4 rivers

[wily]

Is 4rivers the same setup as schell osage?  Do they have blinds that you use...or is it a hunt out of the boat type deal?  

[BilletHead]

            Wily,

  There are two areas where you draw for spots. Unit 1 and 2. Only one blind and that is an ADA spot. Boat or walk in and then set up how ever you want out of boat or not. Then there is unit 3 and 4. Open areas just go for it boat or no boat.  http://mdc7.mdc.mo.gov/applications/moatlas/AreaSummaryPage.aspx?txtAreaID=8238

    BilletHead

[wily]

Thanks for info and link.  Sounds like it's pretty much a guarantee that we would have a place to hunt.

I don't think the three of us could hunt out of our boat...it's too small.  Its a 1436 alweld.  But I just got it...So I want to use it.  Are there boat lanes cut or is it pretty much restricted to mud motors?

what additional equipment would be needed?  are you hunting out of layoutblinds?  Or standing in flooded timber?  

We're going back to schell tonight

Thanks for all your help

[BilletHead]

  Wily,

 When you check in the non draw areas there are pamphlets with maps. They show the deeper water with blue lines. The flooded areas vary in depth from four foot to nothing but you can putter across most of those places too with small outboards. Pat and I don't have layouts so we just sit in brush, get close to willows etc. 

BilletHead

[Buck]

I usually run around Four Rivers with a 40HP outboard with manual trim and it gets us everywhere we need to go, and we usually get deep into the marsh. My advice for your first hunt there is to launch at daylight and see where the birds want to be. You'll be able to find cover in tree lines or buck brush.  

[Basfis]

Think about the boat lanes and wind before you head out. Sunk a 1436 with 2 buddies several years back. We were way heavy when we nosed it under a wave.

2nd coldest I’ve ever been. 

[BilletHead]

37 minutes ago, Basfis said:

Think about the boat lanes and wind before you head out. Sunk a 1436 with 2 buddies several years back. We were way heavy when we nosed it under a wave.

2nd coldest I’ve ever been. 

          That's a fact and one to take into consideration. Good advice. Mrs. BilletHead and I were in unit 4 Tuesday morning. There was a wind switch and we knew it was coming. Got in in good shape and hunted. One green wing just before the wind switch. We picked up quickly but the whitecaps had started. We hugged the levy until we reached the road. I jumped the road with the boat and we were then on the North side of the road. Had a hard time pushing off the shore. We crept slowly with waves hitting the side. A little pucker factor going on. We have a little 1232 with a ten horse mud motor. I was relieved to get back to the ramp. I hunted the same place last week and got three drakes and one hen mallard. 

   BilletHead

[Buck]

Last week was pretty good, however with this warm spell and south winds I believe many of the birds have retreated back up north.