I've never hunted Southeast Missouri, but I hear they are really coming along in genetics and big bucks.

I usually hunt Texas County pretty hard in South Central Missouri. That buck makes my 5th Pope and Young taken from the same area. All but 1 of those has been taken from public land (Mark Twain National Forest.)
One of these days I would like to make it over around the big river breaks and hunt in the Southeast part of the state.