Missouri Spring Turkey Harvest Down

Missouri’s spring turkey harvest is down significantly from a year ago.

Preliminary numbers from the Missouri Department of Conservation show that 34,055 birds were checked in by turkey hunters during the spring season. That compares to a harvest of over 43-thousand turkeys a year ago, a drop of 17 percent in the turkey harvest.

Conservation officials cite poor turkey production the last two years and less than ideal weather during the youth season and the opening day of the regular season.

The top counties in Missouri for turkey harvest were Franklin County with 760, Texas County with 732 and Laclede County with 657.

In northeast Missouri, 605 turkeys were harvested in Callaway County, with 500 birds taken in Macon County.