Hunting in Missouri: Are Safety Courses Required to Hunt in Missouri?

Outdoor enthusiasts who want to go hunting in Missouri need to be educated on the intricacies of their pastime. Hunter education courses are required to buy a hunting permit in the state. That's true for any resident born on or after Jan. 1, 1967, according to the Missouri Department of Conservation.

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Since Missouri's hunter education mandate began in 1987, hunting accidents and deaths have declined by more than 70 percent.

"Our Hunter Education Program provides a foundation in hunting safety and ethics. It instills responsibility, improves skills and knowledge, and encourages interaction between beginner and veteran hunters,” the DOC said.

Anyone age 11 or older is eligible to take the course and become certified. The state recommends that aspiring hunters who are 10 or younger hunt with an adult mentor. The education course covers, among other things, hunter responsibility, firearm safety and handling skills, wildlife identification, and wildlife conservation and management.

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To become education certified, hunters must pass two parts of the requirements. The first part is the knowledge section, which can be completed online for a $15 fee or for free with either a self-study guide or a four-hour classroom session. The second part is a four-hour skills session that includes a 35-question multiple-choice final exam.

The learning doesn't end once the education course is passed. The state also requires its sportsmen to be familiar with the Missouri Wildlife Code, which keeps a record of all state regulations for hunting, trapping and fishing. The regulations are constantly being tweaked and changed, but hunters can read a summary every February in the Missouri Conservationist magazine.

Those who receive hunter-education certificates are eligible to buy permits to hunt deer, turkey, waterfowl, furbearers and small game in the state. Permits are available online, via phone, at any DOC office and from more than 1,000 vendors in the state.

This article is for information only. Please check current regulations before hunting.

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