Brazoz River Authority issued the following announcement.
After much deliberation, the Brazos River Authority has decided not to host its waterfowl permit drawings as a public event. Rather, to keep guests and staff safe during the COVID-19 pandemic, the drawings will be held entirely inhouse via either online or mail-in application.
For years, the BRA has hosted lottery-style drawings at our three reservoir offices, drawing crowds of up to 120 people per location.
Due to government restrictions regarding gatherings of more than 10 people and recommendations for social distancing, the BRA will avoid canceling the event by holding an alternative means of drawing for waterfowl blind locations and allowing permit holders to enjoy this activity throughout the hunting season.
These waterfowl drawings are for the only hunting opportunity available on Brazos River Authority-owned land. Those interested in participating must simply fill out an application online or they may choose to print out and mail or hand-deliver the application to the appropriate lake office.
Applications are due Aug. 28.
There are roughly 60 exclusive areas available at the BRA-owned reservoirs: Possum Kingdom Lake, located on the main stem of the Brazos River northwest of Fort Worth; Lake Granbury, located 36 miles southwest of Fort Worth; and Lake Limestone, located on a tributary of the Brazos, the Navasota River, in Limestone, Robertson and Leon counties.
The drawings will be held at each reservoir beginning at 9 a.m. Aug. 31. All applications will be placed in one pool and all duck blind numbers will be in another pool. One name and one blind number will be drawn connecting the two. This process will continue until all blind numbers are paired with a name.
BRA staff will call each winner the morning of the drawing to inform them of the selection and their blind location. Applicants will have until noon, Aug. 31, to return the call if not answered on the first attempt. Otherwise, a new name will be drawn for that location. One entry is allowed per person, and up to four people may share each hunting site. Hunters are responsible for providing blinds.
Winners will then have until Friday, Sept. 4, to go to the BRA reservoir office associated with their permit to provide their current hunting license and Duck Stamp for verification, sign the permit, and pay the $200 fee with a check or money order.
The Brazos River Authority staff understands this unprecedented form of drawing is not what most hunters have experienced in the past, and we all enjoy the excitement of a regular in-person event. We join you in hoping this pandemic is over next year so we can return to the in-person drawing process. Thank you for being flexible as we navigate a new system.
For additional questions, email information@brazos.org. To fill out a Waterfowl Hunting Application, click here.
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