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MDC announces changes to waterfowl reservations for fall hunting

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MDC announces changes to waterfowl reservations for fall hunting
Sept. 1.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) announces changes to its reservation system for managed waterfowl hunts - starting this hunting season.

MDC offers managed waterfowl hunting on more than a dozen conservation areas specially managed with a focus on wetlands. Hunters can apply for a reservation or participate in a daily morning drawing for opportunities to hunt at these areas. MDC also offers waterfowl hunting on other conservation areas. In addition to MDC areas, Missouri offers waterfowl hunting opportunities at numerous other public and private locations around the state.

Changes to the waterfowl reservation system include offering 50 percent of daily hunting positions for the managed-hunt areas through online reservations. Of the 50 percent of spots through online reservations, half will be for pre-season applications and half will be allocated during a weekly in-season application period. The remaining 50 percent of spots will be held for hunters who participate in the daily morning drawing, called the "poor line."

"Under the changes to the reservation system, if an area offers 20 daily hunting positions, five will be allocated through pre-season reservations and five through in-season reservations," explained Lauren Hildreth, who coordinates managed waterfowl hunts for MDC. "The remaining 10 positions will be allocated to hunters from the poor line the morning of each hunt."

The pre-season reservation period will run Sept. 1-18 with results posted Oct. 1. The in-season weekly drawings will take place on Monday afternoons with a seven-day application period that opens the Tuesday before and closes the Monday of the draw at 3 p.m.Successful hunters will be notified via email or text message after the draw with their hunt date, location, and pill assignment. "Pills" designate the order hunting parties select their hunting locations on the area. The lower the number, the sooner hunting parties get to select their hunting location.

Another change is that all applicants for waterfowl reservations must have their required permits to apply, and their Federal Duck Stamp to hunt.

Missouri residents and qualifying non-residents, such as students from out of state or members of the military stationed in Missouri, can apply online for a reservation to guarantee them an opportunity to hunt on a specific day on a specific area. Resident and nonresidents can also arrive at a managed waterfowl hunting area the morning they wish to hunt and wait in line for the possibility of getting a hunting spot through the poor line.

Residents and nonresidents can hunt with a reservation holder and hunting parties are limited to a maximum of four people.

Previously, reservation holders and individuals participating in the poor line had to draw a number the morning of the hunt to determine their place in line to select a hunting position. Reservation holders were guaranteed an opportunity to hunt and poor line participants had to draw a low enough number to claim a spot to have an opportunity to hunt.

Now, successful pre-season and in-season reservation applicants will be notified of their pill numbers after the weekly in-season draw for their hunt date. This change will let allow reservation holders to know before they leave their home if their randomly generated number will enable them to be one of the first, middle, or last parties to pick their hunting location.

One major change to the morning draw system is that only one member from each hunting party will be allowed to draw a number. In the past, several areas allowed each member of the party to draw a number. This approach favored larger parties and resulted in more hunter trips but was unpopular with most hunters.

"Every-member draw was one of the most contentious elements of Missouri's waterfowl hunt program," Hildreth noted. "This change will better accommodate hunter preferences and also cut down the amount of time it takes to complete the morning drawing at some of our most popular areas."

MDC also notes that hunters with disabilities will now need to apply to use ADA hunting blinds through the online reservation system during the same timeframe as the preseason application period.

According to MDC, the changes are based on feedback from waterfowl hunters and other research.

"These changes give waterfowl hunters the most flexibility for hunting on our intensively managed wetlands," Hildreth said. "Some hunters want to plan their hunts well in advance, so the pre-season reservations are ideal for them. Some hunters want the flexibility of week-to-week planning, so the weekly in-season reservations are great for them. And many hunters want the flexibility to try their luck with the same-day morning poor line for each area."

For more information, visit MDC online at mdc.mo.gov and search Waterfowl Reservations, visit huntfish.mdc.mo.gov/hunting-trapping/species/waterfowl/waterfowl-waterfowl-draws/waterfowl-reservations directly, or get a copy of MDC's 2019-2020 Migratory Bird and Waterfowl Hunting Digest, available where permits are sold.


MDC. announces changes to waterfowl reservations for fall hunting. For more information, visit MDC online at mdc.mo.gov and search Waterfowl Reservations, or get a copy of MDC's 2019-2020 Migratory Bird and Waterfowl Hunting Digest, available where permits are sold.

Find this and other MDC media releases in our MDC online Newsroom.

Joe Jerek
Statewide News Services Coordinator
573-522-4115, ext. 3362
[email protected]

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1 - 20 of 44 Posts
So ADA blinds are ONLY available thru the preseason draw? What about leftovers?
It's a duck hunter's paradise! :banghead::boohoo::yes:
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Do like I do just drive past headquarters and go hunt.
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The muckin just keep on muckin it up
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Do like I do just drive past headquarters and go hunt.
You can have one of those pool stamps made for like 6 bucks...
I am just glad they came up with a way to make all duck Hunters happy:D
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that's it :mad2:.....im only apply'n fo "the swank" this year!:D
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You asked for QD to be eliminated.. they did the opposite. Thanks MDC! I’ll just cruise on by the draw shack on the way to the pit.
They split it 50/50 between total predraws and poor line. So whatever side your on about it ya get half, seems fair enough. Actually not bad considering the no shows, I’ll take it could have been worse.
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Great day for MDC as i was one who depended on ada blinds to hunt. Most years i could get out 7-10 times now its buy all license and stamps then apply to see if you get picked 1 time. Nope i will keep my money and rather watch andy griffith reruns all winter other thing they are not telling you is as of 2 weeks ago CB wasnt even going to hunt ada blind and at best if place will even be open it will be oppurtunistic at best,, bkleach only north end was going to get hunted,mtc has not said except less spots then last year, other big areas well fg only hunt part of area ect ect. Enjoy your season as mdc says thats how you all wanted it. I will come back here after pre season draw to see how many got lucky for 1 hunt then around december to see how there new so called qd is working out for your boys bwahahahaha. Lauren at mdc screwed these areas up
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I love the episodes when Opie didn't have all his teeth. Or was that goober? Can't remember.
About what I thought it would be based on the info they had posted at the sites last year. 50/50 plays right down the middle. MDC probably figured that was the safest bet. Especially with introducing we to all the sites that didn’t have it previously.

I do like the one member draw change. Should speed up the time to draw dramatically at some of the sites (i.e. Grand Pass).
I do like the one member draw change. Should speed up the time to draw dramatically at some of the sites (i.e. Grand Pass).
Also notifying reservation holders of what pill number they possess, may mean some don't even show.

System ain't gonna make everyone happy. But I can live with it.
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Question regarding the picture in the OP.... do people really sit in the open like that, wearing sunglasses that can flash on a sunny day, and if so, do they normally limit by like 7am or so? :D
Question regarding the picture in the OP.... do people really sit in the open like that, wearing sunglasses that can flash on a sunny day, and if so, do they normally limit by like 7am or so? :D
Staged publicity pic from teal season, probably in Arkansas. ;)
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And dont forget as mdc wont post this but dont put in reservations for bkleach as wont be any, wont be none for mtc cb said prob not even hunt there this season, shanks limited hunting not sure about resy yet, several sw areas same situation. So looks like you all get to apply for duckcreek, otter slough,grand pass and limited spots only east side of fg and bb not doing well either. Some of u dont care but thats the scoop. Reservations much much thinner this year,,, qd still same at gp,eb and os as you dont have a chance lol. Enjoy the season. Rivers and blinds who knows prob same ole same ole.
Question regarding the picture in the OP.... do people really sit in the open like that, wearing sunglasses that can flash on a sunny day, and if so, do they normally limit by like 7am or so? :D
CatDiddly style. :D
CatDiddly style. :D
That vintage camo coat does look familiar
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