MO Missouri Porch

Orientation

Meeting Missouri's wildlife, explained

Here's the short version: you're going to be fine. Missouri is full of wildlife, and almost none of it wants anything to do with you. The animals worth knowing fall into a few groups, and once you know how each one behaves, serious trouble is rare and easy to avoid.

1. The groups worth knowing

  • Big mammals — black bears, the rare mountain lion, and elk in a few Ozark counties.
  • Snakes — about 47 kinds, but only five are venomous.
  • Ticks & spiders — the everyday hazards that actually deserve your attention.
  • Deer — mostly a danger on the road, not in the woods.
  • Nuisance & rabies animals — coyotes, raccoons, skunks, foxes, and bats around the home.

2. The golden rule: don't feed wildlife

Don't feed, don't approach, give space, and secure your attractants. Nearly every bad wildlife outcome traces back to food — a fed animal is a bold animal, and a bold animal usually ends up dead.

The one habit that matters most

Secure your attractants

A fed animal is a bold animal — and a bold animal usually ends up dead. Run down this list:

  • Trash locked up (a latched, hard-sided can or a shed)
  • Bird feeders down or brought in during bear season
  • Pet food kept indoors
  • Grill and smoker cleaned after use
  • Chicken and livestock feed sealed in metal containers
  • Compost covered
  • Fallen fruit picked up
  • No deer feed or mineral blocks (especially where CWD rules apply)

3. Watch, don't touch — and you generally can't keep it anyway

Almost all native Missouri wildlife is generally protected — including every snake and every bat — so the rule is watch, don't touch. You generally can't kill it or keep it, with narrow exceptions: legal hunting and trapping seasons, an immediate safety threat, and some damage animals on your own property under MDC rules.

4. Give space — especially to mothers and to anything acting strange

Give mothers and babies room (that "abandoned" fawn or fledgling almost always has a parent nearby), and back away from any animal that's stumbling, aggressive, unafraid of you, or out at the wrong time of day — then report it. When something does go wrong, the next step is almost always a phone call, not a website.

Through the year

What to watch for, season by season

Spring

Fawns hidden in the grass, fledgling birds on the ground, nesting geese, ticks waking up, and snakes warming in the sun. Leave babies where they are.

Summer

Peak ticks, chiggers, and mosquitoes; spiders in stored boxes and shoes; bears testing trash and feeders. Use repellent and secure attractants.

Fall

Deer crashes climb toward the November rut, the elk rut runs September–October, and bears move widely before denning. Slow down at dawn and dusk.

Winter

Bald eagles gather along big rivers, deer still cross roads, and raccoons, skunks, and bats look for warm attics and dens. Seal entry points.

Pets & wildlife

  • Keep cats indoors where you can.
  • Leash dogs in parks and conservation areas.
  • Don't let dogs chase elk, deer, bears, coyotes, or snakes.
  • Keep your pets' rabies vaccinations current.
  • Feed pets indoors so you don't draw wildlife.
  • Supervise small dogs at dawn and dusk where coyotes are common.

The right number

Who to call

A medical emergency

911

Poisoning or bite guidance

Poison Control — 1-800-222-1222

A possible rabies exposure

Your doctor AND your county health department

A bear, mountain lion, or elk to report

Your MDC regional office or conservation agent

A nuisance animal in your attic or walls

An MDC-authorized nuisance wildlife control operator

Injured or orphaned wildlife

A permitted wildlife rehabilitator — call first

A feral hog sighting

MDC feral hog reporting

A deer crash

911 if there's an injury or it's blocking the road; law enforcement and your insurer as needed

Before you act

Missouri Porch explains; the experts decide.

Last checked: 2026-06-18. Animal facts and wildlife rules change — and a bite, sting, or exposure is a medical question, not a website question. When in doubt, make the call.

This is general information, not medical or legal advice. For a bite, exposure, or emergency, call your doctor, your county health department, Poison Control (1-800-222-1222), or 911. For wildlife rules, check with MDC.

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