Missouri Laws
Alternative hunting equipment includes atlatls, crossbows, bows and arrows, muzzleloaders, and air rifles.
Missouri’s laws for alternative hunting equipment include the following.
- Atlatls are legal for many game species and during many firearms seasons.
- Crossbows are legal for everyone during all firearms hunting and archery seasons.
- Longbows, recurve bows, and compound bows are legal during all firearms hunting seasons.
- Muzzleloaders are legal for all firearms hunting seasons, but you must use the proper type of ammunition and the correct caliber or gauge of muzzleloader.
- Air rifles are legal for many game species and during many firearms seasons.
- To use alternative hunting equipment during firearms seasons, you must:
- Have hunter education certification or...
- Be exempt from the hunter education certification requirement, for example, because you are under 16 years of age and are hunting in the immediate presence a qualified adult mentor or...
- Purchase an Apprentice Hunter Authorization and hunt with a properly licensed adult hunter or...
- Meet any other legal requirements as specified by the Missouri Department of Conservation.