Arctic blast a boon for duck hunters

Submitted photo/ Randy Fletcher, El Dorado Springs, with some mallards he shot last week at Schell-Osage Conservation area. He had hunted ducks on the area since 1980.

Last week, the Arctic weather caused a huge push of migrating waterfowl into Missouri that has made area duck hunters happy.

Hunters from all across the state have tried their luck at the Schell-Osage Conservation Area near El Dorado Springs. A large concentration of the popular mallard ducks along with thousands of snow geese have stopped at the area to rest and feed on their way south.

The big push greatly improved the numbers of waterfowl. Wednesday of last week, 68 hunters shot 236 ducks, a majority of the ducks were mallards and green wing teal.

Submitted photo/ Bruce Carpenter, Fulton, with four mallards he shot last week at Schell-Osage. He duck hunts at several of the Missouri Department of Conservation wildlife areas.

As the frigid weather settles into Canada and the northern United States, the Arctic blast is pushing ducks and geese into Missouri. Waterfowl hunters fortunate enough to get out, are taking full advantage of the migration.

Bruce Carpenter of Fulton, was one of the hunters at Schell-Osage last week and had four mallards in a short time. He said, "I have hunted ducks each of the past 60 years and this season looks like one of the better ones. There are lots of new ducks moving into the state. I know there are more than 140,000 ducks at the Grand Pass Conservation area and more ducks are moving in daily.

"I hunted there three times, and we never hunted more than two hours. We hunted there Sunday and shot 12 mallards and six other ducks in two hours, it was just great. I hunted at Fountain Grove for 35 years, but when Grand Pass opened, it was 40 miles closer, so I started hunting there. I like to hunt Schell-Osage and have a friend who has a house in Harwood so it's a short drive to get here for the 4:30 draw. I love duck hunting and have taken my kids when they were young.."

Randy Fletcher, El Dorado Springs, worked at Schell-Osage when he was a senior in high school so he knows the area very well. He said, "I have both good and bad days duck hunting here, but this looks like it will be one of the good ones. I started hunting at Schell back in 1980. Its an interesting place to hunt."

The Schell-Osage Conservation Area, located six miles west of El Dorado Springs in Vernon and St. Clair counties, opened back in 1964. There are large parcels of open marsh and more than 1,700 acres of seasonal flooded wetlands that provide habitat for a wide variety of waterfowl, including: snipe, rail, ducks, geese and other wetland dependant wildlife which has made it a popular destination for both hunters and birders.

Harold Webster, 78, a veteran duck hunter from Harrison, Ark., wasn't hunting, but was with several friends who traveled to Schell-Osage just to see all the waterfowl and to relive his earlier hunts. He said. "Duck hunting is really a test of patience, endurance and determination. Anyone who would get up at 3 a.m. in the morning, face the cold, make a long drive to the lake and often not even fire a shot, I guess that is why non hunters think you must be crazy.

"Once you get your decoys out and settle into the blind as the first light of day approaches, with the sound of whistling wings overhead breaking the stillness of the lake, is something special and keeps drawing you back.

"Duck hunting gets in your blood. I have often heard that to be a duck hunter, you have to suffer a little to be successful. But I think its worth it."

As usual, weather, water and food conditions make hunting good or bad. This year, both water and food is plentiful so if the weather suits the ducks, they should stay around for awhile before moving on south. That would keep the duck hunters happy.

The duck season in the north zone ends on Dec. 23, the middle zone runs through Dec. 30 and the south zone that starts on Thanksgiving day, Nov. 27, runs through Jan. 25.

For a map defining the zones, check the 2014-15 Waterfowl Hunting Digest, available where permits are purchased.