Coon Island is a 3,223-acre conservation area located in southeastern Butler County. While there are several recreational opportunities on this area, it is traditionally known for its waterfowl hunting.
Coon Island is one of the few walk-in areas left in Southeast Missouri; one which you need no reservation of any kind. Coon Island is located within the South Zone regulations boundary for ducks and is currently open for duck hunting until Jan.28.
On all of our Missouri Department of Conservation waterfowl areas, a hunter must always fill out a daily use permit (commonly known as a "green card") before even beginning the hunt. Half the card is filled out with the hunter's name, address, date and area hunting and then submitted before the hunt. The other half, consisting of the harvest log, is carried by the hunter during the hunt and then filled out and submitted afterward.
This is not just a regulation, but a law. This process lets us know who is or has been on the area and also serves as a safety tool. If a hunter has not checked out, he or she should still be on the area, and vice-versa. Sometimes this is overlooked on a walk-in area by hunters and citations will be issued.
Hunters are not allowed on the area beyond the parking lots until 4 a.m. regardless of their approach. Waterfowl hunting anywhere on the area (whether flooded or not from Black River) is closed after 1 p.m.
Since there is no reservation or drawing system on a walk-in area such as Coon Island Conservation Area, and no daily MDC staff regulating where hunters go, there is no guarantee you will have one area (or management unit) to hunt to yourself. Hunters may also change units if one unit is poor hunting or simply overpopulated by other hunters.
It should be obvious as you read this article that common courtesy and consideration of others is imperative for this type of system to work smoothly on a daily basis.
Not only is it rude to move in close to other hunters who are already there or set up downwind to cut off ducks as they approach others' decoys, it becomes a safety issue. Unfortunately, conservation agents cannot issue citations in some situations where hunters are only being foolish or using bad judgement.
A walk-in type hunting area can always provide much more hunting opportunity than a heavily-regulated waterfowl area. Just keep this in mind - most waterfowl areas in Missouri began as walk-in areas and now limit the number of hunters. It is in the best interest of all hunters to be courteous to their "brother" hunters.
Coon Island does have a waterfowl refuge that cannot be hunted or entered upon (units 1 & 2) regardless of river levels. This helps maintain good hunting throughout the hunting season.