The recent two-day youth turkey season resulted in hunters bagging 4,319 turkeys in Missouri.
With a total of 81, Callaway County had the third highest total of turkeys taken during the youth season. Callaway was topped only by Franklin County with 119 and Osage County with 93.
The youth harvest has increased slowly since youngsters had their first separate hunt in 2001. That year the total was 2,530. This year's total was 9.5 percent higher than the previous high of 3,945 in 2010.
Missouri Department of Conservation Resource Scientist Jason Isabelle said the increase in favorable hunting weather contributed to this year's harvest.
"The youth hunt is a wonderful opportunity for adults to focus on giving young hunters a good experience," Isabelle said.
This year's youth turkey season started earlier than normal to avoid a conflict with the Easter holiday.
The main spring turkey season opens April 16 and runs through May 6. Hunting hours are one-half hour before sunrise (about 6:31 a.m. in Central Missouri on April 16) to 1 p.m. Central Daylight Time.
Jim Low of the Missouri Department of Conservation said regulations remain the same as last year with a few exceptions, such as changes that apply to certain conservation areas.