Brandon Lyddon, Conservation Agent
The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) announces changes to turkey hunting regulations for the spring season and has proposed regulation changes for the fall seasons. The Missouri Conservation Commission approved the changes for the spring season at its Dec. 8 open meeting in Jefferson City and gave initial approval on proposed regulation changes to fall turkey hunting.
Spring shooting hours for private land only will be extended from a half-hour before sunrise to sunset. Shooting hours on public land will remain a half-hour before sunrise to 1 p.m. These changes will be effective for the Spring 2024 turkey season.
Proposed changes to fall turkey hunting would require both fall firearms turkey hunters and fall archery turkey hunters to purchase a fall turkey-hunting permit. Turkeys would no longer be included in the archery-deer permit. The bag limit would be reduced from four to two birds. These proposed changes will be open for public comment from Feb. 2 through March 2, 2024, under Public Commenting Opportunities at mdc.mo.gov/contact-engage/public-commenting-opportunities. According to MDC, the primary motivation for the regulation changes is to increase opportunities during the spring season for youth hunters and hunters who work during the day and to reduce the fall harvest while maintaining as much opportunity for hunters as possible.
MDC added that maintaining shooting hours ending at 1 p.m. on conservation areas and other public lands would continue to support multiple afternoon activities by a variety of users on these areas.
The youth spring turkey season is April 6-7. The regular spring turkey season is April 15-May 5. For turkey hunting regulations and to learn more about turkey hunting in Missouri go to mdc.mo.gov/hunting-trapping/species/turkey, visit a MDC regional office, or grab a regulation booklet where permits are sold or online.
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