I think "MISSOURI" is an Indian word for "WASTED POTENTIAL"!
Didn't I hear that somewhere?!?! (ok, maybe I made it up).
Ya, it's crazy, when I cross into MO - the ground looks SO GOOD!!! Then, all my buddies show me the quality of deer - it's so incredibly different, it's mind boggling. Preaching to the choir here I know. You all have 10x the good habitat that Iowa has but the vast majority is EXPLOITED, just like you said, chasing the dollar. So unfortunate. If MO protected its resources from exploitation, everyone down there would have so much better hunting it's insane. Common sense changes.
As it sits now, in MO (many friends have ground there or hunt there).... Leased up & locked up way worse than Iowa. Early Nov - PEAK RUT, rifles out - that's what destroys that state's potential. Multiple bucks for anyone BUT - again, it's the rifles peak rut that's the game changer.
It makes me scratch my head how they can't look across the border & see how much better Iowa does on QUALITY FOR EVERYONE with 1/10th the habitat/land?!?!?!? Our public ground is 5x better than most the private in MO.
Sorry on the rant, I know you know this & no reason to beat a dead horse. I just wish you all would FIX it. It's so obvious to anyone with a brain BUT finding government, insurance & old school is a tough battle.
ANYWAYS, back to the good thing.... You have an awesome thing going on and folks like you, doing what you're doing, are the folks that will have a shot at quality hunting. That work will pay off, keep at it and well done!