Hey Everyone, I just moved up to south Tennessee from Florida. Driving down 65 I can't help but notice all the ducks in Wheeler refuge. Thinking it could be a good area to duck hunt I checked but no duck hunting is allowed there.Does anyone know why Wheeler Refuge is not open for duck hunting?
Most of the refuges in Florida allow duck hunting so I was kinda surprised that Wheeler did not.

Because there are ducks there is why!

How long do you think you would see that many if you let all the north bama duck slayers hunt over there. Plenty of places to hunt around Wheeler. I am just glad we can hunt what we do now.

I've personally never understood allowing hunting on a refuge. To me it contradicts the point of a refuge. The whole point in a refuge is to give them a place of refuge.

May have something to do with the fact that it's a refuge ...

ref·uge
noun

a condition of being safe or sheltered from pursuit, danger, or trouble.

They allow it on Eufaula.... they allow it on the white river and the cache. They should do quota hunts on wheeler atleast. It's about the only one I know of that doesn't atleast do quotas.

Oh brother. I guess the deer that are HUNTED at Wheeler are not subject to the same protection afforded to a DUCK? Hunting is listed as an acceptable form of recreation when a refuge is created. Loxahatchee, Moccassin Island, Merritt island and many others are open to hunting in Florida. I suppose you would like to see them all shut down to hunting? I asked a simple question and did not really expect to recieve a smart ass answer

Smart ass? C'mon ... I have no opinion either way. In fact I could care less ... I just stated the definition and put the winky/smiley emoticon after it to indicate I was having a little fun.

Hunting is an accepted form of recreation on refuges and always considered when a new refuge is created. Thankfully so, the refuges open to hunting in Florida create thousands of hours of recreation for waterfowl and other game. The benefits of the refuge are in no way diminished by the hunting activity and after all many sportsmens dollars are spent on these refuges. Why shouldn't we be able to use them?

Because if the wildlife that is being refuged is in danger of what it is seeking refuge from, then why are you calling it a refuge. What are they safe from? I don't have any problem with hunting being allowed but don't call it a refuge, at that point it's just another WMA. All I am saying is that hunting on a refuge defeats the purpose of a refuge by definition. A lot of WMAs have there own refuges that guess what, don't allow hunting and offer the wildlife a safe harbor.

Also you say that the benefits of a refuge aren't diminished by hunting. Have you seen North Alabama public hunting lands? There's a reason all those birds on Wheeler.

Not all of Eufaula is open to hunting. Only 2 units, which are a small % of the total area and it's a draw hunt with designated blind locations (which people are supposed to stay close to, but...). As has been said, one of the purposes of the national wildlife refuge system is to provide public recreation, including hunting. If that were taken away then millions of hunters would lose millions of acres of huntable ground. I only have experience with the Cache River and Eufaula refuges from a hunting standpoint. Both of them still hold significant numbers of birds even with hunting activity. I think you're letting the terminology trip you up in favor of the reality of how a refuge operates. They don't all allow hunting but there is a SIGNIFICANT amount of analysis and money spent on deciding whether or not to allow hunting on a refuge before it is ever opened to the public. I don't always agree with the results of the analysis but it's not a haphazard decision.

Back on topic, do some research, bamabound. You'll find what you're looking for, just not on the refuge.

So what's the difference in a WMA and a refuge when hunting is allowed. I'm not saying these lands should be taken away from hunters but they should be repurposed if these refuges are going to be hunted on.

Wheeler was established primarily as a Waterfowl Refuge. Below was copied from their website:

Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge was established July 7, 1938 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt as a refuge and breeding ground for migratory birds and other wildlife. It was the first refuge ever superimposed on a hydro-electric impoundment and in the early stages, considered an experiment to determine the possibility of attracting migratory waterfowl onto a multipurpose impoundment.

Although designated as a waterfowl refuge, Wheeler provides for a wide spectrum of wildlife. Its great diversity of habitat includes deep river channels, tributary creeks, tupelo swamps, open backwater embayments, bottomland hardwoods, pine uplands, and agricultural fields. This rich mix of habitats provide places for over 295 bird species to rest, nest and winter, including over 30 species of waterfowl (ducks and geese) and an increasing population of Sandhill cranes and a small number of Whooping cranes.

The refuge is also home to 115 species of fish, 74 species of reptiles and amphibians, 47 species of mammals, 38 species of freshwater mussels, and 26 species of freshwater snails. Other animals such as the endangered Gray bat and benefit from the protection of the National Wildlife Refuge System, and the care of dedicated refuge staff and other friends of wildlife, like you.

a wma is run by the state. A federal wildlife refuge is run by the feds. Why should they be repurposed?

It seems many of yall's limited knowledge of the federal refuge system is impeding your judgement. Many, Many, Many, refuges are successfully hunted.

Eufaula for example, has hunting opportunities. And yet it still winters as many as 25k birds in an area that does not have birds...... A refuge is there for the habitat it affords, there is nothing wrong with a certain amount of hunting.

Because they're not by definition a refuge. I get that most NWRs are hunted and I honestly don't have a problem with it. I just find it humorous that someone feels it's there right to hunt something called a refuge. I get that my comments will solve nothing and maybe they shouldn't be repurposed rather than renamed.

So you are saying a refuge is only a refuge if it is never hunted.... gotcha, thanks for the input, but what the hell does it really matter?

It doesn't but out of curiosity what is your simple everyday definition of a refuge.

National Wildlife Refuge is a designation for certain protected areas of the United States managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. The National Wildlife Refuge System is the system of public lands and waters set aside to conserve America's fish, wildlife and plants.

I didn't ask what the definition of a NWR is. I asked what your every day definition of a refuge is. Because a refuge by definition is "a condition of being safe or sheltered from pursuit, danger, or trouble." How does being able to hunt a "refuge" not contradict the very meaning of the word. And yes I'm saying if it's going to be hunted it should not be called refuge.