Thread: Watefowl Refuge at Smithville

Yes anything after Jan. 31 and yes they do watch!

Just what we need! More people crying and whining about waterfowl refuges! Once mdc makes all the CA's quick draw our lakes and rivers will be all a person has to hunt unless your lucky enough to get a QD! Refuges are good for those who waterfowl hunt! If there wasn't a refuge wouldn't be no birds for people to hunt! And heck you get 8 months out of a year to fish anywhere on the lake!

C'mon, Hardhunter....I wasn't "crying and whining" about the refuge. I asked if a no-wake boating lane could be put in at the far edge. This 200-300 acre refuge cuts off about 3000 acres of water, and as one of our biologists stated, most of the birds don't use this area, but raft out in the middle of the lake near the dam. If you could hunt 12 months out of the year, would you? Most years the lake ices up and it doesn't matter, but if we can get an opportunity to fish all of the lake, all year long without disrupting your hunting, what's the harm?

Originally Posted by vic n

C'mon, Hardhunter....I wasn't "crying and whining" about the refuge. I asked if a no-wake boating lane could be put in at the far edge. This 200-300 acre refuge cuts off about 3000 acres of water, and as one of our biologists stated, most of the birds don't use this area, but raft out in the middle of the lake near the dam. If you could hunt 12 months out of the year, would you? Most years the lake ices up and it doesn't matter, but if we can get an opportunity to fish all of the lake, all year long without disrupting your hunting, what's the harm?

I see both sides but it doesn't matter.... it's not gonna change. Even if MDC wanted to, the COE won't change it.

I doubt I would hunt 12 months of the year just cause I love to crappie fish as well as hunt waterfowl! without waterfowl refuges we would not have as much success as we do! When you start disrupting refuges that are made for fowl they will move on and leave the area! No fowl= no hunting! And if u make a no wake boating lane through the refuge how will that effect the other people that are actually hunting the birds that are using it as a refuge??

I was only trying to suggest a way for everyone to be able to use the area. The birds that do use this area raft in the middle of the lake, and I asked about a lane on the West edge. I don't want to chase anything away, but if the lake isn't frozen, I'd like to have the right fish all of it.

So if you put in off of Mecca can you fish the area legally?

Sure Twitch....that road is North of the refuge and as long as you don't cross the orange buoys that mark the refuge, you would be legal

Right there off of Mecca at the end of O hwy would be a good place for a ramp,save time not going to Plattsburg and back down.

I started this thread to get some conversation going regarding winter time fishing, and it certainly accomplished that. I knew getting boating access through the refuge was going to be a hard sell, but alternatives have been presented and I know both the USACE and MDC are listening to us. I know they are sympathetic to all users and I believe if their checkbooks were full enough, they would build a nice winter ramp......sadly there is only so much grant money around each year and I'm sure the list is very long. I'm grateful some of you guys and gals post to this thread and keep it alive so all the agents who check in here keep seeing it.....keep it in their heads for the time when they are asked about projects at Smithville, maybe a new ramp will be brought up.