Missouri Wetlands page 3

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The worst conditions for duck hunting would be dry wetlands. The next worse are low water levels from dry inflow and wells. These pictures are from the 2006 season, our latest dry year of low water levels.

A blind area that is typically surrounded with water. Where the hunter is setting his decoys on the right side of the picture is immediately in front of the blind and on normal year knee deep water.

These pictures and the text below are examples of the during season status we supply to our membership on the hunting update page.

This weeks rain brought some water for our wetlands, but a little less than anticipated.

We haven't scouted the north zone, but assume the rain brought more water in Linn County around blinds one and two.

In the middle zone Blairstown Lake is still not huntable. Winkler's Lake blind one and two are both huntable. The slough is not completely full, but it is definitely huntable.

Henry B all of the blinds and wade-in area are huntable.

Henry C is about half full. The north and south half of the lake are huntable. The wade-in area is not huntable. There is a large concentration of ducks using some of the surrounding duck clubs, but the competition level is high.

Henry D also picked up some water. There is water close to the west blind, but wade-in hunting is recommended for the west side of the lake.

Cass A did not pick up enough water to hunt, so it is closed for the season, even for scouting.

The ponds in Cass B picked up some water, but nothing drastic. The conditions are close to the week before.

The location references such as "Cass B" refers to our map sheets.

Another blind on the same wetlands around the bend. The blind seen at left is typically surrounded by hip deep water extending into the wood lot behind the blind.

A pot hole surrounded by woods sitting between the creek (a large creek that some would call a river) and the flooded woods to open water to crop ground behind the blind just visible in the lower left corner. This water in this pothole on the average year comes right up to the blind base.

A wade-in, no blind spot on the same wetlands as the pot hole above. This spot is 12 - 18 inches low and the water surface would normally cover all within this picture frame.

It is a matter of integrity that we do not oversell our organization. Posting such pictures of what a low water level year appears like is part of accurately representing the nature of our hunting. Conditions are not always perfect and during low water years such as this one and there is still duck hunting to be had.

During this same year our flooded crop ground with water supplied by an irrigation well and pump and our large northern Missouri wetlands with water supplied by a 12 acre reservoir lake had more than enough water to compensate for these remote wetlands that are more dependent on natural water sources.

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