Sunday, November 16, 2014
SHELBY FOREST WMA WATERFOWL DRAW RESULTS
We had our first left-over blind site drawing this past Saturday. We had a great turnout, and we gave out 16 different hunts. I had a great time meeting everyone at the draw, and I look forward to seeing you in the woods this coming season. Next year, we are hoping to move the draw to rec lodge around the corner which has much more room in it!!!! Thank you to all the guys and girls that showed up this year!!!
JOHN TULLY WMA WATERFOWL BLIND SITE DRAWING
We will have our first hand held drawing for waterfowl sites Monday, November 17 at 6:00pm at the John Tully WMA field office on Lightfoot-Luckett Road in Henning, TN. There will be a couple spots available. Due to the lack of rainfall, there is not much water. We have only been able to catch one rain since closing the gates. Hopefully, in the weeks to come there will be several more spots to draw. It looks like we will have 1 spot in the field on the Fig Field Unit, maybe 2 spots in the woods adjoining the Fig Field, and 1 spot on the Fullen North Tract.
Make sure to be there before 6 pm to get your name in the hat. The draw will take place at 6:00 pm.
Make sure to be there before 6 pm to get your name in the hat. The draw will take place at 6:00 pm.
Wednesday, November 12, 2014
SHELBY FOREST WATERFOWL BLIND SITE DRAWING
The first hand-held drawing for vacant waterfowl blind site dates at Meeman-Shelby Forest State Park will be conducted on Saturday, Nov. 15.
Registration will begin at 8:00 am, and the drawing will take place at 10:00 am.
Drawing will be held at Shelter 6 of the Meeman-Shelby Forest State Park and Natural Area. Shelter 6 is located near the Park Swimming Pool.
Below is the list of dates/sites available:
1 - November 22, November 29
2 - NONE
3 - December 25-27
4 - December 18-20, Jan. 1-3, Jan. 8-10, and Jan. 22-24
5 - November 29
6 - November 22, Jan. 15-17
7 - December 11-13, Jan. 15-17
8 - November 22, November 29, Jan. 15-17
9 - Jan. 1-3
Registration will begin at 8:00 am, and the drawing will take place at 10:00 am.
Drawing will be held at Shelter 6 of the Meeman-Shelby Forest State Park and Natural Area. Shelter 6 is located near the Park Swimming Pool.
Below is the list of dates/sites available:
1 - November 22, November 29
2 - NONE
3 - December 25-27
4 - December 18-20, Jan. 1-3, Jan. 8-10, and Jan. 22-24
5 - November 29
6 - November 22, Jan. 15-17
7 - December 11-13, Jan. 15-17
8 - November 22, November 29, Jan. 15-17
9 - Jan. 1-3
Tuesday, October 28, 2014
SHELBY FOREST WATERFOWL DRAW BLIND SPOT INFORMATION
Hey, just wanted to update you on some information that I have been getting questions on lately. Hopefully, if you are reading this, you have been drawn to hunt the Shelby Forest WMA, Congrats!! On this site I will update information through out the year with information that you might want to know. Hopefully, this site will provide you information and answers to a few of your questions.
License:
You need all the appropriate license to hunt waterfowl on the area which includes regular hunt/fish license, state waterfowl, WMA waterfowl, migratory bird, and Federal Duck Stamp. If you have a lifetime Sportsman, all you need is the Federal Duck Stamp. You will also need to obtain a free park permit from the Meeman-Shelby Forest State Park Visitor Center.
Places to stay:
If you are coming from out of town, there are several options available for a place to stay. Meeman-Shelby Forest State Park has cabins to rent, campgrounds, etc. You can visit tsp.itinio.com and scroll down to Meeman-Shelby and book your reservation. If you need further assistance, you can call their office at 901-876-5215. Also, if you are looking for hotels, the city of Millington has several hotels to stay depending on your style and budget. If staying in Millington, it is about 15 minutes to the Park from there. There are many different places to eat to fix your starvings.
Who can Hunt:
The person that got drawn (along with their confirmation number) has to be present in order for the blind to be hunted. That person can take up to 4 guests with them (maximum number in one spot is 5 people). Make sure that the drawn applicant has their confirmation number with them at all times!!
Are there blinds:
There are no blinds at any of the locations. The number that you got drawn for is a specific spot. All areas are in a group of cypress trees that you can hide behind. All areas will have either cypress trees or buckbrush or a mix of both. The key to the hunt is to HIDE!!!
Access:
Blind sites 1-5 are located on Eagle Lake. You will need a boat to access these areas. There is a little boat ramp there, but not much of one. The slope is very slight. In low water conditions, boats will have to loaded and unloaded by hand (which is a lot fun!!!) The gap to get into the open water is very narrow. Therefore, I recommend very small, light boats to use on the area. If you are planning on bringing your 20'70" War Eagle, you will be very disappointed!!
Blind sites 6-9 can only be accessed by foot. Site 6 you have to walk down Poplar Tree Levee and take a little hike into the area. Sites 7,8, and 9 you have to drop off the Mississippi River Bluff to get to those sites. Going to these sites is not near as bad as the walk back to the truck!! Although a boat would be handy at these sites, you will not be able to carry a boat that far. If you think you can, you have all the power in the world to do so. Good Luck!!
License:
You need all the appropriate license to hunt waterfowl on the area which includes regular hunt/fish license, state waterfowl, WMA waterfowl, migratory bird, and Federal Duck Stamp. If you have a lifetime Sportsman, all you need is the Federal Duck Stamp. You will also need to obtain a free park permit from the Meeman-Shelby Forest State Park Visitor Center.
Places to stay:
If you are coming from out of town, there are several options available for a place to stay. Meeman-Shelby Forest State Park has cabins to rent, campgrounds, etc. You can visit tsp.itinio.com and scroll down to Meeman-Shelby and book your reservation. If you need further assistance, you can call their office at 901-876-5215. Also, if you are looking for hotels, the city of Millington has several hotels to stay depending on your style and budget. If staying in Millington, it is about 15 minutes to the Park from there. There are many different places to eat to fix your starvings.
Who can Hunt:
The person that got drawn (along with their confirmation number) has to be present in order for the blind to be hunted. That person can take up to 4 guests with them (maximum number in one spot is 5 people). Make sure that the drawn applicant has their confirmation number with them at all times!!
Are there blinds:
There are no blinds at any of the locations. The number that you got drawn for is a specific spot. All areas are in a group of cypress trees that you can hide behind. All areas will have either cypress trees or buckbrush or a mix of both. The key to the hunt is to HIDE!!!
Access:
Blind sites 1-5 are located on Eagle Lake. You will need a boat to access these areas. There is a little boat ramp there, but not much of one. The slope is very slight. In low water conditions, boats will have to loaded and unloaded by hand (which is a lot fun!!!) The gap to get into the open water is very narrow. Therefore, I recommend very small, light boats to use on the area. If you are planning on bringing your 20'70" War Eagle, you will be very disappointed!!
Blind sites 6-9 can only be accessed by foot. Site 6 you have to walk down Poplar Tree Levee and take a little hike into the area. Sites 7,8, and 9 you have to drop off the Mississippi River Bluff to get to those sites. Going to these sites is not near as bad as the walk back to the truck!! Although a boat would be handy at these sites, you will not be able to carry a boat that far. If you think you can, you have all the power in the world to do so. Good Luck!!
Wednesday, October 15, 2014
LOWER MISSISSIPPI RIVER COMPLEX OCTOBER 15 UDPDATE
Well, deer season has already started with archery. I have seen several small game and big game hunters on the areas the last couple of weeks. Last week, we received several inches of rain on the areas making conditions very muddy!!! I just wanted to give you an update on the areas.
John Tully WMA
We started the levee construction at the Fig Field Unit of John Tully WMA two weeks ago. However, after one week of hard work, we have stopped all dirt work for the time being. Depending on future rainfalls and Mississippi River levels, we hope to continue our work. This time of year is hard to get any dirt moved due to the ground becoming muddy for long periods of time. All food plots on area are up and very green!! We have received many waterfowl questions about the Fig Field Unit and Fullen North Tract of John Tully WMA. Will there be blinds? How many? Are the woods next to the Fig Field included with the draw? Is the Fullen North Tract going to be in the draw? When will it be flooded? I am going to try and answer a few of these questions. There will NOT be any blinds on the areas built. There will be staked positions in which to hunt from. At full pool, we hope to have at least 6 spots in the field and 3 in the timber. We hope to have at least 3-4 spots on the Fullen North Tract. Yes, the woods next to the fig field unit will be included in the draw. Yes, the Fullen North Tract is going to be in the draw. There are NO wells or pumps on these areas. All water will be caught by natural rainfall through runoff from the fields. We will close the gates and start filling the areas after the crops have been harvested. We hope to close gates starting November 1st; however, until all crops are harvested, the gates will be open. At the present time, this is our only solution. The number of positions that we will draw will depend on how much water is present at the time of the drawing. If there is not enough water on the area for at least one spot, we will NOT have a draw that week. I will keep you updated weekly through this site. Remember, the drawings will take place at the John Tully Field Office on Lightfoot-Luckett Road on the Monday nights prior to the hunts.
Shelby Forest WMA/Eagle Lake Refuge/Bomprezzi Unit
We finished working on the old Preacher House Road on Shelby Forest WMA. This road will not be open to vehicle traffic this year, but hope to get some gravel for next year. The road was planted with a food plot winter mix to help control erosion. All ten food plots on area are up and green!!! We are still working on getting electricity to our new shop at Shelby Forest. Due to digging a trench to run electricity between the check station and the shop, the sides of the roads are very muddy!! Therefore, stay on the main road!! We have already started prepping for pumping at Eagle Lake Refuge. We will begin pumping somewhere around November 1st, depending on when the farmer starts harvesting. As I learned earlier this morning, hunters that applied to waterfowl hunt on Shelby Forest this year can go online now and check their draw status. Hunters that did get drawn will be getting letters in the mail by the end of next week. Make sure you read all instructions on the letter. So, hopefully you got drawn!!! One of the questions I keep getting about the area is, "Can we still hunt other areas on the Park?" Yes, you can hunt other areas of the park. These areas will be first come, first serve. All waterfowl hunting on the Park will be on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday (just like the drawn sites). Big game and small game hunting will continue to be on Monday, Wednesdays, and Saturdays. Just all waterfowl hunting will be on Thursday, Friday, and Saturdays.
President's Island
The doe hunt for President's Island will begin tomm. Scout day will be Thursday, and hunting will be Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. I will update next week on the number of deer taken on the island. It is looking like it will be better conditions this year compared to last year's weather.
Until next time,
Chris
John Tully WMA
We started the levee construction at the Fig Field Unit of John Tully WMA two weeks ago. However, after one week of hard work, we have stopped all dirt work for the time being. Depending on future rainfalls and Mississippi River levels, we hope to continue our work. This time of year is hard to get any dirt moved due to the ground becoming muddy for long periods of time. All food plots on area are up and very green!! We have received many waterfowl questions about the Fig Field Unit and Fullen North Tract of John Tully WMA. Will there be blinds? How many? Are the woods next to the Fig Field included with the draw? Is the Fullen North Tract going to be in the draw? When will it be flooded? I am going to try and answer a few of these questions. There will NOT be any blinds on the areas built. There will be staked positions in which to hunt from. At full pool, we hope to have at least 6 spots in the field and 3 in the timber. We hope to have at least 3-4 spots on the Fullen North Tract. Yes, the woods next to the fig field unit will be included in the draw. Yes, the Fullen North Tract is going to be in the draw. There are NO wells or pumps on these areas. All water will be caught by natural rainfall through runoff from the fields. We will close the gates and start filling the areas after the crops have been harvested. We hope to close gates starting November 1st; however, until all crops are harvested, the gates will be open. At the present time, this is our only solution. The number of positions that we will draw will depend on how much water is present at the time of the drawing. If there is not enough water on the area for at least one spot, we will NOT have a draw that week. I will keep you updated weekly through this site. Remember, the drawings will take place at the John Tully Field Office on Lightfoot-Luckett Road on the Monday nights prior to the hunts.
Shelby Forest WMA/Eagle Lake Refuge/Bomprezzi Unit
We finished working on the old Preacher House Road on Shelby Forest WMA. This road will not be open to vehicle traffic this year, but hope to get some gravel for next year. The road was planted with a food plot winter mix to help control erosion. All ten food plots on area are up and green!!! We are still working on getting electricity to our new shop at Shelby Forest. Due to digging a trench to run electricity between the check station and the shop, the sides of the roads are very muddy!! Therefore, stay on the main road!! We have already started prepping for pumping at Eagle Lake Refuge. We will begin pumping somewhere around November 1st, depending on when the farmer starts harvesting. As I learned earlier this morning, hunters that applied to waterfowl hunt on Shelby Forest this year can go online now and check their draw status. Hunters that did get drawn will be getting letters in the mail by the end of next week. Make sure you read all instructions on the letter. So, hopefully you got drawn!!! One of the questions I keep getting about the area is, "Can we still hunt other areas on the Park?" Yes, you can hunt other areas of the park. These areas will be first come, first serve. All waterfowl hunting on the Park will be on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday (just like the drawn sites). Big game and small game hunting will continue to be on Monday, Wednesdays, and Saturdays. Just all waterfowl hunting will be on Thursday, Friday, and Saturdays.
President's Island
The doe hunt for President's Island will begin tomm. Scout day will be Thursday, and hunting will be Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. I will update next week on the number of deer taken on the island. It is looking like it will be better conditions this year compared to last year's weather.
Until next time,
Chris
Thursday, September 18, 2014
JOHN TULLY WMA SEPTEMBER 18 UPDATE
Just wanted to give you an update on John Tully WMA. We had an extremely good dove hunt on opening day this year. We had over 250 adults show up for the two adult fields, and we had close to 50 youth show up for their hunt. The birds never moved until after 3:30 opening day. Several hunters left unhappy about the lack of birds flying; however, after 3:30, shooting was non-stop!!
This last week we began getting our food plots ready for planting. We were doing really well this week until we got a big downpour this morning over half of the bottoms. However, we are hoping to get the three fields on Sam Taylor Road planted sometime tomorrow. We will have to wait for the ground to dry out on the other side.
We had several hunters take to the water for early wood duck/teal season. We saw several bands that were killed on the area as always.
The corn is looking really good considering how late we planted it. It looks like we will have plenty of food for waterfowl this winter. Just a remainder, all hunting on the fig field (including the woods next to the field) and the Fullen North Tract will be allocated to a hand held drawing each Monday night at 6:00 before the weekend hunt at the John Tully WMA Workbase which is located on Lightfoot-Luckett Road and HWY 87. Hunting will be Friday, Saturday, and Sunday only.
Until next time, stay safe in the woods and take a child hunting!!
Chris
SHELBY FOREST/EAGLE LAKE REFUGE SEPTEMBER 18 UPDATE
Sorry it has been so long since the last updates. We have been extremely busy in the field since August. This picture was taken earlier in the year at the "bus field" below the check station. We had a pretty good hunt between this field and the field that was at the Bomprezzi Unit of Eagle Lake Refuge. We have several people hunting doves and squirrels throughout the area. It has been really good seeing everybody out hunting again. Hopefully, mother nature willing, we will be having more fields next year.
We are in the process of putting in food plots. We will be planting seed tomorrow morning in all our food plots. We plant Super Plot and Super Plot Plus from Sanders Seed Company. It is a blend of wheat, oats, rape, clover, rye, peas, etc. The deer and turkey seem to really love it!! We are looking forward to another great crop!! If you need any food plot seed, give Sanders Seed Company in Ripley, TN to help you with your needs. The guys are hunters, and they know their stuff!!
Waterfowl Hunting Update:
There have been several questions with regard to waterfowl hunting on Shelby Forest. So, let's try to clear the fog. If you did not already know, part of the area is now in the TWRA waterfowl computer draw. The application can be filled out through the internet at the TWRA website www.tnwildlife.org The application process started September 10, and it will be open until October 1. There are nine sites of which 5 are located at Eagle Lake, 1 below the Poplar Tree Levee, and 3 below the swimming pool. There are NO blinds at these sites. Each site has a number marked in the area from which you are to hunt from. Another question that has been asked quite a bit, "Can we waterfowl hunt other areas of the Park?" Yes you can hunt other areas of the Park; however, you cannot hunt the three areas in the computer draw unless you are drawn. Water levels at this moment are really low. Hopefully, we will get some water before hunting season.
Until next time, stay safe in the woods and take a child hunting!!!!!
Chris
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