Fall turkey season can be dangerous but rewarding

Thanksgiving is still more than six weeks away, but it soon will be time for hunters to try and supply the main course for the dinner. Missouri's fall firearms turkey season opens Monday and continues through Sunday, Oct. 26.

Fall turkey hunting is not quite as popular as the spring season in Missouri. This is most evident when you compare harvest figures.

In the 2003 spring season, hunters checked 54,761 turkeys statewide. Last fall, 14,487 birds were checked. Of that total, the 16-county Southeast Region accounted for 864 birds. Cape Girardeau County led the way with 153 turkeys checked. Other county totals include: St. Francois (134); Perry (126); Bollinger (103); Stoddard (83); Ste. Genevieve (66); Iron (58); Wayne (53); Butler (47); Madison (34); and Reynolds (7). Dunklin, Mississippi, New Madrid, Pemiscot and Scott counties were closed to fall firearms turkey hunting.

Fall turkey hunting is very different from hunting in the spring. During the fall, there is little or no gobbling activity and gobblers are in small flocks (3 to 10 birds), while hens and young of the year are together in large flocks (10 to 20 birds). It is not unusual to find two to three hens together with all their young.

The basic strategy for fall turkey hunting is to find and break up a flock, scattering them in all directions. Then locate yourself as close as possible to the spot where you broke up the flock and wait 15 minutes. Gobblers can be called back by using clucks and coarse yelps.

Hens and young birds can be called back using hen yelps or kee-kee run calls. Young birds usually will return within an hour, while an older gobbler may take three or four hours. Hens and their young tend to vocalize a lot as they return. Old gobblers tend to return silently.

The sight and sounds of 20 to 30 turkeys returning to you from all directions can be as exciting as calling in a spring gobbler. However, the fall firearms turkey season has the potential to be more dangerous than the spring because either sex may be hunted. Therefore, less emphasis is put on positive identification. Remember to follow the basic rules of safe turkey hunting.

A hunter orange band, wrapped around the bird to keep its wings from flopping, helps make your walk out of the woods a safer one. If you don't want to make or purchase an alert band, try using a hunter orange vest.

Shooting hours are one-half hour before sunrise to sunset.

Two turkeys of either sex may be taken during the season, provided that both may not be taken on the same day. Hunters should note that the restriction allowing only one bird during the first week has been eliminated. Youths hunting on a youth deer and turkey hunting permit may take only one turkey (of either sex) during the entire season.

Firearms hunters are limited to a shotgun with shot not larger than No. 4. It is prohibited to use (or have in possession) shot of a larger size. The shotgun must be plugged so it is not capable of holding more than three shells in the magazine and chamber combined.

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. Stickers are available wherever permits are sold.

Anyone hunting turkeys during the fall firearm turkey season may not be in possession of both a firearm and a bow.

Turkeys must be checked by the taker at an established check station in the county where taken or an adjoining open county. It must be checked no later than 8 p.m. on the day taken.

Turkeys may be taken in all counties except Dunklin, McDonald, Mississippi, New Madrid, Newton, Pemiscot and Scott.

For details, consult the 2003 Fall Deer and Turkey Hunting Information brochure. It is available from permit vendors statewide.

Gene Myers is an area agent with the Missouri Department of Conservation.