You know the first thing I would do? I'd get the facts.

I know nothng abiout this deal, never heard of it. But I would be talking with someone at TWRA and getting some straight info. Then, if what you are saying is true.

Kill em all.

Winchester- I get straight answers. Maybe you just need to know who...and how to ask.

Do tell your resources!

BW, there is no such thing as getting straight info from TWRA anymore, just look at how they are handling this once again major screw up on the Turkey permit drawings!

Here's the "word".....

Although he would not identify himself, I suspect I am the one who spoke to TN-ELK on Monday morning. As I told him, there was nothing illegal about the Monday night meeting. It consisted of about 10 Agency employees and 8 hunters. 1 hunter came in late and I didn't get his name or location. Otherwise all hunters were form Monroe/Polk counties. ZERO TWRC member were present.

We have received differing opinions from 2-3 bear hunting groups on some issues on the South Cherokee. This meeting was organized by the Agency to bring a few individuals from each group together to discuss their differing opinions and hopefully come to some middle ground. It was very productive.

Was the bear archery season mentioned? Yes it was. Displeasure for the regulation was expressed and we made note.

Guys, we meet with hunters/fisherman all the time. Sometimes in large public settings and others just involve a couple of people dropping by the office to talk for 1/2 hour about concerns they have. The sunshine law mentioned above refers to an unpublished Commission Meeting.

I am encouraged to see that many of you seem to be concerned about loosing the bear archery season. We (Region 4) assume that it is popular due to the number of bears harvested. However, no one is contacting us and making their preferences known and asking us to keep the hunt in place. We are only hearing from people on the other side. If you truly are concerned about losing this hunt, then write some letters, make some phone calls, and come to the Commission Meeting in Nashville. AlanP has given this advice many times before. It is the best to get things accomplished.

However, no one is contacting us and making their preferences known and asking us to keep the hunt in place. We are only hearing from people on the other side. If you truly are concerned about losing this hunt, then write some letters, make some phone calls, and come to the Commission Meeting in Nashville. AlanP has given this advice many times before. It is the best way to get things accomplished.

Commissioners involved include:
Todd Shelton - Greeneville: 423-639-5183
Eric Wright - Elizabethton: 423-213-9514 (BEARHUNTER)!!!!

The April commission meeting is the one when the season proposal is first presented. Not that the commission meeting is the only place, but you do need to make your voice known to the agency before we propose seasons and to the commission before they vote on the proposal in May.
All of the above would be the best approach, letters and phone calls. The agency wants input and opinion from all points of view.

Part of the uniqueness of bowhunting bears is the fact that it is spot and stalk hunting, or calling. Both of which provide plenty of excitement, which would be lost if they opened it to hounds.

This statement is very close to what is considered bashing TWRA.
Please refrain from further comments like this, they do nothing to aid anyone.
Pretty much from what I have seen of late no matter what TWRA personnel are nice to say on here they are slammed and blamed for pretty much everything.
Thank you.

Correct me if I am wrong, but you can shoot a bear with archery equipment all during Bow Season. Bear season is only open a few days during the traditional archery season dates.

Houndsmen have a limited area they can run their hounds safely and away from areas where people live and traffic.

Winchester- I don't hunt turkey, don't apply so I really don't know what the screw up is. But I don't have anyone on the inside. I am not part of any clique. I have taken the time to learn who to call when I want to know something and I know how to treat them with courtesy.

I think you can rest assured that when you make statements such as "...not just the ones who know someone..." There is probably a pretty good chance you will never "know someone."

is Dan Gibbs with twra?

Winchester I don't even know what "all this" is. But I do who to talk to when I need information. I have made it a point for many years to know who to call in many states and provinces and I know how ask questions and get answers.

I have not always agreed with some of the policies of TWRA and have made that plain in many instances. But there is one way to dissagree and one way not to.

BW, this has nothing to do with many states or provinces, and it has nothing to do with knowing 'someone' or knowing 'who' to call! This is strictly a TWRA matter and them dealing with the people who support them, the hunters of this state. Hey I know everybody will make mistakes, and Lord knows I make my fair share myself. When you are tasked with a job that affects people all over the state, and you as an agency make decisions that affect those people (hunters) all across the state, the least that would be asked for is to keep them imformed with correct and straight info. Each and every one of us would lose our jobs if we didnt keep those writing our paychecks informed of what is going on, good or bad. I think TWRA needs to work on their communication skills, and when something goes wrong, just put it on the table and work through it, instead of saying 'it never happened' which is what we are dealing with on the Turkey permit draw. I think TWRA does a good job overall, but denying problems when they arise is not a very professional way to handle things IMO. Oh well, the world will keep turning and I've wasted enough time talking about it, carry on!

So their logic is that they should be allowed to ruin other hunters opportunities, and hunting styles, by running their dogs through an area and moving game?

Sorry Citic_Tim, but your scenario and hypothesis has already been debunked. Running dogs doesn't make the game move out.

We bear hunted the same area 14 days in a row and struck FRESH bear tracks in the same general area everyday despite running dogs and trekking all over that area day in and day out. We also seen deer and turkey in the same area EVERY DAY.

Too many bears IMO. Season should be longer for all parties.

I don't disagree with that. But it has to be based on sound management practices. One of the reasons for the shorter dog season early in the fall and a longer one later is that sows with cubs are still out in Oct-Nov. By late Nov-Dec, most of them are denned and what's left are males. I suspect the kill is still a majority of young males. The seasons are set for the same reason that does were not hunted in the past, to protect the females. I wouldn't be surprised that if the numbers stay high more early dog hunts will be offered. But they have to have the data to back up those decisions and for these particular dog hunters to claim they should get to because bowhunters get to is simply dumb. It's the way these guys try to make it political that I have a problem with.

Hey archer19, many moons ago I spent a summer in Erwin. Actually in the community of Unicoi, (I think that's what it was called), working at a YCC camp. Great memories of that place. When we go skiing in NC I always drive through Erwin then through Limestone Cove over to Roan Mtn. Erwin is the kind of place I could live in.

Hey Rusty you remember what the dog hunters used as a bases for trying to get the County Commission to pass a private act to ban bear hunting with archery equipment in Unicoi County was? "Curl and Inhuman" I believe they thought some of use bow hunters had never been dog hunting with 'em; I'll just leave it at that. lol I will say this, the TWRA pulled through big time in our situation, once the County Commission herd what the TWRA biologist had too say they found out real quick they were out of their league and backed off very quickly.

I'm with Ruger on this one. It is not so much who you know but knowing who to ask for and then knowing how to ask a polite question. It doesn;t do much good to talk a clerk-1 when you need to talk to a biologist.

Hey Rusty you remember what the dog hunters used as a bases for trying to get the County Commission to pass a private act to ban bear hunting with archery equipment in Unicoi County was? "Curl and Inhuman" I believe they thought some of use bow hunters had never been dog hunting with 'em; I'll just leave it at that. lol I will say this, the TWRA pulled through big time in our situation, once the County Commission herd what the TWRA biologist had too say they found out real quick they were out of their league and backed off very quickly.

For years some hunters opposed us bow-hunters in TN but I thought all those guys were 90 and 100 years old now. It looks like anti-archery guys still exist though.