2024 Spring Turkey Overview
April and May are beautiful months in the Midwest. This year the weather was more cooperative than years in the past except the last week of April when we had several days of torrential rainfall. It’s hard to believe spring turkey season is behind us, and summer is here once again.
2024 was another smooth season with reservations and more than enough land for everyone to turkey hunt.
For the first time non-resident Kansas spring turkey permits were only available by lottery draw and only valid in a single Unit. Kansas residents were able to purchase one spring turkey permit over the counter or online.
Also, for the first time Missouri shooting hours did not end at 1 pm. They were extended from ½ hour before sunrise to sunset, which was a game changer for many hunters.
The 2024 Missouri statewide spring turkey harvest was up for the third year in a row. In 2024 the total harvest was 47,119 which was a 6% increase from 2023, and a 20% increase from the previous 5-year average.
Overall, the turkey population across the US has been on the decline, more so to the east and especially in the southeast states. Extensive research is being done to determine the cause, but for now the Midwest has some of the best turkey hunting in the country.
A lot of our turkey hunters casually hunt and like to just get out a couple days during the season, but every year we have a die-hard group that goes all out to fill as many tags as possible. This year we had hunters travel from 23 states to hunt MAHA leased land. Missouri led with 89 hunters, Arkansas was second with 20, Kansas third with 14 and Louisiana fourth with 12.
Reservations seemed low at the beginning of the season but picked up as the season progressed. We typically host around 200 spring turkey hunters. This year we had a total of 192 hunters sharing approximately 850 spots. 141 members hunted one state, 43 hunted 2 states and 7 hunted all 3 states. Out of the seven that hunted all three states, 3 completed the MAHA slam, which is tagging out in all 3 states with 4 mature toms. Each of the three put in 10 plus days, so it was not a layup for any of them. Congrats guys on a great season.
This year the largest tom reported was 28 pounds, the longest beard was 12 ½”, most beards 4 and
longest spur 1 9/16”. There were consistent reports of jake flocks which is encouraging for the next
couple seasons.
Several youth hunters were able to harvest their first turkey which is inspiring for the next generation of hunters.
Nicholas
Tess
Once again, a big thanks to all that responded to the feedback request. Feedback is very important in our lease evaluation process. Some landowners mandate feedback in our lease agreement to help manage the wildlife on their land.
Thanks to all for another safe and enjoyable Spring Turkey Season. Enjoy the summer, MAHA Staff!
