Deer and Turkey Hunters Bag the Big Ones
at Central Missouri’s Lake of the Ozarks

LAKE OF THE OZARKS, MO. -- Deer and turkey hunters across the nation know that Missouri is rich in game.  And with its wooded areas, open fields and vast expanses of water, central Missouri -- in particular the Lake of the Ozarks region -- offers excellent hunting for deer and turkeys, as well as squirrels, rabbits, doves, ducks, geese and quail.

#  Turkey Hunting
"Missouri is the premier turkey hunting state in the nation," says Darrell Walden, Missouri Department of Conservation Protection District supervisor for Morgan, Miller and Camden counties.  "We have a healthy turkey population here in central Missouri, mainly because of the forested areas around the Lake that offer a lot of natural food."

Those timbered areas, Walden explains, produce an abundant crop of mast (the nuts, mainly acorns, that fall from trees) that makes up a large part of the turkey diet.  The woodlands also provide good cover for the turkeys, he adds.

Avid turkey hunter Larry Myhre, editor of the Sioux City (Iowa) Journal, notes turkeys can be hunted throughout Missouri, "but particularly in the Lake of the Ozarks area because there's a lot of oak timber that provides a roosting and food source for the birds," he says.  "My impression is the turkey population is higher in that area than anywhere in the country."

Myhre believes turkeys in Missouri "are hunted by hunters who are very skilled and the birds become skilled as well.  As a result, turkey hunting throughout Missouri is a challenging hunt and that's what makes it great.  It's not a sure thing by any means.  To be successful requires a lot of woodcraft and calling skills."

Even a hunter with superior calling skills finds turkey hunting at the Lake of the Ozarks challenging, but enjoyable.  Two-time Grand National Turkey Gobblin' champion Ralph Duren of Jefferson City, Missouri, an entertainer and wildlife impersonator who's retired from the Missouri Department of Conservation, frequently hunts turkey at the Lake area.  He agrees that "Missouri is the best place in the country to hunt turkeys.  There are abundant turkey numbers in all the counties around the Lake of the Ozarks."

It's not just the thrill of the catch, Myhre says, but the total turkey-hunting experience.  "In the Lake area you can hear turkeys gobbling from their roosts all over the woods.  If you haven't scouted much, you can just go out before dawn and listen to the hills reverberating with gobbles," he says.  "It's a real thrill to see the sun begin to turn the eastern horizon shades of pink and orange and hear the turkeys gobbling.  And when you do get a bird, you get excellent eating."

During the fall turkey hunting season, hunters have good luck plucking a hen or jake from a flock of birds in the woods or fields.  The fall firearms season for turkeys extends through the month of October; the archery season runs mid-September through mid-November, then from late November through mid-January.  The spring turkey season, the time when hunters call for a solitary bearded bird in the woods, runs mid-April through early May.

#  Deer Hunting
All around the Lake of the Ozarks are booming whitetail deer populations that include plenty of trophy-size bucks.  That's because deer thrive in the woods and open fields that surround so much of the Lake -- the same habitat that attracts wild turkeys.

"Turkey and deer have the same requirements," Walden says.  "The wooded areas and some smaller agricultural lands on the fringe of the Lake region provide food and cover for both species.  Those two ingredients are the key."
 
Duren notes areas on the west side of the Lake have a big deer population.  "With a more diverse type of habitat, it's probably one of the top deer regions in the state," he says.

The deer archery season runs simultaneously with the turkey archery season, mid-September through mid-November, with a second round starting later in November through mid-January.  Firearm season starts the second Saturday of November and lasts 11 days, followed by muzzleloader season, late November through early December.

#  Small Game
For hunters who enjoy tracking smaller game, the habitat surrounding the Lake of the Ozarks provides food and cover for squirrels, rabbits and quail.

Squirrels abound in the woods around the Lake of the Ozarks.  The area has plenty of hickory nut trees -- a favorite with squirrels. Rabbits and quail can be found in the farmlands and open fields that encircle the Lake.  Rabbits tend to congregate at milo fields near the edges of woods, as well as in briar patches and draws along gravel roads or railroad tracks.  Quail often are found in brush piles or brushy fence rows near open fields.  Duren, also a former World Quail Calling champion, says he successfully hunts quail in Morgan County.  "If you get into the right places you can find quite a few quail," he says.

The squirrel hunting season runs late May through mid-February; rabbit hunting season runs October through mid-February; and the quail season runs early November through mid-January.

#  Migratory Birds
The Lake of the Ozarks is a popular stop for migratory birds.  The first to visit in the fall are doves, found in freshly cut grain fields or farm ponds with hedge trees nearby.  When the weather turns cold, ducks and geese show up in large numbers, including mallards, wood ducks, gadwalls, greenwing teals, ringnecks, goldeneyes and snow geese.  Canada geese are year-round residents, Duren says.

"Unlike a Corps of Engineers lake, the Lake of the Ozarks has houses along the shoreline, but still there are several secluded areas where you can hunt," Walden notes.  Adds Duren, "A lot of hunters look for ducks in out-of-the-way coves on the Osage Arm of the Lake, where you can get away from people.  There are some mallards farther upstream and the local wood duck population is pretty good too."  Not many people take advantage of mallard hunting opportunities on the Upper Osage, Duren says.  "Both ducks and geese are there," he notes.  "I've had some good hunts there."

In the Lake area, dove hunting season runs early September through early November; duck-hunting season runs from early November through early January; for Canada geese, the season runs most of November, then late December through late January.

#  Where to Hunt
Most hunting in the Lake of the Ozarks region is done on private land with the landowner's permission.  Numerous hunting lodges, clubs and cabins are available for rental and several offer packages including lodging, meals and access to wildlife-inhabited areas.

Some hunting preserves and landowners offer land-lease packages for hunting; however, the Missouri Department of Conservation owns and manages six Conservation Areas in the Lake area where public hunting is available.  "We manage the wildlife intensively to enhance the available habitat in these areas," Walden says.

In Morgan County on the northwest side of the Lake, the Carpenter Memorial Conservation Area includes 335 acres of forest and 30 acres of open field, offering good turkey, deer and squirrel hunting and fair dove hunting.  Big Buffalo Creek Conservation Area has 1,455 acres of forest and offers good turkey, squirrel and deer hunting.  Proctor Towersite has 115 acres of forest and offers good squirrel hunting and fair turkey and deer hunting (archery or muzzleloader only).

On the east side of the Lake in Miller County, the 5,000-acre Saline Valley Conservation Area offers good deer, turkey, squirrel and rabbit hunting and fair dove and quail hunting.

Fiery Fork Conservation Area in Camden County has 1,606 acres of oak and hickory forest, open fields, grasslands, wetlands and glades.  It offers good deer and squirrel hunting and fair waterfowl, turkey and rabbit hunting.

For more information about hunting at the Lake of the Ozarks, including limits, licenses and hunting seasons, contact the Lake Area Service Center of the Missouri Department of Conservation at 573-346-2210 or visit www.missouriconservation.org.  For more information about Ralph Duren, entertainer and wildlife impersonator, visit www.ralphduren.com.  And to find out about lodging, dining, events, attractions, entertainment and more at the Lake of the Ozarks, contact the Lake of the Ozarks Convention & Visitor Bureau at 800-FUN-LAKE or visit www.funlake.com.

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