AUSTIN – The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Ducks Unlimited have announced the opening of the first Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant waterfowl hunting blind on Texas public coastal lands at Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge. Completed in September 2020, the new blind aims to expand opportunities for hunters with a variety of disabilities during the upcoming Texas waterfowl hunting season.
“Our public lands belong to everyone, but hunters with disabilities face a variety of challenges accessing and navigating these outdoor spaces,” said Scott Williams, project manager for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Coastal Program. “With the completion of the new ADA compliant hunting blind at Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge, now everyone has the opportunity to experience waterfowl hunting on the Texas coast regardless of their physical abilities or limitations. We are proud to work with Ducks Unlimited to offer this opportunity to Texas hunters and look forward to expanding the project to other coastal refuges in the future.”
Established in 1966 to provide wintering habitat for migratory waterfowl and other bird species, Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge is a popular hunting area that offers several great opportunities throughout the waterfowl hunting season. From the early teal season and throughout the rest of the waterfowl season, 15,000 to 20,000 ducks and 10,000 to 15,000 snow geese will be found on the refuge.
The ADA-certified accessible waterfowl hunting blind is located on the Alligator Marsh Public Waterfowl Hunting Area, which is a first come, first served hunting area open from 4 a.m. to 12 p.m. Saturdays, Sundays and Wednesdays during the regular waterfowl season. The site features a parking pad with a paved walkway, an ADA-compliant wheelchair ramp and a hunting blind large enough to accommodate up to four hunters.
“Building an accessible waterfowl hunting blind is something we’ve been wanting to do since the Alligator Marsh Public Waterfowl Hunting Area first opened in 2016,” said Cody Dingee, Refuge Manager at Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge. “The area has gotten pretty popular over the last few years, and every year we’ve seen an increase in visitation and heard from hunters that it’s been pretty productive. The hunting is going to continually get better where the blind is located because at that specific spot we're able to go in and manipulate water levels and do field work to improve it.”
Texas has the second largest number of individuals with disabilities in the United States, with 11.7 percent of the general population and 23 percent of the veteran population reporting a disability. Ducks Unlimited Regional Biologist Kevin Hartke said due to limited accessible facilities, Texans with disabilities face even more challenges than the general public in accessing public hunting land in the state.
“There are not a whole lot of public lands out there available for hunting, and when you think about people with disabilities, the actual availability of public lands where those folks can enjoy outdoor activities and hunting is very small,” Hartke said. “This is something the refuges really need to make hunting more available to a larger group of folks, including those who have disabilities. It’s a perfect fit for [Ducks Unlimited]…a lot of our constituents are waterfowl hunters and we support trying to provide as much public access as possible to everybody.”
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Coastal Program and Ducks Unlimited teamed up to help fund the project, but building a hunting blind that meets Americans with Disabilities Act design standards is much more expensive than building an everyday hunting blind. To secure additional funding for the project, Ducks Unlimited reached out to private donors Matt and Debbie Doyle, who Hartke said “were integral in getting this project off the ground.”
“As lifelong Texans, Debbie and I are committed to improving the quality of life for all citizens,” said Matt Doyle. “Opening up areas and making them accessible to all hunters is an important part of that commitment.”
The team also contracted the construction of the blind through a disabled veteran business owner, Christopher “Tipper” Esponge. The co-owner of E&L Construction Group said while his company primarily works on federal and military projects, he looks to serve others whenever and wherever he can.
“Having a place to hunt that is easily accessible is important to people of all abilities,” Esponge said. “As a fellow hunter, it was important to me that others would be able to enjoy the sport I love so much.”
No fees are charged and no special use permits are required for hunting waterfowl in the designated areas on Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge, but all migratory game bird hunters must have a valid Texas hunting license and migratory game bird endorsement. All waterfowl hunters 16 years of age and older must also have a valid Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp and Harvest Information (HIP) Certification.
For disabled veterans, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department offers a free Disabled Veteran Super Combo Package that includes a hunting and fishing license and five state endorsements.
To learn more about hunting on Brazoria NWR, visit http://www.fws.gov/refuge/Brazoria or call 979-964-4011. For state waterfowl hunting regulations, license information and season dates, consult the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s 2020-21 all-digital Outdoor Annual or download the free Outdoor Annual mobile app for iOS and Android.
