OUTDOOR CORNER: FALL TURKEY SEASON HAS ITS OWN STYLE

Last week, you may have read an article dealing with hunting prospects for Missouri's upcoming fall firearms turkey season. This week, we will discuss specific regulations and make some comparisons between fall and spring turkey hunting.

As mentioned last week, the fall season doesn't draw near the number of hunters as does the spring season (32,606 fall permits in 1999 versus 113,495 spring permits in 2000). Likewise, a comparison of the number of birds harvested statewide in the respective seasons reflects the difference in hunting pressure (14,651 birds last fall compared to 56,841 birds in the spring season). The harvest in Southeast Missouri follows the same trend (698 birds last fall compared to 4,712 this past spring).

Why such a difference in hunter participation between the two seasons? Every hunter has his own personal reasons, but there are some basic differences between hunting methods and regulations for the two seasons:

The fall season is two weeks in length (Oct. 9-22) versus a three week season in the spring.

In the fall, hunting hours run from one-half hour before sunrise to sunset. Spring hunting ends at 1 p.m. each day.

The season limit is the same (two turkeys) but, in the fall, they may be of either sex (gobbler or hen). In the spring season, hunters are limited to male turkeys or turkeys with visible beards. During both seasons, you may only take one turkey during the first week, but if you do not take one during the first week, then you may take two during the remainder of the season, but you may not take them both on the same day. Youths hunting on a Youth Deer and Turkey Hunting Permit may only take one turkey of either sex.

Unlike the spring season, which is open in all 114 counties of the state, there are a total of eight counties closed to fall firearms turkey hunting. The five closed counties are located in Southeast Missouri: Dunklin, Mississippi, New Madrid, Pemiscot and Scott.

Additional regulations for the 2000 fall firearms turkey season include using a shotgun with shot not larger than No. 4, a longbow or compound bow, handheld string releasing devices and illuminated sights, scopes and quickpoint sights are allowed.

The following are prohibited: shotguns holding more than three shells in magazine and chamber combined, shot larger than No. 4 (in use or in possession), a bow fastened to a stock or other device that maintains the bow in a drawn position, any sighting device that casts a beam of light on the game, use of dogs, bait, recorded calls and live decoys.

Anyone hunting turkeys on a Fall Firearms Turkey Hunting Permit may not be in possession of both a firearm and a bow.

All hunters using a shotgun must affix the "Be Safe" sticker to the receiver of their gun so it will be in their line of sight when shooting. The sticker must be maintained on the gun while hunting.

A Hunter Education certificate is required for hunters born on or after January 1, 1967, except for youths hunting with a Youth Deer & Turkey Hunting Permit.

Turkeys must be checked at an established checking station by the hunter, in the county where taken or an adjoining open county, and no later than 8 p.m. on the day taken.

Regulations aside, the biggest difference between fall and spring season involves hunting methods. In the spring, hunters imitate the mating calls of hens to attract male birds. The strutting and gobbling activity is a key factor. In the fall, there is no active mating activity. In most instances, hunters locate a flock of juvenile birds with the adult hen. They then "bust up" the flock and imitate the call of a lost bird in order to attract young birds that were scattered or "lost" from the flock. The lack of gobbling activity in the fall is probably the biggest deterrent to attracting a higher percentage of spring hunters to the fall season.

Yet another factor for many hunters is the widely held belief that harvesting fall turkeys will have an adverse affect on the following spring season.

Radio telemetry studies of wild turkeys in both northern and southern Missouri indicate that hunters harvest less than 4 percent of the fall turkey population. By contrast, research-based population modeling indicates that up to 10 percent of the fall turkey population can be harvested without adversely impacting the turkey flock or reducing the quality of spring turkey hunting.

For detailed regulations relating to fall firearms turkey hunting in Missouri, consult the 2000 Fall Deer and Turkey Hunting Information brochure available from permit vendors statewide.

Gene Myers is a Missouri Department of Conservation agent in Cape Girardeau County.