Four Birds on Missouri’s First Turkey Hunt

Veterans from Ohio, Nebraska, and Missouri gathered for the inaugural Missouri Turkey Hunt, tagging four birds and spending a day catfishing on the river.

Veterans from Ohio, Nebraska, and Missouri gathered for the inaugural Missouri Turkey Hunt in early May 2026, combining turkey hunting with a day of catfishing on the river.

Huge thanks to Conservation Federation of Missouri for their support and to all the volunteers who helped make the hunt possible.

By the time the hunt came to a close, all four hunters had tagged a bird, with two of them harvesting their first toms, and every bird over 22 lbs.

Thank you to Zachary Martin, Kevin Spatafora, Travis Doerhoff, and Hunter Fansler for getting the guys on the birds, and to John Spatafora, Chris Shoaf, and Aaron Mattox for putting them on the fish.

From the field

The hunt is underway

From the field

Tags filled, and time on the water