Have you been thinking about applying for a Georgia DNR quota duck hunt but haven’t gotten around to it? You must complete your duck quota hunt application online by the Oct. 15 deadline. Oct. 15 is also the application deadline for youth waterfowl and youth quail quota hunts.
Even if you can’t go this year, go ahead and apply so you can accumulate a priority point for future hunts.
According to Kara Nitschke, state waterfowl biologist, most duck quota hunts are in high demand, and it can take several years to accumulate enough points to get drawn.
For example, at Altamaha WMA’s Butler Island, 1,077 hunters applied for 20 spots on the first hunt last season. It took 10 priority points to guarantee selection, although some hunters wagering nine points were also selected through the random draw. For the second hunt, five points guaranteed selection, and later hunts required even fewer points, so the odds improve as the season progresses.
Remember that each successful quota hunter may bring two additional hunters to share the blind. A good strategy is not only to apply yourself in the future but also to get your duck-hunting buddies to apply. Standby hunters may also get a chance to hunt if a quota hunter fails to show up, but there are no guarantees.
Back in May, I and several others toured Altamaha WMA and its impressive wetlands, which hold plenty of ducks year-round and especially during the fall migration, according to Patrick James, who supervises the area.
Lucky quota duck hunters are told to show up by 5 a.m. for the blind drawing. They are then transported around the WMA by wagon to their assigned blind to wait for daylight.
Water runs about 18 to 24 inches deep across much of the WMA. Access is good, but bring your waders and watch out for deeper holes that can make the cap float off your head! Be careful out there!
Robert Horan, a DNR senior biologist, says water-control devices have been renovated at Altamaha, which includes lands that were once part of rice plantations dating to the late 1700s and early 1800s. When you hunt Altamaha WMA, you are experiencing a landscape that has been transformed over hundreds of years into the excellent duck habitat found there today.
Robert and Patrick credit Ducks Unlimited for its support, expertise and financial backing in helping keep the WMA in great condition.
Speaking of Ducks Unlimited, consider attending one of the organization’s banquets around the state to meet other duck hunters, learn more about waterfowl hunting and have a good time. Most DU events are held in early to mid-fall. Check the Ducks Unlimited events schedule for upcoming Georgia events.
