I've been meaning to watch the commission meeting and read all the comments and finally got through it all. I think I liked over a dozen posts in this thread.
Here's my .02 cause why not:
This seems an answer in search of a problem. Remedying the "problem" they say is occurring can be done without any impact at all on the season long draw sites. Why don't they just convert more areas on existing wmas to 3 day quota hunt sites. Or, better yet, do exactly like AR and other Midwestern states have done and increase hunter access opportunities on private owned lands. Some of those can be run as quota to provide more "quality hunts".
As a guy that's has spent all 32 of my years living in the eastern half of both KY & TN I do truly appreciate the tough sledding for duck hunters in this part of the world. So, offer more multi day quotas at more places. I don't understand why that has to affect the season long draw spots. The reverse side of that, and much simpler is tough luck. I have driven 5 hours round trip to attend a season long draw at a west KY WMA. Had to use couple hours of my leave time and we didn't get home until 10:00 if I remember correct. It sucked, but attending the drawing was a priority for me so I made it happen. I think it's actually a good thing that TN did all their annual draws on the same day (which was a Saturday so the best possible choice for the working man). Makes a guy prioritize and plan. If my bro in Knoxville wants to get a season long draw he can choose to stay closer and theoretically get more hunting opportunities, or hit 40 and go attend one where he stands chances at better hunting.
A lot do you guys seem to like the physical presence of the blind, that's not as important to me. We have a WMA in KY that used to require hunting from f&w owned blinds or pits and it was so obvious how ducks learned to avoid those large blobs. I think assigning units that correlate to the blind spots make more sense and a group of hunters can choose to erect a behemoth and hunt in style or stay mobile within their unit and use layouts/a-frames. That's a smaller side point but thought I'd throw it out there.
KY, and I'm sure TN likes to boast about the amount of public land and that's great, but in reality far, far fewer acres are available for the public land waterfowler.
I think TN, KY should seek to offer a variety of hunting types. Some places ought to be first come first serve, no draws, no hand holding go find ducks, shoot ducks. There should be sites that are drawn for a season that provide hunters a more
Permanent home if that's their style. And A large opportunity for 3 day quota hunts. They could simply change the rule and let guys get drawn for quotas at more than one location in a season. That would offer enough opportunity for a majority of folks. Although in reality if you have a group guys that hunt together you can be strategic with preference points and get in a rhythm where your group gets a couple hunts every season.
It ain't that hard.
