MISSOURI IMPLEMENTS NEW DRAWING SYSTEM FOR DUCK HUNTING

MAYSVILLE -- Waterfowl hunters who were sorry to see the end of the reservation system at public hunting areas will be glad to learn that reservations are back at all waterfowl hunting areas. Those who liked not having to make reservations will find something to like about the new system, too.

This spring, the Missouri Department of Conservation re-evaluated waterfowl populations, hunter trends and past surveys to gauge hunter preferences. Conservation officials settled on a system calculated to meet the needs of different hunting styles fairly and still provide quality hunting experiences.

Wildlife Programs Supervisor Dee Cee Darrow said the idea behind the new system is to strike a balance among all types of hunting desires, while meeting objectives for the waterfowl hunting program. The newly adopted objectives of the program will offer a diversity of hunting styles and ensure a quality hunt. The changes also are intended to ensure hunting opportunities for novice hunters, promote hunting ethics and provide equal opportunity for all Missouri hunters.

The new reservation system will be in effect during the 1998-99 hunting season at Ten Mile Pond, Otter Slough, Eagle Bluffs, Montrose, Grand Pass, B.K. Leach, Fountain Grove, Ted Shanks, Duck Creek, Schell-Osage, Marais Temps Clair and Bob Brown conservation areas and Swan Lake National Wildlife Refuge.

Under the new system, reservations for half the blinds and wade-in slots at each of these areas will be allocated in a statewide, random drawing before the season. Each morning, reservation holders and non-reservation holders alike will draw for available hunting spots. Reservation holders are guaranteed to hunt, but will not have first choice of hunting spots on each area. Hunters can apply for the statewide reservation drawing by calling 800/797-3949 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Sept. 1-18, except weekends and Labor Day.

Callers must be ready with their conservation identification number, found at the top of any permit or on the back of the Heritage Card. Hunters under the age of 16 may use their hunter education identification number instead. Callers must be ready to choose up to four of the 13 available areas where they would like a reservation. They also must choose whether they want to hunt on the first available open date, or whether they have a preference for one day of the week such as the first available Saturday or Tuesday.

Details about the reservation application system are available from permit vendors or Conservation Department offices. General information about hunting areas is available from Conservation Department offices statewide. For detailed information, contact the appropriate area office.

Beginning in 1948, the Conservation Department held annual drawings to assign reservations for hunting spots at state-run wetland areas because demand for waterfowl hunting exceeded available opportunities. During the late 1980s, drought and low waterfowl populations created a general decline in waterfowl hunting demand. Reduced demand, combined with an increase in state-owned waterfowl hunting areas, made the reservation system unnecessary. However, in the mid-1990s hunter demand began to increase again, just as the reservation system was phased out.

The risk of striking out in daily drawings discouraged some hunters from making pre-dawn drives to conservation areas. This was especially true for novice hunters, or those who only used the waterfowl areas occasionally.

As the reservation system was phased out, avid hunters were making more trips on conservation areas, but there were actually fewer hunters using the areas. This happened in spite of increases in numbers of areas and hunting opportunities, and in spite of more hunters involved in the sport. The intent was never to discourage hunter use on these areas.

However, some hunters who were unwilling or unable to show up for daily drawings on the chance that they would not be drawn felt the new system was less fair than a random drawing for firm reservations. "Waterfowl hunters are a diverse group," says Darrow. "They come from all walks of life and from every part of the state, so it's not surprising that they have different ideas about how waterfowl hunts should be administered."