CHASES

Well into the morning, it’s not at all uncommon for an old bird to respond to your calls, and for you to work hard to get set up only to find that the gobbler has moved off farther, requiring you to do it all again. This process can seem never-ending — the bird answering and getting farther away. Ozarks hunters experience this more than anyone else does.

The national forests are endless expanses of hills and hollows. A bird can crest a ridgetop and, by the time you catch up, be on the next. Sometimes it pays to follow the bird and catch up a couple of times, since gobblers periodically change their minds and turn back toward you. If, after several attempts, the bird keeps moving, change your plan of attack. Instead of trailing the bird, anticipate his reaction — get in front of him. Don’t call until you think you’ve made it past him in the direction he’s already traveling. Although difficult to do, this is one of the most effective tactics to use on a pressured public bird.

ROOSTING BIRDS

It’s a longstanding tradition for some hunters to go out of an evening and try to listen closely for the birds gobbling from the roost. This takes the hassle out of trying to find them in the morning. But just listening for a gobble is rarely enough. By boat, this is a valuable way to hunt any lake surrounded by Corps.

If the weather’s conducive to it, you can often hear birds from long distances as they make their night flight to the trees. At dusk, they make plenty of noise flapping their way to the roost. Listen closely and position yourself at vantage points to hear them. Owl hoots will sometimes cause them to sound off at dusk, but you can’t always depend on that, so make extra efforts to find common roosting places; be sure of their nightly perch.

CALLING

Just because turkey hunters and turkey calls are capable of making so many sounds doesn’t mean you that you have to use them all. Often, less is more. The simple cluck of a hen is often enough to lure any wary gobbler into gun range. Long series of yelping and cutting can be overwhelming at times; a tom’s natural instinct will sometimes have him gobbling his fool head off at calling like that, but that doesn’t guarantee that he’s going to drop strut and sprint your way. Using the utmost of modesty during calling can be as enticing as the most raucous calling.

Missouri is graced with heaps of public land. The Mark Twain National Forest covers some 1.5 million acres of land, and the MDC has holdings scattered all about the state, not to mention the Corps lands that surround our lakes and reservoirs. The fact is that you don’t have to go far in our state to find a prime place to turkey hunt. With such a promising outlook for hunters, it’s no wonder Missouri ranks No. 1 for turkey hunting.

It’s easy to see just how many places our state offers hunters by viewing the following link to the Conservation Atlas: mdcgis.mdc. state.mo.us/website/quickatlas/ viewer.htm. By clicking on any of the red stars you can locate an area and learn more about what it has to offer.

Although you won’t be alone on your public land hunts, there are plenty of turkeys and places to go. Keeping in mind a few tips and tricks this spring will help ensure your success and make the quality of your hunt that much better. Take your time and investigate you favorite haunt this year, and you just might be surprised at how turkey hunting turns out for you.