MDC reports 45,475 turkeys harvested during regular spring season

FOX23 News at 9 p.m.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo., (KBSI) — Missouri turkey hunters harvested 45,475 birds during the state’s 2026 regular spring turkey season, according to preliminary data from the Missouri Department of Conservation.

The regular season ran from April 20 through May 10. The top harvest counties were Macon with 979 birds harvested, followed by Callaway with 926 and Franklin with 879.

Youth hunters harvested an additional 5,255 turkeys during the spring youth weekend April 11-12, bringing the total statewide spring turkey harvest to 50,730 birds.

“Good gobbler carryover from the 2023 hatch and a decent 2024 hatch resulted in a strong population of adult birds this year,” MDC Wild Turkey Biologist Nick Oakley said in a news release. “While harvest was down a couple hundred birds compared to last year, harvest was still up 6% compared to harvests going back to 1998.”

Oakley said strong turkey hatches and quality nesting and brooding habitat are important for future hunting success.

In 2025, youth hunters harvested 4,449 turkeys during the youth season, while hunters harvested 46,562 birds during the regular spring season for a combined total of 51,011.

MDC said one of the successful hunters this season was Mark Ramsey, who harvested a 23-pound turkey with a 10-inch beard and 1-inch spurs on his property in north-central Missouri.

More information on county harvest totals and past turkey harvest reports is available through the Missouri Department of Conservation.