Frequently Asked Questions
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Q. Why doesn’t the District offer turkey, pheasant, and coyote hunting programs?
A. The District hunting program philosophy is to only include “ecologically self-sustaining populations” of wildlife. Turkey hunting in public areas presents a multitude of safety issues which prohibits this type of hunting at this time. A successful pheasant hunting program would require stocking of birds. Pheasants are a non-native bird; it would not fit in the District’s overall mission to stock these birds on District property. Coyotes are one of the few natural predators we have and are important contributors to the overall health of our ecosystems.
Q.Does the District allow ground blinds for deer hunting?
A. No, ground blinds are not allowed. In order to ensure the safety of both our hunters and the general public, District regulations require a minimum stand height of 4 feet for archery hunting and 6 feet for firearm hunting.
Q. Why does the District charge double for out-of-county hunters?
A. The District is supported largely by county residents through tax revenue. The District allows out-of-county residents to participate in the program while charging them more since they don’t pay taxes to the District.
Q. Why are older experienced hunters required to take a hunter safety education class to participate in the District hunting program?
A. The highest priority of the hunting program is safety. Successful completion of a hunter safety class by either a novice hunter or a more experienced hunter demonstrates a basic knowledge of the safety skills required for participation in the District hunting program.
Q. Why are archery hunters required to qualify every year when they’ve hunted successfully in the program for years?
A. People’s circumstances have the potential to change from year to year, including health, ability, and equipment. A yearly qualification demonstrates a hunter’s continued proficiency.
Q. Why doesn’t the District offer a youth only firearm deer hunt in October?
A. While the District supports the idea of a youth only deer hunt, it does present several difficulties within our program. There is a conflict with the youth waterfowl program that the District participates in. Closing down several sites for a third weekend, especially early in the fall, would prove difficult. The District does not have the resources to administer and police yet another hunting program. The District does provide the opportunity for youth to hunt with adults during the regular firearm seasons.
Q. Why is a firearm deer hunter required to check in and out every time he/she leaves his/her zone, even multiple times in one day?
A.There are several reasons we do this. One is that we know that each time a hunter goes out, the hunter is 100% compliant with all laws and safety needs. Because of this, our police staff doesn’t have to do compliance checks on hunters while they are in the field. We know when the hunter is in the site and when he/she is not. The sites where we have check-in are sites that are generally open to the general public, and even though the site is closed and posted, people still try to enter. The people staffing the lot can stop these people, redirect them and keep them out of harms way. This helps with possible interference to a participant’s hunt.
Q. Why can’t marsh hunters hunt in the afternoon?
A. Waterfowl that are hunted on District property receive a fair amount of pressure. To improve the chances for our hunter’s success throughout the season, we believe it is in the program’s best interest to provide a resting period.
Q. Why doesn’t the District offer more waterfowl marsh and field hunting sites?
A. The District continues to evaluate all aspects of the hunting program after each season. Many issues are considered, including both the demand of our hunters and other uses that may be taking place on a given property. The District will continue to expand waterfowl hunting opportunities in areas that are deemed safe and productive.