Spring turkey harvest hits high mark

Turkey hunters across north central Arkansas and south central Missouri enjoyed one of the most successful spring seasons in recent memory, as harvest totals surged in both states thanks to strong bird populations and favorable weather conditions.

In Arkansas, hunters reported harvesting 11,332 wild turkeys during the 2025 spring turkey season, which ended last Sunday. According to the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, that figure marks a 22% increase over the 2024 season and represents the state’s best spring turkey harvest since 2016.

David Moscicki, the AGFC’s Turkey Program coordinator, attributed the strong showing to a combination of healthy bird populations and cooperative weather conditions.

“This is the fifth year in a row of increasing turkey harvest, so it wasn’t done overnight,’ Moscicki said. “The vast majority of the birds hunters harvested this year hatched at least two years ago. Annual turkey harvest variability is highly linked to weather, both during the hunting season and during the brood-rearing season two years prior.

Moscicki noted that Arkansas has experienced several consecutive years of strong turkey hatches, contributing to the steady upward trend in harvest numbers.

In neighboring Missouri, preliminary data from the Missouri Department of Conservation shows a total of 51,011 turkeys harvested during the 2025 spring season. That includes 46,562 birds checked during the regular season, which ran April 21 through May 11, and 4,449 turkeys taken during the youth weekend held April 12–13. The total marks an 8% increase from 2024 and Missouri’s largest spring turkey harvest since 2006.

Local counties in also reported strong numbers. Douglas County led the region with 584 birds harvested, followed by Howell County with 489 and Ozark County with 376.

“Great production in 2023 resulted in a large population of adult gobblers this year,’ said Nick Oakley, MDC wild turkey biologist. “This led to an increase in overall harvest, and continuing to prioritize turkey nesting and brooding habitat is the best way to ensure good hatches in the future.’

In 2024, Missouri hunters harvested 47,119 turkeys during the spring season, including 3,739 taken during the youth weekend.

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