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.
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.)
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
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