Tony Vandemore of Kirksville took this greenhead duck near Grand Pass Conservation Area. Photo by Mike Marsh.

Waterfowl habitat conditions vary each year. They even change while hunting season is in progress.

With this in mind, there is only one way a hunter can score consistently: Go where the birds find food. Here is the rundown on this season's good and not-so-good public areas.

Tony Vandemore is one of the most dedicated waterfowl hunters in Missouri. He travels extensively in his occupation as a commercial insurance representative. Like the waterfowl he hunts with such a passion, he is always on the move.

"Whenever I can get a cell phone signal, I'm talking to someone in the office or to a client or to another waterfowl hunter to find out where the birds are concentrated," Vandemore said. "I love hunting ducks and geese and I go wherever they are. That's what you have to do if you want to have the best hunts."

Vandemore is an Avery pro-staff member and field-tests the company's products, including decoys specifically suited to Missouri's public areas. His core hunting area includes the Missouri River and all the Missouri Department of Conservation areas along the river.

Vandemore said there is usually good hunting at Grand Pass Conservation Area and Swan Lake National Wildlife Refuge.

"The public areas can get crowded. However, there's always some good hunting on them. Hunting near them along the river system is also a good way of hunting," he said.

Vandemore cautioned hunters to be careful along the rivers. The water levels can change overnight and the bottoms are rocky. If you're hunting the areas for the first time, go with someone who knows the river.

David Graber, waterfowl biologist with the Missouri Department of Conservation, said there are several Conservation Areas that will not host good waterfowl numbers this season. That's an important fact for hunters who may have had spectacular hunting on those areas in the past. One of the poorer areas will be one of Vandemore's usual favorites, Fountain Grove just above Swan Lake in north-central Missouri.

"Fountain Grove Conservation Area will be under construction this year," Graber said. "We are reworking the levees and other infrastructure to improve Fountain Grove's water management capabilities in the future."

There may be a little bit of hunting there this season, but not very much, he said. A morning draw is expected.

"A few reservations may be put in the system for that area, but it won't be very many," he said.

FLOOD FACTOR
Summer flooding also hit other high-profile Conservation Areas. Followed by drought conditions, nature's ways left little food for waterfowl.

"This year we've had some flooding and had some drought conditions after that, and it's going to affect conditions in west-central Missouri," Graber said.

Four Rivers and Schell-Osage conservation areas had summertime flooding, so it has probably affected the food supply for waterfowl on those areas, he said. There were also some levee breaches in areas where flooding was especially severe.

"We have moist-soils management and some crops on most of our waterfowl units," he said. "When environmental conditions diminish the food supply on these units, they won't attract many ducks and geese for waterfowl hunters."

BOB BROWN CONSERVATION AREA (CA)
Northwestern Missouri also saw drought and then flooding. Nevertheless, the popular Bob Brown CA weathered the tough growing conditions well.

Bob Brown CA is 3,300 acres. It offers walk-in hunting opportunities and has a disabled sportsman's blind. There are also advance reservations for the area. Apply next summer for the 2008-09 season.