22 October MapsWe’ve had several calls lately asking when the new maps will be complete. Right now, we’re 98% there but the other 2% will linger throughout the season. Please check the map website before each hunt to make sure you are working with the most current map. For example, last week we posted a new farm and discovered 40 acres was sold and they built a house on the property. Fortunately, we were able to change the map and post it on the map website before the season.
Upland BirdA pheasant flying into a MAHA lease.
The upland bird season from the road looks like we will have more cover than ever, which typically makes early bird hunting difficult, but enhances late season hunting. All of the new land has been posted and we would like to thank a handful of members who helped us complete this task.
Our new signs as of last season are yellow and do not include our name and telephone number. There are still a lot of white, yellow and some smaller red signs with the name Mid-America Game Bird Association. If you find a farm posted that is not on the maps do not hunt the farm. We do not remove the old signs, so there are some farms posted with our signs that are no longer leased by the club.
Trespassing- Trespassing occurs and it’s impossible to eliminate from the hunting business. If you encounter a trespasser you are welcome to card the individual or group and kindly ask them to leave or call the office with a name, license plate or any other information you can gather. Confronting a trespasser can turn into a serious affair if it is not handled properly. If you are not comfortable with the situation, call the office and give us a report of the situation. If you do not have a name or license plate, there is nothing we can do.
Guests- Upland bird hunting guests are not allowed until after the Thanksgiving weekend and after the Missouri season closes. The fee is the same as the last two seasons, $50 per day. No more than one guest is allowed per day and no more than 2 guests per group, regardless the number of members in the hunting party. Please do not ask for exemptions to be made to the guest policy as your request will be denied.
There is a little more that goes on behind the scene we try to keep quiet about, such as disciplinary actions that has been taken with members, but now is a good to remind everyone to avoid conflict this fall.
Over the past three seasons we have dismissed 4 members for taking unregistered upland bird hunting guests. Three out of four were 10 year plus members and it was a very uncomfortable situation for both parties. We have a zero tolerance for members that break the rules. You can sneak a hunt and/or guest or two, but eventually it will turn into a very uncomfortable situation that could have been easily avoided.
Since the price of leases have become so valuable to the landowners, we are working together much more now than in the past, to make sure the hunting is being done by the paying customers. Always have your drivers license and membership card in case you are checked by a landowner, one of the staff or another member. Also, hang tags visible in you vehicle is required by everyone.
A photo taken of a mule deer that walked within 20 yards of the truck while posting land. Last week the deer were working the milo field hard early and late.
WaterfowlThis last series of rain was just enough to make about all of our blinds and wade-in areas huntable. Rather than listing everything, just assume everything is huntable and we have a lot of feed for the ducks. Inflow into one of our wetlands.
Henry County did not get an overflow, but our pipe structures were in place and they all worked perfectly. Since we were short on water, we picked up a last minute 500 plus acre lease, with a 30 acre lake in Cass County. The new lease is real close to our other irrigation lakes in Cass County and it’s been posted on the map website for a couple of weeks. Just a snapshot of one part of a new lake lease.
Our duck blinds are busiest on the weekend’s, so plan some vacation time to duck hunt during the week and don’t overlook the irrigation and watershed lakes without blinds. The outlook for duck season is very optimistic in the way of number. We just need to have some cold weather up north to bring the birds down.
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