Migratory Birds

Waterfowl Quota Hunts (Computerized/Hand Held Draw)

Waterfowl Hunting on WMA

West Tennessee

Barkley, Bogota (Draw Site), Big Sandy, Bogota(Non Draw Site), Camden, Gin Creek, Gooch, Gooch Unit E, Harmon Creek, John Tully-Fig Field/Fullen North Units, Meeman-Shelby State Forest Park, Obion River--Maness Swamp Unit, Thorny Cypress (Draw Site), Tigrett, Reelfoot, West Sandy, White Oak

Middle Tennessee

Haynes Bottom, Old Hickory Unit I, Woods Reservoir, Cheatham Lake

Cumberland Plateau

Chickamauga WMA Candies Creek, Johnson Bottoms, Rogers Creek, and Yellow Creek Units

Annual Draw Blinds (1st Saturday in August)

Hand-held drawings will be held on the first Saturday in August for waterfowl blind sites on AEDC (Woods Reservoir), 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), Reelfoot, Tigrett and West Sandy WMAs.

Individuals wishing to compete in the drawing must appear in person at the designated location and submit an application between 7 a.m. and 10 a.m. The drawings 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. A valid Lifetime, Annual or Senior Citizen Sportsman License, or an Annual WMA Small Game and Waterfowl Permit (along with a Type 001 or 071 as appropriate) are the minimum needed to enter the blind site drawings in August. For full list of license requirements to waterfowl hunt, see above.

There will be a two-stage drawing. For the first drawing, an application is drawn from the barrel. The successful applicant comes forward along with all sign-ons, creating a party. This is completed before the blind locations are selected. The person drawn (party leader) and all signs-ons will surrender their registration to TWRA officials.

The party leader drawn fills out a second registration card and places that card into a second barrel. This procedure continues until the required number of names in the second barrel matches the number of blind sites at that specific location.

After this procedure is completed, the second stage of the drawing begins. No sign-ons will be added during or after the second drawing.

A card is drawn from the second barrel and the party leader will pick a site. The “blind holder permits” for the pre-established party are completed using the information on the cards collected from the party during the first stage of the drawing.

The drawing from the second barrel continues until all names are drawn. Any unclaimed blind sites at the end of the second drawing will be designated as temporary blind sites and available on a first-come, first-served basis throughout the waterfowl hunting season. Hunting from these locations will be by boat blind or wade-in only (no blind will be built).

The permittee, who is the person to whom the TWRA issued a permit, or any of their sign-ons, must occupy the blind by the legal shooting time on days they wish to hunt. The permittee or sign-ons have priority use (exclusive and uninterrupted) only if they are in the blind on or before the legal 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.

If a blind is not occupied by the permittee or a sign-on by legal shooting time, 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;

No more than 8 individuals, age 16 or older, may occupy a permanent (annual) draw blind at any time; no restrictions on the number of youths under age 16.

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 Waterfowl Hunting Guide for additional restrictions.

Waterfowl hunting on all the above WMAs (except Big Sandy, Camden (Unit II), Harmon Creek, Reelfoot, and West Sandy) permitted only from permanent blind sites allocated by the annual hand-held drawing, unless otherwise specified.

On Big Sandy, Camden (Unit II), Harmon Creek, Reelfoot, and West Sandy, hunting is permitted from registered blind sites and from temporary blinds or hides. Temporary blinds and decoys must be at least 200 yards from any permanent blind. Blinds, blind materials, boats, hides and decoys must be removed at the end of shooting hours each day.

Walk-in Areas (no special permits needed)

Hunting is permitted on several WMAs (or special portions of WMAs) with only the required license(s) and a WMA Permit (no special quota or draw permits required). Areas with Walk-In hunting include: Big Sandy, Camden (Unit II), Harmon Creek, Reelfoot, and West Sandy, hunting is permitted from registered blind sites and from temporary blinds or hides. Temporary blinds and decoys must be at least 200 yards from any permanent blind. Blinds, blind materials, boats, hides and decoys must be removed at the end of shooting hours each day.

Wheelchair-bound Blinds

Wheelchair-bound hunts, zones, or blinds are open to hunters who are totally and permanently confined to a wheelchair as certified by a physician. Certain WMAs have special blind sites established for wheelchair-bound hunters which include: Camden, Cheatham Lake, North Chickamauga Creek, Old Hickory, Reelfoot, and West Sandy. See specific WMAs for regulations. On wheelchair-bound waterfowl hunts, each wheelchair-bound hunter must be accompanied by at least one, but not more than three assistants (at least one of whom must be age 16 years or older), who may also participate in the hunt.

West Sandy wheelchair-bound hunts are first-come, first-served. Applications for Cheatham and Old Hickory are available from the Region II office, (615) 781-6622. Applications for Camden and Reelfoot are available below and at the Region I office (731-423-5725) or Reelfoot office (731-253-7343). Information for North Chickamauga Creek (Varner Unit) is available from the Region III Office, (931-484-9571). Applications for wheelchair-bound hunts must be received by noon on the fourth Friday of October at the Region I Office (Camden), Reelfoot Office (Reelfoot), or Region II Office (Cheatham and Old Hickory)

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.