Just a reminder, there is no goose hunting allowed until after Labor Day.  After that Monday, goose hunting is allowed until 10Am at select blind spots with a temporary blind.  Check your park regulations at the TREC center.

Unfortunately due to covid restrictions it will not be possible to host the wing ding dinner and raffle.  Please be sure to support the club by renewing memberships at the blind pick, by mail or by attending our waterfowl warm up shoot on September 6th 2020.

Changes to Duck Hunting on Presque Isle and the Blind Lottery

What a crazy few months we have had as a community and nation, I pray you all are safe and in good health.  We have been delayed in sending out a newsletter because so much has been in flux.  What we have today is very different than the information we started to send out a few months ago.  So for the sake of not having to revise and edit the information multiple times we have chosen to wait until we thought we had a solid approved draft.  Much of this we have been at the whim of the state and awaiting approval of what we are and are not allowed to do.   Truthfully this could also change, but it is the best information we have right now and it is getting too close to the blind sign ups to delay any further.  Thank you for your patience and thank you to the staff at Presque Isle State Park for your cooperation and help navigating and planning through all of these new circumstances we are forced to deal with.

Blind Lottery Sign ups

The Blind Lottery Sign ups will proceed as normal with only a few changes.  The blind sign ups will take place between the dates of September 4th-19^th.  Hunters must show up in person and present a valid 2020-21 hunting license, migratory bird stamp, and a SIGNED Federal Duck Stamp.

Hunters may sign up at the Tom Ridge Environmental Center on MONDAY, TUESDAY, AND FRIDAY from 8AM to 4PM using the office entrance doors on the right side of the building.  Hunters may also sign up on SATURDAY and SUNDAY from 8AM to 4PM at the RANGER STATION.  There will be NO AVAILABILTY TO SIGN UP ON WEDNESDAYS OR THURSDAYS.  This is due to reduced staffing and hours of operation of the center during COVID regulations.  We are thankful they are able to accommodate us at all and grateful for their efforts to help us through this.

Blind Drawing

The morning of the September 20 will be the drawing for blinds.  We will set up a table outside the TREC center entrance to sign up any stragglers before the drawing from 8-10AM.  At 10AM a few representatives from the club will enter the TREC Center and set up a FACEBOOK LIVE STREAM with the supervision of Park Administrators to officiate.  The Draw will be done live online and names of those drawn read in order.  The listing will then publish immediately afterwards on our website www.paduck.com.  This was our only real option with a restriction of 25 or less in any park facility.

Blind Pick

The Blind Pick will have a few changes to normal procedure as well.  The pick will take place at 10AM September 27 at the runners club pavilion on Presque Isle State Park.  This is the new building that is just off the first parking lot on the lake side upon entering the park.  Blind owners will receive a postcard with their drawing order number and a time slot to pick their blind.  Time slots will also be on the website for reference.  Every 10 blinds picks will have a different half hour time slot.  You have to be there before you slot or you will forfeit your blind.  This will allow us to operate outside, and maintain required social distancing.  Each drawing winner may only bring one guest up to the table to help with selection.  We must not have a giant crowd at the pavilion at any one time.  When one group of ten finishes, we will announce through the parking lot what group is next so that people can hang out in the lot and remain spread out.

10:00-10:30  pick 1-10

10:30-11:00 pick 11-20

11:00-11:30 pick 21-30

11:30-noon pick 31-40

noon- 12:30 pic 41-50

12:30-1:00 pick 51-60

1:00-1:30 remaining picks

Blind Owners and Co-Owner Definitions, Rights and Responsibilities:

1.  The person whose name is drawn is the Primary Owner of the Blind.

2.  Primary Owner may list one other person as the Co-Owner of the Blind.

3.  These designations are permanent and cannot be changed throughout the season.

4.  One of these two people must be present at the Blind Pick, and have license, migratory and stamp of co-owner with them if not present

5.  Both Owner and Co-Owner have equal rights to occupy their blind at any time.  No other person other than the two specific names on the permit, has the right at any time to ask another party to vacate a blind.

*  If you are using someone else’s blind and someone shows up and claims to be the Owner or Co-Owner and asks you to leave, that is their right to do so at any time but identification must be shown to verify that they are in fact the Owner or Co-Owner.  Park Rangers will not tolerate disputes and will ask all parties to leave the park.

6.  When neither Owner or Co-Owner are present, the blind may be used by the public.  Non owners should not take possession of a blind anytime earlier than one hour before shooting hours.  No exceptions.

7.  A person’s name may only appear on ONE blind permit on the park.  If you are EITHER the Owner or a Co-Owner on one blind, you MAY NOT be the Owner or Co-Owner on any other blind on the park that year.

8.  With equal rights comes equal responsibility.  Both Owner and Co-Owner are responsible for maintaining their blind.  Trash bags should be provided, regularly removed, and the blind maintained for the public.

9.  At the end of the season, both Owner and Co-Owner are responsible for blind removal on or before the posted deadline.

10.  Failure to remove your blind by the deadline will result in BOTH the Owner and Co-Owner being fined, and BOTH being placed on the list of ineligibility for future blind drawing.  Owners leaving up blinds past the deadline will also be fined by the state

Blind ownership is a great privilege but also a big responsibility.  By building a blind you are signing on to not only build a worthy structure but also to maintain that blind all season long.  The regulations require that blinds be a maximum size of 6x12x6, have 4 walls, a roof and permanent seating inside.  This structure must also be built to withstand the beating that can be dished out by our mighty Lake Erie.  Many of the blinds will require stilts, most all require a boat of some sort to set decoys and retrieve birds.  Poorly built blinds that are not maintained and repaired when damaged or knocked over will risk losing their permits and their blinds.  The club and park will not tolerate blinds being unusable eye sores that the owner neglects to repair or upright in a timely fashion.  Keep this in mind if you are traveling from a distance and selecting a blind.  Saying “I live on the other side of Pittsburgh” is not an acceptable excuse to not reset a blind in a timely manner and could result in the loss of your permit and blind.

Several blind spots have become very difficult to build due to high water.  This has resulted in the following changes to a few blind locations.

Blind 72 and 73

Both are in the reeds in the head of the bay.  This was once shallow water you can stand in but now reaches depths of 12 feet on some days.  These blinds will have two posts driven in at each blind site.  There will be no permanent structures built there.  These will be for boat and boat blind hunting only.  They will still be available to be selected by a blind owner and have their name and co-owner as the priority user.  The boats will have to attach both the front and back of their boats to each post by a rope of 6’ or less.  This will keep the boats in the correct location and pointed in the correct shooting direction.

Blinds 64, 65, 66

Stink-hole reed blinds.  With the high water, that short spit of reeds have all but disappeared taking with it some of best blinds spots.  We will place water stakes on blind 65 spot to be used as a boat blind as described above with blind 72 and 73.  Blinds 64 and 66 will temporarily be suspended from use during the high water cycles recedes once again.  Again this will be a selectable spot by a blind drawing winner.

Blinds 29-32

The blinds along this stretch have taken quite a beating the past two years with the high water levels.  Waves sweep directly across the road and take anything in its path with it during storms.  The park has had concerns with this and its immediate proximity to the multipurpose trail.  Other park users do not want to have to navigate around blind structures knocked over on the multipurpose trail and it is not fair to add any of that responsibility to the park maintenance crews.  Blind 30 is the handicap blind and is anchored to a cement pad so no changes will be required of it.  Blinds 29, 31, 32 will now be built and maintained by the duck club.  This will help guarantee that they are built sturdy and more importantly maintained and reset when storm damage occur.  These will not be available for selection during the blind draw.  Instead that strip of 4 blinds will always be open to the public on a first come basis.  We found this to be a unique compromise with the park that would not result in losing those spots and give added access to hunters not selected in the draw.  Don’t be surprised if you see a facebook post for volunteers to help reset one of these after a storm.  We all know too well that resetting can require more than one or two people, and these spots will always be open for all to use.

That is all we have for now any new changes beyond these will go directly on the website and Facebook change.  Hopefully no more will be required.

DON’T MISS IT!!!  This years clay shoot is in September 6th 2020.   Noncompetitive fun for all!  This event is open to anyone. You do not need to be a member to attend, so please bring your friends and family!  Start the course anytime between 9-noon.  Lunch and raffle drawing around noon and available till all have finished course.  Lunch will be Hot Dogs cooked on site and snacks by Monster snacks!

‘The cost will be $35 for a 100 shot course. We will also be offering a shorter 50 shot course for $25 if 100 is too long. This includes food and drink.

We will also have a raffle at the shoot with great prizes from the shoot’s sponsors.  -

If you need any more information check out our FB event page or Shawn Feiock by phone at 814-882-3473

We are committed to preserve Waterfowling and protect the privileges of Duck Hunters!

Each year the shores of Presque Isle Bay and Lake Erie become alive with tradition and a spectacle that has been written about in countless documentations. Its the fall flight of ducks and geese through the breaking waters of Lake Erie.

Past Generations sat with us and told stories of braving the elements to bring home a meal to the table. They told us stories of patients and diligence that with time become more of a classroom lesson then a story. Sportsmanship added with conservation as well as conversation make the time we share on and off shore more lasting then time itself. Whether its with family, friend, or man’s best friend we pass a little time in nature’s realm the same way our ancestors have in the past.
The Northwestern Pennsylvania Duck Hunters’ Association is committed to see that future generations have the same opportunity to make friends, provide a meal, and spend some time back in nature.

JOIN OUR MEMBERSHIP

YEARLY DUES ARE ONLY $10.00

QUARTERLY “DUCK CALL” NEWSLETTERS and DECAL SENT TO ALL MEMBERS!

Northwestern PA Duck Hunters’
Association  Membership Application

Name             __________________________________________________

Address         __________________________________________________

City                 ___________________  State________    Zipcode  ___________

Phone             _______________________       Email ____________________

____New Member         ____Renewal

Please Print and Mail the above application with check for $10.00 to:

Northwest PA Duck Hunters Association

P.O. Box 8073

Erie, PA 16505

Your club, the NORTHWESTERN PA DUCK HUNTERS ASSOCIATION, brought together and assembled the  PA Game Commission, Susquehanna River Waterfowlers, Delta Waterfowl, DCNR, PA Federation of Sporting Clubs, PA Fish and Boat, US Fish and Wildlife, and Ducks Unlimited.  PA WHISTLING WINGS was born.  First project is awareness and education in waterfowling ethics. You’ll be seeing these posters in duck blinds, boat ramps, sports stores, and gamelands all over the state of Pennsylvania.  This is now the clubs officially adopted Code of Ethics.

Please Share with all the Hunters that you know.  Click on image to enlarge.

Be sure to review the new BLIND MAP.  All numbers and locations have changed.  Traditionally unused blinds have been removed to allow for respacing of existing blinds.  All blinds will now have greater distances between neighboring blinds.  We hope that this will reduce pressure, eliminate interference of neighboring hunters and provide better hunting on the park.  See Blind Map at the following links in color or black and white.

Duck Blind Locations black and white 2014

Duck Blind Locations 2014

Project DescriptionThe Duck Club is sponsoring a mallard as part of the Long Point Waterfowl Mallard Tracker Project.  Long Point Waterfowl’s “Mallard Tracker” Program is aimed at understanding habitat use and any factors that limit Mallard survival in the Lake St. Clair region. The program has been designed to investigate:

Mallard habitat use during autumn and winter

How Industrial Wind Turbines influence Mallard habitat use

Visit their site for details and follow your mallard “Lady Misery”, named after our own Misery Bay on Presque Isle State Park.  www.longpointwaterfowl.org