KIRKSVILLE, MO -- The hot and dry conditions this summer may have had you feeling uncomfortable but for one animal, it was the perfect conditions.

Area turkey populations have exploded this year all thanks to the weather. To the liking of hunting enthusiasts, this means more turkeys are out there. In a typical year, many turkeys don’t survive the extreme changes that evolve from spring to summer including the wet periods. As for this year, it was the perfect conditions for turkey chicks.

“Wild turkey nesting success has been very good this year based on the warm dry weather. In the past we saw 2007-2010 were wet and cool and was not good for turkeys based on they have a hard time hatching with wet soil moistures and turkey chicks can’t thermal-regulate their body temperatures well which leads to hypothermia,” said Missouri Department of Conservation Wildlife Biologist Brian Gilbert.

The area turkey population is calculated by a survey done between the Missouri Department of Conservation and citizens from June through August.