| Window | Dates | Days |
|---|---|---|
| Window 1 | 24 OCT – 25 OCT 2026 | 2d |
| Window 2 | 01 NOV 2026 – 15 JAN 2027 | 76d |
As publishedYouth: Oct 24-25, 2026; General: Nov 1, 2026 - Jan 15, 2027
Youth season open to ages 6-15 with mentorship requirements for non-certified hunters.No zone restrictions found.
MDC's Conservation Agents run a combined Quail and Pheasant Roadside Survey each August 1–15 across 111 of Missouri's 114 counties (permanent 30-mile routes), and the results are summarized into 8 named zoogeographic regions covering the entire state — a genuine density-region breakdown, not a habitat-targeting or regulatory-zone proxy. The 2025 edition shows a statewide index of 1.68 quail/route (down 20% from 2024), with wide regional spread: Northern Riverbreaks led at 4.73/route while Western Ozark Border recorded 0.00/route. No zone restrictions apply to the hunting season itself — this is a density/production signal, not a legal boundary.
Provisional: MDC's own Quail and Pheasant Roadside Survey for 2026 hasn't published yet (it typically posts in October). Missouri's quail numbers are up compared to last year, and the state's own biologist points to a mild winter as the reason why. Summer rainfall ran about average in the northern part of the state, while southern Missouri saw heavier rain events, so the northern regions are the better bet for hunters this season.
A mild winter improved bird survival and carryover, per the state's own biologist, with a north/south split in summer rainfall favoring the northern part of the state.
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