The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency is reminding waterfowl hunters of adjustments that have been made for the Aug. 3 handheld duck blind drawings to be conducted at 10 locations.
On-site registrations for individuals will be conducted in the traditional format from 7-10 a.m. There will be a two-stage drawing.
For the first drawing, an application is drawn from the barrel.
The successful applicant comes forward along with all sign-ons, creating a party. This is completed before the blind locations are selected. The person drawn (party leader) and all signs-ons will surrender their registration to TWRA officials.
The party leader drawn fills out a second registration card and places that card into a second barrel.
This procedure continues until the required number of names in the second barrel matches the number of blind sites at that specific location.
After this procedure is completed, the second stage of the drawing begins. No sign-ons will be added during or after the second drawing.
A card is drawn from the second barrel and the party leader will pick a site. The “blind holder permits” for the pre-established party are completed using the information on the cards collected from the party during the first stage of the drawing.
The drawing from the second barrel continues until all names are drawn. Any unclaimed blind sites at the end of the second drawing will be designated as temporary blind sites and available on a first-come, first served basis throughout the waterfowl hunting season. Hunting from these locations will be by boat blind or wade-in only (no blind will be built).
There are no changes in how blinds are occupied during the hunting season. (Information is detailed on page 48 of the 2019-20 Tennessee Hunting and Trapping Guide).
The two-stage process was announced at the June meeting of the Tennessee Fish and Wildlife Commission. At its May meeting, the commission requested Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency staff review the handheld duck blind drawing process for consistency and ways to reduce the likelihood of buying/selling of blind sites.
2019 HANDHELD DUCK BLIND LOCATIONS
Area Blind Drawing Location
Gooch WMA Unit A Town of Obion, City Park
Reelfoot WMA Reelfoot State Park Visitors Center
Kentucky Lake (Camden Units I & II,
Harmon’s Creek, Big Sandy, Gin Creek) Little League Park, Big Sandy
Barkley WMA Stewart County High School, Dover
Tigrett WMA Dyersburg Fairgrounds
West Sandy Henry County Fairgrounds, Paris
Old Hickory WMA Wilson County Fairgrounds, Lebanon
Cheatham Lake Cheatham WMA Check Station
Haynes Bottom WMA Haynes Bottom WMA Shop, Montgomery County
AEDC/Woods Reservoir Morris Ferry Boat Ramp, Franklin County