Waterfowl reservations open Sept. 1

Fountain Grove will have a reservation drawing again.

JEFFERSON CITY-Waterfowl hunters who hope to get reservations to hunt at state-managed wetland areas should mark their calendars for Sept. 1. That is when the Missouri Department of Conservation will begin taking applications for its waterfowl hunting reservation lottery.

Applications can be made by calling (800) 829-2956 or by visiting www.missouriconservation.org Sept. 1 through 18. You will need the nine-digit identification number found at the top of your hunting or fishing permit or next to the bar code on your Conservation Heritage Card. Drawing results will be available at the same phone number and Web site Oct. 1.

Fountain Grove Conservation Area (CA), which was not included in last year's reservation drawing due to renovation work, is back on the list this year.

The Every Hunter Draws system will be in effect for hunters without reservations on three additional areas this year. The Conservation Department tested the system at Eagle Bluffs and Otter Slough CAs for the past two years and has found that it increases the number of hunters who get to take advantage of hunting opportunities. A majority of participating hunters said they favor the procedure. This year Every Hunter Draws will be extended to Grand Pass, Ten-Mile Pond and Bob Brown CAs and will be considered for other CAs in the future.

Past applications to hunt at Little River CA have not justified taking reservations for this area, so it will be left out of this year's drawing for the second year in a row. Hunting there will be on a first-come, first-served basis in designated areas as posted at the check-in parking lot. Hunters will check themselves in and out.

Reservation applications are limited to Missouri residents. Nonresidents can still participate in managed waterfowl hunting on state-owned areas, either by hunting with a resident reservation holder or by taking part in daily morning drawings for unreserved hunting spots.

Another first this year is that reservation applications are limited to Missouri residents. Nonresidents can still participate in managed waterfowl hunting on state-owned areas, either by hunting with a resident reservation holder or by taking part in daily morning drawings for unreserved hunting spots. The change was made to give residents more opportunity to hunt on state areas. Nonresidents received nearly 8 percent of reservations last year. At Ten Mile Pond and Four Rivers CAs, nonresidents accounted for 20 percent of the hunting trips.

-Jim Low-