Waterfowl hunters - annual duck blind drawing set for Aug. 13 at Rod and Gun Club

  • Published
  • By Edwards AFB Environmental Management
EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  Waterfowl hunters can participate in the annual duck blind drawing scheduled August 13, at the Rod and Gun Activity, Bldg. 210. Base hunting permits may be submitted to drawing officials from 9 a.m. until the actual drawing begins, which will be at approximately 10 a.m.

Duck blind reservations are required for all base affiliated waterfowl hunters desiring assigned blind locations at the Piute Ponds hunting area.

Two people are assigned to each blind location, so each participant must choose another authorized Edwards AFB hunter as a partner or have one chosen for him during the selection process. Both participants and their partners must be at least 18 years old. Only one family member per household may participate.

Participants in the blind reservation process or those to be selected as a blind partner must purchase and Edwards AFB Hunting Permit (AFFTC form 5317). The price of hunting permits is $25 for active duty enlisted personnel E1 through E9 and $50 for all others. A five-dollar administration fee also applies to all permits sold. Base hunting permits are available at Outdoor Recreation, 275-2267, and at the Rod and Gun Activity, 275-TRAP.

To be eligible to draw or be selected as a duck blind partner, base hunters must show a current state hunting license in addition to a base hunting permit. Guest hunting permit holders are not eligible to participate in the blind selection or to be blind partners. All hunters in priority levels 1-3, shown below, must sign a letter certifying they intend to hunt from the duck blind they select. Procedures have been developed in the event mobility-impaired hunters require a handicap duck blind.

The priority levels of those authorized to hunt on base follow:

1. Active duty members and their families assigned to Edwards AFB;
2. Active duty members and their families assigned to another military installation;
3. Military members retired with pay and their dependents;
4. 100% disabled veterans, Medal of Honor recipients and their dependants;
5. Members of Reserve components while on orders;
6. Unmarried spouses of military members who died while on active duty or while retired and their dependents;
7. Military members of foreign nations and their dependents who are authorized exchange privileges, and;
8. Department of Defense, tenant organization and contractor employees currently assigned to Edwards AFB and their dependents, and grandfathered members of the Rod and Gun Activity.

The reservation ensures a hunter and a partner the use of their chosen duck blind location throughout the authorized waterfowl-hunting season - Sundays, Wednesdays, federal holidays and selected Saturdays. Duck blind reservations are $50 per person, $100 per blind, payable at the time of the selection. A ten-dollar administration fee also applies to all duck blinds sold. Blind owners are responsible for constructing and maintaining the actual blind at the designated location for this hunting season.

Participants should purchase their permits before the day of the drawing to avoid the last-minute rush. Base hunting permits are used in the blind selection process and so must not be modified in any way to make selection more likely - through lamination or other physical alteration. Those with altered permits will be excluded from the selection process.

Participants either must be present at the drawing or represented there by someone. An individual representing another at the blind selection must provide officials with the same documentation the blind participant is required to submit.

The following documentation is required at the blind selection:
  • Hunting permit (if represented, permit of the person being represented),
  • State hunting license of the blind owner,
  • Permit of selected partner (if represented, permit of the person being represented)
  • Blind reservation fees,
  • Blind participant's mailing address,
  • Blind participant's work and home phone numbers,
  • Proof of participant's priority status,
  • Priority level 1 through 3 participants who are being represented must do this in advance by entering their name on a list compiled by the Natural Resources Section of Environmental Management after verifying their priority status with their military ID. They must also sign a letter certifying their intent to hunt from the selected duck blind.
  • Priority level 4 through 8 participants who are being represented may have their verification brought to the drawing by their representative.
The waterfowl-hunting season usually opens in mid- to late October and extends into January.

Please refer to AFFTCI 32-8, Management of Hunting Fishing and Volunteer Program, for hunting regulations and specifically to Appendix 2 for duck blind reservation guidance.

The Natural Resources Section, Environmental Management and 95th Services Division are sponsoring the drawing.

Anyone with questions about hunting on base or the annual duck blind reservation selection process may contact Mark Hagan at 277-1418, or Outdoor Recreation at 275-2267 Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.