ChoicesMissouri Turkey Turkey Hunting 
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AdministrativeCosts Lease Land DIY Hunts | ActionMissouri spring turkey hunting season is characterized best by being called fast. A quick three week season, a lot of wild birds and much cover habitat. However, it is the large number of turkeys and the timing of the season right during the peak breeding period of hen receptiveness that make the Missouri spring hunts go fast. Fast to succeed and faster to fail. During the three week season the toms are hard and fast on the hens. Right at first light the courtship begins with the toms gobbling and strutting on the roost itself. At flydown this is the period in the year when the hen's first priority is to visit the toms before food or drink. The toms fired up at the quick action continue after the hens as they depart to lay an egg, eat and drink. Throughout the day the toms seek the hen with the hens concerns lie elsewhere than a repeat of the morning's activities. The toms, being typically male, refuse to quit trying and it takes a good wild turkey hunter to call or decoy one off the hens. Then the 1 PM Missouri spring season daily limit hits and it's over for the day. The unsuccessful turkey hunter reviews the mornings events attempting to develop more effective tactics for the next day while those with tag filled find a check-in station. 
This picture was taken April 25 to give an idea of the level of spring season green up in central Missouri. A typical central mid-west setup. Roost in the background, open field flydown forage area, natural blind across the small field near enough for the decoys to be seen and in this case afternoon return to the flydown area just before return to roost. It has been our experience that remaining in the blind at a flydown area well after the flock has seemingly moved out yields returning turkeys throughout the day. Hens frequently with toms in tow and single toms looking for another hen. All of which give the hunter one more chance. 
Lot of large grain fields in Missouri. These turkeys were photographed in February. Middle of the day out in the wide open of a 200 +/- acre corn field. |
ScoutingNot all is lost for those that are not initially successful. We offer more lease land and more roosts are available for hunting to make every trip a good turkey hunt. If that first flock just won't cooperate the hunter has the option to pick up and move to another farm and try another and that one move to new ground may be all that is necessary to get things working. Or, that same hunter may stay setup on that same flock learning from every encounter and near shot until either making or breaking his of success or failure. In either case the hunter make s his own hunt. A far greater experience than any guide service could offer. The real value is that from all the hunters than we have observe having the most success they are the ones that seek the hunt quality first, the mature tom second while passing on the jakes. If a turkey hunter is in that learning stage the jake is fair game and that is the turkey hunting we offer, that which is within the skill level of the hunter. Hunt to each hunters' skill level and build from there. No one is watching or keeping score and the frustration will always be part of turkey hunting regardless of the refinement a hunter may achieve. Those same wild turkey hunters that have the most success will always tell how hard it is and when they achieve what may seem like mature toms far too easily it is they have more effectively disciplined their selves to the demands of wild turkey hunting. It is not that it is easy, it is that it is so very hard to be good.  Hello MAHA gang...well, I finally tagged out in MO and KS...it's been one wet season though. My pop-up camper, the cab of my pickup and in back, inside my pickup cover, and most of my gear smells so damp, moldy, and mildewy (is that a real word?) that it's hard to climb in and drive anywhere for very long or spend much time in the garage. I need a good hot sunny couple of days to dry everything out completely. My kids still have tags left in MO so we'll see who wants to hunt the last weekend. I'm ready to go anytime, anywhere but I'm afraid my kids have about had enough. My oldest boy may still want to go if the weather is nice but we'll see.
My last bird for the season was from a group of 5 long beards I called in along the edge of a large cornfield. They were roosted up with several Jakes and numerous hens, all in one big flock. Luckily, when the birds all hit the ground, the hens started wandering around feeding but the gobblers were pretty intent on showing off. Very little gobbling but a lot of strutting around. As soon as the hens wandered off too far, the gobblers started working my way towards my calling...sparse as it was but just enough. Weather was nasty...fog and drizzle by this time after severe storms during the night. All the turkeys looked like they were wearing boots or snowshoes with all the mud sticking to their feet. The strutting gobblers looked pathetic with wet droopy feathers and mud caked up to their spurs but they were game and still strutting away. Two broke away from the bunch of five and started running towards my setup jostling each other like hockey players while the remaining three maintained their more stately approach...either that or the mud was thicker where they were walking. In any event, my hunt was over that morning at 6:45. The remaining gobbler from the first pair stayed around for a few minutes deciding whether or not he wanted to peck and spur his less fortunate compadre before walking back to the end of the field. The other three long beards had already turned and walked back the way they had come but none seemed all that concerned about the shot and the fact that their gobbler flock was now one less. I let them all disappear in the back of the field before getting up. I don't believe these birds have been messed with at all this year. It's been a very fun and, although mostly wet, productive year that I have enjoyed immensely. Other than the turkeys I killed in OK, I've filled all my tags on club ground...I don't think I've done that before. Time to go fishing...
Matthew Thanks Matthew, you tell just about how the entire Missouri turkey season went this year. Lots of rain. Good tip about staying put after the shot. Read some more hunting accounts |
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