[Newf Hunter]

I was wondering if anyone hunted for divers on the MO river. What species do you run into and how is the hunting in general?

 

[KCDuckMaster]

Well, I don't hunt specifically for divers but I have shot plenty of them. I hunt the Missouri river just outside Kansas City. late season is the best for them I would say, just like for anything else on the river. Every season I see tons of golden eyes, common mergansers are pretty abundant usually towards the end of the season, but I have also shot some ring necks, and the one and only time I have ever had a shot on a redhead was on the river but of course I couldn't hit him.

Since I dont hunt specifically for divers my entire spread is for puddlers. So I would say that with a diver spread your luck would probably be better. With my puddler spread they will come hauling ass right over the spread and then usually land up stream about a 100yrds. So if you dont see them coming then we usually dont get a shot. But the hunting in general isnt bad for puddlers or divers as long as its late season and most of the conservation areas are starting to freeze up. If nothing is froze then dont waste your time on the MO river.

 

[mlangenh]

I haven't hunted ON the river, but I've had lots of ringnecks come in off the river to some larger ponds I hunted last year. We also had a flock of 8 buffleheads come into a puddler spread at Grand Pass. I wish I had a video of that.

 

[RIVER RAT 1]

mostly mergansers and some goldeneye. i havent had much luck with decoying. they are only there when its cold and later in the season. i had 1 group of 4 come in once and a conservation boat jumped them up. i also lost 1 goldeneye. not much to talk about on the divers on the mo river.

 

[Newf Hunter]

Thanks guys. I wasn't for sure what people ran into. Like everyone else, I'd love to run into a wad of Can's or Redhead's but I imagine I'll have to break down and go out of state to hit them.

 

[RIVER RAT 1]

try the mississippi north of st. louis. pool 9 or something i hear good things about that. some one else can probbaly tell you more about that. i did kill a few puddle ducks on the mo river but nothing to talk about. last year just wasnt as good but mabee i didnt hit it right. i reamember 1 day when there was alot of ducks but couldnt hide very good, so we didnt kill any.thats the bigest problem we have is hiding b/c the river is so low that time of year. if you build a blind next to the water its gone the next time it rains. you can dig in if its not frozen but i dont hunt it under those conditions.

 

[mlangenh]

Thanks guys. I wasn't for sure what people ran into. Like everyone else, I'd love to run into a wad of Can's or Redhead's but I imagine I'll have to break down and go out of state to hit them.

For Canvasbacks, I've heard a lot of people finding them around Alton on the river every season, but I've never had the privilege of tracking them down myself.