Missouri
625,700
Duck Statewide Harvest
131,600
Goose Statewide Harvest
41,700
No. Waterfowl Licenses Sold Annually
15.4
Ducks Per Hunter
6.9
Geese Per Hunter
$10.50
Cost of Resident Waterfowl Hunting License
$6.50
Cost of Resident State Stamps and Permits
$25
Federal Duck Stamp
Season $98; daily small-game $14.50
Cost of Non-Resident Waterfowl Hunting License
$6.50
Cost of Non-Resident State Stamps and Permits
$25
Federal Duck Stamp
Photo by Forrest Carpenter
Two major river systems — the Mississippi and Missouri — funnel ducks and geese through the Show-Me State on their annual migrations. And southeastern Missouri, including the rice-rich Bootheel region, has become a bona fide waterfowl hunting destination. Opportunities include open-water hunting, pit blinds in rice fields and flooded timber, plus river backwaters and stock ponds.
Missouri has a pretty good system of conservation areas. The state has 15 properties that are intensively managed for waterfowl. The Missouri Department of Conservation limits the number of hunting parties on these areas to enhance hunting quality and maintain resource integrity. Some areas have permanent blinds, and others let hunters wade in or hunt from boat blinds. Also, several national wildlife refuges in Missouri, including Mingo and Swan Lake, offer managed hunting opportunities.
For folks who prefer not to wait in line, the state has dozens of open public hunting opportunities on management lands and conservation areas throughout the state.
