Missouri Wetlands
Many of our wetlands are natural sloughs and bogs with shallow water habitat. Many of these hold water year around, but when a severe drought sets in a few dry up which is prime time to plant feed for the ducks as illustrated by the photos below.
Mallards with a handful of gadwall mixed in.
This is a natural bog in the middle of an area that has been developed for high demand expensive private land duck hunting. At the snap of your fingers, this marsh has been known to fill up out of nowhere, until one day Bruce and Jon discovered the water source. There is a massive log jam on the river a couple hundreds yards south of the property. When the river runs, water builds up and backs into a cut from the river to the marsh. Since the lake bed is 2 to 3 feet lower than the cut or ditch, the water remains in the slough after the water in the cut recedes.
Nine out of ten years the marsh will have natural water, while the adjoining duck clubs are lucky to have water without pumping 3 to 4 years out of ten.
A day when the ducks were in and working MAHA wetlands big time. Days like this are few and far, but you have to be there to make it happen.
Looking out from inside the blind over the shooting pool area.
The lease on this farm started in 1982 as a deer and quail lease, but after we discovered what we had to work with the work began. At that time, the slough was choked with ash, cottonwood, willow trees and water brush. After two summers of clearing trees and brush by hand, we developed a marsh that has been enjoyed by Association duck hunters for 25 years.
Just as a reminder this entire series is to capture the pre-season work done to ensure good during season duck hunting. There are plenty of during season flooded blind pictures with ducks throughout the website offering plenty a good review of what the wetlands look like during the season. This sampling of pre-season work is offered as decision criteria to use when comparing other duck hunting options.
The pictures may appear deceiving as this shooting pool is well served by chest waders. the water immediately around the blind is typically knee deep.
After the season the inflow gate is closed and the drainpipe opened to ensure the trees do not die and the pool area dry for planting in the late spring/early summer.
The surrounding region is along a low bottoms area that frequently floods with standing pools of waters. the general observation include the ducks fly the creek line feed on the acorns and crop fields as well as seek out these quiet spots for layover.