turkey permits →
Where to hunt public land in Missouri — WMAs by county & access rules →
06 — Scouting gear
Patterning a gobbler's roost and strut zone before Missouri's opener usually means glassing from a distance and running a trail camera through late winter and early spring.
- Hunting binoculars on Amazon →
- Trail cameras on Amazon →
- Trail camera SD cards — class, capacity & format explained →
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. These are category links, not a single named pick — we run no product tests of our own.
07 — FAQ
When does turkey season start in Missouri?
The earliest 2026–27 opener is September 15, 2026. Fall and spring seasons run separately — see the tables above.
When does turkey season end in Missouri?
The latest 2026–27 closing date is May 10, 2027. Individual segments and zones close on their own dates.
When does spring turkey season start in Missouri?
Spring Youth Portion opens April 11, 2027 (Statewide).
When does fall turkey season start in Missouri?
Fall Archery Turkey opens September 15, 2026 (Statewide).
How many turkeys can you shoot in Missouri?
2026–27 bag limits: Spring — Resident — 2 bearded turkeys (only 1 during the first 7 days). Spring — Nonresident — 1 bearded turkey. Spring — Nonresident landowner — 2 bearded turkeys (only 1 during the first 7 days). Fall — Set by permit and county — see MDC turkey regulations. Limits are set per zone and per permit — check the agency's own regulations before you hunt.
What time can you start shooting turkey in Missouri?
On opening day (September 15, 2026) legal light runs 06:22 to 19:47. The rule is: Fall Archery (Sept. 15-Nov. 13 & Nov. 25-Jan. 15): half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset. Fall Firearms (Oct. 1-31): half an hour before sunrise to sunset. Spring Youth (Apr. 11-12): half an hour before sunrise to sunset. Regular Spring Season (Apr. 20-May 10): half an hour before sunrise to 1 p.m. CDT on PUBLIC land, but to sunset on PRIVATE land — split by land type, not by date (per MDC). Sunrise and sunset shift daily, so work the offset against your local Missouri sun times for any other date.
Can I hunt turkey on my own land in Missouri without a license?
Missouri resident landowners with 5 or more acres, and their immediate household, may hunt that land without a permit — except bear, deer, elk, and turkey. Taking deer or turkey under this privilege needs at least 20 contiguous acres, and waterfowl still needs the federal Duck Stamp.
Verified · Missouri Department of Conservation · Last verified 2026-08-16
Publisher's note. Dates approved by the Missouri Conservation Commission (Dec. 12, 2025). Nonresident spring harvest limit was reduced to a single bearded bird; nonresident landowners keep two bearded birds with only one allowed during the first seven days. Fall firearms turkey is closed only in Dunklin, McDonald, Mississippi, New Madrid, Newton, Pemiscot & Scott counties (open statewide elsewhere) — confirmed via MDC's own Turkey: Regulations detail page, cross-checked against the newsroom announcement for dates. Re-verified 2026-08-16 — REAL FIX: shooting hours were previously unconfirmed (verified: null) and set to a flat -30/sunset that doesn't match any of the four season-specific rules MDC actually publishes: Fall Archery is -30/+30 (not -30/sunset as the file's opener-day rule had wrongly assumed), Fall Firearms and Spring Youth are -30/sunset, and the Regular Spring Season splits by land type rather than date (-30/1 p.m. CDT on public land, -30/sunset on private land) — see shootingHours.rule for the full breakdown.