Turkey hunting season nears, but with limits

If you spring turkey hunt in Missouri, you're probably counting the days until April 2, opening day for the 2003 spring turkey hunting season.

The good news for Missouri residents between ages 6 and 15 is that you don't have to wait more than three weeks to go turkey hunting. You can participate in the youth-only spring turkey hunting season April 12 and 13.

To participate in the youth-only season the hunter must be a Missouri resident 15 or younger on season opening day. Valid permits are either a youth deer and turkey hunting permit (if age 6 to 15) or a resident spring turkey hunting permit (if age 11 to 15 and hunter-education certified).

The youth deer and turkey hunting permit ($15) is available to those age 6 to 15. It allows youths to take one male turkey or turkey with visible beard during either the youth-only spring turkey season or the regular spring season and also one turkey of either sex during the fall firearms season. Nonresident youths may participate in the regular spring and fall seasons but not the youth-only spring season. The permit also is valid for one deer during the fall firearms deer season.

The youth hunting with this permit is not required to be hunter-education certified; however, he or she must be in the immediate presence of a properly licensed adult who has a valid hunter education certificate card.

Understanding the rules

"Immediate presence" means close enough for normal conversation, without shouting. "Properly licensed" means a valid resident or nonresident spring turkey hunting permit. "Adult" means someone age 17 or older. "Valid hunter education certificate card" means the adult must be hunter-education certified regardless of the adult's age.

Youths must be capable of holding, aiming and shooting the firearm by themselves, and they must abide by the appropriate season dates, methods and tagging and checking requirements.

Youths who purchase a youth deer and turkey hunting permit but who turn age 11 later in the permit year and obtain hunter education certification may surrender unused portions of their youth permit and purchase regular firearms deer and/or turkey permits for the fall seasons. However, there are no refunds for surrendered portions.

This will be only the third year for the early season.

Last year, young hunters took advantage of the reduced hunting competition to harvest 3,102 birds statewide. The 16 counties that make up the Missouri Department of Conservation Southeast Region accounted for 278 of that total.

Ste. Genevieve County led the local list with 40 birds checked. Perry and St. Francois counties were next with 36 and 31, respectively. Other counties: Cape Girardeau (24); Bollinger (24); Iron (22); Butler (20); Stoddard (19); Wayne (18); Scott (17); Madison (13); Reynolds (12); Mississippi (1) and Dunklin (1).

Limits on youth season

Youths who take a turkey on a youth deer and turkey hunting permit may not also harvest another bird during the regular spring turkey season. Youths who take a turkey on a resident spring turkey hunting permit may harvest a second bird, but not until the beginning of the second week of the regular season. This is because the bird taken during the youth-only season counts as the first bird for the first week of the regular season.

Shooting hours are a half-hour before sunrise to 1 p.m. CDT. With regard to methods, these are allowed: a shotgun with shot not larger than No. 4, a longbow or compound bow. These 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, recorded calls or live decoys; and use of bait, which includes grain or other feed placed or scattered so as to attract turkeys.

An area is considered baited for 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.

Stickers are available wherever permits are sold.

Anyone who kills a turkey must immediately separate the transportation tag from their permit and attach it to the turkey. The transportation tag must remain on the turkey until it has been submitted with the permit by the hunter who killed the game at an established checking station 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.

The early season

Now for the regular spring turkey hunting season.

The season opens April 21 and lasts through May 11. Shooting hours, methods, and tagging/checking requirements are the same as for the youth-only season. However, permit requirements and season limits are not the same.

All hunters born on or after Jan. 1, 1967, except those purchasing a youth deer and turkey hunting permit, must complete an approved hunter education program and display their card before they can purchase a firearms turkey hunting permit. They do not have to show their card if certification can be verified through the permit vendor's computer terminal. A Missouri Conservation Heritage Card with a hunter education number is an acceptable hunter education certificate card. A person must be at least 11 years old for hunter education certification. Those under age 11 may not purchase regular firearms deer or turkey hunting permits.

With regard to season limits; two male turkeys or turkeys with visible beard may be taken during the season, with the following restrictions: You may only take one turkey during the first week from April 21 to 27.

If you do not take one during the first week, then you may take two during the second or third week from April 28 to May 11, but you may not take both on the same day.

Any hunter who kills or injures a turkey must make a reasonable effort to retrieve and include it in their season limit, but this does not authorize trespass. It is a violation to wantonly leave, abandon or waste commonly edible portions of game.

Last year hunters checked 53,932 birds statewide. Hunters in southeast Missouri contributed 5,041. Perry County led the list of local counties with 649. Other county totals: Ste. Genevieve (634); St Francois (619); Bollinger (606); Cape Girardeau (502); Wayne (377); Butler (321); Madison (318); Iron (316); Stoddard (301); Reynolds (217); Scott (103); Mississippi (44); New Madrid (26); and Dunklin (8).

Details and regulations are in the 2003 Spring Turkey Hunting Information pamphlet available from permit vendors statewide.

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