OUTDOOR CORNER: MISSOURI OPENS SPRING TURKEY SEASON MONDAY

Today is Easter Sunday. You can expect to see lots of children outside looking for the Easter bunny and all of those brightly colored eggs that he left behind. Tomorrow you can expect to see lots of "big kids" out looking for the wild turkeys that hatched from brown, speckled eggs in past years.

Missouri's turkey season opens April 24 and runs through May 14. The season always opens on the Monday nearest April 21, so this year's season is as late, in terms of calendar dates, as it can be. Many hunters wonder if the late season, combined with the early arrival of spring weather this year, could cause them to miss out on the peak of gobbling activity, when hunting is best.

Turkey season has always been timed to miss that first peak of gobbling. The purpose is to allow hens to be bred before hunting starts, so the hunting season doesn't dramatically impact reproduction. This is probably part of the reason our turkey flock has a better age distribution than in states where the season coincides with the first peak of gobbling.

The season structure is designed to put hunters in the woods during the second peak of gobbling activity, which occurs when a number of hens are approaching incubation, and gobblers have trouble finding receptive mates. With our three-week season, hunters from southern Missouri to northern Missouri should be able to hunt this second gobbling peak.

Weather always figures prominently in turkey season predictions, since fair or foul weather can affect the behavior of both turkeys and hunters. Warm weather without too much rain or wind makes turkeys easier to hunt. It also encourages hunters to spend more time afield.

But in any case, wildlife biologists don't expect this year's spring turkey harvest to dip below 45,000 birds, and with favorable hunting conditions it could approach last year's record kill of 50,299.

The 16 counties that the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) classify as the southeast region accounted for 3,701 of last year's record total.

Ste. Genevieve County led the way in southeast Missouri with 720 turkeys harvested. Bollinger county was second with 525 birds. Perry and Cape Girardeau counties added 397 and 362 birds respectively. Wayne County accounted for 350 of the total. Other Southeast numbers: St. Francois (340), Madison (224), Iron (213), Reynolds (203), Butler (140), Stoddard (110) and Scott (63). The Bootheel counties of New Madrid (35), Mississippi (18) and Pemiscot (1) combined to add another 54 birds to the record total.

This year, as in 1999, hunters may take two male turkeys (or turkeys with visible beard) during the season. They may take only one turkey during the first seven days of the season.

Hunters may take one turkey per day during the remainder of the season, for a total of two birds for the three week season.

In other words, 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 second or third week, but you may not take them both on the same day.

Shooting hours are a half hour before sunrise to 1:00 p.m. Central Daylight Time. This means that shooting time will be 5:41 a.m. on opening day for hunters in the Cape Girardeau area. For locations west, add one minute for each 13.5 miles.

The following methods are allowed during the spring firearms turkey hunting season: 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.

These methods are prohibited: shotguns holding more than three (3) 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, recorded calls, live decoys, or bait (bait includes grain or other feed placed or scattered so as to attract turkeys. An area is considered baited for ten (10) days even after complete removal of the bait. A hunter can be in violation even if they did not know an area was or is baited. It is illegal to place bait in a way that causes others to be in violation of the baiting rule).

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.

This is the second year that hunters under age 12 can take part in the spring turkey season with a Youth Deer and Turkey Hunting Permit. This $15 permit allows kids under the minimum legal age for hunter education certification to participate in the spring and fall turkey seasons. To do so, they must hunt in the immediate presence of adult hunters who are licensed to hunt and have successfully completed a hunter education course. The permit allows young hunters to take one bearded turkey during the spring season and one during the fall season and one deer in the fall.

Anyone who kills a turkey must immediately validate the harvest log portion of their permit by notching the edge of the permit (be sure to use the permit for turkey #1 first). The hunter must also affix a transportation tag (either homemade or the yellow adhesive tag available from permit vendors) to the turkey. Do not attach the actual permit (the one you notched) to the bird.

Only the taker (hunter) may possess or transport turkeys until they have been checked at an established checking station in the county where taken or an adjoining county. Check station locations and specific regulations are contained in the "Missouri Spring Turkey Hunting Information 2000" pamphlet available from permit vendors statewide.

Have a safe and enjoyable turkey season.

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