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WILL PUBLIC DUCK BLIND DRAWINGS FADE AWAY?
By Steve McCadams
There’s been talk for years about the buying and selling of duck blinds
on wildlife management areas. Each year the first Saturday in August
signals the sacred day on the calendar of waterfowlers across Tennessee
when the drawings are held.
Some areas, such as Big Sandy, have had quite an event building a small
waterfowl festival around the drawings conducted by Tennessee Wildlife
Resources Agency. Thousands of people gather for the special day and it
has become quite a spectacle.
Small communities benefit from the event as do various charitable
organization who sell chances on various items as a result of the big
crowd gathered in their small towns.
Most enter the drawings---after purchasing the required permits from
TWRA---in hopes of hearing their name drawn and getting to pick a spot,
based on what’s left, in one of several units such as Camden and Big
Sandy bottoms, Gin Creek and Harmon’s Creek, which comprise the Kentucky
Lake area draw.
For the last several years the average number of people entering the
drawing at Big Sandy alone numbers around 2,500, a number which at times
has been even larger.
Other locations throughout the state hold similar drawings such as Dover
bottoms, West Sandy, Gooch, Tigrett, Old Hickory and Reelfoot just to
name a few. While they’re all popular, Big Sandy has been the top spot
in the state in terms of participation.
Seems the idea of buying and selling blinds once someone draws a spot
has drawn the attention of the Tennessee Fish and Wildlife Commission to
the extent they addressed the topic in the most recent meeting held in
Cookville.
Although illegal based on TWRA regulations, buying and selling a duck
blind is nothing new around these parts. It has been done for decades.
In fact, over the years there have been several people who entered the
drawing with the sole purpose of selling the spot or blind should their
name get drawn. Call it a lottery as that’s the way some approach the
annual event.
While regulations prohibit buying and selling no one seems to recall
anyone ever being arrested for the infraction around these parts.
Enforcing the regulation has been difficult.
That’s because the sale and bartering are done discreetly, to some
degree, beneath the shade trees or back parking lots once the winner and
potential buyer link up.
Should someone drawing a blind in a top ten location it’s not unusual
for several thousand dollars to change hands!
A group of 7 or 8 hunters often pool their resources and attempt to buy
one of the high picks each year so the top blinds command a hefty price.
Several groups make their desires known and each year they have standing
offers. Not everyone is a willing seller, opting to keep the blind
themselves with buddies who sign-on and hunt it during the season ahead.
The overall objective of the public hunting areas is to provide places
to go for waterfowlers, many of which do not have a place to hunt.
Waterfowling is an expensive sport. Not everyone can afford to lease
private acreage or travel to areas and hire commercial guides.
Most public hunting areas have a reputation for overcrowding so hunting
pressure is a factor. Simply put; there aren’t enough public hunting
areas and blinds to accommodate expanding populations. As a result
blinds or spots in wildlife management areas are in high in demand.
Adding more wildlife management areas for an expanding number of
sportsmen across the state has proven to be a tall order for TWRA. The
agency hasn’t been able to purchase or acquire enough acreage to meet
the demand for public hunting in most scenarios.
As a result, the relatively small number of wildlife management areas
offering quality waterfowl hunting opportunities paves the way for
crowded conditions at both the annual duck blind drawings on the first
Saturday of August and during the forthcoming season.
The dilemma is not unique to Tennessee. Several states have gone to a
daily draw where hunters show up in the early morning hours on hunt days
and hope to draw a blind. Others have gone to a computerized draw where
groups enter and pick a few different dates during the season, allowing
recipients to plan ahead.
As with deer hunts and turkey hunts in some popular public hunt areas on
state and federal lands, a few drawings allow recipients to receive
priority status if they’ve entered several years but haven’t been drawn.
All the different type drawings are attempts to address a lack of public
hunting opportunities. Agencies attempt to give the average person a
chance to participate, although often the odds aren’t too good for
sportsmen in any given year.
As far as selling duck blinds here on WMAs across the state whoever
offers the most money has often been the one who got some of the best
blinds.
That hasn’t set well with some folks who say the buying and selling
aspect has increased the crowd of folks at present day drawings. The
average hunter hoping to get a blind for the season ahead is often left
out in the cold. The odds of hearing his name drawn are about 2,500 to 1
at Big Sandy!
Meanwhile, the tradition of big crowds gathered across the state on a
hot day in early August hoping to hear their names drawn could be facing
change.
Most say TWRA will never be able to stop folks buying and selling duck
blinds on its wildlife management areas. Others say something needs to
be done to change things and improve the chances for the average guy.
It will be interesting to see how the scenario plays out!
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