MO Missouri Porch

Wildlife & Encounters

Nuisance & damage wildlife — what you can handle on your own land

The plain answer: if an animal is damaging your property, Missouri lets you handle most conflicts on your own land. But there's a clear can't-touch list, you usually can't relocate what you catch, and the tough jobs need a pro. Prevention almost always beats trapping.

Start here: most conflicts, your own property

For many nuisance species, a landowner may control the animal on their own property when it's causing damage. Before you do anything, though, check your local city and county firearm and trapping rules — those can be stricter than state law, and they come first. Whatever you do under the damage rule, do it only on your own property.

The can't-touch list

You may NOT control these under the damage rule

These animals are off-limits — call your county conservation agent instead:

  • Migratory birds
  • White-tailed deer and mule deer
  • Elk
  • Turkeys
  • Black bears
  • Mountain lions
  • Any endangered species

If you do take an animal under the damage rule

An animal taken under the damage rule may not be used in any way, must be reported to MDC within 24 hours, and must then be disposed of as MDC instructs.

Other rules still apply

This does not override city firearm laws, trapping ordinances, federal migratory-bird law, or local animal-control rules — check those first.

Please don't relocate it

Moving a trapped animal sounds kind, but it often spreads disease, leaves young behind, or drops the animal into territory that's already occupied, where it may die. It's also often illegal or restricted. Exclusion and prevention beat relocation.

Prevention first

The best fix is to make your place less inviting in the first place. Remove the attractant — secure trash, pet food, and bird feeders, and pick up fallen fruit. Then exclude the animal: seal gaps and vents, cap the chimney, and screen openings into attics, sheds, and crawl spaces. For gardens and beds, a good fence does more than a trap ever will. Prevention is cheaper, kinder, and lasts longer.

When to call a pro

Some jobs — an animal in the walls or attic, a damaged structure, or a species you can't legally handle — are worth handing to an expert. Hire an MDC-authorized Nuisance Wildlife Control Operator, and follow their reporting and disposal instructions. MDC keeps a searchable list of operators you can use to find one near you.

Common situations

The right approach changes from animal to animal, so match the method to the species:

  • Canada geese — federally protected migratory birds: use non-lethal deterrents only (stop feeding, let grass grow tall near water). Hazing, nest or egg removal, or any take needs a federal permit — call your county conservation agent.
  • Raccoons — secure trash and pet food, cap chimneys, and seal attic and crawl-space entries.
  • Moles & voles — usually a lawn-and-garden problem; reduce grubs, protect plantings, and use approved control methods.
  • Beavers — protect trees with wire wrap and manage water levels with flow devices before considering removal.
  • Woodchucks — exclude with fencing dug into the ground and close off burrows under sheds and decks.
  • Starlings & house sparrows — these introduced birds are not protected like native birds; block nest sites and use deterrents.

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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