With fall firearms turkey season starting today and running through Oct. 31, the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) advises hunters it could be a challenging season.
This year's annual wild-turkey brood-survey shows statewide turkey production was lower than the five-year average - likely due to poor nesting success.
"Although we didn't have many days with heavy rainfall in much of the state this spring, we did have quite a few days with at least some precipitation," said Jason Isabelle, a MDC turkey biologist. "When hens are repeatedly getting wet while incubating, it can increase the chances of a predator locating the hen and her nest. Looking at this year's brood survey results, only 29 percent of hens were observed with poults, which indicates poor nest success."
Isabelle added June was fairly dry and ideal for brood-rearing in much of the state, but there were relatively few poults able to benefit from those conditions due to low nest success this year.
"Despite a poor hatch this year, there are still more turkeys on the landscape in many areas of the state compared to five years ago," Isabelle said.
Given the poor hatch throughout the state, though, Isabelle said fall turkey hunting is going to be more challenging this year.
"Having fewer young birds on the landscape this year will likely result in hunters having to put forth more effort to be successful. This will be especially true in areas that experience good acorn production," Isabelle said.
Isabelle notes where acorns are abundant, turkeys spend more time in forested areas and do not have to range far to locate food, both of which typically result in reduced turkey harvest.
Unlike the spring season, when more than 100,000 turkey hunting permits are purchased in Missouri, typically fewer than 15,000 hunters purchase fall firearms turkey permits.
The hunting timed during the fall firearms season are from one-half hour before sunrise to sunset with a limit of two turkeys of either sex. Details about fall turkey hunting regulations are found in the 2016 Fall Deer and Turkey Hunting Regulations and Information booklet available wherever hunting permits are sold, from MDC offices and nature centers, or online at on.mo.gov/2d7JPxc.
Fall archery turkey hunting continues through Nov. 11 and resumes again Nov. 23 to Jan. 15.
Buy permits from vendors around the state, online at mdc.mo.gov/buypermits, or through MDC's free mobile apps, Mo Hunting and Mo Fishing, available for download through Google Play for Android devices or the App Store for Apple devices.