TN Whitetail Freak":3a532xkk said:
This is my first time attending a draw. I've only duck hunted like 8 times killed one duck last year. But Gooch is 15 minutes out and Tigrett is about the same drive. Which is better to put in for. GOOCH or Tigrett....I know Gooch lost all food that was planted and some of it is currently under water. Idk anything about either really just what I've asked around and I've gotten mixed reviews
Since you already got a good answer about Tigrett (I knew nothing about it) I will chime in on Gooch.
I have only duck hunted a few years but was fortunate to get drawn at Gooch for 2 out of 3 years.
First year we got fifth pick but of course NOBODY would tell us anything before hand so we ended up with a not so great blind but we had a blast.
Second year we got drawn almost last and had a worse blind than the previous year but we had a blast.
Didn't get drawn last year, but we worked and hunted hard and had a blast.
The first year we were at the drawing there were literally probably 2,000 people there.
About half that the next year and less even still last year.
The 800 people count is probably pretty accurate for last year.
Ok for what it's worth here is MY take on Gooch.
There are a few experts that will disagree but here ya go.
There are 4 or 5 blinds that are real good.
I mean REAL good.
The other 30 or 31 blinds are basically all about the same.
You will kill a few ducks but probably less than 100 or for sure less than 200 in the year.
Many of them you will kill less than 50.
There has been a large group of 120-150 people there in the past that all attend to go to a free eatfest that morning then get 1 or 2 holes in the blind just for their pick and do nothing else but show up the rest of the year.
They drew 2 blinds in the top 5 the first two years I was there.
Last year that group was much much smaller so the odds are better now of getting drawn.
I think the head honcho bought some land somewhere or something last year.
Lots of swing shooters and LOTS of single gunshots that just so happen to occur as you are working birds.
Most of those single shots come from the top blinds by the same people every time too.
Funny how they get a single in at just the right time. :bash:
You will be at the mercy of the water, like most places.
Two years ago was a disaster, floods wiped almost everyone out and our blind was on stilts and the floor was 12 feet off the ground. We ended up with 4 feet of water IN the blind and it eventually floated the poles up out of the ground and then the blind fell over.
There are VERY few blind spots that still have usable blinds on them. I am thinking maybe 3 or 4?
So if you draw you will have to either already have a blind or build one for it.
The crops, or lack thereof, don't really matter there. If we have birds they are coming to those top 5 blinds no matter what.
The water is a son of a gun down there but there are a few different ways to get in when it floods, you just gotta be careful and make sure you ain't back there when it comes back up.
That is about all I can think of.
If you decide to go to Gooch let me know and I will give you the rundown of what I feel are the top 5 or so blinds out there.
Maybe we can hook up and hunt this year. :D
