The spring turkey hunting season in Missouri doesn't open until April 20, but there are many people eager to "talk turkey" at any time.

This interest in the wild turkey is not a recent development. More than 200 years ago, noted statesman Benjamin Franklin proposed that the wild turkey be adopted as the national symbol for the United States of America.

Mr. Franklin argued that in addition to other admirable qualities, the red-white-and-blue coloration on a gobbler's head made the turkey the obvious choice to represent our country.

Now I don't know all of the details, but I wonder if our Founding Fathers maybe felt that "Ole Ben" had flown one too many kites during a thunderstorm and subsequently chose the bald eagle instead.

There are, still today, advocates of the wild turkey as a national symbol. They would point to the popularity and abundance of the bird nation-wide. The wild turkey population is estimated at more than four million birds across the country. Each spring, more than two and one half million hunters pursue wild turkeys in every state except Alaska.

With an estimated population of 380,000 birds, Missouri ranks near the top of the list for spring turkey hunting. Last season, hunters checked more than 33,000 birds.

The 1998 spring turkey hunting season in Missouri opens April 20 and runs through May 10. The only substantial change from last year in Missouri turkey hunting regulations is season length. Missouri hunters will enjoy a three-week season for the first time this year.

The bag limit will be the same as last year, two bearded birds. There are some differences in how the bag limit is administered, however.

In the past, hunters were allowed to take one bearded bird per week during the two-week season. If you didn't bag a bird the first week, you missed your chance to kill two turkeys.

This year hunters still will be allowed to take only one turkey during the first week of the season. But in the second and third weeks, they will be able to bag one bird a day, up to the season limit of two. It will be possible for a hunter to take a legal limit of turkeys in the last two days of the season.

The 1998 spring turkey season is designed to provide more opportunity and flexibility for hunters and to spread out hunting pressure. The longer season will also improve the timing of the season, especially in northern Missouri.

The new season should result in only a 10-15 percent increase in spring gobbler harvest. Because only gobblers are killed during the spring season (except for a few bearded hens), the new season will have no impact on the potential for turkey populations to grow.

A popular misconception is that the spring harvest is somehow responsible for fluctuations in turkey populations. Fluctuations in the number of turkeys are driven by the number of young birds produced each year, not by spring or fall turkey harvest. A too liberal spring turkey harvest, however, can reduce the number of adult gobblers in the population, thereby reducing the quality of spring turkey hunting.

The Conservation Commission will continue to closely monitor harvest, hunter success and the age of adult gobblers in the harvest to determine whether or not the quality of spring turkey hunting is declining in any region.

Biologists have a very good historical database with which to compare future results and have established criteria to evaluate the new spring season regulations. The Commission may at any time return to a more conservative season if the data indicate that such a change is warranted.

The new season is due in part to the deliberations of a Blue Ribbon Panel of 23 turkey enthusiasts who, during the summer of 1996, examined the wild turkey program and made suggestions about how the Department should handle wild turkey management.

After the Blue Ribbon Panel completed its deliberations a wild turkey harvest management plan was written for the years 1998-2002. Copies of this plan can be obtained by writing Larry D. Vangilder, Missouri Department of Conservation, 1110 South College Avenue, Columbia, MO 65201 or by calling 573/882-9880 ext. 3259.

Shooting hours are hour before sunrise to 1:00 p.m. CDT. Any shotgun having a capacity of more than three (3) shells must have the magazine cut off or plugged with a device incapable of removal through the loading end, so as to reduce the capacity to not more than three (3) shells in magazine and chamber combined.

Each permit holder hunting with a shotgun shall first affix to the receiver of his/her gun, where it will be in his/her line of sight when shooting, the "Be Safe" sticker, and maintain the sticker on the gun when hunting. Possession of shotshells with shot larger than No. 4 is prohibited while hunting turkeys.

Any person killing a turkey must immediately validate the harvest log portion of their permit by punching or notching the edge of the permit. Also, the hunter must immediately affix to the turkey the transportation tag, which shall remain attached to the carcass until it has been submitted with the permit by the taker at an established checking station.

Turkeys may be possessed or transported only by the taker and only when tagged immediately with a transportation tag. The transportation tag may be either homemade or provided by permit vendors. The taker shall submit their turkey with head and plumage intact, along with their permit for inspection and marking at an established checking station in the county where taken or an adjoining county between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. CDT on the day taken.

In the 1997 spring season, Southeast Missouri accounted for 1,695 of the 33,044 turkeys taken state-wide. Perry County led the list locally with 301 birds checked. Bollinger County ranked a close second with 300, followed by Cape Girardeau County with 291 turkeys checked.

Other counties contributing to the regional harvest were: Iron (199); Wayne (170); Butler (148); Madison (131); Stoddard (111); and Scott (27.)

For detailed information and regulations consult the 1998 Missouri Spring Turkey Hunting Information pamphlet available from permit vendors statewide.

Gene Myers is a Missouri Department of Conservation Agent in Cape Girardeau County