JEFFERSON CITY -- Several hundred Missouri youngsters will have a chance to learn the basics of waterfowl hunting in special clinics being offered by the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) next month.

Youths aged 11-15 are eligible for free waterfowl hunting clinics scheduled for six locations around the state. The kids will learn about waterfowl habitat, equipment needed to hunt ducks and geese, how to identify the birds, hunting ethics, hunting safety and hunting strategies.

Jack Boyles, MDC wildlife district supervisor in Hannibal, says the clinics are designed to teach outdoor skills to youths who otherwise might not have the opportunity. "In Missouri there are about 63,000 youngsters who hunt," he says. "That's about 9 percent of our youth population and twice the national average for hunters in this age group. So there is a demand for hunter skills training. We're trying to meet the demand for the kids out there who want to learn to hunt, but have no one to teach them."

The one-day clinics are a mix of classroom training and practical experience that cover the skills needed to participate in a waterfowl hunt. Boyles says the classroom training emphasizes safety and outdoor ethics. The hands-on courses teach participants how to distinguish different types of waterfowl and how to shoot and handle firearms safely.

Each clinic attendee will be eligible for a drawing to participate in one of MDC's special youth duck hunts. Those hunts have yet to be scheduled. Boyles says about 75 percent of the youths will get to participate in a hunt. Those chosen must have hunter education certification before the hunt date and must be accompanied by the guardian who attended the hunting clinic with them.

The Shikar Safari Club International, St. Louis Big Game Inc., the Missouri Bowhunters Defense Council, the National Rifle Association and Duck Unlimited and other sponsors donated equipment for the youth waterfowl clinics last year. This equipment, along with donations from other sponsors, permits MDC to offer the workshops free of charge, even for participants who don't own shotguns or other duck hunting equipment.

Last year 224 youngsters attended the clinics. Of the 135 youths chosen for hunts, 105 participated, bagging a total of 259 ducks and 21 geese.

Registration is required for participating in the clinics, and each youth must be accompanied by a guardian aged 18 or older. Sept. 23 is the registration deadline for clinics to be held

For more information contact your local MDC office (Cape Girardeau: 290-5730) or call MDC's central office in Jefferson City at (573) 751-4115.

In addition to the youth waterfowl hunting clinics, the MDC is offering three special youth-only waterfowl hunting dates for the first time.