Missouri to Allow Crossbows for Deer, Turkey

by
posted on August 31, 2016
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
field_prep_crossbow_f.jpg (1)

Missouri hunters will have a new method of taking game available to them this fall in the form of crossbows, which will be legal for use on turkey and deer this fall. The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) has opened the archery turkey and archery deer seasons to crossbows in hopes of promoting hunting opportunities for all age groups across the state.

The change was made, first and foremost, to allow the state's youth more access to the sport of hunting and to encourage older hunters to stay afield. Local authorities are of the opinion that the legalization of crossbows will help bring prospective new hunters into the fold.

"In the end, if we recruit more hunters, more women hunters, get youngsters out earlier and keep more old-timers in the field, we win," Brandon Butler, Executive Director of the Missouri Conservation Federation, wrote in a column for the Columbia Daily Tribune. "Many say crossbows should help with recruitment efforts."

According to the Missouri Secretary of State, both turkey and deer can now be harvested with the use of a crossbow, as the previous “hunting method exemption” has been eliminated. Missouri is the 26th state to allow the use of crossbows for hunting applications.

The state's 2016 archery deer season opens on Sept. 15 and closes Nov. 11. A second season runs from Nov. 23, 2016 through Jan. 15, 2017.

For more information, go to MDC.MO.Gov.

Latest

C
C

C&H Precision and MERUS Adventure Launch Guided Hunt Giveaway

Free entry runs through Nov. 13, 2026, and one winner and a guest will be heading to the Texas Panhandle for a fully guided hunt at MERUS Adventure—a private hunting and off-road park near Claude, Texas, outside Amarillo. The trip includes a fully guided hunt, range time with top-tier optics and gear, on-site lodging for the length of the stay and off-road driving across the property.

Things I’ve Learned About Public-Land Elk

Every generation has a story starting with, “I remember the good old days.” Elk hunters have a similar dialogue and although elk numbers are at some of their highest in modern history, public-land hunting still represents a sea of challenges. With decades of elk hunting in my rearview and an ongoing education, a few lessons I’ve learned from elk hunting may aid you in your public-land elk pursuits.

Colorado Ballot Battle Heats Up

The required number of valid signatures to put a “Right to Hunt and Fish Amendment” on Colorado’s Nov. 3 ballot was reached on Sept. 4. If approved by voters—according to Ballotpedia’s summary—it would add the “…right to hunt, fish, and take fish and wildlife through traditional methods” to the state constitution.

#SundayGunday: CZ 600+ ST3 American

On this week's #SundayGunday, we are taking a look at the new-for-2026 design of the CZ 600+ ST3 American, the ST3 being the long- and magnum-action model. Built by the legendary Czech company for the American market, this is a rifle adapted perfectly to hunting on this continent.

How Can Hunters Travel Out of State With Suppressed Firearms?

Getting federal and state agencies out of the way of the citizens who wish to use suppressors to make their guns more polite to their ears and to their neighbors’ is an ongoing, complex and multifaceted effort. There is, however, progress being made thanks to the Trump administration.

A Shared Memory Between Life’s Chapters

Check out this memorable hunting story from member William Scott Aldridge.

Interests



Get the best of American Hunter delivered to your inbox.