What's Open This Month
- Squirrel season is open through mid-February — August mornings in the timber are productive and crowds are zero
- Dove season opens September 1 — fields are being worked right now; scouts who identify feeding areas before opening day have a big edge
- Crow season is open with few restrictions — good shooting practice and a reason to be in the field
- Check MDC for current-year dates on all seasons before heading out
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The Headline Opportunity
### Scout Hard in August, Hunt Smart in September
Honestly, August's biggest gift to Truman hunters isn't a species — it's time. The boat ramps are full of fishermen, the campgrounds are busy, and almost nobody is in the timber with binoculars and an onX map. That's your advantage.
Squirrel hunting is the most underrated activity on the Corps tracts right now. Early morning, when temps are still bearable, is prime. Fox squirrels and grays are both active, mast trees are dropping early acorns and green hickory, and you'll learn the timber better in two August squirrel hunts than in a dozen scouting walks without a gun. Bring a .22 or a light 20-gauge and cover ground. Pay attention to the terrain — creek bottoms, ridge-to-flat transitions, standing deadwood — because those same features will concentrate deer and turkeys come fall.
Dove pre-season scouting is the other August priority. Mourning dove season traditionally opens September 1, one of the most social hunting days on the Missouri calendar. The birds are predictable if you identify the right fields first. Look for harvested grain fields, sunflower plots, and stock ponds along the edges of public-private boundaries near Truman. Montrose CA in particular is worth checking — the area around the power-plant cooling lake has historically held birds near standing and cut sunflower. A couple of evening observation sessions from a county road will tell you more than guessing on opening morning.
Deer scouting is equally valuable now. Bucks are in velvet and traveling predictably in bachelor groups. Trail cameras (check MDC rules for exact allowable dates on Corps tracts — rules have changed in recent years) and boot leather both work. The acorn crop quality becomes obvious in August — poor mast years push deer to ag edges and alternate food sources, which completely changes the October archery setup. Know before you go.
Waterfowl preparation matters too. Duck season on the North Zone typically opens in late October. That's eight to ten weeks away. If you want a good spot in Grand River Bottoms on opening weekend, you need to have walked it already. The COE's daily blind-teardown rule means there are no permanent structures guiding you to the good holes — you have to find them yourself.
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Public Land Playbook
Grand River Bottoms — The flagship Corps tract. In August, it's flooded timber in a low-water state, which actually makes it easier to walk and read. Identify the deep water channels and the willow-mat edges. That's where the ducks will be in November. Deer sign is also heavy in the bottoms hardwoods.
Upper Tebo Creek — Large tract with big timber on the Tebo Arm. This is where serious squirrel hunters should be in August. The mature hardwoods hold both fox and gray squirrels, and the same stand trees will work for archery deer in October.
Valhalla — Close to Warsaw, easy walking access. A good spot to knock out a quick squirrel hunt or an evening deer-scouting session without burning half a tank of gas.
Montrose Conservation Area — Not a Corps tract, but within easy reach of most Truman cabins. The sunflower and grain fields here are worth monitoring for dove activity through August. The blind-draw waterfowl hunting here is a legitimate alternative to Truman's first-come Corps spots — check MDC for draw application deadlines, which fall in summer.
Gallinipper Creek / Gouge Eye — Smaller, overlooked tracts that see very little pressure in August. If you want to put in scouting time without running into anyone else, start here. Lower deer density than Grand River Bottoms, but the peace and quiet will tell you exactly what's using the ground.
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Rules Not to Get Burned By
- No permanent stands on Corps land — ever. Portable hang-on and climbing stands only, and they must be tagged with your name and contact info. Remove them before season ends.
- Daily blind-teardown rule applies on Grand River Bottoms and select other Corps tracts — no pre-built duck blinds left overnight. Willows only for construction material on those tracts. Confirm which tracts carry this rule with the USACE Truman office before duck season.
- Trail camera regulations on MDC-managed public land have been updated in recent years — check the current MDC Wildlife Code before hanging cameras in August. Rules around bait and camera use near blinds can vary.
- Dove fields and baiting — Federal law strictly prohibits hunting over baited areas for migratory birds. Know what's been applied to any field before you shoot doves over it. Ignorance is not a defense with USFWS.
- Montrose CA waterfowl draw — if you want a managed blind at Montrose for the duck season, the application period is typically in summer. Miss the draw deadline and you're hunting walk-in only. Check MDC's permit system now.
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Pro Tip
Do your Grand River Bottoms duck-hole scouting by kayak or johnboat in August, when the water is low and the timber layout is fully readable. The flooded holes that hold birds in November are invisible once the water comes up — you won't see the depth breaks, the submerged channel edges, or the willow corridors that funnel birds. Paddle it now, mark waypoints in onX or HuntStand, and you'll be setting decoys in exactly the right spot when the Mallards push south in November. Most of the hunters who blank on Grand River Bottoms never did this step.