Missouri · 2026-27
Shooting hours in Missouri
For deer (archery and all firearms portions), Missouri legal shooting hours run 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset — the MDC rule is quoted below. Sunrise and sunset shift every day and with every county, so the lookup here turns the rule into your exact minutes.
Legal light for
Deer (archery and all firearms portions)
Cole County · Aug 20, 2026
Legal start
—
sunrise − 30 min
Legal end
—
sunset + 30 min
Hunting from exact coordinates instead
These minutes apply the statewide rule at your chosen spot — they can’t see zone, season, or species exceptions. Always verify in the current MDC regulations before you hunt — rules change annually. Rule checked against MDC Aug 20, 2026.
The rule, straight from the regs
“Hunting hours for deer are one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset.”
— Missouri Department of Conservation — Deer Regulations, checked Aug 20, 2026
The official times
Exceptions the regs call out
The window above — 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset — is the rule for deer (archery and all firearms portions). These run on different clocks:
- Managed hunts
- Managed deer hunts on conservation areas can set their own hours — check the area brochure for your hunt.
- Turkey and waterfowl
- Turkey and migratory bird hours are set separately — check the MDC regulations for your season. Official page.
Opening day, worked out
Firearms November Portion opens Nov 14, 2026 in Missouri. In Cole County that morning, sunrise is 6:49 AM — so legal light starts at 6:49 AM − 30 min = 6:19 AM CST. Sunset is 4:56 PM, so the day ends at 4:56 PM + 30 min = 5:26 PM CST. A county line east or west moves those minutes, and the MDC official times are the ones that count — check them before you go.
More Missouri, more states
The whole Missouri board · Deer season in Missouri · Straight-wall cartridge states
Shooting hours elsewhere: GA · MI · MN · NY · OH · PA · TX · WI