Cass County Missouri Wetlands page 2
Lake 1B is a 5 acre irrigation lake surrounded by corn and bean stubble for both duck and goose hunting on your own without blinds.
Access to the lake is a half mile walk from the road. ATV's are allowed but must follow the paths designated on the detail map.
Chest waders are required to place decoys in the water and retrieve game. The depth of the lake varies from 1 to 10 feet in depth.
A retrieving dog is required to retrieve waterfowl past the shoreline.
Right side.
Corn in the field this year most likely means soybeans next year.
Center view.
Left of center.
The picture gets the idea across that 20 acres is a lot of water.
Lake 2A is a large lake covering close to 20 acres of surface water surrounded by 240 acres of crop stubble.
Access is an easy 200 yard walk from the parking area, but setting up in the right location can be difficult because of the size of the lake.
Wind direction is critical because the ducks use small secluded pockets of the lake which change with wind direction.
Do it yourself duck hunt properties like lake 2A are popular to the hunter that likes to hunt alone with their dog gaining that special satisfaction when it all works.
The edges of the lake have a gradual slope so placing decoys can be done with chest waders. The center of the lake drops to over 10 feet in depth, which requires a dog to retrieve game.
Make-shift blinds and layout boats are allowed, but the blind must be removed after the hunt. If using a layout boat life vests are mandatory and access is primitive requiring over dry land portage.
The fields surrounding the lake are large enough to support as large of a goose spread as you are able put out.
Vehicles are not allowed to drive across fields on Association land, but ATV's are permitted if the ground is not too saturated. The issue is not too leave ruts for the landowner to repair.
Chest waders are required to set out decoys and retrieve game. The water level ranges from 1 to 10 feet in depth. Access to the lake is a one half mile walk from the parking area. ATV's are allowed to haul decoys and gear to and from the lake, but must follow the designated paths on the detail map.
This picture is standing way back attempting to show the surrounding shoreline while keeping the water in view. There is plenty of choice of where to set decoys to make use of winds for that day.
A fairly common comment we hear from the first hunt duck hunter in the Association is just how large our duck hunting areas are. A feature difficult to show in pictures. In this one (below) we highlight a good duck and goose hunting lake that has but one blind on 10+ acres of water and a couple hundred acres of crop stubble. No other calls to be heard except that by the hunters in this blind and hopefully the birds.
Missouri Spring Snow Goose Hunting
The dates for Missouri spring snow goose season vary a little each year, but it traditionally run from the end of January until the end of April, with the peak migration mid-February to mid-March.
Hunters may use electronic calls, unplugged shotguns, and shoot from 1/2 hour before sunrise to 1/2 hour after sunset with no daily bag or possession limit.
If the goose hunter finds him or herself in the right place at the right time, spring goose hunting can produce the action packed hunt of a lifetime.
MAHA has tens of thousands of acres of Missouri private leased land available to it’s members for Missouri spring goose stretching from north to south Missouri on several of the most recognized flyways in the state.
The most popular areas to spring goose hunting are property we have leased near Squaw Creek, Bob Brown, Fountain Grove, Iatan, Big Creek, Grand River and Four Rivers.
Many of our spring snow goose hunters begin the season hunting private land in the north zone around the Squaw Creek and Fountain Grove Wildlife Areas and work their way south to land around the Settles Ford and Four Rivers Wildlife Areas.
The bulk of the birds north are harvested on dry land in crop stubble fields without permanent blinds. Those with large decoy spreads and electronic calls by far have the best success while, others prefer the challenge of sneaking on large flocks feeding in corn, bean and wheat fields.
MAHA’s leases around the Settles Ford and Four Rivers Wildlife Areas have a variety of marshes, irrigation and watershed lakes surrounded by large crop fields for a different style of spring goose hunting. Many of our leases in these areas have permanent blinds that provide the hunter with a comfortable starting point at sunrise.
Many of our landowners encourage spring goose hunting because snow geese are a nuisance to their crops. The majority of MAHA’s leased land is greatly underutilized during the Missouri spring goose season, but the dedicated few that participate each year have had great success at times.
Any spring snow goose hunter with the decoys, gear and ability to successfully hunt snow geese would be overwhelmed at the mass acreage in prime area that MAHA has to offer the water fowler at such a reasonable price.
