Home Forums Birds & Dogs Turkey Hunting Monday in MO

Stepped out on the porch this morning and had to smile. Eight different birds were talking about the weather and how glad they were that for the first time in a couple of weeks their not waking up cold, nasty and wet. Monday should be a fantastic opening morning.

As a side line. I'm not one who goes out for the latest and greatest gadget, but because I wanted to hunt on a piece of MO Conservation ground this spring that now requires hunters to use non-toxic shot, I forked out the cash for a box "Heavy Shot" and a .675 choke for my rusty-old Mossberg 500. Dang ! A load of #6's of that stuff sure printed a tight pattern out at fourty steps. I got an honest 23 pellets inside the 2" circle I was aiming at, and most of the pellets went right through the sheet of tin the target was taped on. Tryed a 2oz load of Federal copper plated #4's at the same range and it only dented the tin. I've never had a desire to shoot a turkey out past twenty five steps, but I guess now I can if I feel the urge to.

Good luck to all who are lucky enough to get to go in the morning!

Have a great opener, sounds like a deserved break in the weather. Gotta love the technology, go on and try one at 40 just to see what all the buzz ia about.

I'm ready as well. It is supposed to be in the upper 30's in the morning and sunny, warming to mid 60's by afternoon. I picked up some Heavishot last year on clearance and it patterned nicely and killed a couple of toms pretty well. I am like you, however. I like 'em 25-30 yds. Pattern opens up nicely into about a 12" cloud of death. At those yardages, a 2 3/4" or 3" load of #6 will do the job just as well.

Give us a field report on performance. Maybe a couple of graphic pics as well. Good luck in the AM!
Sam

I'll be out there too! Yikes, it's 10:45 and I'm getting up at 4AM. This old boy is going to bed...

Went this morning...and I didn't hear a single gobble! What a shocker. The past week has been really cold, windy, and rainy. Yesterday broke the spell somewhat with much better weather, and, the opening of the season today was a gorgeous day with light wind, sunny, and considerably warmer weather. I didn't hear a single gobble in the woods from before daylight until I gave up around 11:30.

Any other Missouri hunters do any good?

Don't feel alone MOGC. I heard one a good ways off on the neighbor's place at dawn and only heard two shots the whole day...neither of which were from me. Didn't see anything strutting in the fields today either, which is what really seemed strange to me.

My friend tryed over at the Callaway Nuke plant this morning, but he said competition was fierce. Every parking lot was filled. He heard a lot of cackle's, yelps, and clucks but not a single turkey.

Oh well, what can you do? Reckon I'll try it again in the morning.

I was going to add to my post above that I didn't hear a single shot anywhere in the distance today either. A fellow at Fort Leonard Wood said he heard several gobblers at dawn and not a gobble after 7:15. He hunted until 12:55 and heard no shots at the Fort within his hearing. I have to work tomorrow, but took off Weds & Thurs, maybe they'll be talking as the week warms and stabilizes.

I worked late last night so I got out there about 6:45. Made about a 1 mile loop around checking several fields that usually hold birds most years. All I saw was one hen. Looped back around up on top, about another half mile and was standing at the edge of a field when I heard a gobble just down the ridge. Now we're talkin'. Set up at the base of a tree and gave a couple of yelps on the slate and nothing. A little later the bird gobbled farther down the hill so I tried to loop ahead of him. Set up and called again and two birds gobbled farther down below me. Moved in closer and called again. This time both birds gobbled less than 100 yds away and gobbled again closer. I gave a few quiet yelps and here they came. They hung up about 80 yds out and strutted for about a minute then moved away downhill.

Made another big loop and was standing on top of a hill when I heard a faint gobble far away. It was about 9AM at the time. He gobbled again so I decided to go for it. He kept gobbling and I eased up a hillside in the woods. I could hear him gobbling very close on the ridgetop and I set up just below the brow of the hill. A couple of yelps got an immediate gobble. I yelped again quietly and waited. He came into view at about 80 yds and proceeded to strut and gobble and crane his neck around. I gave a couple more quiet yelps and then shut up. After about 15 minutes he couldn't take it anymore and came down the hill looking for the hen. He gave me a nice clear shot and down he went. Ten o'clock straight up. Not huge but a nice 2 yr old bird with a decent beard and 3/4" spurs. Maybe 18-19 lbs (no scale). I saw no toms in the fields and heard very little gobbling early.
I hope you guys have better luck, I think the birds will be more active with continued warm weather.
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a230/sambo3006/TurkeyMOApril162007GaarRanch.jpg

sambo,
Look out... There's a damned cat right behind you! Farm cat or family pet? Anyway, congrat's on your bird! Good hunting for you, good deal. One thing I noticed today was that the woods look like deer season, literally, there is nothing green in the woods. They are barren and drab, gobblers can see a long way through the timber and will definately be looking hard for that hen from a distance. Closing the deal without decoys might be a little more difficult than normal. I hunt public land and don't use decoys...

Got out at around 5:20AM and moved into my area. Heard first gobble at around 5:35AM right back by the truck. Gave it about 15 mins and decided to head back that way after not hearing anything close to me. Set up just inside the timber of a ridge field and was between two sets of multiple gobblers. They gobbled constantly till about 7:00AM and then moved off with hens. Made a huge circle back to my original area and found a hillside that had lots of sign. I made two calls with my mouth call and waited about 10 mins. Was in the process of sanding my slate when I caught movement about 45 yards in front of me. A nice gobbler was giving me the bad eye and made tracks over the hill. Got back to the truck around 9:45AM and saw two bubbies that were both successful. I moved on down to the ridge where I worked the birds earlier and spent an hour with no response other than hens. Went to camp and ate a late breakfast with three other guys, all who were successful. I went across to the other side of the farm and walked to the back of a old food plot. I made a couple of calls with my slate and waited, five mins passed and I repeated with my mouth call. 10 mins later I moved back to the slate and got more agressive with my calling. About that time I caught movement at about 40 yards. He moved to with 35 yards and started strutting. I waited until he cleared a clump of brush and lit the fire. 24 pounds, double beard (10" and 5"), 7/8" spurs. The turkeys around here act like they have been worked before and seem call shy.

CK

Way to go Crappie Killer, thats what I`m talking about.

Way to go CK! That is a great bird, congrat's. You're in them, good luck for next week and your second bird. I go again on Wednesday and Thursday. The weather forecast has a cold rain moving through tonight and temps the following couple of days (Wed/Thur.) being 15 degrees colder than today. Bummer... Maybe they'll adjust, I know I'll have to.

Crappie Killer,great bird lets see some pictures!

I've got a couple, will try and post tomorrow night.

CK

Walked five miles of long, rough, winding ridgetop today without a single gobble heard. Hunted from daylight to 12:45. There were no shots heard in the far distance either. Set-ups in likely places with a little blind calling netted nothing. Couldn't strike a bird and force a gobble either. This is so unusual, I'm trying to figure out has happened to my birds. I did find the absolute largest cat track I've ever seen in a mud puddle along the ridgetop. I mean HUGE cat track!

Did another four miles yesterday (Thursday) on a long ridgetop. I heard two gobblers gobble exactly one time each from the roost a long way off and never heard another peep all day. Again, I did not hear any shots anywhere either. I'll be out over the weekend with my wife tagging along. Hopefully she'll be my good luck!

Sounds like it has to get better.

Exactly right...

Good Luck, I am going to take my daughter out in the morning also.

CK

Got up Saturday morning and had a flat tire on my truck. Went back to bed. The wife and I decided that after I got the tire fixed we'd use the day to catch up on some yardwork, landscaping, flower bed, and garden stuff. Turned into a bigger project than I anticipated and we'll finish it today. I've taken off Tuesday and Thursday next week and we'll see if the gobblers temperatures have risen some by then.