TPWD announces duck blind prohibition

AUSTIN – The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) is announcing plans to prohibit permanent duck blinds on the Caddo Lake Wildlife Management Area (WMA) effective the 2015-16 waterfowl season to resolve escalating public use conflicts and natural resource issues. A public meeting outlining the decision and plans for removal of permanent duck blinds is set at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 2, at the Caddo Lake State Park Recreation Hall.

TPWD will allow duck hunters to use existing permanent duck blinds on Caddo Lake WMA during the 2014-15 hunting season. Individuals claiming those duck blinds will have a brief period (until March 15, 2015) to remove blinds following the 2014-15 waterfowl season. After that, TPWD will take steps to remove the blinds.

“The continued presence of duck blinds on Caddo Lake WMA is perpetuating a situation that is not conducive to public safety or sustainable resource management,” said Clayton Wolf, TPWD Wildlife Division Director. “It is an inequitable allocation of public resources and creates conflicts between the traditional public lands waterfowl hunter and those individuals who lay claim to permanent blinds. This change will not reduce public hunting opportunities on the WMA,” Wolf said. “Hunters can boat or walk in, but no one or group of hunters will have preferential rights over others.”