JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) - Missouri turkey hunters shot more birds this spring despite less than ideal weather.
The state Department of Conservation says hunters killed slightly more than 42,220 turkeys during Missouri's spring, which ran from April 15 through Sunday. That's up 4 percent from 2012.
Hunting conditions were not great, with frequent rain and below-average temperatures during much of the three-week season. But the turkey population was strong after two good years of reproduction.
Hunters in Franklin County led the way this spring, killing 996 turkeys. That was followed by Texas County with 879 and Callaway County with 710.