Inductees

Shag, a passionate conservationist, was influential in restoring wild turkeys to northern Missouri even though the thought was that turkeys could not survive in the thinly timbered counties north of the Missouri River. In 1961, The Missouri Department of Conservation sent fourteen wild turkeys to Adair County. In 1962, an additional six birds were released. After six years of Shag’s careful bird and habitat management, Adair County opened its first turkey season in 1967. For his persistence, Shag was awarded with the Master Conservationist in 2005, the highest honor given by the Missouri Department of Conservation.