Missouri Turkey Season - Never Have Understood Why It Doesnt Start Sooner.

[LX_Trkyhntr]

I have hunted MO for several years.  I don't have a problem with the 1PM cut off time.  I too don't mind an afternoon nap or a crappie fishing trip!

I was told that they start on Monday and limit the first week to 1 bird to discourage nonresidents from coming the first week.  The rational was that it would give residents more time in the NF without as many people in the woods.  If thats true or not I don't know.

[stinkpickle]

I was told that they start on Monday and limit the first week to 1 bird to discourage nonresidents from coming the first week.  The rational was that it would give residents more time in the NF without as many people in the woods.  If thats true or not I don't know.

I imagine that's the case.

[jakesdad]

Good point by stinkpickle - I agree that MO is no longer the Mecca of turkey hunting it once was.  Not because it has declined just because everywhere else has gotten so good.

I agree.Although we have had some lackluster hatches the last several years(at least in the NE part of the state),the fact that their are alot of states whose population is booming makes the playing field as far as standout "turkey meccas" a lot more even playing field,and that is fine by me.Not that it only keeps everybody from flocking to MO but it gives everybody lots more options on hunting destinations.

[SinGin]

If they want to reduce hunting pressure by opening the season on a Monday, then it deosn't make much sense to cram all your time in for a morning hunt. Reduce pressure by expanding time. Mo turkeys are pretty good, but nothing compared to turkeys in Kansas. We get as much action in three days in Kansas as we will for almost three weeks in Mo.

[heathwesley]

Agreed!

[SKFOOTER]

I hunted Southeast Missouri for 20 years straight until last year.  The longer I hunted there, the less gobbles I heard and less birds I worked.  The population of turkeys is way down in that part of the state over the last 20 years and I will not go back as long as the non-resident fees are as high as they are now and until the turkey popuation makes a dramatic comeback. 

[heathwesley]

I hunted Southeast Missouri for 20 years straight until last year.  The longer I hunted there, the less gobbles I heard and less birds I worked.  The population of turkeys is way down in that part of the state over the last 20 years and I will not go back as long as the non-resident fees are as high as they are now and until the turkey popuation makes a dramatic comeback. 

I hunt right on the Douglas County/Ozark County border and have noticed something very similar.  Very little gobbling or birds in general over the course of the last 10 years.  I love a challenge but its nice to atleast hear some birds. 

[Gamblinman]

I too hunted Mo for many many years out of Houston, Mo, but no more. Way fewer birds than earlier years.


Gman

[jakesdad]

Im afraid its gonna stay that way until we get several good hatches in a row.Thinkin of goin out of state next year on a hunt or two.All the talk I hear on Kansas may have to line somethin up.

[Fullfan]

I am in the same boat as many of you guys. Drive from Pa to Texas and Shannon counties. This will be year 21 for me and year 33 for my father in-law. We have seen the good times and fear that we will never see them again. The days of hearing 20-30 birds gobble on the roost are long gone. poor hatches, more and more men, and the 190.00 price tag is driving us to another state.

We enjoy the time we spend in SE Mo and have made many good friends there. Camp is always full of the local boys. But we both know what we are in for this year, and we have decided to give it one last go.  I can say I will miss it.....

[3chunter]

I am from SC and I hunt MONTH every year and in my opinion the 1 pm cutoff is a crock of crap!  We have plenty of birds in the south and we can hunt allday.  That time cutoff isn't helping ANYTHING or ANYONE!  As far as the dates are concerned MO should let the southern zone start earlier in my opinion.  MO is a big state and from north to south the birds DO get started earlier in the southern part.  Just my .02.

[Neill_Prater]

Lived in MO my whole life. Killed my first bird in 1979, but have hunted several other states in the past 20 years. I like all day hunting, especially if I'm hunting out-of-state, because I go there to hunt, not sit around and watch TV. There was a lot of talk about MO going to all day hunting, but I think the bad hatches the past few years have temporarily eliminated that possibility.

I also do not like the one bird, first week, regulation. I personally think it backfires in that everyone and their brother show up the first weekend, and stay through the first of the next week, to have a possibility of killing 2 birds. I think if the limit were simply 2 birds, one per day, a lot of guys would be done and back at the house before the first weekend even arrives.

Also, you guys talk about Kansas. Love to hunt Kansas, and have for almost 20 years, but the same weather conditions that have hurt our population of birds has done the same in spades for SE KS. Ten years ago, I could drive 175 miles from my house and expect to hear a dozen gobblers a day. The same area now has almost no birds, so guys, if your turkey population is on the upswing, be grateful, because all it takes is a few blows from Mother Nature to make you wonder where the turkeys went.

[RutnNStrutn]

It's the same thing in central Florida. I see gobblers strutting and gobbling in January, sometimes even Decemeber, but we can't start 'til late March. (Now mind you northern guys, our season is long over before your's is) We've been told that we start that late so that hunting starts well after the peak of breeding season.

[ILIKEHEVI-13]

Well a lot of states that now have very good turkey numbers can thank the state of MO for a lot of them birds.  I hope the Conservation Dept is done giving away a lot of our birds over the years.  I think that has a lot to do with a lot of our numbers being down since the early 2000's.  They need to leave our birds here.  Of course they keep blaming it on the heavy rains every year, but I don't buy it.  

At one time MO had an estimated 1 million birds in the mid 90's. 

[ILIKEHEVI-13]

They havent been giving them away here and we are down about 80 percent due to persisent heavy cold rains the last few years. MO and SEKS has been dealt some crappy weather. I can remember hearing 37 diffrent birds in one morning. Now I can barely find 1.

Well back in the 90's my buddy who I know very well counted over 400 birds here one morning in the fall while bowhunting and that was on public land.  You won't see numbers like that anymore.