I am interested in what other Tennessee waterfowl hunters have to say about the practice of continueing to allowing ownership of blinds or blind spots on public tax-payer funded wetlands/lakes and/or refuges. Simply put, should ALL blinds and blind locations be included in the annual public drawings? At all locations. Is it right that some of the best locations/blinds in Tennessee are not equally avaiable to all hunters that purchase a hunting license? It has been more than 25 years since an Agreement was made in 1983 between a select few and the TWRA. Is it time for the Agreement to end?
I am very inetersted in understanding both perspectives, those in support of continuing to register private blinds/blind locations and those who are opposed to private blind/blind location owenership on public waters and want all blinds/blind locations avaiable to everyone. Please vote and post a response with comments and information that supports your point of view. If you support making all blinds avaiable at the public draws, do you have a suggestion on how to handle the transition? What about guides and those who depend on this as a way of life?
No private blinds on any state land, no guiding on public lands, and first come first serve. We all pay taxes for the public property and access, we shouldn't have to subsidize somebody making a living off of it.
I don't care about people guiding on it. I don't have to deal with it here anyway. It is dumb to allow people sole access to blinds in my opinion. I don't even think there should be drawings. It should be first come first serve. That being said, if I know who made the blind and keeps it up and I see them at the ramp at a decent hour, or they show up well before daylight I'll move out or not go there. If they're showing up right at daylight and using the "I built it" excuse it's a no go. All the blinds here are public if on public waters, no matter who built them. I do try and show some courtesy though. They shouldn't have built it on public land if they didn't expect the public to use it. Just my .02
Preacher - The real questions isn't who built the blind itself, but that could be the basis of it all. The concern is that at Reelfoot and West Sandy (don't know about others) the TWRA has an Agreement where some people "own" a spot. That spot was the family hunting hole prior to 1983 and when the TWRA came in, they promised these people that they could continue to 'own' this spot until the registered owner dies and/or they no longer register it at the annual drawing. These specific spots are not included in the public drawings. This in itself causes other cocerns when you put a draw blind next to a family owned one. That's a whole other issue though. One other note is that ALL blinds, I believe, are open to any other hunter if the registered owner/drawee is not there at least 30 minutes prior to shooting time.
I knew about that agreement out there. I know a guy who's friend has the ownership to the Taj Mahal blind. Supposed to be his till he dies, then goes to the state.
It would be hard to tell someone whose family has made a living off guiding for generations to find another job. Also making blinds free to first come first serve would make hunting miserable. You'd have to get there at mid night for a decent blind. The really good blinds would have people shacking in them from one shooting time to the next. And you cant make a rule where no one can be on the lake after a certain hour as the lake is way to big to enforce such a rule.
I would like to see something in the area of Reelfoot similar to the way they use to run otter slough. Maybe somewhere in the area of the west side of the lake or around lake isom. I know the state failed miserably with Bagota but something other than Crockett bottoms would be nice.
I have hunted on Reelfoot for over 43 years and have guided over 20 years. I get alot of calls asking can they bring there boats and set up somewhere to hunt. I tell them just bring there boat and a heater. I tell them that during the week half of the blinds are not hunted in. Just wait till legal shooting time and get in one. I tell them to try to get a open water blind because thay can get all kinds of ducks. Some of the grass holes are OK but it depends on the wind. Weekends and holidays are different. It's all about the almighty Dollor. Reelfoot brings in 2 to 5 Million dollors a year. And alot of the draw blinds that get picked do not get fixed up are hunted very little. It is hard for someone across the state to work and hunt a blind but he does have that right. The Feds and the State have been pondering the ownership of blinds for years. Yes the Feds own Reelfoot and the State has a 100 year lease. The die out list is what they have come up with and there is nearly 50 blinds now in the draw. It goes up a few blinds each year. So the first Sat. in Aug. be at the drawing and try your luck.
First of all the poll is not really a good indicator for what should be done as far as blinds on public water go. I think blinds in WMA's should be drawn because of the upkeep TWRA puts into them and then to have people "own" them and make a living off them at the tax payers expense is not really fair to everyone. As for blinds on public water that would open a can of worms that could never be closed. There are too many blinds and too many spots for try to control or even police this. Besides all blinds/spots on public land are not worth being drawn for anyway. TWRA might try stopping the abuse of public sites and make the punishment for such abuse more severe.
NO on the up keep of blinds on Reelfoot. TWRA does not do anything but stand there with there finger placed where the sun does not shine. You draw a blind on Reelfoot you are supposed to build a 8 foot structure or bigger. If not you are not to be put in the draw for the next year including sign ons. TWRA does not enforce this one bit. There are blind sites across the lake that does not have a blind. So then if someone from across the state wants to hunt. They do not have a place to hunt and then want to cry about people have blind sites that keeps them up. Oh by the way most of the sites that does not have a blind is from out friends from across the state that is to lazy to build a blind and then want bitch about not having a place to hunt.
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