Author Topic: Blinds on Public Hunting Areas (Read 1228 times)

Frog123 · « **on:** December 30, 2002, 10:28:32 AM »

Was recently advised that the State of Tennessee Wildlife Resources was giving reconsideration to the computerized drawing system. Under the current system the first Saturday in August is the traditional day of Blind Drawings. Here is where Hunters gather at drawing sites and fill out a card and drop it in a barrel. At the deadline the barrel is spun and a name is drawn with that person choosing a blind site. The process is then repeated until all blinds sites are taken. Under the present system all someone has to do to better their chances is to buy their wife, girl friend or anyone for that matter, a hunting license and they have increased their chances of being drawn for a blind site. During the past fall there were over 2,500 people at one blind site competing for roughly 150 blind sites. With the other PHA's added in it came out to roughly 20 people for every available blind. What the State is proposing is having all hunters who would have "sign on" privileges apply together on an application form and letting a computer draw hunters to the number of available blind sites. Unbelievably this system, one that would appear to be a more "fair" approach at giving everyone an equal chance was approved last summer but was challenged and withdrawn at the last minute, leaving us to do as we always have. Here if you are drawn for a blind site you are required to furnish the blind. As long as you are in the blind before legal shooting time the blind is yours for the day. This leads to some individuals literally "homesteading" a blind with some groups camping out overnight in the blind. There has to be a better way. :evil:

I'm curious of those of you who hunt on the public ares. How does your state do the blind selection process. Is it first come first serve, The above lottery style or something else?? :?

Just curious..

Frog

harley · « **Reply #1 on:** December 31, 2002, 04:46:09 AM »

Frog:

This is the wife and I's first season hunting ducks here in western Colorado.We've hunted 3 different state wildlife areas with public blinds, 2 on the Colorado river, 1 on a lake. In all cases the blinds are on a first come basis, a board is posted with clips above the blind numbers, we simply fill out a card with name and address ect. clip it to an available blind and go setup. There has been a couple of times that we haven't gotten the blind that was our first choice, but we have never not been able to get a blind.We also have a few SWA's in the area that do not have blinds,you are allowed to build a blind, but it becomes public domain and is available to anyone on a first come basis. For these areas we have just taken in folding camp chairs and used available cover for a blind for the day, nothing elaborate but it sure works.Hope your state comes up with something less complicated and fair. Harley

bogwalker · « **Reply #2 on:** January 07, 2003, 11:59:45 AM »

Hey...we can build a blind on state land but its first come first serve.Most of the time common courtesy will prevail and you dont have to worry about your spot but when the"outsiders"arrive you had better be there first!

horse25cal · « **Reply #3 on:** April 17, 2003, 01:45:13 PM »

iowa does not allow perminet blinds on its ground and having one can get you a big fine if you get caught in or biulding one.

Cascade Dave · « **Reply #4 on:** October 09, 2003, 12:17:26 PM »

Washington has permanent blinds which are available on a first come first serve basis. You can't set up dek's outside of the predetermined blind locations. The best spots go fast. You can't park overnight, technically anyway. I know people who have their wives drop them off, and then they paddle out to some island blind, hide the boat, and spend the night. Sitting in a pit blind in the rain with two guys and a wet dog all night. No thanks.

Frog123 · « **Reply #5 on:** October 09, 2003, 06:23:41 PM »

Same here, you're suppose to be out of a WMA, public area by an hour after sunset. Some groups leave a person or two behind in the blind who spend the night with the justification of keeping a hole open in front of the blind when in actuality all they're doing is keeping dibs on the blind for the following days hunt. The most popular blinds take on the appearance of a homestead with all the cots and sleeping bags. Illegal it may be but it still happens.

Frog

Specklebelly · « **Reply #6 on:** February 11, 2004, 03:47:07 PM »

Frog

I hate blind drawings. We have the same manual system in Oklahoma but their are no "preset" numbers of blinds. The ODWC has an aerial photo of the lake being drawn and the first person chooses their spot and then the next chooses etc. The only requirement is the blinds be 250 yards apart. When the last guy is drawn it is over.

Now try to enforce a messed up system like this. You have 200 people with different interpretations of yardage and where their spot is on the map/lake. The maps are also usually at least 5 to 10 years old and the silt/water levels has altered the shorelines.

My hunting partner and I have found the perfect solution around this messed up system. Hunt in the afternoon. I am usually the only hunter on the lake and it doesn't feel like the opening stages of the Iraqi war every time I go hunting. Meaning lots of other shooters, no shock and awe.

I still go to the drawings, just to see if I "get the sweet spot", which I did this year. The bad news is the shoreline was about 75 yards from the cover. The lake was 5 feet low and the water never came. We need rain. :cry:

Sorry to ramble, I just love talking hunting. :grin:

Wildfowler · « **Reply #7 on:** February 18, 2004, 11:22:58 AM »

KS is almost entirely first come, first serve and there are designated blind sites at only one lake that I am familiar with.

Sometimes it is over crowded, but not to the extent that many of you are indicating. You definitely should stay away from the large metropolitan areas i.e. KC and Wichita

One of the main things i enjoy about duck hunting is selecting the spot that I think the duck will come into. If i had set blinds or only one spot i could hunt i would hate it.

www.duckhuntingstories.net

Specklebelly · « **Reply #8 on:** February 18, 2004, 03:50:54 PM »

Wildfowler

I agree with hunting different spots.

That is another reason I like to hunt in the PM.

Wildfowler · « **Reply #9 on:** February 19, 2004, 03:22:18 AM »

Specklebelly:

I got started hunting afternoons because my brother-in-law is to lazy to get up in the morning. We have had many good afternoon hunts. I mostly hunt morning, but the afternoon is a well kept secret, if we don't let it out of the bag.

Wildfowler

Specklebelly · « **Reply #10 on:** February 19, 2004, 01:14:48 PM »

Wildfowler

Actually now that I think about it, hunting in the PM usually isn't too good of an idea. :wink: :wink: