JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) reminds hunters and anglers that squirrel and black bass seasons open Saturday, May 25.
SQUIRRELS
The hunting season on eastern gray and fox squirrels runs May 25 through Feb. 15, 2025. Allowed methods include shotguns, rifles, and other legal firearm methods, as well as archery equipment, slingshots, or atlatls. Squirrels may also be harvested with cage-style traps during the hunting season as long as hunters have a valid Small Game Hunting permit. Traps must be labeled with the hunter’s full name and address, or Conservation Number, be attended daily, and have an opening of 144 square-inches or smaller.
The daily limit for hunting, including the use of cage-style traps, is ten and the possession limit is 20. Hunters must have a permit valid for hunting small game or be exempt.
Get more information on squirrel hunting and trapping from MDC’s 2024 Summary of Missouri Hunting and Trapping Regulations online at http://short.mdc.mo.gov/4ud.
Need recipe suggestions? Browse squirrel recipes at https://short.mdc.mo.gov/ZcQ.
BLACK BASS
Anglers may catch-and-keep black bass, such as largemouth, smallmouth, spotted/Kentucky bass, May 25 through Feb. 28, 2025. Black bass can be found statewide but have a closed season part of the year in most streams south of the Missouri River. Black bass can be caught and released legally throughout the year anywhere in Missouri, and legal-sized bass may be kept all year long from impoundments and streams with no closed season. In most state waters, the daily limit on black bass is six. Fish taken from most rivers and streams must be 12-inches long. Additional regulations may apply to specific waters or areas. Anglers must have a valid fishing permit or be exempt.
Find more information on bass fishing in MDC’s 2024 Summary of Missouri Fishing Regulations, available where permits are sold, or online at http://short.mdc.mo.gov/4uW.
Find tips from MDC on cooking fish at https://short.mdc.mo.gov/Zrk.
KEEP PERMITS HANDY WITH MDC MOBILE APPS
Take your permits with you wherever you are in nature using MDC’s Mo Hunting or Mo Fishing mobile apps. Users can keep their hunting and fishing permits on the apps, find nearby places to hunt or fish, check area regulations, and more. Both Mo Hunting and Mo Fishing apps are available for download for Apple and Android users. Find more information at https://mdc.mo.gov/contact-engage/mobile-apps.
