Just a short drive outside St. Louis you’ll find rolling hills, farmland, and forests. In fact, more than 97% of Missouri is considered rural.

Rural living and hunting often go hand-in-hand. Whether spending weekends with friends in a duck blind or culling the deer population that’s encroaching on outlying suburbs, many Missourians hunt for recreation or out of necessity. 

If you’re looking for a house outside of an urban area, it’s important to understand hunting rights and restrictions whether you’re a hunter or not. Your real estate agent can help you make sense of the hunting regulations in the community where you want to live.

Can You Shoot Deer From Your House In Missouri?

The idea of putting up a deer stand on your own property is a dream come true for many sportsmen. This type of freedom can be a big factor in deciding where to live. Whether or not this is allowed (or how close to a house you can hunt in Missouri) depends on where you live in the state. The distance required for safety is up to the local municipality rather than the state.

Statewide Regulations

Some states have clear “safety zones” around residential homes. For example, in Illinois, it is illegal to hunt within 100 yards of an inhabited dwelling, even on your own land. And you must not hunt within 300 yards of a house that’s not yours unless you have permission from the owner.

How close to a house can you hunt in Missouri? State hunting and trapping regulations do not specify any distance. Instead, safety and legal issues surrounding hunting, trapping, and fishing in the state deal mainly with having the appropriate permits and licenses, respecting the wildlife hunting season schedules, types of firearms allowed, and rules against baiting, poisoning, and tranquilizers, etc.

The lack of a specific “safety zone” leaves the decision of how close to allow hunting up to the property owner, unless the county or municipal laws impose stricter limits.

Local Ordinances and Restrictions

Deciding whether you can shoot deer from your house in Missouri or if it’s prohibited depends on your community’s local laws. If hunting—or the restriction of hunting—is important to your home search, it’s a good idea to search the town’s website to find out their particular rules.

Regulations can vary a lot from one city to the next in suburban and rural areas of Missouri. Here is just a small sampling of the different laws that exist in the region:

• Hunting is illegal within the city limits of Herculaneum, Missouri. However, if a property owner has 25 or more acres of contiguous residential land, hunting is allowed there.
• In Wildwood, Missouri, people can only hunt on property that is at least three acres and if it’s not theirs, they must have written permission from the owner. Firearms must only be discharged 450 feet or more from any house, garage, barn, or building. Bows must be at least 200 feet away. 
• An increasing deer population led Eureka, Missouri to amend its municipal code, allowing bow hunting, but with very strict, detailed guidelines. In regards to residential property, it is illegal to discharge any archery device within 30 yards of any dwelling, building, or vehicle without the property owner’s written consent. The angle of the shot must not allow the arrow to land within 75 feet of the property line. 

These examples illustrate the wide range of rules and regulations that could be in place depending on where you decide to buy a home. If you’d like to hunt on your own property, you will likely need to find something with more space than most subdivisions offer, in addition to making sure that the law allows it.

Hunting on Someone Else’s Property

If local laws prevent homeowners from hunting in their own backyards, they can often find other landowners willing to let them hunt on their property. It’s important to note, however, that just purchasing a hunting permit doesn’t allow you to trespass. 

To hunt on someone else’s land:

• Find out who owns the property. A bit of research online or at the county assessor’s office can help.
• Ask for permission, preferably in person. Be courteous, and ask about any special rules the property owner may want followed, such as sticking to certain days or hours. 
• Do not assume that the property owner will allow hunting indefinitely. Get permission at the start of each new season.

Allowing Others to Hunt Near Your House

Living in a rural area, many homeowners do not mind letting hunters onto their land as a favor. Others may request a fee or hunting lease. 

In Missouri, annual spending for hunting is roughly $1 billion. Owning a significant amount of acreage and leasing it out to hunters could be quite lucrative. Homeowners may choose to offer annual or seasonal leases. All regulations regarding how close to a house can you hunt in Missouri still apply, and hunters must have permits and follow the rules. 

Not only can a hunting lease bring in revenue, but it can also affect the value of the property when the owner decides to sell. A real estate agent can help determine what the leasing opportunities are worth when coming up with an asking price.

For buyers who don’t want anything to do with hunting, ask if the neighbors hunt on their land or offer leases. This can help avoid ending up with a house where the peace and quiet is disturbed by the sound of shotguns during deer or turkey season.

Let Us Help With Your House Hunt

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Select Properties represents home buyers and sellers all over the St. Louis region, even in remote rural areas. If hunting isn’t your thing, they can help you find places where it isn’t allowed. But if hunting is something you’re interested in at your new home, our agents can find the best locations and help you navigate the legal rules that apply. 

Contact us today to begin your house hunt.

Cover Image by zsedrik2007 purchased on Envato Elements