Blind draw system: Computer vs In-person
- Thread starter wayne
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Polarkraft
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TWRA sucks at drawing blinds via the computer.
While the in-person draw had its flaws, it was a traditional deal that mostly went off without a hitch
While the in-person draw had its flaws, it was a traditional deal that mostly went off without a hitch
Amen.
If you can't show up for a drawing you don't deserve to get one.
WilcoKen
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40 years of a draw system that worked fine. The only inconvenience was sitting out in the heat 1st Saturday in Aug but it was fun to hang with friends and anticipate. They threw that proven system away forver.
The new draw system has been plagued with glitches but worst of all has lent itself to poorly built/brushed blinds and empty blinds if drawn by someone far away. They wont travel every weekend in Aug-Sept to build and brush it right. If a local were to have drawn it, the blind most likely would be built and brushed good and used much much more. Likewise many out of towners wont travel 30-60 days a season to the blind they drew. Now sometimes that can be an advantage to locals if you dont mind hopping like a fool (4AM on the river etc).
Another thing is that long distance drawers dont know the subtleties of the area around the blinds. Last year I met a couple guys that were from afar and drew a Tier 2. Nice enough guys but one only brought hip boots. A couple hours later I saw them at the ramp and he was soaked. Said he didnt know water was waist high at blind. He went ahead and kept going cause he had driven so far to hunt. But they had to quit after 2 hours cause he was wet and cold. Blind sat empty the rest of the day--there was ducks that day. Tier 2 could not be hopped.
The 3 year track record of this new system is horrible compared to the system that worked for 40 years.
The new draw system has been plagued with glitches but worst of all has lent itself to poorly built/brushed blinds and empty blinds if drawn by someone far away. They wont travel every weekend in Aug-Sept to build and brush it right. If a local were to have drawn it, the blind most likely would be built and brushed good and used much much more. Likewise many out of towners wont travel 30-60 days a season to the blind they drew. Now sometimes that can be an advantage to locals if you dont mind hopping like a fool (4AM on the river etc).
Another thing is that long distance drawers dont know the subtleties of the area around the blinds. Last year I met a couple guys that were from afar and drew a Tier 2. Nice enough guys but one only brought hip boots. A couple hours later I saw them at the ramp and he was soaked. Said he didnt know water was waist high at blind. He went ahead and kept going cause he had driven so far to hunt. But they had to quit after 2 hours cause he was wet and cold. Blind sat empty the rest of the day--there was ducks that day. Tier 2 could not be hopped.
The 3 year track record of this new system is horrible compared to the system that worked for 40 years.
All held near the WMA you were actually drawing for.
The best thing the computer draw did (well, one of the subsequent iterations) was limit application group size to 8. Nobody else but those 8 get a blind card to kick hoppers out.
This addressed the principal flaw of the old, in-person system: because you as an individual would draw a pick, you would proceed to have the rest of your group "sign-on."
This incentivized guys bringing their 5th cousin thrice-removed and wheeling great-gramma out for blind draw day. So someone would have an effective application group size of 30+ in some extreme cases.
This addressed the principal flaw of the old, in-person system: because you as an individual would draw a pick, you would proceed to have the rest of your group "sign-on."
This incentivized guys bringing their 5th cousin thrice-removed and wheeling great-gramma out for blind draw day. So someone would have an effective application group size of 30+ in some extreme cases.
Tier 2 is no hopping at all (these are the 3-4 day hunts drawn in segments), Tier 1(season long), if a card holder is not in the blind before legal shooting time, the blind is yours for the day). The rules are written and mostly followed. If a card holder showed up, and didn't have a full blind, a lot of times, they would allow hoppers to remain and hunt with them, if there was enough room in the blind to accommodate everyone. But that scenario was up to the card holder. I've had it happen both ways, and met some nice folks that way.
And you dont think its easier for them to just enter their 5th cousin and great grandma in online which takes like 30 seconds???
Tweeter
Well-Known Member
For years I have made it a point to not do anything the first Saturday in August because I was at the blind draw! I seen guys I don't see often, I got to swap stories and be disappointed every year to not get a blind! It was like hunting season kick off party.
Now I fill this stupid thing out, wait forever, and still am disappointed! I dont get to see my friends, don't get to sweat in a parking lot on an august Saturday!
They took tradition away from us! They took something away I couldn't wait to take my boys to do with me! It's not the same, there is some old men that don't know computers and they can't draw now cause they don't know how! TWRA sure as hell don't care! Don't get me started on the tier blinds! It goes back to the crops every year, laziness!
Now I fill this stupid thing out, wait forever, and still am disappointed! I dont get to see my friends, don't get to sweat in a parking lot on an august Saturday!
They took tradition away from us! They took something away I couldn't wait to take my boys to do with me! It's not the same, there is some old men that don't know computers and they can't draw now cause they don't know how! TWRA sure as hell don't care! Don't get me started on the tier blinds! It goes back to the crops every year, laziness!
…unless great grandma is one of the 8 people or actually shows up to the blind each morning…what's the benefit?
Another thing missing with the computer draw is the benefit to the community for the fund raisers that were conducted at the draws, the money from the concessions that would go to local civic organizations, the fees for parking that wend to the local churches, the local businesses came and set up booths to sell things at the drawing, food sales at local restaurants, local call makers showing off their calls and selling a few, and this is all besides the meeting up with folks you don't see often.
They tried last year to kind of bring this back to a degree with the in person announcement for who drew what blind, but in my opinion, it failed miserably. Less than 25% of the turnout for that than what it was when they did an actual in person draw.
They tried last year to kind of bring this back to a degree with the in person announcement for who drew what blind, but in my opinion, it failed miserably. Less than 25% of the turnout for that than what it was when they did an actual in person draw.
Extra name in the pot to get drawn. Just split your hunters that are going to hunt up in separate groups. I promise you there are way more people getting entered in the draw now that it's online that never went to the in person drawing.
And people don't really care about cards anyways.
Last edited:
How's that? Strident hoppers refusing to leave?
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I went to a couple of in person draws.
People with rolls of cash $100 walking around offering to sign on with you. It did not seem very legit to me.
People with rolls of cash $100 walking around offering to sign on with you. It did not seem very legit to me.
It's not, but TWRA officers never managed to catch anyone exchanging the cash to make a case. And I imagine that most wanting to buy/sell, made a phone call after the draw to whoever the local kingpin/broker was(and it was well known who they were), and he would facilitate it.
Not to mention they took away fund raising opportunities for clay and trap teams, boy scouts etc.
No. People still buy blinds just as much and just like they did when the drawing was in person. They aren't the least bit worried about having an actual card to the blind.
The same blinds are still being bought and sold. The only difference now is nobody is there in person to see it.
If you hop a blind and the dudes that have been hunting show up and tell you leave, what are you going to do fight them? It doesn't matter if they have a card or not they got first access to it because their step brother's first cousin drew it. They brushed the blind and hunt it everyday. So you beat them there 1 morning. What are they go to do? Awe shucks you beat us its yours. No they are going to run you out. What are you going to do call the game warden? Good luck with that.
Now with the computer draw whoever controls the "randomness" of the draw controls who gets what blind.
If you hop a blind and the dudes that have been hunting show up and tell you leave, what are you going to do fight them? It doesn't matter if they have a card or not they got first access to it because their step brother's first cousin drew it. They brushed the blind and hunt it everyday. So you beat them there 1 morning. What are they go to do? Awe shucks you beat us its yours. No they are going to run you out. What are you going to do call the game warden? Good luck with that.
Now with the computer draw whoever controls the "randomness" of the draw controls who gets what blind.
