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Veteran with a harvested turkey in a Missouri field

Story from the field

Veterans Tag Toms on the Inaugural Missouri 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

Veterans with harvested turkeys and a Veteran's Outdoor Therapy banner
Veteran with a harvested turkey on a fallen log
Veteran with a harvested turkey at sunset in Missouri
Camp gear and a Veteran's Outdoor Therapy banner at night

From the field

Tags filled, and time on the water

Veteran with a harvested turkey in the Missouri woods
Veteran holding a catfish on the river
Veteran holding a catfish on the river
Veterans holding a large catfish on the river
Veterans gathered for a cookout on the porch

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Read the mid-hunt update on Facebook Read the recap on Facebook
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