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A monthly publication about conservation in Missouri. Started in 1938, the printed magazine is free to residents of Missouri.
UPDATE: MDC HAS CANCELLED THESE PROGRAMS/EVENTS TO HELP PROTECT THE PUBLIC AMID ONGOING CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) CONCERNS.
Kansas City, Mo. – Hunting the wary wild turkey connects people with nature’s spring blush, and perhaps lands a gobbler for the table. The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) offers free classes that help newcomers get the skills and confidence they need to hunt turkeys. Classes offered in coming weeks in the Kansas City area can help new hunters learn turkey lore.
MDC’s Lake City Shooting Range will offer a free turkey hunting basics class from 8 to 10 a.m. on Saturday, March 28, at the 28505 E. Truman Road in Buckner. Instructors will teach how to distinguish between gobblers and hens, turkey habits and habitats, regulations, equipment, safe hunting strategies, and preparing harvested game for cooking. Veteran turkey hunters can also benefit from tips on scouting, decoys, calling, and shot placement. Registration is required in this class and it is open to all ages. The Lake City range will also offer a free shotgun patterning class from 8 to 10 a.m. on Saturday, April 4. Knowing the pattern shape your shotgun and shells provide can make a big difference in turkey hunting success. Experts will show how to combine chokes and ammunition for effective patterns. This program is open to participants age 11 and older. Registration is required.
MDC’s Parma Woods Shooting Range will offer a free introduction to spring turkey hunting workshop from 9 a.m. to noon on Sunday, March 29, at 15900 N.W. River Road west of Parkville. Participants will learn how to successfully hunt wild turkeys including equipment, strategies, regulations, and turkey biology. This workshop is for participants age 8 and older. Registration is required and requested by March 28.
Parma Woods will also offer a hunter education skills session from 6 to 10 p.m. on Thursday, March 5. Participants must be age 11 or older. This is the second portion of the class for youth under age 16 and for adults that have chosen to complete the workbook or classroom session options. Participants will learn safe firearms handling skills under the direction of certified instructors. Registration is required.
To learn more about spring turkey hunting in Missouri, visit https://short.mdc.mo.gov/ZeZ.
