JEFFERSON CITY – The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) reminds hunters that the pre-season reservation period for managed waterfowl hunts this season 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.
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 in a specific area. Residents and nonresidents without a reservation can also arrive at a managed waterfowl hunting area the morning they wish to hunt and wait in the “poor line” for the possibility of getting a hunting spot.
Applicants for waterfowl reservations must have their required permits to apply and their Federal Duck Stamp to hunt.
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 in these areas. MDC also offers waterfowl hunting in other conservation areas. Besides MDC areas, Missouri offers waterfowl hunting opportunities at many other public and private locations around the state.
For this fall, the MDC waterfowl reservation system will offer 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 taking part in the daily morning “poor line” drawing.
Successful pre-season and in-season reservation applicants will be notified via email or text with their hunt date and location after their respective draws. After the in-season drawing for their reservation week, hunters will receive a notification of their pill number. “Pills” designate the order hunting parties select their hunting locations on the morning of the hunt. The lower the pill number, the sooner hunting parties get to select their hunting location.
Residents and nonresidents can hunt with a reservation holder, and hunting parties are limited to a maximum of four people.
Hunters with disabilities can apply to use ADA hunting blinds through the online reservation system during the same timeframe as the pre-season application period. ADA blinds not selected and allocated during the pre-season drawing will be placed in the weekly in-season draws.
For more information, visit MDC online at mdc.mo.gov and search Waterfowl Reservations or visit the Waterfowl Reservations page directly at mdc.mo.gov/hunting-trapping/species/waterfowl/managed-hunts-waterfowl/waterfowl-reservations, or get a copy of the MDC 2024-25 Migratory Bird and Waterfowl Hunting Digest, available online and where permits are sold.
