Hunters checked 5,691 turkeys during Missouri's fall firearms season

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) announced that hunters checked 5,691 turkeys during Missouri's fall firearms turkey season, which ran Oct. 1 - 31. Last year's fall firearms turkey harvest total was 5,929 birds. Top harvest counties for the 2014 season were Greene with 165 turkeys checked, Franklin with 163, and St. Clair with 160.

Adult gobblers accounted for 964 of the harvest, or almost 17 percent. Adult hens accounted for 1,588 of the harvest, or almost 28 percent. Juvenile gobblers accounted for 950, or almost 17 percent, and juvenile hens for 2,189 or about 38 percent.

MDC sold 14,117 fall firearms turkey hunting permits for this past season, a 5-percent drop from last year.

The fall New Madrid County firearms turkey harvest are 3 total turkey. One Juvenille Gobblers and two Adult Hens.

Fall archery turkey hunting continues until Nov.14 and then resumes again from Nov. 26 through Jan. 15, 2015.