JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) - Missouri turkey hunters reported taking nearly 8,500 birds last month, a 20 percent increase from October 2011.

The state Conservation Department says southwestern Missouri’s Webster County led the way with 225 birds taken. Neighboring Laclede and Greene followed closely.

Conservation officials say the outlook is good for the upcoming spring turkey season. That’s after a string of seasons in which Missouri’s turkey population struggled because of wet weather that can be difficult for ground-nesting wildlife.

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