Advice, tips, cautions about hunting wiha's in the Mark Twain National Forest

[laturkeyhunter]

Just looking for advice, tips, or cautions about hunting the walk in hunting areas on the Mark Twain National Forest. I am from Louisiana and I primarilly hunt public ground here so I'm used to hunting pressured birds. I have picked out two wiha's that are in Douglas and Howell counties. Me and the wife are thinking of making a trip up to Branson in a couple of weeks to vacation and scout the area for next spring. Any help is appreciated.

Thanks, Noah

[allaboutshooting]

Noah,

It's been way too long since I hunted that area to be of any real help but I'd recommend that you contact the NWTF Regional Director in the area and ask him for some guidance. He should be able to be of help to you.

Jim Garver is the District Supervisor jgarver@nwtf.net 618.724.1094 and he can put you in touch with the proper RD for the area you want to hunt.

Thanks,
Clark

[laturkeyhunter]

Thanks Mr. Clark, I hadn't thought of that I will give him a try.

[hunter22]

I am from Arkansas and used to hunt the Mark Twain a lot. I started out hunting a walk-in area out of West Plains, The Devil's Backbone. I hunted it two springs and killed gobblers both years. I also hunted the Mark Twain near Lebanon and near Licking. I killed gobblers in those areas also. Lots of great hunting in Missouri. My advice would be to get decent maps of the area you plan to hunt and find the most remote area you can. Lots of people to deal with but if you walk in a good ways you will eliminate 90% of them.

[laturkeyhunter]

Thanks hunter thats what I plan to do, I don't mind walking to get away from the crowds. Me and the wife are gonna head up in about two weeks to look around and mark some spots on the gps.

[Preacher]

I have found that it is easy to waste a morning riding around.   I have had better success when I find some birds walk in to them and sit tight let them determine the speed of your hunt , if you are the confident they are in the area ,  just sit ( without much calling) as long as you can then wait another hour before you call.  when you dont expect it he will knock the hat off your head ,   and you can call him right in.

[laturkeyhunter]

Well got back last night from our trip to Branson. We spent the better part of Saturday in the Willow Springs, West Plains area looking at the woods, that is some beautiful country up there. If everything works out I plan to be back this coming spring.

[hunter22]

Did you go to the Devil's Backbone area?

[laturkeyhunter]

Yes sir I did kinda the map that I had gotten off of the forest service website was of the steam mill hollow wiha which is north of the CC road, the other two maps that i got were of spring creek wiha and carmen springs wiha. is hunting allowed south of the CC road?

[mountman62]

Dang David, wish I had known you were up there, we were in Branson at the same timewe could have met up for a meal somewhere, went to see T. Graham Brown sat eve at the Landing for free, I used to hunt that same area back before I started going to KS & Neb, may carry the new bride back up there in a year or so, heard it was back on the upswing

[laturkeyhunter]

Dang David, wish I had known you were up there, we were in Branson at the same timewe could have met up for a meal somewhere, went to see T. Graham Brown sat eve at the Landing for free, I used to hunt that same area back before I started going to KS & Neb, may carry the new bride back up there in a year or so, heard it was back on the upswing

Hey buddy I'm not David but I think I know who your talking about I didn't realize mine and his screen names are so close to the same until now.