JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Preliminary data from the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) shows that young turkey hunters in Missouri harvested 2,550 birds over the past youth weekend, April 1 and 2.
Top harvest counties were Osage with 71 birds harvested, Miller with 65, and Texas with 64.
Perry County youth had 38 birds: 30 adult gobblers, eight juvenile, zero bearded hens and Ste Genevieve County youth bagged 47 birds: 36 adult gobblers, 11 juvenile gobblers and zero bearded hens.
Young hunters checked 2,881 birds during the 2022 spring youth weekend.
“The cool, windy weather on Saturday made for challenging turkey hunting conditions,” said MDC Turkey Biologist Nicholas Oakley. “Fortunately, hunters stuck with it and Sunday’s weather was more conducive to harvesting a turkey.”
Get more harvest information by county at www.extra.mdc.mo.gov/widgets/harvest_table/
The regular spring turkey season runs April 17 through May 7.
For more information on spring turkey hunting in Missouri, visit www.mdc.mo.gov/hunting-trapping/species/turkey