Missouri hunting info

[Bucktale]

I'm looking for info on hunting turkeys and deer in Missouri. This this is the most helpful forum I follow, I figured you guys might be able give me some good info.
My daughter is moving from home in Florida to Springfield, MO this January and I'm hoping to take advantage of her being there. Suggestions for hunting around the area? I looks to me like most of the better deer hunting is further north. I'm certainly willing to travel as needed from Springfield. I'm a very experienced turkey hunter in Florida and Georgia, but no where else. Also very experienced deer hunting in Southeast and out west, but not Midwest.
Would love to try out the spring turkey and deer hunting out there.
Suggestions??
Thanks,
Rob

[HookedonHooks]

I would suggest traveling north as it already appears you've sort of picked up. The public land in the Ozark area is plentiful, but the pressure is even higher. Needless to say their is much success to be had down there, the turkey hunting has ridge running idiots, and rifle season for deer is a war zone. The best hunting you'll get down southern Missouri is some excellent Waterfowl opportunities.

If you want to stick south, try and find some landowners that might allow you access. I know many farmers will give you a seasons worth of hunting access for a day's work in mending fences and just getting to know them.

If you want more detailed information on some areas in northern Missouri, shoot me a PM.

[Hooksfan]

If you have access to some quality Osceola ground in Florida, you might get some Missouri folks interested in doing some hunt swaps.

[Bucktale]

I hunt in St Augustine which is on the border between easterns and Osceolas. The only one I had mounted was called an Osceola by the taxidermist. I don't dwell much on the differences, just enjoy hunting them. Anyone who's interested in a trade let me know. I just don't think I can guarantee they'll be Osceola to the purists. We have LOTS of hogs which are generally easy pickens.

[Bucktale]

Anyone familiar with an outfit called Central Missouri Whitetails?
Looking for spring turkey and fall whitetail outfitters in Missouri.
No high fences.
Any other suggestions?

[Bolandstrutters]

Look into the mark twain national forest around davisville Missouri.  Tons of public land and not a lot of pressure during turkey season in that area.  We have access to great private farms and still end up killing them on public ground.  I hunt mostly north of there, but have buddies that tag out every year in the national forest without much trouble.  I travel a lot to hunt other states, but I'm usually around the first two weekends of Missouri season.  Depending on when you come up I'd show you around.

[Bucktale]

Thanks for the reply and the info. I'll definitely look into that area. I'll send a pm to you as well.

Rob

[beardhunter87]

I live in Springfield Missouri. Amazing turkey hunting here. My buddy shot the state record this year typical and tag out every year. Of course private will be the best but public is highly populated. Alot of conservation land and national Forest is awesome turkey not so much deer even tho my buddies have killed some giants here. Turkeys are huge and smart here from being hunted so much. Stockton Lake is a great area. Good luck glad your in the Ozarks!!!

[Hooksfan]

Good grief. Would it be too much to ask that if you are giving out information about specific areas, that it be done via private messages?
I have seen first hand what specific information on the internet can do to a public area--for that matter one needs only to look at practically the entire state of Kansas.
Not really trying to be rude, but giving out information about lightly pressured public areas kind of defeats the goal of finding public honey holes and is akin to whizzing in your own bed before you go to sleep every night.

[HookedonHooks]

While I didn't give out any specifics, I can only assume one of these guys just leaked your "hot spot" with a reply like that. Stockton Lake, if that was the area, may be a little more exclusive, but a lot of local people hunt there already, and it's not a small area. As far Mark Twain National Forest, that was never a secret buddy, when people look to travel and turkey hunt, those huge plots of NF land is where 99% of them go. It provides an area that usually you can go in further than last person and still work/shoot a bird. As per my suggestions, he would be better off scouting a smaller public piece in the northern half of Missouri, rather than the south, because it is likely less pressured, and the bird numbers are doing better in that half too.

While I agree that most detailed information should be kept between PM's and such, that is simply our opinion. Maybe these gentleman are firm believers in that it's public land and anybody looking to come harvest a bird in the state should be given knowledge about how to succeed, they are simply being helpful. Because after all, those birds on public land aren't anybody's personal birds. Low pressure public land hunting isn't that much more difficult than private land hunting, and if you're a local, you should be more concerned about finding a private piece to get permission to hunt, rather than just being lazy and only hunting the public spot nearest to your house and trying to keep it a secret from the rest of the world. Obviously that's the wrong thinking, outta staters are only going to hunt public or with an outfitter.

[Hooksfan]

Only one of your assumptions is accurate in that I am a local.
I have taught at the same SW MO school for 20 years now.
That gives  me the opportunity to have access to enough private farms that I could hunt every day of the season and not hunt the same farm more than twice. Of course some of those places have other hunters on them and I am constantly still looking for and getting access to quality properties...its kind of an obsession with me. So , no I do not hunt any of the public places specifically mentioned, but I know folks who do and I know they wouldn't appreciate the publicity.
I'm not opposed to giving out info and I respect the way the OP went about it. If you look back you will see that I gave out some information that could potentially provide a more productive hunt on quality private ground.
All I am asking is that it be done via private message....which I have actually done before. But don't think there aren't folks logging in just to find info. I have also done that....in fact, I picked up a Nebraska public land spot that I would have never found out about and I discovered it from loose lips on this very site.

[LaLongbeard]

350 people have already viewed this thread and it's deer season lol.
If only 20 people go to the two places mentioned it won't be lightly pressured anymore.
I only use PMs when talking specifics.

[beardhunter87]

I think that ridiculous to say. A guy wants to take his daughter and someone tells him the local Conservation areas? They are enormous. 80% couldn't get a turkey or deer. Instead of saying someone took a honey hole or private message it, just leave it be. Noone got specific on a spot or anything. Do you know how big those areas are??? Look up MO conservation SW and you get those areas ,no surprise to try those areas. He wants to take his daughter and someone can't even say try this 1000 acres? Let's use this as a forum as it should be and no act like we gave away your coordinates to a honey hole.

[Hooksfan]

Do you know how big Kansas Is?
Have you public land hunted it the past 20 years like I have?
If you doubt the power of the internet to ruin an entire state, don't just take my word for it, I know for a fact there are some Kansas hunters that can chime in here to attest what has transpired there the past five or more years.

If you think I am a,selfish Hunter not wanting to share, that would be another faulty assumption. Not worried about the places where I hunt being overrun by nonresidents. They would be trespassing if I ran into them.

[beardhunter87]

No I have not hunted Kansas but you sir are doing nothing but trying to argue or start something. The internet can ruin something and hunting spots but come on... Little overboard? Yes. This guy wanted info don't turn the thread into a argument of why guys named SW MO conservation land with no spots and think it's ruined now. Next time you go hunt Stockton ask him if he read this thread. Have a good day. Trying to help a guy out not get bashed for chiming in.