2009 Seasons
- Youth Season: April 4-April 5
- Regular Season: April 20-May 10
Find more hunting and fishing seasons
Video
Spring Turkey Outlook
Poor nesting weather over the past several years has been the major factor in having fewer wild turkeys in some parts of the state. This recent decline in our turkey numbers has led to some declines in hunter satisfaction regarding size of observed flocks, gobbling activity and hunter success.
Despite the decline, Missouri still offers some of the best turkey hunting in the nation. A few consecutive years of drier, warmer spring weather will be critical for our turkey numbers to bounce back. In the meantime, turkey hunting will be more challenging in certain areas. Learn more >>
Next Generation of Conservation
Talk About Outdoor Recreation
Whether your idea of outdoor fun is birding, hunting or fishing, you'll find timely tips and talk about it here. Send your comments and follow related links.
Mentor Apprentice Hunters
Would you like to share those beautiful spring mornings in the turkey woods with a good friend or a spouse who has never hunted before? You know they would love it, but you can’t get them to invest the time to take the hunter education course.
To help introduce adults to hunting, the Conservation Department now allows hunters age 16 and older who are not hunter-ed certified to hunt with firearms, as long as they:
- first purchase the new Apprentice Hunter Authorization for $10
- then purchase a firearms hunting permit for the season they want to hunt; for example, a Spring Turkey Hunting Permit
- hunt in the immediate presence of a properly licensed hunter 21 years old or older who is hunter-ed certified. The mentor must have a filled or unfilled permit for the prescribed season. “Immediate presence” means close enough for normal conversation, without shouting.
Note: The Apprentice Hunter Authorization allows the holder to purchase firearms permits throughout the permit year, and it can be purchased for two permit years. After the second year, the apprentice hunter will be required to become hunter-education certified if he or she wants to continue hunting on a firearms permit.
Missouri is a leader in hunter recruitment, and the Apprentice Hunter Authorization is just one more tool to help you share your hunting knowledge and tradition with your friends and family. Encourage your apprentices to attend a hunter education class or take the new online course available this summer before next year’s spring turkey season.
Youth Spring Turkey Hunting Season
Who May Participate:
The youth hunter must be:
- a Missouri resident
- age 15 or younger on season opening day
Season Dates:
April 4 – April 5, 2009
Shooting Hours: 1/2 hour before sunrise to sunset Central Daylight-Saving Time
Valid Permits:
Youth hunters must possess one of the three following permits:
- a Youth Deer & Turkey Hunting Permit, if age 6–15. While hunting, the youth must be in the immediate presence of a properly licensed adult who has a valid hunter education certificate card; find out more
- a Resident Spring Turkey Hunting Permit, if age 11–15 and hunter education certified.
- a Resident Landowner Spring Turkey Hunting Permit,
if age 15 or younger and an immediate household member of a resident
landowner or qualifying lessee (see “Definitions”).
Obtain no-cost landowner spring turkey hunting permits.
Note: Landowner permits are valid only on the land for which they are issued.
Youth Season Limit:
One male turkey or turkey with visible beard. See restrictions below:
- Youths who take a turkey on a Youth Deer & Turkey Hunting
Permit may
not harvest another bird during the regular spring turkey season. - Youths who take a turkey on a Resident Spring Turkey Hunting Permit may harvest a second bird, but not until the beginning of the second week of the regular season. This is because the bird taken during the youth season counts as the first bird for the first week of the regular season.
Regular Spring Turkey Hunting Season
Season Dates:
April 20 –May 10, 2009
Shooting Hours:
1/2 hour before sunrise to 1 p.m. Central Daylight-Saving Time
Valid Permits:
- Resident or Nonresident
- Spring Turkey Hunting Permit
- Resident or Nonresident Landowner Spring Turkey Hunting Permit
- Youth Deer & Turkey Hunting Permit
Permit Requirements:
Hunters born on or after Jan. 1, 1967, must be hunter education certified to purchase a Resident or Nonresident Spring Turkey Hunting Permit. See "Hunter Education Certificate Requirement".
Season Limit:
Two male turkeys or turkeys with visible beard may be taken during the season, with the following restrictions:
- You may only take one turkey during the first week from April 20 –26.
- If you do not take one during the first week, then you may take two
during
the second or third week from April 27–May 10, but you may not take them both on the same day.
| Permit | Cost |
|---|---|
| Resident Spring Turkey Hunting Permit | $17 |
| Resident Landowner Spring Turkey Hunting Permit | no cost |
| Nonresident Spring Turkey Hunting Permit | $175 |
| Nonresident Landowner Spring Turkey Hunting Permit | $75 |
| Youth Deer & Turkey Hunting Permit | $17 |
Operation Game Thief - Remain Anonymous – Reward Possible
Help catch wildlife violators
Each year conservation agents spend time tracking down poachers who disregard regulations protecting wildlife. Here are some of the illegal activities that agents dealt with last year:
- hunting from the road
- disposing of carcasses and other body parts in streams, rivers, ponds and lakes
- harvesting a deer or turkey and putting someone else’s transportation tag on it
- using a spotlight to harvest deer or turkey
Dial toll-free 1-800-392-1111
Rewards are available for information leading to the arrest of game-law violators. Information can be provided anonymously by dialing the toll-free hotline number. All information is kept in strict confidence.
If you see a possible poaching violation in progress, immediately call your conservation agent, sheriff or the toll-free hotline number. Help put game thieves out of business.
Sponsored by the Conservation Federation of Missouri and the Missouri Department of Conservation.
