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wuchangAdministrator
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MDC says it should be a good turkey season
      #254639 - 03/13/17 10:36 AM

press release

MDC forecasts good spring turkey season for hunters
Hunters should expect a similar spring turkey season as 2016.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Missouri turkey hunters can expect a good spring season overall according to the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC). The spring turkey hunting season starts with a youth-only weekend April 8-9. The regular spring season runs April 17 through May 7.

Although four consecutive years of poor hatches caused Missouri’s turkey population to decline during the late 2000s, improvements in productivity have since resulted in a rebound in turkey numbers throughout much of the state.

“Since 2011, we’ve seen an increasing trend in the spring turkey harvest,” MDC Turkey Biologist Jason Isabelle said. “A great deal of what makes for a good spring turkey season depends on the hatch two years prior. Although the 2015 hatch was not as high as in 2014, it, along with carry-over from previous years, should result in a strong 2017 harvest.”

Isabelle does note that last year’s poor hatch will result in fewer jakes on the landscape.

“I think hunters will notice a reduction in the number of jakes they’re used to seeing,” he said. “However, because most hunters prefer to harvest adult gobblers, the effects of last year’s hatch won’t be fully realized until the 2018 spring season.”

For most of the state, Isabelle expects this year’s spring turkey harvest to be at or slightly below last year’s mark. Although this year’s harvest total isn’t expected to be as high as last year’s, there are still plenty of gobblers on the landscape to provide some good hunting this year.

MDC offers turkey hunting opportunities on more than 500 conservation areas and the state’s diverse landscape means turkey numbers often vary by region.

“Although the statewide trend has been an increase in turkey numbers in recent years, we often see varying trends at the regional-level, so hunters should be mindful of what’s going on in their part of the state,” said Isabelle.

Regional Forecast

Due to a poor hatch in 2015, this year’s turkey harvest in the Northeast and West Prairie regions (see map below) is expected to be down from one year ago.

“Both regions had very low poult-to-hen ratios during the summer brood survey a couple years ago, so I’d expect fewer 2-year-old gobblers this year in these regions,” Isabelle said.

Isabelle indicated he expects spring harvests in the Ozarks, Lindley Breaks, Union Breaks, Mississippi Lowlands, and Northwest regions (see map below) to be similar to last year’s.

“Production was generally better in these regions in 2015, so I wouldn’t expect them to deviate too much from last year’s mark,” he said.

Weather Factors

Isabelle noted that weather can have a significant impact on the harvest. “With a relatively short spring hunting season, the weather we experience can have a strong influence on our harvest numbers,” he said.

Rain and wind can suppress gobbling activity, so most hunters hope for calm, sunny mornings, especially during weekends when most venture into the woods to hunt.

Despite what is shaping up to be an early spring, Isabelle does not believe it will have much of an effect on this year’s spring turkey season. He notes that although an early or late spring can have some influence on the timing of nesting, the turkey breeding season is influenced primarily by the amount of daylight, which keeps the timing of nesting about the same each year.

Get More Information

Find detailed information on harvest limits, allowed hunting methods, hunter education requirements, permits, MDC hunting areas, tagging and checking procedures, regulations and more in MDC’s 2017 Spring Turkey Hunting Regulations and Information booklet available from MDC offices and nature centers, other places where permits are sold, and online at http://on.mo.gov/2mn9d8K. For more information about spring turkey hunting, visit MDC’s website at http://on.mo.gov/2mVaDnK.

Hunter Safety

Isabelle stressed that hunters can easily avoid the main cause of turkey-hunting incidents—mistaking or being mistaken by another hunter for game.

“Each year, most turkey hunting incidents typically involve hunters who fail to positively identify their targets,” said Isabelle. “Unless you are absolutely certain that what you’re looking at is a wild turkey, remember that any movement you see or any sounds you hear could be another hunter.”

He also advised hunters to wear some hunter-orange clothing when moving through the woods or fields, particularly when hunting public land, and to always know the locations of all members of a hunting party.

“Many turkey hunting incidents actually involve members of the same hunting party,” said Isabelle. “If you’re hunting with someone else and you split up, be certain you know where your hunting partner will be at all times.”

Brag a Bit

MDC hunting certificates are great ways to memorialize a hunter’s first deer and turkey harvests. Visit http://on.mo.gov/1TpY6Gz to create free commemorative certificates.

Hunters can share photos of their harvests through MDC’s Hunting Bragging Board by using #mdcbragboard when posting pictures to their social media accounts. Learn more at mdc.mo.gov/huntingbragboard.

turkey reg
Find detailed information on spring turkey hunting in MDC’s 2017 Spring Turkey Hunting Regulations and Information booklet available from MDC offices, nature centers, and other places where permits are sold. (NOTE: High-res image available here: http://on.mo.gov/2n1lMae).

turkey regionals
A map of Missouri’s turkey productivity regions, which consist of counties grouped by similar land cover types. (High-res image available here: http://on.mo.gov/2n1lMae).


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rb.
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Re: MDC says it should be a good turkey season [Re: wuchang]
      #254640 - 03/13/17 10:49 AM

We haven't been seeing anywhere near the number of turkeys on our place that we had a couple years ago. Have not seen any poults in two years at least. I hope they are right about the season. I know we have at least one youth hunter looking to bag bird number two this year.

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wuchangAdministrator
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Re: MDC says it should be a good turkey season [Re: rb.]
      #254641 - 03/13/17 03:24 PM

Over on my side of the river--looks to be adult birds in the fields

Pepsi guy has a small flock hitting his feeders sporadically...and always when we don't have a camera

We may have some photo sites lined up but we make sure that we don't want to screw up anyone's hunting so the jury is still out

We know a spot that has paid off in the past but it is in Illinois and about 2.5 hours away

We have red shouldered hawks hanging out on our property line trying to figure out where they are going to nest in the woods behind the house.

Waiting for spring to actually get here before we get too excited but the bluebirds are looking like they are about to set up housekeeping in the nesting box we have.


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Re: MDC says it should be a good turkey season [Re: wuchang]
      #254642 - 03/13/17 09:56 PM

Draw results were posted today if you played the koolaid game. Won't get that 5 minutes of my life back.

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rb.
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Re: MDC says it should be a good turkey season [Re: dabs]
      #254647 - 03/14/17 09:28 AM

Blue birds are trying to nest we had two fly down our chimney.

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wuchangAdministrator
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Re: MDC says it should be a good turkey season [Re: rb.]
      #254651 - 03/14/17 04:06 PM

We had business in Washington this morning-- as we passed the Pepsi guy's house there were 3 gobblers and a couple of jakes up at their bird feeders with a half dozen hens and the gobblers were in full strut and really going at it.......


and of course we didn't have a camera


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rb.
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Re: MDC says it should be a good turkey season [Re: wuchang]
      #254653 - 03/14/17 04:34 PM

We had more birds when we had feeders by the game cam. Had to pull them because of the CWD deal

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last_stand
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Re: MDC says it should be a good turkey season [Re: rb.]
      #254687 - 03/20/17 06:13 AM

So is there a new baiting restriction law on the books?

I am thinking it was all food removed 10 days prior to season?

Has that changed? Heard it was.

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wuchangAdministrator
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Re: MDC says it should be a good turkey season [Re: last_stand]
      #254688 - 03/20/17 09:29 AM

Haven't looked at baiting regs--

too many variables and Mr Greenjeans usually doesn't know them any better than you or I do--

Too many times it boils down to does he want to 'spank' you....give him an excuse and he will say he has no choice

better safe than sorry

These bullies are on a property that the owner does not allow hunting and I got access because a friend of the owner wanted some turkey pix--

these are not baited







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wuchangAdministrator
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Re: MDC says it should be a good turkey season [Re: wuchang]
      #254689 - 03/20/17 09:33 AM

from MDC

BAITING REGULATIONS
Use of bait - which includes grain or other feed placed or scattered as to attract turkeys – while hunting is illegal.
An area is considered baited for 10 days after complete removal of the bait.
A hunter can be in violation if they take or attempt to take a turkey by the aid of bait where the hunter knows or reasonably should know that the area is or has been baited.
It is illegal to place bait in a way that causes others to be in violation of the baiting rule.
Mineral blocks, including salt, are not considered bait, but mineral blocks that contain grain or other food additives are prohibited.
It is legal to hunt over a harvested crop field, but it is illegal to add grain or other crops, such as apples, to the field after it has been harvested.
Manipulating crops, such as mowing or knocking them down, is not considered baiting for turkeys.


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fish
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Re: MDC says it should be a good turkey season [Re: wuchang]
      #254691 - 03/20/17 04:02 PM

Nice Pics

The feeder restrictions are for certain counties where you might find the dreaded CWD. MDC doeesn't want deer congregating so as to help spread the disease


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last_stand
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Re: MDC says it should be a good turkey season [Re: wuchang]
      #254693 - 03/20/17 05:40 PM

Thanks Wu.............sounds like the same as it has always been.

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67Firebird
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Re: MDC says it should be a good turkey season [Re: last_stand]
      #254755 - 03/31/17 03:58 PM

They've been gobbling like crazy around here for about a week, but always down in the bottoms. I don't have permission to hunt down there, nor the talent to call them up here.

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last_stand
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Re: MDC says it should be a good turkey season [Re: 67Firebird]
      #254954 - 04/22/17 07:48 AM

Got a 24 lb'er the other day. Amazing how easy it is when you get a tom at the right time and place.

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wuchangAdministrator
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Re: MDC says it should be a good turkey season [Re: last_stand]
      #254956 - 04/22/17 12:35 PM

Quote:

last_stand said:
Got a 24 lb'er the other day. Amazing how easy it is when you get a tom at the right time and place.




You mean they let you carry a shotgun into the Frozen food aisle at Shop N Save??


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