YOUTHS GETS SPECIAL TURKEY SEASON

If you are a parent, you have no doubt heard your children complain that "grownups are so lucky, they get to do lots of things that kids aren't allowed to do. "

Well, the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) has turned the tables on the adults and set a special hunting season just for youngsters.

New this year is a Youth-Only Spring Turkey Hunting Season for Missouri residents age 15 and younger. The new season is two days long and opens on Saturday, April 14, nine days prior to the regular spring turkey season.

To participate, the hunter must possess either a youth deer and turkey hunting permit (if under age 12) or a spring turkey hunting permit (if age 11-15 and hunter education certified).

Youngsters hunting on the youth deer and turkey hunting permit must be in the immediate presence of a properly licensed adult who is hunter education certified.

Youths participating in the "Youth-Only" season may take a limit of one male turkey or turkey with visible beard. A bird harvested during the spring youth season will count toward that individual's spring season bag limit. In other words, if you take a bird on a youth deer & turkey hunting permit, you may not also harvest another bird during the regular spring turkey season (April 23-May 13). However, youths who take a turkey on a regular spring turkey hunting permit during the "Youth-Only" season may harvest a second bird, but not until the beginning of the second week of the regular season. The bird taken during the two-day, youth-only season counts as the first bird for the first week of the regular season.

Turkeys may only be taken by shotgun with shot not larger than No. 4 or longbow, without the use of dogs, bait, recorded calls or live decoys. 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.

Shooting hours are from one-half hour before sunrise to 1 p.m.

Anyone who kills a turkey must immediately validate the harvest log portion of their permit by notching the edge of the permit and affix the transportation tag (either homemade or provided by permit vendor) to the turkey. The transportation tag must remain on the turkey until it has been submitted with the permit by the hunter at an established checking station.

Turkeys must be checked by the hunter, in the county where taken or an adjoining county (with head attached and plumage intact) between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. on the day taken.

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