Waterfowl hunting at Missouri’s Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area will be possible when the Middle Zone season opens November 7, according to the Missouri Department of Conservation. In a November 2 update, MDC said sufficient pumping capacity had been restored to let staff resume water management ahead of the season.
That is an important distinction for hunters planning an opening-week trip: the water supply is operating well enough to support management, but the pump replacement project is not yet finished. MDC says work on the Missouri River water supply pumps is nearing completion. The River Parking lot remains closed until the project is finalized.
MDC announced that applications for in-season reservations would become available November 3 for the week of November 17. That reservation window is separate from the November 7 opening date. The announcement does not promise a hunting spot or say that every pool will offer the same conditions.
Before traveling, check the Eagle Bluffs hotline at 573-446-6743. MDC says it will keep that line updated throughout the season with area information. Use those updates to plan access, and follow current area hunting rules and reservation requirements; restored pumping is not an exemption from either.
For the official dates and the continuing parking restriction, read MDC’s Eagle Bluffs pumping update.
Illustrative photograph: mallards in a wetland, from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service media library. Photo credit: USFWS. Public domain. The library associates this image with Hatchie National Wildlife Refuge; it is not a photograph of Eagle Bluffs or the pump replacement project.
Source & further reading
Missouri Department of ConservationRegulations and conditions change. Check current official guidance before you hunt, dive or travel.
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