MO Missouri Porch

Elk

Elk hunting in Missouri

Elk used to be gone from Missouri. Starting in 2011, the Department of Conservation brought wild elk back to the rugged Ozark hills of the southeast, and the herd slowly grew. Now there is a hunt again — but it is tiny. It is residents only, it is draw only (you have to win a lottery to get a permit), and only a handful of tags are handed out each year. It is, plain and simple, the hardest tag to get in the whole state.

Almost nobody who applies will draw, so think of this page as a map of how the hunt works rather than a plan for this fall. If your name does come up, here is what you need to know.

The basics

How Missouri's elk hunt works

How many permits Five permits a year (at least one reserved for qualifying landowners), residents only.
The herd Missouri has about 325 wild elk.
How to apply Apply May 1–31 ($10 application fee); drawn hunters buy a $50 permit. Results post around July 1. If drawn, you can't apply again for 10 years.
What counts as a legal elk One bull elk with at least one antler 6 inches or longer.

Seasons

Bear & elk dates — 2026 / 2026–27

Season Dates
Black bear Oct. 17–30, 2026 Or until the zone quota is met.
Elk — Archery Oct. 17–25, 2026
Elk — Firearms Dec. 12–20, 2026

Dates change every year — confirm on MDC Seasons.

The rules

If you draw a tag

  • Must be 11 or older and hunter-education certified (or born before Jan. 1, 1967).
  • The refuge portion of Peck Ranch Conservation Area is closed to elk hunting.
  • Hunter orange is required during the firearms portion.
  • Bait is illegal.

Is my county different?

Elk hunting counties

Missouri's elk hunt is limited to these counties (the Peck Ranch refuge portion is closed):

  • Carter
  • Reynolds
  • Shannon

Check the current MDC source →

Permits

Elk permit

Permit Resident Nonresident Nonres. landowner Youth
Elk Draw only, residents only. Apply May 1–31 with a $10 application fee. $50 — $50 —

Resident landowners get no-cost deer and turkey permits on their own land. Full list: MDC Hunting Permits.

Tag & report

After a successful elk hunt

Telecheck is how you report a deer, turkey, bear, or elk after you take it — by 10 p.m. that day, online, by phone, or on the free MO Hunting app.

Species Right away Report / check Keep with the meat
Elk Notch your permit immediately Telecheck by 10 p.m. Keep the confirmation number

How to Telecheck: MDC Tagging & Telecheck.

Before you hunt

Missouri Porch explains; the MDC decides.

Data current for the 2026 / 2026–27 season. Last checked against MDC: 2026-06-18. Dates, prices, quotas, and county rules change every year. Confirm with MDC before you hunt.

This is a plain-English summary, not the law. Always check the current MDC regulations before you hunt. As MDC puts it, the booklet is NOT a legal document and regulations are subject to revision during the year.

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