Davis P. Rice Memorial Youth Waterfowl Hunt Volunteer
History & Background
The Davis P. Rice Memorial Youth Waterfowl Hunt is a youth event organized by Tennessee Wildlife Federation's Hunting and Fishing Academy. The hunt was created in memory of Davis P. Rice, an avid outdoorsman who passed away in 2007.
The event takes place in the Dyersburg, Tennessee area and is designed to introduce youth to the tradition of waterfowl hunting and the connection between hunting and conservation.
The 17th annual hunt held on Feb. 7-8, 2025 celebrated a milestone: surpassing 2,000 youth participants since inception. Each year, the event combines education (a Friday evening banquet with a “Hunting 101” course), followed by a guided duck hunt on Saturday.
Numbers & Youth Participation
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Over 2,000 youth have participated to date (as of the 17th annual event).
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In one earlier year (12th annual) there were 115 youth participants.
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Most recently, at the 17th event, 81 youth (with parent/guardian) took to the blinds alongside volunteer guides.
Ways to Get Involved
While the Davis P. Rice Memorial Youth Waterfowl Hunt is a strong program, the growth and sustainability of the event face a few constraints:
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Capacity limits – The private land location and the logistics of guiding many youth require limiting numbers (e.g., about 100 spots in recent years).
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Volunteer support – Because each youth needs guided oversight (blinds, boats/ATVs, volunteers), the event depends heavily on willing, experienced adults. The success of the event relies on sufficient volunteer captains and guides.
How You Can Help
There are two main ways volunteers can assist:
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Volunteer as a Blind Captain (Volunteer Guide)
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A blind captain helps oversee a youth and their guardian in a duck hunting blind on the event day.
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Responsibilities include guiding on the hunt, ensuring safety, mentoring the youth participant, supporting logistics (walking to blind, calling out instructions, retrieving harvested birds as needed).
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Ideal for someone with hunting/outdoor experience, comfort in field conditions (early morning, wet fields, cold/weather), and a desire to mentor youth.
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Volunteers will often be paired with a youth participant and their guardian.
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The event timing: It is held over a weekend in early February (e.g., Friday evening banquet, Saturday morning hunt).
For example: the 16th annual event was Friday 4 pm (banquet) and Saturday until ~2 pm.
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Volunteer to Provide a Blind Itself (Land/Blind Host or Equipment)
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Landowners or clubs: You have access to appropriate land (flooded field, suitable duck‐blind sites) and are willing to host a youth group
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Equipment donors: You have a blind, decoys, boats/ATVs or retrieval equipment and are willing to lend those resources for the weekend event
Note: Because this is a centrally‐organized event, land and equipment must meet Tennessee Wildlife Federation's standards (safety, accessibility, mentoring capacity) and be available and ready for the event dates.
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Volunteer Requirements / Logistics
For Blind Captains
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Must be comfortable with guiding youth in outdoor, early‐morning, waterfowl-hunt conditions (wet fields, cold, pre-dawn start).
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Must arrive Friday evening for banquet/training (banquet typically 4 pm onward) dinner is provided and stay through Saturday hunt day.
(Example: 16th annual event listed Friday 4:00 PM start, Saturday until ~2 PM)
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Must pass any required safety checks, agree to mentor a youth and guardian, follow event rules and schedule.
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Time commitment: From Friday evening (banquet, orientation) through Saturday morning and midday (hunt).
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Safe gear: Volunteers should bring suitable outdoor clothing for cold/wet conditions, boots, personal flotation if required, and be comfortable working in blind/field settings.
Other gear will be provided by Tennessee Wildlife Federation.
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Sign‐up: Interested volunteers can reach out to the contact below
For Blind/Equipment Providers
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Land/Blind provider must offer a safe, legally accessible duck-hunting blind site accessible to youth and volunteers (boat/ATV access, waders if needed, safe terrain)
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Equipment lenders: Must ensure the blind/boat/ATV/decoys are operational and available for the event weekend.
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Timing: Blind/equipment must be available Friday evening through Saturday afternoon (including setup and retrieval).
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Coordination: Must liaise with Tennessee Wildlife Federation staff/facilitator to designate blind location, schedule, volunteer pairing, compliance with safety/regulations.
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Insurance/waiver: Providers may need to sign liability waivers and confirm landowner permissions.
Contact Tennessee Wildlife Federation early to indicate land/equipment availability; lead‐time is required.
Images from Past Hunts
How to Get Involved
If you are interested in volunteering at any capacity with Davis P Rice Annual Youth Waterfowl Memorial Hunt, please send an email to Chris Hearn at chearn@tnwf.org or Michaela Sandoval at msandoval@tnwf.org.
You can also respond to the opportunity on the dashboard at 18th Annual David P Rice Youth Memorial Waterfowl Hunt.
Closing Note
By volunteering at this hunt—either as a blind captain guiding a young hunter, or by offering a blind/equipment location—you play a direct role in fostering the next generation of conservationists and hunters. The hunt not only gives youth a memorable outdoor experience, it also supports the long-term health of wildlife management in Tennessee. Your time, expertise and resources make that possible.
