Missouri: The Heart of Eastern Turkey Hunting Heritage

Travis Owen

Missouri Land Specialist

There’s nothing quite like the thunder of a gobble echoing through a Missouri hollow as the sun breaks over the timber. For countless hunters across the state, it’s more than a spring ritual—it’s a turkey hunting heritage that ties generations together. Missouri doesn’t just offer world-class turkey hunting—it helped shape the sport itself.

From near extinction to a thriving population, from handmade calls to national championships, Missouri is the undisputed heartland of Eastern wild turkey hunting.

A Conservation Comeback Like No Other

By the mid-1900s, wild turkeys were hanging on by a thread in Missouri. Habitat loss and unchecked hunting had driven the population to fewer than 2,500 birds statewide. But that wasn’t the end of the story—it was the beginning of a comeback.

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) launched one of the nation’s most successful trap-and-transfer programs and led the charge in rebuilding wild turkey populations. With its ideal mix of timber, open fields, and water sources, Missouri quickly became a stronghold for the Eastern subspecies—and a model for conservation programs across the country.

Today, Missouri is a top destination for turkey hunters nationwide, known not just for numbers, but for tradition.

A Cradle of Turkey Hunting Talent

Missouri didn’t just bring the turkeys back—it raised up some of the finest turkey hunters and callers in the country.

From Paul Butski—a multiple-time Grand National Calling Champion—to legendary hunters like Ray Eye, Missouri’s turkey woods have trained and tested the best of the best. These are hunters who’ve appeared in national media, written books, and shaped how calling and conservation are approached across the U.S.

Closer to home, Leroy Braungardt from the Moscow Mills and Old Monroe area helped bring turkey hunting to living rooms—literally. My dad, like many others in Missouri, learned the cadence and rhythm of the wild turkey by listening to Leroy’s instructional vinyl record. Decades before YouTube or apps, Leroy was teaching hunters the art of the call, one scratchy needle drop at a time. His influence can still be heard in the woods every spring.

Then there are names like JR Lanham, a skilled turkey hunter whose reputation was built not in magazine spreads or calling contests, but in the woods themselves. JR’s a guy who knows the terrain, knows the birds, and has passed on more than a few lessons to those lucky enough to hunt alongside him. He’s part of that long line of Missouri turkey hunters who understand that the hunt is about more than a tag—it’s about tradition.

These men—and many more like them—are part of a culture that values quiet mornings, subtle yelps, and hard-earned gobbles.

A Springtime Way of Life

In Missouri, turkey hunting isn’t a weekend hobby—it’s a rite of passage. Youth seasons are where memories are made. Opening day is circled on calendars. And even the most seasoned hunters still feel that flutter of adrenaline when a longbeard steps into view.

With more than 2 million acres of public hunting land and some of the best managed conservation areas in the country, Missouri offers opportunities for every type of turkey hunter—from the first-timer on a borrowed box call to the veteran running mouth calls he crafted himself.

Stewardship Starts at Home

Private landowners have played a massive role in keeping Missouri’s turkey populations healthy. Managing habitat for turkeys—whether through prescribed burning, thinning timber, planting food plots, or letting native grasses take hold—pays dividends not just in bird numbers, but in the health of the land itself.

Many of the best turkey hunters are also the best land managers. They know the value of leaving edges, maintaining diverse cover, and working with nature—not against it. It’s a cycle of stewardship that benefits wildlife and families alike.

Guiding the Next Generation

At High Point Land Company, we understand that owning land isn’t just about acres—it’s about opportunity. It’s about hearing your kid’s first gobbler, watching a bird strut across a ridge you worked hard to restore, and being part of a tradition that’s bigger than all of us.

If you’re ready to find your own piece of ground where the gobblers still roar and the legacy lives on, we’d love to help.

Do you want to learn more?

If you’re considering buying, selling, or managing land, reach out to a local High Point Land Company Agent. For more questions visit our YouTube Knowledge Center.

Travis was born and raised just outside of Middletown, Missouri. He spent his childhood in the outdoors, hunting and working on the family farm.  During the off-season, he enjoys improving the habitat for local wildlife. He has extensive knowledge of timber stand improvement, invasive species removal, and utilizing fire as a land management tool. Travis has a wealth of outdoor knowledge, from hunting and farming to dirt work. He is passionate about helping others succeed, no matter their goals. Whether you need assistance setting up a property for more efficient hunting, increasing encounters with target game species, solving erosion problems through soil conservation, or making land improvements, Travis is eager to help. If you are interesting in selling your farmland, call Travis at (573) 470-8776 or email him at travis@highpointlandcompany.com