According to Wombwell, duck migration usually peaks in mid to late November on Schell and mid to late December at Montrose. "Numbers at the peak of the migration can be anywhere from 70,000 to 100,000 ducks at Schell-Osage and about 20,000 at Montrose," he said. "If it gets really cold, and our shallow-water areas begin to ice up, we may see a buildup earlier at Montrose, because we have warm water coming into the reservoir from a coal-fired electric-power plant. We see a peak in goose numbers of about 4,000 at Schell, but that peak only lasts a week or two and then they thin out.

"We are kind of proud of both areas because as managed waterfowl hunting areas we seldom have to turn away hunters. Some hunters may not draw their choice of hunting area, but they do get a chance to hunt."

Further east are Stockton and Pomme de Terre reservoirs. "The unpredictability of the water levels in reservoirs such as Stockton and Pomme de Terre, which were built primarily for flood control, provides relatively low opportunity for consistent waterfowl hunting," said Tim Russell, MDC regional wildlife manager in Springfield. "However, when the lake levels are right, and vegetation is present, the hunting opportunities on the reservoirs can be good."

Hunter success at the two reservoirs was poor to fair last year, reported Russell. "The exception was in December when we had a cold snap and things began to ice up, the open water, where spring-fed tributaries come into the lakes, attracted a variety of ducks," he said. "This concentration of birds was productive for the waterfowlers who found these secluded areas."

Russell said that hunting pressure on the reservoirs is usually low, as most hunters head for the larger wetland areas

Both Truman Reservoir and Lake of the Ozarks lie in the Middle Duck Zone, and both offer some good waterfowl opportunities. For info on Truman, contact the MDC's Clinton office at (816) 885-6981; for LOZ, check in with the Columbia office at (573) 882-8388.

Reeds Spring's George Akers spends most of his waterfowl hunting time at the Schell-Osage CA and on the James River above Table Rock Lake. The 64-year-old carpenter has been actively hunting ducks for about 12 years in the southwest.

"I usually hunt the blinds on the north side of Schell-Osage, and I also hunt the James River above Galena," he said. "I also have a couple big farm ponds in that area that can be good at times.

"When I hunt the river, I do so from a boat. I set the decoys in the eddies just below a riffle, cover the boat with camo, and wait for action," Akers said. "I have taken a variety of species. Mallards are usually dominant, but I also take some teal, gadwall, widgeon, shoveler and an occasional diver."

Akers usually uses about eight dozen decoys, has a pair of Labs and shoots a bored modified Browning autoloader. He uses either No. 2 or No. 4 steel.

"The best hunting is usually around Thanksgiving on Schell-Osage," said the Reeds Spring hunter. "It depends on the weather up north, of course. If it gets cold, and things begin to ice up. The river hunting can be pretty good in December."