When the spring turkey season opens Monday, there will be fewer birds to bag, said the Missouri Department of Conservation.
The season runs through May 10.
Tom Daily, a resource scientist with the department, said he hopes hunters will adopt a two-year strategy. “Focusing their energy on making quality hunts this year is the best thing they can do for themselves and for the state’s turkey flock.”
Daily, who oversees the department’s wild turkey management program, said he expects a significantly smaller turkey harvest this year than in 2008. Hunters checked 46,000 birds in last year’s spring turkey season. He expects the number could be closer to 40,000 this year.
He said a combination of fewer gobblers – a 20-year low – and poor hatches in three of the last four hatches are the reasons for a poor harvest.
“I hope hunters don’t hammer the jakes (1-year-old gobblers) on account of a lack of 2 year olds. This year’s jake is next year’s 2 year old,” Daily said. “I’m hoping hunters will focus on quality hunts for older birds and less on just bagging a turkey. The number of jakes already is down in many areas.”