Headed back to Texas to get back to guiding on Fork and see the wife and lil one.

I can't thank Rick Fishback enough for the hospitality and probably the best two turkey hunts I'll ever have!

Day 1
I arrived at 4pm Monday after my pretty short 6.5 hr drive in which my anticipation made it feel like 3! We headed out to a large lake surrounded by Corps land. Rick already had a few birds located and we where going to check a few new spots and try to out a few toms to bed (roost). We launched the boat and headed out. We head straight into a shallow creek area, stopping to call every so often to see of we can get on to respond, no luck with a 20-25mph wind. We finally make it into the very back of the creek, literally as far as the boat will float. Hop out and walk to a large plowed field and suddenly Rick stops and said look, turkey! I'm expecting to see a few hens and jakes, so I throw my binoculars up and finally spot them, it's 3-4 giant gobblers, fighting, strutting and get me all kinds of excited. We back out and spend the rest of the evening looking for more to put to bed. Even stopped and looked for a few spawners and Morel mushrooms, which we found two spawning muskies and 45 mushrooms. We stop and pick up my non resident spring turkey license and get our gear ready for the next mornings hunt. While getting my shotgun ready I notice my follower in the mag tube is a touch rusty, causing it not to cycle correctly. After a little oil and mess we get it nice and smooth and ready to kill.

Day 2
We wake up at 4:30 or so and pack up and head out. Launch the boat and all I could think about where those two giant toms we put to bed the night before. We idle and park the boat, grab the two hen decoys, both our guns as Rick still has 1 tag left so we are going to try to double. Rick instantly pulls out his locator call and instantly gets a tom to gobble off the ridge on the other side of the field, I'm officially Jacked up! We get nestled into the fields edge in between a few large trees and brush overlooking the plowed corn field. We sit for 20-30 min and don't see any turkey but Rick is calling and the turkey are answering by gobbling their heads off but still sound like they are on the roost. About 45 minutes later they stop responding much and then I see a hen directly on the far side of the field, I wisper to rick letting him know as he's right behind me. About ten minutes later I see a bigger bird and can tell it's a big ole gobbler, followed by another then Rick says look at him he's strutting, problem is both I see aren't strutting! Obviously we now have 3 gobblers 180-200 yards away! I'm super stealthy by not moving an inch other than a little shaking from excitement & nerves! We get them to about 50 yards and Rick says we gotta kill em they are fixing to leave so I put the brad on its head and squeeze, BAM! My first gobbler be floppin! We take a bunch of photos and as we gather our gear we notice we are sitting on Morels! We head out and scout for a few hours finding a few and even more Morels. On the way out from the boat launch we see 3 giants in full strut and just keep driving since they are on private land a ways from corps, so we think!

My tom was estimated at 7-8 year old bird, 20#, 10.5" beard, 1 1/4" spurs and a perfect fan! He's now at The taxidermist getting full body mounted in full strut!

Day 3
We did a little research that night and determine those three big toms are 60 yards from corps land.. We decide to try to double up in em in the am even though we didn't get to put them to bed the night before knowing they would be pretty close by. We pick out what we think will be a great spot with a large area of view. A small timbered point overlooking another field. We get there nice and early after getting up at 3:45 and start with the locator call trying to find the roost to insure out spot would work. No luck... Can't get a bird to respond for 30 minutes, it's cloudy and windy yet again, we are committed to this spot as these birds where only vocal on the roost so it was going to be hard to go locate another. Suddenly we gear one gobble, It's close! We set up and begin working the bird only to hear w second tom calling, followed by a third!! We now know it might actually happen. Problem is there is an old ranch fence behind us where the bird is and we don't think he will cross. We agree we need to make a slight love to seal the deal, so we pick up slowly & quietly just incase it's closer than we think. We are sneaking to a new spot about 40 yards away and Rick says STOP, so I freeze. He says I see em, I quickly notice them through the brush, pull my binoculars up and see a stud tom strutting. We ease back and stuck the decoys right on the tree line as we can't get into the field without getting busted. Writhing 4 minutes there are two toms, 3 STEPS from my gun barrel. Drumming, strutting and gobbling! I'm ready to kill it when my weight finally snaps a twig my foot is on. The turkey instantly comes out if strut and looks our way. Rick whispers gotta kill em. But I have a giant bush between is and Ricks ear 6" from my barrel, he covers his ear and I squeeze one off, destroying the bush and making ole Tim flip like a headless chicken! I hope up as he's flipping and trying to run and put another in his butt to ensure he ain't getting up.

4 year old tom, 9.5" beard, 1" IVORY spurs and an awesome final bird bc I'm tagged out!

We head back to the spot I killed the first bird at and find the MOTHERLOAD of Morels, we pick for an hour and gather 21 pounds, over 1200!

Day 1 bird - The Monarch




Mine will look similar to this one that the Taxidermist just did


Day 1 Morel's


Fresh turkey breast & Morel dinner

Eagle nest & babies



21# of Morel if the mother load in 1 hr


65q yeti full

Day 2 bird





Stealth Bomber flying directly over

Looks like a trip well worth the time.

Great hunt. Nothing can gobble like a Missouri longbeard.

Got my Eastern also in Missouri, heck of a fun place for outdoor "stuff". I sure didnt eat as good as you did LOL

Sounds like an awesome trip, would love to see a tape on those spurs

Awesome!

Good hunts. Always wanted to hunt Missouri.

Curious how you came up with the ages?

epic trip.

Good deal

Thanks guys

The Taxidermist and NWTF member approximated age and measured spurs

Not sure about the age of the one set of spurs. Looks like a typical two year old spur's to me.

Great hunt. Those Mushrooms make me jealous more than the Turkeys. LOL Awesome.