Preliminary data from the Missouri Department of Conservation shows that young turkey hunters in Missouri harvested 2,712 birds over the past youth-hunting weekend, April 4 and 5.
Top harvest counties were Miller with 74 birds checked, Franklin with 62, Callaway and Saint Genevieve with 60 each.
The 2020 youth number is more than 160 higher than the corresponding first weekend in April of last year.
For the Green Hills Region, the number of turkeys taken by youth ranged from 36 in Livingston County down to 16 in Caldwell. The Department of Conservation website indicates Grundy and Daviess counties with 25 each. Others from the area include Linn County 33, Harrison 32, Putnam 29, Sullivan 26, and Carroll County with 19.
The regular spring turkey season remains open as scheduled and runs from April 20 through May 10.
