Missouri Sportsmen Info Network
TURKEY PHOTO PAGE
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Friends from all over!  This one sent to us from North Carolina by Joe White.  This bird was taken on opening day in NC.  It weighed 22lbs, had a 9 1/4" beard
and 1 1/4" spurs.  Thanks Joe
John Malloy with John's Precision Cycle and Outfitters Checking in John Grossnickle's turkey


Me and Dad, no turkey this time.  We did however catch a nice stringer of crappie and a little time away at Mark Twain Lake.
Dan Vogt at the Broken Toe Ranch cabin after a less than 100% successful opening week turkey hunt.
"It wasn't for lack of gobblin'.  I think we got em skered now."
Before and after Luke's first turkey hunt Sunday, April 30, 2000.  Luke's age 4.5 Dad's age EDITED.
Story of the big adventure 

Mike Stevens, Charlie Finely and Dan Stevens from Carbondale, Ill. and Jacksonhole, Wy.
with a nice North Missouri long beard.

Bill Civish of Stafford, AZ with his first wild turkey and
it's a long beard!  Taken in Adair County Missouri.
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Kay Ratliff of Kirksville had a good morning in Clay, Mo.  pictured with the Polaris all-new Xpedition 325, a revolution in its class, featuring a powerful 4-stroke Polaris 325 engine with a heavy- duty 3-stage oil cooling system. On-demand true 4-wheel drive delivers full torque to both front wheels to pull you through the soup of the day.
Errol Hooper of Green top, Mo. didn't let this one get away.  Errol will also help you not let your dog get away.  He is an authorized dealer of DogWatch hidden fence systems.  Give him a call at 660-665-3999.  Errol is pictured with a Polaris Scrambler 400. A high performance Polaris 400 engine is just the start of the Scrambler 400 2x4's sandblasting package. Concentric Drive, single-lever hydraulic disc brakes, a tight-turning MacPherson strut suspension and full floorboards make the world your sandbox.

Scott Zornes from Houston, TX says it's good in Kirksville.
Clear away the mud and you'll find one hard-working machine. Powered by the rugged 4-stroke Polaris 325 air-cooled engine, the Magnum 325 4 x 4 lets you shift from rear-wheel to true 4-wheel drive with the push of a thumb switch.
Jim Parker from Wentzville, MO.   Leave it to Polaris to build a better 5-speed. The Xpedition 425 gives you more traction and full floorboards for protection and better balance, plus a new Polaris 4-stroke engine to power you over the roughest terrain. In short, it's the best riding, best handling 5-speed in the industry.

Johnathan Allen from Kasilof, Alaska with his first gobbler 22#, 11/8" spurs and a 10 1/4" paint brush.  Pictured with guide Bill Farley.
Thomas and Ryan Bishop of Kirksville, MO.  21# they'll be eating good tonight.
 If you're looking for an affordable way to kick up some serious dust, check out the Trail Blazer. This top-notch 2-wheel drive machine features a torquey 2-stroke Polaris 250 engine and our Concentric Drive System for superior power to the ground.

 
Opening day and the excitement and anticipation of again hunting the wily tom was not a disappointment.

The morning in East Central Missouri began with several birds vocalizing their dominance of their kingdom.  Unfortunately, all were on the neighboring farm, across the river from the farm where I hunt.  Nonetheless, I knew that there were birds about even if they were not in the mood to gobble.  Although the birds across the river would respond to my calls, I held out little hope of possibly calling them across both the river and what remained of last years bean field.  
 
 
 
About 8:00 after most gobbling activity had ceased, I started what I refer to as "Trolling for Turkeys".  Slowly working my way along a ridge, stopping about every 200 yards, finding a tree to conceal myself against and give out a few calls.  This has worked well for me many times, and my confidence in Turkey Trolling is great.  Not long into my trolling, a gobbler sounded off, he seemed far away, but still on my farm.  I headed in his direction and quickly learned that he was on the edge of one of the pastures.  Found myself a tree and began to call lightly.  He responded lustily and I began my work to reel him in.  Unfortunately, there was a small creek along the pasture, and he refused to cross the creek.  Eventually, he circled to my left and approached to within 60 yards, gobbling, strutting and spitting and giving me a fantastic show.  Unfortunately, as he had circled, there was now a large brush pile between us.  He would not approach the brush and I could get no closer.  At long last, a hen flew down from a nearby tree and the two of them slowly disappeared over the ridge.

In an attempt to try to get ahead of them, I began a long sojourn to get ahead of them.  About 10:30 found myself at the edge of one of last year's bean fields.  I paused as I always do and to my surprise, saw a turkey that resembled a large black VW walking in the field.  I gave one very light call and the tom began slowly ambling in my direction...  He slowly fed and picked through the grass and weeds in the field all the while coming toward me.  I just put the call away and waited.  He never did gobble, strut or display, but continued in my direction.  When he was approximately 25 yards, I sent a swarm of number 4 shot toward his bobbing head.

The tale of the tape was 23.75 pounds, my second largest bird; 10.5 inch beard; one spur of 1" and the other (very well worn) of 1/2".
Looking forward to next week.
Bud Reber

On the MDC Conservation Cafe,  am known as DuxNBux


2001 was the best turkeys season by far for me.
Allen "horntagger" Morris
23 lbs, 10 1/2" beard, 1" spurs
&
18 lbs, 4" beard, 1/4" spurs


Nice 2001 Southern Gobbler - Joe from Sikeston, Mo.

MISSOURI BEARDED HEN
That is a 8" beard on the bad girl.
April 24th, 2002 Season

Well lets start Sunday afternoon, got over to Ripley county about 6:00 p.m. roosted a very loud gobbler gobbling on the all they way to the roost just before dark. Pumped left him with a (few hen yelps, wings flying up) and got out of the food plot.

Got up Monday, two friends showed up to hunt and had 8 gobblers sounding off in the area, put both of them on the outside and I called from the middle with the decoys. Of course hens could be heard and by 6:30 a.m. they are out of the roost heading away moved but by 7:00 a.m. all done hens moved the gobblers out of the area. Expect for sneaky gobbler which ran by one of the hunters and over the ridge in the direction of the hens. With a late and wet spring. The hens are just now getting down to business.

Tuesday hunted at lunch in Perry county, Missouri and nothing.

Wednesday hunting at lunch took off at 11:22 a.m. started hunting at 11:35 a.m. saw a turkey in open edge of field use the ground as cover and could still see it. Started crawling and it disappeared which is impossible if you could see this spot. Well expect for the dip in which the turkey was in.

Got about 20 yards away and nothing. Then I see a head with the monocular and it is a hen. Well I decide to stay put and maybe a gobbler might show up, nothing like a live decoy. Then she disappeared again. Next thing I see walking out of grass is a 8” bearded bird. Can't believe it must have been a gobbler with her. BOOM, 11:45 a.m. but the hen did not fly off. Hmmmm what is the deal.

Got up and oh my god it’s the hen. I know I saw a beard, no way could I have mistaken it. Picked her up and well a 8” beard hangs down. OOPS, oh well legal bird just not what thought I was shooting.

Worse thing she had one egg ready to come out and 7 other not their yet. Guess I blew the population for next year. But all is not lost. I save the egg and blew it out, think I killed a few brain cells, sure took less time as a kid. Now it is under glass, with one of her feathers.

Did go back to take a picture the next day of the any more eggs, since I did could not do anything with them, but the way it looked the one I inside of her was going to the first of the season.

I will say I felt a little bad about taking a hen, but it will be something different to think about the next time I am hunting. Live and learn.


Allen "horntagger" Morris
April 24th, 2002
10 lbs 13 oz.
8” bearded hen
no spurs of course
one egg.

One more thing.

It is a weird feeling, I am sad I shot a hen, but then again, I am proud I shot a different type of trophy, and Mike Hubbard with the MDC tells me that bearded hens are 7% of the hen population.

Would I shoot another one if I had the chance and knew. Probably not. Would I have shot this one if I would have took more time. I can honestly say I don't know.

Hope to see you in the woods or on the water. Horntagger

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