These days I do most of my spring turkey hunting in blocks of timber scarcely bigger than woodlots interspersed within broad expanses of cropland and pasture. I’m not complaining. How could I be? The number of turkeys and the number of trees are approximately equal — or at least it seems that way some mornings. Then too, There’s something to be said for hunting a couple hundred yards from one’s vehicle while having a good chance of being home with a gobbler in time for breakfast.
That said, my recipe for turkey hunting success lacks one savory ingredient. I know this to be true, because, when I started hunting turkeys back in the late 1970s, the only — albeit far from sure — way to hear a lustful turkey’s gobble was to penetrate forests better measured in square miles than acres. The physical demands, mental challenges and occasional emotional shivers inherent in being afoot (at least relatively) far from “civilization” made filling a tag not just a hunt but also an adventure!
The Mark Twain National Forest beckons to those who’d like “to return to those thrilling days of yesteryear.” Although some would argue that it would more accurately be described as nine forests, the eight largest of which are liberally scattered across the southern third of the state, the Mark Twain is, by any measure, by far Missouri’s largest public property. Equally important, it’s managed by the US Forest Service, which may well be the nation’s most user-friendly overseer of huntable public property.
While anyone who’s planning a hunt there should contact the appropriate Mark Twain National Forest District Office for information on exceptions, virtually all of the forest is open to hunting and much of it is open to primitive camping. The District Office can also provide a variety of very cost effective maps to help visitors untangle the Gordian knot of logging roads that provide vehicle access to jumping off spots for hunts in the depths of the forest’s interior and to help visitors avoid the many small privately owned inholdings. As an added bonus for the truly adventurous, some interior roads are closed to vehicles during the deer and turkey seasons to provide hunters who are willing and able to put forth the extra effort with a true wilderness experience.
Daniel Boone claimed to have never been lost, although he did admit to having been “a trifle confused for a few days several times.” It’s easy to get a trifle confused in the depths of the Mark Twain. GPS units are all the rage these days, and they can be valuable navigation aids. Although I do carry and make use of a GPS unit, I rely on a combination of a good map, a compass and common sense to get me safely back to my starting point.
But whatever navigation aids you choose, remember that the various “mountain” ranges that crown the Ozark Plateau are worthy of the term, their lack of snow capped peaks notwithstanding. Even the most athletic hunter only needs to traverse the lung-bursting slopes of one hollow to learn that the “shortest” distance between two points may not be a straight line.
The public land surrounding US Army Corps of Engineers projects is another place an adventurous turkey hunter can stretch his or her legs. Just don’t fall asleep. I’m semi-kidding, of course, but, unlike the US Forest Service, the Corps does not allow camping outside of established campgrounds. That’s a shame, because boating to a remote block of wooded project land and being able to set up camp on the shoreline would make the upcoming hunt even more of an adventure.
Wise hunters who intend to do some serious hiking do not overburden themselves. A specialty “turkey vest” with an oversized back pocket has more than enough capacity to carry a couple of calls, enough water to stay well hydrated for at least an entire day, a few protein bars or other high energy snacks, a space blanket in case a morning hunt becomes an unexpected overnighter and a turkey-sized blaze orange backpack. Purely to satisfy my personal sense of priorities, I usually don’t carry a decoy, because I like to use the vest’s back pocket to carry the excess layers of clothing I’ll be shedding as the morning warms.
One final thought. Specific prohibitions or restrictions aside, it’s legal to use motor vehicles and motorboats as transportation to and from the site from which a hunt will begin. In Missouri, it’s also legal to have a loaded firearm in a vehicle. However, legal and prudent are not always synonymous. Since it’s illegal to take or attempt to take game from a land motor vehicle under any circumstances or from a motorboat unless the motor has been shut off and all forward progress has ceased, do yourself and any law enforcement officers you may encounter a favor by keeping your shotgun unloaded and its action open until your feet are on the ground.
