Turkey in Missouri

[702plmo]

I am going to hunt turkeys in Missouri this spring.   I will be going along with a friend that has access to alot of private property.   Most of it is in the area Mark Twain lake.

  What is the turkey population like in that area?    I will be using my recurve and a blind this year.  I have never taken a turkey w/a recurve.  I am hoping this wil be the year.

Any input will be appreciated.   Thanks

[flinch]

It seems to me that there are turkeys all over Missouri just like the whitetails.  I like to hunt around Truman Dam at Warsaw, MO.   Then you can bowfish in the afternoons; or travel.  Springfield and Branson are south and Midway Arms is at Columbia, MO.  Sedalia has Sierra Bullets.  Isn't Black Widow's factory near Springfield, MO?  A trip there would be reccomended highly and you can catch lunch buffet at the Bass Pro Shop in Springfield.  (You can do these things on a rainey day also).

[Sharpster]

Jim,
I spent about 6 years hunting those Missouri longbeards. We used to hunt about an hour south of Mark Twain lake and there were plenty of birds. Just like anywhere else the public land birds get hit pretty hard but we still killed a bunch of them. If you have some private land I think you will not be bored. I can recall times at first light when we would hear ten or more birds gobbling from all directions and they usually stayed active all morning. Good luck and let us know how you do.

-Ron

[geno]

where is mark twain lk??

[fredhill]

there are very high turkey numbers around Mark Twain Lake. my friends and i have killed alot of birds and deer up there over the years. going in by boat from the lake is a great way to sneak in without spooking game.

[fireman_3311]

You should hear some gobblin' up there...from what I have heard, there are good numbers there!

Geno, Mark Twain lake is north and east of Moberly, on the way to Hannibal.

[gwhunter]

Now we're talking.  Good luck!  Those easterns on public land can be awfully wiley!

[Tom Leemans]

Turkeys in Missouri? Really? There's turkeys there?
 

[swp]

No turkeys in Missouri, nope not a one! Haven't seen any since Nineteen and seventy!  

PS Black Widow is in Nixa, MO about 6 miles south of Springfield.

[rg176bnc]

Your in for a treat hunting the Ozark area.  Went there about 6 years ago.  The guys property we were hunting on wasnt really turkey habitat, (he didnt know any better) went to a small public area the next day about 10 mi down the road and scored in 20 minutes.  Lots of birds to say the least, also lots of people though.  Good luck.

[kennym]

Turkey pop. near home is down.(Brookfield area) But go 50 miles E or W and you see quite a few. Haven't been thru the Mark Twain area in the daylite  lately,but if its as good as it looks around Kirksville,you should be alright!

[TRAP]

I grew up around that area before it was even a lake.  It's always been a turkey stronghold.  I've killed several turkeys around the "Narrows" on the northern side of the lake in the Otter Creek-North Fork region.  you'll have a blast. Daryl