(Photo: File photo)
Fall firearms turkey hunters took fewer birds than last year, likely a result of an unusually wet spring with lots of flooding, according to the Missouri Department of Conservation.
The soggy landscapes that followed were a hurdle during the birds' breeding season, according to MDC Turkey Biologist Reina Tyl.
“A wet spring and flooding during the spring and summer created challenging nesting conditions across much of the state,” Tyl said. “This contributed to below-average poult production throughout much of the state, so we have fewer young birds on the landscape this year.