DuckSouth.com

Denduke wrote:Mr. X,

Thank you for your comments.

The draw hunt system is designed to improve individual hunt quality and hunter satisfaction on our WMAs. We also recognize that there are problems inherent with any draw system. We feel that this system will help us insure that hunters who are drawn will show up for their hunts and will have a quality experience. By breaking the season up into segments we will help increase individual hunters chances of being drawn

With regards to the emplimentation of draw hunts without public notice: While the authority of public notices versus statutory rulings is sometimes confusing, rest assure that there have been multiple state Attorney General's rulings supporting the Commission's authority to set special season frameworks and hunt conditions on Wildlife Management Areas. Thus, our current draw system is indeed legal.

Consider this, among our many charges, one of the goals of the MDWFP is to recruit and retain new hunters. How can we recruit new hunters when the same hunters lay claim to all of the public hunting areas year after year? You must concede that a total free-for-all, especially in waterfowl hunting areas, is not always the best situation for all hunters. In those cases older, more experienced hunters and those who are more aggressive will seize the "best" areas, while less experienced hunters will be disappointed, discouraged, and ultimately cease to hunt. How can we be expected to recruit and retain waterfowl hunters in that situation?

In a perfect world those older, more aggressive hunters might be selfless enough to allow new hunters to hunt with them...but that doesn't happen often. Thus we have a draw system.

You mentioned MO, while I am not familiar with their policies, I have hunted for several years in TN and other eastern states. In those areas individual duck blinds were drawn for once at the beginning of the year and retained for an entire season. In those cases, successfully drawn blinds are commonly sold by the winner to highest bidder and the same older, more aggressive hunters end up hunting the same places year after year. Obviously, any system has it's draw backs.

I would encourage you to put in for a draw hunt, on the same level-playing-field as the rest of the waterfowl hunters who seek to utilize our great public hunting opportunities in this state, including myself and the rest of the Wildlife Bureau staff. I wish you the best of luck.

JaMak84 wrote:

Denduke wrote:Mr. X,

Thank you for your comments.

The draw hunt system is designed to improve individual hunt quality and hunter satisfaction on our WMAs. We also recognize that there are problems inherent with any draw system. We feel that this system will help us insure that hunters who are drawn will show up for their hunts and will have a quality experience. By breaking the season up into segments we will help increase individual hunters chances of being drawn

With regards to the emplimentation of draw hunts without public notice: While the authority of public notices versus statutory rulings is sometimes confusing, rest assure that there have been multiple state Attorney General's rulings supporting the Commission's authority to set special season frameworks and hunt conditions on Wildlife Management Areas. Thus, our current draw system is indeed legal.

Consider this, among our many charges, one of the goals of the MDWFP is to recruit and retain new hunters. How can we recruit new hunters when the same hunters lay claim to all of the public hunting areas year after year? You must concede that a total free-for-all, especially in waterfowl hunting areas, is not always the best situation for all hunters. In those cases older, more experienced hunters and those who are more aggressive will seize the "best" areas, while less experienced hunters will be disappointed, discouraged, and ultimately cease to hunt. How can we be expected to recruit and retain waterfowl hunters in that situation?

In a perfect world those older, more aggressive hunters might be selfless enough to allow new hunters to hunt with them...but that doesn't happen often. Thus we have a draw system.

You mentioned MO, while I am not familiar with their policies, I have hunted for several years in TN and other eastern states. In those areas individual duck blinds were drawn for once at the beginning of the year and retained for an entire season. In those cases, successfully drawn blinds are commonly sold by the winner to highest bidder and the same older, more aggressive hunters end up hunting the same places year after year. Obviously, any system has it's draw backs.

I would encourage you to put in for a draw hunt, on the same level-playing-field as the rest of the waterfowl hunters who seek to utilize our great public hunting opportunities in this state, including myself and the rest of the Wildlife Bureau staff. I wish you the best of luck.

Could've saved a lot of typing by just saying, KISS OUR BUTT!

JaMak84 wrote:

Denduke wrote:Mr. X,

Thank you for your comments.

The draw hunt system is designed to improve individual hunt quality and hunter satisfaction on our WMAs. We also recognize that there are problems inherent with any draw system. We feel that this system will help us insure that hunters who are drawn will show up for their hunts and will have a quality experience. By breaking the season up into segments we will help increase individual hunters chances of being drawn

With regards to the emplimentation of draw hunts without public notice: While the authority of public notices versus statutory rulings is sometimes confusing, rest assure that there have been multiple state Attorney General's rulings supporting the Commission's authority to set special season frameworks and hunt conditions on Wildlife Management Areas. Thus, our current draw system is indeed legal.

Consider this, among our many charges, one of the goals of the MDWFP is to recruit and retain new hunters. How can we recruit new hunters when the same hunters lay claim to all of the public hunting areas year after year? You must concede that a total free-for-all, especially in waterfowl hunting areas, is not always the best situation for all hunters. In those cases older, more experienced hunters and those who are more aggressive will seize the "best" areas, while less experienced hunters will be disappointed, discouraged, and ultimately cease to hunt. How can we be expected to recruit and retain waterfowl hunters in that situation?

In a perfect world those older, more aggressive hunters might be selfless enough to allow new hunters to hunt with them...but that doesn't happen often. Thus we have a draw system.

You mentioned MO, while I am not familiar with their policies, I have hunted for several years in TN and other eastern states. In those areas individual duck blinds were drawn for once at the beginning of the year and retained for an entire season. In those cases, successfully drawn blinds are commonly sold by the winner to highest bidder and the same older, more aggressive hunters end up hunting the same places year after year. Obviously, any system has it's draw backs.

I would encourage you to put in for a draw hunt, on the same level-playing-field as the rest of the waterfowl hunters who seek to utilize our great public hunting opportunities in this state, including myself and the rest of the Wildlife Bureau staff. I wish you the best of luck.

Could've saved a lot of typing by just saying, KISS OUR BUTT!