The bird went silent for 30 minutes or so. I played the game and didn’t call anymore. I almost gave in to the desire to call again, when I caught a reflection off of something shiny and black. The gobbler stepped from behind a big black oak at 75 yards, paused to look around and continued its march directly towards my location.

Every time the gobbler passed behind a tree, I adjusted my Remington 870 to intercept the path of travel of the tom. I could have shot it at 40, 30 and 20 yards. Suspense built as I let the bird close the distance.

Several trees blocked my shot as the gobbler kept coming. At 9 yards, the bird paused behind a slender white oak. Its head and neck were protected by the tree trunk.

Finally, the bird stepped out in the open. I settled the bead on the base of its neck and clicked the safety back on. The magnificent wilderness gobbler I had worked for the last two hours sported a 5-inch beard. I had three days left to hunt.

DEVIL’S BACKBONE WA
In his book Unspoiled Beauty, Charlie Farmer writes, "The wilderness takes its name from a long, spiny, north-south ‘backbone’ about 900 feet above Crooked Creek. Despite its hellish name, the hike on top is heaven, and below the devilish ridge snakes a generous portion of rugged wilderness belly."

The 6,595-acre area is located on state Route CC 14 miles west of West Plains, putting it within easy reach of Springfield-area hunters. Thirteen miles of trails are maintained with overnight parking available at three designated trailheads. They make great access points for turkey hunters, although parking is allowed along most area roads as long as fire lanes are not blocked.

Charlie Farmer experienced the turkey hunting adventure of a lifetime in Devil’s Backbone a few years ago, when he rode in on mules with Ron Kruger and guide Joe Hollingshad. The antics of Ajax (the white mule that the author rode), the rugged country, the campfire smoke and the crafty gobblers all contributed to Farmer’s experiencing wild turkey hunting at its best.

By the way, Hollingshad is still in business. Call Devil’s Backbone Wilderness Outfitters at (417) 261-2474. If you book with him, be sure to take fishing gear, too. The North Fork River flows through the wilderness.