Missouri Department of Conservation

Quick Draw FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions:

Will there still be a poor line?

Yes. Under Quick Draw, 80% of the available hunting spots on the three pilot areas are available only to those hunters who apply online and are drawn. At least 20% of the available hunting spots are allocated through the poor line. The poor line will fill any no-show hunting spots from online applicants. Information from the 2010 season shows that poor-line opportunities did not decrease, because many hunters selected for slots did not show up for their hunts.

Will there still be a reservation system?

Yes. There will continue to be a pre-season drawing for reservations for 50% of the available hunting spots on the remaining 12 conservation areas with managed waterfowl hunts. At least 50% of the available hunting locations for these 12 areas will still be allocated through the poor line daily drawing.

Will those who are selected through Quick Draw get better hunting positions than those drawn from the poor line?

No. Hunters who are successfully drawn, regardless of whether by computer or poor line, will be guaranteed a hunting spot that day. All parties successfully drawn to hunt, regardless of method of drawing, will have a chance at the best hunting spots.

Will there be a limit on the number of times a hunter can enter the Quick Draw computer drawing during the season?

Hunters may apply for only one area per day, but may choose different areas for different days. There is not a limit on the number of times they may be drawn. Hunters who are selected will receive notification by e-mail, text message, or can check their status online.

Will there be more people who apply by computer than would drive to those areas each day and stand in the poor line to draw?

In the first year of the Quick Draw pilot study we had 128,002 applications representing 7,345 individual hunters. The poor-line turn away rate decreased by nearly 44%. We expect that hunters will continue to apply on-line versus those who regularly drive to the areas to participate in the poor-line drawing. Numerous studies have shown that a major reason for non-participation in hunting and other outdoor activities is a lack of time. Quick Draw saves hunters travel time by letting them know whether they have been drawn for an available hunting spot before driving to one of the three pilot areas.

Will out-of-state hunters be able to enter the drawing on computer?

Non-residents cannot apply for either Quick Draw or the existing reservation system. Non-resident hunters are allowed to hunt with a party of hunters where a resident hunter has applied and was successfully drawn. Non-resident hunters may participate in the poor line each day at both Quick Draw and other locations.

What will hunters need in order to apply?

Hunters using Quick Draw must have a valid conservation ID number and must have already purchased a Small Game Hunting Permit (unless exempt) and a Migratory Bird Hunting Permit. When a hunter enters his or her conservation ID number, the computer system will cross-reference that number to determine whether the hunter has already purchased the necessary permits. Hunters who are selected will receive notification by e-mail or text message.

Will youth hunters be able to apply?

Youth hunters who are not required to purchase a state migratory bird permit will be able to apply using their conservation ID number. All other regulations and rules apply regarding hunter education and/or hunting with a properly licensed adult.

What will happen if the computerized system breaks down at any time during the season and cannot be repaired in a timely fashion?

So far, this has never happened. If a failure does occur, all hunting spots at the three conservation areas using Quick Draw will be placed under the poor line drawing. MDC will post a notice on the website informing hunters of this information.

What if a person doesn’t have Internet access at home?

Our 2007 survey of waterfowl hunters showed that 83% of respondents had daily Internet access. With the growth of Internet access through home computers, laptops, smart phones and other technology, even more hunters have Internet access today. If not available at home, hunters can get Internet access through family, friends, hunting partners or community locations such as libraries. Hunters without Internet access can still show up for the poor line drawing at the three Quick Draw pilot areas, or any of the 12 other conservation areas without Quick Draw.

Will Quick Draw lessen the chances of being drawn?

Drawing success depends on the number of applicants for any given day.

Why are there fewer poor line spots under Quick Draw than the existing system?

One of the purposes of Quick Draw is to eliminate uncertainty about whether a hunter will be able to hunt on a particular day. Quick Draw lets more hunters know whether they have been drawn for an available hunting spot on a given day before driving to one of the three pilot areas. Information from the 2010 season shows that poor-line opportunities did not decrease, because many hunters selected for slots did not show up for their hunts.

Does Quick Draw favor wealthy hunters or hunters who live near a major metropolitan area?

Quick Draw gives all applicants an equal chance by randomly picking hunters from the entire pool of applicants.

Does Quick Draw reduce local hunter chances?

Quick Draw gives all applicants an equal chance by randomly picking hunters from the entire pool of applicants. Information from the 2010 season shows that poor-line opportunities did not decrease since many hunters selected for slots did not show up for their hunts. Information also shows that similar numbers of local and more distant hunters hunted Quick Draw areas in 2009 before the pilot program and in 2010 under the pilot program.

Will Quick Draw cause overcrowding at the three pilot conservation areas?

Information from the 2010 season suggests that Quick Draw reduced the number of hunters attending morning draws.

Does Quick Draw favor novice hunters over experienced ones?

Quick Draw gives all applicants an equal chance by randomly picking hunters from the entire pool of applicants. Neither experienced nor inexperienced hunters have an advantage.

Will MDC apply any penalties for people who get a Quick Draw pill but do not use it?

No. Those unfilled spots do not go to waste, as they are allocated through the poor-line drawing.

What if a hunter gets a Quick Draw pill, but doesn’t have enough time to get off work to use it?

MDC offers waterfowl hunters the choice of both the Quick Draw system for short-term scheduling and the existing waterfowl reservation system for longer-term scheduling.

What did MDC learn from the 2010 Quick Draw pilot?

A high level of turnover in waterfowl hunters from one year to the next combined with the variable hunting conditions over time calls for caution in drawing to too many conclusions from just one year of the pilot program. Data has shown that:

• The overall numbers of hunters hunting the three pilot areas did not change much from the two years before Quick Draw to last year when the program began.
• Excluding freeze-up days, Quick Draw areas turned away 44 percent fewer parties while other areas had a 28 percent increase in hunters turned away.
• In 2009, under the traditional reservation system, MDC received 14,101 applications for the three pilot areas in a single drawing representing 11,714 individual hunters. Under Quick Draw in 2010, MDC received 128,002 applications in 49 drawings representing 7,345 individual hunters.
• Poor-line opportunities did not decrease under Quick Draw, because many hunters selected for slots did not show up for their hunts.
• Similar numbers of local and more distant hunters hunted Quick Draw areas in 2009 before the pilot program and in 2010 under the pilot program.
• The average distance hunters traveled to participate in the poor-line drawing for Grand Pass dropped by about 10 miles from 2009 to 2010. It increased by about two miles for Otter Slough. (No data for Eagle Bluffs)

What kinds of feedback did MDC get from hunters last year when Quick Draw was first piloted?

We asked waterfowl hunters for feedback on Quick Draw prior to, during and after the 2010 waterfowl season by sharing their comments through our website. We were not able to conduct a formal survey at the time. A small number of the tens of thousands of waterfowl hunters responded with many having more than one comment per individual hunter. Of the 740 comments received, 56 percent were negative, 22 percent were positive and 22 percent were neutral. Get additional information about last year’s feedback.

Will hunter opinions be considered in the continuation of Quick Draw and for improvements?

We value hunters’ opinions and will continue to ask for feedback. In the second year of the pilot study we have created an online comment poll.

Where can a hunter get more information?

For more information, search our site for “Quick Draw.”