Changes coming for Aug. 3 handheld duck blind drawings

The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency is reminding waterfowl hunters of adjustments that have been made for the Aug. 3 handheld duck blind drawings at 10 locations.

The TWRA said on-site registrations 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.

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

•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