Waterfowl Draw Procedures

Procedures

+ see more - show less
  • Half of all available spots at each area will go to hunters with a reservation. The other half will be allocated through the poor-line drawing.
  • For the spots allocated by reservation, half of those will be allocated through a pre-season online drawing, and half will be allocated through an in-season online drawing. For example, if an area has 20 hunting spots, 10 will be allocated through the poor line, five through pre-season reservations, and five through in-season reservations.
  • Applications for the pre-season drawing will be accepted from Sept. 1–18. Hunters may apply for pre-season reservations at up to three managed waterfowl hunting areas. The in-season drawing will occur once a week. Hunters may apply for one area each day during the weekly application period.
  • All reservation holders, both pre-season and in-season, will be randomly assigned a pill number electronically after the weekly in-season drawings are completed.
  • For the poor line, area staff will pull a pill to determine each hunting party’s place in line. Poor-line pill numbers are assigned through an automated drawing at Ted Shanks. Positions from reservation holders who do not show will be included in the poor-line drawing.
  • After the pills are drawn, the lowest number (from both poor-line hunters and reservation holders) gets first choice of the available hunting locations, followed by the second-lowest number, and so on until all available hunting spots are assigned.
  • On some days, there may be more hunters than hunting locations, so it’s possible that not everyone in the poor line will get a spot to hunt.
  • You must be a Missouri resident and properly licensed to apply for a reservation.
  • You must be properly licensed prior to participating in the poor-line drawing.
  • Reservation holders must check in before official draw time, and adult hunters must present a form of photo identification other than their hunting license.
  • All parties must register prior to draw time. Parties not registered before draw time will not be allowed to enter the drawing. If hunting spots remain after the drawing, they may be allocated to other hunters.
  • Hunting party members may participate in only one morning drawing on the same day. Participation includes having another member submit a Daily Waterfowl Hunting Tag for you in your absence.
  • You may not be registered for more than one location or possess more than one valid Daily Waterfowl Hunting Tag at the same time. You must check out prior to registering for another unit or area.
  • Parties who have reserved an ADA blind are not eligible to enter the in-person drawing unless they first forfeit their ADA blind reservation for that day.
  • A maximum party size of four is allowed on managed waterfowl hunting areas (except during youth season). All observers and hunting or non-hunting youth count toward the maximum party size of four.
  • All members of your party must hunt over the same decoy spread. You may not split your party into smaller parties or combine with other parties after the drawing.
  • Your party must hunt in its assigned location, as designated during the morning drawing. Hunting in an unassigned location is prohibited.
  • Hunters may reserve ADA blinds using the pre-season and in-season online reservation system.
  • Pre-season applications are accepted from Sept 1–18, and ADA blind pre-season applicants may apply for up to five managed waterfowl hunting areas.
  • ADA blind in-season applications will occur once a week, and will allocate blinds not reserved through the pre-season application.
  • When arriving at an area to claim a blind, hunters must show a Hunting Method Exemption or Department of Revenue hangtag.