Frogs

Frog hunting in Missouri

Frogging is one of Missouri's most fun summer traditions, and a lot of people walk right past it. On a warm night at the edge of a pond, you go after bullfrogs and green frogs — the two kinds you're allowed to take. You can get them with a gig, by hand, with a bow, or even with a small rimfire gun. Here's the part that trips people up: you need either a fishing permit or a small game hunting permit, and the two let you use different tools.

Seasons

Frogs dates — 2026 / 2026–27

Season	Dates
Bullfrog & green frog	Sunset June 30 – Oct. 31, 2026

Dates change every year — confirm on MDC Seasons.

Limits

Frog limit

Species	Daily	Possession	Note
Frogs (bullfrog + green)	8	16	Combined; resets at midnight.

The two-permit quirk

One permit or the other — and they change your tools

Frogs are the one critter Missouri lets you take on a fishing permit or a hunting permit. Which one you carry decides what you're allowed to use. Pick the permit that matches the way you like to frog.

With a fishing permit

You may take frogs by hand, hand net, gig, bow, atlatl, trotline, throwline, limb line, bank line, jug line, snagging, snaring, grabbing, or pole-and-line. (Basically all the fishing-style methods.)

With a small game hunting permit

You may use a .22 or smaller rimfire rifle or pistol, a pellet gun, a bow, a crossbow, an atlatl, or your hands and a net.

Frogging at night is allowed. You can go after frogs after dark and use a light to spot them — that bright pair of eyes shining back at you is half the fun.

Who can skip the permit

When you don't need a permit at all

Kids 15 and under Anyone 15 or younger can frog without buying a permit.

Residents 65 and older Missouri residents who are 65 or older can frog without buying a permit.

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.

MDC Frog Hunting

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