Spring 2012 Turkey Harvest Totals Up 6 Percent

(Jefferson City, MO) -- Hunters in Missouri checked 40,447 turkeys during this spring's regular turkey season.

According to the Missouri Department of Conservation, that figure is up by 2,120 from 38,327 last spring. That's a bump of about 5.5 percent.

Plus, MDC says the harvest of 4,319 turkeys during this year's spring youth weekend -- March 31 and April 1 -- brought the 2012 spring turkey harvest to 44,766, up about six percent from 2011.

Youth hunters harvested 3,893 turkeys during the 2011 spring youth weekend for a 2011 spring total of 42,220.

Top harvest counties during the regular 2012 spring turkey season, April 16 through May 6, were Franklin with 852, Texas with 803 and Greene with 698.

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) recorded four non-fatal firearms-related turkey hunting incidents and no fatalities.

The bulk of birds taken during both this year's youth weekend and regular spring season were adult gobblers with 31,813, or about 71 percent. Juvenile male turkeys (jakes) comprised almost 28 percent with 12,445 birds. Bearded hens made up one percent with 508.

Turkey harvest totals by county are available online at http://mdc.mo.gov/node/17396.