Young turkey hunters harvest 4,441 birds in Missouri during youth weekend

MDC Outdoors Skills Specialist Brian Flowers helped 10-year-old Oliver Koenig harvest his first turkey during an MDC mentored youth hunt in Callaway County during the 2015 youth spring turkey hunting weekend April 11 and 12. Photo courtesy MDC

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) reports that young turkey hunters harvested 4,441 birds during the 2015 spring youth season, April 11 and 12.

Top harvest counties were Franklin with 117 birds, Greene with 88, and Cedar with 87.

Young hunters checked 4,332 turkeys during last year’s spring youth weekend.

Hunters age 6 through 15 are allowed to take one male turkey or turkey with a visible beard during the youth season. Those who harvest a turkey during the youth season may not take a second bird until the second week of the regular spring turkey season, which runs April 20 through May 10.