Another tactic Eye uses on U.S. Forest Service lands: sticking with it. "Most hunters leave the woods after the first round of gobbling stops," he said. "I make sure I know the strutting zones of several toms. The rest of the morning, I move slowly to those areas, using locator calls as I go. Once I get a response and set up, I begin calling aggressively, and wait for one of those highly pressured public-land gobblers to try to sneak in quietly to add another hen to his harem."

NORTHERN TACTICS
World-renowned animal impersonator Ralph Duren, from Jefferson City, has hunted wild turkeys extensively in north Missouri. Turkey hunting is a passion with him.

When asked about turkey hunting in north Missouri, he emphatically stated, "The first thing hunters must take into consider when heading north of the Missouri River to hunt wild turkeys is the terrain. The country is very open up there, and turkey hunters must adjust their tactics and their attitude to be able to harvest a bird.

"Scouting to learn both the terrain and the location of turkeys is absolutely necessary. The countryside is so open that hunters have a slim chance of moving on birds after daylight. Scouting a selected hunt area gives an individual the chance to note every terrain feature. One low ridge may be the key to success. It may allow you to maneuver on birds working a field."

Wooded areas are sparse in the northern half of the state. "Forty-acre tracts of timber up north are considered big blocks of woods," Duren explained. "Hunters need to key on these tracts, because that is where the birds will roost. However, birds may or may not fly down, feed, and strut in those wood patches. It depends on the thickness of the undercover. If the woods are open, birds will use them. If the forest floor is overgrown and thick, turkeys will shy away and feed and strut in the open fields."

The Union Ridge Conservation Area, in Adair County north of Greencastle, consists of 8,164 acres of forest and old fields. "When planning a turkey hunting trip in north Missouri hunters should look to the larger tracts of land," Duren explained. "The terrain is so open, turkeys can see you coming for a long way. If you hunt a small area, you may not have the cover or terrain features to hide behind while trying to move on birds. Areas like Union Ridge are large enough that they afford better opportunities to move around."

Indian Hills Conservation Area, south of Memphis, is another favorite of Duren's. "Hunters can quickly narrow down the spots to hunt on areas like Indian Hills," he pointed out. "The wooded draws and ravines will contain timber where the birds will roost. However, those areas are usually so grown up with brush that turkeys fly down to the nearest open area. Hunters can identify these by scouting early in the season. Then it is simply a matter of slipping quietly into the area well before daylight, setting up a blind and staking a couple of decoys."

Another tactic of Duren's: looking for the shortest grass around, be it in trails, lanes, or mowed areas around fields and the edges of food plots. "Gobblers prefer the short grass areas for strut zones,: he noted, "especially on wet days. The shorter vegetation also allows the strutting gobblers to be seen by hens from farther distances."