Guides · Feral hog laws by state · Checked September 30, 2026
Feral hog laws in Missouri
In Missouri, feral hogs are not wildlife, and taking them is prohibited on all Conservation Department land. Elsewhere, the state asks you to report them instead of shooting.
The rules at a glance
- Legal status
- Not wildlife. An invasive, nonnative, destructive species. source
- Season
- No hog season; take is prohibited on conservation areas and other land MDC owns, leases or manages. On other land, hunting is strongly discouraged. source
- License
- Not stated by the Missouri Department of Conservation
- Bag limit
- Not stated by the Missouri Department of Conservation
- Trapping
- After a landowner asks for help, an MDC or USDA technician baits a site and sets up a trap once the hogs are using the bait consistently. source
- Moving live hogs
- Releasing, transporting or possessing feral hogs is illegal. If you see someone releasing hogs, tell your local conservation agent or call Operation Game Thief, 1-800-392-1111, answered 24 hours a day. source
- Night hunting
- Not stated by the Missouri Department of Conservation
- Eradication or bounty
- MDC, USDA APHIS, other partners and hundreds of private landowners are working to eradicate feral hogs in Missouri. source
What makes Missouri different
MDC asks the public not to shoot hogs: shooting one or two scatters the sounder and makes trapping the entire group at once more difficult.
Where to report hogs
573-522-4115, extension 3296, or MDC's online form.
Every state also has a USDA Wildlife Services office. The federal feral swine program (Squeal on Pigs!) links to yours.
Knowing the rules is half of it
Whether you hunt, trap or call it in, it helps to know what is actually on your land.
HogSight reads the trail-camera photos you already have and maps the sounder: group size, timing, and which individuals keep coming back. See how HogSight reads your camera roll →
Sources
Checked against these official pages on September 30, 2026. Due for a re-check by September 30, 2027.
Rules next door
This guide is informational. Wildlife and animal-health rules change and can vary by county. Always confirm current rules with the Missouri Department of Conservation before acting.