Amen.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
All held near the WMA you were actually drawing for.Was the draw held at the same place every year?
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.So what are the "rules" for blind hopping? Written or unwritten.
And you dont think its easier for them to just enter their 5th cousin and great grandma in online which takes like 30 seconds???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.
…unless great grandma is one of the 8 people or actually shows up to the blind each morning…what's the benefit?And you dont think its easier for them to just enter their 5th cousin and great grandma in online which takes like 30 seconds???
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.…unless great grandma is one of the 8 people or actually shows up to the blind each morning…what's the benefit?
How's that? Strident hoppers refusing to leave?And people don't really care about cards anyways.
Not to mention they took away fund raising opportunities for clay and trap teams, boy scouts etc.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!
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.How's that? Strident hoppers refusing to leave?