WilcoKen
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- May 26, 2015
- Messages
- 1,607
Exactly
Good question tickweed—especially in mid TN where duck hunting is pretty bad. I can see how I will be looking for private leases in the coming years. I'm in Middle TN so I'm not really in the know as far as finding those private leases. We've got one lined up in MO next year but honestly that's too far for me. I need something not too far from TN River in order to hunt often like I have here in Middle. I can be in our blinds on Old Hickory within 30 minutes of my house. So I hunt a minimum of 30 days per season. I fear those days are over for me.I believe they will take their time before doing anything. I think they want to do whats best for everyone involved. Only thing as far as buying blinds goes, why would a group or anyone pay that kind of money for sixty days, when you could buy your own spot, apply that to a yearly payment? Its beyond me.
Here's the layout of Shelby Forest's walk-in spots. This view is from the west, looking east, as if you're hovering over the MS River. The bright red is a very steep bluff, appx. 150' - 200' elevation drop in a very short distance. From there is about a 200 yard trudge through flooded cypress swamp. Once you get to the bottom of the bluff, cell service disappears. Holes #9 and #7 are small (appx. 2 acres), and are each about 200-250 yards from #8, which is probably closer to 3-4 acres. Hole #6 is about 500 yards south of #7, and is more a wide open slough more than an opening in the swamp. So there's not much room to expand access here without really crowding it out. Including my first hunt in 2016, I've only drawn there twice. This is the second year in a row none of my group of 5 has pulled a spot there. Despite its difficulty, it's becoming a pretty sought-after location. There aren't many areas to expand access here, but the Wolf River WMA in Fayette County could sure benefit from a similar program to Thorny Cypress or Bogota. View attachment 60698
Steve, such a great point. Pressure,pressure,pressure. People just dont get it. Then they wonder why ducks pack the refugees, move mainly at nite. And they do shift due to pressure. They last few years seems to be shifting westward. These areas need rest days. And cut off times could be noon. In my opinion, this is what TWRAs main concern an focus should be.The one thing no one has mentioned yet about this is the other part of the presentation the other day. The possibility of rest days on the WMAs. If they rest them 2 or 3 days mid-week, it COULD lead to some better hunts on the weekends, but not necessarily. The biggest thing impacting a lot of that lately is lack of ducks, and we can't control the weather or farming practices to our north. And I imagine if you cut off access to the WMAs for by having those rest days, you remove about a third of the season for access which will really tick off some folks.
That's a joke. Even if that is what they actually wanted to do the simply don't have the money, or the man power to come remotely close to getting it done. They can talk all the BS they want like they did at the last meeting about them possibly taking care of it, or even subcontracting it out. They'll never do that it's just not feasible. They said that to simply try and calm people down in my opinion.The one thing that I hadn't really heard being addressed in any of the conversations thus far has been around how the season-long blinds have always required some (or a lot) of maintenance to be functional. Brushing in, or outright repairs/construction, have been required to make those spots functional.
Is the TWRA going to start taking responsibility for that so that they can then book those hunts out for 3-day slots?
TWRA knowing all this, tells me they are setting all this up to end permanent blinds. And that will be a shame.That's a joke. Even if that is what they actually wanted to do the simply don't have the money, or the man power to come remotely close to getting it done. They can talk all the BS they want like they did at the last meeting about them possibly taking care of it, or even subcontracting it out. They'll never do that it's just not feasible. They said that to simply try and calm people down in my opinion.
Just look at the numbers. There are 454 permanent blinds. We all know what it takes to build one. Trying to save money you could probably build one for around $1500-$2000. Easily more if you wanted to build it nice. If TWRA took it over they would understandably build them as cheap as possible. Even if they found a way to do it for $1000 a blind thats $454,000.
That's just building them...they will still need to be brushed. No way on earth can TWRA cut brush and haul it to 13 wma's and brush 454 duck blinds. That's no knock on TWRA that's just an impossible task.
Yes. The speaker at the last meeting threw out an idea of DU or Delta Waterfowl 'sponsoring' blinds. That tells me they haven't even thought that far in advance.TWRA knowing all this, tells me they are setting all this up to end permanent blinds. And that will be a shame.
This nails it 100%...And it will happen without a doubt. I cannot stand waste and if the new system is like we think, public land resources will be wasted. Trying to solve a perceived problem (lack of opportunity) will be creating a much bigger problem that will be real. We WILL see the waste of the resource.People get all butt hurt about having equal opportunities, but when they get drawn for a spot that they have no idea about and have never layed eyes on, they consistently find an excuse not to show up. Talking about shooting limits of mallards gets everyone fired up to put in for a draw hunt 3-8 hours away but actually putting in and drawing a good spot, having good conditions, having fresh ducks and having the right set up to kill them is an entirely different situation
You have to remember that these are the same folks that are happy going to reelfoot and paying $200/head/day to scratch down 7-8 scrap ducks at 80 yards high.... It's sad but it's true.Exactly right people are gonna draw these spots then do a little internet scouting and find out " the killin" is happening and won't show. People
That think they're just gonna get a blind in West Tn and come kill em are sadly mistaken lol. I'd hate to take off work and drive across the state to hunt 3 days kill 10-15 ducks and have to drive 3-5 hrs home lol. And spend the night in a hotel a few of those nights. Be some expensive ducks
They were. Most were complete rebuilds too. People who drew them decided it wasn't worth rebuilding from where the old blind was burned.I bet most of those leftover blinds at Old Hickory were computer draws that people decided they weren't into duck hunting as much as they thought.