Turkeys seem scarce this year in Missouri

Hunting on the Marais des Cygnes River today, with my Grandson Cody. We had a nice time listening to the birds sing and the frogs croak, but with all our calling and squawking we couldn't get an answer.

So we dropped on in on the other side of the river to check on some spoon bill fishers over where the old Haymaker Bridge fell in back in the 70's. Some spell it (Hay Maker Bridge).

We watched as they were snagging and working the old Aunt Mary (Marais des Cygnes River) for all she had. I'd never been snaggin' before, so we really enjoyed watching these old boys work the treble hooks.

I got some great pictures though, so I thought I'd share. Here's Cody collecting the decoys. I got some pictures of the decoys, I thought I might try to pass them off as turkey pictures, but I figured it would be easy to figure out.

We had a great time though, and We may even try to get his Dad to let him off school for a day so we can go back when the weather is is better. Just too windy today!

I came across a new real estate site, seems one of the things they specialize in is Hunting Property and Hunting Real Estate.

Good night and Good hunting!

Missouri Turkey Season 2009

Off to a bleak start, I was out scouting Saturday with my grandson Cody, Not only did we not see any, we couldn't even to get them to talk to us. I tried everything from mouth reeds to squawk boxes. Since it wasn't season yet I even pulled out the electronic turkey call.

We had a lot of rain to contend with and I got soaked, so we gave up and went to Swopes Drive In in Rich Hill, MO for a peanut butter shake. On the way beck we did see one hen out in a field off Highway V.

The Missouri Conservation Department is predicting a bleak year for turkey hunters.
They are blaming the weather, seems the late freezes and flooding, over the last several years has decreased the turkey population in Missouri, Kansas and Arkansas. Several other states have had similar problems. I guess they haven't got the message from Al Gore about the whole global warming thing.

The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission says the spring Turkey season may be slow. The leading cause for the lower number of turkeys is poor weather during the reproductive times. According to experts at the AGFC it may take several years for the turkey numbers to get back to pre-2008 levels

"Conservative seasons and improved gobbler survival in 2007 increased
the 2008 spring turkey harvest. However, preliminary brood surveys do
not bode well for the 2009 and 2010 seasons." AFGC 2007-08 Annual Harvest Report.

hunters will probably have to work a little harder to harvest the birds they use to just sit and call in. Better practice up on your turnkey calling skills.