Don’t invite them to stay
Missourians enjoy and benefit from wildlife–but if you’ve ever had woodpeckers hammering your siding or squirrels in your attic, you know that wildlife can sometimes cause damage. Use this page to find information about and assistance dealing with problem wildlife, as well as how to avoid encouraging wildlife to become pests.
You can keep wildlife from becoming a problem by making your house, yard, garden or farm less attractive to them. Avoid leaving out pet or livestock food, stow your grill after using it and put garbage in secure containers. Fencing is often the best way to keep deer and rabbits out of your garden or orchard. Visit the Grow Native! website for information about deer- and rabbit-resistant plants.
Houses and outbuildings must be maintained regularly, especially to keep eaves and foundations free of openings to discourage skunks and groundhogs. Keeping your yard mowed and free from debris such as wood piles or rock piles will discourage a variety of unwanted wildlife, including mice and snakes.
General wildlife control information online
MDC’s articles on nuisance wildlife help you learn how to deal with many species that can cause property damage. Before you take action, be so be sure to consult the Wildlife Code, which lists the regulations on taking animals in Missouri. There are many state regulations and local ordinances that restrict how to control damage-causing animals. Contact your regional conservation office for more information about controlling or removing problem wildlife. The staff there can put you in touch with wildlife damage control contractors who have experience in dealing with problem wildlife.
Specific wildlife control issues
If predators are menacing your livestock, check with the Wildlife Code before taking any action on your own. While you can shoot or trap damage-causing animals, there are restrictions for migratory birds, deer, turkey, bears and endangered species. Be sure to check out Using guard animals to protect livestock for information on natural predation options.
Some wildlife control efforts require special equipment and advice. Animals such as beaver, muskrat and otters are most commonly controlled by in-water trapping techniques. Coyotes, foxes and bobcats may require more trapping expertise or special permits. Farmers experiencing deer damage to crops will need special advice and permits to reduce losses. Cost-share programs are also available to help mitigate financial losses from these crop damages. Contact your local private land conservationist for more details on available programs.
Feral hogs (any hog not conspicuously identified by ear tags or other marks and roaming freely on any land without the landowner’s permission) can spread disease and damage livestock, streams and wildlife. It is legal to kill feral hogs on your own property and on public lands, but some permit restrictions apply during the fall deer and turkey season.
Browse by Subject
- Crop and grasslands
- What you need to know about crop and grasslands
- Lakes and ponds
- Information on creating healthy lakes and ponds
- Forestry for private landowners
- Find out how to manage the forest on your land
- Streams and watersheds
- A variety of information on streams and their watersheds
- Wetlands
- Find details on wetlands management
- Wildlife management
- Learn how to manage the wildlife on your land
