Turkey Hunting in Missouri

Bill's 24 1/2 lbs. Turkey

I just returned from turkey hunting in the Mark Twain National Forest in Missouri. Early opening day on Monday, I was rudely awakened from my traditional morning nap in the turkey blind, by the blast of a 12 gauge. Two "turkey hunters" crept within 30 yards of my Pretty Boy and Pretty girl set up and shot my Pretty Boy. I'll refrain from the details of my "conversation" with them. In their defense, they had never seen a decoy like this. They asked me what brand it was and where I'd gotten it. After they left, I reset my decoys and around 11 AM shot a Jake who came in to investigate my spread. Not bad for public land and 2 hours after gunfire in the same area.

I just returned from Bass Pro Shop in Gurnee, Illinois today and the hunting department lead suggested I contact you with this wild story. I brought the decoy into the store so they could see the pellets still imbedded in the body, head, neck and beard and the holes from the rest of the pellets. I spend a lot of time at Bass Pro. I volunteer my time as a Master Hunter Safety Instructor for the State of Illinois and help teach classes there in the store. I'm also past chapter president for our local NWTF chapter which Bass Pro supports and am on the board for the Illinois NWTF State Chapter.

I'm heading to western Illinois in soon and I'd like to know what type of paint you'd suggest I could use to redo the areas that have flaked off due to the pellet hits. I'm attaching a photo from my 2006 hunt in western Illinois. This bruiser was coming to investigate my Pretty Boy and Pretty Girl set up but didn't make it. (24 1/2 lbs, 11 1/4" beard and 1 3/16" spurs).

Bill W.
Gurnee, IL