Turkey season has changed greatly over time

This Monday, April 24, marks the 46th opening day of the modern regular spring turkey season in Missouri, and boy how it has changed since that first opening day back in 1960.

We opened that first season in Douglas County and back then not too many hunters knew much about turkey hunting, including us. We practiced calls, but now know they didn't sound much like the real thing. We have learned a lot about the habits and actions those big gobblers have, and along with the growing population of turkeys in the state, success has been much different today.

For 46 seasons we are just as excited on opening day as we were on that first one, anxious to get close to a big tom and try to entice him to our call. As a hunting friend has said many times, "Turkey hunting is an addiction, once you have experienced a longbeard gobbling while you are in the woods, you are hooked for life."

On our first hunt in 1960, we didn't hear or see a turkey as fewer than 1,000 hunters killed less than one hundred birds, but that didn't stop us from going 44 more opening days. There were a lot of other benifits in April like catching spawning crappie or finding morel mushrooms to go along with our steaks over the campfire.

Back then there were only 14 counties open during the three-day season, compared to the three-week season today. Of course, the turkey population has mushroomed and the entire state is now open for hunting spring gobblers. Missouri now leads the nation in turkey hunting success.

Another veteran turkey hunter, Mark Michels, Joplin, recalls those early seasons when the hunting was much tougher. "I did a lot of hunting near Roaring River and it seemed that every time I heard a gobble the bird was on a ridge a mile away. When I worked my way over there, another gobbler sounded off from where I had just left. At other times the birds appeared like ghost, but would also disappear just as fast. It's hard to believe that a bird that big can fool a hunter so easy. Turkey hunting isn't a passive sport."

Michels started using a decoy three years ago and said, "I don't know why I never tried them before. The decoys have helped a lot. I usually set out a hen and a jake and more than once I have had a big tom come over to the decoys strutting and fanned out within 20 yards of my setup. With the late season this year and all the underbrush out there, I'm sure if a hunter can find an opening area to set out a decoy it will give him better odds of bagging a bird."

When the second of Missouri's four turkey seasons opens, it will be much different than that first season. More than 100,000 hunters will be in the turkey woods with more knowledge than ever on how to hunt turkeys and with the turkey population remaining high, a lot of the hunters during the three-week season will be bring home a bird.

Yes, turkey hunting in Missouri has come a long way since that first opening day back in 1960, but as Michels pointed out, the challenge of calling in a big gobbler hasn't changed.

"There's nothing like talking in a big tom on a spring morning and just being in the woods and seeing all that spring has to offer makes the hunt worthwhile. Of course, since hunting ends each day at 1 p.m., you still have time to fish or hunt morels. It's a great time to be in the Missouri woods," he said.