Waterfowl workshops set for planning seasons, zones

The Missouri Department of Conservation is holding workshops statewide to gather hunter ideas about the timing of duck season and where waterfowl hunting zone boundaries should be located.

Workshops are scheduled for the state's west central region from 7 to 9 p.m. at the following locations:

* Nevada, on March 30, at the Vernon County/Nevada Community Center, 200 N. Ash Street. For information call (417) 876-5226.

* Clinton on March 31 at the Clinton Christian Church, 1201 E. Ohio St. For information call (660) 885-6981.

States set their waterfowl hunting seasons, zones and bag limits within a framework established by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The framework is based on waterfowl population surveys on breeding grounds in the northern United States and Canada.

Every five years, states can adjust existing duck zones and seasons. MDC will consider this year's season dates and zone boundaries for the 2011 through the 2015 hunting seasons. Hunters attending workshops will have a chance to express their experiences in past years and their preferences for the next five waterfowl seasons.