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2008 Federal Duck Stamp Contest
Phone: 573-876-1826 |
This unit, located in northern Osage County in east central Missouri, contains 1,124 acres and is comprised of about 700 acres of bottomland and 400 acres of upland forests and old fields. Most of the bottomland of the St. Aubert Island Unit consists of dense new tree growth and pockets of larger mature cottonwoods and maples. The upland has a mixture of open fields and woodlands of oak and hickory. The drainages in the upland are steep ranging from 525 feet elevation in the bottoms to 780 feet at the high point. The bluff faces are dramatic within this upland with some reaching well over 100 feet vertical drop. Use caution if venturing around these bluffs. There is a small pond located on the northeast end of the upland unit.
Uplands of the St. Aubert Unit
Getting to the St. Aubert Island Unit
This unit does not have any public access except from the Missouri River. The easiest way to access this unit is go to the 
Mokane Access and boat across the river. Mokane Access is managed by the Missouri Department of Conservation and is located off Highway 94, 1 mile east of the town of Mokane. The unit is 2.5 miles up river of the Chamois Access, also managed by the Missouri Department of Conservation.
Look for these steps; they lead up to an information kiosk. They are
located across and slightly up-river from the Mokane Boat Ramp.
There are two separate parcels of this unit. (In relation to the Mokane Access the upper parcel is slightly up and across the Missouri River from the ramp.) Look for a small set of steps up the riverbank to an information kiosk. The kiosk is located at the corner of this parcel which continues upriver one mile. Look for the refuge signs. This parcel contains approximately 100 acres of bottomland and 400 acres of upland. The upland is only accessible from the river and by crossing the bottomland. To find the easiest section to cross, boat upriver about 1 mile to the last dike. The bottoms are only a hundred feet wide. You will then need to cross the Missouri and Pacific Railroad tracks into the uplands. The drainages are steep here, so use caution.
The east parcel is located 2.5 miles down and across river from the Mokane Access, and 2.5 miles upstream of the Chamois Access, on the same side. This section extends along the river for almost 2 miles. Look for the outlet of the St. Aubert chute which designates the downriver end of this parcel and refuge unit. This parcel is approximately 600 acres of bottomland forest. Signs have been posted on the river bank, but may be obscured by vegetation.
