Once December rolls around, most ducks have seen just about every decoy spread and heard every duck call imaginable, especially on the major wetland areas around the state. However, duck hunters can make their own luck when it comes taking part in the late-season hunt by looking to the some of the lesser-known public areas for waterfowl.

In the Show-Me State, December duck hunting depends on weather, forage, water levels and (of course) the presence of birds. Photo by MichaelCaryImages.com.

The recipe for successful December duck hunting in Missouri requires four key ingredients: ducks, the right weather, a nearby food source and water.

"It really takes the right combination of weather, water availability, good food production and migration timing to result in good duck hunting in December," said Missouri Department of Conservation waterfowl biologist and resource scientist Andrew Raedeke. "An area may have ducks on a flight day, but in the absence of food and a lack of disturbance, they may quickly move onto other locations."

The heavy flooding that plagued the Show-Me State throughout the spring and much of the summer has wreaked havoc on the wetlands of many conservation areas. The high waters remained long enough to damage a lot of the vegetation, which will keep much-needed food sources from growing back before fall.

"Hunters may experience difficult hunting this year by the time December rolls around," Raedeke said. "There was less production in the breeding grounds, which means there will be more adult ducks this year, and that can make hunting difficult."

OFFICIAL FORECAST
The official waterfowl outlook for 2008 from the Missouri Department of Conservation includes good news and bad news. The outlook reports that the season should be tempered somewhat by fewer total duck numbers, fewer young birds in the fall flight and, owing to spring and summer flooding, lower food abundance in Missouri. The good news is that the estimated mallard breeding population in 2008 is expected to be 7.87 million -- virtually unchanged from last year's estimate of 7.9 million. The fall flight index of mallards is projected to be 9.2 million, which reflects last year's projection of 10.9 million. The mallard is the primary duck hunted in December.

Poor conditions and repair work being done on many of Missouri's managed wetland areas will put a double whammy on late-season duck hunters unless they take matters into their own hands by looking to less-well-known or out-of-the-way places for December action. Here are some areas that you might look to for some good late-season action.

RALPH & MARTHA PERRY MEMORIAL CA
The Ralph and Martha Perry Memorial Conservation Area, in the Kansas City Region's Johnson County, is a good example of a public-use area that can offer decent December duck action even though it isn't known for it.

"This area is an opportunistic wetland," said MDC wildlife management biologist Steve Cooper. "We don't pump water in here. If it's a dry year, it will be dry. If there's lots of rain, then chances are we'll have good water."

The Blackwater River also runs through the middle of the area too, providing a good water source for the area's ducks. Aside from flooding opportunities, the river provides a reliable source of open water for the ducks when water in other nearby areas freezes over.

"When the marshes on the area freeze over, the river itself is a great place to hunt ducks," Cooper said. "We continue to pick up good numbers of birds throughout the season because we are close to Grand Pass Conservation Area."