Department of Conservation announces daily waterfowl draw procedures for 2020 with COVID-19 restrictions

Waterfowl at Fountain Grove Conservation Area
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Procedures will be determined via communication with local county health departments and department staff.  Four procedure levels are available for 2020.

All party leaders will be required to wear a mask while in a draw room facility and use hand sanitizer upon entry. Only party leaders will be allowed in the building and must have all their party’s information. To limit time in the drawing-room, hunt party leaders will be limited to 5 minutes to select their hunting location. Access into the building will be controlled by a draw room facilitator. Hunters are expected to maintain social distance standards at all times inside and out.

There are three things you can do ahead of time to prepare for your hunt:

1)  First, collect the QR codes from all the hunters in your party before you enter the drawing-room to make your selection. 

Your hunting party members can provide you with their QR codes by either giving you their Missouri Conservation Permit Card, their Heritage Card, a printed copy of their permit, or a screenshot of their QR code in the MO Hunting App. 

If you opt to use screenshots, send a group text to everyone in your hunting party and have them text a screenshot of their QR code.  If they all respond to the same group text, you’ll then have all of the QR codes in one spot. To take a screenshot of the QR code, open the App, go to permits, and tap on the three lines in the upper right corner next to where it says Permits with your name underneath. A screen with your name, QR code, and conservation number should appear.  If you’re using an Android phone, hold Power and Volume down buttons at the same time for a few seconds.  If you’re using an iPhone, press the Side button and the Home button at the same time and then quickly release. If these methods don’t work, go to your phone manufacturer’s support site for help.

2) Second, review previous years’ harvest statistics for the Conservation Area you plan to hunt at THIS LINK

You will not have the benefit of the killboard this year, so we’ve included statistics from the previous two years to give you some general ideas. Please remember, the best spots in an area can change from year to year and from day to day.  MDC staff will also do their best to answer questions as you make your selection.

3) Third, if you’re planning on hunting a location with blinds, check out the best wind directions for the blinds you might hunt at THIS LINK.  

As a quick reminder, here are the levels and what they will entail for the drawings:

RED LEVEL:

All hunting positions will be allocated exclusively through the online reservation system and hunters will obtain daily waterfowl hunting tags “green cards” and maps via online through the web link provided.  Successful hunters will cross-reference their reservation number to the online table provided via the confirmation email to confirm their designated pool/unit.  Daily waterfowl hunting tags will be the responsibility of the reservation holder and must be printed out prior to hunting.  The reservation holder must be present with party at all times while hunting and must possess confirmation email/document while afield.      

Hunters will not be allowed within hunting units until official draw time.

ORANGE LEVEL:

All hunting positions are allocated via an online reservation system and all vacancies will remain vacant.

Prior to official draw time, reservation holders will need to check in with the draw room facilitator at the draw room entrance with the appropriate ID to verify the reservation.  Reservation holders must maintain appropriate social distancing while outside.  At draw time reservation holders will be called up in order (lowest number first) and green cards will be issued for every party member by area staff.  Reservation holders must have QR codes, devices, and/or conservation numbers available for all members of their party-ready for area staff to scan green cards.  Reservation holders will have 5 minutes to pick location, have green cards issued, and ask pertinent questions regarding area conditions, etc.

YELLOW LEVEL:

All hunting positions are allocated via online reservation, except vacancies from unused reservations will be allocated by waiting list draw.

Reservation holders will be allocated in the same fashion as with Orange level. 

Hunters wishing to participate in the waiting list draw must designate one person to be the party leader.  The Party leader will check in with the draw room facilitator and provide names of all members of the party to draw room facilitator, prior to official draw time.  At draw time facilitator will allow party leaders lined up outside into the draw room.  Area staff will draw pill for party leader and party leader will exit the draw room.  Once the waiting list drawing is complete, reservation holders and waiting list party leaders shall be allowed into draw room by draw room facilitator based upon numerical order, from the lowest successful pill to highest.

GREEN LEVEL:           

50% of positions are allocated through an online reservation system 50% are available through poor line drawing.  All unused reservations are allocated through daily waiting list drawing.

All other procedural operations shall be conducted as done in yellow level.

As a special note for Ted Shanks Conservation Area, all parties must be checked in on the electronic kiosk by official draw time.  Waiting list draw results under both yellow and green levels will be posted on a monitor in the front window. After the draw, all party leaders will need to line up in numerical order at the front door following social distance guidelines.

For more information regarding the managed waterfowl hunting program and up to date area drawing procedure levels, see THIS LINK

MDC has designated the following staff to answer questions hunters may have:

  • Statewide — Joel Porath at 573-522-4115 ext. 3188
  • North Zone — Chris Freeman at (660) 646-6122 or Craig Crisler at (660) 446-3371
  • Middle Zone — Luke Wehmhoff at 573-624-5821 ext. 4662, Gary Calvert at 636-441-4554 ext. 4180
  • South Zone — Joel Porath at 573-522-4115 ext. 3188

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