FIVE MISSOURI WATERFOWLING HOTSPOTS

Missouri waterfowlers take note. These hotspots are where you should be hunting this month, and some of them should be near you!
Billie R. Cooper



After a tough year of early season flooding on many Missouri Department of Conservation managed waterfowl areas in 2008, habitat conditions should be much better for migrating waterfowl this fall and hunters who plan ahead can reap the benefits.
Dave Graber, the waterfowl/wetlands research scientist for MDC said that a number of areas were adversely affected last year by heavy flooding, followed by drought conditions. “Many of the affected areas did not host a lot of birds last year due to the poor availability of food sources.”
MDC employees have been busy repairing damaged levees, pools and water structures. If your favorite public waterfowl hunting area proved less than satisfactory last season because of the natural catastrophes, check the area again this year. It may be back to normal and in full operation. And if water and food are available, the ducks will come.
Grand Pass Conservation Area – Located northwest of in Saline County, Grand Pass CA is very popular among waterfowl hunters. “There is a reason for that,” said Chris Freeman, the wildlife biologist for the area. Duck hunters have very good success here,” he continued.
The 5,000+ acre area borders the Missouri River for six miles on the north. Approximately 3,500 acres of this prime duck attracting habitat is managed for waterfowl. Ten pools are normally flooded gradually as the season progresses, according to Freeman. “We can accommodate 40 parties maximum,” he stated. “We usually start the season with spots for 15 parties.”
“Grand Pass is a very busy waterfowl hunting area,” Freeman said. We host 4,000-5,000 hunter trips each season. However, 8,000-10,000 hunters go through the morning draw. Just because you show up here does not mean you will hunt here. Lots of hunters get turned away.”
“Hunters have the opportunity to see lots of ducks here,” Freeman stated. That is a draw within itself.
“Seeing tens of thousands of ducks in one location is awesome,” said Rolla waterfowl hunter Frank Cox. “Grand Pass gets covered up in mallards at times and whether I kill birds or not, I truly enjoy watching the birds fly.”
Cox is an avid duck hunter and travels far and wide to pursue his passion. He is death on detail when it comes to fooling ducks. “There are no blinds at Grand Pass. Hunters should carry a small portable blind or material to use for a blind,” Cox instructed. “I recommend that hunters keep as low a profile as possible. There is not a lot of tall vegetation on the area and ducks become leery of blinds that stick out like a sore thumb.”
“All pools are walk-in hunting,” said Freeman. “Layout boats and small blinds are popular. However, all blinds must be dismantled and carried out each day.”
Early in the season, hunters can expect to see lots of green-winged teal, pintails, shovelers and wood ducks, according to Freeman. Around November 12 is when the real excitement begins. “Mallards begin to show up in numbers around November 12, depending on the weather,” Freeman noted. Greenheads are what waterfowl hunters want to see and they will often see tens of thousands of them at Grand Pass CA.
Most years Grand Pass hunters will average 2.6-to-3-ducks per hunter. That is an outstanding average and another so many hunters take there chances in the poor man’s line at Grand Pass. For more information, call: 660-595-2444.

Big Muddy National Wildlife Refuge – Congress authorized the USFWS, in 1994, to begin purchasing 60,000 acres of floodplain properties along the Missouri River between Kansa City and St. Louis. Thus far they have acquired 11,000 acres in 8 tracts. These lands, much of it damaged by the 1993 and 1995 floods, offers fishing and hunting opportunities to the public.
The Jameson Island unit occupies a large bend of the Missouri River floodplain in Saline County, below the community of Arrow Rock. The unit consists of 1,871 acres of bottomland forest of cottonwood, willow, box elder, and other floodplain species. This unit is south of and across the river from the Lisbon unit. The two units are similar and combined provide 4,000 acres for public use.
Waterfowl hunters will want to concentrate their efforts on the numerous scour holes and chutes on the area. A constructed side channel has several new scour holes due to the flood of 2008. The sandbars on the Missouri River adjoining the area can be productive as well.
Hunters can expect to encounter wood ducks, teal and shovelers on the scour holes early in the season. Mallards and gadwalls show up later. A variety of diving ducks, including scaup, redheads, ringnecks, goldeneyes and buffleheads buzz up and down the river.
To reach the Jameson Island unit, take Main Street through Arrow Rock. Turn left uphill when Main Street ends at a sign explaining Godsey’s Diggings. Follow this road as it turns left around the back of Lyceum Theater. Look for the gravel road and refuge sign on the right directly behind the theater. Follow this road downhill ¼ mile to the refuge parking lot. The parking lot is small and has no turn around available for trailers. River access can be gained from Taylors’s Landing Access, 12 miles west of Columbia on I-70 and 4.5 miles east on Highway 98. For more information on Big Muddy National Wildlife Refuge go to http://www.BigMuddy@fws.gov/ or call 573-876-1826.

Four Rivers Conservation Area – Located in Vernon and Bates counties this prime waterfowl hunting area consists of 13,732 acres. The area lies in the floodplain of the Marmaton, Little Osage, Marias des Cygnes, and Osage River – thus the name Four Rivers. A vast area once supported a complex of bottomland forests, wet prairie and riverine wetlands. Clearing , draining, channelization, and levee construction almost annihilated the area wetlands. When MDC purchased the first property in the area, less than one percent of the original wetlands remained.
Today, a 13,732 acre wetland complex is protected and greatly enhances the historic wetland values of the region and contributes significantly to the goals of the North American Waterfowl Management Plan.
Four Rivers is a popular choice of waterfowl hunters from the Kansas City area according to wildlife management biologist Chris Daniels, who oversees the operations on the area. “Roughly 75% of our hunters are Missouri residents with most of those coming from Kansas City,” Daniels said. “Too, many of the out-of-state hunters come from Kansas City, Kansas.”
Although Four Rivers is a popular waterfowling destination, few hunters are turned away according to Daniels. “We have a morning draw for two our units, but we also have two units that do not have a draw. It is first-come, first-served in those units,” he said. “However, the space for hunters in the no-draw units can vary widely according to the amount of water available. We may have anywhere from 300 to 2,500 acres open for hunting.”
Gary Paul, of Kansas City, Kansas is a regular visitor to four Rivers. “I have been duck hunting for 50 years,” he quipped. “Most of my hunting time in the last five years has been spent at Four Rivers. The area is extremely well managed. I live close to duck hunting in Kansas but seldom go because the areas are so poorly managed there.”
Water should be plentiful this year. “We have had 5 floods as of June 1 so far this year,” Daniels stated. “And June usually brings at least one flood.”
Flood waters hit Four Rivers hard last year creating one of the most heavily damaged conservation areas in the state. Roads, levees and water structures received damage in both 2008 and 2009. The good news is that the damage will not affect waterfowl management plans at Four Rivers for 2009, according to Daniels. “Hunters will experience some minor inconveniences such as a few rough roads, but there is no reason for hunters to stay away during waterfowl season. We are still working on repairs in unit 3.”
Four Rivers CA offers wade and shoot opportunities. Daniels stated that there are three ways to hunt: 1) wade, 2) use a layout boat, 3) use a small jon boat. Temporary blinds are allowed, but both blinds and decoys must be removed after each days hunt.
If there is food and water available, the ducks will come. Then it is a matter of finding them and getting to them. “Scouting well before the season is an important first step to being successful,” Paul said. “Driving and walking around the area to see what areas the ducks are using gives you the chance to make a came plan prior to opening morning. Trying to figure everything out in the dark on opening day is frustrating.”
Paul has figured out the best method to hunt ducks at Four Rivers as well. “I used to own a good size boat,” he continued. “I sold it and went to a Four Rivers layout boat with a Beavertail 6hp mud motor. That is the perfect combination for hunting Four Rivers. It handles me, my dog and 2-to-3-dozen decoys.”
Hunters normally average 2.3 to 2.5 birds per day at Four Rivers and the annual harvest runs between 7,000 and 10,000 birds. Early in the season blue-winged teal, pintails and shovelers are plentiful. Green-winged teal drift in all season long and mallards begin showing up later in the season. Diving ducks, including ringnecks and red heads, also show up later. And if planting conditions allow, there is usually some winter wheat fields for hunting geese.
Paul suggested that the best time to hunt at Four Rivers is during the week. “I still go on weekends, but it can get crowded at times. If other hunters get to close in the open areas, I simply pick up and move. I can always find ducks in the no draw areas. I jump through hoops to get up early and make it to the area for the draw. It makes for a long day, but it is very much worth the effort.”
Paul also commented about the camaraderie at Four Rivers. “This is the perfect place for first time duck hunters. All of the MDC staff and other hunters, too, go out of their way to help newcomers who don’t know where to hunt or how to hunt at Four Rivers.”
For more information about four Rivers CA, call: 417-395-2341.

Wappapello Lake – Located in the southeastern quarter of the state, Lake Wappapello is a 45,000 acre Corps of Engineers project. The lake proper ranges in size from 4,200 acres to 8,400 acres at full pool.
Wappapello is a sleeper when it comes to waterfowl hunting. Nearby Duck Creek CA, Mingo National Wildlife Refuge and Otter Slough CA get most of the attention from waterfowl hunters.
“There are some good waterfowling opportunities at Wappapello,” said Park Ranger Jeremy Jackson. “And it should get better in the future.” Jackson is referring to a current experiment in conjunction with MDC in regards to types of vegetation which might do well in the changing water levels of the lake. There is very little vegetation in the lake currently. “More vegetative cover would provide food sources for migrating waterfowl.”
“We hold a drawing for blinds every year in August at the Bill Emerson Visitor Center,” Jackson stated. “The drawing is for a place to construct a blind. For safety reason blinds must meet certain minimum specifications.”
“Hunters may freelance on the area, too,” Jackson continued. “Of course, hunters must stay away from use areas like campgrounds and beaches. Also, hunters are not allowed to set up inside two yards from the nearest blind.”
The constructed blinds built from the draw are personal property of the permit holders. Other hunters may not use them without express consent from the owners, because of liability issues.
Diving ducks are the norm on the big, open waters of Wappapello. “We see lots of bluebills, shovelers, ringnecks and teal early in the season,” instructed Jackson. “A little later we see canvasbacks (season closed last year), mergansers, goldeneyes, buffleheads and mallards.”
Wappapello hunters use a lot of visual affect to bring birds into gun range. “Spreads of 500-600 decoys are not uncommon here,” Jackson said. “The guys do a good job of attracting mallards out in the middle of the lake. There were lots of mallards using the middle of the lake two years ago.”
Wappapello offers the unusual opportunity to harvest sea ducks as well. “It is not uncommon for a few scoters to be harvested each year,” Jackson observed.
Old beaver ponds and shallow coves are other mallard attracting spots that hunters should be aware of. Birds tend to utilize these areas when the hunting pressure gets heavy.
Resident Canada geese are another possibility at Wappapello Lake. “Most duck hunters will toss out a few floating goose decoys in hopes of bagging a goose every now and then,” said Jackson. “They are tough to get, but it is worth the extra effort. A lot of the geese on the lake are wearing hardware.”
Jackson cautions hunters to practice safety on the water. “Wearing life jackets is paramount to safety,” he said. “The combination of cold water and cold weather is deadly. Hunters need to be extra cautious, too, as we enter December. We begin drawing the lake down then and it may be more difficult to get to your hunting spot.” Wappapello is a shallow lake, averaging only 15 feet.
Ranger Jackson is a great promoter of Wappapello and stated that waterfowl hunters should consider taking advantage of other outdoor opportunities while there. “After enjoying a morning of duck hunting, visitors should consider crappie fishing or bow hunting in the afternoon”
For more information about Lake Wappapello, call: 573-222-8562. Ask for Ranger Jeremy Jackson. He would be delighted to talk with you.


Bull Shoals Lake – Sprawling over 45,000 acres in five Missouri and Arkansas counties, this Corps of Engineers reservoir is an outdoorsman’s paradise, waterfowl hunting included.
Brian Bochert of Theodosia Mariana said that the local Canada goose population has been growing for years. “Geese have become so populated in the Theodosia Park area that the Corps of Engineers allows goose hunting in the area now.”
Normally, waterfowl hunting is allowed on lake properties with the exception of the posted park and recreation use areas. Goose hunters will need to check the current season dates for 2009-2010. During the 2008-2009 season goose hunters could pursue geese at Theodosia Park from November 22 – January 30, 2009. Hunting is in accordance with regulations of the State of Missouri, except areas listed in Special Area Regulations.
Bull Shoals is a vast area with hundreds of coves, flats and isolated ponds which waterfowl frequent. Bochert is a fishing guide on the lake, but indicated that, like fishermen, waterfowl hunters should do their homework ahead of time if they want to be successful. Therefore, scouting a few days before an intended hunt will pay big dividends.
Permanent blinds are not allowed on Bull Shoals Lake. Portable blinds may be used, but must be removed after each days hunt.
Bull Shoals sprawls across the Missouri-Arkansas border and catches a variety of both puddle ducks and divers as they migrate south. Hunters should watch for heavy weather patterns up north. When the freeze line creeps south and all the smaller bodies of water begin to freeze over, waterfowl hunting can become hot at Bull Shoals Lake. Keep in mind, however, that there is little vegetation at the lake, and birds are not apt to stay long unless the water level is high and into shoreline vegetation.
For more information about waterfowl hunting on Bull Shoals call the Corps of Engineers at: 870-425-2700.
There you have it – five of Missouri’s sure-fire waterfowling hotspots. Start with the one nearest you, but be sure to try them all!