Photo by Tom Migdalski

Late-season waterfowling can be problematic in Missouri. In some years, when cold fronts blow through early, it's nothing short of a disaster: The birds are gone, and most of the good spots have been hunted to death. Truth be told, it'll easier to buy a bird at your local Piggly Wiggly store than it'll be to kill one.

But then again, if the weather in the northern states is warm early in the season and the cold fronts blow through late, flights may still be working their way south. If that happens, you can usually bag a limit on the last day. It all depends upon the weather and the forces of nature --things that none of us can scarcely affect, much less totally control. We can't even predict them properly.

Certainly, Missouri waterfowlers can minimize the tough times and take advantage of the good times. One of the easiest and most effective ways to do so is to hunt the right areas -- to learn about the best public hunting spots in the state and take advantage of them.

And keep in mind that "waterfowl" doesn't necessarily mean ducks -- the term also covers geese, both Canadas and snows. Sometimes you need to take advantage of what's available, rather than to insist stubbornly on having it your way.

SMITHVILLE LAKE
Waterfowl hunters in central Missouri are blessed with Smithville Lake. Managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, this 7,000-acre body of water is one of the true waterfowling gems in the Show Me State. It's in Clay County, just a short drive north of Kansas City; head north on I-29. Otherwise, I-35 runs north and south past the water on its east side. The exits are well marked.

Two marinas service the lake – Paradise Point, (816) 532-2666, and Camp Branch, (816) 407-3420; both are open for launching year 'round. Camp Branch doesn't have a restaurant, and the one at Paradise Point closes after Labor Day, so you'll need to bring your own food. However, motels, restaurants and gas stations are available in: Liberty, a short distance due south of the lake; Smithville, on the west side of the lake; and Kearney, about 20 minutes east.

Before we get into the specifics of hunting Smithville, a lengthy word of warning is in order: Between Oct. 15 and Jan. 15, stay out of the 2,200 acres of water and surrounding land on the Little Platte arm of the lake that make up Honker Cove Wildlife Refuge. From the south, water access to the refuge, which is operated by the Corps, is blocked by a string of buoys, as are most of the other entrances. During the closed period, you can't hunt, fish or boat in the area.

The Corps is serious about protecting this area, so don't even think about hunting inside it. A break will be mighty hard to come by if you're caught violating the law in Honker Cove. The southern boundary is along County Highway W. On the north, public accesses 2 and 16 draw the line.

Bruce Clark, the operations manager for the Corps at Smithville, has many years of experience with this magnificent body of water. He reports that January goose hunting opportunities -- the duck season is normally closed by then -- can be feast or famine. But the "feast" situation is most likely, especially if hunters take the time to learn something about the lake.

Smithville Lake is a resting and feeding place for geese. It's only a few miles from Kansas City and fewer still from the Missouri River bottoms. As such, it attracts both resident and migratory Canadas. "Most of them start arriving around the third week in December … Christmas is usually about the time," Clark said.