OUTLOOK FOR FALL TURKEY NOT GOOD

JEFFERSON CITY -- The news isn't good for fall turkey hunters.

Fall turkey hunters might find the going a bit tough this year, because of low numbers of brood flocks hens with young turkeys.

"The outlook is not good for the fall season," said Department Wildlife Research Biologist Larry Vangilder. "This is the fourth year in a row that we've had a bad hatch".

Vangilder said the ratio of young to adult birds was 2.2 this year, much lower than the average of 2.9 over the past 32 years.

"Last year, hunters took 16,015 birds," said Vangilder. "I don't expect them to increase that number this season."

The fall firearms turkey season runs from Oct. 14 through 27 in all counties except Buchanan, Clay, Clinton, Dunklin, Greene, Lafayette, Lawrence, McDonald, Mississippi, New Madrid, Newton, Nodaway, Pemiscot, Platte and Scott. The bag limit is one turkey of either sex each week of the season. Shooting hours are from half an hour before sunrise to sunset. Only shotguns holding no more than three shells and loaded with shot no larger than No. 4 may be used.