POCOSIN LAKES — Hunting in Pocosin Lakes was made handicapped accessible Thursday.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, along with Pamlico Albemarle Wildlife Conservationists (PAWC), hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new handicapped-accessible wildlife blind located in the main part of the national wildlife refuge, south of Lake Phelps. The blind offers people with limited mobility the chance to hunt or photograph wildlife, according to a press release from PAWC.

“We wanted to draw more folks out to Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, plus create opportunities for people with disabilities,” said Attila Nemecz, president of Pamlico Albemarle Wildlife Conservationists.

The idea to build the blind came from a PAWC member, Doris Morris, whose brother, Edward Phelps, has been wheelchair-bound since a 1971 accident, the release stated. North Carolina Wildlife Federation funded the project, but PAWC members put in 400 volunteer hours building the structure.

“We’re excited about the opportunity to provide disabled hunters with another high-quality recreational opportunity,” refuge manager Howard Phillips said in the press release. “Hunting is one of the ‘big six’ priority public uses on national wildlife refuges along with fishing, wildlife observation, wildlife photography, environmental education and interpretation. All six of these uses are compatible with the Refuge’s purposes and are allowed to the extent we can properly manage them.  This blind will greatly enhance the hunting program at Pocosin Lakes.”

Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge’s 110,000 acres spread across parts of Hyde, Tyrrell and Washington counties, and is a protected area due to the sheer number of migratory waterfowl — tundra swans, snow geese, wood ducks, pintails and teals — that spend winter there.

Nemecz said whitetail deer would be the primary draw for hunters using the new blind, however. The blind is located about 20 feet off of DeHoog Road in low-lying, brushy landscape. There is no fee for its use, but it is offered on a first-come, first-served basis, he said.

Whether its users are armed with cameras or rifles, the new blind is part of an attempt to bring more people out to the refuge.

“We hope that it will give people another reason to visit the refuge. Part of what we’re trying to do with the Wildlife Federation — of which we’re a chapter — is just get people outdoors and create opportunities for people to interact with wildlife,” Nemecz said.

Those interested in using the handicapped-accessible blind can contact the refuge office at 252-796-3004.