Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency
Ed Carter, Executive Director

Regulations for the late duck & goose seasons will be published in after seasons have been set and will be available in the Waterfowl Hunting Guide (October) as well.

* Not to exceed 2 wood ducks. Total bag of 4 ducks.

Blind Site Drawings

A hand drawing will be held on Saturday, August 3, 2013 for permanent waterfowl draw blind sites on Barkley Unit I, Big Sandy (including Gin Creek Unit), Camden Units I and II, Cheatham Lake, Gooch Unit A, Harmon Creek, Haynes Bottom, Old Hickory Units I and II, Tigrett, AEDC (Woods Reservoir), West Sandy, and Reelfoot.

Individuals wishing to compete in the drawing must appear in person at the designated location, with the appropriate licenses and permits and submit an application between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. The drawing will be held immediately after the last person signs up. One application is permitted per person and no one may apply for more than one area. Each applicant must be at least sixteen (16) years of age to compete in the drawing or sign-on.

Permanent Registered & Permanent Draw Blinds

Waterfowl hunting on all the above WMAs (except Big Sandy, Camden Unit II, Harmon Creek, Barkley Unit II, Reelfoot, and West Sandy) permitted only from permanent blinds allocated by the hand-held drawing, unless otherwise specified. On Big Sandy, Camden Unit II, Harmon’s Creek, Barkley Unit II, Reelfoot, and West Sandy hunting is permitted from registered blinds and from temporary blinds or hides. Blinds, blind materials, boats, hides, and decoys must be removed from temporary sites at the end of the shooting hours each day.

Blind permittee, the person to whom the TWRA issued the permit, must occupy his/her blind by the legal daily opening shooting time on days he/she wishes to hunt, and if the blind is unoccupied at that time by the permittee, the first person or party occupying the blind shall be entitled to the privilege of its exclusive and uninterrupted use until the end of shooting hours that day. Exclusive and uninterrupted use entitles the person or party the right to exclude all others from the blind at the person’s or party’s option, except for law enforcement personnel engaged in the performance of their duties. The permittee has priority use (exclusive and uninterrupted) only if he/she is at the blind on or before the legal daily opening shooting time, regardless of whether or not the blind is occupied by another person or party, provided the permittee produces identification and his/her blind permit. No more than 8 individuals age 16 or older may occupy a permanent draw blind at any time. No restrictions on the number of youths under age 16.

West Sandy (Springville Bottoms) and Reelfoot registered blinds West Sandy blind sites must be registered at the designated location on the first Saturday in August by 10:00 a.m. CDT. Reelfoot blinds must be registered with the TWRA manager prior to August 1. Lifetime Sportsman License or Sportsman License or an Annual Small Game and Waterfowl Permit (Type 091), or Type 167 is required at registration except Reelfoot where a Reelfoot Duck Blind Permit (Type 025) is required. Individuals claiming blind sites on these areas may not compete for blind site drawings on other areas.

All blind sites will be given a registration number, which must be displayed, using lettering 2 inches or larger inside the blind, or on a stake at floating blind sites. When floating blinds are moved to designated blind stakes, the number must be immediately transferred from the stake to the blind. No blind may be constructed, repaired or any floating blinds moved onto the area that have not met the deadlines for registering the blind and displaying the registration number. Unregistered and/or unnumbered blinds are subject to removal.

No blind may be locked or barricaded to deny entrance to other hunters when the blind is not in use.

Wheelchair-bound Blind Sites

Certain WMAs have special blind sites established for wheelchair-bound hunters. See specific WMAs for regulations if applicable.

Temporary Blinds & Decoys

Temporary blinds and decoys must be removed at the end of shooting hours each day, unless otherwise indicated under the individual WMA listing.

All decoys must be removed by the owner of the blind within ten days after the close of waterfowl season, unless otherwise indicated under the individual WMA listing. Refer to the 2011 Waterfowl Guide for additional restrictions.

Youths Hunting Waterfowl On A WMA

Youths, ages 6–15, must be accompanied by an adult, 21 years of age or older, who must remain in position to take immediate control of the hunting device except as otherwise noted.

West Tennessee

Barkley, Big Sandy, Camden, Gin Creek, Gooch, Harmon Creek, West Sandy, Tigrett, Reelfoot

Middle Tennessee

Old Hickory Unit I, Old Hickory Unit II, Woods Reservoir, Cheatham Lake