Memorial Day weekend brings an extra-special celebration for squirrel hunters and bass anglers in Missouri. The Missouri Department of Conservation reminds them that the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend, May 26, marks the opening of both squirrel season statewide and catch-and-keep bass season in most streams south of the Missouri River.
SQUIRRELS
Hunters can pursue fox squirrels and gray squirrels from May 26 through Feb. 15, 2019, with rifles, shotguns, and other legal firearms methods, along with archery equipment, slingshots, or atlatls. The daily limit for hunting and trapping is 10 with a possession limit of 20. Valid permits for squirrel hunting are Archery Hunting, Daily Small Game, Small Game Hunting and Fishing, and Small Game Hunting.
Hunters with valid permits can also take squirrels with cage-type traps. Traps must be plainly labeled on a durable material with the user’s full name and address, or conservation number. Squirrel traps must have openings measuring 144 square inches or less, for instance, 12 inches by 12 inches. Hunters must attend their traps daily. The same regulations apply to rabbits and groundhogs during their respective seasons.
Get more information on squirrel hunting from MDC’s 2018 Summary of Missouri Hunting and Trapping Regulations, available where permits are sold, or online at huntfish.mdc.mo.gov/hunting-trapping/species/squirrel
BLACK BASS
The black bass catch-and-keep season applies to most streams south of the Missouri River for largemouth, smallmouth, and spotted or Kentucky bass and runs from May 26 to Feb. 28, 2019. Anglers may catch and release these species legally all year, anywhere in the state. They may keep legal-sized bass caught from impoundments and some rivers and streams all year long, statewide. In most of the state’s waters, the daily limit on black bass is six. Black bass taken from rivers and streams must be at least 12 inches long in most areas. Additional specific regulations may apply to specific waters or areas. Anglers must have a valid fishing permit or be exempt.
Get more information on bass fishing from MDC’s 2018 Summary of Missouri Fishing Regulations, available where permits are sold, or online at huntfish.mdc.mo.gov/fishing/species/black-bass.
BUY PERMITS
Buy Missouri hunting and fishing permits from numerous vendors around the state, online at mdc.mo.gov/buypermits, or through MDC’s free mobile apps, MO Hunting and MO Fishing, available for download through Google Play for Android devices or the App Store for Apple devices.
